Street Hawk

Copyright : Ocean Software | Reviewed by : Malc Jennings

Does anybody outside the UK remember this program? it was a crime fighting series that was very closely based on the Air Wolf series with only one major difference - Airwolf was a high power helicopter with enough fire power to blow a hole in the middle of the earth and Street Hawk was a motorbike with a lazer - mmm.

Well like Air Wolf they decided to make a game for the home computer but turned to Ocean Software for publishing rights and here is the finished product. It takes on the same story as the TV series with Street Hawk driving around the streets of down town L.A cleaning up the bad guys and nasty residents that cannot stay on the right side of the law.

You will be told by your sidekick when a crime is in progress and you must zoom to the location of the crime and quickly stop the bad guys before they get away and do it again. It sounds lame but it?s not as bad as all that, as you?ll see below.

Graphics

Street Hawk may not have been so popular on the TV but it sure made a better game than Airwolf did - Ocean Software have done a much better job of converting this classic show to a computer game. The best way to describe how the game looks and plays would be to say it?s an early version of GTA but you are the good guy and it?s not all driving around the city.

The graphics in the game don?t have much colour to detail them but it still has a very retro feeling to it, I can?t describe how the game makes you feel until you play it yourself. The locations you visit are well drawn, the city itself (although it takes place on one big road) looks pretty good too with plenty of obstacles and police cars to avoid during your mission.

Sound

Sound is perhaps a little dead but at least there is something in the game. You get the occasional alert sound when your sidekick wants to grab your attention or when something on Street Hawk is about to explode, you are also treated to the sound of the lazer at the front of the bike and a rather strange intro tune to tap your foot to.

Gameplay

Gameplay is very good however, you will want to play it again once the cops have busted you because there is a kind of buzz out of catching the bad guys and speeding down the road while trying to avoid the traffic. Anyone who has played and loved GTA will play and love Street Hawk and it?s as simple as that. Plus the added bonus that you get to shoot the bad guys in a first person like perspective (see the screenshots below).