Cybernoid

Hewson Consultants

Industry	Video game development and publishing
Founded	1980s
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine

Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine is a shoot 'em up title created and released in 1988 by Hewson Consultants initially for the ZX Spectrum. It was subsequently adapted for platforms such as the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amiga, and Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was programmed by Raffaele Cecco, with the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Atari ST versions featuring a main soundtrack composed by Dave Rogers. The Commodore 64 edition, however, includes an alternate soundtrack composed by Jeroen Tel.

Gameplay

In Cybernoid, players take on the role of piloting the Cybernoid spacecraft to retrieve precious minerals, jewels, ammunition, and sophisticated weaponry stolen by pirates from Federation storage facilities. The mission requires recovering these stolen goods within a set time frame while combating hostile pirates and planetary defense systems.

The gameplay unfolds over three stages, each composed of multiple screens that utilize a flip-screen mechanic for navigation. Each screen introduces various threats including enemy vessels, homing missiles, automated gun turrets, and invincible foes following predetermined routes. Players can acquire power-ups such as a rear-facing gun and a large spiked ball, alongside utilizing onboard weaponry like shields and homing missiles.

When enemy pirate ships are destroyed, they frequently drop power-ups or collectible jewels.

The Nintendo Entertainment System version was developed by Studio 12 Productions, with programming by Chris Harvey and graphics designed by Adrian Carless. An amusing credit in this version attributes the design of the Cybernoid ship to "M.Sugden," a nod to British actress Mollie Sugden from the television series Are You Being Served?.

Reception

Cybernoid garnered widespread critical praise. CRASH awarded it a score of 96%, commending its fluid animation and engaging gameplay on 8-bit platforms. Your Sinclair rated it 9 out of 10, emphasizing its impressive graphics, rapid gameplay pace, and strategic complexity. The title secured the 36th position in the Your Sinclair Official Top 100 Games of All Time list.

Legacy

Following its success, a sequel titled Cybernoid II: The Revenge was launched the subsequent year across multiple systems including Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. In 2004, this sequel was featured on the C64 Direct-to-TV. The storyline revolves around pirates returning equipped with a new Battlestar to raid Federation storage depots once again.

In October 2018, Canadian media company Liquid Media Group acquired the rights to Cybernoid along with other titles formerly owned by Acclaim Entertainment.