N•E•W•S

ULTIMATE PLAY THE GAME AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

The collected works of Ultimate Play the Game, one of the most consistently successful software houses ever, are set to be released in one massive package. The Ultimate compilation, which has been endorsed by CRASH, will include Jetpac, Pssst, Atic Atac (92%, Issue 1), Lunar Jetman (95%, Issue 1), Cookie, Tranz-Am, Knight Lore (94%, Issue 12), Alien 8 (95%, Issue 15), Nightshade (91%. Issue 21), Gunfright (92%, Issue 25) and Sabre Wulf (unrateable CRASH Smash, Issue 6). This Rare gaming opportunity will be available in the shops sometime early in August at £12.99 on cassette and £14.99 on disk. Don’t miss it!

Chris and Tim Stamper, the mystery men behind Ultimate’s success

NEW PRODUCTS FROM OLD SOFTIES

The programming language and utility specialists HiSoft have modified four of their Spectrum titles to run on the +3. HiSoft BASIC turns most of Spectrum BASIC, with one or two exceptions, into fast machine-code. HiSoft C is an integer-only one-pass compiler, with interactive line editor. Devpac (the assembler/debugger) now assembles disk-to-disk and HiSoft Pascal, a one pass compiler, supports all the features of Standard Pascal as well as extensions to allow low level access to the machine. They retail at £28.95, £29.00, £19.95 and £35.00 respectively and are available in shops or by mail from HiSoft.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

The Power House have launched a competition designed to find the games player of the year. The company are inviting the public to send in details of their highest scores on The Power House games. Entrants should send their name and address as well as photographic evidence of their score to the Power House. Each game champion will receive 20 free games while 30 games plus a Sony personal stereo await the overall winner.

RIBBON AND BLUES

Blue Ribbon’s latest re-release is a sports special. The first of a series of Take 3 compilations features Steve Davis Snooker (77%, Issue 12), a Rugby Union simulation and CDS Software’s Pool (77% Issue 6). The disk costs £9.99 and should be available soon.

CASCADING BACK

Gamebusters, the new budget label from Cascade Games kicks off with the re-release of their flight simulator Ace (81%, issue 32). The game, which should be available in the shops now, retails at £2.99 on cassette and £4.99 on disk.

THE GOOD COMPANION

A new company, which claims to produce many original utility programs for the Spectrum, has been set up in Cumbria. Known as Companion, it also sells hardware, including blank cassettes in bulk, Spectrum components including ROMs, ULAs and all kinds of keyboard membranes. For further information see the advertisement due to be placed in the July issue of CRASH. The first five people to spend over £30 within a month of the publication of the advert, will receive an electronic push button telephone free.

SIR CLIVE GOES TO OREGON

US marketing and distribution of Sir Clive Sinclair’s portable Z88 computer has been placed firmly in the hands of an American company. Diversified Foods, which is based in Portland, Oregon, has set up a subsidiary company called Sinclair Systems Inc, designed to sell the computer nationwide. Sir Clive’s firm has only a 25% stake in the new company. The deal was set in motion by Atari’s founder, Nolan Bushnell, who had hoped to take on the Z88’s US distribution himself. The Z88 will retail for $549 and is being marketed with the emphasis on the originality of the product rather than in terms of competition with other laptops.

HOOK, LINE AND SINKER

MacMillan Publishing have decided to close down their 18-month-old games label Piranha. Current turnover was not considered sufficient to justify further investment. Launched at the 1986 PCW show, Piranha was responsible for such releases as Trap Door (88%, Issue 33), Strike Force Cobra (83%, Issue 33) and Yogi Bear (62%, Issue 47). These programs and others have already been bought up by the budget label Alternative. At least the better games won’t go down with the name.