Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Android Attack picks up the classic run-and-gun formula of Berzerk and Robot Battle, then layers in new tricks that make every room feel fresh and challenging. You control a lone humanoid hero armed with a laser pistol, navigating a series of electrified maze chambers swarming with hostile androids. Each hit you land on a robot reduces it to a smoking heap of scrap—but beware, these fallen foes reanimate as ghostly shapes that can phase through walls and pursue you relentlessly.

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Thanks to the expanded 32K memory on the Tandy Colour system, Android Attack introduces jumping and ducking moves that weren’t possible in the original 16K Robot Battle. These evasive maneuvers add a vertical dimension to the firefights, rewarding careful timing when avoiding salvoes of laser bolts. Combined with the ability to blast holes through electrified walls by spending precious energy units, the game encourages tactical play: should you clear every enemy first, or make a strategic dash for the exit?

Scoring in Android Attack is layered with risk and reward. You earn 50 points for each android you destroy, and an extra 100 points for dispatching its ghostly form. Every room also hides a golden crown worth 100 points, but grabbing it means weaving through bullet fire and specters alike. Clear the room before your countdown timer hits zero and you collect a time bonus—hesitate too long, and you’re vaporized in a flash of pixelated sparks.

Graphics

On the Tandy Colour palette, Android Attack’s visuals are crisp and vibrant, with each android drawn in bold primary hues that stand out against the dark maze corridors. The walls glow with a subtle grid texture, hinting at the electrified danger they pose, while the hero’s sprite remains easily distinguishable even in the heat of battle. Though the resolution is modest by modern standards, the clean line-art and contrasting colors ensure that threats are always visible.

Animation is smooth given the hardware constraints: robots lurch forward with a mechanical gait, their death throes transform them into ghostly outlines, and your jumps and ducks feel satisfyingly responsive. When you blast a hole in the wall, the animation flickers convincingly as energy arcs through the gap. This attention to detail helps maintain immersion and prevents the action from ever feeling unfair or confusing.

The visual homages to the original arcade machines are clear but not slavish. Android Attack keeps the spirit of Berzerk’s blocky corridors and simple enemy designs, yet it sprinkles in its own stylistic flourishes—sharp angles, bright crown icons, and dynamic on-screen score tallies. For retro enthusiasts, this balance of nostalgia and fresh polish is a real treat.

Story

Android Attack doesn’t burden you with elaborate cutscenes or lengthy exposition—instead, its narrative is distilled into pure, immediate action. You are the last hope in a sprawling robot complex gone haywire, fighting to survive hallway after electrified hallway. The minimal backstory leaves much to the imagination, encouraging players to project their own pulp-sci-fi scenarios onto the action.

The real storytelling happens through gameplay events: the whistle of a ghost passing through a wall, the taunting “Coward!” each time you exit a room prematurely, and the gradual escalation of enemy numbers and firing patterns. These audio-visual cues work together to create an atmosphere of mounting tension, like a silent B-movie brought to life on your home computer.

By avoiding long narrative interludes, Android Attack keeps you in a constant state of engagement. Every new room feels like a fresh chapter, every scoreboard climb a testament to your survival skills. It’s a distilled form of arcade drama, where the plot unfolds one laser blast at a time.

Overall Experience

Android Attack is a masterclass in retro game enhancement—taking a proven arcade formula and expanding it with mechanics that feel both new and familiar. The added jumping, ducking, and wall-blasting introduce tactical depth that rewards exploration and quick thinking. Meanwhile, the scoring system and crown pickups provide clear incentives for high-skill play.

The combination of vibrant Tandy Colour graphics and rickety 6-bit speech (à la Talking Android Attack) adds personality and charm. Hearing “Coward!” in that tinny voice when you try to bail on a room gives you a playful shove back into the fray, reminding you that the game expects you to fight, not flee.

For fans of classic maze shooters and anyone who appreciates tight, no-nonsense arcade action, Android Attack delivers a compelling package. It’s easy to pick up yet fiendishly hard to master, making it ideal for short bursts of play or marathon high-score sessions. If you own a Tandy Colour system and crave a retro shooter with a twist, Android Attack is well worth the download.

Retro Replay Score

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