Bad guys First or all can I say that I strongly disapprove of games that give no choice for keyboard input, forcing the purchase of a joystick. Amstrad-compatible tapes are expensive enough as it is without making people invest in hardware that they possibly do not want. Battle for Midway does give a 'joystick only' warning on the box, but it is small and easily overlooked whereas I feel it should be in huge screaming red letters. However, leaving that aside, what's the game like? Before the arrival of games like Imagine's Stonkers and Beyond's Blitzkrieg, wargames were programmed by enthusiasts with little understanding of the way to squeeze the best out of computer graphics. Cluttered screens, naff UDG's, pathetic bleeps were the order of the day. Fortunately. Midway falls firmly into the second generation of well-programmed games, despite being the brainchild of someone who has been 'designing wargames for 25 years', so you get the best of both worlds. The result is a package complex enough to satisfy the most hardened traditionalist, yet slick enough to keep the interest of newcomers more familiar with arcade games. 
The setting is a re-enaction of the crucial battle between the Americans and the Japanese during World War Two. You, of course, play the part of the good guy USA (there is also an MSX version of the game, but I don't suppose PSS will be exporting this to Japan) and to lighten the proceedings attacks on the enemy, or vice versa, are shown in arcade style action. Specifically 'for arcade players who cannot resist shooting anything on screen', you are allowed to join in as an Anti-Aircraft gun. Increasing difficulty levels are available which make the Japanese meaner and reduce your chances of finding out what they are up to. Well worth a look. Tony Kendle, Popular Computing Weekly
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