Mask

Copyright : Gremlin Graphics | Reviewed by : Uncredited

Gremlins MASK game is licenced from the Kenner Parker toy range, comic and TV series. This sees MASK - Mobile Armoured Strike Kommand, led by Matt Trakker fight the evil forces of VENOM - Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem, led by Miles Mayhem, the man resposible for setting MASK up in the first place before he turned evil and set his sights on world domination with terrorist group Contraworld. In this game, VENOM has developed a bomb which opens a time vortex. Sucessfully tested, VENOM agents dump MASK agents and their masks in the vortex and they end up in Prehistoric times, the far future and VENOM?s base in the present time. Matt Trakker has managed to escape by not being in the area at the time and MASK agent Bruce Sato has hidden in a cave in the first level. The first level sees you at MASK?s Bolder Hill HQ. You control Thunderhawk, Matt?s main vehicle. You have to find his and Bruce?s masks and also build a scanner to find Bruce. While you do this, you have to avoid bombs dropped by Miles Mayhem in his Switchblade helicopter while facing Floyd Malloy in his Vampire vehicle. Thanks to Mayhem telling the army you detonated a bomb, you also have tanks to deal with. Good job the game writers didn?t include VENOM agent Cliff Dagger in Jackhammer - there would be no game to play - he always bungles the job. After rescuing Bruce Sato and retreiving the two masks in this level, you have to goto the vortex to goto Level 2 - Prehistoric Times. You are against Switchblade and Vampire again but you also have to deal with dinosaurs. This time, you have two agents to rescue and their masks. Level 3 is set in the far future, the plot is the same and Level 4 is set at Venom?s base in the present day. As well as rescuing the MASK agents + their masks, you also have to rescue Matt?s son Scott (why not leave him there to help bungle VENOM?s plans) and you also have to destroy VENOM?s base.

Graphics

MODE 0 graphics are used throughout. Despite slight blockyness, all the elements from the MASK universe is reconisable. When you pick up a mask and rescue the agent, you get to see a picture of them and their mask, both of which are familar to those who have seen the cartoon and comic strip. These are very good and the game runs smoothly. The title screen has a big picture of Matt Trakker and Thunderhawk along with a MASK logo and they are all very well done.

Sound

The MASK theme plays on the title screen and this is a very faithful adaptation. In-game effects are limited to gun shots and explosions and these aren?t bad. A nice touch happens when you set a bomb to go off, you get some nice effects as it counts down to detonation.

Gameplay

This isn?t a simple shoot-everything-in-sight and rescue your team. You have to pick up scanners and the blocks needed to activate them. You can only pick up six at a time and four are needed to activate it. The Function number keys are used to select the block and when you build it up sucessfully, you get a letter - press the letter on the keyboard and it activates - you get a directional light which tells you the way to go and when you find the agent, a red blob in the center lights up. Venom vehicles are trick to deal with - Switchblade can?t be destroyed and Vampire can only be destroyed from the rear end. This first game based on the MASK properties is very good - I?d say it?s the best of the lot.