ULTIMATE PLAY THE GAME AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
The collected works of Ultimate Play the Game, one of the
most consistently successful software houses ever, are set to be released in
one massive package. The Ultimate compilation, which has been endorsed by
CRASH, will include Jetpac, Pssst, Atic Atac (92%, Issue 1), Lunar
Jetman (95%, Issue 1), Cookie, Tranz-Am, Knight Lore (94%, Issue
12), Alien 8 (95%, Issue 15), Nightshade (91%. Issue 21),
Gunfright (92%, Issue 25) and Sabre Wulf (unrateable CRASH
Smash, Issue 6). This Rare gaming opportunity will be available in the shops
sometime early in August at £12.99 on cassette and £14.99 on disk.
Don’t miss it!
Chris and Tim Stamper, the mystery men behind Ultimate’s success
NEW PRODUCTS FROM OLD SOFTIES
The programming language and utility specialists HiSoft
have modified four of their Spectrum titles to run on the +3. HiSoft
BASIC turns most of Spectrum BASIC, with one or two exceptions, into fast
machine-code. HiSoft C is an integer-only one-pass compiler, with
interactive line editor. Devpac (the assembler/debugger) now
assembles disk-to-disk and HiSoft Pascal, a one pass compiler,
supports all the features of Standard Pascal as well as extensions to allow low
level access to the machine. They retail at £28.95, £29.00,
£19.95 and £35.00 respectively and are available in shops or by mail
from HiSoft.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
The Power House have launched a competition designed to
find the games player of the year. The company are inviting the public to send
in details of their highest scores on The Power House games. Entrants should
send their name and address as well as photographic evidence of their score to
the Power House. Each game champion will receive 20 free games while 30 games
plus a Sony personal stereo await the overall winner.
RIBBON AND BLUES
Blue Ribbon’s latest re-release is a sports
special. The first of a series of Take 3 compilations features
Steve Davis Snooker (77%, Issue 12), a Rugby Union simulation and
CDS Software’s Pool (77% Issue 6). The disk costs
£9.99 and should be available soon.
CASCADING BACK
Gamebusters, the new budget label from Cascade
Games kicks off with the re-release of their flight simulator Ace
(81%, issue 32). The game, which should be available in the shops now, retails
at £2.99 on cassette and £4.99 on disk.
THE GOOD COMPANION
A new company, which claims to produce many original utility
programs for the Spectrum, has been set up in Cumbria. Known as
Companion, it also sells hardware, including blank cassettes in bulk,
Spectrum components including ROMs, ULAs and all kinds of keyboard membranes.
For further information see the advertisement due to be placed in the July
issue of CRASH. The first five people to spend over £30 within a month of
the publication of the advert, will receive an electronic push button telephone
free.
SIR CLIVE GOES TO OREGON
US marketing and distribution of Sir Clive Sinclair’s
portable Z88 computer has been placed firmly in the hands of an American
company. Diversified Foods, which is based in Portland, Oregon, has set
up a subsidiary company called Sinclair Systems Inc, designed to sell
the computer nationwide. Sir Clive’s firm has only a 25% stake in the new
company. The deal was set in motion by Atari’s founder, Nolan Bushnell,
who had hoped to take on the Z88’s US distribution himself. The Z88 will
retail for $549 and is being marketed with the emphasis on the originality of
the product rather than in terms of competition with other laptops.
HOOK, LINE AND SINKER
MacMillan Publishing have decided to close down their
18-month-old games label Piranha. Current turnover was not considered
sufficient to justify further investment. Launched at the 1986 PCW show,
Piranha was responsible for such releases as Trap Door (88%, Issue 33), Strike
Force Cobra (83%, Issue 33) and Yogi Bear (62%, Issue 47). These programs and
others have already been bought up by the budget label Alternative. At
least the better games won’t go down with the name.