Zynaps

Just a freebie?

Zynaps is a Nemesis-Esque shoot 'em up that spookily reminds me of another Hewson title, Slayer. We pilot the Scorpion Mk1 Fighter through the heavens in search of a secret alien base. Greeting you are hordes of alien scumbags: in ships, a variety of ground-based defences, and even motherships. Very original, right?

Update: you know, to this day I have still never played Slayer. How odd is that!

Hewson released Zynaps in 1988, and it was developed by Howard Ball of Microwish Software. I've always felt this was a game coded by someone who knew the Atari ST hardware very well, but Howard only ever made this shooter and nothing more. Lost potential there, I fear. At least his only game is quality!

Hey, why aren't you watching the video above? Ah well, perhaps a couple of screenshots then...

The first level is cool, but it isn't long before a guardian appears!

That thing bounces around the screen like an old-school demo!

Shoot! Kill! Shoot some more!!

Our Scorpion spaceship is snazzy with different levels of propulsion and weapon upgrades. However, we do start off limited with sluggish movements and firing, so shoot that first wave of bad guys to collect their loot for speed-up. Then look to improve lasers or even bombs and missiles. It's simple - pimp your ship!

Activating these power-ups is a little strange. When a group of baddies snuffs it, they leave behind a pod. Collecting that changes the power-up being displayed in the status bar. So when something appears that you like the look of, hold down the fire button during the next pick-up to be granted permission to use it. To be fair, this is rather naff - especially during the heat of battle. Surely this could have been designed better.

The enemies attack in predictable formations, which reminds me of Wizball, oddly enough. At first, firing accuracy is difficult, so hitting the baddies feels a lot harder than it should be. This learning curve is massive - it took many attempts before I started to destroy an entire wave (and then begin collecting the pods!).

That's annoying, isn't it? Well, let's cheer ourselves up and see some more screenshots...

Woo! What's happened to the landscape backgrounds on the next level?

Getting past the asteroids is tough, but now it's a boss fight, and he's a bit weird...

Practice makes perfect!

Most levels take you through beautiful environments, whereas others are a bleak asteroid field. No matter where you are, watch out: the slightest collision can cost a life, which can easily be done. This is made worse by ultra-cramped areas thanks to the bulk of that scenery (and the status bar). Fly like Buck Rogers... or die.

Eventually, you reach an end-of-level boss, and most are tough - so it's doubtful you will be victorious right away! The first boss hops around the screen like a sprite from an old skool-styled demo. Rarely did I see the end of the second level (without using a trainer), but YMMV. Just don't give up, you wimp and keep playing!!

Wimps only ever see the first level, so practice, and you might see more! Screenshot time...

Things get freaking on level 3, but it's a good kind of freaky :-)

Well, except for the boss(es). Very lame!

Graphics

Zynaps is a gorgeous shoot 'em up. Sure, games like Xenon 2, Magic Boy, Gods, Deathbringer, and others blow it out of the water, but this old shooter (from 1988) holds its own thanks to the efforts of Pete Lyon!! The title screen is wonderful - pure art - and many levels feature a Menacing array of beautiful environments.

That's not all, the sprites move fast and very smoothly, following those incredibly difficult flight patterns. But what about the scrolling? Programmers without talent tell us the ST cannot scroll. Well, don't worry because it's nigh-on perfect and very smooth, so feels just dandy. Yep, this is another quality Hewson product.

For me, Hewson were consistent, without resorting to lame ports...

Things get a little Menacing for the fourth level.

It looks stunning - if deadly. I never beat it...

Sounds

The theme tune is outstanding thanks to the talent of a favourite musician, Dave Rogers: a man responsible for many of my ZX Spectrum memories, not to mention ST beauties like Ranarama and Cybernoid.

The sound effects might pale in comparison to the music, but they're excellent and offer an arcade-like style which I really admire. I love that sharp "zing-zing" when you shoot, the crunchy death effect, and how you are mocked when it's game over. Like the visuals, a lot of love went into the audio, which is brilliant.

Yep, the audio proves what the Atari ST can sound like. Wanna hear it...

The Crypto'pinion

This is one of those games that has it all, but many give up after a few goes because of its learning curve. The action is relentless, so you're always on the edge of your seat. The method of using power-ups might be flawed, but these are essential to enhance the Scorpion with better firepower and manoeuvrability.

Zynaps is yet another corker from Hewson's incredible library. Sure, I've moaned about a few things, but nothing is perfect, and it has a massive "one-more-go" factor. What an extraordinary shoot 'em up, and it's a great feeling to end my Super Pack series on a high. You need to play this game.

Grab the floppies if you have the skills

I recommend these excellent HD versions by Klaz and PP.