BBC Microcomputer System

Ransack

Ransack was developed by Peter Scott for the BBC Microcomputer and published in 1987 by Audiogenic Software. You control Al, who owing to a stabiliser systems failure can only bounce along, as he wreaks revenge on the eight planets of the Ryvian system. Although you set out with a limited supply of weapons further supplies are teleported onto the planet's surface, where they get swept up by the violent winds that sweep across all of the planets in the system. The weapons are contained in protective metal cases, which are marked on the outside with a symbol indicating the type of weapon inside. These include multi-directional and multiple pulse lasers, smart bombs and random bombs (marked with ? to confuse the enemy). Watch out for the electrified sections of the planet's surface which will drain your energy, and beware the weird alien lifeforms sent against you by the Ryvians. These take the disguise of cuddly characters from well-known computer games. Ignore your better instincts and blast them. Your remaining energy is shown as a series of blocks beneath your score; each hit costs half a unit of energy to be lost. Bombs that you collect are shown on a monitor display to the right, whilst weapons are displayed on the left; only one bomb or weapon can be maintained at a time.