THE SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE



PANZADROME



PUBLISHER

Ariolasoft



AUTHOR





YEAR

1985



CATEGORY

Arcade strategy



CONTROLS

Keyboard, Kempston

Joystick controls are recommended for this game!



 KEYS : Rotate left      - CAPS LOCK

        Rotate right     - Z

        Forwards         - X

        Backwards        - C

        Fire             - V

        Use Polycrete (TM)    - P





INSTRUCTIONS

The eponymous Panzadrome is an island inhabited solely by robot

tanks of varying viciousness. You have been given the task of

destroying all the robots on the Panzadrome...

 

Each robot tank is remotely controlled from a central computer,

from which it gets its power. Plasma vents are a central part of

the power grid, and they have to be destroyed in order to knock

out both the computer and tanks. The computer is well aware of

this weakness, though, and wherever you find a vent there is also

a strong guardian force as well. Apart from the tanks you also

have to cope with heavily armed fun emplacements which fire on

any intruders.



Due to budget restrictions, you have been given a very

sub-standard tank with a one-shot turret and stone wheels!

Fortunately, factory depots are scattered around the island, each

specialising in a different type of tank component. You can visit

these factories and collect whatever system a factory makes.



Though the robot part stores are unaware that you are an

intruder, the computer's tanks will recognise you immediately and

try to destroy you.  Three weapons systems are available to you,

although at the start you only have the worst - a on-shot turret.

The others are mortars and mines, both of which must be collected

from the appropriate factory.



A Polycrete (TM) module is almost vital to have. Although you can

avoid the enemy tank fire if you are quick enough, their (and

your) exploding shells leave impassable craters in the ground.

This means that it can be quite easy to get stuck between a pair

of impassable craters. The solution is to use Polycrete (TM) -

press P to squirt it into the crater to fill the hole.



The Panzadrome itself is a 64-screen island, each screen flicking

to the next when the edge boundary is reached. A scanner helps

you navigate by highlighting the screen you are currently on. A

short-range scanner is also shown, displaying the tanks (which

you can see) and the mines (which you can't). As well as this,

the status screen shows the state of repair of any equipment you

may have; if something is too badly damaged you will lose it. You

only have one life, and if your shields run out a direct hit on

your tank will destroy it. Status bars depict shield level and

other counters show the amount of ammunition.





SCORES RECEIVED

"A very good idea that is let down a bit by the execution." 77%

(CRASH #24, January 1986)



GENERAL FACTS



NOTES

