Producer: Destiny
Retail Price: £8.95
Author: Nick Eatock

Once again the Universe is under threat: the evil ruler Teladon is plotting destruction from his hideout deep in the labyrinthine structures of the moon which bears his name. The player's task, armed only with a hoverbike and a laser gun, is to navigate the complex tunnels and mazes, locate the self-destruct button and initiate Teladon's demise.

The moon is surrounded by a series of concentric mazes connected by rocky tunnels. Avoiding the edges of a steep-sided 3-D crevasse the player searches for an exit into the complex below. Enemy vessels attack and occasionally create laser beam fences which must be destroyed; a moveable target allows direction of the hoverbike's laserfire.

Collision with any obstacle at average speeds means instant death. but travelling at very slow speeds causes the bike to bounce rather than explode. Excessively slow progress is detrimental to the player's oxygen level, though, as signalled by a decreasing meter.

Once located, a hole in the ground allows access to a maze of 3-D passages inhabited by hostiles which are best avoided. The task is aided by collectable icons which represent extra lives, laser supplies, oxygen bubbles or keys for use in the tunnel below.

As the player nears Teladon itself the surrounding tunnels and mazes become shorter. Having reached the centre, the self-destruct is activated and the Universe liberated from doom.

COMMENTS

Joysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair
Graphics: lacking in variation and colour
Sound: a poor repetition of uninspiring sound effects

Teladon involves an interesting combination of elements. However, for a game which boasts two completely different areas of play, it doesn't offer much variety. Hurtling down the tunnels requires so much care that the race soon turns into a ramble; attempts to inject some speed into the procedure are swiftly halted. The maze sequence lacks compulsion since you have very little power to combat alien fire and there's little to collect. Zapping enemies gives minor satisfaction since they have the annoying power of regenerating whenever you return to a location. Gameplay is initially quite difficult and. unless you persevere, you definitely won't get hooked. 20 levels in the same monotonous mould are unlikely to lead to major addiction.
KATI

After playing and greatly enjoying Yeti, I held high hopes for Teladon. But alas, it was not to be. What I did find was a graphically average, collect 'n' blast maze game with one or two interesting ideas. Although fun at first, I soon tired of first zooming along a canyon at full pelt on a jet bike, and then descending to the subterranean mazes to battle it out with the guards (who simply potter up to you on their little scooters and blast you to bits). Teladon is a merely average game, and although not disastrous, I leave you with the time-honoured piece of advice: 'try before you buy'.
MARK

In trying to combine two memory-exhaustive game types, Teladon's programmers have had to compromise. The blend is a repetitive and ultimately tedious mongrel of a game. Not only is Teladon boring, both parts are very tough to play. The perspective scrolling in the tunnel section is too jerky and the laser sight too slow to permit accurate blasting of hostiles. The game also comes to an abrupt end if you don't decelerate in time to shoot a force field, because the player is reincarnated on the same spot on which he expired, and is forced to sit repeatedly through the static effect until all lives are gone. The maze section is made extremely difficult by the laser-toting aliens, and luck is at a higher premium than skill. The final nail in the coffin is the lack of variation in both sections; even the pretty graphics can't save Teladon from mediocrity and I advise against buying it.
PAUL

Destiny
£8.99
Reviewer: Marcus Berkmann

Destiny, as you may remember, is Francis Lee's exciting new label, he of Beyond, Starlight, Manchester City and England fame. Yeti was the label's first release, an efficient enough shoot 'em up to be sure, but nothing so addictive or innovative that we could recommend it unreservedly. Teladon is very much another kettle of kippers, combining as it does two entirely different game types, squashed into 48K. There are skilful talents at work here, but the recurring question looms - where's the game?

It's cleverly programmed, for certain. The first part sees you flying on a sort of hovering jetbike, into the screen and a rocky canyon, through which all sorts of hazards lie and all manner of nasties whizz about trying to bump into you, as nasties like to do. Your joystick manipulates your sights as well as your direction, so that if you don't zap 'em while you have the chance, you have to avoid the nasties instead. Rocks too will knock you out and so will the walls of the canyon. Irritatingly, you can often get into a sort of 'death loop', in which you can't stop yourself dying, perhaps four or five times in quick succession.

The idea, as you groove along, is to pick up a key (on your right) and then find a hole (further on, on your left) into which you then descend. The key is your insurance, in case you miss the hole - it'll let you move onto a slightly harder canyon course. If you do get down okay, you'll re-emerge in an entirely different game - a 3D isometric layout in fact, complete with sparkly Knight Lore-type death sprites. This is again a shoot 'em up, with absolutely no arcade adventure elements as far as I can see, and it's phenomenally hard to get through, as your weapon is clearly inferior to those of your many enemies. Collision detection, too, is questionable.

It's not really terribly addictive I'm afraid, much as I praise the programming skills and the general slickness of the production. How they managed to fit both perspective and isometric games, complete, into one package is brainy stuff. But as for the gameplay - well, sorry, funsters, but it doesn't really cut it.

Label: Destiny Software
Author: Nick Eatock
Price: £8.95
Memory: 48K/128K
Joystick: various
Reviewer: Tony Dillon

I've heard of being conceited, but this guy really goes too far. I mean, just get a load of this plot. You're trying to quench the reign of terror laid on by an evil ruler whose name is Teladon. Hence the name of the game, you may think, but read on. The moon he rules is also called Teladon. (I bet anything you like the big head named the moon after himself. I wouldn't be surprised, you know what these megalomaniac leaders are like). It's a wonder we don't live in Thatcherland, oh yes, a little bit of politics, a little bit of politics, very funny, I, don't, think (quick Ben Elton impersonation there)!

You set about destroying the evil ruler simply by building a bomb. How do you build a bomb? Well, first you've got to find the pieces to make it. These pieces are hidden deep in the bowels of the game, which represents the most impressive technical breakthrough seen on the Spectrum for several years. Why do I say this? It's because the game is set on 2 entirely different environments, giving the game a unique variety in gameplay. This is what the blurb tells us.

Now let me tell you what the game really has. Yes, it does have two sections, both entirely different but neither are really wonderful. The first section has you flying down a long canyon avoiding walls and nasties, looking for the lift down to the second section. Lift? More like a hole if you ask me!

Take a look at the screen shots on this page. Look very nice, don't they? But to be honest, it's not very nice to play. The bike is very hard to steer and the cross hairs which control your laser are very, very difficult to use. You find after a while they move to the top of the screen, and as the control to make them come down is the same control to stop the bike, you find yourself stopping and starting a lot. Also, when you are travelling at high speeds, you can be easily knocked into walls in such a way that you lose at least 3 lives before you've even moved. Very frustrating.

The second level is also 3D, but we're talking 'isometric' here. Your hoverbike has turned into a plate with a bit of lego on the front and you are even more uncontrollable than you were before. For some reason, the computer can't make up its mind which way the joystick controls are meant to move. And, in this part, you don't get a gun either, you can only duck and punch. Booorrrriiiinng!

One thing that springs to my mind is that Teladon, despite all the blurb, doesn't really give Spectrum owners anything new. In fact, I found it to be very much like 2 average budget games stuck into one full price game.

MACHINES: Spectrum
SUPPLIER: Destiny
PRICE: £8.95

Survive the ride or zoom to your doom. We're talking Teladon here, a terribly tasty teaser from new boys Destiny.

Starting our on your space bike you zoom off down a tunnel, ultimately hoping to penetrate the lower levels. But this ain't no tunnel of love. Those pesky pains in their space crafts have hate in their hearts.

As you race down the tunnel you must avoid the edges and the boulders that litter your path. So steer clear and stay sharp. Don't forget to grab any keys, lazers, to replenish supplies, and drive through oxygen bubbles to top air supplies.

And you'll need those lazers to teach those alien whatsits what's what and where to get off!

Watch out for the ones that zig-zag from side to side. They fire heat-seeking missiles. But you can knock these out with your lazer beam. The other type of alien craft lurking around is one shaped like a spinning top. These move at high speed in straight lines. Your only tactic is to dodge these demons.

The zig-zagging craft can also generate lazer beam fences between them and boulders. Destroy the craft and the beam vanishes.

There are also gates to be negotiated and this is where you need keys.

Exits to lower levels are through holes. But these can be very difficult to enter. I kept zooming straight past.

Speed is the vital factor to master for success in the tunnels. Go too fast and you can get into trouble without being able to react quick enough. Too slowly and you just bump into things.

Hopefully once through the hole you're down to a lower level. If you're unlucky you could find yourself zipping up an aircute to the level you've just left. The next section of the game is known as the complex.

This is basically a maze problem, with the bad guys zapping at you as you try to solve it. Complete this and it's onto another tunnel and so forth.

Teladon is one of the first releases Destiny and a good start it is. Let's hope the standard keeps up.

Spectrum 48K Cassette: £8.95

MOON BLUES

The name of Nick Eatock, Teladon's author, is firmly linked with that of Destiny boss Francis Lee. Nick wrote Sorderon's Shadow, published by Beyond, and Greyfell, published by Starlite - both companies for which Francis Lee worked before forming Destiny.

Teladon, an evil psychopathic genius on the moon, is threatening to destroy the world and it is up to you to stop him. But be that as it may, the game has two distinct types of play: a 3-D section, reminiscent in appearance of Micronaut One (but only as a means of reference, since the 3-D effect is extremely limited) and an isometric maze section.

First you are astride a jet-scooter, speeding through an enemy-infested moon tunnel. Your mission is to survive long enough to reach an underground complex and find Teladon's HQ before his destructive plan is put into operation. Two types of enemy inhabit the tunnel: bulbous to open gates, trapdoors to gain entrance to underground caverns, craft that fire heat-seeking missiles, and spinners which destroy you on contact. Both may be either avoided or shot with lasers. Other obstacles include locked gates, and laser beam fences. Objects to aid you may also be found along the way: keys and, as the moon has no atmosphere, oxygen bubbles to replenish your supply.

DO YOUR BEST LEVEL

Part two takes place in the isometric maze complex below the moons surface. Each level - there are ten - is circular in shape. As you explore the maze, enemy guards on scooters attempt to kill you by firing lethal bubbles.

Extra lives, laser energy, and oxygen pills are available to be picked up and utilised. Trapdoors and air chutes transport you up or down a level - although this is unwelcome if the current level has not been thoroughly explored.

The gameplay continues in this vein, alternating between ever-shortening tunnels and decreasing complexes - until Teladon's HQ is reached. Once there, you must fight your way to the self-destruct button to end Teladon's threat. There is some interest at the start, but because of the indifferent gameplay. these two time-worn game formats never rise above being cliches, and boredom soon deflates the urge to carry on.