Operation Wolf logo

Ocean
£24.99

The Amiga version of Operation Wolf comes on two mayhem packed discs, but still really does take an inordinate time to load. I would have thought it would have been possible to compress the game a little more, especially as you're forced to go through the entire laborious process each time you want to play.

Nevertheless the end result is well worth the wait and is undoubtedly the best representation of Op Wolf outside the arcades. The slowness of the load is pretty much its only serious fault. You certainly won't have to wait until you see the whites of your snarling enemies eyes before you blow them away against the delightful well-drawn background.

The flimsy scenario does hold the game together surprisingly well. Having a clear purpose does concentrate the mind and makes you feel a little better about the vicious carnage, even if it is just a bunch of old sprites. One thing I've always liked about this game, no doubt because of my mercenary nature, is that instead of getting points you get paid - cold cash money - so you can watch your bank balance escalate pleasurably (even if the nearest cash point is several hundred miles away).

The Amiga version is, to say the least, erm... challenging. No-one round here can get much beyond the second screen, let alone rescue the hijacked jet. Each adversary has to take a solid hit before they do down, and often two or three, and the thrown daggers which come at you regularly are a nightmare to shoot out.

The music too is an excellent adaptation, unfortunately you'll spend a little more time than is desirable listening to it as you wait for the game to load one more time.

Since you're meant to be wielding a Uzi, it might have helped to give you a little more ammunition. Miss one of the collectables and you can wave goodbye to your mercenary spending any of his ill-gotten gains. For the majority of people, who are unlikely to be able to ascend to the later stages without a considerable amount of practice, it would have been nice if you'd been given the option of switching the stages around so you at least get to die on a different screen occasionally. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be considered mercenary-like behaviour, so you'll have to soldier on, ho ho ho.

Operation Wolf is a classic of its kind and this conversion by no means disgraces the original. Don't let me give you the impression that, because this game is difficult, that it's impossible, or merely frustrating. Op. Wolf is both addictive and compelling. Shame about all the disk swapping but, Ocean say, that was the only way you could have the whole game.



Operation Wolf logo

Ocean, Amiga £24.99

You haven't heard the phrase haven't you? 'Have machine gun, will shoot the hell out of things'. No? Oh well, suit yourself.

In Operation Wolf that's exactly what you must do. Rebel troops have set up a dedicated fighting force spread over the continent, ready to spread their forces by way of invasion of your homeland (ooh, the horror!). It's up to you to put a stop to it (well, that's what you joined the army for isn't it?).

Armed with an Uzi sub-machine gun, you must fight your way through six stages of enemy filled territories, beginning with the communications camp, which must be shut down in order to confuse all future enemy movement. To do this however, you must wipe out the enemy inhabitants, as they won't just sit and watch as you plant explosives all over the place!

Zzap's Ken D Fish: Am I really a fish!?! Oh s***!

Next comes the jungle, with armoured cars and snipers galore, leading onto other stages such as the village, concentration camp and airport.

No problem eh? Well... the thing is... you're all alone. There's no backup. You have to survive on what ammunition you have along with any magazines and rockets you can pick up on the way. Should you receive too many hits from enemy weapons, your body-armour will give way and you will sustain a 'lethal injury' - other words, you'll croak.

Oh, and another thing, watch out for the hostages! They don't like being shot at.


Kati Hamza The first thing that struck me about Operation Wolf was the incredible length of time that it took to actually get going. The title screen loaded, the music played, the credits appeared, the music stopped and it still wasn't ready! When it finally started I can't admit to being over keen on the control, as the bullets hardly ever seem to hit what you aim at. They seem to be more content to wander off and hit something else - like a hostage! The graphics and sound are very good, though, with large, colourful sprites and sampled effects, but when the game is filled with such long delays due to the awful multiload then it hardly seems worth it.
Maff Evans Well I must say I'm disappointed. After the brilliant 64 version of Operation Wolf I was expecting great things of the Amiga version. What I wasn't expecting was one of the worst Amiga multiloads I've ever seen. I mean disk swapping? On an arcade game? Aaaargh! The actual game sections aren't that great, either; sure. The graphics are nice and the sound is realistic, but what difference does it make when the gameplay is a bit on the boring side? Maybe I'd been playing longer if it didn't take so long to get to the game sections (it was actually quicker to reset the machine and start again rather than wait to get through the highscore table). Should have been a helluva better, considering the strength of the 64 version showed that it wasn't just a set of pretty graphics, there's a playable game in there!