Cybernoid

Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine
Developer(s)	Raffaele Cecco
Publisher(s)	Hewson Consultants
Platform(s)	Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, C64, NES, ZX Spectrum
Release date(s)	1987 Virtual Console NA November 9, 2009[1] EU June 27, 2008
Genre(s)	Shoot 'em up
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: E PEGI: 3+
Media	Cassette, floppy disk
Input methods	Keyboard, Joystick

Cybernoid is a shoot 'em up published in 1987 by Hewson Consultants for several home computer formats. It was programmed by Raffaele Cecco. The Commodore C64 version (also released on the Virtual Console) featured a main theme by Jeroen Tel, whilst the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC had a completely different theme tune by Dave Rogers.

Gameplay

In Cybernoid, pirates have raided the storage depots of the Federation and stolen minerals, jewels, ammunition and the latest battle weaponry. The Cybernoid ship has been dispatched with instructions to retrieve the stolen booty and to return it to storage within a specified time limit. The cybernoid needs to battle the pirates and their planetary defense systems in order to retrieve the stolen booty.

Cybernoid is split into levels with each level consisting of several screen which are travelled via a flick-screen system of play rather than scrolling. The hazards in each screen can be different - some will have just enemy pirate ships, some homing missiles, some gun turrets, some indestructible enemies on fixed-paths that have to be traversed and some a mixture of these. The Cybernoid ship can collect power-ups for assistance (including a rear-gun and a giant spiked ball which flies around the ship) and also use a variety of built-in special weapons such as shields and homing missiles.

Shooting pirate ships often leaves power-ups or jewels which Cybernoid can then collect.

Critical reaction

Cybernoid achieved great critical success. CRASH magazine awarded an overall score of 96%, with one reviewer exlaiming: "Fantastic! Who needs 16-bit machines when Hewson and Raffaele Cecco can produce games like this on the 8-bit Spectrum?", referring to the smooth animation and addictive gameplay.^[2]

Your Sinclair also awarded the game 9 out of 10, the reviewer also highlighting the excellent graphics, fast gameplay and the fact that tactics are required to pass each screen.^[3]

Sequel

Following the Cybernoid a sequel, titled Cybernoid II: The Revenge, was published the following year on the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. In 2004 it was one of the games featured on the C64 Direct-to-TV. The plot of the sequel revolved around the return of the pirates in a new Battlestar, again plundering Federation storage depots.

External links

• Cybernoid at MobyGames
• Cybernoid at World of Spectrum

References