Robotron: 2084

---

Blasting action on the Lynx does not disappoint
by Dan Loosen

February 16, 2004

Welcome to the arena of Robotron 2084. I'll immediately admit that I have never had the chance to play Robotron in the arcades, and I know that I've somehow been missing experiencing a real classic all this time. I was extremely happy when I got Robotron for my Lynx, as I knew that now I would finally get to play the game, and after loving Joust for the Lynx and thinking that it was one of the best handheld arcade translations ever, I had high hopes for Robotron.

And Robotron 2084 did not disappoint! I have heard complaints against the control scheme used, and while it doesn't allow you to move your shots as quickly as a two-joystick set-up would allow you to, it is as good as you can expect from a game that is forced to use two buttons to aim the shots. The action is intense, and I found myself playing this game many times for hours at a time. The challenge is nearly perfect -- When you die, you feel like it is your fault. When you barely squeak out a win, you feel like you did an awesome job.

The sound in the game is limited to sound effects just like the arcade game. The sound effects are done well enough that you barely notice the lack of music. In fact, it could be argued that Robotron is better without music, and for the most part I would agree with that.

Unfortunately, Robotron 2084 suffers from a few things. While these gripes don't take away from an otherwise totally enjoyable game, they must be mentioned in this review. The biggest problem that I had with the game was the fact that there is no continue. While this is an arcade game, the omission means that it makes it extremely difficult to get past a certain amount of levels. Due to the intense level of difficulty that is found in Robotron 2084, this game suffers more from this omission than others. I will admit that the original arcade game did not have continues, but having an option of continuing the game would definitely add to this particular title. As a straight up arcade game, Robotron is great, but as a portable game this definitely takes away from the Lynx version of the game.

So how is the final game? Other than the intense difficulty, Robotron 2084 is an amazing Lynx title. It is a must-have title for any Lynx owner that enjoys arcade action. On the other hand, if you expect a game that you can sit down and eventually master, you will not find it in Robotron 2084. There is no end to this game, and it will take you a long time to get "good" at it.