The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

BEACH HEAD

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Arcade; Classic Invasion Game

Author             : Peter Johnson

Standalone Release(s)   : 1984: BEACH HEAD, US Gold, £9.95

                    1988: BEACH HEAD, Americana, £2.99

Compilation Release(s) : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron Side A/BBC Side B

Actual compatibility    : As stated. Electron version works on BBC.

Supplier            : U.S. GOLD, Units 2/3 Holford Way, Holford, BIRMINGHAM B6

                    7AX. Tel: 024 356 3388

Disc compatibility     : CDFS E00, DFS E00

Instructions

"BEACH HEAD is a multi-screen action game which requires different skills and provides new sequences as you progress through the game. You will encounter secret passages, squadrons of enemy planes sheeling fron enemy ships, an almost impenetrable enemy held beach and a fortress with a huge cannon that never misses! If you feel you are up to the challenge! Joystick or keyboard."

Choose skill level 1-3 by typing appropriate number.

AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE

Manoeuvre your fleet using the joystick. Choose between the Hidden Passage, on the outer edge of the peninsular, or a Frontal Assault through the main channel.

THE HIDDEN PASSAGE

Here use the joystick to turn left or right, push forward to increase speed and pull back to slow down. Avoid the mines and torpedoes and you may surprise the enemy.

GENERAL QUARTERS

Use your joystcik to ain anti-aircraft guns. Pull back to raise and push forward to lower sights.

NAVAL BATTLE

Joystick now controls your heavy guns. You will be told how far long or short you are in metres, each degree of elevation is 200m.

BEACH HEAD

Each ship you navigate to the harbour carries two tanks. Once landed you must avoid the obstacles to reach the fortess of Kuhn-Lin.

KUHN-LIN

You must land ten shells on the fortress to destroy it. However, only one target is vulnerable at once. Also the fortress is defended by a cannon that will destroy your tanks.

Game Controls

Select joystick by pressing fire or keyboard by pressing SPACE.

The keys are:

Z - Left,   X - Right,   : - Up,   / - Down,   <RETURN> - Fire

<DELETE>/<COPY> - Pause/Restart,   <ESCAPE> - Abort Game

Instructions' Source   : BEACH HEAD (Americana Release) Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User)

It's time to get your tin hats out and lead the assault on the enemy territory in BEACH HEAD. This is one of the first conversions of US Gold's legendary Commodore 64 software, and it's great!

By moving the cursor which represents your forces, you can select one of two opening scenarios. In the first you must guide your fleet through a narrow channel which is mined and is constantly criss-crossed by enemy torpedoes. You score for every ship successfully negotiating the channel, but you inevitably lose a few ships.

The second option is to skip this section and proceed with a full complement of ten ships to the anti-aircraft game. This part of the game is great fun - enemy aircraft dive at your ship with guns blazing.

You now take on the role of gunner, moving the gun up, down, left and right, pumping out shells at wave after wave of fighters. Speed and accuracy are essential here, as with each hit from the enemy your damage points increase. Each time the total reaches 20 damage points, you lose another ship. The enemy places defeated, their fleet now comes into play.

My first attempts at lobbing shells at silhouettes of enemy vessels were disastrous. I then noticed a small notice on the display informing me of how long
or short was - aren't computers wonderful?

Having survived this melee, the surviving ships head for the beach and land their cargo of tanks - the number of tanks landed being proportional to the number of surviving ships. The tanks must be guided through a tortuous maze of tank traps and gun emplacements.

Finally they reach their target - a huge gun mounted on top of a hill. The hill is protected by numerous guns which must be eliminated before the large gun is destroyed.

The graphics are excellent, and the fact that your performance on each level determines your fire-power on the next is a great idea.

James Riddell, ELECTRON USER 3. 3