RETRO RESPECT
BUCK ROGERS: COUNTDOWN TO DOOMSDAY
Straight from the off, the dirty stuff hits the fan and you’re recruited to save the day... (Amiga)
The first person perspective certainly helps to heighten the tension during exploration (DOS)
Just like a true hero, you offer your services to fight against the invaders (C64)
It’s off to battle we go... Make good use of your turn based options (Amiga)
I
take control of Earth. A new hope comes with this new dawn as new recruits join NEO and this is where you, the player, come in. The manual may be a little off putting with its in-depth detail, but you rarely need to flip through it, even if you’re a complete beginner. The player starts the game by building up their party of six members from a selection of different classes (warrior, jock, rogue, and medic) and race (Martians, Tinkers, Desert Runner). Each member has their own unique abilities with such elements as strength, dexterity, and constitution. A balanced mix of race and skills will ensure you succeed in the game. For instance, a medic is invaluable if you intend on healing your team, while a rogue is useful for computer hacking and key locks. The party is briefed and given a shuttle to use, but then all hell breaks loose as RAM start attacking the spaceport. People flee in all directions and the enemy is everywhere. The party discover that - for the first mission - they must reactivate the
spaceport’s defence fortification. It is during this scuffle that the first encounter of the RAM’s Terrines takes place: bio-engineered humanoids built for fighting. Exploration during missions is viewed in the classic first perspective, but once the enemy is in sight, the view switches to battle mode: the screen zooms into an expanded version of the section that you are in, with the odd plant, furniture, equipment or other obstacles. Combat is turn-based— which I always prefer as opposed to the clumsiness of real-time—and each member of the party take their turn to use the allocated APs (Action Points) to carry out commands like move, attack, or heal. As with all great RPGs, strategy can play a major part in battles, as attacks from the back and side are more effective than attacks from the front. The crosshair can be moved over the enemy to view their rank, health, and chance of hitting them, allowing you to attack the easiest and weakest unit. While the combat can
be played out automatically using the “quick combat” option, it is recommended to play out the battles manually as you have better control on what happens. Careful selection of weapons is also needed as each weapon has a different effect on different enemy. For example, shooting a Terrine with a laser gun is not as effective as shooting it with a rocket launcher. Once a battle is won, the party receives credits, experience points and the option of looting the bodies for weapons and equipment. The initial battles are relatively simple, but get progressively more difficult throughout the game.
t’s funny how you stumble across certain games that you would never think of buying yourself, or indeed, even playing. Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday (known as BR: CtD from now one) was one of those games for me. I borrowed it from a friend who didn’t like it at all and preferred the fantastic tactical RPG Shining Force. I played it, loved it, and went out to purchase a copy for myself. Instead of the usual fantasy plot found in many Role Playing Games, BR: CtD features a sci-fi story, which twisted, turned and surprised you as much as any other RPG could. The name Buck Rogers may conjure memories of the television series from NBC (1979-1981), but BR: CtD is actually based on the Buck Rogers XXVc setting that was created by TSR inc. in 1988, and has featured in such media as books, novels, and board games. The back-story is well detailed in the game’s manual, but the main story begins in the intro scenes. The year is 2456 and Earth is war torn after centuries of battles. NEO (New Earth Organisation), with the help of a recently revived Buck Rogers, have just won a victorious battle against RAM (Russo-American Mercantile: the previous ruthless rulers of Earth) and
RETROACTION ISSUE TWO
SUMMER 2009
As with all great RPGs, strategy can play a major part in battles, as attacks from the back and side are more effective than attacks from the front.
The action hots up as they take the battles into space (Mega Drive) 66