Reviews
Review by Raphie on 09 Feb 2012 (Rating: 3)
This is really really hard, one of the hardest shmups I've ever played, it's dreadfully difficult to see the bullets fired at you because while the colours are monochrome black and white there is a lot of detail on the screen like buildings and such and the bullets interact with the background, making them hard to see and making this game brick difficult.
It's a nice well programmed game but I wish it wasn't so difficult, I've never gotten far in this game ever.
Converted from the Taito coin-op, Slap Fight is a classic example of the scrolling shoot-em-ups which were so popular in the second half of the Eighties: fly over a terrain with your vessel collecting power-ups and turn your puny fighting machine in an almighty mean of destruction, battling wave after wave of enemies and the occasional "boss".
The Spectrum version features detailed, if black-and-white, graphics and some sparse sound effects. Movement and scrolling are quite smooth and all features are where they should be, if you know the coin-op. Would be a real hit were it not for a noticeable flaw: the enemies' bullets are rather hard to see since they tend to mix in with the background. It does not happen to the point of making the game unplayable, but at the time I doubt that your average TV (I was lucky to play it on a brand new color 15" TV) could have let you see them clearly.
Other than this, Slap Fight is a proper conversion of a not-too-original coin-op.
Review by dandyboy on 25 Jul 2013 (Rating: 4)
Above average conversion ... those flying saucers look so cool !!!
Review by judasezt on 16 Jan 2014 (Rating: 2)
The tiny size of enemy bullets, nearly invisibles, ruins the game.
The game lacks the polishing from the excellent FlyingShark conversion. Bullets problem ends with all hope.
Review by snekeel on 21 Jun 2015 (Rating: 3)
Slap Fight is a good shooter but not great. The bullets are pretty much invisible and thus progression is really tough and enough to put off casual gamers. It'll take great skill to get through Slap Fight. There's good graphics and it's smooth but gameplay issues let this one down.
Slap Fight [Imagine Software]
by Probe Software Ltd (Nick Bruty)
Vertical shoot'em up ruined by semi-invisible bullets.
2,5/5.
Well, I've been too tough with Slap Fight, in spite of all its flaws, it still deserves a 3/5.
