ROBOCOP 2

 As a movie, "Robocop 2" wasn't able to top "Robocop," but that isn't
unusual. In the movie business, sequels rarely are better than the original.
Fortunately, the situation is usually the opposite in computer software, and
such is the case with Data East's brilliant design of ROBOCOP 2. (This review
is based on the Amiga version).

 ROBOCOP 2 is a winner, from its slick graphics and animated sounds to the
challenging game play and excellent joystick interface. I almost felt like
Robocop for a day! This sequel is definitely better than the original,
upgraded in virtually every way. Yes, the theme is similar, but the improved
graphics and sound make ROBOCOP 2 a contender for anybody's top arcade games
list.

 ROBOCOP 2 is as easy to play and understand as the original. It's a one-
player game, and the object, of course, is to blast everything in sight as
Robocop goes about the hopeless task of trying (again) to clean up Old
Detroit. But this time, the thugs are tougher. Old Detroit has become a free-
for-all venue, and the bad guys are armed with plenty of high-tech weapons
and explosives they acquired (presumably) though the sale of drugs.

 The endless array of hoodlums to battle makes for a shoot-'em-up of the
highest order. But as the parent of an eight-year-old and a six-year-old, I
was initially disturbed by the premise of the game. It's Robocop's mission to
hold the fort in the absence of the striking Old Detroit police force, and in
addition to blasting all the bad guys to smithereens, he must pick up the
drugs (called "Nuke") that they leave behind. Everyone knows that the drug
problem is a major issue in America, and I was bothered that such a serious
social ill could be the casual focal point of a game obviously aimed at kids.

 It's Robocop's mission to shoot all the bad guys, pick up their crack, er,
Nuke, and rescue the innocent hostages. Sounds just like another day in the
inner city, doesn't it? Here's a line from the manual about what to do at
the start of the game: "You got a tip from Officer Duffy that Cain's at the
Sludge Plant. One problem: It's in the restricted area -- so it's just you
and a lots of well-armed Nuke addicts." Parents with small children will
have to decide for themselves whether ROBOCOP 2 is appropriate for their
youngsters. I did allow my eight-year-old son to play, but he grew weary of
the game very quickly, mostly because the game play was very difficult.

 There are only three levels to ROBOCOP 2, and even the manual promises that
they are "three extremely difficult levels of action." Suffice it to say that
even the most ardent player will have trouble finishing this one. Those
reservations aside, ROBOCOP 2 is very nicely done. I loved the very audible
cries of "Help!' from the hostages, and the chomp, chomp, chomp of Robocop
walking across the floor was neat. There were plenty of other sounds such as
bullets ricocheting off walls, and groans from the bad guys as Robocop found
his mark.

 The program comes on two disks, has on-disk copy protection, and cannot be
loaded onto a hard drive. The game can be played on all Amigas with at least
512K RAM. Amiga 1000 owners must use Kickstart 1.2 or higher.

 ROBOCOP 2 is published and distributed by Data East.