Virocop: A playable, interesting and visually stimulating shoot-em-up

There isn’t really a game like Virocop to compare it to. It’s a cross between a shoot-’em-up and a platformer. Virocop sets the scenario of a virtual-holiday theme park. You play D.A.V.E. – Digital Armoured Virus Exterminator – who has been given the arduous task of ridding the park of viruses that have taken over and causing havoc on the game Disk. The game zones had been set up on the GameDisk 12 years ago and the public and press were sceptical about the idea of buying virtual time-share experiences in another place without having to go there.

The concept eventually caught on though, and soon imitations were springing up everywhere, although none were as big as the GameDisk. But then it all goes horribly wrong when something breaks into the GameDisk. Giant viruses spread across the game zones feeding off the power, and spreading rapidly all the time. D.A.V.E. the Virocop is called for. DAVE has access to 16 weapons during the course of the game, but apart from the initial three (gun, mines and bombs) you have to earn them. This is done by collecting power pickups from dead enemies. When you have completed a level you will enter an upgrade screen which takes the form of a printed circuit board.

Here you select the weapon you want to get hold of and then use the power you’ve collected to reach it through its circuit. More powerful weapons have longer circuits so it could take several levels to reach the juiciest weapons. Despite fewer levels and less fancy graphics, we recommend ViroCop. A bit repetitive at times but the design and gameplay shine through making this one of the best shoot ’em ups available for the Amiga

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