X - X-Out! Not Influenced by R-Type at all...

Rainbow Arts had a good time during the late nineties with all the home computers, 8 and 16 bit, and one of the most memorable is due to it's kinship with previous and famous scrolling shoot em ups. X-Out, sometimes known as Cross-Out, is a colourful, compact, imaginative and nifty game which draws big cues from Cybernoid, Xenon and of course, R-Type. In an underwater setting, enemies are mostly biological but it doesn't take a genius to see where the inspirations came from. Even the cover art as a giant baddie who looks very similar to R-Type's first end of the level boss. Is plays more like Cybernoid however due to the water locale, and is a fine game outright. Difficult, as all old skool shooters are, the title is one that is remembered among the home computer generation.

Honourable Mentions - Xanagrams, Xybots, Xenon.

X-Out Promo Poster

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H - Harrier Attack! - Jump Jet Japery...

New CPC owners were often found playing parts of the bundled 8-pack of Amsoft games, and Harrier Attack is one, if not the best one. Yes it's crude, it's shaky, but it's also quite a bit of fun in short sessions. Harrier jump-jets have near impossible maneuverability in reality so putting one in a simple scrolling shooter didn't take much doing. Missiles and bombs ahoy, just get on with the mindless destruction, who cares if the visuals and audio are as basic as they can get. A fondly remembered early title for me, and proof that Amsoft did sometimes have a good un' in their lexicon.

Honourable Mentions -  Head Over Heels, How to be a Complete Bastard, Hard Drivin'

Amstrad CPC Coverart - Tape Version

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Bug...'Out!