Microhobby Cassette #7 - Sep '85

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Here we go again! Did you miss it???

Another MHC issue, this time we travel till september 1985:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... assette_07



Another enjoyable compilation of programs in ZX Basic, including an interesting ancient lapp board game, a 3D space flight sim, boxing, frogs, ... and a management game to become an oil tycoon!



Stay tuned in your fave SC thread! (well, sort of)

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Tablut by J. Chercoles


Great loading screen!

The first game of the lot is Tablut, based on an ancient board game described by swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in a travel through Lapland in 1732.

Played in a 9x9 board, it's a battle between Swedes - 'Suecos' and Muscovites - 'Rusos'. The Swedes are 8 defenders and a king, against 16 invaders. The first ones win if the king reaches the edge of the board. The second ones win if they capture the king.

The options at the menu screen are: start game, game rules, instructions and continue game. Space to choose and enter selects. Then, you move any piece with 5,6,7 and 8. 1 and 0 to fix it. First, move the cursors to select the starting position, select, and then move the cursors again to select the desired position. Diagonal movements are not allowed.

Unfortunately it's a 2 players game only. A player vs computer would have been a cool (and desired) feature.


The battle field

[Morkin]

Looking forward to seeing the review of the boxing frogs game.

(That's what you said, right?)

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Looking forward to seeing the review of the boxing frogs game.

(That's what you said, right?)

Erm, no.



A cool idea for a CSSCGC comp, anyway!

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Cannonball by S. Arroyo


That's the further I've gone!

This time a lovely game that can be classified in the masochistic sub-genre, along with masterpieces like Mutan Zone, Abu Simbel, Army Moves, ... cute games that make you get easily mad and foam at the mouth (along with convulsions).

It's a mix of racing game + pacman. Drive the car and get dots to increase points. The leaflet warns you the car never stops (except for when you crash at a wall, *hehehe*). It also says that the program include some M/C routines to read keyboard and the movement of car ("That explains everything! -Ed)

There are three levels of difficulty: 3 very hard -> 1 easy. No matter which level you choose, it's always hard!

O,P,A,Q are the keys.

You've been warned.

[Morkin]

Oh wow. I felt compelled to try this one...

The easy level is fairly straightforward (you're just rubbish at games Juan ), but the "Muy dificil" option isn't too far from Rally Driver twitchiness levels...

I propose a high score challenge on the "Muy dificil" level. I'll start proceedings off with 80 points.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

I remember that the aim is not only surviving no matter what driving but also getting the dots...

[Juan F. Ramirez]

I won't advance in this issue till I try some games on Cannonball. It's a Devil's creation.

After some games in the hardest level ('muy dificil'), I got 150 points:



Don't ask me how I ate so many dots in the middle zone...

It's getting on my nerves... so hard.

Come on, ... anyone fancy a game?

[Juan F. Ramirez]

175 after a hard suffering. I'm starting to believe.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

I was about to abandon but surprisingly I reached 260. I suppose is the learning curve etc etc but I'm afraid it's the 'peak' for me.

[Morkin]

Just got 505. Zoning.

This should probably be in its own thread, it's hi-jacking your progress through the tape..!

[Juan F. Ramirez]

3D Superthunder by JJOC



We have another masochistic game again to test your nerves and patience.

This time is a super-fighter entering an endless doomed labyrinth trying to avoid the walls. It's a sort of demented brother of Tornado Low Level.

According to the instructions (written by HAL-2 computer, by the way), the keys are 1 left, 0 right and p slow/stop time. you can also choose kempston and Int II joysticks.

But when the game starts, those keys don't work, they're O and P instead (HAL-2, what a crap computer!!!), and no idea which key to stop (I presume a needed key if you want to do a decent game).

There are 0-10 levels of difficulty (a touch of irony is always good). In level 0 my selfesteem was ruined so level 10 must be hell on earth!


This is the furthest I've gone...

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Have you tried 3D Superthunder?

I think it deserves its own challenge! (when someone finds the correct keys)

[Morkin]

Actually I did try it. I got about as far as you. It's a bit crap.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Actually I did try it. I got about as far as you. It's a bit crap.

The problem is the third key (slow/stop), it seems different from the one mentioned in the instructions (Crapeness: 10/10), I think it's necessary to progress in the game.

Any volunteer to 'dissect' the BASIC list to find the true keys? I tried and I couldn't find it.

[djnzx48]

I think the keys are just QAOP + M/space.

[Morkin]

I may have got this wrong but I'm sure the 'slow time' button just slowed down the scrolling speed slightly, giving you a fraction of a second more to think, but I don't think you can use any of the other control keys at the same time, so it's a bit useless for helping you negotiate the trickier parts of the course.

The trick to the narrow areas is that you can go over the shaded part of the walls, which is a nice touch, but the game still has a Cassette 50 feel to it...

[Juan F. Ramirez]

It's really horrible.

A nightmare.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Texas Oil (unknown author)



Forest, aquired license, drill tower, oil and refinery

Here we have a surprisingly interesting management game, a not very common genre in BASIC. A deserved seal of approval.

After a very well known melody (well known if you're older than 45! ), you're in charge of an oil company in order to get a lot of money. A map is displayed and you must:

- buy a concession (a square of the map)
- install equipment
- drill
- build a refinery
- built an oil pipeline

You are offered expert geologic opinion ('peritaje') about which square might have oil and how much.


First bug: I only pressed a key!

Next to the map, the financial magnitudes:

- Cash ('caja')
- Debts ('deudas')
- Total assets ('total activo')
- Monthly profit ('beneficio mensual')

So this is all the basic info you need to become an oil tycoon, cowboy hat included.

Good luck!

https://youtu.be/4vZNWdFd1UM


Drilling oil!!!

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Tom Pom Pom (unknown author)


Amazing eerrmm... starting screen

I don't know how does 'Tom Pom Pom' sound in english, but it doesn't sound very well in spanish. We control a circus-juggler figure with the keys O and P (in the instructions leafleet it's Q instead of O - they did it again!!!) in order to move the three balls from left to right and then from right to left.

It seems easy but I couldn't control any ball, all of them reach the floor. I'd like to know if any talented juggler around here can do anything (and it means getting >0 points)...


The little, cute nightmare figure

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Antares by S. González


The loading screen. Cool

This time a flight simulator. Your're the pilot of a spaceship and must land on planet Antares to deliver an important shipment for your allies.

You start at an altitude of 1,000 mts. The indicators are:

ALT: altitude
COMB: fuel level
VEL: speed
DIR: horizontal position of ship
SLA: position scanner. It's the airspace under the ship. It helps you see your relative position with landing strip. A little dot is your ship. If it's inside the square, the ship is in the correct position.

Keys: O - Activation / P - Engines / Q - secondary (or is it spare?) engine / A - side engines / 0 - main engine

Beware of entering in the enemy airspace. Once the program is loaded, you'll be asked for instructions and then for wind effect.

Definitely a worthy game, but really difficult to control and reach your aim. Another 'seal of approval' game.

[Morkin]

The pilot on the loading screen looks like he's never flown a spaceship before.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Brisca by E. Lama



This program is based on a popular spanish card game. It is played with classic spanish playing cards.

Who get the most points is the winner. You played vs the Spectrum and in turns, one player faces a card against the opponent. The more valuable card wins.

Choose your card to play with keys 1, 2 or 3.

Interesting as there's no many card games for the Spectrum.

[Morkin]

Looks like a dead cockroach on that playing card...

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Looks like a dead cockroach on that playing card...

It's supposed to be 'as de bastos'. There are some big differences with the real card: