The ZX Spectrum version of RoboCop – based on the 1987 film of the same name – was developed and published by Ocean Software in 1988, and was such a hit that it went on to become the top-selling Spectrum game of 1989, according to Gallup (the company that used to collate and publish the UK’s music and video game charts). The Spectrum version actually remained in the sales charts for over a year and half – it entered the charts in December of 1988 and was still in the top five in February of 1991, which is insane… THAT is what you call a “big hit“!

Spectrum RoboCop is loosely based on the Data East arcade game, although both were developed at the same time, so they share the same style of run-and-gun gameplay.

The aim is to blast your way through various scrolling levels and to rescue the President at the end of the game (which – it has to be said – is not very authentic to the film).

You – as RoboCop – can shoot left and right; diagonally up and down, as well as directly upwards, which is essential because enemies fire out of windows above you, and from platforms above and below.

RoboCop‘s damage level is represented by a yellow health bar, and he begins the game with four lives.

Occasionally you’ll be faced with a first-person hostage situation where you must aim a crosshair at a bad guy who is standing behind an innocent victim and try to shoot them without harming the hostage. There’s also one other minigame in which you must compile together a mugshot of a suspect by combining different facial features.

The game is simple, challenging and does have some nice touches, like RoboCop walking into the screen at the end of each level, and the distinctive voice of Peter Weller saying “RoboCop!” every now and then, but it’s also quite slow and repetitive.

The ED-209 confrontation in front of The Old Man‘s desk is a little weird. Firstly, the robot itself doesn’t much look like ED-209 (I wonder if Ocean‘s artist was never shown the finished design, so couldn’t therefore accurately represent it in the game, or whether they were just being slack with it). You can’t damage ED-209 with regular gunfire, so you have to creep up on him (ducking bullets as you go) and punch him a couple of times to destroy him, which is kinda funny.

Spectrum RoboCop is still somewhat fun to play now, although the game’s slow pace does hold it back a bit. The scrolling is smooth, though, and the AY music is good, so it is at least well-produced.

More: RoboCop on Wikipedia
More: RoboCop on World of Spectrum