Issue No. 1 FEBRUARY 1984

FEATURES

BRER RABBIT & THE KILLER APE OF LEICESTERSHIRE
Profile on soft houses Rabbit and Blaby.

BEWARE THE WRATH OF MAGRA!
After a long silence, CARNELL come rampaging back with a mammoth follow up to Black Crystal and Volcanic Dungeon.

ARTICLES

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM
FRANCO FREY takes a look at joystick controllers — which suits you?

THE INVASION HAS BEGUN
1983 was an amazingly rich year for Spectrum software. LLOYD MANGRAM takes a look back.

REGULARS

EDITORIAL
Welcome to CRASH!

NEWS INPUT
A brief round-up for the month

RUN IT AGAIN
The first of our regular games comparisons — this month, INVADERS/GALAXIANS. Which is the best?

CROSS
Comic strip excitement in the first rampacked instalment. Forget all others — life begins here!

DIY

CRASH HOTLINE CHART

CRASH QUIZ
For our first issue here’s an easy little quiz to test your knowledge of cassette inlay stories. £75 of prizes to win!

COMPETITION
Become a reviewer for CRASH and win prizes!

GUIDE

JUNGLE TROUBLE
Pick of the month from among the established games that are available.

SPECTRUM SOFTWARE GUIDE
Pages and pages reviewing both old and new games.

REVIEWS

REVIEWS IN THIS ISSUE
Include games fresh from the programmers of Ultimate, Silversoft, Quicksilva, Virgin, Thorn EMI, Britannia, Automata, Lotus Soft and many, many others...
NEW GAME OF THE MONTH 3D DEATHCHASE

- ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE, Temptation
- 3D ANT ATTACK, Quicksilva
- ARMAGEDDON, Silversoft
- ATIC ATAC, Ultimate
- BARRELDROP, Games Machine
- BEDLAM, Lothlorien
- BLOCKADE RUNNER, Thorn EMI
- BONKERS, Procom
- BRAIN DAMAGE, Silversoft
- BUGABOO, Quicksilva
- BYTE, CCS
- CORRIDORS OF GENON, New Generation
- CYBERTANKS, Star Dreams
- DOOM BUGS, Workforce
- EXTERMINATOR, Silversoft
- FIRE FLASH, Abacus
- FIREHAWKS, Postern
- THE FOREST, Phipps Associates
- GALACTIC WARRIORS, Abacus
- GANGSTERS, CCS
- GOLD RUSH, Thorn EMI
- GOTCHA!, Blaby
- GRAND PRIX DRIVER, Britannia
- GRIDRUNNER, Quicksilva
- GROUCHO, Automata
- HAWKS, Lotus Soft
- HUNTER-KILLER, Protek
- INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHAS!, Crystal
- LORD HARRY, Lotus Soft
- LUNA CRABS, Micromega
- LUNAR JETMAN, Ultimate
- MAZIACS, DK’tronics
- MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, Silversoft
- MORRIS MEETS THE BIKERS, Automata
- MRS MOPP, Computasolve
- ODYSSEY 1, Perfection
- OH MUMMY, Gem
- THE ORACLE’S CAVE, Doric
- PLUGGIT, Blaby
- PUSH OFF, Software Projects
- QUETZALCOATL, Virgin
- RIDER, Virgin
- RIVER RESCUE, Thorn EMI
- ROAD RACER, Thorn EMI
- SPECTRON, Virgin
- SPECTRUM BOWLS, Lotus Soft
- SPLAT, Incentive
- SUBCHASE, Gem
- 3 DEEP SPACE, Postern
- TRAIN GAME, Microsphere
- TRANSVERSION, Ocean
- TRAXX, Quicksilva
- TUTANKHAMUN, Micromania
- VALHALLA, Legend
- VAMPIRE VILLAGE, Terminal
- VOLCANIC PLANET, EMI
- WARLOCK OF FIRETOP MOUNTAIN, Penguin
- WILD WEST HERO, Timescape
- ZAXXAN, Starzone

Editor

Roger Kean

Designer

Oliver Frey

Consultant editor

Franco Frey

Staff Writers

Lloyd Mangram, Rod Bellamy

Advertisement Manager

John Edwards

Production Designer

Michael Arienti

Cover illustration

Oliver Frey

Transcriptions

Matthew Wilson and Dave Foreman, http://www.crashonline.org.uk/

Additional review transcriptions

Chris Bourne, http://www.zxspectrumreviews.co.uk/

ROGER KEAN discovers that the games warrens are full of Rabbits — and they’re breeding fast!

BRER RABBIT

MEET ROLAND...

With the games software revolution recovering from its Christmas hype it is easy to forget just how short a time ago the whole thing started. After all, many of the better known software houses were only formed 8 to 10 months ago which makes RABBIT a grand-daddy, having now clocked up almost two years in the business. The company’s mascot is director Heather Lamont’s cuddly toy, Roland Rabbit, whose floppy-eared form adorns the distinctive red cassette boxes which have long been familiar to Vic-20 owners.

‘We quickly became well-known for our Vic-20 and Commodore 64 games.’ John Willan, Rabbit’s sales manager told me, ‘but we’re less well known for the Spectrum.’

Rabbit recognised the potential of the Spectrum and began producing games for it three months ago. The six titles have sold very well, but their low advertising profile means they are not as visible as many other software houses. ‘The Spectrum programs are very good and we should be known for them,’ John added. Nevertheless, Heather Lamont reckons they sell 60,000 cassettes a month during the low summer season, a figure undoubtedly improved over Christmas.

ROLAND GROWS UP...

Rabbit started life as an offshoot of Cream Computers, a shop in Harrow (North London) that specialised in business micros. One of the employees wrote software, and it was in the time when personal computers were in their infancy. It seemed like a good idea to sell some games by mail order. It was.

‘We started off doing our own duplicating.’ said John, ‘with very basic packaging — cream coloured paper with a rabbit stamped on it and hand written details.’ The idea took off, coinciding with the buzz about the Vic-20 and soon Cream had to start thinking seriously about their young Rabbit.

The first thing was to realise that computer games were going to be big business for shops, something the chain stores were reluctant to recognise initially. Rabbit hired in a tele-sales team and began zapping away. The results were encouraging, to say the least, which is why their games are now available from all good computer outlets, Smiths, Menzies, Boots, Laskys, Martins, Rumbelows and Greens of Debenhams to name a few.

Heather Lamont and the company mascot, Roland the Rabbit.

The second step was to improve their marketing. ‘We learnt a lot from our dealings with people like Boots and Laskys.’ said John. ‘In fact, the talks helped both sides towards retail of the software.’

Rabbit now has less dealings with the public direct, preferring to concentrate on helping the retailer sell the product through production of posters, stickers and an excellent all-colour catalogue. The packaging of the cassettes has improved radically too, with colour artwork on the inlays and the whole cassette sold inside a larger red box stamped with the Rabbit logo. The marketing exercise is all aimed to build up a name for high quality programs.

Terry Grant — responsible for overseeing Rabbit’s programmers.

ROLAND GOES TO TOWN

Although they wrote their own software in the early days, Rabbit no longer has in-house programmers, but they do have several under contract with whom they keep in close contact. Terry Grant is the software producer/director. His task is to think up the ideas and work with the programmers. He decides on details like skill levels and character definition, and generally oversees production. He seems very young to hold such a responsible position but then, this is a young business, run by young people, and encouraging young people where it can. Their early success in selling games resulted in floods of programs from young hopefuls.

‘We still get several programs a week sent in’, Terry told me. ‘We help the writers along, even if the programs are outdated in concept.

‘A problem is that a lot are written in BASIC and need compiling to speed them up.’ Rabbit help in this way, and sometimes a saleable game comes out of the effort.

The results, as far as Spectrum games go, is impressive — six games in a short space of time. There is the fiendishly mean ESCAPE MCP where you are pitted against the micro processor of your Spectrum, lost in the circuits and trying to evade capture; the road race game RACE FUN; a ‘galaxian’ style game called PHANTASIA; their excellent version of FROGGER; a particularly fast creepie-crawlie CENTRAPODS; and the quirky QUACKERS — a fair ground duck shoot. These six have been joined by further games since Christmas.

‘The main thing,’ John firmly told me ‘is to have an original program. Originality is the way the market is going.’ But originality comes to nothing if the product is not available for sale and duplication of tapes is the biggest headache at the moment. Chain stores are getting very worried about the situation because after accepting a title they are finding that the software producer has difficulty in maintaining stocks. Heather Lamont and John Willan have now formed a new company called Copy-Soft. The two directors have invested large sums of money in the latest American high quality duplicating equipment. Copy-Soft is quite separate from Rabbit and will offer a full scale service to all software houses, including inlay design and printing, right through to bulk copying and delivery. Rabbit won’t receive preferential treatment it seems, but it must be nice for Copy-Soft to know they’ll be handling at least 60,000 cassettes a month right off!

Rabbit’s sales manager, John Willan.

ROLAND LOOKS TO THE FUTURE...

Rabbit may be a grandaddy, but it is looking forward to a long future in a business which is barely beginning yet. New plans for future promotions are in the pipeline. But I wondered what John thought of the Prism plans for distributing software direct through the telephone lines to high street outlets like Rumbelows. ‘The software houses won’t allow it,’ he said immediately and then added, ‘and I wouldn’t want to stay in this business if that happened.’

He feels that Prism have overlooked the fact that games players want to keep the programs they buy. The Romox system Prism wants to use was tried in the America — and it failed, John maintains. Part of the problem is that you buy a game and then take the cassette back later to have it over-recorded with another program, which means you can’t ‘revisit’ a game later without paying again. Another problem is the simple fact that software houses have worked hard to create an identity for themselves through their cassette inlays, and with the Prism system all you get is a blank cassette.

John Willan, Heather Lamont, Terry Grant and Roland Rabbit think that the customer’s best protection from second-rate games is to buy from software houses they know. At the moment the best guarantee of quality is provided by the entire packaging of a game. It seems natural that software houses who care about their product should want customers to know who made the game.

Meanwhile, Rabbit are looking towards new warrens to conquer.

A Wild Ape in Leicestershire

LLOYD MANGRAM travels to the wilds of Leicestershire and discovers a Killer Kong on the loose in the quiet town of BLABY.

When you arrive at its small centre, the town of Blaby seems to be little more than an undistinguished suburb of Leicester. Yet at the very centre, on a corner of the crossroads, is a white-fronted shop bearing the legend Blaby Video and Computer Games. Outside it all looks respectable. Inside is another world, for it is from this building that Killer Kong and Barmy Burgers were released on an unsuspecting world.

As you pass through the door, the everyday noises of traffic and chattering pedestrians are replaced by the beeps and gurgles of computer games. One half of the shop is all video, the back half is given over to games for a wide variety of computers. It’s hard to distinguish between customer and sales lads, since both appear to crowd onto the counter to get a better look at the screens.

In a remarkably tidy office behind this cacophony of sound and colour, sits the warden of this particular asylum, Mr John Bailiss. Cassette inlay cards cover the walls like the photos of film stars in a producer’s Hollywood office. In a sense these cartoon characters are the stars, High Rise Harry, Do Do (and the Snow Bees), the Kosmic Pirate, all look down on me as I find a place to sit amid the heaps of cassette boxes. John sweeps them aside for me and a seat becomes visible.

‘We devote all the space here to the shop, that’s where the work gets done,’ he tells me without a trace of apology in his voice.

Blaby Computer Games came into existence in January 1983 when John Bailiss, who already owned and ran a successful video business, realised the potential of computers, especially the ZX Spectrum. At the time there were few other companies in the field, producing games for the Spectrum, and it seemed like a good idea. Two enthusiasts, 16-year-old Gary Sewell and Gary Casewell submitted their ideas for John to market, and the result was three games, Gold Digger, Confusion and the popular Chopper Rescue.

‘Admittedly it was the wrong time of the year as the summer was nearly upon us,’ he says, looking back on the worst year yet for computer business. Hot and long summers are always bad for software.

But with a further six games on the verge of completion the young company ploughed through the holiday period. ‘We placed advertisements in all the popular computing magazines throughout the summer months and soon enquiries started to come in from home and abroad.’

Games available from Blaby
Do Do (and the Snow Bees)
Killer Kong
Barmy Burgers
Kosmic Pirate
High Rise Harry
Chopper Rescue
Gold Digger
Confusion
Gotcha
Pluggit

Blaby was one of the first software producers, to my knowledge, to make up a video cassette with all the games being played on it. The video was well produced, showed the games, sheet by sheet, very well and above all, allowed the sound to be heard at volume. On seeing this video for the first time I was astonished at the graphics, sound and games. There seemed to be so many and yet they were not appearing in any top selling charts. In the space of only a few months that has all changed.

‘Our games are now produced under license in Iceland, Denmark, Spain and Holland,’ John says with evident satisfaction. ‘And Barmy Burgers has just been accepted by W H Smith. We hope it’s the first of many of our games.’

Blaby now has a small distribution network throughout the UK and mail order is taken care of from their shop.

The first serious hint of interest from the home market came at the 8th ZX Micro Fair at Alexandra Palace towards the end of the summer holidays, when over 7,000 people crammed into the sweltering heat of the plastic pavilion in one day. Blaby had a large stand, packed with screens showing the various games. It was hard to move within the exhibition area, but around the Blaby stand it was impossible. Barmy Burgers and Killer Kong were going through their paces non-stop.

‘That was a huge success,’ John reflects happily. ‘We had lots of orders and enquiries from home and overseas.’ It was also fulfilment because in one place the public were echoing the praise of several good reviews for the games. In my humble opinion, Barmy Burgers is as good as its arcade counterpart, better than the Atari version, while Killer Kong is undoubtedly the best Kong game for the Spectrum. High Rise Harry is an amusing and very difficult painter game, and an earlier success, Chopper Rescue is still among the most difficult games available in Spectrum software.

‘New games are always in the pipeline. We work very closely with the team of programmers, some of whom live locally. In fact, they sometimes work in the shop behind the sales counter.’ Or even on the sales counter if it’s crowded, I remark.

The latest Blaby games are Gotcha and Pluggit. Gotcha!, a cops and robbers game is described as extremely tricky and not for beginners, and Pluggit has a lost IC chip trying to get back to his socket deep inside ‘Uncle Clive’s’ computer. (Both games are reviewed in this issue). The exploits of robber Ernie and the IC chip proved very popular with the crowds at the 9th ZX Microfair in December.

The company is now busy at work on new games for early this year and John tells me that before long their programs will be available on micro drive and ROM cartridges.

Meanwhile, all attempts to cage the Killer Kong appear to have failed — it’s eating all those Barmy Burgers that drive him wild. He’ll be content with nothing less than world domination of the Spectrum software market and he seems to be dragging the willing Blaby games along with him.

Beware the Wrath of Magra!
John Edwards hunts among the graveyard dust for some way out of the all-encompassing horror that is CARNELL.
Methzar grew bitter and joined forces with the Snow Queen and her army of ice giants, and an alliance of evil was formed. Into this alliance came Magra, the witch of the Black Mountains, whose cannibalistic nature and ugliness made her the most feared witch in all the lands. Together they planned their strategy and over two years formed an army of the most grotesque creatures ever to walk the earth.
— Volcanic Dungeon

Black Crystal and Volcanic Dungeon are names that instantly create images of mysterious mythological fantasies. If you are an Adventure freak then they are, no doubt, names that are familiar to you as the titles of two of the most successful adventure games around.

Now, from the same team of Roy Carnell and Stuart Galloway and their company Carnell Software, comes a sensational new adventure unlike anything created before — The Wrath of Magra.

Great dark veils of secrecy cloak its development and I had to lure Roy and Stuart to a local cavern, ringing with the sounds of glasses clinking, and use that most potent of magic spells ‘What’s yours?’ before I was divulged any of the mysteries surrounding Magra. Such enticing tactics, smacking of film studio security, combined with the release of tempting snippets about the awful witch, have already resulted in The Wrath of Magra being tipped as the ‘Ultimate Adventure’ and a sure fire hit for Carnell in 1984.

It will come as no surprise to learn that as two guys who have a genius for creating adventure plots, both Roy and Stuart have a background of work in the film industry. They were both involved in the optical special effects on Superman after meeting special effects master, Wally Veevers at Birmingham Film School. They were naturally up to their eyes in mythology and legend when creating the surprises in the film about King Arthur and magical Merlin, Excalibur.

All of the Carnell adventures are centred on the European part of the Third Continent — the time when the great land masses of Europe, America and Africa were all one. At the end of the Third Age of the Third Continent, the time of Black Crystal, a great battle was fought and the armies of evil were destroyed, and the balance of the forces of good and evil were restored. Now with The Wrath of Magra you find yourself at the beginning of the Fourth Age.

IN THE GRAVEYARD DUST

In the Wrath of Magra, you play the hero from Volcanic Dungeon and, as the title suggests, you are facing the anger of Magra. She’s a nasty piece of work if ever you saw one, and well deserving a seat in the ‘snug’ at the Rovers Return! The evil old witch lives in a castle in the Black Mountains. In previous battles Magra was killed, but only in a physical sense — her body was returned to her castle by the ice giants, and now she has been brought back to life by the powers of magic. She is furious and recaptures the Princess Edora, imprisoning her in the castle.

So the stage is set for you to make a fascinating journey of days, weeks or even months, to battle with the demonic forces awaiting you. The adventure consists of two cassettes and a 200 page paperback of essential reading — more of this later. The two cassettes contain three 48K programs.

Looking suitably evil, Stuart Galloway and Roy Carnell fend off the forces of good with their Black Crystal.

At the start of the first program you are a rather helpless, inexperienced hero, who has got to pick up some pretty sensational magical powers rather quickly if you are going to succeed in your quest. As a novice wizard you will need to acquire knowledge, ingredients and weapons to commence your magical work and build up your prowess and confidence.

Nothing comes easily in this game. There are over 100 weapons and ingredients to be found or created before you can mount the final onslaught on the witch. Many weapons have to be formed — you won’t find a Saintly Staff just lying around. You may come across a staff but then your magical powers will have to discover a dead saint and some graveyard dust to change the staff into something special.

Starting in the valley, you are reasonably safe. There is a village nearby, though it isn’t a good idea to trust all the villagers. You commence your quest by finding the entrance to the mines under the Black Mountain. The game runs in real time — ten minutes playing time equals one hour, so time is an important element. Some spells can only be done at special times or at a certain phase of the moon. This could mean waiting for a month! But don’t worry, you can ‘fall asleep’ and bang goes eight hours. But watch out — nasty things can happen while you are sleeping!

Once you get into the mines in part two you will need all your knowledge and weapons from part one to combat more than forty monsters and supernatural beings as you force a path towards Magra’s castle. It’s a decidedly disquieting experience.

Scoring is continuous throughout the game and you must watch many things. Your physical strength must not fall too much and you must sleep every 48 hours. Physical strength and faith get boosted when some magical spell goes successfully, and the reverse is also true. Wounds, naturally, can mount up in the various battles. And not least, your gold pieces need careful guarding as you never know when someone might want a bribe!

If you have got this far it will have meant making many references to the 200 pages of magical information contained in the accompanying book. As the adventure takes a long while to play you will probably be saving the game at an appropriate moment and disappearing up to bed with the book to plan the next day’s campaign, hone up your magical spells and generally swat up on the Third Continent. Only when all this has become second nature are you ready for the third and final stage. You have made it through the mines and at last Magra has you just where she wants you — on her own territory, in the castle.

She will pop up anywhere, any time, setting traps and being thoroughly unpleasant. If she fights you must defend yourself. She is all-powerful in her own domain, so you are going to need every ounce of protection and knowledge to win the final conflict.

But all the surprises are not over yet! Only by the powers of alcohol did I prise from Roy and Stuart the wicked twist of fate awaiting you. It’s new, it’s devilishly cunning — it’s Evolution. In the final stages the monsters awaiting you are creations of pure computer science. Your Spectrum takes control to create unknown perils, things beyond even the wildest dreams of the programmers themselves. Every game will evolve its own climax.

Will you be able to handle The Wrath of Magra? Whatever form it may take — only you will ever know.

THE INVASION HAS BEGUN

LLOYD MANGRAM takes a brief and personal glance over his shoulder at some of the software antics of the past year.

1983 was an astoundingly good year for the ZX Spectrum. We are told that there are now well over half a million units in our homes, and that figure must have taken a leap upwards before your Christmas turkey got carved. Success for the Spectrum has had a lot to do with its price, but a computer is only as good as its software, and the Spectrum has been well served throughout 1983.

The start of a new year is traditionally a time to take stock, so let’s take a brief look back.

Barely established on the market this time last year there were only a handful of companies producing software for Sir Clive’s new colour Spectrum, among them, of course, Sinclair itself. It is quite astonishing to see just now many software producers have appeared during the last ten months to tempt us with games for the Spectrum. Looking through my December 1981 copy of Computer & Video Games (yes, they were going back then) I noted that a company in Liverpool were offering a Star Trek game for the ZX81 — they were called BugByte. Silversoft were in the same issue with another ZX81 game of, oddly enough, Star Trek. I also spotted a small ad in the classified section for Volcanic Dungeon (make cheques payable to R Carnell), but of the big names with whom we have recently become so familiar, there was no sign, and the mag was filled with details of Atari, Intelevision and arcade news.

By April 82 Silversoft are indulging in much bigger ads with more ZX81 games available, and other names have appeared. The end of the month will see the third ZX Microfair in London and the new companies are taking advantage, dk’tronics, Kayde, a new outfit calling themselves Micro Gen Quality Products, Bug-Byte have double page ads, C-Tech has a full page, and a lorry profile bearing the letters RTIC announces the arrival of Artic on the scene. Other names in the issue which have since become familiar are Abacus, (for the Acorn Atom though), Macronics, Hewson Consultants, Addictive Games with a programme called Football Manager (which goes to show how long a game can last!) and last but most interestingly, a small ad from a company claiming to have the ‘finest machine code fast moving graphics arcade games available’ — Quicksilva.

A year later and it’s April 83. The Spectrum is well on its way to becoming the top selling personal computer and the amazing software revolution is just beginning. Opening my April issue of C&VG I first notice a blasting full page ad for Hobbit and Penetrator from Melbourne House, two games that have steadily remained in the top selling charts for all year. A spokesperson for Melbourne told me at the Personal Computer World Show that they were hoping the Hobbit would die off soon, but it shows no sign of doing so. (I’m sure they’re pleased really).

A quick flip through the issue reveals a few names who at the time were not doing any Spectrum games, like Anirog and Rabbit, but Softek has appeared and Bug-Byte are now in full glowing colour advertising Spectres, dk’tronics already have 3D Tanx out and the bully from Ritimba is Dictator, Romik have a full page, New Generation, R&R and Micromania are visible, M C Lothlorien is wargaming, Martech is buzzing, and an exciting new company has splashed out on no less than five colour pages to inform us that THE INVASION HAS BEGUN! At the time they coined the phrase Imagine probably had little idea of just how right they were. So much seems to have happened between then and now that you could be forgiven for thinking that April was really years ago.

Standing in the crowded aisles of the PCW show at the Barbican in September I had to marvel at the progress Spectrum software had made, at the quantity and the quality of the games available. It is difficult to pick out highlights from the year, and inevitably unfair on those who get left out, but at the risk of being shouted down I’ll have a go.

Certainly the early high spot was the success of Hobbit and Penetrator. Hobbit was described by one critic at the time as ‘a game by which future games will be judged’, and it sets the scene for so many Go-West-Young-Man adventures which were to follow shortly. Penetrator is still reckoned by many to be the finest Scramble game of the lot although comparing its graphics to present day standards, it looks pretty primitive. At the time, however, I remember thinking that if you could do this at home then the arcades must be dead.

Both these programs stood out at the time against the flurry of activity that took place in the invading galaxian asteroid belt. Almost every one of the newly emerging companies has had a go at these favourite arcade games, many programs being uprated versions of earlier ZX81 games. Imagine’s Arcadia comes instantly to mind as one of the better galaxian style games, Quicksilva’s Space Intruders is also worth a mention, Softek’s Firebirds was one of the better Phoenix types, and I always had a sneaky liking for Mikrogen’s quaint Space Zombies with its colourful trainload of aliens buzzing erratically around the sky. No one seems to have done all too well with asteroidal games however (though they probably sold like hot rocks). All the versions suffer from poor graphics, uninteresting colours and miscalculated attack speeds. Of the type my vote goes to Abacus with Sentinel, a game with enough complexity to make it exciting to play and watch.

Despite this concentration on the obvious, Spring resulted in a number of original games which indicated a serious attitude to the abilities of the Spectrum. Quicksilva’s Timegate by John Hollis gave a new lease of life to the Star Trek theme and introduced us to the highly realistic moving star backgrounds. From the same company Ian Andrew’s Mined-Out deserves a special mention for its nailbiting qualities and the fact that it gave Quicksilva’s copywriters the opportunity to come up with the most ludicrously obscure blurb ever written, for a game. (Something they’ve hardly looked back on either). At the same time Imagine were busy introducing us to Schizoids which relieved us of the responsibility of zapping aliens and allowed us to bulldoze them to death instead. The game was well received by critics, but I found it unplayable. They were to make up for that shortly by bringing out Molar Maul and Ah Diddums, certainly two among the most original games to emerge this year.

Leaving the asteroid belt behind and returning to earth — well almost — Psion’s Flight Simulation proved that computer games didn’t have to be all zap and Hewson’s Nightflite provided a creditable alternative for 16K users as well. Of course, as spring turned to summer you could have turned the nose of your aircraft round to buzz the Empire State Building, where another favourite was turning his back on the Vics, Orics and Beebs of this world to haunt Spectrum owners. Kong games may have been a rave in the arcades but some early Spectrum versions turned out less than wonderful. Blaby’s Killer Kong and Ocean’s Kong were among the best, but the Blaby version has the most exciting sound. Away from the heady heights of New York, Slippery Sid from Silversoft and Bozy Boa from CDS were slithering around an English Country Garden eating frogs and snails and avoiding toads and flowers, whilst their nastier cousins, the centipedes, were attacking mankind in alarming quantities. Just about everyone had a supermegasprectripede on the rampage, and I don’t think we’ve seen the last of them yet. Among the better versions were Rabbit’s recent Centropods and Silversoft’s much older Cyber Rats (okay, so a rat ain’t a centipede, but what’s a few hundred legs between friends?). Softek, C-Tech, Hewson, dk’tronics, Ocean, Macronics, CDS, R&R and Protek to name a few, all released centipedal monsters upon us during the year.

Such a host of creepie-crawlies doubtless explains why the frog population also increased drastically. My favourite was DJL’s version, Froggy, with its cute graphics and abominably smug frogs (those that didn’t get smudged, that is). Oddest frogger of the year award goes to Virgin Games for their disappointing Yomp, which swapped Paras for hoppers and then mined-them-out once they were across the road.

Leaping neatly from frogspawn to dots, the dreaded pacmania showed little signs of dying out during the year. I must say that I find it difficult to distinguish between the numerous versions, all of which have the usual features and work pretty much as well as another. Perhaps the silliest was Lasersound’s Egg Farm with its easily outwitted hens. If clearing the screen is the object of ghost-gobbling games, covering it with colour is the aim of painters. There were quite a few of those suddenly sprang up mid-year, somewhat more variable in quality than their pacman cousins. CDS promised a 3D Painter that turned out very one-dimensional, Romik gave us the most complicated and interesting with Colour Clash. A&F came out with the most classic, simply called Painter, but my best for all round goes to Blaby and their High Rise Harry. Quicksilva/Salamander’s Traxx, just released, is also an interesting and frustrating variation on the theme.

Of the host of maze and maze-oriented games it is hard to pick out any for special mention. I liked Maze Death Race by PSS, Sunshine Book’s Androids, Abersoft’s Wizard’s Warriors, and for its delightful graphics combined with hyper-panic quality, New Generation’s Escape. The monsters in this last could easily have been designed by Walt Disney himself. Most frustrating in the worst sense was ETX by Abbex, though nice to hear him talking.

On the adventure scene, I have to confess that I tend to lose patience with the interminable waiting for responses so I’m inclined to prefer programs that are good in this respect. One which wasn’t so quick but still won me over was Mikrogen’s Mad Martha, almost a verbal maze game and perhaps the most original of the lot this year. I have heard some players complaining about the arcade inserts which prevent you from getting on with the game proper, so they may not have liked Rushton’s quirky Spectrum Safari with its university-educated wildlife and greedy natives, but I did. Apart from the Hobbit, I liked Derek Brewster’s Velnor’s Lair, now marketed by Quicksilva, because of its sense of humour. Quicksilva can also boast the fastest response times yet in Smuggler’s Cove, but the game suffers from being ridiculously hard to get through.

Arcaventures made an appearance too. Quicksilva’s Xadom and Phipps Associate’s Black Planet deserve a mention, but Crystal’s Halls Of The Things was one of the most difficult, and their do-it-yourself adventure game Dungeon Master proved too daunting for me though I’m sure it’s triff really.

On a more strategical note we saw CCS with Dallas and Corn Cropper games with perhaps a little too much of the random to really imitate life. Dictator from dk’tronics did well, and of course the ubiquitous Richard Shepherd gave us Transylvanian Tower, Everest Ascent and now Devils of the Deep and Invincible Island. I’m afraid I found Superspy a little tediously mysterious. Lothlorien’s wargames came on strongly after a weak start with rather paltry updates of ZX81 games, but the later Johnny Reb and Redweed certainly gave value for money.

Coping with airliners that had grown tired of flying seemed popular too. Following on from Psion’s Flight Simulation, the Scottish company Protek gave us Airliner, where we landed a BAC 1-11 at Edinburgh — at least that was the idea, but perhaps my talents were more intended for the ground, so I followed Hewson’s advice and gave up flying for Heathrow, Air Traffic Control, an amazing program that packed everything in to 16K. Protek too, abandon the air in their newest venture, as you take to your periscope in Hunter Killer, a submarine game which could well be the first ever two-handed Spectrum game on the market.

Sports simulation programs have proliferated and even been rewarding. Addictive’s long-lived Football Manager with its edited ‘game highlights’ end strategy overtones is a definite winner. Watson has updated his Star Soccer, CRL gave us Test Match and Derby Day, but probably the oddest game was Championship Darts from Shadow, actually an effective little program, but darts is one of those games that needs the effort of the throw to work. Sitting at home behind your Spectrum keyboard doesn’t seem right. It’s funny how companies producing software all seem to get the same idea at the same time, and CDS is challenging BugByte’s market leadership with Pool, while a brand new company called Abrasco also brought out a version in time for the PCW show. In fact I think all three are better than the pub/arcade versions, but the baize could do with mowing as the balls stop so suddenly.

Beyond the obvious, we’ve been presented with some very original games, but no company has made such an auspicious start as Ultimate who put the Zouch into Ashby and Zest into the Spectrum with Jetpac, Pssst, Cookie and Tranz Am, four excellent and playable games that astonished everyone by how much they managed to pack into 16K. Ultimate are set for the battle to be the best, but their work is cut out. The latter part of the year has seen all the old favourites reasserting their position. Bug-Byte, well ahead at the beginning of the year, slipped and failed to bring out many Spectrum games, something which they have definitely put right with the incredible Manic Miner. Imagine have maintained their lead, and proved to be among the most original games’ producers. Design and packaging delays turned Zzoom into the most awaited game of the year.

We’ve seen Spectrum Games turn into Ocean and Quest into Fantasy. J K Greye makes a comeback from the long distant past and Kayde vanished without trace despite all the colour ads. Rabbit and Anirog have seen potential in the Spectrum and turned out half a dozen games in the past two months; Romik’s ‘honesty’s the best policy’ seems to have kept them well ahead too, and Psion/Sinclair are in a strong position. We saw the biggest ever launch hype with Virgin Games who limped onto the market in the summer with some of the worst games ever; and 3D has been the most misused word in the business although Artic’s 3D Combat Zone was wonderful and watch out for Quicksilva’s Ant Attack.

At this year’s PCW show it was gratifying to see how games software has asserted itself in what has traditionally been a business show and how much of it was for the Spectrum. At the start of the year probably only 15 companies catered for the Spectrum, today there are well over 80. Whichever of them does well next year, we can be pretty sure that Spectrum owners are going to benefit by having some of the best games software around.

CRASH, BANG, WALLOP

It’s difficult to know what to say in the first editorial of a new magazine. Apart from the usual formalities like ‘Hi!’ and, ‘Hope you enjoy it,’ there are tons of other things to say, but I’ll keep it fairly short!

Perhaps the first item is the magazine’s name. As editor of CRASH I’ve been surprised by how few people in the software industry have pointed out that it is a strange name, or that in computer terminology a crash is not a particularly Good Thing. In fact not a single person has said it yet so perhaps I should keep quiet, but the name arrived, like most titles, in a flash and simply seemed right. I like to think it symbolises more the power and strength of the computer game than anything else. As a magazine title CRASH is short, sharp and to the point, and anyway it makes it the only computer magazine without the word computer stuck somewhere in it, and that must be worth some points!

REVIEWERS AND REVIEWING

‘It is always important to realise that reviews are only personal preferences,’ Ian Sinclair of IJK told a reporter from Home Computing Weekly last summer. His statement reflects the fears most software houses feel regarding games reviews.

The spokesman for another very well known software house told me at the PCW show recently that he had ‘heaved’ when he saw the details sent him by CRASH and went on to explain that his company’s games have ‘honest covers’. It transpired that he disapproved of trying to con people with exciting artwork that has little to do with the quality of graphics contained in the programs available, and our intention of having plenty of exciting artwork in the magazine was basically dishonest. But what seemed uppermost in his mind was the fear that reviewers didn’t understand his games or play them well enough to be able to review them fairly. He told me he wouldn’t be releasing review copies of new games until he could write the reviews himself.

These two opinions are nothing new, of course. The battle between reviewer and reviewed has been going on since the beginning of time. But they do underline two points which we at CRASH feel strongly about. Firstly: hardly anyone except a real first-timer on the Spectrum expects the game to look exactly like the art on the inlay. Whilst I have nothing at all against the ‘honest cover’ approach, I fail to see why covers should not be as exciting as possible. We’re all used to LP and book covers being zappy and interesting. Why shouldn’t computer games cassettes look as good? Probably one fair argument against would be that books and LPs can be read in the shop or heard on the radio, so you have a pretty good idea of what it is you’re buying; whereas shop assistants aren’t going to waste their time loading several cassettes for you to see, so you are very reliant on the description of the game and the artwork.

Which brings us to the second point; Reviews are all the more vital for the games software buyer because of the above.

Are reviewers unfair? Are they biased and incompetent? Would it be better for the programmers to write their own reviews? Well the latter is obviously not on. Artists are awful liars, and never so bad as when talking about their own work. Whatever the software houses may feel and say about reviews, they want them as much as the public want them. There is an obvious conflict — the player wants to be told whether the game’s worth buying and the producer wants the player to be told that it is worth buying. Happily the conflict isn’t always irreconcilable!

What this underlines is that from either side responsibility is placed on the reviewer to be honest, but he or she is only human, so the resulting review is bound to be a personal preference — how can it be otherwise? In fact that is the reviewer’s strength — he is likely to say what he thinks no matter how much pressure he’s under from the advertiser. Pleasing the software producer is not a reviewer’s task. Besides, if you listen to software people they’ll all tell you that such-and-such a game got terrible and unfair reviews yet it sold fantastically, thus proving what they already knew; reviewers don’t know what they’re talking about.

At CRASH we have tried to bear all this in mind. Our responsibility seems heightened because our major concern is reviewing games. That is why all the major reviews and criticisms are undertaken by at least three reviewers. In this way we hope a fair balance will be maintained, that the resulting review will even out personal preferences. And the reviews are done by games players, not professional reviewers in the usual sense. So if we say a game isn’t liked, it isn’t just because the reviewer was tired and bad-tempered because the cat just peed on the carpet or the wife walked out last night. And if a game is liked, it isn’t because the manufacturer told us it was good.

Anyway, in the long run the readers of CRASH — yes that’s you — will be the final critic. You can write and tell us what you think, or you can use the CRASH HOTLINE and vote on those games that don’t seem to get the chart placings they deserve, and if you’re really keen, you can always have a go at the Reviewers’ Competition in this issue.

ROGER KEAN

ZXMAS MICROFAIR

The 3 and 4 December saw London’s Ally Pally packed with eager crowds for the ninth ZX Microfair with 130 companies taking part. Notable absentees were Imagine, Bug-Byte and Virgin, but among the biggies Quicksilva, DK Tronics, Artic, Mikrogen, Carnell, CCS, CDS and Silversoft all had stands. Vortex created great interest with Android 2, shown for the first time, as did Fantasy with their follow up to The Pyramid. Pole Position fans were treated to Speed Duel from DK Tronics, Grand Prix Driver, from Britannia, Road Racer from Thorn EMI and tantalised by the non-existent Chequered Flag from Psion. But the most popular draw was Micromega’s Deathchase.

Lots of Manic Miner fans were in search of the follow up Jet Set Willy from Software Projects, and as many wanted a glimpse of Imagine’s Stonkers which hadn’t been released in time. Mikrogen and Artic had a dramatic presence with numerous new games, and at Gilsoft’s stand The Quill had many adherents; a new product written with The Quill made its first appearance — Dennis Through The Drinking Glasses by Applications, a story about the Prime Minister’s husband.

Difficult and attractive Wheelie was visible next to The Train Game at Microsphere’s stand, and at Phipps Associates armchair sportsmen could go orienteering with The Forest. One of the bigger stirs was caused by Digital Integration with their superb jet fighter simulation game, Fighter Pilot. More about that in the next issue. Abbex were showing their new Krakatoa and Carnell let us glimpse the screen of The Wrath of Magra, due out soon. Automata held a noisy lucky dip where games were to be had for a pound apiece, and on the Crash Micro stand newcomers Starzone Software showed their Zaxxan, the much awaited Spectrum version of the famous arcade original.

Due to the lack of space it’s impossible to cover even a fraction of the software on show at the ZX Microfair but you’ll be able to catch up with it in the next issue of CRASH. The tenth ZX Microfair is at the same venue on the 4 February.

TREKKIES AWAY!

R & R Software, the people who brought us one of the earliest Spectrum Star Trek versions and one of the best creepies in Spectipede, are busily going where few ZX men have gone before — namely South Africa and New Zealand! In these far off places the Spectrum is still in its infancy but selling well Bob Brenchley of R&R tells me. He’s hoping the success of the Spectrum will keep Japanese and American imports at bay, but to help he is ensuring British software for the computer is readily available to back up hardware sales.

One angle is supporting software sales in CRASH magazine which Bob has chosen to export to South Africa. With the magazine, it is hoped, both dealers and computer owners will be able to see what’s happening here in Britain and what the games are all about.

Another Trekkster on the move is Derek Brewster of Neptune Computing. His Star Trek has proved very popular although its never been strongly advertised. Now an improved new version is available from Mikrogen, who are marketing it for Derek. In fact this version has gone through six stages — the one out previously was number four.

‘It’s vastly improved upon the older one,’ Derek told me, ‘in fact the program is quite unrecognisable. There are more graphics and it works in real time.’

Graphically, the screen has been tidied up with all the relevant status reports shown in clearly defined coloured boxes beside the view screen. The Short Range Scan is also more detailed with clear shapes for the Enterprise, Klingon ships and bases. But the biggest change is noticeable during the battles. Instead of having to sit helplessly while the enemy fire away at your position, you can now type in commands via interrupt and the computer processes them as soon as it can. This obviously speeds up the thinking process required and makes it even more a game two or three people can enjoy at the same time. At the time of writing, I am unsure when this version will be available, but look out for a full review in the next issue.

Meanwhile Derek has also been doing programs for Micromega — I’m told Haunted Hedges is selling very well — and I’ve just seen the new one, Starclash which will be out by now. Again we’ll be reviewing it more fully in the next issue, for now I’ll just say it’s a shoot ’em up which looks deceptively easy! And then there’s Invasion 2000 — this one so new I haven’t been able to see anything yet. Derek tells me it’s a working title and Micromega may well alter it to something else before it appears.

ATARIAN BATTLE FLEET TAKES OFF

In Imagine’s Arcadia, the Atarian Battle Fleet look unstoppable. Turning their attention to the Spectrum and other computers, games giant Atari International are releasing some of their famous games like Pac Man, Miss Pac Man, Defender, Galaxians and Centipede over the next few months. The first out is Pac Man for the Spectrum. The idea is to make the games as close to the arcade originals as possible. Pac Man will be 16K and uses just over 9K of program. There isn’t an ounce of BASIC in it, not even a loader program — they get it to run by manipulating the machine stack. To squeeze it all in they are using some odd areas of memory address, the hi-score, for instance, is in MEMBOX. The result is a version with all the original tunes and animation between screens. Miss Pac Man, following soon after is even more detailed and requires 48K. Unlike Pac Man which uses moving characters Miss Pac Man is done with interrupt-based sprites and moving pixel graphics to give it a look very like you would see on a much bigger arcade machine. There are all the original animation stories between screens too.

The question remains as to how popular these games will be. Undoubtedly they will be of extremely high quality, but will their ‘official version’ status make them big sellers? After all, there are already numerous versions for the Spectrum on the market, and at much lower prices than the £14.99 Atari are charging. Paying a little extra for ‘artistic input’, as Eric Salaman UK Marketing Manager for Atari calls it, might be acceptable, but almost three times as much...?

JOE THE LION

Joe the Lion is the unlikely but likeable name of a new software company based in Hyde, Cheshire. In fact the new outfit has older connections, as it is a member of the PASE Group whose Pasesoft has been marketing Paseman since the early summer. Mr Holt from Joe the Lion told me that they hope to become market leaders in 1984 and are not sparing any expense in the production of their games and added, formidably, that they are nothing to do with Pasesoft, but that the two companies will be operating independently of each other, side by side.

The first three games are Challenger for the BBC, Loki for the 48K Oric and Bimbo for the 16K/48K Spectrum. I haven’t seen Bimbo yet and we’ll be reviewing it in the next issue no doubt, but the description says that: armed only with a carrot-detecting radar and a handful of apples to distract his pursuants, Bimbo Rabbit must seek out and eat all the carrots in a large maze of which only a small section is visible. The price is £5.45.

MANIC MILLIONAIRE

Software Projects Ltd of Liverpool (whose Push Off we review in this issue) is a new software house, but the members of the company are by no means new to games software. Alan and Soo Maton left leading software house Bug-Byte to form Software Projects together with Matthew Smith. Matthew is undoubtedly best known for writing one of 1983’s best games, Manic Miner. Although still too young to legally become a shareholder in the company, Matthew will be receiving his shares on his eighteenth birthday, this February.

Software Projects is already hard at work on some new games for the New Year. Matthew Smith is currently writing an eagerly awaited sequel to Manic Miner entitled Jet Set Willy. The game, says Alan Maton, continues where Manic Miner left off, only now Willy is a millionaire from his sub-Surbiton mining exploits. The action takes place at parties being thrown in Willy’s new mansion (thrown being the operative word no doubt!)

Another full time member of staff is sixteen-year old Chris Cannon, author of Bug-Byte’s adventure The Castle. Chris will be looking after the technical side of things.

ODYSSEY 1 WINS THROUGH

Matthew Uffindel, one of our reviewers, will be pleased to know how good his judgement is. Having spent hours playing Perfection Software’s Odyssey 1, he spent the next few hours raving about it. Now he’s been backed up by the judges of the Cardiff Computech 83 Competition. Perfection’s young programmer, Timothy Williams, won first prize in the games section of the competition. Organised by the Polytechnic of Wales and the Western Mail newspaper, the competition was open to schools and colleges throughout Wales.

Timothy’s boss (and father) Brian Williams, told me they were delighted by the judges decision, and that he was sure all along that the 100% machine code Odyssey 1 would win. The first prize was presented by the Secretary of State for Wales, Nicholas Edwards — it was a BBC Model B Micro. I hope that does not mean we won’t be seeing any more games for the Spectrum from Perfection!

BATTLE WINNER

On to a more serious note: C.C.S. have announced the winner of the 1983 Cambridge Award, a programming competition for the Spectrum and ZX81, which they run in conjunction with Sinclair User.

The winner was Mark Lucas with BATTLE 1917, described as a highly original strategic war game written for the Spectrum 48K for 2 players. The game is based on the campaign of the First World War and requires players to exercise all the skills and tenacity of the Generals during that dreadful conflict. We shall be reviewing the game in the next issue.

Mark was presented with his prize of £1,000 and the Cambridge Award Trophy on Saturday 3rd December at the 9th ZX Microfair at Alexandra Palace.

INTELLIGENT ADVENTURE

Dr Tim Langdell of Softek tells me that they are in the midst of putting in a development system for programming games this year. It’s cost a lot of money, especially as it is being custom built for them, but Dr Langdell believes that games players will no longer put up with the kind of programs which have flooded the market throughout last year. He told me that they get many youngsters approaching them with very good ideas for games but with only a rudimentary knowledge of writing well in machine code.

Very soon we should be seeing Softek’s first ever adventure games. Dr Langdell’s speciality is artificial intelligence, and he is planning that Softek’s first excursion into adventures will make the Hobbit look out of date — at last. Keep your eyes peeled for more news adventure freaks!

SWEARING JETMAN

Have you heard Lunar Jetman talk yet? If you have then you must already own a Micro Speech unit from Currah Computers. Knowing how hard Jetman is to play, one might suppose that all he does is swear to himself with every new hole in the ground but in fact it’s the aliens who do all the muttering!

Seventeen games are already available (at the time of going to press) that will talk if you have a Micro Speech unit including Atic Atac, Lunar Jetman, The Birds and the Bees from Bug-Byte, Blastermind from Martech, Mined-Out from Quicksilva and parts 1-4 of the Digital Fantasia Mysterious Adventures. I am told that 32 software houses to date are now planning immediate releases of games which talk, so the Micro Speech unit looks like being good value at £29.95. On top of the games you can use Micro Speech to add sound to your own programs and all the volume is pumped out through your television set for added impact. Some existing sound on program systems tend to slow down the game because the computer has to process more information, but Micro Speech is interrupt operated which means it hardly interferes with the playing speed at all.

Look out for a detailed review of Micro Speech in a future issue soon, when we’ll be putting it through its verbal paces.

Commander Locke, Chairman of the Ludlow Computer Club.

SUPER DRAW WINNERS

Seven thousand eager visitors to the 9th ZX Micro Fair at Alexandra Palace last August received sticky black fingers from the CRASH Micro Games Action brochure! It was hot inside the pavilion and some of the printers ink came off the paper. For those who took part in the CRASH SUPER DRAW, and thousands did, you may be interested to know who the winners were. The draw took place, as promised, on September 20th. and was made by the Chairman of Ludlow Computer Club, Commander Locke.

The lucky winner, who received £100 worth of games software, was Daniel Rigal of London E2. The four runners up were D Bedford of Langley, Slough; G Devonport of Barkway, Herts; Paul Holloway of Hayes, Middx; and PJ Morse of Welwyn Garden City, Herts. The runners up each received £10 worth of games software.

3D BADDIES & NIGHTFLYING

Imagine you’re a tank commander bathing to defend a city from attack by Seiddab aliens and you have some idea of what it’s like to play 3D Seiddab Attack, the latest arcade game from Hewson Consultants for the 16/48K Spectrum. The Seiddab (Baddies backwards!) were the aliens in 3D Space Wars, and now you must fight them again, controlling your tank in the city streets while alien airborne craft swoop and attack. If you can seek out the Seiddab ‘Task Force Leader’ before your tank armour is destroyed by enemy fire, the game moves to the next level in a countryside setting.

Increasing levels of difficulty make 3D Seiddab Attack challenging and the effective 3D graphics make many other games seem dull by comparison. Other features are 2-player scoring, hi-score, radar scanner and a warning display when tank missiles number less than 10.

On show at the December ZX Microfair was Hewson’s Nightflite II, an enhanced version of the successful flight simulator Nightflite. Nightflite II is written entirely in machine code, so despite all the added features it runs on either a 16 or 48K Spectrum. Among the exciting new features are a shifting perspective which shows the correct view of runway lights and surrounding hamlets from whichever direction the airfield is approached. There is also a realistic engine sound which varies with engine speed making the simulation a close approximation to real flight experience.

All this is possible because the author of Nightflite II Mike Male, is a keen aircraft pilot and air traffic controller by profession. Consequently the game is based on real experience.

The program includes a flight debrief after every flight and which may be printed out complete with Mike Male’s signature, as a permanent record of the flight. Other features include: seven modes of operation, including two antipilot modes and a training mode; six levels of difficulty; variable flap controls; and realistic cockpit instruments.

3D Seiddab Attack is priced £5.95 and Nightflite II is £7.95, both games are available from all good software retailers or direct from Hewson Consultants.

CHRIS PASSEY & LLOYD MANGRAM revisit some old favourites in this, the first of our Game Type comparisons

Software houses seem hellbent on providing us with numerous versions of arcade copies. In August this year, Ian Sinclair of IJK (a software company who do games for the Oric and Beeb) said, ‘There seems to be a difference of opinion between the public and reviewers’ opinions of programmes.

‘The public loves arcade copies, while reviewers hate them, and original games have the opposite effect. I would like to see more comparative reviews with all the Space Invaders, for example, compared and the good and bad points of each shown.’

Since he said that, there has been plenty of evidence to suggest that original games do go down just as well with the public as old favourites and arcade copies; Imagine, Ultimate and Quicksilva have all proved it. However, there is a wealth of games on the same theme available for the Spectrum, so every month we will take a close look at a particular type and compare the various versions. Unfortunately there isn’t sufficient space to compare every single version in each case (pac man games are legion), but we have done our best to find a wide mixture. This month we take a look at Invaders and Galaxians.

SPACE INTRUDERS

There was general agreement from our two players that the Space Invader game, whilst good for its time, was pretty much out of date today, so that should be borne in mind when comparing it to some of the more original phoenix and galaxian games. However, Quicksilva’s Space Intruders was summarised as being a, ‘reasonable copy of the original arcade game.’

This is a close copy of the original. The aliens are a bit small but do include a wobbly mutant worth extra points, as well as the customary space ship across the top of the screen. Although this is a fast version, the shelters at the bottom of the screen disappear in blocks rather than the original’s erosion.
CP

I was a bit disappointed with it, never having played this particular version before. The aliens were disappointing although there are four types as in the original, Invader games suffer from comparison anyway because they are older and there is much better software around.
LM

SPACE RAIDERS

A close copy of the original. Slightly better graphics than Space Intruders; for instance, the shelters erode away when hit, and the aliens are better drawn. On the other hand this is slower than the Quicksilva version, so it loses its interest pretty soon.
CP

Another Invader copy which has dated badly. The graphics were more interesting than in Space Intruders, but generally far too slow to be much fun for long despite the machine code.
LM

GALACTIC TROOPER

The graphics are fairly attractive but I think the arcade qualities of the game are low. You have three speeds of play but at each speed, of course, the relationship of the elements remains the same, and I found that skill didn’t enter into it. Avoiding the bombs is too much a matter of luck as the space allowed to dodge them is small and the relative rates of movement doesn’t seem right. I think the game suffers from being dated now.
CP

Despite the use of the word Galactic in the title, this is more of an Invader type, but pretty simple at that. Romik manage to pack a lot of graphics onto the screen, a mothership sliding left/right across the top, 10 vertical bomb racks with 5 aliens per rack, and the occasional saucer floating around which is easy to hit. Hitting aliens is simple because they sit in a stacked row. Shooting the falling bombs is pointless because there isn’t enough room left. Sideways ship movement and rate of fire compared to the bombs is too slow. Generally fun to play, if not exactly arcade excitement level.
LM

GALAKZIONS

I suppose it’s a reasonable copy but where is the fuel and the mothership? The graphics are simple but quite fast and there is a choice of three speeds. Rate of fire is too fast, making it easy to exterminate the swooping hordes. You can use a Mikrogen II joystick if you’ve got one. I didn’t think it was worth the price asked.
CP

I remember this one coming out and thinking it wasn’t bad at the time, although it doesn’t have the arcade original’s details. The graphics are reasonably smooth but I thought the aliens looked more like Invaders than anything else. Another drawback is that by remaining stationary you can still get a respectable score! One or two player games.
LM

GALAXIANS

A much better Galaxian copy with the aliens using the original formations ie leader swoops down flanked by two generals making him harder to hit. Again, no fuel, no mothership. This was much more challenging than Mikrogen’s version especially on level 6, and is obviously better value at a pound less. One or two players and the game is Kempston compatible.
CP

This is much better all round, bigger and better looking aliens, and explosions in hi-res graphics. It’s also got far more playing speeds — nine in all.
LM

WINGED AVENGER

It’s got eggs, birds and eventually the mothership, but with the exception of the birds flapping their wings the graphics are boring. It is a reasonable copy but by today’s standards rather poor. The laser shield is almost too effective. There are several game/speed variations to experiment with, but on the whole uninspiring.
CP

The speed of this phoenix version always takes my breath away, but I learned sometime back that it’s actually easier to get better scores by playing the higher speeds. In the slower speeds you try to be accurate (never a good idea!) but faster you seem to get a better rhythm going. Sadly the graphics are small and dull and the overall impression is disappointing.
LM

FIREBIRDS

This starts off with you having to shoot a flock of ballet-dancing red birds. If you’re successful they return with the blue weavers, which fire lasers straight down at you. Blast this bunch and they all come back with the white bombers, moving vertically down the screen. Finally the huge mothership is taken on but watch out for the suicidal guards! Graphics are smooth, excellent sound and great fun to play. Demo mode when not in use.
CP

Firebirds is instantly appealing visually, with its cinema curtain opening and closing, and the brightly coloured and animated aliens. Good sound too. I particularly like the victory dance the firebirds do when you lose a life. Not easy to get to the mothership and frustrating when you’re within an inch and on your last life. A good, fast game.
LM

THE DETECTIVE

‘Chuck, they know what yer doing and they’re out to get ya!’ She means the Mob, and they’re after the secrets of the safe — so are you. From the cover you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a 1940s Chicago adventure, but actually it’s an arcade game, where you run back and forth shooting at various things such as ‘lips’, things on legs firing lasers, little men, arrows, bomb-dropping helicopters, aircraft etc. Eventually you enter ‘dagger alley’ where men throw daggers at you. At level 25 you get a chance to open the safe. Additional hazards include indestructible falling tyres and a canine point-thief. Keyboard layout is quite good but I thought the man moves slowly. Also I think I spotted a bug in the scoring which sometimes gave me F lives and SSS points.
CP

Despite its name and scenario, this is definitely a galaxian variant, and a rich one too. Dodging the tyres which gather in rows and fall on you gets to be difficult when at the same time you’re avoiding the other objects and the little dog that pops up now and again and steals points from you. Fortunately it’s a wrap around screen, otherwise it would all be impossible! Arcade seem to design games that look easy at first, but being so long tend to wear you down until you start making mistakes. I liked the way that towards the end of each screen the aliens get less and so it all speeds up enormously. Good spread of joystick options. Perhaps it’s only fair to point out that with 48K in play it has an obvious advantage over the other games in this bunch.
LM

ARCADIA

‘Dual Plasma Disruptors and Ion Thrust Drive’ is how Imagine describe the good ship Arcadia. They aren’t far wrong. This highly manoeuvrable ship has enough fire power to send the average aliens packing. Alas these are not average aliens (Atarian Battle Fleet with Imagine’s usual touch of humour). Twelve attack waves, each wave for a set period of time, each more suicidal than the last. It’s highly addictive, with superb graphics (fantastic coloured explosions) and the sound is good too. Definitely up to arcade standards.
CP

Although graphically this is more simple looking than The Detective, it has to be considered as one of the shoot ’em up classics. They’ve given you a certain area of up/down movement as well as left/right. Each wave of aliens gets lower and lower, zooming in from the right each time. Keyboard positions are sensible, but you can use a Kempston joystick with the utility Softlink II, and Fuller joystick. If you enjoy the sort of games we’re discussing here, then I think this is going to be considered as one of the most addictive.
LM

INVADERS/GALAXIANS COMPARISON TABLE

The points shown in columns A, B, C are percentages and represent the average between the two reviewers. Use of Spectrum includes graphics quality, sound quality and ease of keyboard control. The games are not listed in order of preference.

A — Use of Spectrum
B — Addictive Qualities
C — Value for money
D — Memory required
E — Recommended Retail Price (in £)

TABLE

A

B

C

D

E

SPACE INTRUDERS

45

40

40

16

4.95

SPACE RAIDERS

50

35

40

16

4.95

GALACTIC TROOPER

50

40

45

16

5.95

GALAKZIONS

45

40

30

16

5.95

GALAXIANS

55

50

55

16

4.95

WINGED AVENGER

50

35

40

16

4.95

FIREBIRDS

85

75

80

16

5.95

THE DETECTIVE

80

75

85

48

5.50

ARCADIA

90

90

90

16

5.50

LIVING GUIDE
TO SPECTRUM SOFTWARE

CRASH GAME OF THE MONTH

Welcome to the CRASH Living Guide! In the next few pages you will find an amazing amount of games software reviewed in brief, and every month the section will be getting bigger as the current month’s new games are added to it. We’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible in the time allowed, but anything we’ve missed out, you tell us about it and we’ll include it in the following issue.

Each month we shall be taking a few of the older games and looking at them in more detail. The one on this page will be our Game of the Month. To get here, it’s going to have to be good! This month the accolade goes to Jungle Trouble! by Durell/Martech, our reviewer is Matthew Uffindell.

Jungle Trouble is one of those games where you are told in advance everything that will happen to you, how to go about certain tasks, and where you can see all of the sections on one screen. To get away with that the game must be good — and it is!

At the beginning you are asked what playing speed you want. 1 being fast and 4 being slow (well, slower anyway). When you see the screen set up you may think it all looks easy (like I did). Just wait till the game starts! Three monkeys scamper on from the left and settle down on the right, at the bottom. Then three men come on after them and stand around at the left. A nice touch is that one realises he’s in the wrong place and goes back, to reappear within the frame of the playing area. All this is very nicely animated. A clock below the man starts and the game is under way.

Firstly you must use the stepping stones to jump across a river. As you back up to the left of the screen for your run up you collect an axe, which is signified at the base of screen. A jaw-snapping crocodile lives in the river, so falling in means instant death. For jumping the river, judgement and timing are critical — a slight slip of the finger and the all important jump timing is lost. You fall head over heels in to the water and into the croc’s jaws. But if you’re quick you can run back to the bank. Falling in loses the axe! Get another.

Once across the river you climb ladders to the second level where you are faced with four trees which must be chopped down with your axe. It takes several blows before the tree shakes and you step sharply out of the way to avoid being crushed by the falling tree. It’s also at this point that the bored monkeys come into their own. If you watch you’ll see one get up and disappear off the screen to reappear on your level. He’ll steal your axe, although if it’s still sharp enough you can kill him with it. If it’s very blunt he may kill you. Once stolen it means going back for another. Over the river, jump, jump, jump!

After clearing away all the trees and using several axes to do it, another set of ladders takes you to the third level. Here you must jump up at the right moment to catch hold of a swaying rope and swing across a fiery pit. Getting to the other side safely triggers a chasm to open up, which has to be jumped. Then you’re home — I haven’t managed that yet!

Throughout, the graphics are fantastic and there’s good use of colour and sound. Nice details like the monkey that scratches his head if no one’s on the second stage. Generally a very addictive and worthwhile game.

The monkeys are itching for a go. One tree down, three to go...

3-DEEP SPACE

Producer: Postern Ltd
Author: Mike Singleton

3D has often been misnamed in computer games, sometimes only meaning a shape has a shadowed edge to it, but Postern’s space game actually employs stereoscopic vision to create a real sense of depth. To play the game you must wear the bicoloured spectacles provided with each cassette.

The object of the game is very simple: you command a ship which travels vertically on the extreme left of the screen and you must blast the alien space craft which travel towards it from right to left. There are various types of alien and you score points accordingly.

The novel control key is the ‘zoom’ one. This sends you deep into the screen, or brings you back out. The aliens are all travelling at differing depths across the screen, front or back, and your laser only has any effect if you are at the identical depth to the alien. Similarly they only hit you if you are at the same depth as they are.

CRITICISM

‘It takes ages to fiddle with the tv colour, and then it does not quite work. The excellent cassette box and instructions have a lot of detail describing how to set up the tv (only colour ones work with this game) but the 3D images fail to work properly. The graphics are reasonable and the movement of the enemy drones is very smooth, but the game itself is unexciting and grossly overpriced.’

‘The cassette box is impressive, the insrtuctions detailed, but I couldn’t get the 3D effect to work at all. The separation of the stereo image seems too extreme. They tell you it works between 4 and 8 feet, but if doesn’t. If you stand really far back it just begins to happen — but then you’re too far from the computer and screen to be able to play. A good idea if it works, but too much effort went into the gimmick and not enough into the game, which is quite boring.’

‘You can play this game without the spectacles by estimating the depth of the advancing space ships by the degree of left/right image separation. Playing this way saves the headache! I’m sure the packaging and the spectacles must make it expensive to produce, but for what the game is, it’s over the top moneywise.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: difficult to control with 6 keys
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: red, blue and yellow
Graphics: simple and smooth, 3D if it works
Sound: average
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 1
General Rating: Poor.

Use of Computer

45%

Graphics

55%

Playability

40%

Getting Started

40%

Addictive Qualities

45%

Value For Money

40%

Overall

44%

ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE

Producer: Temptation Software Ltd
Author: Simon R. Mansfield

Admiral Graf Spee is a sea battle simulation set in the early days of the Second World War. The Graf Spee, of course, was the German pocket battleship which became famous when the British cornered her in Montevedeo after the Battle of the River Plate. The action of the game takes place before this, when she roved the Atlantic, sinking shipping almost at will.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

You are presented with a map showing land on either side and sea in the middle.

The map shows your position (the Graf Spee), and the position of enemy shipping. It does not tell you whether these blips are armed or unarmed ships. To the right of the map you are given a display indicating your speed, fuel in tons, heading, amount of shells and torpedoes left, and your present position.

You can now plot your course to the nearest enemy by the compass rose set into the map by using keys 1-8 (1 being NW, 2 being N and so on round to 8 being W). The map then shows your movement at the 18 knots present. Once in the vicinity of your enemy you press Search, whereupon the map screen changes to a view of the sea, and the display also indicates the target’s distance in yards. You must now hunt around, following the enemy ship’s position until she hoves into view.

Command inputs are done by a finicky menu: fire torpedoes, fire guns, turn ship, decrease speed, increase speed. Successfully bringing the enemy into view results in his smoke appearing over the horizon, followed by the stacks superstructure and finally the hull. As soon as you are within range you may fire either guns or use torpedoes.

If the enemy turns out to be armed, he will begin firing as soon as you are within his range. You can see the gun flashes on the screen followed by the water splashes for near misses.

The whole screen flashes if you take a hit, and the percentage of damage done is shown at the base of the screen.

Depending on the level of play chosen, there are more or less heavily armed ships to fight against.

GENERAL

It seems a pity this program couldn’t have been written in machine code, which might have resulted in more sophisticated graphics and a better response speed.

There was some disagreement between our reviewers, one of whom thought the graphics were poor, another considered them to be fine.

The water splashes are very blocky, as are the ship silhouettes. But the two most serious problems with the program are ones of playing.

Firstly, no warship ever comes to a halt unless it is absolutely forced by circumstances. Yet in Graf Spee you must bring the ship to a standstill in order to successfully fire at and hit an enemy. When we started playing, the first two enemy ships seemed to keep darting about like gadflies, and we were unable to keep them in sight for the time it took to input the new direction. Slowing down seemed to make life slightly easier, but only stopping forward movement altogether made it possible to keep the ship in sight long enough to go through the lengthy menu to fire the guns.

The second quibble is that if the enemy ships begin firing, there is nothing you can do until he breaks off for a moment. You must be ready to punch the menu input required, and then the particular commands required, which mean slowing down, turning the ship, selecting guns or torps and firing. In between each gap the enemy may start firing again and you must sit there and be hammered until another break occurs.

CRITICISM

‘The keyboard play was quite slow to respond, and when the game speeds up in an attack, there are many keys to use.’

‘Not unlike a naval Star Trek game, so anyone who likes those will probably find this enjoyable. Given the limitations of memory and the basic program, the graphics are reasonably imaginative and effective.’

‘There are some good tunes in this game, and the whole would be better if good graphics were used and perhaps some machine code. But it’s quite playable.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: Complex, but good instructions
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: slowish
Use of colour: average
Graphics: good
Sound: good
Skill levels: seven
Lives: you can sustain up to 99% damage — then it’s kaput!
General Rating: Reasonably good of its type.

Use of Computer

45%

Graphics

50%

Playability

55%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

50%

Value For Money

60%

Overall

54%

SOFT SOLID 3D ANT ATTACK

Producer: Quicksilva
Memory required: 48K
Retail price: £6.95
Language: machine code
Author: Sandy White

Sandy White is a quiet Scot and a sculptor by trade. His understanding of three dimensional construction is evident in his game, Ant Attack. Unveiled at the Quicksilva press show, it raised admiring oohs and ahs from the gathering. According to the press release, Quicksilva was so impressed by the stunning quality of the graphics, that they flew Sandy down from Scotland and signed a contract within 24 hours. A patent has been applied for to protect his 3D soft solid routines.

Quite simply, Ant Attack contains the most breathtaking 3D graphics yet seen on the Spectrum; as one of our reviewers pointed out, very similar to Zaxxon graphics, and quite as good as you can see in an arcade.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

The idea of the game is to enter the Walled City of Antescher (which has rested for a thousand years in the midst of the Great Desert inhabited only by the deadly ants who have made it their home), and rescue your girlfriend. Actually, it’s a non-sexist program which asks you whether you are a boy or a girl — the cute graphics distinguish between the two and make the main figure a hero or heroine according to taste.

Playing television studios with 3D Ant Attack — three views of the same scene.

Hero & heroine trapped in Ant Attack shock horror!

You can walk or run round the massive city which exists in a space many times greater than the playing area. You can also jump up and down and climb the walls or stairs. All this activity is necessary to avoid the giant ants which will attack within moments of your entering. Two weapons are provided; 20 grenades which may be thrown varying distances by pressing keys S-D-F or G and which will either stun or kill an ant depending on your accuracy, and the other weapon is your feet. Jumping up and down furiously on an ant will leave it paralysed and out of the running. Up to five ants attack at one time, but others will appear to replace the inactive ones. You can stand being bitten quite a bit, but too many bites will eventually result in loss of life!

GENERAL

The graphics are really stunning. The soft solid bit refers to the 3D effect achieved, not only with the buildings, which are all made up of blocks, hundreds upon hundreds of them, but also with the two humans and the ants. If your characters disappear behind a building you can press any of four keys (O/P/ENTER/SPACE) which will give you a view of the same location from another compass point. The effect is very like a scene in a TV studio where you can look at the action from four differently placed cameras. The cutting from view to view occurs instantaneously and without a flicker.

The excellence of the 3D is also seen when your characters are surrounded by ants. The individual elements of the picture all merge in a most realistic manner, so much so that it’s hard to tell who is who at times, and this adds to the difficulty of the game.

CRITICISM

‘The animation of the figures must be the best yet seen on the Spectrum.’

‘The most serious drawback to enjoying the game is the handful of control keys required. Four keys for the different view angles, four keys to throw grenades, two keys to rotate left and right, another for forward movement and another for jumping. It makes twelve in all. They are quite difficult to manipulate.’

‘It’s an extremely good game with plenty of action, but a little difficult to control at first.’

‘I found it totally confusing at first with all those keys and no joystick that could possibly help, but it’s so wonderful to look at that you’re bound to persevere.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: highly complicated to master, though reasonably logical in placing. Perhaps a North/South/East/West system might have been easier
Joystick option: none possible
Keyboard play: very positive
Use of colour: varied opinions, but averaged out as good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: good
Skill levels: none
Lives: can be bitten 20 times
General rating: very highly recommended

Use of computer

60%

Graphics

100%

Playability

95%

Getting started

80%

Addictive qualities

80%

Value for money

95%

Overall

85%

ARMAGEDDON

Producer: Silversoft Ltd
Author: C. Knight

Armageddon is a copy of the arcade favourite ‘Missile Command’, where you launch missiles from a limited supply to defend your cities. There are several versions of this game already around for the Spectrum, one indeed called by the same name from Ocean.

This version has all the familiar features of the arcade game. The six cities are protected by three missile bases. Naturally the bases must be defended most ardently otherwise there’s nothing left to protect the cities. In addition to the incoming missile traces, there are low flying aircraft and satellites which launch independent projectiles of their own. Some missiles are heat sensitive and will hover over an exploding missile until it is safe to descend further. Each attack wave grows in intensity until it is almost impossible to survive.

CRITICISM

‘This is a pretty close copy, with the major drawback being that four way movement keys to track the missiles is no substitute for the arcade original’s tracker ball control.’

‘Hard to determine the value of a game which already been so much copied. The use of colour and the graphics are good, everything moves at a fast pace and it’s difficult to master, but in the end it doesn’t have lasting appeal for me.’

‘The various options for firing are useful, but you’re probably better off with the joystick for targeting. A fast version with neat graphics.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible
Joystick options: Kempston (via 2-part load, watch out!)
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: average, nice explosions
Sound: average, nice frying noise for explosions
Skill levels: increases with each screen
Lives: 6 (cities)
General Rating: a good copy of the original with mixed feelings about the addictive qualities.

Use of Computer

60%

Graphics

72%

Playability

75%

Getting Started

63%

Addictive Qualities

65%

Value For Money

75%

Overall

68%

BARRELDROP

Producer: Games Machine Ltd
Author: Russell Vincent

Barreldrop takes its name from what might be called the chorus line of this game. The two heroes are Gordon and Flash but there’s no Ming in this epic! Gordon has blocked drainpipes, five of them in fact, and he’s discovered a rather novel way of clearing them. He stands on the roof with five barrels, rolls them down the incline and tries to get them to fall down the blocked pipes. How on earth this is supposed to clear them, goodness knows!

However, it seems to do the trick. Unfortunately if he doesn’t get the barrel exactly down the centre of a pipe it gets lost. Successful rolls are returned to him for another go. This is where Flash comes in. He’s a dog who appears round the corner — sometimes. If he’s visible and Gordon misplaces a barrel Flash will rescue it and return it up the ladder to him. Successfully clearing a screen results in another event, sometimes a riddle sometimes an arcade episode like getting Gordon safely across a floor in which some of the tiles are electrified.

If you manage this, it’s back to the chorus line again and more barrels to roll, more drains to be cleared.

CRITICISM

‘I thought Barreldrop was a bit simple and boring — that was before a glass of Smirnov. The inlay only tells you that there’s a surprise in store it you get five drains cleared. I was presented with a riddle which asked: What is a fourth defining measurement, an entity which never dies, but sees the end of all things? After a glass of Smirnov I realised I knew the answer (I was right too) and the next lot of drains seemed harder to clear (not just the drink!) because it’s quite easy to mistime it, and damned Flash seems to appear less and less often. In fact Barreldrop is not simple and has enough bits and pieces to prevent boredom from setting in at all.’

‘It’s quite an original idea, a sort of games compendium in which nothing is exactly difficult, but there’s so much of it you’ll never get through. Having cleared the first screen I was asked to shoot down ten aliens with five lives in a sort of galaxian game. Neat graphics throughout. I cleared another barreldrop screen and had to walk Gordon over an electrified floor — he fried. I died. Only one life seems a little unfair. Fun though.’

‘Good graphics, plentiful sound, loads of action. It should be a winner. I must say that I enjoyed it, but the fact that there isn’t a concentrated effort on one subject may spoil the fun for the hardened arcade addict. Nevertheless, good value, fun, and a wide age group appeal.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: vary between sections, but generally sensible
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: very good, all colours used
Graphics: detailed, reasonably smooth
Sound: good
Screens: many
Lives: 1
General Rating: good value, perhaps low on addictivity

Use of Computer

65%

Graphics

65%

Playability

70%

Getting Started

68%

Addictive Qualities

54%

Value For Money

68%

Overall

65%

BEDLAM

Producer: AWA Software
Author: Steve Hughes

Named, presumably, after a favourite hot drink, the planet Bovryll is an asylum in which you are trapped. Wave after wave of loathsome creatures will attack you, each more vicious than the last. Fortunately someone has had the foresight to provide you with a twin firing photon bolt.

The game gets off to a promising start with an exquisitely animated figure dancing on the titles while the computer waits for you to select a level. Once this has been done the planet Bovryll materialises on the screen.

Well, it is an asylum of course, which would explain why it resembles a dense but open plan maze. You’re at the bottom. One critic has said that he didn’t recognise ‘himself’ but recognition comes as soon as you fire your twin photon bolt.

You may zip about the maze if you like. All the loathsome creatures do, and they are beautifully animated. But eventually they start to file down to the left hand bottom corner (if you stay down there) and sadly follow the same route through the maze to be shot.

However, as they get shot, the next one speeds up and you have to be very fast to survive. As the game proceeds creatures described as ‘saucerous guards’ attack. They nip about very quickly and fire at you. Shooting ten of these earns an extra life.

GENERAL

The packaging is unpretentious and the presentation of the on screen instructions is very good.

Control keys are O/Z = up/down, I/P = left/right. Fire is 0 and K allows user-defined keys, which means this could be set up easily for Kempston, AGF or Protek interfaces.

CRITICISM

‘The ability to redefine the control keys is a powerful facility. In any event, the keyboard control is very responsive. Graphics are detailed and the sound effects are good.’

‘The animation of the creatures is fantastic, about the best ever. The game is fun to play and very fast. It seems a pity, though, that the creatures are so easily waylaid by waiting at some corner in the right position and shooting them like cowboys coming out of a burning building. Still, I found it enjoyable to play, but perhaps not entirely as addictive as I first thought. ’

‘A very playable game with smooth graphics, and it can get very, very fast in play, and highly addictive.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: good as set but redefinable
Joystick options: none offered.
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: muted, but relies on gem-like sprites
Graphics: detailed and excellent
Sound: good
Skill levels: three
Lives: five
General Rating: mixed feelings on addictivity, but generally regarded as good value for money.

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

75%

Playability

85%

Getting Started

75%

Addictive Qualities

75%

Value For Money

80%

Overall

78%

BLOCKADE RUNNER

Producer: Thorn Emi Video Ltd
Author: Graham Johns

Okay, fasten your seat harness — it’s a deep space zappowham game again! Just when you thought they’d run out of reasonably original ideas for shoot em up games, along comes Blockade Runner!

You’re in this ship which is trying to get supplies through an alien blockade of Earth, and there are five layers of defence to be got through. First comes a dense meteor shower which can be dodged or shot. Next comes a series of vertical laser barriers which cannot be shot and you must avoid contact with them. They are followed by tractor-beam units which push or pull you off course. And then finally there is the fleet of alien ships which will try to blast you away. If you manage to survive all this you must then transfer your cargo pods to an Earth ship. There are only three chances to do this right, or it’s back to the start without losing a life.

GENERAL

One complaint from our reviewers which seemed common to some of the games from Thorn EMI was the choice of control keys for non-joystick players. Of course it isn’t their fault that keys 6, 7, 8, 9 and zero have been employed, since this is the daft non-standard Sinclair chose for their Interface 2. Sinclair are hoping to bully every other software house into using it too, or changing their existing software to match it. The cursor keys are already a poor game arrangement, and to move one key along the board is no better. We all felt a more ergonomic arrangement like Q, A, O, P or Z, X, K, M is much better. It seems a pity Thorn EMI haven’t chosen to provide an alternative or user-defined keyboard layout.

CRITICISM

‘For shoot em up addicts this is going to be popular. There is a fair range of obstacles to overcome and plenty of speed levels to play at. On the first screen of meteors it frightened the life out of me at how fast the ship manoeuvres. When you get to the second screen and see the laser barriers you realise why it has to be so fast. Good, simple graphics and smooth movement.’

‘The graphics are quite small except for your ship which looks like a film camera, but they are pretty smooth in movement and the explosions are good. I like the fact that if you lose a life in, say, the second or third screen you aren’t sent right back to start but pick up on the same screen. The speeds are about right, with the highest level being a blur. Medium addictive, I would say.’

‘There is sound on this game, I noticed that the others from Thorn seemed a bit lacking in that department. The graphics are nice especially the dancing star background, but I found it didn’t have lasting appeal overall.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: awkward, 6/7 left/right. 8/9 up/down and zero to fire.
Joystick options: Kempston, Sinclair
Keyboard play: very fast and responsive
Use of colour: average
Graphics: reasonable and smooth
Sound: average
Skill levels: 6
Lives: 5
Screens: 6
General Rating: fairly good, mixed opinions on addictivity.

Use of Computer

55%

Graphics

58%

Playability

67%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

50%

Value For Money

65%

Overall

62.5%

BONKERS

Producer: Procom Software
Author: David Jones, Ray Owen

Bonkers has a cheerful inlay card and an even more cheerful title page, cheerfully disguising the fact that this game is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There is an element of the jumping platform game to it — in this case it’s all downhill.

You’re told that a group of earthlings have been trapped in the upper regions of an alien space station. They must reach five airlocks at the bottom to escape, but the horrible aliens are holding a creepy creatures convention (CCC for short) and they all join in to make life difficult. The CCC cast list includes Double gangers, a Pac-droid, Squidge-droid, Stomper, Baby-droid, deadly space ship (in a space station?) and two other mystery guests.

Your trapped earthlings all appear at the top of the screen in the scoring area, each one coming down via the side of the screen when the previous one has been done in. There are five platform levels, the lowest containing the five airlocks. The corridor is defined by dark blue, the thick floor by pale blue. In each floor vertical shafts move left to right and vice versa. Your man doesn’t fall through the shafts, but must attempt to leap down through them. When he reaches the bottom he can jump down into a free airlock.

One serious problem is that the CCC moves not only along the corridors but also through the thickness of the floors — you can get caught in the lift!

CRITICISM

‘Bonkers is an immediately engaging game to play because all the characters are animated. Your trapped men stand at the top, waiting their turn and literally shaking in their boots, if you make an earthling run along a corridor and stop, he automatically turns round after a second and faces you, waiting for the next command. It’s also good to have as many control options as are provided, two keyboard positions and two joysticks, although I didn’t think the combination of E, S, D & X was all that sensible.’

‘Excellent game presentation and instructions get you well started. The game sounds easy when you read them — well, I’ll tell you it isn’t! At screen one there is one alien trying to get you, but for every screen you clear one more alien joins in, so by screen 10 there are ten creepies after you. All I can say is that Procom have got a winner — very active, very enjoyable, playable and excellent value. Bonkers shows that a simple idea may be better than a complicated one.’

‘I always liked Imagine’s Jumping Jack, a wonderfully maddening game, and Bonkers is very similar in feeling. The animation is much more evident in Bonkers though. The idea is simple and relies on the piling up of odds against you the better — or luckier you are. They’ve also avoided the dreadful Death March music and contented themselves with an angel flapping up away from your dead earthling until it vanishes off the top of the screen. This is a really good arcade game.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: cursor keys or E,S,D,X
Joystick options: Kempston, Fuller and via the cursors, AGF and Protek
Keyboard play: highly responsive and very fast movement
Use of colour: average
Graphics: very good
Sound: good
Skill levels: increasing difficulty by the screen
Lives: 5
Screens: over 10
General Rating: Very good.

Use of Computer

75%

Graphics

74%

Playability

77%

Getting Started

75%

Addictive Qualities

84%

Value For Money

80%

Overall

77.5%

BOWLS

Producer: Lotus-Soft
Author: I.W.S. (Derek Jones)

If you’re fed up of zapping harmless aliens, escaping from claustrophobic car parks or roaring round race tracks, why not retire to the peace and quiet of an English bowling green? This sport simulation program offers two players the services of the computer as mediator rather than player.

The rules for playing are exactly as in the real game except it’s the computer that ‘throws’ the jack. For those who never watch Crown Green Bowling on telly, a jack is the black ball which is first thrown by one player before the two players catch it up by throwing their playing bowls to get as close to the jack as possible. The cursor keys 5 and 8 are used to move a base of screen pointer in the direction you want your bowl to go. The strength of throw is determined by the weight of bowl, a heavier ball going further than a light one. The computer then does the rest. You may cut to a diagrammatic close up which shows in magnified form how close to the jack the bowl has come to rest. Each player has four throws, and the program allows for setting the number of games.

CRITICISM

‘This was only a review copy I saw, so I’ve no idea what the actual packaging will be like, but the instructions presented on screen were brilliant. The use of colour couldn’t have been better — green! And the simple graphics were okay. There are some good tunes and it’s generally a good simulation of the game, but it gets boring after a bit.’

‘Nice screen after a short load with the instructions in the program. The keyboard positions are well laid out and the graphics are reasonable although limited because of the BASIC. The green appears to be ‘crown’ (ie raised at the centre) because the bowls tend to curve out and move back in on the jack. The game is not bad at all and at £4.50 it’s one of the cheapest games on the market. But with excellent games available at about a pound more I would probably save my money. However it does make a nice change from saving the universe.’

‘I would have to say that while this is a very good game and a good simulation. it tends to suffer with the usual inactivity of armchair sports which divests the game of much of its excitement. However I would recommend it to anyone who happens to be interested in these types of game.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible, 5/8 left/right and B for bowl
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: straightforward
Graphics: reasonable
Sound: average to poor
General Rating: fair unless you enjoy quiet sport simulations.

Use of Computer

63%

Graphics

58%

Playability

54%

Getting Started

72%

Addictive Qualities

45%

Value For Money

50%

Overall

57%

BRAIN DAMAGE

Producer: Silversoft Ltd
Author: Ian Morrison, David J. Anderson

We’re deep inside the computer again, but the first flush of youth seems to have vanished. ‘I was just hanging around, on standby as it were, logic levels at an all time low, my printed circuit bored — my keys depressed....’ it says on the inlay!

So, welcome aboard, but this bored computer still has the edge over a mere arcade player. You’re in control of a tank inside the varized maze of the circuit boards (or is that boreds) and hot on your tail are a variety of electronic creatures such as the Electron Panzer — not very bright but fast, the Marauder and the Centurion, smarter still, and the Rogue Program. The object, quite simply, is to hit one of them to get to a new level. It’s a measure of how fast the game is that even with only one hit to concentrate on, it’s not easy! You can only fire one blast at a time but the laser ricochets, which can be useful. A complex array of control key options allows you to move up, down, left and right, rotate the gun turret and fire.

CRITICISM

‘The great trick with this game is to fire and run. Standing still can sometimes mean a successful shot reaches the target just behind the target’s successful shot at you! Rogue Programs can’t be hit, so just avoid them like the plague. Not only does everything move fast in this game, the screens change at an amazing pace if you’re quick at getting in a successful shot. Quite addictive.’

‘Good packaging, and an excellent title page for Silversoft with the twinkle on the S. The graphics are large and quite well drawn. Overall, well up to Silversoft’s usual standard but not quite as addictive as I would have expected.’

‘Certainly a good maze chase type of game and very fast. Controlling is quite difficult — even using a joystick there are three keys to press. The ricocheting bullets are superb.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: 3 different keyboard options
Joystick options: Kempston, Protek or AGF
Keyboard play: responsive. rotation very fast
Use of colour: average
Graphics: good
Sound: continuous and good
Skill levels: 3
Lives: 3
Screens: multiple
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

75%

Graphics

70%

Playability

70%

Getting Started

62%

Addictive Qualities

70%

Value For Money

68%

Overall

69%

HOP, SKIP & JUMP

The Game Lords take a leap for the TOP

On the press day for September’s Personal Computer World Show at the Barbican in London, Quicksilva who style themselves The Game Lords, stole a march by holding a press show for their latest batch of games, aimed firmly at the Christmas market. We were treated to a champagne breakfast which included eggs, bacon, sausage and croissants besides a glass of champagne or Bucks Fizz (the drink, not the group). Champagne so early in the morning is obviously designed to go to the head and leave the reviewer with a warm glow towards his hosts. In Quicksilva’s case and after such charming hospitality, it’s pleasing to be able to say that among the five games on offer for the Spectrum, two are in the top class, and may well be among the top sellers this year, and one, Games Designer is certainly a new departure in games software. But we predict great things for Bugaboo (The Flea) and Soft Solid 3D Ant Attack.

BUGABOO (THE FLEA)

Producer: Quicksilva
Memory required: 48K
Retail price: £6.95
Language: machine code
Author: Paco & Paco (Indescomp)

The first unusual thing about this game is that it isn’t a British program. Authors Paco & Paco are Spanish and Quicksilva are hoping for more games from them in the future. That shouldn’t be any problem as far as popularity goes — Bugaboo the Flea is going to be a big hit. Not only is it beautifully drawn and animated, but the colours on the screen are as burningly bright as has ever been seen on the Spectrum.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

Quicksilva, as usual, provide you with a charming and utterly irrelevant story on the inlay, but all the controls are indicated once the program runs. You are a Bugaboo, a harmless flea of this parish, only you’re a long way from home. The Walt Disney-like film intro shows Bugaboo, jumping here and there over a highly coloured alien terrain and for all I know, humming the ‘Busy Bee’ song to himself, when all of a sudden he jumps down this narrow fissure in the ground, and down, and down, and down. It’s all quite breathtaking. Eventually he reaches the bottom of the gorge and the game begins in earnest.

The most enchanting, frustrating and colourful game of last year — BUGABOO (THE FLEA).

You must now get Bugaboo out of the gorge and back to the surface. One reviewer says in his notes that you score points according to the time it takes you to do this, but I found the game much too engaging to be bothered about a small thing like points!

The control keys are simplicity itself; 1 = hop left, 0 = hop right. At the bottom of the screen is a bar indicating strength of hop. When you depress the desired direction key, Bugaboo turns in that direction. Then you release the key when the indicator is at the desired strength and Bugaboo leaps away. This could all be very easy, but the line of light, which flashes up the strength of indicator, does so very fast and it’s extremely difficult to judge exactly the correct moment. The second you release the jump key it freezes the indicator to show you how wrong you were...

Another difficulty is the design of the alien gorge, which is a series of overhanging ledges, covered in mushrooms and foliage. Unless the flea lands safely on a higher ledge, he just keeps falling until he reaches the floor again. A further hazard is a yellow flying dragon which has a liking for fleas. At first this appalling monster leaves you alone, but after a few minutes he enters and gobbles you up. End of life. But you can start again immediately, whereupon he reappears, each time sooner than the last, so you’ve got less and less time to get to the top. Aborting the game offers the option of starting afresh, in which case the yellow meanie stays away for longer.

GENERAL

As the playing area is considerably greater than the screen you can scroll left/right or up/down by using the cursor keys in addition to hopping left to right. The scrolling is very smooth. The design and animation of Bugaboo is absolutely excellent, and so is that of the background. It is quite easy to forget that you are actually watching a picture generated by your Spectrum.

CRITICISM

‘I think that together with Ant Attack, Quicksilva have come up with the two best games of 1983, and as far as arcade games for the Spectrum go, they could well be the best of 1984 too.’

‘The keys are well positioned and easy to use. The use of colour is very good, and the sound is some of the best I’ve heard recently.’

‘Bugaboo is a high quality arcade standard game, and it’s highly addictive too. This game will definitely be a top seller!’

‘The colourful graphics are an easy match for Manic Miner. It’s a delight to play and mind-blowingly frustrating.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: easy to use
Joystick option: none provided, scrolling could be by AGF or Protek
Keyboard play: positive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: very good
Skill levels: none
Lives: 1
General rating: Very highly recommended.

Use of computer

90%

Graphics

95%

Playability

90%

Getting started

95%

Addictive qualities

90%

Value for money

85%

Overall

92%

THE BYTE

Producer: CCS
Author: Ofer Ben-Ami, Shelly Ben-Ami

Byte is a text adventure. The object is to enter a three dimensional maze to find the ten computer circuits needed to build a computer. The inlay card specifies the ten circuits to be found, and they may be lying about or hidden in boxes or caches. As well as the electronic bits and pieces there are also monsters sent to get you by the great computer BYTE.

These can be dispatched either with bribery or by fighting them mentally or physically. Mental battles take the form of a spelling or maths test. If you choose a physical combat, this is shown graphically, for instance, a bow and arrow which you must position to aim at the monster. If you miss the monster has a go.

Before entering this maze of words, you must select a skill level. There are seven with level one having only 27 rooms and level seven having as many as 125. You must also decide just what computer you are going to build ranging up from a Jupiter Ace (they’ll have to update that one!) to an IBM PC. The ZX Spectrum comes in at number three, by the way.

CRITICISM

‘The instructions are rather complicated to follow at first what with the computer you want to build, and a complicated set up called TRAITS. But once into the adventure it is fairly conventional. Instead of the more common scrolling up of text and input commands this game presents you with a description and a ‘press any key’ cursor, it then tells you what you can see in the room, your traits (strengths) and an enter command in the centre of the screen. Simple abbreviations may be entered which saves all that typing in.’

‘For what is largely a text adventure, this has some very colourful lettering, but the constant use of reverse flashing gets a bit tiring on the eyes after a while. The game itself is a standard type adventure, but on meeting monsters you do seem to have a fair chance of survival. I suspect that the technical terminology of this game may put off a lot of people although a technical knowledge of computers is hardly essential. A reasonable adventure generally with plenty of skill levels.’

‘I think the story is novel, unfortunately the processing of commands seems unnecessarily long-winded, and after a while it becomes irritating. Good use of colour though.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard play: reasonably responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: clear, neatly drawn when not text
Sound: average
Skill levels: 7
General Rating: Average.

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

62%

Playability

53%

Getting Started

50%

Addictive Qualities

52%

Value For Money

58%

Overall

57.5%

CORRIDORS OF GENON

Producer: New Generation Software
Author: Malcolm E. Evans

This is a rather clever form of maze game in which you hear your chaser more than you see him or it. The hero of the piece is yourself, of course, and your adversary is a madly cloning Bogul. You find yourself in the corridors of Genon, a complex of concentric circles with the evil computer of Genon at its centre. Each circular corridor has many doors which open or shut by sliding down from the roof, and the corridors themselves are linked at intervals by similar sliding doors.

The object of the game is to thread your way through the complex, find the computer and then break a secret code which will destroy it. Each of the doors is given a three figure code which, if punched in, will either open or shut the door. As you start some of the doors are open and some shut. Your adversary, Bogul, is strong in ESP and can close the doors ahead of you and open them behind in an effort to catch up with you. He also clones himself as time goes by.

The screen display is in 3D, showing the corridors radiating away from you, a clear green floor, white ceiling and alternating red and yellow corridors gives a very solid impression of a real building. New Generation provide a numeric overlay for the keyboard which is used in the game for code breaking. Above the display and to either side it says ‘Next Door Code 217’ or, as your ESP level drops, more likely, ‘Next Door Code ???’. When Bogul catches up with you the screen flashes and some of your ESP level fades. When it’s right out, you’ve had it.

CRITICISM

‘The most imaginative touch in this game is the sound of Bogul’s footsteps echoing through the corridors as he chases after you. After a while of playing it screws the tension up unbearably, making you slip on the keyboard and fumble the code numbers something terrible! If you happen to be facing in the right direction you actually see the horrid little black thing come stumping up the corridor to get you. The graphics are quite good and it’s a simple idea for a game, but one which works very well. I haven’t got to the computer yet, but there is a practice mode for code breaking.’

‘Very good and effective sound on this game, the footsteps tracking you, doors opening and slamming shut. The practice mode for code breaking is useful, although if you select it and then fail to understand how the system operates, you’re trapped in the mode for ever! I was bit confused even though it works on the Mastermind idea of giving you black dots for right numbers and more black dots for numbers in the right sequence etc. Getting through the corridor doors is more difficult in the end since doors ahead and to the sides all run in numeric sequences. It’s okay when you’re being told what the code is, but as your ESP slips away you have to be pretty good at following complex sequences or very good at code breaking. An unusual game and more exciting than I thought it was going to be when I started playing it.’

‘If you like 3D maze games, then you’ll probably like Genon — it certainly isn’t in the normal run of such games. I found it rather confusing — you do have to have some sort of head for numbers to play it well. The graphics are simply designed and very good and the sound is terrific. I would think it addictive, even though it didn’t really grab me over much.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: Cursor keys for movement and 9 keys used in conjunction with an overlay provided.
Joystick option: Kempston, AGF or Protek
Keyboard play: reasonable
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: effective 3D
Sound: excellent
Skill levels: 3
Lives: depends on falling ESP rate
General Rating: An unusually addictive game for those who don’t mind doing a bit of figuring.

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

70%

Playability

68%

Getting Started

68%

Addictive Qualities

70%

Value For Money

75%

Overall

72%

CYBERTANKS

Producer: Star Dreams

Tank games seem to be very popular with arcade enthusiasts. In Cybertanks you are presented with a complex maze representing buildings and streets. You must move around these with your tank, blasting away at the four enemy tanks. An advantage you have is that your tank can also shoot out the buildings. The enemy are pretty quick at getting you, especially on the start of a new life; you are left in the same situation which just ended the previous life and the damned enemy tank simply blasts away again. This does mean you have to keep on your toes.

The graphics are neatly done, simple one-character size blocks, but there are no exciting explosions to alleviate the muted green/ brown colours. The sound, too, is quite muted although constant.

On completing the first wave the second sheet has mines, represented by small dots, which destroy anything that touches them. This is about the limit of the game’s dangers. and there was a general feeling that after playing several sheets it all becomes rather repetitive.

Movement is by the cursor keys or 4 = up, 0 = down, P = right, O = left, bottom row to the right of V = fire. The program also runs with the Kempston joystick. You could use the AGF or Protek interface for movement.

Putting the fire buttons on the bottom row, makes it a bit awkward to use well.

Packaging and instructions are neat, and the screen title card is marvellous.

CRITICISM

‘This was actually quite a lot of fun to play, but it’s a pity they couldn’t have given it more difficulty levels to keep the interest going.’

‘Despite their simplicity, the graphics are well designed and move smoothly. Fortunately the enemy tanks dart about quite well, which adds some spice to the game.’

‘Another reasonable game, but I think only average.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: Cursor, which can be awkward and a badly placed firing button
Joystick options: Kempston, AGF, Protek
Keyboard play: positive, but a stretch to fire
Use of colour: 1st reviewer liked it, 2nd thought it was average
Graphics: reasonably good
Sound: average
Skill levels: one
Lives: three
General Rating: A reasonable average.

Use of Computer

65%

Graphics

55%

Playability

63%

Getting Started

70%

Addictive Qualities

40%

Value For Money

55%

Overall

58%

NEW GAME OF THE MONTH

3D DEATHCHASE

Producer: Micromega
Memory required: 16K
Retail price: £6.95
Author: Mervyn Estcourt

Here’s a new game which really does deserve the 3D prefix! Considering that it’s packed into 16K, this has to be the best yet road race type game for the Spectrum.

The story line goes: It is 2501, one hundred years after the Great War and the North American continent is ruled by mighty warlords in constant conflict over forest territory. You are one of the elite mercenaries, Riders of the Big Bikes...

And so on...

But who cares about the story line? All our reviewers were stunned by the game and that’s what counts! What you get is a view over the Big Bike’s handlebars, with a pair of black leather clad hands gripping them. Before you is what appears to be a reasonably empty landscape with a couple of small trees in the distance. But as soon as you accelerate the picture changes. The trees suddenly seem to multiply — and they’re big!

Steering your bike between the trees, you chase after two other riders, firing photon bolts at them. A helicopter hovers around, occasionally landing. This too can be shot if you’re good.

And that’s about it. Except for the night patrol...

CRITICISM

‘This is an extremely simple idea for a game, and utterly compelling to play. Once you shoot up two riders the game automatically switches to night patrol. It’s a little harder to see the trees, and if you get through that, sector two day patrol adds a tank as well as the helicopters. The main problem is braking, not that you can’t, just that somehow you forget to in the excitement. Great graphics!’

‘There is a range indicator to let you know how close to the other bikes you are, but I never even noticed it because the 3D effect is so good you can fire by instinct as you would in real life. The graphics of the bolts firing away are very good and so is the explosion when you hit something, so realistic that the bits seem to fly up over your shoulders. Slamming into a tree at full tilt is quite an experience. This game is dangerously addictive to play.’

‘Return of the Jedi has nothing on this. The chase through the trees is breathtaking — quite literally. Fantastic graphics, exceptionally smooth movement, the bike handles really well (you can see the rider’s hands turning the handlebars). Buy it!’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: very good, 1 for left, zero for right, 8/9 brake/accelerate, and any bottom row key to fire
Joystick option: Kempston
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: superb
Sound: very good
Skill levels: each sector gets harder
Lives: 3
General rating: excellent.

Use of computer

90%

Graphics

92%

Playability

95%

Getting started

85%

Addictive qualities

98%

Value for money

92%

Overall

92%

DOOMBUGS

Producer: Work Force
Author: Jim Scarlett

Doom Bugs is an entirely original sort of creepie crawlie game, best left alone if you’re squeamish about these things! It introduces us to Tarant Tula, an engaging blue beetle who is our hero — but he’s an endangered species, trapped in the Grubbers lair. Inside the lair the young Grubbers are left to hatch out (small round egg-like things) and honey is left for them to feed off. When two Gubbers meet, a nasty squirmy green Bubbergrubber results. Should two Bubbergrubbers mate a Red Backed Grubber is produced. These are similar in size to Tarant Tula but touching one is instant death.

In the centre of the lair is a trap door. To get through it Tarant Tula must first eat a mouthful of honey and then ram the door. It takes several attacks to break through to the next level, taking more honey between each attempt. At the same time the other members of the Grubber family are also gobbling at the honey. Tarant Tula must also dash about eating Grubbers and Bubbergrubbers to prevent them from becoming Red Backs. It’s no easy life!

Successfully breaking through the trap door leads poor old Tarant Tula into a maze guarded by three Red Backs. Should he get through there safely it leads into the next lair where the temperature is warmer and the eggs hatch quicker — and so on.

CRITICISM

‘Because of its originality and cute graphics, this is an instantly likeable game to play — and it isn’t easy either! You only have one life, so the frustration of messing up just before getting your highest score is terrible — in anger I kept pressing the start button and having another go.’

‘This is an addictive game to play, no doubt. My only complaint is that Tarant Tula keeps moving once a key has been pressed until you press another direction. Makes him a bit hard to control. especially in the maze, or when under attack from Red Backs, which do home in on him. A game to come back to anyway.’

‘The graphics are quite good and it’s reasonably addictive in playing. Tarant Tula is a bit difficult to control because of the continuous movement. Quite a good game.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible, Q/Z up/down, I/P left/right
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: average
Graphics: good
Sound: average
Skill levels: increasing difficulty by screen
Lives: 1
General Rating: Above average addictivity, good game.

Use of Computer

75%

Graphics

68%

Playability

65%

Getting Started

67%

Addictive Qualities

60%

Value For Money

68%

Overall

67%

EXTERMINATOR

Producer: Silversoft Ltd
Author: Ian Morrison, David J. Anderson

As the Exterminator your task is to rescue life, the universe and everything from no less than seven types of crazed robot in this Berserk type game. Learning the robot types is rather important as they all have different attributes; Block robots aren’t bright but they’re indestructible, standard robots don’t fire anything but home in on you, Brains (looking more like skulls) are intelligent and fire homing missiles, Circles despatch Saucers, and Saucers zip around firing non-homing missiles, Squares despatch Tank Robots which follow you about also firing nonhoming missiles.

After a few moments playing the screen becomes alive with moving robots. Level promotion occurs automatically when you reach sufficient points.

GENERAL

On pressing C before or after any game you can change the keyboard positions. There are two options, the first allows for slightly simpler control by having two rotation keys, W/E, a moving key, L, and P to fire; the second option uses Z/X left/right and K/M up/down with L to fire.

CRITICISM

‘If you enjoy Berserk/ Frenzy type games then this is a good and interesting variant. There’s an element of strategy involved as it becomes very important to shoot up the robots in the right order, most dangerous ones first, dumb ones later.’

‘It seems a pity that Silversoft should have had to make a copy of a game which already has several versions, although this happens to be a fairly good one. It becomes difficult to judge them fairly. I think it’s best to say — good program — too familiar a game to be entirely interesting. I did like the totally different keyboard options, as it does make for two games, since the Exterminator behaves quite differently when he’s rotating and moving from when he’s under the compass point movement.’

‘Very well animated, large graphics, and smoothly moving in this game. 8-directional movement and good fire rate. I found it highly addictive and it certainly has lasting appeal.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: flexible
Joystick options: Kempston, AGF and Protek
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: average
Graphics: very good
Sound: average
Skill levels: 3 speeds
Lives: 3
Screens: multiple
General Rating: Very good.

Use of Computer

90%

Graphics

88%

Playability

75%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

78%

Value For Money

85%

Overall

82.5%

FIREFLASH

Producer: Abacus Programs
Author: Kevin Flynn

Fireflash is a very superior Missile Defence type game and a Games Designer in one! Abacus seems to specialise in games requiring seven or eight digit hands and good co-ordination as well. This is certainly no exception!

You are in command of four missile sites which are protecting your planet from attacking multi-warhead missiles. These, it seems, have managed to get through the Sentinel system due to your ineptness as a space pilot in the former game of the same name! How they imagine you’re going to do better on the ground than you did in space is another matter, but the people at Abacus are obviously kind in their judgement! The four launch pads are connected by underground tunnels which deliver fresh missiles as long as they remain undamaged. At either end of the screen stand two laser towers which only fire horizontally.

The incoming missiles split up into four smaller warheads if they are not quickly destroyed. You can select which launch pad to use and after firing your Fireflash missile, guide it to the enemy missile and detonate it. To add to the problems there is a small red space craft which goes about, just under the umbrella of laser fire, bombing all your installations. Using a guided Fireflash on it is dicey as you’re as likely to blow up your own buildings as the enemy!

If it’s all too fast Abacus have provided a marvellous facility for redesigning features of the game. By pressing key zero (POKE) you are asked for the memory address of the item you wish to alter. These are all listed on the excellent inlay, so there’s no difficulty involved. It’s possible to alter the following: speed of game, speed of reloads, speeds of laser heating (if it overheats through use you must wait for it to cool down), probability of blaster appearing, elapsed time before two bombs used — three bombs used — two blasters used.

In addition to Fireflash on side two of the tape is a game called Destroyer.

CRITICISM

‘At last, a game when there’s action all the time for the 16K Spectrum. Very good colours and smooth graphics. A very fast game. excellent playability, good value and — just brilliant!’

‘Definitely a game requiring skill in timing. Like their Sentinel, the guided missiles are fast and exceptionally responsive — even too much so, as it’s easy to turn one right round and blow up yourself while trying to do three other things at once. Fortunately I was able to slow the speed of the game down with the POKE facility — not that it did much good! The graphics are colourful, neat and very smooth moving. I always thought Sentinel was underrated — I hope this one won’t be.’

‘Fast, fast, fast! Some may think too fast to be good and too busy to cope with. If you’re bored with arcade games to date, try this one, whatever else it does — it won’t bore you! Pity the end of life sequence takes so long after the final planet levelling bomb has gone off. They could have made it quicker so you can have another go.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard layout: complex with six keys in play, but well laid out:
Joystick option: none
Keyboard play: highly responsive
Use of colour: very good
Sound: very good
Skill levels: nine but redefinable with POKE facility

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

75%

Playability

74%

Getting Started

75%

Addictive Qualities

80%

Value For Money

85%

Overall

78%

FIREHAWKS

Producer: Postern Ltd
Author: Dave Hoskins, Clive Davies

Firehawks is literally a Phoenix game but practically speaking it’s an Invader mutation. Your mission is to defend your planet from the deadly firehawks of the title. They come in search of energy and if one lands it turns into a Phoenix and the game ends.

The birds all line up at the top of the screen and you fire up at them with your laser. In the way are Plasma Screens forming barriers. The birds cannot descend until the screens are removed by your shooting, although there is usually a gap or two for them to use, and you can’t get at them until you do shoot some holes in the screen.

CRITICISM

‘The graphics are quite well drawn, but there is little animation. It’s possible to let the game stand still for ages by not shooting at any of the screens. If a bird lands the game ends with an impressive and very large graphic of the firehawk turning into a phoenix. It’s impressive first time round, but as it takes quite a while to do this, it quickly becomes an irritation.’

‘The laser blasts are nice, but the so called plasma screens resemble those decorative breeze blocks used to build walls — it looks a bit old fashioned. Despite the large selection of speeds and skill levels the game remains very average. It isn’t exciting to play and at almost £7 it’s overpriced.’

‘The title promises excitement, but the game simply does not live up to it. When you come down to it, very little happens and speeding very little up just makes a very fast very little. It’s also very expensive for what you get.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible
Joystick option: none
Keyboard play: poor responses and difficult to line up ship
Use of colour: average
Graphics: average, but good laser
Sound: very good
Skill levels:15 plus 15 speeds
Lives: 1
General Rating: Fair.

Use of Computer

50%

Graphics

48%

Playability

55%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

48%

Value For Money

40%

Overall

51%

THE FOREST
Producer: Phipps Associates
Memory required: 48K
Recommended retail price: £9.95
Language: Main in BASIC, movement and data in m/c
Author: Graham T Relf

Is the Forest pointing the way towards better adventures?

Dense fir branches suddenly gave way to an easy ground of mature trees, through which I could easily maintain a brisk pace. I checked my progress, scanning the woods for any telltale signs. Yes, there it was at barely 10 metres distance, a few white rocks hidden under vegetation. I stood in front of the ruins I had set my bearings on for the last 100 metres. Producing the map, compass and protractor I set course for northwest, maintaining the same altitude. This would lead me to the clearing, well clear of the open moor, then down the valley to the edge of the lake, after which it would be child’s play following the waterfront to the large boulder. Then across the woods due east to the edge of the town and the finishing point.

If this reads like a typical orienteering course then it is because Graham Relf has made an astonishingly realistic simulation of the sport on the Spectrum. There’s no need to be in top physical shape — leave that to Olivia Newton John, but it would be wise to know something about the art of map reading and navigating. It is here that you can learn something and yet fully enjoy the game.

THE FOREST, showing some of the symbols used throughout the program.

There is an enormous area of geography enclosed in the game, approximately 37 square kilometres, of which only a small portion has been charted so far. Included on this map is a 12 point course ready for you to tackle in the shortest possible time. All you have to do is visit each control point in the right sequence. The proof of your visit will be printed on your control card, which you carry with you. Each check point has a special code, so cheating’s out.

Each step taken is approximately one metre, as in real life, with a random variation of plus or minus 10 degrees. This means taking ten steps for every millimetre of the supplied 200 x 210mm map! As your bearing drifts while moving, don’t go running for miles without checking it.

The display shows you the terrain six metres in front of you and it varies from thick fir trees, to running wood (mature trees), moors (hard going), open grass, town area or even lake. Special point features such as buildings, boulders, rock outcrops, mine shafts, knolls, depressions etc. will be displayed as a message (with code if it is a checkpoint).

An eye level marker in front tells you whether the ground is rising or falling, so you can easily follow contours on the map this way. As real time is used you can check on elapsed time. It can be taken at a very brisk pace as the graphics are updated in a short instant, and speed, as in real life, is dependent on the terrain. If you are ascending in thick wood, you will be puffing and panting — not too strenuous from your armchair!

The orienteering feature of the game is excellent in itself; but further to that you may use the program to chart the vast areas which surround the printed map on the cover. Calling up the menu at any time you can get exact co-ordinates of your position (but using it in orienteering will affect your final results). Provision is made for drawing out contour and terrain maps of any area you specify, and a routine is provided to detect any point features in a given sector.

One of the facilities offered is the drawing of 3D sections of the landscape.

With these many features you will be able to construct maps similar to the cover map, but be warned — it’s a major task! If all this is not satisfying enough, there is a facility for displaying cross sections of the landscape and, better still, constructing a 3D view with these cross sections of any given area!

The Forest certainly makes a change from the usual arcade or even adventure games. It also points the way to better adventure games. Based on the graphical display of the terrain and the actual technique of movement (in paces in any direction) the games player could be living in a fictitious and weird fantasy world of a 10 square kilometres or so. A vast area to explore.

Given the added thrill of self-propelled adventure characters, living their own lives in this vast area, similar to the Hobbit characters, and visually better point features such as caves, castles, dungeons, forest huts and so on, you could be moving in a total fantasy world. Now if someone were to combine these features with a brilliant plot and with cartoon-like moving characters such as in Valhalla, you could be in Adventure Land...

FRANCO FREY

GALACTIC WARRIORS

Producer: Abacus Programs
Author: Michael Lee

Galactic Warriors follows a familiar scenario; alien hordes threaten the galaxy, your mission is to save the Earth by manning three laser bases (by which they mean you have three lives of course). The aliens will not risk their big cruisers against you, so instead they release a load of attack craft, armed with missiles.

As a game type this could be said to be Centipede as a Space Invader. The mother ship zips across the top of the screen spewing out the little green attack craft in a ragged line. Their major obstacle is all the space debris dotted about at random, asteroids in fact, which replace the centipedal mushroom forest. If an attack craft touches one it changes direction. So the line of aliens zig zag down the screen, their line gradually breaking into individual segments, until they reach the bottom and your laser base. As in centipede games you can shoot away the asteroids. There are two types, magenta ones and red ones.

The magenta require two shots and the red only need one. When you hit an attack craft it turns into a magenta obstacle. Additionally, the alien missiles also destroy the asteroids. Apart from your laser the base is equipped with a force barrier but when this is employed you are not allowed to fire the faster otherwise you blow up. The barrier is effective against contact with an alien.

CRITICISM

‘This is a well presented game with good instructions. In fact it’s an updated Space Invader type. The graphics are good and so is the sound, but the colours could have been brighter.’

‘The “Attract Mode” is well thought out, cycling automatically through the points table, game demo, Hall of Fame and back to the title page. Graphics are one character size but detailed and smoothly moving. Although the laser base only has to move left and right, you are not allowed to fire whilst moving and there isn’t a continuous fire. Lack of continuous fire is no problem but I would have preferred to be able to move and fire at the same time. A good game with loads of playability.’

‘The whole presentation is very effective, everything organised just as if it were on an arcade machine. Good colours, lots of sound and fast moving at all three speeds. The tunes played between each life are long and could get irritating, but they seem to have thought of everything, pressing ENTER stops the tune dead and gets the game moving again.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: good. Q/W left/right, P fire, SYMBOL SHIFT barrier.
Joystick option: none
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: mixed reception, two approved, one didn’t
Graphics: good
Sound: very good
Skill levels: 3
Lives: 3
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

60%

Graphics

65%

Playability

70%

Getting Started

73%

Addictive Qualities

70%

Value For Money

65%

Overall

67%

GANGSTERS!

Producer: Sinclair Programs
Author: P.J. Irwin

As their name suggests, Cases Computer Simulations (CCS) specialise in simulation and strategy games. They had two hits with Dallas and Corn Cropper during 1983, and are now following up with a number of original ideas based around the notion of turning some money into lots of money. Gangsters! is set in the heyday of Al Capone, but the Windy City is now called Spectral City.

After a lively title page of splattered gunshots you are shown a grid of the city with the various joints of four rival gangs marked on it. The gangs, identified by the colours blue, red, magenta and green, each have a selection of Speakeasies, Distilleries, Casinos and Brothels. They also have gangsters in varying numbers, and the gang as a whole has a morale value which dips or rises, as the gang’s fortunes go up and down.

After selecting a skill level (which dictates how much money you will be given at the start), you’re shown the Gang Strengths Summary. This tells you how many joints they own and how much money they have banked. Depending on the level of play chosen, your money appears at the bottom. You may then buy up casinos, distilleries etc., followed by the number of gangsters you want and a personal protection factor to help prevent anyone bumping you off. It’s worth setting this quite high!

Now the game really starts, following the customary pattern of strategy games, where you are offered a stream of unenviable decisions; there’s The Thorny Question of Bribes, which lets you keep the risk of arrest to a minimum, or have a go at shopping a rival gang member; there’s Raid Rivals assets in which you select the gang to be raided and then use the cursor keys on the map to select the gang to be raided and their particular joint, and the number of gangsters you are going to take. The report shows the percentage of damage done and the cost of the repairs to the rival gang. Of course if you do raid someone, they’re as likely to raid back and cost you. You can also opt to murder a gang leader, in which case a menu of five killers and their rate for the job appear (avoid Bugsy Spitoone — he’s expensive and incompetent!) Now and again the law has a go at you by arresting one of the gang.

You can have a go at bribing the Attorney or the Jury if you have the money left. In the end it’s a question of taking over the other gangs by killing off their leaders, or one of them taking you out. Income is earned monthly from your various operations.

CRITICISM

‘Gangsters! makes a nice change from lasering aliens, and it’s the sort of game several people can join in. I had a go at shopping all my rival gang bosses but the trial results were all Innocent! The inlay suggests you should be ruthless — so perhaps it’s no different from zapping aliens after all.’

‘There seems to be more detail in this game than in their previous Dallas. The responses are quite fast too, although I can’t help thinking that some machine code would speed up the city map. Interesting to play.’

‘The Moral Majority are hardly likely to approve of this game what with teaching people how to run brothels and what else! Having said that, it is a pretty good family game, though I can’t see these sort of strategies as very addictive.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard play: slow
Use of colour: good
Graphics: slow to build up but very clear
Sound: useful
Skill levels: 9
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

50%

Graphics

55%

Playability

60%

Getting Started

63%

Addictive Qualities

53%

Value For Money

70%

Overall

58.5%

GOLD RUSH

Producer: Thorn Emi Video Ltd
Author: Martin Harris

Gold Rush does not take place in California as you might expect but on the far off planet of Oron. The gold mines of Oron are bottomless caverns where gold nuggets rain from the roof. Oronians, it seems, have an odd way of collecting the gold. Two pots are placed in suspension between the walls and then girders are used to direct the falling nuggets into the pots. It’s a dicey task because should a nugget hit an Oronian it kills him, and the mine is full of monsters that find Oronians make a tasty meal.

The playing screen is split into three vertical segments. In the centre is the mine shaft divided into an 8 by 9 character square checkerboard of red and black. At the base, evenly spaced, are the two collecting pots. To the right is a blue sector where the girders are positioned, ready for use. To the right is another blue area, a safe home from which your Oronians start off, but to which they cannot return. The monsters are gaping, yellow skulls which float up and down and from side to side, mouths agape.

What you do is take an Oronian out into the mine and, using the directional keys, place him where you want a girder to be. Pressing the fire key then slots a yellow girder in position. When a nugget hits one, it will roll to the right or to the left, so the construction has to be well thought out to keep those nuggets a-comin’ into the pots. Points are scored for every nugget that hits a girder and many more for getting one into a pot. In their efforts to prevent you collecting gold the skulls will move the girders about and, on the highest level, eat the nuggets.

CRITICISM

‘All these games have very good title pages, and Gold Rush in particular has an innovative looking hi-score table. The game itself is quite original in concept and one of those I would call silly but likeable. It is quite frustrating to play and begins to get addictive the more you do. It starts off simply enough, with only one skull and not many nuggets to contend with, but as you progress more and more skulls appear. At the highest level of skill you can still move at the same pace but the nuggets come pouring down and it is very difficult. Not a bad game at all.’

‘The graphics are good, with the heads of the Oronians and the skulls turning as they move. It’s all quite smooth and colourful too. But once again this game has no sound which seems a terrible shame.’

‘Sound would have helped, but in the end this is an engaging game to play. And not as easy as it first appears.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: two options, both slightly odd, the Sinclair keys 6/7/8/9 and zero, or Q/O left/right, I/W up/down and P to fire.
Joystick options: Kempston, Sinclair
Keyboard play: very responsive and smooth
Use of colour: fairly good
Graphics: simple but smoothly moving
Sound: none
Skill levels: 5
Lives: 3
General Rating: average to good, and unusually addictive.

Use of Computer

60%

Graphics

58%

Playability

68%

Getting Started

75%

Addictive Qualities

58%

Value For Money

60%

Overall

63%

GOTCHA!

Producer: Blaby Computer Games
Author: Gary Capewell

The first thing you notice about Gotcha! is the attractive loading title page, a near exact replica of the inlay cover. Garry Capewell has written a number of successful Blaby games and this is another feather in his cap.

You’re Ernie, an old lag who has just broken out of the nick. First obstacle to freedom is the searching guards outside the jail. There are five of them, their torch beams sweeping the various jail yards. Ernie must get safely past them and then through two jail gates that rise and fall very quickly. On this first screen you learn the cruel nature of Gotcha! — timing. It’s crucial. The second screen shows you just how much too. A nightmare platform screen reminiscent of Manic Miner Willy’s worst nightmare greets you. Seven levels with six green gates riding up and down the screen at a frightening pace, and all out of time with each other. On the platforms and other screens are all sorts of stashed goodies such as swag bags, safes, Hitachi stereos, cameras and the like.

A mean programming trick here is that once committed to crossing the screen Ernie keeps on moving until he reaches the other side. Getting the right moment to move is the skill. Once on the move, however, reversing his direction can save you from instant crushing by a falling gate. But there’s a copper about as well. If he nicks Ernie, it’s back to the bottom of the screen.

CRITICISM

‘One drawback in this game might have been the instant start between lives, which made Barmy Burgers slightly irritating, but here it matters less as all the start positions are in ‘safe’ areas and you’re not against the clock. The graphics are reasonably large and if not fully animated then certainly very lively. Ernie himself is quite good, and it hurts when he gets beaten up by the copper. Not a game for arcade beginners!’

‘In the shortish time I had to get this game reviewed I found it difficult to get very far through the second screen and ended up bathed in sweat! So I’ve still to discover what lies beyond. In its own way as difficult to play as Manic Miner. Frrrrustrating!’

‘Every screen is alive and very busy, so it’s an instant appeal game. Ernie could well become a hero — anyone who finds it easy to put up with his life would certainly be one. Not in any sense an easy game to play. Very addictive for the usual reasons — it looks as though it should be easy so you keep trying. Very good.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible Z/X left/right, K/M up/down
Joystick options: Kempston
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: reasonably smooth, compiled
Sound: continuous, good
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 6
General Rating: Expert addicts only!

Use of Computer

73%

Graphics

75%

Playability

80%

Getting Started

73%

Addictive Qualities

85%

Value For Money

78%

Overall

77%

GRAND PRIX DRIVER

Producer: Britannia Software Ltd
Author: Chris Weber

There have been some amazingly realistic race track games in the arcades. Newcomers to the personal computer are probably most bitterly disappointed when they see the state of the art in the computer car racing.

We’ve always noticed that any program which promises a race track like Turbo Driver, Race Fun or even Ultimate’s Tranz-AM, always sells well. Obviously these games are popular and everyone’s searching for the one that will look like the arcade versions. Of course the limitations of the Spectrum prevents any serious comparison being made, but the art of programing is improving enormously and perhaps it won’t be too long before someone really does approximate the arcade.

Meanwhile, we’ll have to make do with what we’ve got! And after that preamble on to Grand Prix Driver. This is the first program to have a serious go at giving a real 3D effect of the road winding about and with a moving horizon. It isn’t in the solid, glowing colour of the arcade original, rather more the coloured outline drawing of, say 3D Combat Zone — well a little bit more filled in than that.

You’re controlling a formula 1 racing car against 30 other cars, controlled by the computer. Naturally the idea is to overtake and avoid crashing with the other cars and be the first one to cross the finishing line. To make life more difficult there are oil patches dotted about on the road. If you manage to pass the 30 cars and remain in one piece a little man appears waving a chequered flag.

As our reviewers soon found, there are some idiosyncracies in the game which rather spoil its attempts at realism, and while they all found the program to be interesting in itself, they agreed that once mastered it loses much of its point.

CRITICISM

‘The keyboard positions are sensibly laid out, the colour is well used and the 3D effect of the road is good. I thought the sound was poor — only engine noises. The only trouble is that once mastered there seems to be little point in playing the game again.’

‘I found the overtaking was rather difficult because the other cars are unpredictable. There is some form of indication at the bottom of the screen which tells you which way a particular coloured car is likely to veer, but it’s obscure and I found it unreliable. In fact overtaking can only be done by slowing right down (honest). If you do crash (I did often) the explosion seems to go on forever. The game has a danger of becoming quickly repetitive and loses interest a bit.’

‘It seems a pity that a fast racing game has to be brought to a near standstill every time you want to pass a car. That tends to spoil the fun, skill and ruin the sense of realism which is otherwise very good. I got the feeling that this programmer has another and much better game up his sleeve. In the meantime, it’s still the best looking road race game I’ve seen.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: Caps Shift/Z left/right, Symbol shift/space brake/accelerate. Quite well laid out.
Joystick options: Kempston, Sinclair Interface 2.
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: average
Graphics: good, slightly shaky on character scrolling
Sound: mixed feelings from poor to good (!)
Skill levels: one
Lives: four
General Rating: Fair to average.

Use of Computer

67%

Graphics

56%

Playability

57%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

50%

Value For Money

35%

Overall

55%

GRIDRUNNER

Producer: Quicksilva Ltd
Author: Salamander Software (S.A.T.), Jeff Minter

With a title like Gridrunner you might well imagine you are in TRON land, back with the light cycles, but you would be wrong. This new game from the genius of Llamasoft is really a variation of the centipede theme.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

A bright red grid fills the screen, little white cursors move up the sides, apparently doing nothing, another zips along the base, firing zizag lasers up the screen, and you think that must be you (you’re wrong again). A blue squiggle-dash creature speeds horizontally along the grid lines, descending one line at a time, unless it gets hit by the laser thingie, in which case it splits up, each segment going its merry way. Then you realise little yellow dots are appearing here and there. It takes a few more seconds before it dawns on you that the side ship is firing these into the screen. If the blue centipede hits them it changes direction instantly — of course, they’re mushrooms! Finally, when a segment of blue reaches the bottom line and collides explosively with the quiet, unmoving little green ship, you wake up to the fact that it was you.

The main problem is that there are no instructions either on the inlay or on screen. Fortunately the three lads who reviewed this game are experienced Spectrum thumpers, so trial and error soon established that Q/A gives you up/down and I/P gives you left/right with 0 to fire. Had they their AGF or Protek interfaces plugged in it wouldn’t have been a problem.

The object of the game is very similar to centipede. Your ship (the green one) can move left and right as well as up the screen for about a third of the height.

The ship on the side hurls obstructions in the way of the centipede which rushes along like a runaway intercity, changing direction should it hit one. It takes several of your laser blasts to get rid of the obstructions, and, as in centipede, your laser can take out segments of the monster, dividing its attentions to alternate sides of the screen. The other ship at the base also destroys bits of the centipede, as well as you if you happen to be in the way. And that’s about it.

CRITICISM

The game is quite difficult because of the speed, but it does not inspire the player to keep playing.’

‘The unchanging graphic of each screen quickly made it boring, although it was fun at the start. There’s such a lot going on, and it’s all very fast, but then you get into the rhythm and it becomes easy — in the end, too easy.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible
Joystick options: AGF, Protek
Keyboard play: difficult to control, very fast
Use of colour: average
Graphics: small, not much imagination used
Sound: average
Skill levels: one
Lives: Five, with five more added as grids cleared
General Rating: Gridrunner is not very exciting nor it is addictive, and at almost £7, it’s poor value for money.

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

45%

Playability

59%

Getting Started

25%

Addictive Qualities

35%

Value For Money

45%

Overall

46.5%

HAWKS

Producer: Lotus-Soft
Author: A.C.E.

It’s a time in the distant future when an ice age has wiped out all but a pocket of humanity. Races of mutant birds with devilish intelligence have evolved and are trying to wipe out the humans. They attack in waves, dropping eggs on parachutes which bury themselves in the soil and then hatch out as large mutated Hawks to regroup and attack later in waves. The humans have found an old Asteroid Mining Vehicle which is equipped with a powerful missile launcher, a short range laser and a mine layer. Now it’s up to you!

A large mutated Hawk screams at the top of the screen, forming up the first attack wave of smaller birds. These can be shot out of the sky with the missiles, but soon they are dropping their eggs. You can shoot these too, using the missiles and lasers, in between dodging the swooping birds. The eggs which successfully reach the ground burrow in and you must lay a mine over their nest before they hatch, which blows them up when they emerge. Those that you fail to kill fly off, although you can still get them if you’re quick before they disappear off the screen to wait their moment.

GENERAL

There are a large number of keys to control the game. Alternate keys on the bottom row from Caps Shift to Break/Space move the vehicle left or right. Any key on the second row fires the laser. Any key on the third row fires a missile and any key from the top row lays a mine.

CRITICISM

‘Hawks is basically a souped-up Galaxian with good colours and graphics. I thought there were too many firing keys, especially as the laser was not much use. You’re probably better off with the missiles and land mines only. But there’s plenty to do what with the eggs falling, hatching, swooping suicide birds and the fast hawks.’

‘There’s a nice title screen and comprehensive instructions after a short load. The keyboard layout is very good and well thought-out. Hawks does seem to have taken a Galaxian type game and added a few more features. All the colours are used and in a very good way in the graphics, which use many UDG. This is a difficult game to master, which won’t bore you too soon. Addictive.’

‘A very busy screen with smoothly moving graphics and plenty to do. The laser doesn’t seem very effective, and anyway I was too occupied shooting birds with missiles and laying mines to get all my fingers round the keys. This is a good advancement on the Galaxian game.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: good if one too many
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: responsive with fast movement
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: good
Sound: average but put to realistic use
Skill levels: not known
Lives: six
Screens: multiple
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

75%

Playability

77%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

73%

Value For Money

75%

Overall

75%

HUNTER-KILLER

Producer: Protek Computing Ltd
Author: Rod K. Hopkins

Hunter-Killer is a submarine simulation game set off the German Helegoland coast of the North Sea during the Second World War. You are commander of an ‘S’ type submarine and your mission is to find an enemy submarine in the same area and hunt it down. The coast is heavily mined, so sailing in too close may result in hitting a mine or running aground.

The simulation is quite detailed. Three screens show you the control room, periscope view and chart room. In the control room you can see the ballast tank level indicator, the hydro-plane angle, battery charge, engine speed, rudder angle, heading, torpedoes left, engine warning light, engine indicator, asdic display, echo sounder display, radar display, periscope, and the depth meter. The periscope view shows you the horizon and enemy shipping or aeroplanes if any are about.

Below are indicators for periscope angle (which can be turned in either direction), heading, distance to enemy and torpedoes left. The chart room is accessed by pressing the C key — the control room slides across and is replaced by the charts. Apart from the map, details shown are tide indicator, compass rose, indication of position, minefields, enemy position, speed of submarine and tide strength.

The asdic comes on automatically at a depth of 10 feet or more and you can hear it pinging. On the surface the radar is automatically switched on. It has a range of 22 miles and you can see the sweep of the antenna. Enemy aircraft are hunting for you. If you spend too much time on the surface they will spot you and then a klaxon sounds, giving you only two minutes to dive below 10 feet to safety. All diving and surfacing commands must be carried out properly as in a real submarine.

So too must the firing of torpedoes. Another realistic feature is the use of twin engines, diesel for on the surface and electric for under water. Using the diesel underwater results in damage. If you stay under water too long the electric engine’s batteries will run down and require recharging on the surface.

This game can be played with two Spectrums each fitted with Sinclair Interface 1 and their own tv screens.

Then each player has his own submarine and can pit his wits against the other. The game includes instructions for solo and dual play. Timing and synchronisation are obviously very important in this unique mode to avoid error reports popping up.

CRITICISM

‘Presentation and packaging is excellent, and the instructions are well thought out. But the trouble with real time simulations is that they are so slow; you can wait ages (i.e. 15 minutes) if the enemy is about 10 miles away, before you reach his last reported position. Overall I did not think too much of this well-boxed submarine simulation.’

‘The graphics are very detailed and well laid out. It takes some getting used to all the control keys, and the responses are a little slow, but there is a lot to do to keep the submarine working and functioning safely. If you enjoy real time simulations, then you’ll like this — but it isn’t for the arcade freak. The game can take hours to play through.’

‘A nicely presented game, with plenty of instructions. If it’s a rainy afternoon, what better than to be underwater? I only felt that the periscope view might have been a bit more detailed, but it must have been tough packing all this into 48K anyway. I seem to remember seeing an ad saying this was £5.99, but it still compares favourably with the usual price for detailed simulations.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: complicated, 18 keys in use
Joystick options: Protek (naturally) or AGF for direction
Keyboard play: slow to react, but hardly essential in a real time game.
Use of colour: good
Graphics: good and detailed, but poorer in periscope
Sound: not much, klaxon, asdic and a nice gurgling if you’re hit
Skill levels: 5
Screens: 3
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

65%

Graphics

69%

Playability

50%

Getting Started

74%

Addictive Qualities

50%

Value For Money

58%

Overall

61%

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHAS!

Producer: Crystal Computing
Author: Simon Brattel, Neil Mottershead

A word of warning first! Crystal have been clever, the program has a special loader and instead of the usual interference lines in the border area while the game is loading it remains clear. You might be tempted to think that something has gone wrong and restart, but leave the tape running and all will be well. As the loading continues, the game screen details are slowly built up to reveal the traditional appearance of a defender game.

Once loading is complete you are asked whether or not you have a Fuller box connected. If you have then spectacular sound effects are produced. Unfortunately, if you are not possessed of an amazing Fuller box, then the program is quite silent.

The game itself is a pretty classic copy of Defender.

CRITICISM

‘This is one of the best copies of the original I have seen, and includes Landers, Bombers, Mutants, Swarmers and pods, your craft has a laser and smart bombs and flies forward and in reverse. At the top there is a long range scan — a very good one, you really can use it for lining up a laser blast. The graphics are very smooth but not colourful — another feature which is true to the original. Pity about the sound, it makes it very dull to play.’

‘It’s all very well offering “spectacular sound effects” through the Fuller box, but I wonder how many people have them? The excellent graphics include some of the best cosmic explosions I’ve yet seen, but all in full stereo silence. Even the muted buzzing of my Spectrum is preferable to this! That apart, we have here a classic copy of an arcade favourite. The scrolling landscape is the usual zig zag line with small humanoids dotted about waiting to be grabbed by the green aliens. It all moves very fast and, if you like the type, is very addictive.’

‘It could have been like Star Wars with a Fuller box on board. If this is the way games are going for the Spectrum I’d better get CRASH to provide me with one! It seems a bit mean not to have given the disadvantaged unFullerised player a bit of murky sound to be going on with. It’s a pity because this is otherwise a good and playable game. The detail is nice, especially Crystal’s familiar Hall of Fame where 16 previous players with names like Muad’Dib, Czar Murdicog and the Headless and Greatheart Silver are already listed. Another drawback is the awkward control keys.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: 4 directional keys are in line which is not the best arrangement. Z/X left/right, N/M up/down, A to G fire laser, H to ENTER, smart bombs (2).
Joystick options: AGF, Protek, Kempston, Fuller
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: very little
Graphics: very good
Sound: none unless used with Fuller box
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 3
General Rating: A good copy, playable and addictive.

Use of Computer

67%

Graphics

80%

Playability

60%

Getting Started

70%

Addictive Qualities

75%

Value For Money

65%

Overall

69.5%

LORD HARRY AND LADY HARRIET

Producer: Lotus-Soft
Author: Derek Jones

Non-sexist games are becoming the rage it seems, although none of us could make up our minds whether having a side for men and a side for women makes a game non-sexist. In any case, Lord Harry has had a spot too much to drink whilst staying the night at his old school chum’s house, and now he wakes up in the morning a little the worse for wear and trying to find a way out of the four ornate gardens. Should you feel strongly about it you can load the other side of the tape and hey-presto, it’s Lady Harriet who finds herself in the identical situation.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

Using the four directional keys, Lord Harry walks, or rather trots, round the garden eating mushrooms to keep up his strength. The garden has four gates, each of which leads into one of the other three gardens. They each have a different layout.

He can’t go through the trees or hedges, and there are numerous pools of water dotted about in which you lose a life if you hit them. In addition two guard dogs are on the prowl, trying to pick up his scent, and finally in one of the gardens is a poisonous mushroom. The instructions say that if you eat it you have 99 seconds to find the exit, which should be flashing, although none of us saw a flashing gate.

To make life difficult, the inebriated Lord keeps on the move once you have pressed a key, so he can be damned difficult to control in a tight spot and Lady Harriet has the same sense of aristocratic dash about her.

GENERAL

The keyboard positions are well laid out, with left/right on alternate keys of the bottom row, down is all keys on the second row, and up all the keys on the third row. 1 starts a game, 3 and 4 hold and restart, 0 quits.

CRITICISM

‘This game has the same instant visual attractions as Hungry Horace, but the lack of skill levels, or increasingly difficult mazes, limits its addictivity a little.’

There is a good use of colour and Lord Harry is nicely animated. A pity the guard dogs aren’t. They just slide about, but their shapes are well drawn.’

‘More of a frustrating game than anything else, and one for those with nimble fingers.’

‘I get the feeling that this is aimed more at younger children than the hardened arcade addict, and at that level it is attractive, and reasonably difficult to play.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: well laid out
Joystick options: none — needs programmable joystick
Keyboard play: made difficult because of the constant movement but very responsive
Use of colour: very good
Sound: continuous but average
Skill levels: one
Lives: five
General Rating: Generally regarded as fun if not madly addictive.

Use of Computer

60%

Graphics

65%

Playability

65%

Getting Started

70%

Addictive Qualities

55%

Value For Money

60%

Overall

62.5%

LUNA CRABS

Producer: Micromega
Author: Mervyn J. Estcourt

You’re a part of the Solar System Resources Research team down on one of the Saturnian moons, taking samples and away from your craft, when suddenly you find yourself surrounded by nasty red crabs which spit green acid gob at you. Fortunately you have your guided missile cannon to try and keep them at bay, but they’re all around. This is a 3D game which shows you the view of the mountainous planet’s surface with the cannon in the foreground. As in such games as 3D Tanx, a hit from the green goo on the gun turret means a loss of a life.

CRITICISM

‘The graphics are relatively simple, although the crabs scutter about very realistically, and the cannon fire fades away into perspective nicely. Although this is very playable, it tends to pall quite quickly — and you can’t get back to the ship sitting so tantalisingly a short distance away.’

‘I would expect a little more for the price, especially as it loses its appeal and becomes repetitive.’

‘The crabs move about very well, and are as cowardly as one would expect. Shooting them isn’t a simple task as the “guided” missiles are only so by virtue of the fact that they follow the swinging path of the turret. If you keep swinging about, sea sickness soon sets in. In the end, not very addictive.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: good, 1/zero left/right rotation and guide missiles, 9 to fire
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: good
Sound: average
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 5
General Rating: Playable, but not very addictive

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

72%

Playability

68%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

40%

Value For Money

55%

Overall

61.5%

LUNAR JETMAN

Producer: Ultimate
Memory required: 48K
Retail price: £5.50
Language: machine code

There can’t have been a Spectrum owning games player who hasn’t wondered what the wizards at Ultimate could do if they moved up to 48K. Well now we know — amazing!

JETMAN hovering above his vehicle and firing at the aliens.

In a neat touch it is we, the games players, who are blamed for the predicament our hero finds himself in. It seems none of us was quite good enough at assembling his rocket in Jetpac, and now its various stages are disintegrating in warp space. Luckily he manages to crash land on a strange planet where he is stranded with his Hyperglide Moon Rover and a bunch of the most ferocious aliens yet.

The control keys follow the pattern of Jetpac, with alternating left/right keys on the bottom row, fire laser on second row, thrust on third row, and hover on the top row. In addition pressing Z or Symbol Shift will allow him to pick up or drop any piece of the Moonglider’s equipment and Caps Shift Break will let him get in and out of the machine.

Briefly (!) Jetman is discovered standing outside his vehicle and not far from a rounded object which resembles a bomb — it has a B inscribed on it, so it must be a bomb. You have to discover for yourself since no one tells you anything in this game! Instantly aliens move in, 3D green boards swirling end over end, bouncing red balls, and others in later screens. If an alien hits him on the ground he creates a small crater — if he’s in the air they bowl him into a spin dive and he makes another crater on the surface. These craters are important because the Moonglider can’t pass them.

The Base at last! Whoops! A miscalculation and that’s JETMAN going head over heels.

If you can get him into the vehicle then he’s safe from the aliens and pressing the thrust and direction keys will cause the vehicle to roll along — until it meets a crater crevice. Fortunately the Moonglider is fitted with short bridging units. You have to get Jetman out of the vehicle, pick them up and deposit them in the crater, without making a fresh one! Finding out how to get the bridge units is a trial and error situation — and if you don’t already know how you’ll just have to find out!

There are enemy bases some distance from the Moonglider, an indicator at the top of the screen points in their direction. These can be bombed by carrying. the bomb and dropping it on the base. The problem is that the base is too far to carry it in the air, because Jetman only has a severely limited fuel supply, and it drops faster if he’s carrying something. So he has to drop it on the bonnet of the vehicle, get in and drive, get out, make bridges, get in, drive until reaching the base, get out, pick up the bomb, drop it — and all without getting killed off.

CRITICISM

‘Well, what can you say? Marvellous seems inadequate. The graphics are richly coloured, highly detailed, very similar to Jetpac, but just many, many more of them. The alien base is a solid, real and complicated building with whirling radar towers and missile launchers. If you take too long a warning flashes up that a missile is about to be launched. If you’ve discovered the function of the iron shaped object lying about on the ground, then you can use it to shoot the missile down, but I found flying about and hitting it with the laser was more effective.’

‘The graphics are brilliant, every bit as good as the powerful arcade machines and the amount of things you can do with Jetman and the Hyperglide will keep you going for hours. This is the most maddening and excitingly frustrating game Ultimate have come up with — anyone’s come up with. I tried the joystick but it’s better with the keyboard, but so many keys and so many aliens!’

‘With Lunar Jetman Ultimate live up to their name. I can’t imagine anyone failing to like this game or failing to become very mad with it. It should be put on the list of banned drugs!’

COMMENTS

Control keys: very well laid out — practice makes imperfect but it’s the only way
Joystick: Kempston, AGF, Protek
Keyboard play: excellent and highly responsive
Use of colour: excellent
Graphics: excellent
Sound: excellent
Skill levels: no choice, but difficulty increases with each screen — we don’t know how many of them there are yet!
Lives: five
Games: one or two player

Use of computer

90%

Graphics

99%

Playability

95%

Getting started

90%

Addictive qualities

95%

Value for money

100%

Overall

95%

MAZIACS

Producer: DK’Tronics Ltd
Author: Don Priestley

Maziacs puts DK back on top form again in a highly colourful and eventful maze game. The aim is to enter the maze and find the gold, then bring it safely out again. You are told that the gold may be anywhere, but at least 200 moves from the starting point. Embedded in the maze walls are several useful items like food and swords, and here and there a few prisoners who, despite their incarceration, seem to know the way to the treasure. You get what you want by trying to move into the square occupied by the object (or prisoner). The food is essential if you aren’t to die of starvation, and the swords are also essential if you want to survive the dreaded maziacs. These spidiferous creatures ramble about all over the place, sometimes in packs. Sadly a sword can only be used once, so avoid the packs — they move like greased lightning even in the lower levels of play.

If you ask a prisoner the route to the gold he tells you by turning the path yellow. This you can follow for a short time before it blinks out and you must then find another prisoner. Once the treasure has been discovered your problems really start. For one thing you can’t carry a sword and the treasure at the same time, so it’s best to try and kill off as many maziacs as you can on your way in.

A useful feature is called VIEW. The section of the maze on screen is only a fiftieth of the total, but pressing the key for VIEW lets you see a twelfth, and includes positions of swords, prisoners and food as well as maziacs. There are play levels where you can dispense with such cissy aids as this!

CRITICISM

‘All the instructions are on screen, but they are very good and helpful. Although the keyboard layout is sensible you can opt to define your own keys. This is a sort of maze adventure and it’s a good one. The graphics are excellent with plenty of animation — it’s fun and addictive to play. I also liked its large library of comments when you lose a life.’

‘Everything is very clear and colourful. The game has instant appeal because of its graphics. “You” are very well animated tapping your feet when standing still, even squatting down in boredom if you don’t move for a while. The maziacs are also nicely done — they look and move in an evil way. If you encounter one (which you will) then the battle is fun to watch. Bound to be a success.’

‘Plenty of appeal, with lots to do and good animation. Helpful touches like the VIEW facility can be a mixed blessing since you can’t move while looking at the larger map, but the maziacs can! Addictive.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: good, but user-defined as well so you can set up for AGF and Protek
Joystick options: Kempston and cursor controllers via user-defined
Keyboard play: slightly hesitant
Use of colour: good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: continuous and imaginative
Skill levels: four
Lives: one
Screens: scrolling maze, set up randomly each game.
General Rating: Highly recommended.

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

78%

Playability

84%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

88%

Value For Money

82%

Overall

82%

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Producer: Silversoft Ltd
Author: Jeremy Brown

Mission Impossible is a Lander type game, where you must guide your shuttle craft down from the mother ship to the planet surface below and rescue stranded miners from the colony, and then return them to the mothership. The title describes the game very well and only seasoned arcade players with lightning reflexes should apply for the pilot’s job!

There are three landing pads on the planet and you must touch down accurately using your retro rockets to slow — a fast landing can kill. Four layers of moving asteroids must be avoided on the way down. Having collected a miner the return trip is even more fraught, for the sky has now filled up with enemy alien craft. The retro-rocket can be used as a laser to blast them away before the tricky docking manoeuvre with the mothership. Should you get through a few screens another hazard is introduced, a force field through which you must find your way.

CRITICISM

‘The setting up menu is excellent and all the various characters making up the instructions seem to turn inwards and fade as the game starts. This is a very hard game to master and needs quick reactions. Addictive.’

‘The new Silversoft programs seem very user-friendly, with plenty of joystick options and good keyboard control — the games are all very user-cruel, bur that’s just as it should be! They call this one Mission Impossible, and so it is, but it’s worth mastering. Nice graphics and very playable.’

‘The lander type game isn’t new, but this is a very good version with its own little touches which help to make it enjoyable to play. Once you get the hang the first few screens are merely difficult — then it really gets tough! Takes time to get good at it.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: Z/X left/right, SPACE retro/fire
Joystick options: Kempston, AGF or Protek
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: good
Sound: average
Skill levels: up to you, but 3 speeds
Lives: 3
Screens: over 50
General Rating: Good and addictive, recommended.

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

70%

Playability

85%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

85%

Value For Money

80%

Overall

80%

MORRIS MEETS THE BIKERS

Producer: Automata UK Ltd
Author: Stephen N. Curtis

Automata aren’t exactly noted for bringing out many arcade games, preferring their obscurantist misadventures like Pimania and Groucho. So it’s really thrilling to get a zappo game from them — mind you, you can’t get away from the PiMan that easily because he’s the owner of Morris of the title. And as an added bonus, in answer to those record companies who keep boring us with their computer programs on the flip sides of hit records, Automata gives you, absolutely free, a tasteful rendition of Leader of the Pac by the incredible Lady Sinclive and the PIMen. If you’re into biker songs and butchery then you’ll love this hit single (say no more!)

Morris has been abandoned in a multi-storey car park and he’s desperate to get out (he gets claustrophobia). Your task as Morris is to drive around the car park collecting coins (you need ten) to feed into the slot on the closed barrier. Unfortunately the Phaantom, Phreaky, Phearsome kamikaze bikers from the planet of Morris Minor are loose in the car park and running into them causes severe loss of life (yours, of course). Additional hazards are walls, tyre clamps, carbon monoxide fumes, tin tacks and huge parking fees. All this drama is played out against a background of falling fuel supply and the hard concrete of an uncaring carpark. The only way between multi-story levels is to use the rather unreliable lifts at either side.

Should you be clever enough to collect sufficient coins you may leave the car park by the exit at the bottom right of screen which promptly dumps you in another car park. There are nine in all. You do have one weapon at least — a magic horn which zaps the bikers.

CRITICISM

‘Good packaging with clear and concise instructions leads you into this unique and very playable game. The hazards are everywhere, from tin tacks to fumes which knock you out for five to ten seconds. The lifts looked as though they had seen better days! Morris has a nice use of colour with good, detailed graphics, although there wasn’t much use of sound, just the horn tooting and end of screen bleeping. Each screen is harder than the last.’

‘Automata are trying to cash in on their much talked about Pimania by putting the PiMan into a Moggy (Morris Minor car). The graphics are good and the game is fast moving. Control keys are user-defined, which is always useful. The Leader of the Pac single on the other side is rather odd to say the least — even distasteful.’

‘Lurching over the tin tacks, suffocating with car fumes, avoiding mad bikers from a bygone age and paying exorbitant parking fees, it almost sounds like real life! However, I think losing a life for illegal exits from a car park is a bit tough! Great graphics with a nice chunky look to them. This is definitely an original game and it can all be enjoyed with the volume full up on your cassette player as Leader of the Pac blares out!’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: user-defined five keys
Joystick options: Kempston, although AGF and Protek with user-defined keys possible
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: average
Graphics: good
Sound: good
Skill levels: gets harder with each screen
Screens: nine
Lives: four
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

75%

Playability

80%

Getting Started

70%

Addictive Qualities

65%

Value For Money

75%

Overall

74%

MRS. MOPP

Producer: Computasolve
Author: Tina Billett

Mrs Mopp has two differences to the usual, it’s written by a woman, and it’s original in concept — at least as far as computer games go, if you’re a housewife it’s a plain old kitchen sink drama!

Mrs Mopp’s family is one of the messiest in the world, and even that’s being kind to them. They litter cups, clothes, dust and lord knows what else all over the floor. Moppsie herself has five utensils to help her in the task, two types of basket, a dustpan and brush and two different trays. Each is colour coded and can only be used to clean up or collect specific items. The blue cups, for instance, may only be collected on the blue tray and the pale green clothes in the pale green basket.

There’s also a washing machine, a sink and a dustbin. When she’s collected enough cups you must take her to the sink where you see the cups being washed, likewise for dust and washing.

Collecting a utensil is done by moving up to it, rather as you did in Pssst. Mrs Mopps then changes from black to the colour of the utensil. As she moves over objects eligible to be collected, she picks them up. When overloaded she begins flashing and you must get her to the correct appliance. Depositing a utensil is done by sliding up to its empty slot.

Like any hard working housewife, Mrs Mopp likes a little tipple. In fact there’s a bottle and glass in the top left hand corner. If you take her up there you mustn’t let her stay too long or she gets tipsy and then drunk, whereupon she jitters all over the place uncontrollably.

When the mess gets too much and movement becomes impossible, Mrs. Mopp gives up and leaves home. End of game!

CRITICISM

‘I had a tape error on my copy. The track seemed out of line and made it hard to load. But after that I got some well presented instruction. A good game and very playable.’

‘Mrs Mopp seems to have a fund of magic spells to use when all is lost, but all I ever got, was ‘Sorry, right out of spells!’. Which just goes to show that elbow grease is the only way. At the rate which the muck accumulates this is not easy to play. The graphics are good, compiled with the PSS compiler I noticed. Fairly addictive.’

‘Not a game for the squeamish. I’m glad I’m not a housewife if this is what it’s really like. It’s reminiscent of Ultimate’s Pssst, and has the same panicky quality about it. But in Mrs Mopp’s life no flowers bloom. I’m afraid I never beat Mrs B’s score (the authoress I presume), so I’ll go back to throwing rubbish on the floor rather than cleaning it up.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: well placed, A/Z up/down, N/M left/right and S for Spells.
Joystick option: Kempston
Keyboard play: responsive and 8-directional
Use of colour: good
Graphics: good, well compiled
Sound: fairly good
Skill levels: unknown, but several
Lives: 1
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

65%

Graphics

69%

Playability

75%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

68%

Value For Money

71%

Overall

69%

MY NAME IS UNCLE GROUCHO, YOU WIN A FAT CIGAR

Producer: Automata UK Ltd
Author: Mel Croucher, Christian Penfold

‘The game you are about to play is our salute to Hollywood, that dream factory where everything was possible and where Groucho worked to make the world laugh,’ says the blurb on the excellent cassette inlay. To make your dreams come true the certified lunatics at Automata have produced another mystery adventure game with a worthy prize for the winner. Judging by the difficulty in giving away the prize for uncovering the secret of Pimania, the secret in Groucho must be easier to find since you have to complete a slogan in not more than ten words that is dafter than ‘We put some ting in computing!’ This implies they expect more correct answers by the 1 June when the competition closes.

Somewhere in the depths of My name is Uncle Groucho you win a fat cigar, the name of a Hollywood star is hidden. Should you be lucky enough to guess it correctly and be dafter than anyone at Automata then your prize will be a trip for two to meet the Hollywood star in person, flying Concorde to JFK, and then on to Los Angeles staying at the famous Waldorf Astoria aboard the QE II, and £500 spending money.

TO WIN

This is all you do. Risk your sanity in Groucho and the PiMan’s America, where the currency is fat cigars, travel is by space shuttle and covered wagon and conversation is by way of Groucho Marxist jokes made worse by interruptions from the PiMan. Needless to say, in the time allowed none of our reviewers got very far. Fortunately none of them was silly enough to fall for the opening question, Pimaniacs one and all ...

GENERAL

The program is slow to respond to input commands but Automata seem to have become a law unto themselves in this respect, and no doubt addicts will suffer very little from this drawback. As usual the program offers little in the way of help to get into the game and no hints on playing — Groucho, after all, was not noted for his kindness towards idiots.

CRITICISM

‘I find it impossible to rate accurately a game which is designed to be a cult, and one which takes so long to probe that you can’t see enough of it to be fair. As far as I got, which wasn’t very far, it appeared to be as satisfyingly obscure as PiMania and pretty weird too.’

‘The graphics are, if anything, better than in PiMania. The opening street scene with an animated Groucho lurching up and down is very good. The refusal of an input is also fun, as the program has obviously been stocked with typical responses. I wonder, though, how much you need to know about the Marx Brothers and their films to get anywhere.’

‘I don’t know who Groucho is, and I’ve never seen any of these films mentioned on the inlay card. I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy PiMania either. I suppose Automata will say I’m just an alien-zapping arcade moron, but then I think they’re a bunch of left over hippies. But my dad enjoyed the cigar that was stuck to the review cassette — thanks.’

‘There’s not a lot you can say about this game — either you’ll love it, or hate it. Technically, the graphics are very good and fun, the response times are slow, and getting anywhere is difficult, which is as it should be. Fun anyway.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard play: slowish
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: very good
Sound: generally good, though a bit repetitious
General Rating: Hard to define, everyone seemed unsure of an exact definition beyond ‘if you liked Pimania, you’ll like this.’

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

75%

Playability

65%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

59%

Value For Money

65%

Overall

66.5%

ODYSSEY 1

Producer: Perfection Software
Author: Tim Williams, Chris Jones

Features: 100% machine code, on-screen scoring, hi score, freeze frame. This is a 3-part arcade game. Stage one is a berserk variation. You find your man at the centre of the screen, standing at the open crossing between four rooms, containing diamond shaped baffles and several purple robots or ‘dreaded blind mutons’ as the inlay blurb describes them. Despite their blindness they fire away into the dark at random, keeping you on your toes. Your controls are asteroidal, ie rotate left and right, thrust and fire. The program allows for continuous fire/rotation/thrust. The walls of the rooms are electrified and must be avoided and we got the feeling some of the diamonds killed us off too. Otherwise it’s fairly easy to kill off the mutons, which leads you into stage two.

Now you’re faced with an Arcadia copy. Staggered rows of alien ships sail across the screen from left to right and your ship can move across the bottom of the screen or thrust up to avoid the wedges of aliens as they get lower. At first it all seems pretty easy to hit them, but every ship hit turns into a falling missile. A clever move this, since it forces you to move the instant after firing — and meaner still, the missiles don’t vanish when they hit the ground, but wrap vertically round the screen. So the more ships you hit the more the screen fills with flying weaponry.

Stage three pits you against pterodactyl-like creatures with strange habits — but we won’t spoil your fun and tell you what happens when you shoot one.

General:

Now as it does not provide a standard joystick option anyone using a programmable interface will have to load the game first to discover the keys: However they are: rotate left: Caps Shift; rotate right: Z; thrust: H — ENTER: Fire: Y-P: Pause:6-0; and S starts the game.

CRITICISM

Critical comments: Here’s a collection of what our three reviewers had to say.

“The idea of putting three types of arcade game into one is quite good, but of course, it depends on whether you like the type of games chosen, and more importantly, whether each is well done. In this case I think it works quite well.”

“The graphics in this game are all quite small, ie one character size.”

“Odyssey 1 packs quite a lot into its 16K, but that does tend to restrict the quality of the graphics, which are not very detailed.”

“The graphics could prove a drawback since the game is now competing with games of a much higher graphic standard, although shoot ’em-up games all tend to be pretty simple graphically.”

“Odyssey 1 is a good mixture of well known arcade games which makes excellent use of colour, has very good graphics and there’s a brilliant use of sound. Words fail this game — brilliant.

Use of Computer

63%

Graphics

60%

Playability

80%

Getting Started

72%

Addictive Qualities

83%

Value For Money

75%

Overall

72%

OH MUMMY!!

Producer: Gem Software
Author: Darren White, John Line

You are in charge of a party of archaeologists exploring Egyptian tombs. Each tomb has five levels, and on each you will find treasure, a scroll, a key, a mummy of the royal family, and two guardians. As soon as you enter a tomb one of the guardians will be awakened and start chasing you. The other will remain dormant unless you are unlucky enough to uncover it.

Fortunately when you uncover the magic scroll, one of the guardians will be killed off. You can only exit a tomb once the key has been uncovered.

After completing all five tombs you move on to another five where the guardians are more cunning. The game resembles a grid/painter type in as much as the buried artifacts all lie within 20 squares. These are uncovered by taking ‘your party’ round all four sides of a square, whereupon the contents are made visible. Any guardian that has come to life and not been killed off with a scroll, will follow you onto the next level! Treasure houses, of which there are a few, are good for hiding in if you get into a tight corner.

CRITICISM

‘Redefinable control keys are essential in any program today. This one has them. There’s a good use of colour with detailed graphics, continuous sound and good tunes. I found it well put together and addictive to play.’

‘I wouldn’t rate this as a marvellous game, but it isn’t a poor one either. The graphics are well up to standard and there is a soothingly mesmerising quality in playing it. But I thought there wasn’t enough danger element to make it completely riveting.’

‘On the easy level it quickly becomes monotonous, but at the higher speed and difficulty levels it isn’t easy to get through, since the guardians are more intelligent in their chasing. Good graphics and sound. Perhaps more fun than addictive.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: user-defined
Joystick options: cursor controllers via user-defined
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: good
Sound: good
Skill levels: fifteen
Lives: five
General Rating: Good — fun to play.

Use of Computer

75%

Graphics

65%

Playability

69%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

55%

Value For Money

70%

Overall

69%

THE ORACLE’S CAVE

Producer: Doric Computer Services
Author: Chris Dorrell

The Oracle’s Cave isn’t an epic quite on the scale of Valhalla, but then it’s almost half the price, and for what you pay you also get animated graphics.

This is a dragons and dungeons adventure, but it is much more oriented towards the graphics than to the text, which makes a refreshing change from most of its kin.

The story outline is a familiar one; you have ventured into a dark and mysterious cave complex and are trapped near the entrance. The only exit is four levels down through the dreaded Oracle’s Cave. The game provides four quests. In each you must collect forty units of treasure; these take the form of gold bars, coins and silver, each type giving you a number of treasure units.

You must also collect the treasure guarded specially by the four monsters after whom each quest is named. For this sterling effort you are rewarded with no treasure points — it’s simply your duty!

At the start of the game you are asked to select a quest. They are to gain treasure guarded by The Mummy, The Centaur, The Fiery Dragon or The Black Knight. Each time you play the game the layout of the caves is altered.

The way in which Oracle’s Cave differs from so many other adventures is the way in which commands are typed in. The top half of the screen shows the cave, with an animated figure of ‘you’, plus any objects or monsters. The lower half shows you your energy level, wounds, weapons, combat strength, treasures and articles carried. Below that is a description of the location, then an input line, and below that a line telling you what your options are. The options are abbreviated to m = move, r = rest, e = explore, u = use (any article carried). If you elect to move, the cursor line asks, ‘Which way?’, while the option line tells you: u = up, d = down, l = left, r = right.

There are also s = secret passageway if there is one there, and h = help. Both seem to return you automatically to the entrance cave.

Inputting a direction results in an animated sequence as ‘you’ walk through a passageway into the next cave. On arriving any monster present will appear and so will the treasure it’s guarding. You are then presented with a limited option of f = fight or move. It is not possible to move past a monster until it’s been defeated. Each quest has a ’5 days’ time limit, and a section on the right of the screen lets you know — morning of the second day, and so on. Below that is a simple diagram of the cave showing only the locations of the four quest beasts and your position.

CRITICISM

‘The animation in The Oracle’s Cave is very good. I suppose it’s difficult to avoid comparing it with Valhalla, there’s less animation here in the sense that it’s only ‘you’ who move. A pity the monsters couldn’t have been given some form of movement too. The fight scenes are fun, but I never seemed able to win any. After a battle, the wounds and energy loss combine to make you weak, too weak even to walk away, in which case you get returned to the safe cave at the entrance. Resting restores energy but loses precious time.’

‘The trick with this game is to spend as much time in the entrance cave exploring. You’re told that all sorts of things are appearing to be collected, which makes all the difference in a fight. Once in a cave with a monster your options are limited to fighting or running away until the monster has been defeated. The inlay card does tell you to explore, but I guess most people want to dive into the adventure, and if you do that you will be disappointed because without getting past a monster your movements are very restricted indeed.’

‘Perhaps hardened adventure lovers might find this one a little limiting, since it keeps offering you menus of possibilities instead of letting you roam free as it were. I thought it made a nice change, and as I’m only half partial to adventures, it might just have an appeal for those like myself. Good clear graphics, with good movement from ‘yourself’. One thing the inlay card doesn’t tell you (which it’s useful to know) is that each monster’s combat strength is displayed next to your own as soon as you meet. This gives you a good idea of your chances of winning any fight. Perseverance is a virtue. I defeated a giant rat only after going through four rounds of combat. I would think this is going to be popular.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: menu driven, simple abbreviations makes the program user-friendly
Keyboard play: good responses despite being in BASIC
Use of colour: sparing but good
General Rating: Unusual adventure type, good.

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

73%

Playability

75%

Getting Started

64%

Addictive Qualities

60%

Value For Money

70%

Overall

70%

PLUGGIT

Producer: Blaby Computer Games
Author: Rob Jones

Games which plunge into the very psyche of Uncle Clive’s little computer seem all the rage these days. The hero of this particular jaunt is young Percy Pluggit. Percy’s an I.C. chip who has got himself lost in a maze of circuitry far away from his homely I.C. socket.

There are two coloured keys to find which will, when put into the right keyhole, unlock the correct door. Unfortunately they must be done in the right order. The maze is full of resistors, diodes and capacitors which are chasing poor Percy, and his energy, which starts at 1200, runs down very rapidly. On top of that the walls of the maze are electrified, which fries Percy like bacon.

CRITICISM

‘Pluggit isn’t as exciting to play as Gotcha! Perhaps because there are such a lot of maze type games around. But it isn’t that easy either. The maze area is very large, only a small part appears in the playing area, and there are at least four electronic horrors in each screen. Your I.C. chip and his enemies all move very smoothly.’

‘Moving Percy around is a bit difficult if you are on the keyboard because the cursor keys are not an instinctive arrangement for fingers, but everything works very well otherwise. There is a firing key which sends lethal bolts of energy in the direction of movement, although you can’t fire and move. Good graphics, a worthy maze game.’

‘This wouldn’t be that enthralling to play if it weren’t for the electrified walls, but they make everything so fraught that you suddenly realise you’ve been playing quite a while. Perhaps not as addictive as some other games I’ve seen from Blaby, but very colourful and quite playable.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: cursor keys, not the best arrangement
Joystick options: AGF or Kempston
Keyboard play: responsive 4-directional movement
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: quite good
Sound: average, good end of life sound
Skill levels: 1 against the clock
Lives: 3
General Rating: An average to good game, but could have done with a start key — autostart loses you getting ready time.

Use of Computer

58%

Graphics

60%

Playability

63%

Getting Started

62%

Addictive Qualities

65%

Value For Money

68%

Overall

62.5%

PUSH OFF

Producer: Software Projects Ltd
Author: Andrew Giles

Push Off is all about Bertha the Ladybird (who’s no lady). She’s in this garden being pursued by four somewhat unpleasant insects out to get her. The garden hardly resembles one though, looking more like a pile of that bubble packing they use today. In fact the screen is filled with square, green bricks which Bertha can manipulate. She can burn them out of her way, create them and also send them shooting along at her enemies, hopefully crushing them to death. But the insects can also burn away the bricks to get at her. Four little bells are dotted about and if Bertha touches one it rings, rendering the insects helpless for a few moments.

In fact this is a variation on a theme which Blaby brought out in the summer called Do Do & The Snow Bees.

CRITICISM

‘Push Off is rather an oddball game, quite original and very addictive. The graphics are extremely good with excellent movement of bricks and insects.’

‘This is one of those games that’s instantly attractive to look at and makes you want to play it. It’s also very hard and fast with wonderful graphics and colours. The only pity is that the control keys are oddly placed, especially for firing.’

‘A very addictive game to play, with just the right amount of difficulty as the screens increase. Why did they go and put the fire key on P? It’s an awkward stretch with ENTER and SPACE for the up and down keys. Otherwise, excellent.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: all our reviewers complained about the layout, CAPS SHIFT/Z left/right is fine but ENTER/SPACE for up/down with P for fire is very awkward.
Joystick options: AGF, Protek or Kempston
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: very good
Skill levels: 8 (8 screens)
Lives: 5
General Rating: Very good to excellent.

Use of Computer

78%

Graphics

89%

Playability

90%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

85%

Value For Money

87%

Overall

85%

QUETZALCOATL

Producer: Virgin Games Ltd
Author: Gareth J. Briggs

Quetzalcoatl was one of the most important Aztec gods. The inlay tells us he was the God of Life and Art. However he’s neither at the beginning nor the end of this 3D maze game, so one presumes he was chosen for the title because his name is better known than the other three who appear with him.

As the story goes, you’ve been searching for the mysterious Temple of Quetzalcoatl for three months, when your party is set upon by a group of bandits, who foully murder your compatriots. For you, there is something worse in store — you’re to be cast from the Holy Place, and you wonder whether they can mean the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Well you guess right, and the next second there you are, alone in the passageways of the first level.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

There are four levels to the temple and you have to descend through them by finding a blue shaft. There aren’t all too many of these around, but there are plenty of black shafts. Actually black shafts are okay too, but they damage the beads you’re carrying. Beads? Yes, beads. It seems kindly Quetz litters them around the place in neat piles and you can collect them by walking over them. They’re useful in case you find the exit — you can trade them with the native who will kill you if you haven’t enough.

Each level has a godly guardian. On the first it’s Huitzilopochtli (fortunately you don’t have to type these names in) who is the Wayfarers’ God. If you meet him he will give you a map. Level two is the abode of Tlaloc, the Rain God who wanders about with four pitchers of water. You’ve got to pick the right one, otherwise he’ll kill you — all in all he’s not a pretty pitcher! The third level belongs to good old Quetz (he of the beads) and he’ll give you a flute and teach you a short tune. This is just as well because on the final level is Tezcatlipoca the Sun God who will kill you unless you can play a short tune on a flute. After that it’s a question of how many beads have survived the black shafts. There’s always less beads as you progress from level to level.

The map is a mixed blessing too. Every time you use it, it disintegrates a bit more until it’s finally all eaten away. When you get to a new level it is renewed and promptly starts vanishing again.

GENERAL

There are six skill levels with an increase in difficulty between one and four. Level five has no map to help and level six has no compass either. The compass is collected by walking into Huitzilthingie along with the map.

CRITICISM

‘This is a playable game, well programmed, and which manages to produce a fair 3D effect of the corridors.’

‘The 3D is quite good, with positive movement from the three directional keys. There’s enough movement to give a feeling of progressing down a corridor. The maze is nicely complex too. I never came across a blue shaft, so it was shattered beads all the way. The more you walk around, the more black shafts appear everywhere, and when you have gone down a level, they remember to make the black holes appear at the right places in the ceiling too. That said, the game doesn’t really offer any violent sense of excitement, and plodding through blue and purple corridors, collecting beads gets to be boring.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: 1/2/3 = left/ahead/right
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: good 3D effect
Sound: average, with entry beeps
Skill levels: six
Lives: one
Screens: four
General Rating: An average 3D maze game, with better than average graphics.

Use of Computer

60%

Graphics

60%

Playability

56%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

40%

Value For Money

55%

Overall

56%

RIDER

Producer: Virgin Games Ltd
Author: Oz Software (Roy Poole, Terry Murray)

The authors of Virgin’s Yomp have again come up with a quasi-military theme. The object of this two-part game is to parachute into enemy territory (you’re an agent from MI5) and land on a motorbike, then escape on the bike, checking out the enemy’s mined roads. You do this by weaving in and out of the mines which fortunately still have their markers on so you can see where they are.

A sensible menu appears, towed on behind a plane which lets you choose between one and five players, and skill levels ranging from 001 to the coveted 007! The game commences with the plane roaring across the screen and you falling out. It then cuts to a second screen where you are seen floating erratically down under your parachute. Along the base riderless motor bikes slowly pass by. These have been provided by the Resistance, although how they get so many riderless bikes to move along and without the enemy seeing them is not explained! The idea is to land neatly on one of the bikes.

This isn’t as easy to do as it sounds. At the last moment, just when you think you’ve got yourself lined up, the harness is released and you drop. If you miss a bike it’s back to the top.

The second part starts immediately you land on one. Here you get a head on view as the bike with ‘you’ on it races down the heavily mined road. You can swerve left and right, accelerate or brake. If you hit a mine, that’s it. On the higher level of difficulty the speeds increase and more of the mines are live. Although the patterns of mines remain much the same from game to game, the mines which are active are never the same.

CRITICISM

‘Both sections contain large graphics, although I’m sure a much better job could have been done with the clouds which resemble those you used to get in old Atari combat games. Landing on a bike is less a question of skill than luck and only having one life is extremely irritating as you have to go back through the menu again.’

‘Although the rider veers across the road, nicely, banking on the turns and so on, it seems silly having a brake and accelerate key which can’t be used while you’re pressing left or right. In the end this isn’t very playable and I can’t see anyone coming back to it after the first time.’

‘The graphics are reasonably drawn but overall the colours aren’t pleasing. There’s quite a lot of jerkiness to the movement, and despite all those bytes on the loading one wonders why they had to put a selfdestruct in the program if you try to break in. Would we see more BASIC than code?’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: reasonable
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: responsive but you can’t brake or accelerate while veering left or right
Use of colour: average
Graphics: average
Sound: continuous but unadventurous
Skill levels: seven
Lives: one
General Rating: Fair, could have been better.

Use of Computer

45%

Graphics

55%

Playability

50%

Getting Started

60%

Addictive Qualities

45%

Value For Money

45%

Overall

50%

RIVER RESCUE

Producer: Thorn Emi Video Ltd
Author: Phil Snell

River Rescue might be described as an overhead scramble game. You are looking down on the river from above and, as in a scramble game, your boat moves along, or rather the banks scroll backwards. Accelerating takes the boat up to the right side of the screen in which position your reaction time has to be very good indeed. The obstacles in your path (river that is) are crocodiles, logs and small islands. These have to be dodged, although the boat is equipped with a gun. If you hit a croc it will disappear, but logs take a few shots and islands you can’t damage at all.

The object of the game is to rescue a stranded party of explorers from the jungles of the northern (top) bank where they are threatened by natives. There are two jetties, one on each bank, opposite each other. Once you have picked up an explorer, you must navigate the river safely and then deposit him on the south bank jetty. You can pick up as many as six, but only one explorer per call, before letting them off on the south bank, for which exploit you receive bonus points. Shooting crocodiles also earns bonus points, and so does riding the river on the right hand side of the screen. Every time you sink you lose any explorers on board.

If you are successful, another hazard appears. Your deadly rivals are trying to stop you and their planes will fly over, dropping mines in the water which must be shot away.

CRITICISM

‘An engaging and addictive game. The response to the keys is so positive that it’s easy to run into a bank. Stopping at a jetty is a skilled task as well. Go too fast or misjudge by a millimeter and both boat and jetty go up! The animation of the crocodiles is simply and effectively done — they are the most realistic crocs I’ve yet seen. Very good.’

‘Basically a simple idea and, as is usually the case, an addictive one to play. The graphics are quite attractive, especially the title page where the RIVER RESCUE is wiped away by a shoal (is that the right word?) of crocodiles. Very neat. Excellent control response.’

‘I liked the game very much and it works very well. It does get harder and harder as you go along, more crocodiles, more logs, bigger sandbanks and the damned rivals in their planes. Very addictive and quite original.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: very good. Q/A up/down, O/P left/right and zero for fire and undock from a jetty
Joystick options: Kempston, Sinclair
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: straight-forward but effective
Graphics: smooth and well drawn
Sound: good
Skill levels: gets harder
Lives: 6
Games: 1 or 2 player
General Rating: Very good, reasonably addictive.

Use of Computer

75%

Graphics

70%

Playability

80%

Getting Started

70%

Addictive Qualities

70%

Value For Money

78%

Overall

74%

ROAD RACER

Producer: Thorn Emi Video Ltd
Author: Graham Wisdom

Five brand new games from the Thorn EMI giants, their first venture into Spectrum territory, is obviously a big event. Road Racer, as its name suggests, is a go at that elusive Spectrum copy of the famous and wonderful arcade game. This is the most detailed version yet. In addition to left/right, brake/accelerate there is also a high and low speed gear selection. The lower third of the screen shows you your tachometer and speedometer and the gear you are in.

Unusually, keeping your finger down on the accelerator key doesn’t just take you to maximum speed, but puts you over the top and into the red on the tacho. If you stay there too long you’ll blow your engine. Changing into the low gear while in the red will also cause damage. There are several other cars to overtake before the finish line appears.

CRITICISM

‘This is a very good attempt to create the perspective feel of the arcade original. The road narrows as it approaches the horizon, which is a landscape of mountains. Sadly the road ahead is not curved as it is in the arcade version but you soon realize that it does bend because the landscape swings around. Unfortunately, because the road doesn’t actually bend, it means that the car stays on line and you aren’t forced to steer round both bends. The graphics are very brightly coloured and smooth, and the game is extremely playable.’

‘Very good packaging and instructions, but the one thing they don’t tell you is how to start up. On pressing the start key you must instantly accelerate and get into top gear, otherwise you will never find out that you’re the white car and the green one behind you (which I thought was ‘me’) crashes into you. Once that’s sorted out, it really takes off and, if you are using the keyboard which is well laid out, there’s some skill to be mastered in using the brakes and gears sensibly. Time is the real enemy to beat in this very good version.’

‘I’ve got the feeling that there’s still a better road racing game for the Spectrum than we’ve yet seen, but this is the best one yet in my opinion. It’s exciting and if you like the game idea, very compelling to play.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: good, 1/2 lo/hi gear, 6/7 left/right, 8/9 brake/accelerate
Joystick options: Kempston, Sinclair
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: good, slightly jerky character movement on other cars
Sound: poor, why no motor noise?
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 5
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

68%

Playability

75%

Getting Started

62%

Addictive Qualities

72%

Value For Money

70%

Overall

69.5%

ROBBER

Producer: Virgin Games Ltd
Author: Keith Mitchell

Robber is subtitled, ‘A 3-part criminal escapade to warn you off a lifetime of crime!’ According to one of our reviewers they should have warned you off Robber. In many respects this game is a good sketch for a much better presentation at a later date.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

There are really three screens in this game, although the second contains four different sections. The first screen depicts a large room with two L-shaped cupboards in it. You’re at the bottom right, a chess pawn shaped thing. In the two cupboards are a door key and a stethoscope. A third and vital object is the hidden safe key (why a stethoscope?) This safe key only becomes momentarily visible in the beam from the guard’s torch. He’s at the right of screen, moving erratically up and down. If you get caught in the beam you’re nicked.

Having collected the three objects you proceed to the second screen, a two-part collapsing and reappearing bridge, which you must cross without falling to your death on the spikes below.

Once across, the third screen presents you with a simple maze; first section under water, infested with poisonous jelly fish (watch the falling oxygen rating), second part through a dark room where you can’t see the path of the maze, and infested with man-eating birds; third part a narrow corridor with deadly bouncing balls; and lastly a maze which disappears as soon as you see it, so it must be memorised. The whole thing takes places against a timer on the safe which shuts off the whole complex, trapping you if you’re not quick enough.

GENERAL

The instructions on the inlay say Z/A for up/down and Q/W for left/right. They’re wrong. It’s actually Z/X for left/right and K/M for up/down. Objects are collected by moving onto them. One of the reviewers noted a serious problem, not so much of crashing the program as terminally freezing it. Twice in a row it froze on hitting the Z key and had to be reloaded.

CRITICISM

‘Overall the graphics are very basic looking, though adequate for the idea, but they move at a very BASIC speed. In fact it’s such a slow process that the game becomes frustrating and not in a good way.’

‘An awful lot depends on luck rather than any playing skill. The collapsing bridge is very random, and the jelly fish just pop up and then disappear again, so it’s luck that gets you through. Neither jelly fish nor man-eating birds pose any real danger in the sense that they go for you.’

‘The response to pressing a key is so slow that skill plays very little part in this game. I thought the graphics were primitive and there was no sound to speak of. Surely more could have been done with 48K than this?’

‘Although you only get one life in the first screen, once into the second and third there seems to be no limit, you can go on and on.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible
Joystick options: none
Keyboard play: very slow
Use of colour: average
Graphics: fair
Sound: hardly any
General Rating: Poor.

Use of Computer

50%

Graphics

45%

Playability

43%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

50%

Value For Money

35%

Overall

48%

3D SPACE WARS

Producer: Hewson Consultants Ltd
Author: Graftgold Ltd (Steve Turner)

There is now an established tradition of cockpit view games for the Spectrum, some of the Star Trek programs may be included, Galaxy Attack from Sunshine Books, Spawn of Evil from DK Tronics, and of course Timegate from Quicksilva are all of the ilk. 3D Space Wars by Hewson Consultants is a worthy addition. It does not boast the complexities of a Star Trek game, but on the other hand it offers a more rapid encounter with the enemy and is more of a shoot em up.

The inlay tells you that you have taken command of your world’s last fighter-killer spacecraft, and naturally it is only you who can prevent the ultimate disaster — destruction of your civilisation by the unscrupulous race of murderers called the Seiddab. Now read on...

CRITICISM

‘There is very little setting up in this game, the minute it starts the enemy are there, massed right in front of you and attacking, so there’s none of the complex cross referencing which makes many other similar games more strategy than arcade. The cockpit view is very good, with moving star backgrounds that give you a directional indication. Below the viewscreen your instruments are simple and to the point. A galaxy map shows the Seiddab clustering, and spreading, fuel and speed are shown as bar codes. Projecting into the viewscreen you can see the nose of your craft and its twin lasers. These both fire with very satisfying perspective beams which meet at the centre of the cross hairs. The Seiddab craft themselves are well drawn and move in three dimensions. The object of the game, naturally, is to get rid of as many of the enemy before they get you. There are refuelling points in space which you must locate before your power runs out. Very playable.’

‘The graphics give a good 3D view and the game is quite playable on the early stages. Successive waves of attackers are more destructive than the last and it gets quite difficult. One drawback is the fuel supply — you have to keep an eye on it, and if does run down quickly. The game is good for 16K.’

‘Movement and control of your ship is very smooth and positive compared to say, Timegate. Half the fun of playing is to become skilled at centering the enemy in your cross hairs. To do it accurately takes practice. A lot of playing appeal but I didn’t think there was quite enough going on in the end to make it totally addictive to play.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: large range of options including cursors, six keys in all used
Joystick options: AGF, Protek, Kempston
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: good
Graphics: good 3D view
Sound: quite good
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 1, defences worn down gradually
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

62%

Graphics

69%

Playability

70%

Getting Started

73%

Addictive Qualities

64%

Value For Money

70%

Overall

68%

SPECTRON

Producer: Virgin Games Ltd
Author: The Code Monkeys (Mark Kirkby)

This is Virgin’s best shoot ’em up game yet. You’re the latest type of robot and you must survive in an arena filled with hostile enemies. There are Swarmers and Speeders (which home in on you) Launchers which also move about but randomly, second the Launchers fire missiles and which also home in on you. And then there are the Electrons, which are not small BBC type computers, but a rather nasty form of robot which leave virtually indestructible electronic fences behind them.

Your robot, Spectron, assembles in the centre of the screen after the nasties have been rapidly dotted in. It can move and fire in eight directions — move and fire being the operative words, since it only fires when moving.

GENERAL

The control keys are sensibly placed being, Q/A for up/down and V/B for left/right. There is no fire key, as firing is automatic in the direction of movement. No standard joystick option has been provided.

CRITICISM

‘This is a no-win type game, where it’s obviously impossible to beat the computer. Although there are only nine levels, the increasing speed and electronic fence factors really make this into a multi-skill level game.’

‘There’s good use of colour in the detailed and realistic graphics, and the sound is excellent. I got as far as being able to count 216 enemies on the screen at one time, so getting a bonus score is no easy task. This is a well thought out game that will never be beaten. Fast reactions needed. Brilliant.’

‘I noted the little instruction which tells you the program will “self-destruct” if the BREAK key is pressed. Are they trying to hide how much of the program is in BASIC or what? Anyway, I have only one gripe. The automatic fire is all very well and allows you to concentrate on moving, but it doesn’t have a very fast fire rate considering how many damned enemies there are, and as it only fires when you’re moving, you are often forced to kill yourself off (nice border explosions when you lose a life). Otherwise this is a fast and furious, well put together game.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible
Joystick options: none provided
Keyboard play: very responsive, 8-directional
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: excellent
Skill levels: how many can you manage?
Lives: three
General Rating: A very good zap game.

Use of Computer

65%

Graphics

70%

Playability

81%

Getting Started

85%

Addictive Qualities

80%

Value For Money

75%

Overall

76%

SPLAT!

Producer: Incentive Software Ltd
Author: Ian Andrew, Ian Morgan

Ian Andrew, who created Quicksilva’s best seller Mined-Out, seems to take some delight in being referred to as, ‘over the hill,’ at the ripe old age of 22. To prove how agile a senile programmer can be he has struck back with this new maze type game, which attempts to splatter you against the walls of your tv screen. He also introduces us to a new hero called Zippy who, despite his name, proceeds through life at a relatively calm pace. Not that this should put anyone off, for Splat has the same nail-biting qualities as Mined-Out. It creeps up on you sneakily, turning something that you thought was going to be easy into something that is definitely not.

Put simply, Zippy has to move around a maze and escape on level seven. Zippy can eat grass for points (and invisible grass too) and plums for more points. He must avoid the water hazards and nasty spikes. So far, so good, now for the problems.

The maze which Zippy inhabits is a great deal bigger than the visible playing area, and it’s unstable. From the moment the game starts it begins gently scrolling in any direction it fancies, changing direction at any time. Should Zippy encounter the walls which edge the screen it’s Splat!

The maze has been specially designed to tempt you into vile little dead ends because that’s usually where the juiciest clumps of grass are to be found — and without those points you can’t get out. It’s all quite deceptive; you can guide Zippy into what looks like a safe position and start happily chewing the cud, when all of a sudden the wall scrolls down on top of you. From this quiet country house scene, panic can set in at a moment’s notice.

Progressing satisfactorily to a second screen the maze becomes less helpful still and a river with narrow bridges appears. On the balance side there are plums to eat and invisible grass which signals the fact it has been eaten with a bleep. At higher levels the maze moves much faster and there are spikes dotted around, which although not much trouble to avoid can be very nasty if a panic sets in.

This is a game for points and in fact the makers offered a points competition which closed 14 January 1984. The winner received £500. The game already contains a system which awards you a code for your new high score (over 500 points). The entry with the highest score code was the winner. I see from our notes that it says.

‘Level three — Hi Code appeared, 715 points, code: DD1R. Unfortunately died at that moment.’

GENERAL

All three reviewers playing and writing independently were very impressed with this game. You can play with Kempston or AGF and Protek joysticks, use cursor keys or user-defined keys. The graphics are very smooth and the scrolling in four directions is excellent.

Colour was commented on favourably. Packaging and instructions are first rate. If you get through a screen the computer shouts out Yippee!

CRITICISM

‘Perhaps Splat suffers from the random maze movement because it lessens the skill factor, on the other hand it keeps you on your toes.’

‘Because of the continuous scrolling of the maze you will never get tired of going round the same old screens.’

‘This is a game with growing appeal and a thoroughly mean, ornery streak which guarantees its addictivity.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: user-defined — excellent
Joystick options: excellent as provided, but with user-defined keys it’s suitable for almost any controller
Keyboard only playing: positive, smooth movement
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: good
Sound: good
Skill levels: seven
Lives: three
General Rating: Highly recommended.

Use of Computer

95%

Graphics

70%

Playability

74%

Getting Started

85%

Addictive Qualities

75%

Value For Money

90%

Overall

81.5%

SUB CHASE

Producer: Gem Software
Author: W.E. MacGowan

In Sub Chase you control an anti-submarine ship which is armed with depth charges. Depending on the level of play you have between thirty five and fifty to explode. The display shows your ship on the surface of a very calm sea, and under the surface, the submarines appear from the left moving straight across to the right.

You fire the depth charges by pressing the numerical keys, each one setting the depth at which the charge will explode. In return, some of the subs fire back with missiles which you must dodge. At the highest level the subs appear at all sorts of depths and will even change from one level to another.

The skill is in setting the correct depth at which to explode the charge and in the timing of sending it on its way.

CRITICISM

‘A hard game to master at the higher levels because the sub moves up and down, but with simple controls it should appeal to some. Not one of the modern complex games and easy to play.’

‘The graphics are attractive — if you’re unlucky enough to be hit by a missile, your ship blows up in bits and sinks. But I think the game in its present state is too simple to appeal to hardened arcade addicts. It could do with many more subs on screen at one time.’

‘While it isn’t as easy as I first thought, Sub Chase is too quiet to have addictivity. Perhaps it is aimed more at the younger market. Young kids should certainly find it fun to play, but zap em freaks will get bored.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: simple with only left/right, but was Q/P the best option — it’s quite a stretch. Numerics for fire.
Use of colour: fair
Graphics: simple but well drawn
Sound: poor
Skill levels: 4
Lives: 1
General Rating: Fair for addicts, good for children.

Use of Computer

45%

Graphics

49%

Playability

50%

Getting Started

60%

Addictive Qualities

40%

Value For Money

47%

Overall

48.5%

THE TRAIN GAME

Producer: Microsphere

If you are an obsessive electric train set freak, or you would like to recapture those golden hours spent on the carpet rubbing rusty rails with glass paper, then fork out the price of this original game from Microsphere — it won’t be wasted money if our reviewers’ reports are anything to go by.

The Train Game presents you with a fairly complicated layout of railway lines, seen from above. In the simplest level one train chugs about the system and your task is to guide it correctly between the three stations, picking up passengers. There are 25 sets of points which you must look after. These are switched by pressing the appropriate key — all the points are given a letter of the alphabet. If nothing else, this very rapidly teaches you the keyboard layout!

Switching a set of points under a train, or not setting them correctly in the first place, will result in a derailment and a loss of life. (You get murdered by irate passengers!) To stop a train in the next station you merely press the appropriate key. On the first level with one train, the key is 1 (blue), the other trains are 2 (red) and3 (magenta). As time passes the stations fill up with passengers waiting for a train. These are little bowler hats with legs (it’s a commuter system, obviously).

If they have to wait too long a few of them turn white with rage and are likely to hijack the train with catastrophic results! Your score is directly related to the number of passengers you manage to collect. There are several levels of play, with numerous sublevels between them.

Collecting 25 passengers moves you onto the next sub-level. In some cases runaway goods trains (black) appear and must be directed back the way they came to get rid of them.

CRITICISM

‘The Train Game is definitely going to appeal to “train buffs”. It’s good fun to play and on the higher levels requires great concentration if you are to avoid disaster.’

‘It’s not often that you get a cassette for review that’s such instant fun! Nor a game that when you next look at your watch three hours have passed without your noticing. Like so many very good games, The Train Game is simple in idea but sophisticated in its details. For instance, when you have all three trains running and your eyes are darting everywhere to make sure the points are okay, you then have to worry about the passengers — some may be white with anger at the delays, but the others are coloured like the trains, and they only want that coloured train!’

‘With seven levels of platforms and five sub-levels in each there is plenty of variation. At the top level of play the track layout gets even more complicated as well as the speeds increasing. The graphics are cute and to the point. I liked the sound of chugging trains but if it drives you mad there is a facility for turning it off. Perhaps they should send this tape to British Rail as a training course.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: uses most of the keyboard
Joystick options: impossible and not required
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: average to good
Sound: very good, on/off facility
Skill levels: seven (with five sub-levels on 1-6 and nine sub-levels on 7)
Lives: four
Screens: two track layouts
General Rating: Very good.

Use of Computer

60%

Graphics

63%

Playability

85%

Getting Started

75%

Addictive Qualities

85%

Value For Money

85%

Overall

75.5%

TRANSVERSION

Producer: Ocean Software Ltd
Author: Christian F. Urquhart, Nick Pierpoint

Ocean have been quite consistent in their games, bringing out a series of well written and well designed programs on traditional themes. Transversion is probably one of their best yet, combining those two important qualities of any good arcade game, simplicity of idea and the sort of addictiveness that would keep you pumping in your money if you were in an arcade. It is also neatly packaged with an exciting inlay, and perhaps the first on-screen title that actually looks like the cover of the cassette.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

You are Captain of the Elimax and your mission is to enter the Galactic Grid and ellininate the alien pods, passing over them with your Raydon field. Fortunately the Raydon field is a very advanced piece of technology so there’s no firing to take care of. Like Quicksilva’s Gridrunner, a bright red grid opens up before you — the Galactic Grid — but fortunately the similarity with Gridrunner ceases there. The pods, which are alien spawn in reality, appear as bright blue dots arranged in symmetrical patterns over the grid, and the Elimax appears in the centre.

The alien Guardians can be seen on all four edges of the grid, top, bottom and both sides. These move constantly along their axis, firing very solid looking missiles at you. Should you remain stationary, or travel along a single grid line for more than a moment, the aliens will line up and fire — they home in instantly. At any one moment you can find yourself having to dodge four missiles.

In fact the travel speed of the missiles is the same as your ship, and not particularly fast, but the effect of having so many on screen is quite unnerving.

The arrangement of the pods on the grid is critical too. Ones which are patterned in spirals mean wasting lots of time clearing them up — ones in straight lines tempt you to clear them up at a run, which means the enemy can home in on you before you know it. Losing a life means having to start all over again on that grid. If you clear the first sheet, the second (it alternates between every other sheet from then on) is a green spawn arranged in a spiral and very close to the sides where you’re in the most danger. But more points are awarded for each pod eliminated, so if you lose a life here, you’re almost certain to get to the third sheet, and so on.

GENERAL

The packaging is excellent and the cover picture describes the nature of the game very well. The inlay contains detailed loading and playing instructions, which are repeated on screen. Control keys are Q/A = up/down, N/M = left/right. There is a hold and restart function.

Several joysticks are catered for in the screen menu. On screen scoring and hi-score are shown, along with grid level and lives left.

CRITICISM

‘The graphics are small and simple but they move very well.’

‘As far as the graphics go, I don’t think any improvement could be made. It has excellent keyboard layout and the program is very responsive. It has a good use of colour.’

‘The colour was nothing special, but the keyboard layout is good and easy to control. I thought the sound was very good.’

‘Well used sound effects, with some recognisable tunes.’

‘The graphics, though simple and small, are to the point and very smooth. There is continuous sound and the tune “Congratulations” if you make a new hi-score. I found the keyboard positions so good, that they were easier to play with than a joystick. This is a very nail-biting game and addictive to a danger level! I also found the graphics to be extremely accurate, in the sense that you can almost brush a missile and not lose a life — none of the “but it didn’t hit me” arguments here.’

‘A game that will not be tired of easily.’

‘A game to come back to.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: very good
Joystick options: Kempston, Quickshot, AGF, Protek
Keyboard play: very easy and responsive
Use of colour: mixed opinions, average to good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: very good
Skill levels: none mentioned, but it does get harder
Lives: five
General Rating: Highly recommended.

Use of Computer

95%

Graphics

70%

Playability

83%

Getting Started

85%

Addictive Qualities

90%

Value For Money

75%

Overall

83%

TRAXX

Producer: Quicksilva Ltd
Author: Salamander Software (S.A.T.), Jeff Minter

Jeff Minter’s second offering via the Game Lords was generally thought to be somewhat better than Gridrunner. One of our reviewers disliked it, but the other two considered it to be a reasonably playable game.

The title could be misleading in that it sounds like another grid or light cycle type game, but in fact it is a painter type.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

Traxx presents you with 30 boxes, five high by six wide, with wide tracks between each. At the base of the bottom centre box the track is painted purple with a little green cursor, which is you.

As you move the cursor from the purple colouring and onto ‘unpainted’ track, the cursor drags the colour behind it. As in most painter games there are a number of pursuers darting about at random. It all seems quite straightforward until, with an imaginatively elastic snapping sound, the painted bit shoots back to where you picked it up like a rubber band.

After a few abortive efforts you realise that you are only able to paint as far as three sides of a box at a time. Surrounding a box correctly rewards you with a little bleep and you are free to drag the paint out around another box.

There are nine skill levels and nine speeds in a flexible combination; you can have between one and nine pursuers on any of the speed levels. Starting with one and one, if you clear the screen the next level will give you two and two. These can all be selected by a neat key press type menu. Alternatively a two player game option is offered.

GENERAL

There are no instructions in the inlay card, but all the necessary detail are well presented in the program. The keyboard positions are sensibly placed; Q/A = up/down and I/P = left/right.

In the two-player game the cursor colour changes between players and the scores shown.

CRITICISM

‘The graphics are good quality, with smooth movement, but the game is very difficult to control. It’s too easy to overshoot a junction instead of turning off. If you over run the end of a block you cannot turn back and paint it in. This makes the game difficult in a silly sort of way.’

‘I liked the selection of speed factors etc, by holding down the Z, X, C keys and releasing them when the desired number is displayed.’

‘Simple in outline, Traxx is nevertheless a game of some skill and nerves, especially when there are four or five pursuers darting about.’

‘There’s a touch of the pacman in it. If you join up the four corner boxes, you’re given 10 seconds to eat the chasers.’

‘I thought it was well designed, using a well-tried format, but with no real innovation of its own.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: easy to use and sensibly placed
Joystick options: AGF, Protek, but it was felt by all three reviewers that the keyboard was actually easier to use for control
Keyboard play: difficult to control well
Use of colour: average
Graphics: good
Sound: reasonable
Skill levels: nine
Lives: three
General rating: After getting used to its idiosyncracies it begins to grow on you, but if you are looking for a painter game, there are better types on the market at a lower cost

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

60%

Playability

51%

Getting Started

65%

Addictive Qualities

70%

Value For Money

60%

Overall

61%

TUTANKHAMUN

Producer: Micromania
Author: Dominic Wood

Tut was an Egyptian ruler who stowed much treasure in his pyramid. Your job, as grave robber extraordinary (or archaeologist — they mean much the same thing) is to enter the tomb and collect as much of the treasure as you can. There are five different tombs and you can start at one and work your way through, or enter the game at a later stage if you wish.

The very good packaging contains clear instructions and the tomb turns out to be a left/right scrolling maze with vertical tunnel connections from top to base of screen and vice versa. The treasure is collected by moving over it, and life would be easy were it not for the host of monsters lurking in the tombs. These include mummies (the wrapped up kind), cobras, spiders, skulls and others, all of which move rapidly and decidedly in your direction. Fortunately, you are provided with a rapid firing laser. It tires regularly by itself but can be put into continuous fire if you like. Unfortunately it only fires horizontally, so you’re very vulnerable to beasties coming from above and below. There is also one smart bomb per tomb or life, but its effects are very short-lived indeed. To help there is a map of the entire tomb layout at the top of the screen.

GENERAL

Joystick options are offered, but the keyboard layout is quite sensible. A/Z = up/down, N/M = left/right. A pause and restart facility is provided.

CRITICISM

‘Tutankhamun is an original game that uses very good, detailed graphics. It all works very smoothly too. A game with a nice difference, very addictive — I wonder what happens when you reach Tutankhamun’s tomb?’

‘The graphics really are very attractive, with loads of colour, and fast moving. Controlling your man can be alarming as he fires independently and tends to zig zag about if you leave his control keys alone for very long. There is plenty of scope for enjoyment since surviving is no easy task.’

‘The multi-coloured monsters come thick and fast, so much so that you’ve got to be ace at getting round them and making sure you’re in a left/right corridor so your laser will work. If you get stuck and have to move up or down with creatures sailing at you, the smart bomb will give you about two seconds’ grace. Pretty addictive stuff.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: well laid out
Joystick options: Kempston or AGF and Protek
Keyboard play: responsive
Use of colour: marvellous
Graphics: detailed and smooth
Sound: good tunes, but not enough of them
Skill levels: over eight
Lives: five
Screens: five
General Rating: A very good maze/zap game with a different feel.

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

70%

Playability

74%

Getting Started

70%

Addictive Qualities

75%

Value For Money

70%

Overall

71.5%

VALHALLA

Producer: Legend
Author: Movisoft (Richard Edwards, Graham Asher, Charles Goodwin, Andrew Owen)

Before you can start playing Valhalla it’s worth ploughing through the readable instruction booklet, not only to find out what you can do, when and where, but also to meet some of the more important characters who partake of your adventure.

The book tells you that you can have great fun simply watching Valhalla, and issuing commands to the characters. This turns out to be true in part. Life in the Nordic haven carries on much like Coronation Street with the inhabitants quarrelling, fighting each other, offering food and generally behaving as if they were in the Rover’s Return. But in the end this palls and you feel itchy to get into the action. There are six quests to find special objects; ofnir (a key), drapnir (a ring), skornir (a shield), skalir (a sword), Felstrong (an axe) and frimnir (a helmet).

Finding these magical objects is not simple, and some, if discovered, must be deposited safely as you can’t carry all of them together. Added to that, if you die, which happens easily enough, you are sent to Hell (not to ‘would you like another game’) which turns out to be a location or two away from the more ordinary delights of Asgaard of whatever. Unfortunately if you go to Hell most of the things you’ve collected are removed from you and distributed randomly around the various locations, so you have to start all over.

When this is seen in the context of coping with large numbers of beings who are either well or badly disposed towards you, you begin to realise the complexity of even surviving in Valhalla, let alone finding the hidden objects. Getting on with our fellow Valhallans is surprisingly realistic. Unlike The Hobbit you can’t type in ‘Say hello to Elrond’, and expect a happy response but you can offer food or wine (which abounds — all over the floor), you can offer to sell or buy objects since you have money, swords, axes, shields etc. These are merely ordinary ones, not those you are questing for. And you can start fights only too easily.

All this activity is clearly visible in the remarkable graphics. Well drawn and highly detailed backgrounds form the scene in which the animated characters move around. If you type in, ‘drink the wine’, you will see ‘yourself’ raise the flagon to ‘your’ lips. At times it can be like Piccadilly Circus on a weekend as characters arrive and exit by the bus load.

Moving from location to location is simply a question of entering the compass point direction and a WHERE command will always supply the visible exits if you have forgotten them. Moving around within a location is done by the use of ‘l’ and ‘r’. In some locations there are celestial under-grounds. If you have managed to pick up a ring (ordinary type) you can use these ringways to get to another location. Although if you’re drawing a map of Valhalla, this can be less than useful, since you don’t know where you are when you get there.

GENERAL

Valhalla comes complete with very good instructions. Loading time is four minutes. Keyboard response is fast, and a useful function is that you can type in commands at any time. If an action of some sort is taking place the computer waits and then processes your command when ready.

CRITICISM

‘Compared to any other adventure game I’ve seen, the graphics of Valhalla are fabulous. It seems incredible that they have managed to pack so much detail into 48K. The scenery has a real sense of depth.’

‘Considering how much detail there already is in the backgrounds, I’m astonished that the animation of the characters is as detailed as it is. I think my favourite is the Raven, who flaps his way in and lands occasionally.’

‘My basic disappointment with Valhalla stems from its coldness. Despite all the things “you” can do, the life of the place seems to go on without you. Apart from dying of starvation I found I could stand still for ages and no one bothered with me. There’s a touch of a travelogue about it all — just walking about seeing things and eating loads of food. I think it might have had a better impact if there was more danger immediately.’

‘A lot of program, no doubt about it, but much less excitement than I thought there would be. Still, if you like adventure games, this one is going to keep you occupied for hours and hours. ’

COMMENTS

Keyboard play: excellent
Use of colour: subtle and complex, excellent
Graphics: excellent
Sound: average
General Rating: An excellent program all round, which has gone further with graphics than any adventure game yet, but with reservations about the ultimate appeal of the quest, and an expensive game to buy.

Use of Computer

94%

Graphics

95%

Playability

90%

Getting Started

95%

Addictive Qualities

60%

Value For Money

55%

Overall

81.5%

VAMPIRE VILLAGE

Producer: Terminal Software
Author: Docimodus

Adventure games are really coming on apace as regard originality of presentation. Vampire Village bears a very vague similarity to Phipps Associates’ Greedy Gulch in as much as a town, or village in this case, is the setting, and you see a visual map of it. But there any resemblance ends. For here the entire village is laid out like an ordnance survey map, every building is shown, its doorway and shape, there’s the river beyond, the fields of crops beyond that, the red coloured cliffs and on top, the castle belonging to the vampire in question.

The story so far is a sad and familiar fable, there’s this village sitting on the banks of the River Ripple plagued by a Vampire who dwells in the castle above the Red Cliffs. You are the mayor of Vlasdorf and your task is to recruit volunteers, equip them and direct their attempts to rid Vlasdorf of its unwelcome predator. Usual vampire rules apply, i.e. stakes through the heart, no flying by day, garlic keeps him at bay. He’s invisible at night except for his eyes. The game is played with a full screen map of Vlasdorf and the surrounding area.

When you start a volunteer crops up immediately and you must decide how much of your £999 budget to give him for equipment. The volunteer appears as a tiny dot in the village, wandering around. He is directed by way of the cursor keys. As soon as 9.00am arrives, all the village doors open and the shops are ready for business. If you guide your volunteer into a shop the display changes to text, informing you where you are and what’s for sale at what price.

Food is essential if you want your man to remain alive, and don’t forget the garlic! Other essential equipment includes a means of crossing the river, for if you let your man wander into it, he drowns (and you lose the money you gave him)! If he’s not equipped sufficiently before night falls and the shops close he may well die.

During the game essential commands can be inputted by using the abbreviations Buy, Eat, Get, Hide, Ignore, Kill, Look, Sleep, Wake, Player status lets you know what your man is carrying, how he feels, and his defences (holy water is pretty good for defences).

CRITICISM

‘This is a real time graphic adventure. It has instant appeal but because it is very slow you get the feeling nothing much is going on. It’s well worth trying out all the command words as the program does respond with information that would otherwise remain hidden. To be honest I thought the game held more promise when I started than I did after half an hour of playing it.’

‘There is a feeling of being drawn into this village. The very pace is misleading at times. It seems quite slow, being in real time, but your volunteer is quite hard to manipulate when he’s in among the shops and houses. The trouble with him is that he has a mind of his own. Once you’ve got him in somewhere, he tells you what’s there, but leaves you with no time for thought, and he’s off in a flash. If there’s something you would like to buy or examine, you have very little time to make up your mind as to its worth. Perhaps my biggest complaint it that there seems to be little sense of danger in the game. The vampire takes so long to get anywhere and doesn’t do much when he does arrive, that there is no pressure on the player.’

‘In Vampire Village the layout gives you the odd sense of sitting in a helicopter hovering above a seemingly real life drama, manipulating its inhabitants. It does have a mesmerising quality which I like. The graphics are attractive although there is no animation involved beyond the moving dot of your volunteer, the eyes of the vampire and the opening and shutting of doors. A touch I particularly liked was the sound of your volunteer knocking at every door he reaches.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard play: responses seemingly slow at times
Use of colour: good, but night sequences could have been ‘darker’
Graphics: clear text, well presented, good map
Sound: minimal but well used
Lives: depends on how you spend your money
General Rating: above average, unusual type of adventure.

Use of Computer

70%

Graphics

58%

Playability

73%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

50%

Value For Money

51%

Overall

63.5%

VOLCANIC PLANET

Producer: Thorn Emi Video Ltd
Author: Nick Burroughs

It is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans, who live on the volcanic planet of Zeras. To do this you must make your way through an underground metropolis to the depths of the city, where you will find a volcanic plug. If you can plant your plasma bomb there, you will blow up the planet. But you must make your escape before the city fills up with lava. Okay?

The Zerans resemble purplish coloured amoebas and they scutter round the city complex in company with their much bigger slaves. Often the Zerans will ignore you, but they may try to crush you. ‘You’ resemble a little black spider.

There are five skill levels and depending on which one you select there are between 3 and 15 levels to the city. The display shows you only a tiny part of the whole complex (of one floor). There is a map at the top right hand corner of the entire floor you are on and looking at it gives you a headache! It’s huge.

Your protection is a suit of armour which wears down as the Zerans fire at you. When it’s gone the two other systems, power and bio system, become vulnerable and you die if they fail. Your blaster has plenty of charge, but that too runs down with use. These four are shown as falling bar codes at the bottom of the screen. Here and there in the maze you will come across various objects like tool repair kits and spare oxygen, but you must be quick because a Zeran will take them if he gets there first.

To go to another floor you must find the lifts, which are going up and down all the while. When you enter one (wait for it to arrive at your floor) you can activate it but you won’t know whether it’s going up or down, only the indicator at the left of screen tells you this. Entering an up lift on the top floor replenishes all your armour and power. Lifts only connect between 2 floors, otherwise it would be too easy.

CRITICISM

‘This is a very complex and complicated game to play. The graphics really are very good, colourful and very smooth, with 8-directional movement and continuous fire. The effect of the blaster is wonderful, great bolts of yellow mingled with red. It all has a satisfyingly violent feeling to it. My only complaint is with the keyboard layout, directional keys all in a line are awkward to use instinctively.’

‘If you enjoy large mazes then this is bound to be a winner! The complex is massive and it’s crawling with the enemy. Skill in moving and firing take a while to get together. The damned lifts don’t help either with your never knowing where they’re going. On the whole a playable and fairly addictive game with original looking graphics. But what happened to the sound?’

‘I never find maze games enjoyable to play, but this game offers load of enemies to go round zapping (good blaster effect). What is good is the way the aliens get excited if you shoot one of their number. All the others visible on the screen start dancing round as though they were actually hopping mad! I never got anywhere near planting my plasma bomb, even on the lowest skill level — it’s a game with plenty of playing scope. I’m sure it would be even better if there was some sound.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: a lot of keys to use. Direction is a bit odd; 6/7 left/right, 8/9 up down. Zero fires blaster. 5 operates a lift, 4 plants the plasma bomb.
Joystick options: Kempston, Sinclair
Keyboard play: very responsive in 8 directions
Use of colour: good
Sound: none
Skill levels: 5
Lives: 1
Screens: 15
General Rating: Very good, pity about the lack of sound.

Use of Computer

45%

Graphics

75%

Playability

77%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

65%

Value For Money

73%

Overall

69%

WARLOCK OF FIRETOP MOUNTAIN

Producer: Puffin Books
Author: Crystal Computing (Neil Mottershead, Simon Brattel)

A number of book publishing houses are now moving into games software publishing none so famous perhaps as Penguin, who have released this new game under their Puffin name.

An interesting aspect of this program is that it has been produced for Penguin by Crystal (Halls of the Things) and adapted from the amazingly successful novel of the same name written by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The novels (there is a series) are really computer program flow diagrams in book form.

Basically D&D format, the book keeps facing you with options where you can, say, pick one of three doors to go through. Whichever you choose, you will be given a page number to turn to, where the story continues, and it’s quite different for each door. The idea here is that the computer game supports the book and you may buy either the tape on its own for £5.50 or the combined pack of tape and novel for £6.95. Either way round it represents very good value.

Crystal are famous for the notoriously difficult Halls of the Things, and Dungeon Master. The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is actually similar to HOTT but somewhat easier to play and in some ways much better.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

After a two minute load, a set of beautifully written instructions fill you in on the scenario and tell you the control keys. You are about to enter the vast and complex labyrinth beneath the gruesome crags of Firetop Mountain. Created by the evil Warlock to guard his fabulous treasure, the labyrinth is crawling with vicious monsters like Orcs, Spiders, Slime Mould and others which will prevent your return to the surface. All you have is a bow and a trusty sword. The idea is to roam the maze and collect 15 keys, find the Warlock’s treasure chest, and escape with the lot.

There are 18 control keys, which may seem like a lot, but fortunately not all of them are needed at once! The screen only shows a small fraction of the actual maze, switching to the next section as you go. Here and there doors are shut in your way. These you can open and close, and in fact you can close many of the door-sized open spaces to keep the monsters at bay. The sword and your arrows can only be used in the direction you are facing, which is important because altering directions does not mean you are facing in that way. In the normal course of events, it’s possible and as easy to walk backwards, but if an enemy threatens, you have to use the cursor keys as well as the direction keys to be sure of facing the monster.

GENERAL

There are four directional keys, Z/X for left/right and N/M for up/down, plus the cursors which make you face in the four directions. Additionally A fires arrows, S sheathes or draws the sword, O and C open and close doors, SPACE centres your man on the screen, 1 displays score and number of keys held, 2 pauses the game, 3 turns the sound on and 4 turns it off and zero makes your man face in the direction of movement.

CRITICISM

‘This is very like Halls of the Things, but it’s much more playable. I actually found the other one too difficult and confusing to play. In Firetop you’re left alone long enough to get used to the keys and moving your man about so you feel confident about attacking the monsters, some of whom have swords and arrows like yourself.’

‘The graphics are better than HOTT’s, the monsters are more defined and realistic. Everything moves very smoothly and very fast. It needs a quick eye and hand co-ordination to survive monster attacks. Everything seems to happen in a blur at first until you get the hang of it, and just when you have, more monsters come along.’

‘A quickly learned lesson is to shut doors behind you — it keeps some of the horrors away. My only quibble really is why did they have to put the up/down keys in a straight line and on the bottom row with the left/right? It does make life unnecessarily difficult at first — but it isn’t a serious drawback.’

‘I think Penguin have a winner with this one — when’s the next one out?’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: complex but masterable
Use of colour: simple but very effective
Graphics: excellent and clear, but the man isn’t fully animated
Sound: average, more could have been made of it, though the on/off facility is useful
Skill levels: one
Lives: one but with a percentage of wounding allowed
General Rating: A very good, fast game and at its price, very good value.

Use of Computer

60%

Graphics

75%

Playability

78%

Getting Started

75%

Addictive Qualities

65%

Value For Money

85%

Overall

73%

WILD WEST HERO

Producer: Timescape Software
Author: Silicon Kid (Mike Stockwell, Paul Holmes)

Step out into the cacti strewn desert and shoot it out with rampaging bandits. In most respects this game resembles the robotic Frenzy type, where you find yourself surrounded and heavily outnumbered by the enemy. Instead of maze walls there are clumps of cacti, treacherous trees and other obstacles which mean instant death when touched.

The hero himself is assembled in the centre of the screen rather as he is in Virgin’s Spectron, out of little bits which whizz on from the top, bottom and sides.

CRITICISM

‘Our hero (Chris ‘Clint’ Passey) stepped out onto the plain with his automatic fire and repeat Colt 45 (based on the Fistful of Dollars guns no doubt) and had a go. The firing is continuous; all you have to do is move around and let the Colt do the rest. The bandits don’t shoot back but they outnumber you heavily. The trick is to manoeuvre across to the side and shoot back across as the bandits home in your position. It’s fairly easy at first, but with subsequent screens things really hot up as the numbers of bandits increase.’

‘A nice inlay and witty instructions back up the jolliest title screen yet, with nicely scrolling logo round the edges. It’s really a Frenzy or Berserk type of game, but the smoother graphics, which are quite big too, and the sheer speed make it exciting to play. The dangerous objects littered about which restrict your movement are also an added improvement.’

‘This is the best Berserk game I’ve seen yet, with big graphics and responsive controls. You get bonus lives after 20,000 points — that takes some going!’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: sensible, Q/A up/down, SYMBOL SHIFT/SPACE left/right
Joystick option: Kempston
Keyboard play: responsive, smooth, 8-directional
Use of colour: good
Graphics: very good
Sound: good
Skill levels: increasing difficulty by screen
Lives: 3
General Rating: Very good.

Use of Computer

85%

Graphics

80%

Playability

80%

Getting Started

80%

Addictive Qualities

83%

Value For Money

83%

Overall

82%

ZAXXAN

Producer: Starzone Software
Author: Nial Mardon

Probably the most talked about arcade game of the year has been Zaxxon, the complex scramble type game with amazing 3D graphics. Its cult following has probably been helped along by its scarcity. Of course there are favourable versions available for Atari (very good in fact), but it has been a cherished dream of Spectrum software houses to have a go. So it’s only fair to say at the outset that this version — the first of its kind for the Spectrum, is much simpler looking and moving than the arcade or Atari version. But it’s pretty good anyway.

For a start off Starzone haven’t been frightened of reproducing the three quarter angle view in blocky 3D; the shadow is there, and so are the features of the arcade original.

Your basic objective is to take your attack fighter through the formidable defences of the Zaxxan fort and destroy it. These include numerous gun emplacements, fighter aircraft, laser force fields and walls of varying heights. As the walls approach you must fire your guns — the explosions give you the best indication of your flying height. Fuel runs out rapidly and is replenished, as in scramble games, by shooting up fuel dumps.

CRITICISM

‘Here we have a Zaxxon copy, the first for the Spectrum, and which takes the same form as the original. The movement is a little jerky and the individual graphics are fairly small but easily identifiable. Colour is well used and the keyboard play is good, though the perspective makes it difficult. Zaxxon fans should enjoy this one.’

‘Your fighter is a single character size so it doesn’t do all that lovely banking on the turns that the original does, but in most respects this is a very good copy and difficult to play well. The character movement is jerky but not to its detriment, I thought, you soon get used to that. Perhaps it makes fine tuning a little hard. But how nice to have a Zaxxon copy for the Spectrum at last.’

‘Pretty triffic on the whole, not as smooth as the original and still plenty of scope for improvement over the next few months, but I wouldn’t miss out on this one! My one grouse is that they chose dark blue for the floor, the black shadow tends to get a bit lost. It helps though if you have your contrast right up on the telly.’

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: good
Joystick options: Kempston
Keyboard play: responsive, but character movement makes it a little hard to judge accurately
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: nicely drawn and detailed, but jerky movement
Sound: fairly good
Lives: 5
General Rating: Good.

Use of Computer

80%

Graphics

77%

Playability

68%

Getting Started

68%

Addictive Qualities

70%

Value For Money

80%

Overall

74%