PUBLIC HOUSE

'It's a game! It's a show! It's the Game Show Show!' But enough of these obscure quotes. Here's Jonathan with a bumper Christmas number of Public House at entirely the wrong time of year (the clot).

No sooner had the words 'lack of Brit software' tripped from my keyboard than I received a packed disk from Dominic Morris of Worcester. Phew, eh? Not only that, but there's also another jolly selection from the old European Demos box. Hurrah! (Good old 'hurrah' - always a good get-out if you can't think of a natty pay-off line.)

Quark
By Dominic Morri
Reviewer: Jonathan Nash

Unperturbed by the dismal mark awarded the dismal Magican, Dominic has come up with Quark. (Actually, and pretty obviously, he'd already written both before we ever saw them. But it sounds good, or something.) This new demo (actually, and pretty obviously etc etc) features more ripped music (a really fab echoey-whistley Tim Follin soundtrack that I can't quite place) but is actually rather good.

The obligatory large attribute scrolly is given a new twist by having four vertical 'uns at the same time as four horizontal 'uns, which is a complete nightmare to read but is jolly original, so plenty of brownie points there. Part Two introduces the Dom version of the infamous bouncing scrolly - here with a reflection and quite a nasty case of flicker. The text isn't terribly interesting and this part makes way for the next bit pretty smartish. (Hit that old SPACE bar.)

Well, hurrah. Part Three is spot-on. The timing problems have been worked out (no flicker here, matey) and the scrollies are actually quite readable (we're not talking major entertainment value, but they're okay). Also, the way they whirl around independently of each other is nice in a whoops-there-goes-breakfast sort of way. And, as before, you can return to the first part without hassle. (Not that it's worth it, but the sentiment is appreciated.) Far better than Magican and with at least one completely original effect, so worth looking out for.