Captain America Defies the Doom Tube (Atari ST)

Captain Merica Defies the Doom Tube a.k.a. Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann. I don't know what a Doom Tube is, but it doesn't sound like anything I want anything to do with.

I suppose this music sounds alright though.

Whoa, are we on an orbital skyhook? I haven't seen many of those show up in video games.

Okay it seems that I can move Cap's right hand, but only within a tiny box on the right. Using the dial he's holding lets me change the number on the top right. And... that's all I've figured out.

I tried all kinds of numbers, but nothing happened. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever even get past the menu screen in this game.


LATER.

I've started to change my mind about the music. For the first minute it was alright, but it's still playing and it doesn't seem to ever stop. It's driving me crazy.

Okay, I've managed to get it to say 'deck two' and throw up some info on screen about toxicity and immunity that means absolutely nothing to me. But I still haven't got a clue what I'm doing.

Hey, I managed to press one of the buttons and was able to walk away from the computer terminal!

Now it looks like I'm standing in a lift shaft being harassed by little robot things speeding down the walls. Captain America won't stand for this.

When Captain America throws his mighty shield, all those who choose to oppose his shield must yield. Or so I've heard.

Anyway, I've killed a couple of robots, scored 40 points, seems like my work is done here.

And then I fell off the edge and died.

Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann (C64)

Weirdly, the Commodore 64 version of the game has a way better title screen, in my opinion. But far worse music. Even after putting up with the Atari ST music on a loop for all that time, I'd still prefer it to this.

Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann (C64)

Yeah, this is just the same game. I threw my shield a few times, then threw Cap down a hole. If this is really an orbital elevator then he's got a long long time before he hits the bottom.

Okay back to the Atari ST version. Cap's a little more experienced now, a little wiser. He knows how many zaps it takes to kill a megodwarf, and that he shouldn't fall down holes.

Okay robots, show yourselves, I'm ready for a rematch.

Oh crap, no I'm not. Cap's forgotten his shield! How the hell am I supposed to do anything without a shield? It's his only weapon.

It seems I wasted all my shields by throwing them into robots, and now I have none left. Well then... I guess I'll go back and push more buttons on the computer then.

Huh, what the f...

...

Why the hell would they give me a lose button? It doesn't quit the game, it just makes me lose a life.

Oh well, nothing else left to do but push the button again...

Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann (ZX Spectrum)

I suppose I should have a look at the other versions before I give up on the game. Maybe one of them will be shockingly different, and far more entertaining.

The ZX Spectrum version is unsurprisingly terrible though. I can't even see the robots on the walls.

Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann (CPC)

The Amstrad CPC version seems exactly the same as well. Though I managed to kill the robots without losing a shield for once. It seems that if I score a direct hit, the shield will bounce back for me to grab.

Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann (CPC)

Oh wow, this is new. I used the wall on the right and found myself in a different room. This seems worth investigating... back to the Atari.

Well okay it wasn't worth investigating, obviously. But I did it anyway.

I'm throwing my shield at these enemies in the hopes that something amazing will happen when they're all dead. Often the shield will bounce around a bit, then land on the ground, and I have to go and pick it up.

Boss fight? I'm sure it's nothing a shield won't fix.

Well I threw my last shield off the edge of the level. So I guess I just go press the lose button again then? Maybe there's a way to get shields back...


Though to be honest I don't really care, I've already spent way longer on this than I should have and I can't find a way to get any entertainment out of it at all. Next game.