Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first hour with Four Smash Hits from Hewson is about sampling. You are not easing into one long adventure; you are choosing between Zynaps, Exolon, Rana-Rama, and Uridium Plus, seeing which game earns another go. That makes the compilation easy to revisit, especially when you want a change of pace without swapping to another release.

Uridium Plus gives the set its strongest argument for existing. It is an enhanced Uridium with newly designed levels and additional challenge, so it is not merely a duplicate included to pad out the count. More importantly, you can land whenever you choose instead of waiting for an instruction. That added control sounds small on paper, but it gives you more agency in a game built around pressure and timing.

The frustration is also part of the deal: this is a 1987 compilation of four distinct games, not a carefully smoothed modern collection with one consistent learning curve. You may bounce off one title and find another is exactly what you wanted. Give it a chance if you enjoy testing a set of compact, demanding games and deciding for yourself which one deserves your attention.

Graphics

Uridium Plus has newly designed levels, making it the one entry with a clearly stated visual refresh inside the compilation. Across Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC, the set is rooted in the look of its original 1987 platforms.

Story

This is an anthology rather than a single continuous campaign. Four Smash Hits from Hewson brings four separate titles under one Hewson banner, so there is no reason to expect one game’s momentum to carry straight into the next.

That structure changes what “progress” feels like. Your personal throughline is the process of trying each game, returning to the one that clicks, and eventually taking on Uridium Plus’s extra challenge when you want the collection’s most clearly expanded entry.

If you want a connected tale with one cast and one destination, this is the wrong kind of package. Its charm comes from the contrast between separate games and the freedom to make your own route through them.

Overall Experience

Four Smash Hits from Hewson is more than a historical bundle because Uridium Plus was never released on its own. That exclusive enhancement gives the compilation a real point of interest beyond simply putting four names on one package.

The collection works best when you treat it like a shelf of quick, tough games rather than a single all-consuming experience. One title may frustrate you immediately, while another becomes the one you keep returning to; the variety is the payoff.

I would recommend it to fans of Hewson’s 1987 output and to retro gamers who value an exclusive version enough to explore an entire compilation. It is a focused snapshot of four games, with Uridium Plus doing the most to justify the trip.

Retro Replay Score

7/10