''Cyclone'' is a multidirectional helicopter game for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...

released by

Vortex Software Vortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game ''Cosmos'' which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81. They converted the game to the ZX Spectrum, but due to the low s ...

in 1984. It was written by Vortex co-founder

Costa Panayi Costa Panayi is a former computer game programmer active during the 1980s. He founded Vortex Software with Paul Canter, publishing games for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC. He is of Greek Cypriot descent, and studied engineerin ...

who also coded the similarly styled ''

Tornado Low Level ''Tornado Low Level'' (also known as ''T.L.L.'') is a multidirectional flight game developed by Costa Panayi and published in 1984 by the company he co-founded, Vortex Software. The game was first released for the ZX Spectrum, and later ported t ...

''.

Gameplay

The player controls a rescue helicopter and must retrieve five supply crates containing essential medical supplies from a collection of 14 islands, while a dangerous

cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an ant ...

is in the area. While searching for the missing crates, the player may optionally earn bonus points by rescuing refugees from the islands. There is no limit on the number of crates or refugees the helicopter can carry, and the player only needs to return to Base Island after the last crate has been found and loaded. Hindering progress is the cyclone itself, which can cause the helicopter to behave erratically at long range, and crash at close range. The position and progress of the cyclone can be monitored on the map enabling the player to determine when to vacate the area or when to carry out an

emergency landing An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to term ...

. While over open water the helicopter must avoid low flying planes which traverse the screen occasionally. The player also has limited fuel which can be replenished at helipads on several of the islands, and a time limit in which to retrieve the crates. The game screen is split into 2 areas, the main environment and the

head-up display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD () or head-up guidance system (HGS), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a ...

(HUD) that surrounds it. The heads up display contains instrumentation which includes speed, altitude, fuel remaining and time remaining. Additionally there is also information on the number of supply crates, whether the player's current view is North or South, information on wind force and a warning to the player of the cyclone's proximity and any approaching planes. The 3D aspect of the game allows the helicopter to not only move on the x-axis (left/right on screen) and the y-axis (up/down on screen), but also on the z-axis, representing its height in the sky. Lowering the helicopter's height while directly above a crate or refugee automatically triggers the

winch A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension (physics), tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a Bobb ...

which pulls them up to safety. The helicopter casts a shadow which also helps with the illusion of 3 dimensions and gives a visual cue to player's height. The graphics support this 3D environment in the form of cliffs, other terrain, buildings etc. The game also features a North/South

game mechanic In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics define how a game works for players. Game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide player actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, wh ...

, allowing the player to view the environment from the two different angles, essential as some crates are hidden behind buildings or

terrain Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...

so can only be seen from a specific viewpoint. There is also a map view to help locate the cyclone and the islands. Once completed the game loops, with the crates placed in more difficult locations each time.

Development

Reception

Following on from the success of ''

'', ''Cyclone'' met favourable reviews, again praising the 3D visuals, but there were some reviewers that believed that these 3D visuals were actually a downgrade. The gameplay itself was again met favourably, with some favoring the departure from the "attack" gameplay of ''Tornado Low Level'', and the move towards rescue based gameplay, but some reviewers thought that there was not enough difference from its predecessor. The game entered the charts at number 13 for the week to 28 November 1984.

References

External links

* {{WoS game, id=0001206, name=Cyclone 1984 video games Helicopter video games Multidirectional shooters Single-player video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Vortex Software games ZX Spectrum games ZX Spectrum-only games