| Publisher: | Virgin Interactive Entertainment |
| Developer: | Radical Entertainment |
| Genre: | Puzzle/Action |
You're running for your life from crazy monsters, but you're trapped in a box, a grid of runways with no escape. And to top it off, you've got to collect flags to live! Flags? No, it's not a bad dream, it's a cyber game of tag in the Nether-worlds of the evil Empress Vorga who, like the Queen of Hearts in Alice's world, just craves a little entertainment.
Grid Runner, a sort of cross between tag and capture the flag, pits you against the computer, or, better yet, a friend. Each round has a designated number of flags to make your own and if you should be overtaken by your opponent insodoing, you'll automatically be "beamed" away to rematerialize in pursuit of them, as you are now "it." So this is when you better come up with some speed because if your freakish opponent (the mutant or your friend) gets enough flags before you should bump into it again, you're dead.
Your avatar, Axxel, doesn t start off as the quickest cat around, but strategically placed power ups are a sure shot bet to fix that. While you re running for the flags, pick up differently colored spheres to gain magic spells, faster speed, and greater agility, which you'll need for sure. The bonus rounds between levels, towards which you gain time by picking up the yellow hourglasses, also help Axxel meet his ultimate goal of running against the Empress in the final world.
Each successive level becomes more and more complex, with teleports, gaps, and other hazards getting in your way. Maneuvering around these barriers can sometimes be a little tricky, as the control tends to stick on the corners. However, with a little practice, you ll soon get the hang of it. The graphics are pretty fresh, in a cartoony-sprite way. Some of the levels are set against planetary scenery, although the monsters don't look like much while you're actually playing.
While the one-player game may drag after five or six levels, the two-player game can be a lot of fun. It s no Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, but it does offer an interesting diversion from the usual staple of games.
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