Game:

Stop the Express (1983)

Category:

Review

Duration: 4:25

293 views

14

Huge playlist archive with AY / GFX improved games: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxOanVBhqd3t74YnYAJA9p4vMQYZYCJWX
INTRODUCTION (From the manual):
The ITA Express has fallen into the hands of the evil Redmen. As Special Security Agent your task is to stop the train and apprehend the vile criminals before they reach the border.

Time is running out – can you avoid the fists and knives of the Redmen, reach the front carriage and unlock the motorman’s cabin?

You have only your ability – and the Snakebird – to help you.

REVIEW:
The game starts with you lowered to the roof of the last carriage. You have to make your way over the roof of ten carriages before you reach the motorman’s cabin. Redmen will attack you by throwing knives at you. If the Redmen catch up with you or one of their knives hits you you are flung off the train.

You can duck to avoid the knives, and sometimes a Snakebird flies past. If you make a jump you can catch the Snakebird, and this can be used for throwing at the Redmen. You have to jump to get to another carriage, but beware of the overhead electric stanchions, because jump into one of these and you are also flung off the train.

If you make it to the motorman’s cabin, you will get inside the train. Here you can use the passenger hanging straps to swing up and avoid the Redmen. Inside there is no Snakebird but you can jump on the Redmen’s heads to knock them out. You have to find the key so you can get into the driver’s cab and stop the train.

For a 1983 game this is extremely well done, the train carriages are well drawn and colorful, and the agent you are controlling is done in three colors. The controls works fine and the game is fun to play. It might seem a little short, but that was normal for the time, and you will have to play a lot of times to complete it, trying to remember to duck and jump at the right places. A stunning soundtrack has been added to this version by KDF soft.

Originally this was a Spectrum game but C64 and MSX also got ports.

The game was published by Sinclair Research Ltd in 1983.

Rating:
Original 48k version: 89%
Unofficial 128k version: 92%

48k tape: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/games/s/StopTheExpress.tap.zip
128k tape: http://retrospec.sgn.net/users/tomcat/yu/ReCracks/StopTheITAExpress_AY_Remix.tap
128k Beta Disk / TR-dos: https://vtrd.in/gamez/s/EXPRESS_.ZIP

Other Statistics