Paradroid

Thoughts by Mr Creosote (03 00 2008) – C64

Deep in space, all the robots on a ship have gone mad, defying all human orders. The player has to ‘clean up’, destroying all the robots. Sounds like your average shooter? Then be prepared for a twist: You take control of a kind of ‘meta robot’ which will attach itself to any other robot to take control of its functions.

On one of the ship’s decks, the player is thrown into the action with the ‘naked’ ‘influence device’. It can move like any other robot and it’s even equipped with a laser cannon. In theory, the ship could be cleared by shooting all the other robots, but in practice, that’s not possible using only that very wimpy cannon.

Instead, the player can activate grappling mode and try to take over another robot. This activates a small mini-game roughly based on very simple circuitry and gate logic. Using a limited number of impulses within a limited time, the player has to try to ‘colour’ as many of the tiles in his own colour. The AI ‘shoots’ at the same tiles from the other side. Whoever has the upper hand when time runs out wins.

The number of ‘shots’ depends on the power of the robot itself. The stronger (identified by its number), the more, and thus the higher the chance of winning. Same for the player: Taking over another robot when from controlling a strong one is easier than letting the basic influence device (numbered 001, i.e. lowest) jump directly at the heavy hitters. Also, if the player loses such a ‘battle’ while occupying another robot, only that robot is destroyed. Losing a fight using the device 001 results in an immediate game over, on the other hand.

All the robots which can be taken over have different abilities (speed, weapons). The stronger the current vehicle, the easier the overall task gets. However, there’s a catch: The influence device can’t control robots indefinitely, and the stronger the robot, the shorter that time. So it’s not possible to catch the strongest robot and just carelessly blast away after that. As burn-out is approaching, the player has to search for another suitable host quickly.

The graphics are surprisingly ‘only’ good. Everything is seen from above, the robots are represented by circles with their respective number on it. However, the smooth scrolling into every direction more than makes up for that. Rooms, doors, elevators and terminals (feeding the player information about the robots, the ship layout and such) enhance the overall feeling of a ‘realistic’ ship.

Paradroid is an absolute masterpiece. The keyword is balance: Where most shooting games restrict themselves to a linear path of upgrading weapons, the power is inversely proportional to the time it can be used here. So the player is always on the run here, jumping from robot to robot, always anxiously watching the remaining time until burnout. Not to be missed!

Thoughts by Mr Creosote (06 00 2009) – Heavy Metal Paradroid – C64

Graftgold were one of the companies which started the (horrible) trend to release the same game in different ‘editions’ over and over again. Uridium and Paradroid were two of the earliest examples. Both excellent games.

Paradroid basically is a robot shooter. The player controls his own alter ‘ego’ with which he has to take out all the other robots on a spaceship. The twist: Instead of heavy weaponry and shields, the player’s robot is equipped with a ‘mind control unit’ allowing him to take over other robots.

Sneaking up to any, you engage the enemy robot in a struggle for control over that shell. This is played in a battle of electrical impulses: Whoever manages to take over the majority of the chips (?) wins. Taking over, the player now controls that other robot which might be stronger. I.e. he can now shoot other robots more easily. Stronger robots are also stronger in grappling mode, so the easiest way for the player is to move slowly upwards. However, the final twist is that the stronger the robot, the shorter the timespan of control over him.

So much for basic Paradroid, but what’s new in this Heavy Metal variant? Levels (new ships with different deck layouts) and graphics. The game is now tinted in shades of grey which is very appropriate considering the game is supposed to take place on a spaceship. It indeed looks a lot better than the neon colours of the original.

Which makes Heavy Metal Paradroid the ultimate Paradroid version. No doubt about it. Still, the question remains how exactly this is a new game. Actually, the answer is simple: It isn’t. It’s just Paradroid with a different colour scheme. Which is an excellent and highly recommended classic – one of the true masterpieces of gaming history.