Cisco Heat

by Alan Grier
Image Works
1991

Label: Imageworks
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £10.99
Reviewer: Garth Sumpter

There's nothing like a spot of racing around the streets of San Francisco and it's much easier if you do it in the driving seat of a San Fran police car.

Yes, the Imageworks' converalon of the Jaleco coin-op, has you using all your cop-like skills (crossing schoolkids across zebra crossing across zebra crossings and stuff), to get right across town and to each of the winning points. Sounds simple? Well there's a bit of skidding around the right angle corners, (cue the music.... "I left my car, in San Fran's Disco"), a bit of horn blowing when Percy Public get in your way ("You bloody road hog... Oh, sorry officer), and a wee bit of gear changing as you try to make your way past lorries and cars on your way to the police's pole position.

A cheery tune makes life slightly more bearable as at certain junctions you plough into the side of a stationary bus, sending your car flipping through the air to spin across the road and lose you even more time. And if you can make your destination before the timer reaches zero, then you've had it matey, and everyone knowns you're a crap cop and snigger a lot while you cross even more kids across a zebra.

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ALAN:
Cisco Heat will not win any graphics awards but it does manage to get you driving on the edge. The game is thus quite challenging, if a little frustrating. If you like San Francisco and you like driving then you might just find this game interesting. Hurrah!

Graphics: 81%
Sound: 78%
Playability: 80%
Lastability: 75%
Overall: 78%

Summary: A very reasonable conversion that unfortunately becomes increasingly annoying each time you play it so after a little time you'll see pigs fly - straight out of the nearest window.

Transcript by Chris Bourne