Robotz

Chicken, fight like a robot!

Robotz is a game I got on a cover disk and it was developed by P Fox of ProjectX. It feels somewhat like a tactical version of the Berzerk genre. Once again, we find ourselves in deep space on board a ship that has been invaded - by robots. As the last surviving crew member, we must eliminate them before they fully take over the ship.

This won't be easy because each room has electrified walls for instant death! Each room is different and populated by randomly placed robots who follow your movements in their own specific order (use that to your advantage). We are armed with a one-shot gun but the robots are protected by a shield your shots cannot penetrate. However, it will stun them for a few seconds. If only their shield had a generator we could blast into smithereens?

For a homebrew game, I must say I adore the visuals that personally remind me of a cross between Xenon and Leavin' Teramis. The palette is gorgeously metallic and I love the shadows which add so much depth to the scenario. All sprites are simple but nicely detailed with good animation and I always giggle at our protagonist's legs as he walks. Yeah, it's funny but nowhere near as entertaining as his "ouch" scream when losing a life! Why didn't he wear rubber gloves?

I think this is a cracking example of the Atari ST's public domain library. A stunning game with bundles of stress and tension. A simple idea beautifully executed. Yeah, Robotz is cruel and tremendously addictive. Highly recommended.

Each level has a design that demands lots of time to master the tighter areas.

Those robots are indestructible! Surely there's a way to kill them?

Some levels have more freedom to move, but that doesn't mean they're easy!

This level is extremely tricky. When I say tricky, I mean agonisingly difficult!!

Hmm, this appears easy? One generator... but... three droids!

Oh no, this level features TWO generators to destroy BEFORE the robots are killable.