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City of the undead
MOVING in the same direction as the film industry, Quicksilva has made the horror quantum leap from giant ants to zombies. Following the trail blazed by 3D Ant Attack, the company has now released Zombie Zombie, using the same softsolid technique which popularised the former.

Softsolid is a means by which a true 3D perspective is built up using 'solid' cubes to form structures, behind which you or the monsters lurk. The landscape is a ruined city, many times larger than the screen, which may be viewed from any of four directions, thus enabling you to see behind the walls.

You have a small helicopter, casting the now fashionable shadow when aloft, which can pick up and redistribute the bricks of the city. That enables you to cut off or channel the zombies to a suitable killing ground.

Destroying zombies is much more difficult than killing ants. The only apparent way of doing it is to lure a zombie up a set of steps and over a precipice. You are capable of surviving the drop, but the zombie goes splat and leaves a small red puddle.

The game is less playable than 3D Ant Attack, despite the welcome provision of joystick options. Whereas the ants used to swarm in large numbers around you if you stood still, the zombies are difficult to find. That, coupled with the enormous difficulty in destroying them, makes it more fun to potter around designing buildings with the helicopter rather than get on with the game.



Chris Bourne


ZOMBIE ZOMBIE Memory: 48K Price: £6.95 Joystick: Kempston, Sinclair, Cursor Gilbert Factor: 7

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE
Quicksilva / £6.95

Dave: Oh no! Antescher has been invaded by zombies - nasty green ones that turn red with rage and attack whenever you get too close.
To help you rid the city of this influx of Duran Duran fans, you're equipped with a helicopter which you can use to fly around in safety. But you have to leave it when you're destroying the zombies - a feat accomplished by running into them from behind! Once hit they turn all slavelike and can be led up onto any convenient wall where they will happily jump to their death to the tune of Ten Green Bottles. If you're not too confident of controlling the zombies this way, you can always fire your 'puffer' at them which'll make them run away to a safe distance.
Any architects out there will also be glad to hear that your helicopter is capable of carrying a large number of bricks around, so the city can be re-defined to suit yourself; you can also have some fun with your own brand of "Soft Solid graffiti"!
Basically this is Ant Attack all over again and as such it will appeal to Ant Attackers everywhere - but if you found Ant Attack a tedious experience then don't bother with Zombie Zombie. For those of you who've seen neither Zombie Zombie is probably the best of the two. 2.5/5

Ross: This is just too similar to Ant Attack to offer anything very exciting. The tunes are OK and the ability to write obscenities on the bricks should keep you amused. 1/5

Roger: Tidying up the undead can be amusing, even though I'm told it's a pastime short on originality Probably a hit. 3/5

Dave 2.5/5
Ross 1/5
Roger 3/5

Dave Nicholls, Ross Holman, Roger Willis