Gridrunner

Gridrunner is pure 8-bit gaming perfection on the humble unexpanded Commodore Vic-20.  It has a distinct feel of a big Arcade style game from the off as we’ve come to expect of it’s author, Jeff Minter of Llamasoft, and in my humble opinion is the best version of this game on any platform.   Gridrunner has certain similarities with the classic Centipede but despite the obvious insperations there are plenty of differences to make it stand out in its own right.

You start on a grid that fills most of the screen and can move around the bottom third of it.  From above come centipede-like aliens snaking their way down to you.  Shoot them and the segment turns into a mine while the rest of the segments split away to continue their descent.  The mines if left alone will grow until they explode, dangerously firing a missile down the grid.  Shoot it several times to shrink it until it is destroyed.

While watching what the centipede-like aliens are doing and trying to keep track of the mines, you also have to contend with a laser defences.  One moves horizontally across the bottom of the grid and the other vertically to the left.  At regular intervals they will fire and where the two converge a mine is created.  If the player or the aliens get in the way they are zapped.  With all this action going on it can be a challenge to keep on top it all. 

The first grid is quite easy to clear.  There are only two centipede aliens and they are pretty short.  However as you progress through the levels more and longer centipede aliens are introduced. 

The graphics are big, bold, colourful and fit that arcade mold perfectly.  The sound does not disappoint either, with some truely bold arcade sounds.  The gameplay, while tough at times grabs you from your first game and doesn’t let go.  A game everyone should play at least once, but be warned you might not be able to put it down again!

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