| | | | | |
| R I C K ' S R A V E O F T H E M O N T H
|
|
|
These posts count for bonus points after each ball
- get as many as possible before going down the tube.
|
Yes the game even includes tilt! You can nudge
that ball over just a little, but go too far and ...
Ooops!
|
|
|
You position the bumpers and the like, that
you want on the play area
by simply pressing their
letter label. The arrow on
the object marks the
point from which they'll
be drawn.
| .
.
.
.
|
Macadam features all
those nice bits you get on
the 'real' machines
including extra balls,
bonus points and something mysteriously
tagged 'special'.
|
|
If you get bored with this
layout then you can redesign your own. One of
the program's most
powerful features, that!
|
This is the screen that
will allow you to design
your own Pinball game. If
your efforts are judged
the best by PSS then you
could win a real full-sized
machine for your bedroom!
|
|
|
This game's got more flippers than a school of
dolphins. You see, Macadam will let you have as
many flippers as you care to cram into the screen.
|
The ball's shot out from here and you've total
control over the speed it flies out at. It's all done in
the press of a button!
|
|
MACADAM BUMPER
PSS / £9.95
Rick: Well, flip me, what a bumper treat for
pinball and programming wizards. This is the
pinball game in excelsis!
But not only that, this game has the facility
to let you design your own pin ball table.
Mind you, there's nothing wrong with the
programmed one. And if you come up with a
beaut then PSS will build it and give it to
you. If you don't win their competition it'll
still provide you with endless permutations
|
of bumpers, bells and ripples.
Right from the loading screen this game
captures all the thrills of those nights
maniacally flexing your flipper fingers. But
there's no seven foot lurch behind you ready
to top yer if yer beat his score.
Like all the best games it's simplicity itself.
Six flippers are controlled by two keys. For a
little ambience, press C to put your money
in. (No bent lOps allowed). Punch up the
number of players you want then release the
ball at the pace you like to pin those posts or
|
pot that special. As a simulation its uncanny.
The flippers have the deftness and delicacy
of the best of the real thing. You can jolt -
but gently, or else, of course you tilt. You
can catch and hold the ball for precision
shooting - or flip as frantically as your
reflexes allow.
You don't have to be a Tommy to enjoy
this - nor, indeed, to have played pinball
before. But I bet you'll be deaf, dumb and
blind to any other Arcades once you're
hooked on this! 9/10
|
| J . . O . . Y . . S . . T . . I . . C . . K
| JURY
|
BRYAN ROBSON'S SUPERLEAGUE
Paul Lamond / £12.95
Rick: You can tell this is Bryan Robson's
football game and not Glenn Hoddle's.
The
|
emphasis is definitely on sweat and
perseverance, not grace and artistry. This
is a manager's game, not a simulation, but
presumably Bryan's name sells better too.
The gimmick of this is to combine the
pleasures (and pitfalls) of a dice board
with a computer. Of course they could be
combined on a T.V. screen but then you
wouldn't get the impressive packaging. If
you buy this for the skills of the ball
rather than the beauty of the box you
might be disappointed.
Basically you have to build a team and
keep it fit (and more importantly solvent)
to win the league as you battle against
chance and hazards depicted by weather,
bank managers and errant train drivers
rather than Barnes or Gary Lineker.
Your matches are mapped out on the
board and take you to the major cities
rather than the major teams.
|
Yer actual fans (and there are some
left!) might think too much emphasis is
put on weather as though this is cricket
not soccer. A player's worth is seen in
monetary, not skill terms but the most
expensive is only £120,000 so we're
really in the second division.
You can profit by breaking your
opponent's legs (without fear of
suspension) or cheat by saving goals that
the ref hasn't seen go over the line. Not
bad as a long playing strategy game. 6/10
Ross: Lovely box - wonderful
presentation and all that, but I reckon the
software house behind it should have
spent a little more cash on the program
rather than the promotional gear. 7/10
Dougie: I always did go for the Football
Manager type programs. This one ain't
up to the original's standards, but it's
quite a challenge once you settle in. 8/10
|
| | | |
| R O S S ' S R A V E O F T H E M O N T H
|
|
The idea of each screen is to turn all the shaded
platform areas solid. You do this by - you
guessed it - walking on them!
|
|
Throughout the game
you'll come across these
doors with the numbers
nailed above them. These
are the transporters.
Climb into one and press
'P' - you'll be beamed
up to the next door in
sequence.
|
Collecting these knick-knacks gives you power to
get your own back on the meanies. Isn't that like
the puck pellets in Pac Man?
|
.
.
.
.
| .
.
.
.
|
|
As long as you don't linger, you'll find that you'll
be able to get through the screens quite simply.
The objects are laid out so that if you take the right
path you'll pick up an object every one or two
meanies - enabling you to eat them without
having to stop.
|
Go for a slide down here. On later levels these
slides can run from top to bottom of the screen -
weaving around every possible object - somewhat
like a Butlins funpool!
|
Bob's long distance jumping abilities aren't as
good as those of some other platform heroes. It
seems that if you fall a matter of two steps, you're
in for the squash routine.
|
BOUNTY BOB
US Gold / £7.95
Ross: Scrambling around hundreds of
screens looking for assorted objects and
dodging hordes of nasties - sounds
familiar, eh? Yep, it's yet another ladders
and platforms game. But wait! Don't try for a
getaway in sheer disgust, this one's a cut
above yer average, believe me.
So what's it all about? You've got to guide
bouncing Bounty Bob around quite a few
screens, hording unlikely combinations of
clutter like flower pots, gems and cakes. As
|
you'd expect there's no shortage of nasties
to hamper his progress, but Bounty's got a
handy asset, his own insatiable appetite!
Just like a magpie or an old billy goat, he'll
greedily demolish every object in sight, and
by doing this he transforms the yellow nasties into an appetising snack too! There's a
lot to be said for greed in this game!
There's plenty of leaping and bounding for
Bounty Bob to try, but don't let him fall too
far or he's a gonner! With only three lives he
can't afford to take too many risks!
If you manage to touch every platform in
the Painter game part, you'll then be
|
promoted to the next screen. And that's
where the fun starts. Bounty Bob can take
lifts, slide down the longest tracks possible,
use the transporters and generally cause
havoc amongst the idyllic lives of the nasty
green things.
There's only one thing that you'll lack
while playing Bounty Bob - that's time to
think. Bob won't have time to hang around
because the meanies will be on his tail if he
does.
All in all, it's pretty addictive, but don't be
fooled into thinking it's a cinch ... you'll see
why ... 9/10
|
| J . . O . . Y . . S . . T . . I . . C . . K
| JURY
|
MONTY ON THE RUN
Gremlin Graphics / £7.95
Ross: For all the Monty Mole fans out
there, this game continues his escapades,
only this time, it
|
all seems a little more
difficult. You're gonna have to help little
Monty escape the forces of Law and
Order and get him on a boat bound for
France!
The scenario of screens behind the tale
of this cosmopolitan little rodent are
similar to those in the original game. It's
all platforms, ladders, ropes, and even
those horrible 'crushers'. What's new are
the transporters which flash on and off in
spectacular multicolours, and you'll have
to learn the colour code as quickly as
possible if you want to pass through them
safely. It's a bit like complicated traffic
lights really ...
You can kit Monty out with five
assorted objects at the start, to set him up
in life. You then have to collect gold
coins, and use the objects, just as you did
in the first Monty
|
game. Your timing has
to be pretty hot, and mapping is essential.
I'd say that this game has a higher fun
factor than its predecessor especially
since Monty has become more dynamic
and has taken to leaps and somersaults
rather than straight walking! This adds to
the visual sparkle and keeps the adrenalin
flowing. It's a goodie, try it! 9/10
Dougie: He flies through the air with the
greatest of ease ... Just another boring
platform game? Rubbish! Give me that
joystick back ... 9/10
Rick: Not a bad rework on an old
adventure. Monty seems to have
developed a few more athletic tendencies
though, so I won't be surprised if I end
up with a headache after playing this one. 9/10
|
SUPERBRAT
Atlantis / £1.99
Rick: Atlantis they say disappeared below
the
|
waves without trace. Not unlike
McEnroe at Wimbledon! And really this
tennis simulation that promises so much,
ends up a loser too. Play a few rallies on
the opposition simulations before making
your mind up.
Mind you, it does have some aces up
its sleeve. All the basic facilities of singles
tennis are on offer. Matches are of 3 or 5
sets and follow the score patterns of the
real McCoy. You can actually toss the
ball to serve - until you've mastered the
art, its underarm - no wonder superbrat
is so often the winner! - but an ace or
two is still possible. Direction, curiously,
depends on the speed you hit the ball -
fast to the left, slow to the right. Combined with lateral movement, angles and
cross courts can be created - a step up
from the old pit-pat over the net.
|
Master these movements and then
progress through the three layers of
difficulty - the British tournament (for
beginners of course!), then European and
World. Though would it've been so hard
to actually name tournaments?
Unfortunately, you can't programme
yourself or the omnipresent superbrat for
different skills or variations in
temperament or style so it can take on
the monotony of the base-line basher.
But it could while away the months until
the strawberries and cream are fresh
again.
Ross: Tennis? You cannot be serious,
man ... 5/10
Dougie: An unoriginal idea with an
unchallenging game. This one scores no
aces with me. 5/10
|
THE EVIL CROWN
Mind Games / £9.95
Dougie: The Evil Crown is an Icon driven
|
trading simulation of the middle ages,
where you take the part of lord and
master over the peasants. But that's not
enough to satisfy your lust for power, so
you're going for the big one, The Evil Crown, Top Dog, The BOSS!
As Top Baddy, your job's to make sure
the peasants don't get too big for their
boots, sort out the other Barons who've
got designs on the throne, look after your
loyal troops and expand your lands as
well! Not only that, you've got to thrash
the chainmail off your opponents' knights
at the annual jousting tournament. Nothing too difficult, in fact, it's all in a
knight's work for an apprentice tyrant
like yourself. Be careful at the jousting
though, as some of the knights are a bit
knatty with ye olde lance, they like to
lance-a-lot (groan Ed.).
The game itself is well written and the
graphics
|
are fairly good, not brilliant, but
they'll do. The icon driver is one of the
smoothest and easiest I've ever used.
Although I enjoyed playing The Evil Crown, I have to say that they'd have a
hard job separating me from a tenner for
it! Perhaps Mind Games should
concentrate more on the software and
less on the megasized boxes! 5/10
Ross: Mind Games have made the move
from menu to icon and pointer driven
games quite smoothly, and seem to find
games that suit this new environment.
The graphics are great and the game's
pretty enjoyable. 9/10
Rick: It's the only game of Kingdoms that
I reckon's worth playing. The icons are a
bit tricky at first, but you'll soon get used
to them. 8/10
|
CONVOY
Budgie / £2.50
|
Dougie: Zis iz a very interezting simulation
game. Lizten, you wargaming fanaticz out
zere. Ze scenario is WW II, ze location,
the North Atlantic. You and your partner
play ze parts of ze commanders in the
British and German Naval forces. Your
mission? to destroy ze enemy convoy and
sink their flagship - zats all.
Ze fleet under your command haz ze
full complement of Aircraft carriers,
Battleships, Cruisers, Destroyers and
Submarines. Occasionally, you have ze
benefit of ze air reconaissanze too.
Ze game starts with ze British Player
being given ze option to review his fleet's
status or begin moving it around. He iz
allowed to set the speed and course of
each vessel
|
independently, so he haz full
control over zair movements. Power, huh!
Convoy iz a very interezting game if
you like ze wars, but it's written in ze
Basic vhich makes it very slow and
difficult to play. At two and a half
poundz, it's not a winner, but itz very
good practice for vinning ze wars and
ruling ze vurld ... Ha, Ha, Ha!! 6/10
Rick: For a budget game it ain't bad, but
it's not for the uncommitted wargamer or
non-strategist. Shame you have to reload
after each game. 7/10
Ross: A well-produced version of battleships with extra graphics and better
computer control. There's nothing
wonderful to make saying "Get yourself a
Convoy" worthwhile. 4/10
|
| J . . O . . Y . . S . . T . . I . . C . . K
| JURY
|
CODENAME MAT II
Domark / £8.95
|
Ross: As I suspected, this game is a near
clone of Codename Mat I. It's time to get
your spacesuit out and join the Star Trek
league of alien-zappers again.
The scenario is a few ions different
from the original - you'll be protecting
the 24 satellites that are circling the
Mines of Vesta. (So that's where they get the curries from? Ed.) Maintaining your
satellites is a bit like painting the Forth
Bridge as the nasty little Myons keep trying to destroy at least one satellite out of
each group of four, so you must keep
repairing them without letting the links
between groups break down. Circles of
boredom, perhaps?
Your craft is well equipped to feed you
with info about your status, etc. As for
fighting back, you've got a choice of
lasers or energy
|
bolts to attack with. The
lasers are faster but deprive you of more
energy into the bargain. You must control
the temperature of the lasers, speed,
shields and all - which leads to not only
a complex game but a wonderful tangle
of fingers too! And I thought computers
had done away with such mundane tasks ...
If you've played Codename Mat I then
there's no real surprises for you. If not,
then take a look. 7/10
Dougie: Better than Codename Mat I it
may be, but it ain't as hot as Starion,
Elite and games of that ilk. 6/10
Rick: I never played Codename Mat I,
and I'm not sure whether I should have
bothered with the sequel. 3D space wars
are a bit dead unless you can do them
well. 5/10
|
CYLU
Firebird / £2.50
|
Ross: I was hoping that this would be
some kind of crazy maze game ... but to
say that would be misleading. There's not
so much as a measly minotaur to stumble
across in this limp labyrinth.
Talking of myths, I was certainly myth-
lead by the claim that this game's
graphics were up to Alien 8 standard -
which would be impressive at £2.50! But
no, they're not that good at all. It is a 3D
style game, which although pretty,
doesn't help you manoeuvre. The 3D bit
means that the corridors between blocks
are on the diagonals, and as your robot
friend moves a character block at a time,
staying on course is pretty difficult.
Big problem number two, is finding
fuel cells to replenish your supply as you
busily consume away on your convoluted
travels. You can
|
only carry five things
around, so don't tank yourself up too
much.
Access to hidden parts of the maze is
gained by using keys to activate any of
the nine teleport terminals. But even
there, you won't be in for any great
surprises. As a bargain priced game it's
reasonable, but it's not what you'd call
'amazing'. 5/10
Rick: You're either going to love or hate
this game. I hate it. The weird 3D effect
confuses me beyond wanting to play, and
as my fuel runs out before I get a chance
to get into it, I ain't going to bother trying. 5/10
Dougie: If I had time to get into this I'm
sure I'd enjoy it. As it is I just can't
understand what makes it tick. 7/10
|
STREET HAWK
Ocean / £6.95
Dougie: Street Hawk's another one of
those TV
|
tie-ups of which we all expect
great things. I'm sure you're as
disappointed as me to learn that once
again, the computer game bears no
relation to the TV show. I just wish for a
change that someone would actually do a
good TV or movie game. Anyway, back
to the game, if like me you're a fan of the
original Defender, this game's for you.
First, you have to charge up your Street Hawk by gaining points through the
accuracy of your laser firing. Once you've
got the juice then you're off, your mission? ... to blast the enemy helicopters to
bits and rescue the survivors - simple
innit!! You've also got to pick up the
pieces of some of the enemy helicopters
to get you on to the next level. Keep a
keen eye on the twin scanners to make
|
sure you know where the next attack is
coming from.
All in all, if you're a Defender fan, then
this game's got some of the fastest,
flicker-free, hi-res sprites that I've ever
seen on the Speccy. And it's full of hi-
speed Defender style action, though I'm
not sure that my software collection really
needs another Defender style program. 6/10
Rick: The ultimate for Arcade Hell's
Angels. Fast, furious and full throttle for
battling bikers chasing choppers with
choppers. Not one for the meek and
mild. 7/10
Ross: Defender with motorbikes - didn't
Activision do something similar on the
Atari two years ago? Points for pretty
graphics, but nothing for originality. 7/10
|
CLUEDO
Leisure Genius / £9.95
Ross: Was it Mrs. Peacock, in the Conservatory,
|
with the revolver ... or Reverend
Green in the Library? For those of you
who've never played this classic board
game, the thought of solving mysterious
murders in a huge mansion setting must
sound pretty intriguing. But the thing is,
after you've learnt all the names of the
characters, and the rooms, the novelty
wears well and truly off!
As the Spectrum version follows the
original Waddington's traditions, there's
nothing to distinguish the two. You'll see
the same board, throw the same dice and
make the same old moves from room to
room. You'll also make the same old
accusations about who did what, and
where? What's more, you'll miss out on
the miniature weapons that you can place
on the board in the original.
Another let down is the pictorial
versions of
|
the rooms. They convert the
palatial, spacious residence of your imagination into a vision of next-door's pokey
semi ... shame.
It has to be said that the graphics are
clear, and the speed of play is pretty
nifty, so you'll be kept on the move. If
you fancy yourself as a good-
ol'-fashioned detective, then you'll find
everything you need in this one. 6/10
Rick: Same old solid replication of the
board game. Ivor Notion Miss Scarlett
did it with the lead-piping, but that's
another story. If you're a Cluedo fan, you
could be playing it for hours, in the
kitchen, the lounge or wherever! 7/10
Dougie: The graphics are nice and the
program's well written - but who could
think of playing Cluedo on anything but
the lounge floor? 7/10
|
| J . . O . . Y . . S . . T . . I . . C . . K
| JURY
|
MONOPOLY
Leisure Genius / £9.95
Rick: Does following the traumas of Uncle
Clive in the market place put too much
strain on the
|
old ticker? Why not relax
and put your greenbacks into where the
real bunce is - simple low down, land
and property. Leisure Genius's adaption
of Waddington's classic board game
Monopoly could be just the start you
need - gazump your girlfriend, bankrupt
your brother and mortgage your mother
in this fun family game!
As Monopoly imitates life, so Leisure
Genius has unerringly simulated it for the
computer. Technically, nothing would
appear to be missing from the original.
And there are added bonuses - your
snotty brother can't kick the board over
'cos he's 'the boot' again or 'cos he's
landed on your Regent Street with 4
hotels for the eighth time (tee hee!).
More importantly, there's a facility for
playing by yourself for all you lonely
hearts Monopoly fans. Trading with other
players seems slower than in the
|
board
version - and not so much fun - it's
hard to haggle and shout abuse on a TV
screen (for some at least).
I also missed the crackle of new £50
toy-town notes between my fingers -
and piling up my placcy houses and
hotels. Otherwise it's a worthy if hardly
imaginative translation, staying loyal to
the original but you probably expect a
little more from your computer games. 6/10
Ross: An excellent conversion from the
original, albeit slightly harder to have an
enjoyable game. This one gets my vote! 8/10
Dougie: As with most computer games
based on a board game, this lacks something on the TV Screen. I still prefer to
get out the board and sit in the middle of
the room with the family. 7/10
|
| | | |
| D O U G I E ' S R A V E O F T H E M O N T H
|
|
Each event has its own
'quality' mark, You don't
necessarily need to
achieve this point to get
into the next event, but if
you do, it does mean
you'll go with your full
line up of athletes.
|
.
.
.
.
|
DALEY THOMPSON'S SUPERTEST
Ocean / £6.95
Dougie: You'll be really knackered when you
get to grips with D.T.'s Supertest, it's a real
test of skill and endurance not to mention the
damage it does to your digits!
First off, comes the Pistol Shooting, where
you'll need a quick eye and a fast hand to
score enough points to qualify.
Next up is the Cycle Racing, where you
compete against the clock. Actually, it's
more of a test to see what gives in first, you,
your fingers, or your poor ol' speccy!
When you've fully recovered from the
cycling, you get the chance to go for a nice
relaxing dip in the pool. Ha-ha, that'll be the
day - you didn't think you'd get in there for
nothing did you? No, you have to turn
somersaults and dive into the water without
the slightest ripple.
You'd better dig out your thermal underwear for the next event as it gets pretty
chilly on the Giant Slalom. Although you get 2
chances you'll probably spend more time on
your backside than you will winging your
way down the slopes!
Day 2 sees you starting four new events.
The rowing is another finger numbing
exercise in stamina, and you'll have to beat
the clock to qualify. You're also up against a
computer opponent who's hard to beat.
Beat the Goalie, next. Well, you don't
actually get to beat the goalie, you have to
beat him at penalties. You can build up the
power of your shot on the run up and at the
last minute kick the ball at an angle to fool
the goalie. (Tee-hee!)
Now you're for the high jump. Well
actually, the Ski Jump, but they want you to
jump high anyway! To get the best flight,
build up your speed on the ramp, then just
before the end, press the fire button to jump
off into the clear blue yonder.
If you've any stamina left after all that, it's
time to put your bulging biceps to the test in
the tug-of-war. Once again your fingers bear
the brunt of the bashing as you struggle to
pull your way to victory. It's all pretty
exhilarating stuff. 9/10
|
|
You can move out and
up, but you can't move
back in to hit your target,
that means you've got to
be accurate first time!
There ain't no second
chances in this event.
|
|
One advantage this has over Hypersports is the
fact you start off with three men, This means that if
you fail in one event, you can always get into the
next event providing you have a man left.
|
You've only got two directional controls, so how
does Daley work that one out? Well, it ain't too
easy - the left button is used for moving left and
right while the right-hand is used to move you up.
It takes a lot of getting used to!
|
|
To do well in the Ski
Jump, build up plenty of
speed before launching
yourself off into the cold
air to gain the maximum
jump possible. You'll
need to go like fury on
power buttons, and then
take off as close to the
edge as you dare.
|
.
.
.
.
|
|
Down here, at the bottom
of most screens, you'll
find this little power
meter. This tells you just
exactly how much effort
you're putting into each
event, which is quite
important since this is
directly related to the
score you're going to get
at the end.
|
|
Take care when landing - if you press the button
too early then you'll take a tumble in the snow. Too
low and you'll break those expensive skis on hire
from Ocean.
|
These views show you the plan and side views of
your jump. Use the top one to judge when you've
got to prepare your landing, and the bottom one to
estimate how far you are flying. Whoopee!
|
