MAT YEO bears about as much resemblance to Arnie as Barbara Windsor does to Thora Hird, but he once went on a school trip to Austria so...

You’ve watched the movie, read the book and yelled the catchphrases in a highly unconvincing accent. Now you can play the game! Yesiree, the Austrian muscle-mountain himself finally arrives on the Master System! It’s taken a while but it’s been worth the wait.

The game sticks closely to the plot of the original film, with you taking on the role of Kyle Reese, a soldier from a war-torn future where humans are fighting a losing battle against machines.

The survivors have spent years battling to free their future and tonight they may have a chance to win (cor, gripping stuff, eh!). Technicians have discovered a time travel device built by the machines. Unfortunately, a deadly killing machine — a Terminator — has already been sent through it

Its mission is to kill Sarah Connor before she becomes the mother of John, the leader of the future human resistance. As Kyle Reese, you’ve volunteered (twit!) to go back in time to stop the Terminator and save the future!

More grit than a budgie cage!

First off, this game looks great. Cool digitised pics from the film introduce each level, including character portraits and text not used on the MD version.

All the characters are well animated and have a gritty look. The bad guys look bad and the good guys... er, there aren’t any! The feel of the film has been captured accurately, from the ravaged landscape of 2029 to the seedy back streets of Los Angeles, 1984. Level 1 has Kyle racing across the battleground to destroy the time displacement reactor.

First of all you have to dodge the bombs being dropped by a flying Hunter Killer.

You have 100% energy to start with but each hit knocks it down. The top of the screen constantly displays your energy, time, and points. Nip down a ladder into the depths of the computer’s base (whoa, scary!), where toads of Arnies are waiting to bump you off. Luckily you’re armed with grenades that send these menacing mechanoids to an early grave. Blow up doors and explore the base.

Figuring out the best route is the first problem but practice makes perfect! You have to find a machine gun first before grabbing more grenades. Reach the first half of the level and your energy’s returned to full strength.

Next, find the reactor and blow the mutha up! That done, ifs a race against the clock to locate the exit. As the shepherd said, let’s get the flock outta here!’ Reach the time displacement chamber before the whole place goes sky-high.

The chamber takes you to 1984 and Stage 2. Kyle’s been transported back to Los Angeles and has to reach Sarah Connor before the Amie Terminator do6S. There are a few obstacles to overcome first though. Street punks chuck molotov cocktails at your bonce and the cops try to nail your ass to the wall (ouch!), before you reach the TechNoir club and face the Terminator himself. Amie has to be blasted constantly while you move across the floor and plenty of ducking and shooting gets you to the end of the level. After grabbing Sarah Connor, mere’s a short sequence where Kyle explains what happens in the future. Sarah poops her pants and gets nabbed by the cops. Well, it was bound to happen really.

This takes Kyle to the police station where he has to find the cowardly woman who’s gibbering under a desk somewhere. Watch out ‘cos Amie’s wandering round bumping off the boys in blue and generally making a nuisance of himself.

Hot stuff!

The last level takes place at a steel mill. The Terminator’s been reduced to just his shiny skeleton and boxer shorts! Blast him away, avoid his crawling body, trick him into the steel press and it’s ‘Hasta la vista, baby!’

Terminator on the Master System’s tough — and I do mean Tough! The Mega Drive version’s a doddle by comparison.

Each level has to be done in a certain way. Once you figure out the formula, just practise. The only gripe I have is the fact that, no matter what level you’re on, when you die you go back to the start.

This is damn frustrating and had me tearing out my hair and putting it in a small box under the bed — I expect it’ll do the same for you. I got to the police station after much huffing and panting out it was worth it.

Take my advice, stop your grinnin’ and drop your linen! This game is so hot it’ll bum you bad!

MAT

Having reviewed the MD version, to say I was astounded by the MS would be an understatement. The graphics are almost identical and the atmosphere’s the same. But it’s playing the game that really shows the diff. It’s so tough you sometimes wish you were the Terminator! As with most platform games, the more you play the further you get, but with no continues and one life this is tougher than NOT laughing when you see Wayne’s World. Terminator fans and platform addicts will wet themselves when they see this but you’ll have to wait till it’s in the shops.

PAUL

Producer
Virgin
GG
TBA
MD
August
Memory
256K
Players
1
Price
£32.99

SF Rating

Presentation
90% - Great opening sequence
Visuals
92% - Digitised pics, smooth scrolling
Sonics
88% - Movie tune, accurate FX
Playability
84% - No mid-level restarts, tough levels
Lastability
90% - Highly challenging

90%

A great conversion of a classic movie

Rating
90
Reviewer
Sega Force magazine
Region
UK
Scans
Sega Force - Issue 08

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