1990 Fastback (UK)
by Jonathan Bolton
I'm quite pleased with this one. It's a management game based around TV audiences. The main idea is to control a TV station, with all the respective programs worthy of a general broadcasting channel (no naked ladies!).
Of course what motivates a player is the challenge of competing against other TV stations and their shows and in the end you will see the top audience programs chart. There is also a chance of creating your own TV shows and compete for a place in the charts.
Another interesting feature is the possibility of watching your own channel, after you set the time for each program (remember not to put the morning show late at night, like I did!). This becomes a bit repetitive after awhile, but it's quite amusing at first, with a lot of funny commercials being presented in text and other stuff.
The game is written in Basic, keeping up with the tradition of good old 'Football Manager', but it's very well presented and well written and even though a bit slow at times, it could easily fool me by passing as a machine code game.
If you like this sort of games, give it a try, I think you will enjoy it.
Review by Raphie on 11 Jan 2013 (Rating: 4)
Ah yes fine game this, allows you to run your own TV channel and showing a wide range of programmes to create as much of an audience as possible. It's simply put a quite brilliant idea and well implemented in a computer game as such. It can get tedious during games but the sheer novelty of the title is what wins it for me and always has me coming back for more.
A different take of management games and it's a fine good one too. Good stuff indeed.
