Virus

Copyright : LMC Software | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

Help! Evil hackers are looking to destroy your trusty CPC by infecting your CP/M disc with a particularly nasty virus , and if they can?t do that then they?ll do anything else in their power to destroy that disc! Can you boot up your CPC before it?s too late?

French slide puzzle game that?s a variation on the Split Personalities style blend of action and puzzle elements.

Graphics

Although simple, the Mode 0 graphics in Virus are of an adequate standard not to adversely effect the game. The depictions of the various elements are clear enough and nothing is lost in translation. The colour scheme is a little garish but not to such an extent that it ruins the game.

The tiles move smoothly and quickly and the overall presentation is of an acceptable standard., the Mode 1 score bar being a fine example of this functionality.

Sound

Surprisingly for a game of this nature, Virus boasts a good soundtrack with a very good main theme that lingers in the memory and also has a compliment of good effects to go with it. The only disappointment is the BASIC beep that accompanies a move that you can?t make. The laughter that accompanies your disc being destroyed is a nice touch too.

Gameplay

One of the oldest puzzle game concepts, Virus is little more than a simple sliding puzzle where you have to move the pieces around to get the results you want . Unlike other computerised games of this nature however, the aim is to get your disc to the CPC at the other end of the puzzle by moving the tiles around and avoiding the hazards.

The game board is populated by viruses which corrupt your disc and effectively cost you a life and reset the screen. As a result things can get pretty frantic as you desperately start chucking tiles around to avoid the viruses which cannot travel across the empty space. As well as this , the player often has to think ahead as some tiles are magnetised and as we all know touching a disc with a magnet will corrupt and ruin your data!

As if this wasn?t enough, the tough time limit means you can?t afford to be complacent and have to make your move quickly.

There?s no denying that Virus will never win prizes for stark originality or even for any kind of excellence but it has to be pointed out that it is as addictive as it is effective and while it?s not one that?s likely to keep you up into the wee small hours of the morning, there?s a good chance that you will player longer than you thought you would when you look at it for the first time!

With a good difficulty curve, Virus might not be a masterpiece but I?d heartily recommend that you give it a go, particularly if you?re a puzzle fiend.