Experience the revamped Metal Army on ZX Spectrum, featuring enhanced gameplay, sound and nostalgia.
Introduction to Metal Army
The talented creators Slider, tiboh, and goodboy have unveiled an improved and disk version of the action game Metal Army for the ZX Spectrum. This game may not have been a blockbuster hit, but it garnered moderate acclaim back in the day, receiving scores like 79% from Sinclair User and 7/10 from Your Sinclair.
The Storyline
So, what's the game about? Picture this: a peaceful town named Slough finds itself in the midst of a real-life action movie. An atomic power plant has been seized by a gang of metallic thugs led by a certain General Ironside. These guys mean business, threatening to blow up the plant! Typically, a hero like Joe Blade would swoop in to save the day, but alas, our hero is otherwise occupied. Enter Harry Chainsaw—a tough mercenary ready to tackle any problem.
In this exhilarating mission, you'll take control of Harry. The gameplay is a classic platform shooter with maze-like elements. Harry is equipped with powerful weapons that can decimate any of Ironside's henchmen. However, there's a catch—his weapons need to be recharged regularly. So, you must be both economical and precise in your shooting. But the enemies aren't the only challenge. Harry will encounter various hazards along the way, including deadly laser beams, crushing machines from above, toxic gases, and electrical discharges. One wrong move could end your mission before it even begins!
"You have to be both economical and precise in your shooting."
Gameplay Mechanics
The reference to Joe Blade isn't incidental—Metal Army was released in 1988 by Players Software, and some of the developers previously worked on various Joe Blade titles. However, Colin Swinborne, the mastermind behind that trilogy, had no involvement with Metal Army, which is evident in the gameplay. It's not nearly as captivating; enemies seem to pop up from every corner, constantly respawning, and frustrating mines on the first screen may compel players to toss the game aside forever.
What's New in the Enhanced Version?
Even a quirky game like this can be improved. Here’s a list of the updates in the new version:
- AY effects converted from Amstrad CPC.
- Inserted a keyboard polling between the scoreboard and menu display.
- Fixed a bug with doors—previously, if the hero appeared right next to a door, it wouldn’t open even with a key (clearly, the testing in 1988 was lacking).
- Resolved issues with score counting and blaster charge, as well as key remapping problems.
- Default key remapping: in the menu, Space starts the game, while during gameplay, it’s OAOP + Space, plus H for pause and E for exit.
- The original instructions have been translated and can be viewed separately from the game.
Where to Get It
You can download the enhanced and disk version of the game from Virtual TR-DOS
FAQs:
- What is Metal Army?
It's an action platformer game originally released for the ZX Spectrum in 1988. - Who developed the enhanced version of Metal Army?
The improved version was created by talents Slider, tiboh, and goodboy. - What improvements were made in the latest version?
Enhancements include AY sound effects, bug fixes, and remapped controls for better gameplay. - Can I download the game?
Yes, you can download it from Virtual TR-DOS. - Is there a cost to download the game?
No, it is available for free.
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