Escape From the Planet of the Robot Monsters

ESCAPE - FROM THE WORLD OF BORING VIDEO GAMES!

Yes! This is the latest, wackiest, most playable shoot-em-up for a very, very long time.

'Lots of beautiful girls have been abducted to Planet X by the evil reptilions. And when I say abducted I mean.... well, yes - exactly! It's a disgrace! And those evil reptilions are downright.... evil! And that's not all - there's more. Where? Inside of course!

Good luck men!'

Bzzz. 'crackle'. hizz. pop: This is Radio S.M.O.G. bringing you the latest update:

"We join our heros on the surface of Planet X where a rescue mission is in progress. The REPTILIONS have enslaved the humans stationed there. They are being forced to create an evil Robot Army destined to DESTROY THE EARTH! Listen out for our next broadcast."

One of the few major commercial title conversions from the Spectrum updated to use the SAM sound chip and MODE 4 graphics.

Control system and intro graphics remained the same as the ZX Spectrum and not the 16-bit versions but has subsequently been fixed in the 2025 patched version.

A fun-packed shooter for up to two-players.

Screenshots

Packaging

Reviews

Crash Issue 89 review, courtesy of spectrumcomputing.co.uk

Review by Steven Pick from the Sam Coupé Scrapbook

Yes! At last, Escape comes to the SAM, and boy is it tasty! The story revolves around a Lost In Space plot, about two hardened soldiers, JAKE and DUKE. They are briefed, and must go to PLANET X, where they must rescue the lovely Professor Sarah Bellum, or else the evil Reptilians get to destroy the Earth!! So, you, or another Samster (it’s 2 player), must rampage round the 3D screens and destroy the robots, and rescue a few billion fair madiens!

As the game progresses, you meet a giant End of Level Reptilian! Yikes… Well, I must admit, the graphics on the SAM for this are BRILLIANT! The music which plays throughout is also toe-tapping, and the control method, though quirky to begin with gets a lot better with practice! The game is full of neat animations as well - like if you fall off a platform, you hang for a short wait until you leap up! Though I was a little disappointed at the intro from the Spectrum, but the rest - BRILLIANT! Get it NOW…

Area	Score
Graphics	93%
Sound	91%
Instant Appeal	84%
Lastability	96%
Overall	91%

Trivia

in 2025 a patched version was released, coded by Adrian Brown, updated intro graphics by Gordon Wallis and pack/unpack routines by Howard Price.

Update intro screens to use MODE 4 screens
Update input system to use directional movement
Skip intro and Player start is now fire
Update input system to seperate bombs and fire:
Player 1 keyboard controls are now QAZX, S=Fire and 1=Bomb
Player 2 keyboard controls are now NMKO, P=Fire and 0=Bomb
Joystick 1 Z=Bomb and Joystick 2 M=Bomb

Tips

From the Tipshop

Philip Brayshaw of North Yorkshire has apparently become a bit of a hero since having his first Coupe proglet on this page, so here he is again with an Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters routine to bung in and run for infy credits and however many bombs you want.

1 BOOT 1
2 MERGE "auto"
77 POKE 38903,0: REM infy credits
78 POKE 38826,x: REM x=bombs (0-200) player 1
79 POKE 38975,y: REM y=bombs (0-200) player 2

Here is the low down on all the enemies, blocks and icons in the game.

Slave: Touch to rescue.

Slave in sleeping pod: Blow up the nearby control box to wake the sleeping beauty.

Switch: Removes the barrier at the bottom of an escalator.

Electronic box: Blow up for points.

Cabinets/Lockers: Contain an icon to pick up.

Portomatic transporter: Takes you to the next factory.

Escalator/Ladder: Allows access to the next level of the factory.

Entrance door: Opens to let Destroyer robots in and out.

Spikes: Retract every few seconds.

Electric pad: Kills on contact.

Destroyer Robot: Fire bolts at you. 4-6 hits to kill.

Patrol Robot: Walks around the room. 6 hits.

Madballs: Kills you on contact. Indestructible.

Guard robot: Appears if you wait too long on a screen. 1 hit.

Giant Sentinel: Takes continuous shooting and bombing to destroy, leaves eight laser pods when killed