Producer: Unique
Memory Required: 16K
Retail Price: £5.99
Language: BASIC
Author: Phillip Carlin

Whizz Kid is a puzzle game. It is really a computer version of those flat plastic cases containing lettered blocks that may be slid around, always one less than available squares. In Whizz Kid you are presented with three squares containing nine spaces - a total of 27 in all between them. With the 26 letters of the alphabet, that leaves one blank square. The object is to take the randomly soiled letters and move them around to finish with a configuration which takes you correctly through the alphabet arranged A, B, C on the top line of the left hand block, D, E, F on the next and so on, with the black square left between M and N on the middle row of the middle block.

Letters are moved by using the cursor keys and 0 to change from block to block. The less moves made, the higher your score, but the game is played against the clock with you setting the limit up to a maximum of nine minutes.

COMMENTS

Control keys: cursors
Joystick: AGF, Protek
Keyboard play: unresponsive
Use of colour: reasonable
Graphics: very simple of necessity
Sound: only simple beeps
Skill levels: self-selected against the clock

This is one of those simple looking games that proves to be a real brain teaser and will probably while away many an hour for those keen on letter puzzles. I found the moving of the letters a bit confusing at first and kept thinking that the old fashioned hold it in the hand version was much easier. But once you get the hang of it, the game proves quite enjoyable. Definitely a limited market for Whizz Kid, but worth it for puzzle enthusiasts.

I don't think this sort of game works particularly well on the computer. With something like a Rubic Cube you can revolve it in your hands and solve problems visually, physically, but once on the computer the physical aspect is removed and often you forget what it was you had planned to do next by the time you come to do it. This game is made even more difficult by the slow response from the keyboard and also you can't move the letters about as freely as you would be able if it were realty in your hand. Colour is used well but the so-called 'three-dimensional colour-coded grid system' is only 3D because a few lines have been added to the sides of the main blocks - not very convincing and anyway, 3D has nothing whatever to do with this game.