LYNX: Rampart
From: Robert Jung (ap803@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 06/17/92-07:24:46 PM Z
From: ap803@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Robert Jung)
Subject: LYNX: Rampart
Date: Wed Jun 17 19:24:46 1992
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RAMPART
1-2 players, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$29.95
Stereo? No
OVERVIEW:
Longtime players fondly remember the Golden Age of video games, where
flashy graphics and sound didn't matter as much as a solid idea backed with
good gameplay. Even though most of today's games fall into recycled formulas,
every now and then there's a title that gets attention simply for daring to be
different.
Such is the case with RAMPART, an adaptation of the Atari Games' arcade
machine. The player is the warlord of an enclosed castle; cannons are placed
behind the walls and used to repel enemy attacks. After each battle, holes in
the wall must be patched with Tetris-like pieces before the next attack, else
the game ends. One player can compete against a computer-controlled navy
through eight levels, or two players can fight each other, with or without
the computer.
GAMEPLAY:
Lynx RAMPART is a near-complete copy of the original. The Lynx controls
are a respectable substitute for the arcade's trackball. In a one-player game,
a level ends after enduring a number of attacks, and survival is the final
goal. Against the computer, the difficulty starts off moderate and builds
gradually, with higher stages having more ships and stranger-shaped wall
pieces. A two-player game ends when one player loses, and all games have a
limited number of continues. There is one difference that devoted fans will
notice: On the Lynx, all ships can drop off ground forces, which makes
defending your shoreline very important. This change makes the game more
difficult, but not unplayable.
GRAPHICS/SOUND:
RAMPART in the arcade used simple but uninspired graphics, which the Lynx
duplicates exactly. To compensate, this version also shows a number of elegant
animated and still images between breaks in the action. There are not too
many sounds, but the ones present are well done, with explosions, musical
themes and dirges, and digitized voices.
SUMMARY:
RAMPART on the Lynx is a good adaptation, and is a welcome change from
today's recycled arcade themes. For those who've never tried this unusual
game, its original blend of action and strategy can be quite addictive, and is
well recommended.
GAMEPLAY: 8.5
GRAPHICS: 9.5
SOUND: 9
OVERALL: 8.5
Rating values 10 - 8 Great! This game can't get much better.
7 - 5 Good. Average game, could be improved.
4 - 2 Poor. For devotees only.
1 Ick. Shoot it.
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I don't know whether this means I should go out of town more often for
more Lynx games to show up, or I should stay home and ensure I can review
them as soon as they are released...
--R.J.
B-)
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Send whatevers to rjung@usc.edu | If it has pixels, I'm for it.
--------------------------------------+------------------------------Lynx up!
"You weren't chosen because you are the best pilot in the Air Force. You were
chosen because you are the class clown and frankly, you're expendable."
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