The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

SURVIVORS

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Arcade; Overhead-Maze Game

Author             :

Standalone Release(s)   : 1987: SURVIVORS, Atlantis, £2.99

Compilation Release(s) : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron Side A, BBC Side B

Actual compatibility    : As stated

Supplier            : ATLANTIS, 28 Station Road, LONDON SE25 5AG

Disc compatibility     : Unknown

Instructions

"Electron User Golden Game August 87.

"'Could well knock Repton off its perch'

- MICRO USER, August 87

"The year is 2087 and the world has been devastated by nuclear war. Your mission is to guide a team of specialist Droids through seven levels of a severely damaged hibernation dome and teleport almost a thousand survivors to safety."

Your mission is to rescue almost a thousand survivors from a hibernation dome, damaged in the recent nuclear war. To complete the task, you must guide three Droids through the seven levels of the building and teleport the survivors to safety. Each of the Droids has a different function. DROID 1 can tunnel through tons of earth at high speed, DROID 2 is a very advanced Droid whose function is to teleport the survivors to safety, and DROID 3 is a Droid of immense strength, used for moving fallen boulders (although even he can only move one at a time).

The damage to the dome is so severe that the slightest mistake can result in a fall of boulders. If one of your Droids is hit by a boulder, serious power loss will result. Beware also the MK. 1 'Guardian' Droids, left in the dome to maintain the life support systems. Their circuits were damaged by the nuclear fall out and they are now hostile. Contact with one of these will also cause serious loss of power. The only way to dispose of these mutant droids is to trap or crush them with a boulder.

Every move must be planned to ensure that your droids do not become trapped. Failure of your mission will result in certain death for the SURVIVORS.

Game Controls

Z - Left,   X - Right,   * - Up,   ? - Down

1, 2 and 3 - Select Droids,   Q - Sound Off/On

<ESCAPE> (once) to pause. Any key to re-start.

<ESCAPE> (twice) to start a new life.

Instructions' Source   : SURVIVORS (Atlantis) Back and Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User) - "Race Against Time"

I have to admit I must be one of the few people that didn't like REPTON or its many sequels. On the face of it, SURVIVORS seems like REPTON with a different scenario, though the original idea is a bit more sinister.

It all happens in the year 2087 after a massive nuclear war has devastated Earth. Your job is to find and rescue the cryogenically suspended survivors of the holocaust from the crumbling remains of a hibernation dome.

Three specially armoured rescue droids have been sent into the area to help and are now under your control.

Each droid has its own special abilities. The first is a high speed tunnelling machine, the second a mobile teleporter and the third a bulldozer droid for shifting large rockfalls in the area. But it is not going to be easy.

From the moment the title page weaves onto the screen you being to get the feeling that you are in for a mindbending task. Press S to start the game (After all, who needs instructions?) and you're ready to go.

The screen display shows the power levels of the three robots, the score, time remaining, people left and most important, people saved.

Actually saving someone is a doddle, all you do is move over them with droid number two, the teleporter, and they're whisked to safety.

The problems lie in finding where they are, and then rescuing them without getting trapped yourself.

Now that is not quite as easy as you might think and your route has to be very carefully thought out. One wrong move can bring boulders bouncing down, blocking the escape route.

SURVIVORS becomes more of a challenge when you realise that the three droids have to be used intelligently.

Initially you can use the tunnelling machine to dig a path through the rubble and then use the teleporter to pick up survivors. But you will soon have to start shoving rocks around, and then it starts to get difficult.

You have to cope with the old maintenance droids as well. These once peaceful machines, having been damages by radiation, are now on the loose and pose a severe threat to any of your own droids that touch them.

Unlike most games of this ilk, touching the enemy does not result in instant death, merely the loss of power. If the power level of any of the three droids falls to zero then you will have to start all over again.

When you do get through level one there are another six to come, and judging by the challenge of the first it may take a long time.

The game is addictive and aided by well-animated and colourful characters. One minor criticism is the sound which is rather a disappointment, the only regular noise being the relentless ticking of the clock, counting your remaining time.

I would have like to see the addition of a joystick option and screen designer, although this is more personal preference rather than a necessity.

All in all, at this pocket-money price, SURVIVORS represents extremely good value for money and could well knock REPTON off its perch.

Sound ........................... 4

Graphics ........................ 9

Playability .................... 10

Value for money ................ 10

Overall ......................... 9

"Electron User Golden Game"

Mark Smiddy, ELECTRON USER 4.11