Ever since the two guys from Andromeda discovered and punched upon galactic dustman Roger Wilco, he hasn't had a minute to himself. Dragged from his mortally safe and boring freighter-
Into the time warp
A year after its spectacular appearance on the PC, Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers is now ready to land on the Amiga. Keyboard fans have succumbed to the admittedly easy-to-
You can walk, talk, examine or manipulate objects. The inventory is pictorial, too, unlike the smug messages you get after meeting your timely demise - gently hinting at what might have convinced fate to turn at the doorstep.
Where does our involuntary hero set out, then? On his way home to Xenon, arch-rival and ultimate baddie Vohaul (of earlier sequels' fame) has unsuspecting Roger caught and, very nearly executed. Only nearly, as members of a resistance force are at hand to wrest our hero from the killers' iron grip. With encouraging comments, they shove him through a time rip - straight into Space Quest XII: Volhaul's Revenge II.
Xenon seems to have taken too much of a megablast sometime in the future. Eerie ruins and paranoid androids welcome Roger (or, the in case of the androids, out of) this brave new world. Soon, however, entrances to the glitzy underworld are found. A fast and furious race against time, the infamous Sequel Police and a lot of ill-
Almost certainly so. While the beautifully absurd encounters, puzzles and cross-
While the story amuses, but leaves seasoned players dissatisfied, the listless conversion of sound and graphics does injustice to the Amiga. Admittedly, metallic minimalism has a certain sci-fi appeal that might be lost on, say, a Larry or King's Quest player. Still, there is no excuse. What could decent programming have done to the Monolith Burger Bar scenes or to the irritably well-
Unlike lovesick Larry, Roger Wilco definitely has all our sympathy. Watch the poor chap stumble from one acid trap into the next huntress poised to strike - girls must simply fall for this innocent (if slightly prone to swaggering) blonde dummy. Yet they must be strong-
So you want to be a hero
Grit your teeth and hang on to your mouse... or fall asleep while Roger drags himself across the screen. Seven disks provide you with lots of installation time to study the technical manual and the more colourful Space Piston magazine. Beginners' tips and something close to Infocom humour temporarily distract from the simple, if wickedly-
Asking £35 for an absurdly fat package with less game than even two years ago is simply asking a bit too much. Surely, Sierra can do better than that?