Robots Rule - Robot Wars The Game

Robot Wars is such as fantastic show, so they have made some computer games giving you the experience of taking park in Robot Wars.

The Robot Wars game comes in several different versions and in several different formats for different machines and devices. Robot Wars Arenas of Destruction is available for the PC (priced at £19.99) and the PlayStation 2 (priced at £39.99). Robot Wars Advanced Destruction is available for the Game Boy Advanced (GBA) and is priced at £24.99. There is a new game coming out soon called Robot Wars Extreme Destruction and is available for the PC (£29.99), the X-Box (£39.99) and the GBA (£29.99).

A new Robot Wars game has now been released called Robot Wars Extreme Destruction.

Robot Wars Extreme Destruction brings together all the elements of the TV show - players can design and build their own robots, drawing upon a database of body parts, armour, engines, wheels and weapons. Once complete, battle can commence!

The game also features a quick start ‘pick up and play’ function, so gamers can select from a range of pre-built robots, and get straight to the realistic 3D action, which includes:

The Game Boy Advanced version of Extreme Destruction includes the ability to trade rare weapons and useful robot body parts with other players via a link cable - the ultimate goal is to find all the parts to the mythical Gold Robot!

Design and customise your own robots, adding flame throwers, steel spikes and other weapons of destruction or drive familiar robots such as Hypno-Disc, Chaos 2 and Panic Attack in a number of game modes.

Game modes include vengeance battles, one on one battles, Robot Mayhem for a massive robot rumble where victory ‘unlocks’ the House Robots and Championship to win the Robot Wars trophy and unlock more robots.

The ultimate test of your skills is to battle with your friends in the Death Match - a multi-player game for 2-4 players.

Arenas of Destruction is available for the PC (£19.99) and the PlayStation 2 (£39.99). Here is what you do in the game and a review of it.

BBC Multimedia have done a great job of turning the hit TV show into a superb game. Basically, you build your robot out of the available money you have choosing the robot's weight, shape, speed, strength, power, colour etc. by adding drives, wheels, engines, batteries, armour, paint and the best bit, weaponry. Once you have put together your robot (it is extremely easy to do so with the help from somebody who talks you through the process of doing it and it is very easy to get the hang of with the person talking to you and the instructions booklet that came with the game) by choosing out of the available things such as different types of armour and batteries (some are stronger and more reliable than others but then of course more expensive) and weaponry (you can choose from a big variety of weapons such as spinning discs, flamethrowers, grippers etc.), you then enter it into a competition.

If you win a competition you win more money which can be used to improve your existing robot, build a new robot or unlock another arena. Each competition (except for the first few) costs money to enter so you better win it or you lose money. Don't forget that you also need money to repair your robot if it becomes damaged in a tournament.

Each championship which can just be a normal knockout one (just like the television show) or it could be a game like capture the flag, annihilator, word championship, mad bomber, collateral damage or whatever takes place in an arena where you battle your robot against other machines. You use the arrow keys on the keyboard to easily control and move your robot around the arena causing damage to your opponents. It is easy to get the hang of.

There are loads of different arenas in the game from across the world. You have the normal London studios one which you see on the TV programme and you also have arenas (each with their own different obstacles such as flamethrowers, crushers, pits, mines, molten steel) on a North Sea oil rig (be careful you don't drive into the sea), in a New York steelworks factory (the heat is on), in Tokyo on top of a roof (don't fall down), in Germany (in a docklands), in Sao Paulo (this one is a scrap yard), in Siberia in a military base with loads of mines in and also in another arena with a big rocket which is about to launch. Most of the arenas are locked and you need the right amount of money (from winning tournaments) to unlock them which will unlock more tournaments with more money as the prize for winning.

As well as all that, there are other modes for you to try out such as training mode where you can improve you skills by going on a training course or even taking on the house robots! There are also vengeance battles for you to enter, a freeplay mode and a few other modes that you can have a go at. You don't win or lose anything in these modes, it is the professional mode which counts.

It was a good idea to include all the house robots from the TV show in the game. If you go into a CPZ (corner patrol zone) then the house robots can come out and get you and also if your robot is immobilised is when the house robots can attack you too. A lot of damage can be caused from the house robots: Shunt, Dead Metal, Matilda, Sergeant Bash and Sir Killalot so stay away from them!

Also included (as well as all the made up robots just for the game) are several famous robots from the real show included in the game such as Chaos 2 and Hypno-Disc.

It is a good game and it is well put together. However, there are a few very noticeable things that are wrong with it. The damage caused is very unrealistic. Metal can come off your robot in no ways ever seen before to leave just the chassis which isn't realistic. Also, if you flip over the house robots, they always seem to get the right way round again even without a self righting mechanism. Another problem is that sometimes the sound can go dodgy and there are a few problems with that. The graphics could also be improved. The graphics aren't as good as they could be. One of the biggest problems is that the audience must be doing a musical statues competition because they hardly ever move. Apart from that, the game is wonderful and I am addicted to playing it. If I am not making this website, I am usually playing the game. I am very impressed with it.

When the log in screen appears, create a username as JPEARCE and log in using this username. This cheat will give you almost unlimited credits and all robots will be unlocked.

Here I am building my robot. In this picture, you can see how the weapons construction process is done.

My robot is being axed by another robot in this picture taken in the Siberia arena. At the top left of the picture, you can see the house robot Dead Metal.

I have just shoved a robot down the pit in the London arena. You can see the metal chassis of each robot showing that the armour has been pulled off which is a bit unrealistic.

This screen comes up before each battle telling you what robots are fighting. Here, my machine is going into a battle with Matilda, the house robot and...

I have pushed my opponent robot into Shunt's CPZ and so he is now attacking the robot, doing my work for me!

Fun Factor	10/10
Longevity	7/10
Quality of Graphics	6/10
Quality of Sound	2/10
Performance	8/10
Control/Handling of Game	5/10
Originality/Idea of Game	10/10
Layout	9/10
Instructions	10/10
Value for Money	9/10

A good game with plenty of fun to be had from it. Includes most things from the real show and more. Excellent, a must for any Robot Wars fan!