ONE shortage of games available for the Amiga is the Rambo style shoot-'em-
Microdeal's latest game is in this style with one notable exception: Leathernecks doesn't only allow one player to participate in mindless destruction but, with the aid of the special joystick interface from Microdeal, four players can participate at the same time.
This novel approach of enhancing the gameplay is theoretically a very sound idea, but when put into practice it just doesn't quite seem to work.
The main reason is the small screen size; when four sprites are overlaid they tend to get in each other's way.
Leathernecks is nonetheless a thoroughly stimulating one player game, probably the best arcade action program released byMicrodeal.
Leathernecks was programmed by Steve Bak, one of the first to push the ST to its limits. He has made an effort to improve the Amiga version of a 16 bit game while converting it.
The main improvement lies in the sound department, where Amiga Leathernecks truly excels. The music was programmed by David Whittaker, who is rapidly taking over Rob Hubbard's mantle as the most demanded computer musician in the software industry.
One of the major reasons why Leathernecks will be a success is the simplicity of gameplay. The objective is to progress up the screen destroying as many soldiers as you can as they attack in large clusters.
The weapons at your disposal are a machine gun, grenades and a rifle. Each weapon has its advantage so by swapping between the three progress is made easier.
As a first attempt at this type of game on the Amiga, Steve Bak has produced a very admirable program. The graphics, although ported from the ST, are adequate, and some of the colouring is very effective.
The sound effects are atmospheric and enhance the rather mundane and somewhat repetitive Gameplay.
Leathernecks is not the best game on the Amiga but far from being the worst.
If you want to audition for Rambo IV give it a try, you won't be disappointed.