Scramble Spirits

"Set in the indeterminable future, this high-speed game sends the player into battle against hoards of deadly opponents. Sealed in your vintage fighter plane you take on wave after wave of enemy attack craft and huge aircraft carriers. Dodge their lethal fire-power to survive. A fast and furious shoot-em-up with all the gameplay, action and excitement you'd expect from a top SEGA product."

Arcade shoot em up action that plays well on the C64. The game initially starts of fairly easy with the main enemy to watch out for is the planes that come from behind. But as the levels progress, it really ramps up with planes attacking from the front and behind at the same time. The bosses can be annoying as there bullet spread can be eratic.

Powerups can be collected to add support planes which can serve to add additional firepower or drop addition bombs on ground targets. When in a bind you can panic launch a support plane to drop a bigger bombs and clear the area. The support plane will take damage and can only be used twice in this way. Its a fun mechanic and can cause you problems if you lose the additional fire power in later levels.

It may not be that great for a 1990 release however but I still find enjoyment in this conversion. The opening music is well done and it's a shame there is no ingame music. The game has a common issue with C64 games in that a Highscore will not be recorded if you finish the game without spending a credit. A well timed death at the end allows me to record the highscore.