Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Commodore Format Power Pack 7 delivers a diverse selection of gameplay styles that showcase the breadth of 8-bit entertainment. Crystal Castles offers a charming, isometric platform experience where you guide Bentley Bear through shimmering castles, dodging patrolling enemies and collecting gems before time runs out. Uridium shifts the pace dramatically with its high-speed horizontal shoot ’em up mechanics, placing you in control of a sleek starfighter tasked with tearing apart colossal dreadnoughts from below and above.

Blue Max injects an aviation combat element into the compilation, letting players pilot a biplane over morphing terrain in World War I–inspired dogfights. The mission objectives vary from strafing ground targets to engaging enemy fighters, giving a satisfying balance between arcade action and tactical maneuvering. Finally, 5th Gear provides top-down, gear-shifting motor racing thrills, complete with tight corners, traffic obstacles, and the need for quick reflexes to maintain top speed on increasingly challenging circuits.

One caveat for prospective buyers is the original cassette copy of 5th Gear included with issue 7, which was prone to crashes if the Datasette deck was accidentally paused or jarred during play. This hardware sensitivity can interrupt high-speed races at the most inopportune moments, though a fully debugged version was eventually released in issue 28 nearly two years later. As long as you position your tape deck securely, however, most of the pack’s titles run smoothly and deliver satisfying replay value.

Graphics

On the Commodore 64’s palette, each game in Power Pack 7 demonstrates the machine’s ability to handle colorful sprites and detailed backgrounds. Crystal Castles impresses with its bright jewel tones and smooth character animations, giving each level its own distinct visual identity. The isometric perspective is cleanly rendered, and the traps, enemies, and collectible items stand out crisply against the castle floors.

Uridium’s starfighter zooms across stark, monochromatic dreadnought hulls, creating a sense of speed and scale that was revolutionary for its time. The scrolling backgrounds remain fluid even when dozens of projectiles fill the screen, while explosions and debris are communicated through vibrant flickers of color. In Blue Max, the shifting sky and ground tile variations evoke an immersive aerial battlefield, and the simple yet effective cloud layers add depth to the dogfight arenas.

Although 5th Gear operates with more restrained color usage in its top-down racing view, the primitive shading on road surfaces and roadside details conveys clear visual cues for steering and acceleration. Trackside objects like trees, barriers, and other cars pop out against the tarmac, making tight maneuvers both possible and enjoyable. While none of the titles push the C64 beyond its well-known limitations, each game’s art direction remains faithful to its arcade inspirations and maintains a nostalgic charm.

Story

Story elements in Power Pack 7 vary from minimal framing to classic arcade motivations. In Crystal Castles, the narrative is delightfully simple: you’re Bentley Bear on a quest to recover stolen gems scattered across enchanted fortresses. Though there’s little in the way of dialogue, the sense of progression comes from accessing ever more complex mazes and overcoming colored gate restrictions.

Uridium frames you as a lone starfighter pilot sent to liberate starships from an alien fleet, but it’s the relentless action that takes center stage over any in-game text. The mechanical dreadnoughts serve as visual story beats, hinting at a larger conflict without bogging players down in exposition. Blue Max leans slightly more toward an actual storyline: you’re a rookie aviator climbing the ranks through a series of increasingly dangerous sky patrols, rewarded with rank insignias as you complete each mission.

5th Gear offers the most abstract narrative—you’re a racer pushing your car to the limit in a series of urban and countryside circuits. The thrill of victory and the frustration of crashes are pure gameplay motivators rather than plot devices. Overall, while none of the games deliver a deep, character-driven tale, they excel at conveying their premises through gameplay goals, sprite animations, and level design.

Overall Experience

Commodore Format Power Pack 7 stands as a testament to the golden era of tape-based magazine covermounts, offering four distinct gaming experiences in one package. The value proposition is strong: you’re effectively getting three former full-price hits—Crystal Castles, Uridium, and Blue Max—plus the rack-it budget title 5th Gear, all for the price of a single magazine. This compilation feels like a mini-anthology of arcade genres, ensuring there’s something for platformers, shooters, flight sim fans, and racers alike.

Playback reliability hinges on careful tape handling, especially for the early bugged copy of 5th Gear. Once you’ve got a steady tape deck setup or the later fixed version, however, the games deliver hours of varied entertainment. The cassette format also means occasional load times between titles, but patient enthusiasts will find the wait worthwhile each time you jump into a new adventure.

For retro collectors and newcomers curious about 8-bit classics, Power Pack 7 is a compelling snapshot of mid-’80s C64 gaming. Its mixture of polished recordings and one glitch-ridden title lends a certain authenticity—warts and all—that echoes the DIY spirit of the original magazine scene. Whether you’re reliving childhood memories or discovering these staples for the first time, Power Pack 7 remains a noteworthy piece of Commodore history and a fun, budget-friendly gateway into the era.

Retro Replay Score

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