Impact Download (1987 Amiga Game)

Here we have a blast from the past. Do you remember the original game of Breakout, where you guide a small dot around the screen by bouncing it off your movable bat and similarly off a pile of bricks piled up in front of you. Since the original game was released nearly a decade ago. Breakout naturally faded away into history as being probably the first computer game to make it into the living room, along with ping pong and asteroids.

Following suit after the recent success of Arkanoid, Impact is a version of the game for the Amiga, but this time, it has been more than revamped and souped-up with a few colours. This time, the game has been given the full treatment which comprises full Amiga graphics, multicoloured bricks, some great sound effects and mouse control which is surprisingly, a very efficient was of controlling the bat.

But the extras don't just end there. Every now and then a spinning spanner drops down from one of the bricks. This can be picked up for extra points, or as part of an "accumulator" whereby you can save your bonus points for tools and goodies which makes clearing the screens an easier task. There are nine bonuses in all, but there are more spanners, so it is possible to have more than one active at any given time. For instance, you can have a double width bat and a magnet "on" at the same lime, but you can only really have one item when going for higher goodies such as a missile base (!), a smart bomb and even an invincible ball!

The sound? Well, there isn't a great deal of scope for music in a game like this, but there are some wonderful sound effects such as "Genie" chimes. The screens are all well thought out, but should you find the challenge beginning to wane, you could always try your hand at designing a few of your own. This is made possible by including a screen designer so you can design your own silly screens. This makes the game more maddening -after all, no one likes to be eaten by their own screen do they?

Impact is a good game. It is very playable and is instantly addictive; the sound effects, while not being stunning are still imaginative, and the extras really make the game an enjoyable way of passing the odd evening or three. If you are old enough to have enjoyed Breakout, then this is the game for you.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?