It seems that tanks are the 'in thing' as far as games are concerned. After a series of Battlezone lookalikes being released,US Gold have come up with a game that simulates not one, not wo, but three armoured transport systems.

Heavy Metal places you as a cadet in the US Officer Training School, where you will learn how to control an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT), an Air Defence Anti Tank (ADAT) and a Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) as well as tactical forces in a battle scenario.

Only Second Lieutenants and above can enter the tactical stage, so your first step on the ladder is to qualify for promotion by proving your worth in combat simulations using all three vehicles. Once you have been promoted you can select the tactical section, where you have the three units under your control as well as a fourth support unit, which can be any of the vehicles.

You must deploy your forces and engage enemy troops in an attempt to stop them reaching your HQ. Once all your forces have been defeated or immobilised you are taken to the debriefing room, where the General gives an appraisal of your performance.

New recruits usually find themselves receiving the hard edge of his tongue, but eventually you may be promoted to Five-Star General and outrank him, which should soften the General's approach!

GRAPHICS AND SOUND

The presentation of Heavy Metal is very good, with an effective animated introduction and some extremely tough-looking intermission screens. However, the actual in-game graphics vary form good to all right. The ADAT screen is the most impressive, with a well-drawn display and smooth scrolling and animation, but the MBT section has a rather simplistic look, with simple wire frame graphics used to portray the surrounding proceedings.

There is a solid option, but this only works for the scenery, not for enemy vehicles. The sound doesn't really make much use of the Amiga's capabilities, sounding more like that old 8-bit warhorse the Commodore 64.

LASTING INTEREST

The three simulators are in essence three different games, requiring a completely individual approach and use of tactics. Even if you manage to beat the three individual sections, there is the tactical game which takes more thought and planning before you can overcome the odds and beat the enemy forces, no matter how skilful your driving and shooting may be.

JUDGEMENT

Despite some rough edges in the audio-visual department and some annoying delays while playing the game, Heavy Metal isn't a bad combat simulation. The three sections are tough to master and present a fair challenge when combined in the strategic element of the game, especially when you're outnumbered almost two to one!

The feel is more 'arcade' like than straight wargaming, making the game easier to get into than some of the more complex simulations available - a fact that may repel strategists but will be welcomed by blast fans. But both these groups may find Heavy Metal

General E.E. 'Bud' Dink is a mean old coot, and he means to see you sweat blood as you make your way up through the ranks from trainee to five star general. But first you must qualify, earning at least 5,000 points on each of the 'combat sims'.

There are three arcade games, each based on a piece of hi-tech military. The Fast Attack Vehicle is a beach buggy with guns and missiles strapped on. Sadly your buggy lacks brakes or a throttle: all you can do is move left or right and press fire. Apart from dodging the various obstacles, you'll have to take out helicopters and tanks.

With the Air Defense Anti-Tank (ADAT), you control the turret as zillions of MIG fighters and TR-80 tanks swarm towards your position. Aircraft can be totalled with both missiles and cannons, while tanks can only be destroyed by cannon fire. Missiles are fired by pressing 'space bar' when brackets appear around a target indicating lock-on. The joystick is used to control a cursor aiming the cannon.

The most expensive weapon is the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT). You're in sole command with plenty of sensors above the small window showing the battlefield with its vector graphic enemy vehicles. All these targets are as animated sprites in the periscope view. You can either turn the tank to face them, or just the gun turret. Then you can set the gun elevation to match the laser rangefinder's suggestion. You can also dispense smoke to break the lock of an enemy rangefinder.

Once you've scored enough points on these arcade games you qualify as a a militaary commander, going to the Tactical Command Centre. This shows a map view of the battlefield. You can order your FAV, MBT and ADAT units to Engage (enemy unit), Move and Re-supply. But however good you are at strategy, defeat is virtually inevitable unless you participate. This takes you back into one of the three arcade games, with enemy forces calculated from the TACC game.