The Hacker Review
Another platform game – from what I have read from others that have done The Hacker review , my expectations are set high. And at a first glimpse it looks promising. A typical pick-stuff get to the next level setup of a game.
But that’s when the setbacks come. And this time it is not due to my novice playing skills. The moving around takes ages, and I mean ages. As an example the first part of the bottom level takes as long to walk than I believe it takes to run through a whole level in other games (maybe exagerating a little) – the jumping is allright – but you need to be precise.
What I lack in the game is that the obstacles going up and down that kills you if you hit them could have been potential bridges seeing them from the top side. I also lack that no extra lives are obtained when achieving the levels – I mean coming into the second level gives you very little time to understand the plot.
Hmm, the question is if it is worth playing? It can be worth a try, but there are so many platform games out there that are so much better.
I will try the BBC version out as I have been told that the movement of the character should be more smooth – I will add this to The Hacker Review when I’ve tried it.
In the Magazines
THIS hacker really has little to do with hacking. However it makes an interesting and topical story line for the game. It’s actually a Manic Miner-type levels game. There are 12 screens and many different puzzles and obstacles to overcome.
Your objective is to gain access to the central computer games library. You are cast in the role of a small man who is able to pass through electrical circuits. It’s here that the action takes place. You must pass through your modem into the telephone network. Then it’s out of the main-frame’s modem, into its buffer, down its data bus and into the central processing unit.
Then you can access the files. On each screen are five floppy discs to collect and a time limit in which to do it. The time remaining when you’ve completed the screen is added to your score. Any screen can be practised without having to start at the beginning and go through each one. This is a useful feature which I wish more games had.
The graphics are quite nice but the movement of the characters is fairly slow and they aren’t very smooth. This spoils the game somewhat. I should imagine it’s much better on the BBC Micro with that little bit extra speed. However having said that, Firebird software tends to be cheaper than most, so taking that into account it’s a reasonable game.
By Roland Waddilove for Electron User nr 6 Vol 3 January 1986
On the Covers
The typical cover released under the Silver Range series – typical grey framed screenshot from the game. Really simple but nice design. The T comes from “Telecom Software”. See our specials on Silver Range – see link further down.
THE GAME
Intent on gaining access to the central computer games library Hank has developed The Hacker – a controllable sprite capable of travelling through microscopic circuits. The Hacker must pass through Hank’s terminal and modem, into the telephone network and out through a second modem, access the mainframe, its buffer and data bus, enter the CPU and reach the main file store.
At each stage of the journey, The Hacker appears at the bottom right of the screen and must overcome the obstacles in his path to reach the top left corner. Five white floppy disks appear in each screen and must be collected before moving on.The Hacker has only limited time before his power expires – any power remaining after the completion of a screen is added to your score.
There are 12 stages in this game, each of which can be practised independently by typing HELP when the High Score Table is displayed.
LOADING
1. Connect the CASSETTE socket of your Acorn Electron to the EAR socket of your tape recorder.
2. Place the tape in your tape-recorder and rewind to the beginning.
3. Type CHAIN”” and press RETURN on your Acorn Electror
4. Press PLAY/LOAD on your tape recorder.
NOTE: Full loading instructions can be found in your Acorn Electron manual
PLAYING THE GAME
You can control The Hacker with the following keys:
LEFT=Z
RIGHT=X
JUMP=RETURN
PAUSE = H
CONTINUE=C
For More Releated Content
Softology Silver Range Firebird
Our The Hacker Review Rating
The game could have been so much better – and it is really sometimes the small things that is the divider between good and bad games. A good idea, but not implemented as it should. We give it two firebirds out of five.
