BEST BACTRON

AMSTRAD CPC VS THOMSON

Amstrad CPC

As well as looking fantastic, the Amstrad original makes excellent use of the system’s sound chip. This is used to deliver arcade-style in-game sound effects and a rousing pregame tune, the latter of which is played out over an animated introduction of the game’s hero and his opponents. This is followed by static teasers of the game’s maze-laden, obstacle-strewn stages that show you which viruses they’re infected by before you tackle their isometric puzzles.

Thomson

The Thomson Bactron drops you in-game as soon as it loads; there’s no scene-setting music, introduction of its cast or preview of its levels. Its sound effects are decent, but not as good as those in the Amstrad original. Graphically, the Thomson conversion is nigh-identical to its inspiration, except for some visuals being blue rather than purple. But more importantly, the Thomson port perfectly replicates its Amstrad CPC counterpart’s superlative isometric gameplay.