Cops & Robbers

Publisher: Atlantis

Designer: Mike Davis

Type: Shoot-em Up

Platform: Maze

Release Date: 1985

Rating:

This is another one of those awesome games that I remember from back in the days of the commodore 64. In fact, this game was also available on the Vic 20, and there was pretty much no difference between the two. Actually, come to think of it, I believe that there was a cartridge version of the game, which sort of works because it means that the cartridge could actually beef up the computer’s memory, giving the developers more space to be able to play with.

Well, you are a robber, and your job is to basically steal diamonds while avoiding the police. First of all, you have a limited number of bullets so you really need to be careful when you fire willy nilly around the place. There are also a number of locations that you can visit, including the diamond mine and the diamond store (which also have multiple levels).

However, where this game shines is that it is more than just a simple maze game where you avoid nasties and collect diamonds – otherwise, it would just be Pacman with a different skin. No, there are problems that you need to solve, such as getting the combination for the safe, and that certainly is quite tricky. The other thing is that in the mine you have ghosts, and not surprisingly your gun is completely useless against the ghost.

I do remember playing this for hours, and yeah, it is a pretty tricky game, but not as tricky as some. As I suggested, it probably falls into the category of arcade adventure because it is more than just a simple arcade game. There a problems to be solved, as well as numerous rooms that you can explore. Also, as I mentioned, there are the cops, and if they grab you (ditto with the helicopter) you are sent off to prison. However, if the ghosts nab you, then it is off to the morgue. Yeah, this is pretty cool.

Anyway, this game does have an entry in Wikipedia, but that shouldn’t surprise anybody due to its popularity. Also, you can find further details about it on Lemon64.