Walker, one of the best shoot ’em ups ever on the Commodore Amiga

Walker, a fast-paced shoot ’em up which puts you in control of a 30-foot human killing machine code-named the AG-9. Looking like a cross between ED-209 from Robocop and the huge mechanical transports seen in the Return of the Jedi movie, the towering machine is capable of spewing out an endless torrent of death from its twin machine guns mounted beneath its swiveling head. The aim of the game is simple: guide your Walker assault vehicle across a horizontally scrolling landscape blasting as much military hardware out of the skies as possible, while also taking care of the assorted ground battalions, mortar emplacements, tanks and other such obstacles.

While not sounding very innovative, it’s the pace of the action that makes the game such a winner, it just doesn’t stop for a second. As soon as you’ve cleared one screen you’re right back in the thick of things as another legion of enemy sprites charge at you. The Walker pod and the innovative control method are probably the game’s most impressive features. More than 80 frames of animation have been used to depict the Walker, an impressive mechanical behemoth with two huge gun turrets mounted underneath its swiveling head. The high-tech beast is controlled by a combination of mouse and keyboard controls.

Walker is a curious game in many respects, but the weirdest thing about the game is that it actually works better on a bogstandard A500 than it does on the A1200. The faster processor of the latter machine makes everything move just a little too fast. The attention to detail is staggering and the copper effects used to illuminate the sky help lend an eerie look to the proceedings. All in all, Walker is a more-than-competent blaster with a novel control system and some fast and frantic gameplay. A few tricks have been missed that could have dramatically improved the game, but you’re still left with one of the best shoot ’em ups we’ve seen on the Commodore Amiga!

news source: AF/AP/CU/AC / image source: GenerationAmiga / watch on Youtube / download Walker