Virus

My computer has caught a cold

When playing with fractals the other week, I somehow got thinking of David Braben's Virus. This a complex game I've not played since the computer shops stocked Atari ST games on their shelves! Now, the original will always be best, but that's like comparing the STFM to a Falcon - so we should stop right there because our version is a 16-bit classic.

Going for a test flight over its chequered landscape (trying not to smash into anything) is an incredible experience. The mouse controls are intuitive yet tough to master so that will take time - but stick with it because once you've got the feel of how it handles, there's an amazing game waiting to be enjoyed. Check out my animation above, I did quite well ;)

Visually, this game is a gem with an excellent style using fast and smooth 3D which is much better than the Amiga. There are lots of neat touches and I've gotta say, I love the ship's exhaust as it spurts out those lovely particles of thrusting power. The audio is great with crisp sound effects that are refreshing thanks to the YM2149 doing us proud.

Virus is a fantastic 16-bit conversion of the original 32-bit masterpiece. Sure, it has a cruel learning curve (so be prepared for that) but, after beating that, you've found yourself a killer game that's gonna eat away the hours. This game rocks and I found it really enjoyable, if very challenging. An infectious shooter that provided me with hours of fun. Love it to bits!

- Download Virus -