***CANNED GAME***

Written by Simon Nicol for Psygnosis in 1994, Apocalypse II was almost complete when it was decided to not release it. This was, of course, a blow to everyone involved, but it was also probably the right thing to do…

As a game, Apocalypse II I don’t think would’ve stood up to the competition – in a general sense.

This is a single-screen game, with no scrolling backgrounds, and its gameplay is very limited. Yes, the planets look great as they become “mad” when you shoot them, but it’s very difficult to avoid colliding with them, and the weapons you have to destroy them are limited.

You have a front-firing gun with unlimited ammo, and can also shoot out homing ‘planet-busters’, which will usually destroy a mature planet in one or two hits, but are very limited. In-between levels you get the chance to top-up these missiles, but they’re generally in short supply.

You also have a shield that you can use for a limited time.

The levels in Apocalypse II don’t vary much and neither does the gameplay. Using the L and R button to rotate the craft isn’t quick enough to react to what’s happening on-screen, which compounds matters. Overall, I just don’t think this is a finished game. It needs more content and ideas…

I can think of ten features that could expand this game into something more than it currently is, which is something the developers should have been saying to themselves thirty years ago.

NOTE: Yes, I know that Apocalypse II is a remake of Simon Nicol‘s earlier C64 game, Mega Apocalypse. Which, in itself, is a clone of the arcade game, Mad Planets.

More: Apocalypse II on Games That Weren’t