The Rox conversion for the Commodore 64 further iterates from the original game for the VIC-20. In this title Jeff Minter pays tribute to the classic arcade game Missile Command.
Blaster developed by Vid Kidz for Williams was released for the arcades and is quite obscure. What is interesting however is that the Atari 5200 version that was not released was actually made before the arcade game. An unofficial sequel to Robotron 2084 (As it takes place in 2085) Blaster is a 3d style shooter with impressive graphics for the time. In it the player takes the view from a spaceship cockpit so moving in the different directions shifts the entire screen. There are four levels you will play through avoiding obstacles, saving humans, and defeating alien enemies. Upon beating the four levels the game loops but will be more difficult.
Chequered Flag is a racing game from Psion Software and published by Sinclair Research in 1983. The first driving game published for the ZX Spectrum, and one of the very first car simulators.
In this game, you play as Stevie and Nancy. The Music Machine moves back and forth at the top of the screen, dropping symbols that represent good qualities (Fruits of the Spirit). You have to catch these in you basket. Once you have caught one of each of the other symbols, then the heart (representing love) comes down. You MUST catch the heart to end the round and go to the next round. If you miss the heart, you lose a life. Just under the Music Machine is Mr. Pims. He tries to mess you up by dropping down his assistants, the Pudgeons. If you catch a Pudgeon, you lose a life.
The title screen shows us 25 letters of the alphabet (where did the Z go?) and 5 symbols, representing little figures. If you press F1 to start, you will see the first screen with all the letters and symbols randomly presented and numbered from 1 to 30. If you move the blinking cursor with your joystick down (in the direction of the red arrows), the second screen will appear with the same letters and symbols also numbered 1 to 30, but in a different order. You will also be confronted by a horrible tune. While the tune is playing, you will have to memorize the positions of the letters and symbols of both the screens by looking at their corresponding number (use your joystick to move the cursor in the direction of the arrows to let the other screen appear) or just write down the thirty letters and symbols of one screen on a piece of paper. When the tune stops, all the letters and symbols of both screens will change into little squares and a timer will count down from 1000 to 0. You have to memory match the same lette