VIGILANTE

 VIGILANTE is a martial-arts arcade game from Data East. Based on the popular
coin-op hit, VIGILANTE offers decent graphics and animation, five scenarios,
joystick control, and copy protection. The Commodore 64/128 version is the basis
of this review.

 As if VIGILANTE weren't boring enough sitting unopened on your desk, Data East
includes an "invincibility" option. Play a game, make it to the High Score
table, and enter the name that's spelled out in the instruction guide. This
simple trick makes VIGILANTE eternal. Oh boy.

 The plot of VIGILANTE concerns the Skinheads (who have taken over "your town"),
and the Devil's Dukes motorcycle gang (who have kidnapped "your woman" -- named
Madonna). With karate and Kung Fu as your allies, you have to make your way
through the five scenarios and save Madonna.

 The scenarios are called Main Street, Junkyard, Bridge, Downtown, and Rescue.
Each offers attacking thugs, all of whom must be pummeled to death, and Skull &
Crossbones, the boss of all thugs, who appears at the end of a scenario. Beat
him and you'll move to the next level.

 The C64 screen display consists of the scenery of the current scenario, which
scrolls to the right as you move your character. At the top of the action screen
are high score, current score, timer, lives-remaining icons, and energy bars for
both you and the boss. The bar shrinks as you get punched, kicked, knifed,
whipped with chains, and shot; when the bar is devoid of energy, you lose one of
three lives.

 Skinheads and punks come at you from front and back. When a thug wastes you,
your character falls off the bottom of the screen, which is especially amusing
when the bottom of the screen is supposed to be a sidewalk. The same thing
happens to dead thugs.

 VIGILANTE is controlled with a joystick. With the stick alone, you can jump up,
walk left and right, and crouch to avoid an attack or pick up the numchucks, the
only weapon available other than your karate and Kung Fu skills. With the button
pressed, the stick allows eight different kicks. I think you can throw punches,
too; either that, or I'm confused about the difference between a foot and a
fist. The game package comes with one copy-protected disk and an instruction
guide.

 VIGILANTE looks okay on the Commodore, and there are no telltale signs of
"advanced coding" (such as incessant screen flicker, disappearing torsos, or
hundreds of sprites that stand around idle). Animation is smooth, and the game
does play all right. It's best to point out, though, that VIGILANTE (apart from
its title) is no different from all the other street-oriented, martial-arts
games now clogging the racks.

 VIGILANTE's invincibility option gives you unlimited lives: Each time you lose
a life, it is promptly reinstated; the scenario clock is reset, as well. What
this means is that you can play VIGILANTE forever, or for as long as you can
stand it, whichever comes first. The choice of "Madonna" as the name of "your
woman" shows you how "with it" Data East is. Jeez.

 VIGILANTE is published and distributed by Data East.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253