Quazatron

Klepto is maneuvered across individual levels of Quazatron, which can be navigated between via a system of lifts. Levels may include floors at different heights, ramps, information points, recharge points and patrolling robots. It is Klepto's aim to destroy all the other robots, whereupon the lighting on that level is deactivated. This can be done by damaging them with a ranged weapon, by ramming into them and/or causing them to fall from a height, or by a successful grapple attempt.

Each robot has a two-character identifier which provides information about its parts and role. "X" denotes a menial robot, "U" for utility, "R" for repair, "B" for battle, "L" for logic, "S" for security and "C" for command. The number is a ranking system, with lower numbers denoting better parts. "9" is a device, "8" or "7" for a drone, "6" or "5" for a robot, "4" or "3" for a droid, "2" or "1" for a cyborg.

In Quazatron, the player-controlled droid KLP-2 (or Klepto, short for kleptomaniac) attempts to destroy all the other robots in the underground citadel of Quazatron and subsequent locations on the planet Quartech. The droid has been sent to deactivate the hostile alien droids there which can be done by shooting them, pushing them off their programmed routes to destruction, ramming them, or taking control of them via the sub-game.

Quazatron was a Spectrum version of Paradroid, which was written by Graftgold partner Andrew Braybrook in 1985. Although a direct conversion was considered, it was felt that the Spectrum could not handle screen-scrolling as smoothly as the Commodore 64. However, Steve Turner had been working on an isometric landscape engine for the Spectrum called Ziggurat and decided to use this with the Paradroid game mechanics, control system and patrol paths.

This new isometric perspective (drawing visual comparisons with Marble Madness) also provided an additional gameplay aspect – opposing droids could be pushed off edges in order to damage them.

Your Sinclair reviewed the game in issue 6, awarding 9 out of 10, with reviewer Phil South highlighting the original scenario and combination of strategy and action. CRASH was similarly impressed, awarding 94% in issue 29 and highlighting the graphics, sound effects, playability and addictiveness. Sinclair User awarded the game a 'Sinclair User Classic' award in their May 1986 issue. In their issue 51 retrospective, CRASH concluded that Quazatron was a successful fusion of arcade action and strategy, superior to the original Paradroid.

One common criticism was with the game's scrolling, despite Hewson claiming that problem would be fixed by the game's release.

Quazatron was followed by a 1988 sequel, Magnetron.

A similar power-up game mechanic was used in Ranarama (1987), a game from the same author that appeared between Quazatron and Magnetron.