Dogs of War logo

Hunde, wollt Ihr ewig leben? Anscheinend hat es nie ein Ende mit den Bildschirm-Metzeleien - der neueste Rambo-Reißer von Elite schlägt jedenfalls mal wieder voll in diese blutige Kerbe.

Wer sich das Ding im festen Glauben zulegt, er bekäme einen Ersatz für die indizierten Spiele Com&?X oder Mikado Warriors, wird ein bißchen enttäuscht sein: Zwar bietet "Dogs of War" ein knalliges Intro ("Ra-ta-tata-tata-tatatata-tata!"), ordentliches Scrolling, Zwei-Spieler-Modus, zwölf Missionen und tonnenweise Waffen, aber sonst eben nur wenig.

Erstmal lädt es ewig, ist außerdem höllisch schwer und dabei ziemlich eintönig, denn die vielen Missionen sehen sich verdammt ähnlich.

Zu Beginn erteil ein ehrenwerter Mitbürger unserem Helden den moralischen Persilschein, sowie den Auftrag, irgendwelche bösen gegnerischen Sprites umzumähen. Da er nichts anderes gelernt hat, tut er das denn auch: sieht ungefähr so aus wie eine dose Ravioli, die ihr Leben auf dem Gehsteig aushaucht. Das wiederholt sich dann so lange, bis auch den hartgesottensten Veteranen langsam das dumpfe Gefühl beschleicht, knapp siebzig Mark in den Sand gesetzt zu haben.

Die aufgewendete Programmierkunst (unter anderem Steve Bak!) war wohl eh' für die Katz: Wegen der orangen Flecken auf dem Screen sind die Kriegshunde sicherlich alsbald dazu verurteilt, von der noch viel gnadenloseren BPS hingerichtet zu werden! (mm)



Dogs of War logo

Elite
Price: £19.99

Most computer games are violent. Some go over the top and (usually) they're to be taken with a pinch of salt. Dogs Of War however, is aggressive, bloodthirsty and great fun to play. You are a mercenary and it's your job to go around the world using big guns and killing hundreds of people. The game starts with a map of the world displaying various locations, each one representing a mission. Each assignment varies in plot: it could be to recover stolen items, or to assassinate a political figure or to rescue a kidnap victim. You are offered a cash incentive of between five and fifteen thousand quid, payable in advance; just as well considering you need to buy your weapons before you set out.

The armoury gives a whiff of the slaughter to come. You are presented with a screen of guns, big guns and REALLY big guns, each one nastier than the last. At the bottom of the table you have a small Browning High Power pistol, which isn't the greatest stopper of massed hordes of Colombian drug barons. Further on you get the classic Uzi, followed by large violent machine guns, rocket launcher and flame throwers. Each costs a load of folding green ones, not to mention the price of ammunition.

Once you've tooled up in the name of justice and money, you have to haul out and kick ass. You're placed at the start of a landscape preparing to face an oncoming private army. The only objective now is to survive and take out as many people as you can.

Armoured vehicles, easy-to-pick-off foot-soldiers, landmines and artillery - all of them give you hell. The armoured targets are safe from your bullets, so you need to use either a rocket launcher, a standard grenade or one of those fancy grenade launchers that can be slung on a M16 rifle.

Essentially nothing more than a Commando conversion, Dogs Of War does provide a great excuse for indiscrimate murder. Low on graphics, low on sound but good fun to play, it would have been nice to have seen a ten pound price tag attached to this game.



Dogs of War logo

Elite, Amiga £19.99

Although the title evokes poodles with popguns, in Dogs of War you (and an optional partner) are mercenaries.

Choose your mission from an international dozen. Before the fighting starts both players have several thousand credits to spend in the armoury. Weapons include various pistols, rifles machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, and even a flame-thrower. You can buy more than one weapons (and switch between them during play) but you'll need to buy plenty of ammo.

The action itself is shown from overhead, the play area first scrolling upwards then left, up, right etc. Enemy soldiers swarm in, firing machine guns and throwing grenades while additional hazards include mines, jeeps and gun turrets.


Phil King Dogs of War is essentially an Ikari Warriors variant, improving on that game with the superb range of weapons and multi- directional scrolling. Although hardly innovative, the simple shoot-'em-up gameplay is very addictive and (as always) more fun with two players. The trouble is, all the missions play much the same, and the action eventually get repetitive.
Robin Hogg I really liked this one, lots of violence and mega- hard weapons. The bullet-spitting mini-gun is great fun, as are the rocket launchers for taking out gun turrets and tanks. It could get a bit boring on your own, just inching up the screen against a relentless enemy onslaught, but I liked it. A sort of Leatherneck II by the same programmer, Steve Bak, this is great mindless fun.