Bomb Scare

Bomb Scare is a video game in the action genre and published by Firebird Software originally released in 1986. It is currently playable on Amstrad CPC.

Bomb Scare is a single-player maze-based puzzle game.

The Plot
The game is set on Neptune, where an enemy alien has planted a time bomb on the space station. The station has been evacuated and the player must neutralize the threat using a bomb-defusing robot, ARNOLD. To accomplish this task, ARNOLD must first collect the necessary tools from among those found on the base. Then, once equipped, the player must guide ARNOLD to the bomb to defuse it.


The gameplay
The mission to defuse the bomb is time limited, a mission timer in the bottom half of the screen counts down from 999. If ARNOLD runs out of time, energy or lives, the game ends and the bomb explodes destroying the entire planet.

ARNOLD has six action keys. There are three movement keys, one to move forward and two to turn left or right, and three activity keys, pick up, select an object and activate an object.

The base consists of a series of rooms that are mapped on a 16 x 9 grid, although not every grid element contains a room. There is no map in the game, but the rooms are colored to help the player track their location. The game also displays large arrows on the floor when there is an off-screen exit, and smaller arrows on the walls when there is an obvious door. Some doors only allow ARNOLD to pass through in one direction.

There are eight teleports that allow ARNOLD to move quickly from one area of the base to another, but at the beginning of the game neither the player nor ARNOLD have instructions on how to use them.

ARNOLD's inventory can contain five objects. When an object is found, the player places ARNOLD on it and uses the 'Pick Up' key, the object then appears in the inventory list at the bottom of the screen. The player then has to figure out what to do with each object and where in the game it is used.

As ARNOLD moves around the station, he will encounter many small aliens that sneak around. Some can be destroyed by running over them, although this will detract energy from ARNOLD, others explode on contact and destroy ARNOLD. You get points for killing them, but ARNOLD only has a limited number of shots at his disposal.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.