conversion capers

which system has the best hero?

ZX spectrum

Like the ports, the Spectrum original is a game of two halves. Its static puzzles look like lost levels from Head Over Heels – thanks to Bernie Drummond creating art for both games, and they share mechanics with Jon Ritman’s classic, although each one is unique. The game’s scrolling sections play like nightshade’s, but with simpler combat, and like its puzzle rooms, Super Hero’s outdoor challenges look as strange and beautiful as the adventures Bernie worked on previously.

Amstrad CPC

Paul Machacek and Bernie Drummond’s Amstrad port recreates the original perfectly and has far superior aesthetics. Guy Stevens’ chiptunes are the first thing you notice; the Amstrad’s three voices do them so much more justice than the humble Spectrum speaker. Then there are Bernie’s four-colour backdrops, which just pop out of the monitor in a way that his monochrome Spectrum equivalents simply don’t. The only negative is that your score and gold tally don’t appear on-screen.

C64

The C64 conversion isn’t that bad when you get used to its stretched graphics, which actually appear on-screen more quickly than either of the other versions. It’s a shame that the same few colour schemes are used for every stage, but that obviously doesn’t affect the gameplay. The outdoor levels, on the other hand, are flick-screen rather than scrolling, and it’s not always clear which directions you can exit them in. But on the plus side, the C64 port’s tunes are superb.