Menace is a side-scrolling space shooter created by DMA Design originally for the Amiga. Psygnosis published it in 1988. The game was ported and released for the Commodore 64, Atari ST, and DOS one year later.
The game was the first title by the Scottish software house, and its success made it possible for DMA Design to become the famous studio that we all know (author of Lemmings, amongst other things).
The game is strongly influenced by R-Type, but this doesn't mean it's a clone. The big aliens with an organic look are similar to the R-Type ones, but apart from this, the game is really unique. Initially called Draconia (the name of the enemy planet that your ship has to destroy), the game was renamed Menace to avoid an overlap with a game released for the C64.
Menace was a commercial success, and it received very positive reviews, all above 80%. Blood Money, another shooter by DMA Design, is considered the (unofficial) sequel.
In the wake of so many great shoot-em-up games, Menace often gets overlooked. Menace was a high quality game for its time, boasting excellent, vivid graphics, great music and great playability. That short intro sequence as our craft leaves the mothership, still looks well, and the game is a joy to play. Like most Psygnosis games, it was quite tough, but at least they gave you the option for a “rookie” mode, where you don’t have to worry about colliding with the various fronds and tentacles of the scenery.
Although each level looks great and is very different to the previous, it is a repetitive game right down to the kind of waves the enemies come in. It lacks variety and you’re also quite limited as to how much you can power up your ship. The music is great, but with the same tune throughout the game, it becomes a little tiresome. It also feels like the effort has slipped away from the graphics and enemy ideas towards the end of the game. But unlike many shoot-em-ups, Menace is playable and addictive and it's possible to complete it without resorting to cheat mode.
It is a game I have a soft spot for, so I’ll always rank it favourably, despite its imperfections. It’s easy to forget this was a game from 1988 – and it is still highly enjoyable today.
Review by: GN Team
Review by: theLightDreams
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