THE COMPLICATIONS OF COMPILATIONS

Aaargh! Which one to buy? Dr Berkmann takes a butchers at the latest batch...

Ah yes, it's a complicated business. The implications and ramifications of compilations can cause such vacillations and palpitations in selection situations, (as my old granny used to say). So which should you invest your pools money in? Since my last round-up in July I've been literally deluged by newies - okay, I've had six - and here they are, dissected without mercy. Heh heh heh! Although I've referred to the original reviews (the dates in brackets refer to the issues they first appeared in), I've tried to judge the games by today's standard's, so some of the marks may be a smidgin different (ie lower). Fings ain't wot they used to be (thank God!).

CLASSIX 1
The Edge
£8.99

More plundering of vaults as The Edge disinters its own collection of 'Those You Have Loved'. This one is very much in the 'One Ripsnorter And The Rest's Rubbish' mode, a bit like Virgin's Now Games 4 which we looked at last time. The nerve-tingler there was Dan Dare, and here it's Bobby bearing, a brilliant marbly 3D arcade adventure and one of the best games we've ever seen from The Edge. But then there are the others. Brian Bloodaxe is a platform game of stultifying unoriginality, Starbike is a rip-off of Lunar Jetman, Psytraxx has 1000 rooms but not much in any of 'em, and That's The Spirit is a multi-screen city romp a la Ghostbusters, except without the jokes. If you haven't seen B Bearing, this is good value. Otherwise, steer well clear.

COMING SOON...

...two more splendid compilations for the autumn. Activision's got a collection of all those fab Lucasfilm games (Ballblazer, The Eidolon and so on) which should be out in the shops by the time you read this. And Gremlin's Star Games II is out soon, with one or two titles you may have seen elsewhere, like The Eidolon and Ballblazer! (Not to mention Highway Encounter, also available on the Vortex comp.) But we'll keep you posted.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Paul Sumner reviews the latest compilations - there's gold in them thar software shelves, if you know where to look.

Ever since the Spectrum stormed into the homes of young innocent children, compilations of previously released games have been lurking on the software shelves. From the outset compilations were purchased for quantity more than quality - the largest collections seemed to give more value for money, more games per pound. But as buyers became more prudent software houses found themselves having to be more selective in what they put on their cassettes.

No longer are compilations just collections of rejected old games. With the growing importance of budget software in the sales charts (see our feature on page 45), most compilations are now slickly-presented and well-advertised packages proclaiming value for money. Most software houses have even setup departments which scour the market for games to go on compilations.

With the supposed summer software slump now past, a whole plethora of compilations is about to be released to satisfy our appetite in the dull time between The PCW Show and Christmas.

This collection of compilations shows the dilemma facing the buyer on the high street. Should you go for a great big bundle of software that you've never heard of? Or is it better to play safe with compilations of well-established oldies?

My advice is to stick with well-known titles; at least that way you won't buy a package with any really rancid games. And whatever you do don't discard a compilation just because it contains a f ew golden oldies - they're often more playable than new games for which more time has been spent on presentation than on content.

If you're going out to buy a particular game, it's worth looking around on the compilations first. Most full-price games reach their peak sales within a few weeks, so within a few months they can be on compilations, where their sales will b e steadier. If you're really shrewd you could give up buying individual games altogether, and just get the hits all in one package - though this way you tend to be about six months behind the rest of the software scene. Have a good look around, there's bound to be a compilation for you somewhere.

Note: the information boxes on this page give each game's original CRASH Overall percentage and then the issue in which it was reviewed, N/A means the game was not reviewed in CRASH.

If you like life on The Edge, you'd better not miss Classix 1. This 'collector's edition' brings together all Softek's and The Edge's hits since they first entered the Spectrum software scene to 1984. The star of the package is without a doubt Bobby Bearing, in this 3D Marble Madness-type game the eponymous cute little ball of fun has to rescue his mates. This little wonder picked up nearly every computer award available and makes the package immense value for money. Also hidden away on Classix 1 is The Edge's first adventure, That's The Spirit. It's not often we see adventures on compilations, but maybe Classix 1 has something for everyone..

CLASSIX 1
The Edge
Bobby Bearing - 94% Issue 31
Brian Bloodaxe - 86% Issue 14
Starbike - 77% Issue 10
Psytraxx - 69% Issue 10
That's The Spirit - N/R
£8.95

Label: The Edge
Price: £8.99
Memory: 48K/128K
Joystick: various
Reviewer: Tony Dillon

Yep, it's another compilation with exactly the same name as all the others. (I didn't know there were so many ways to spell classics). I'm sorry Ed, but I'm just not in the mood. I've just had an unhappy love affair, my cat just died and I've just got my finger trapped in the hudojnewx. sorry typewriter. What, oh yeah, the review.

Five games, all re-releases. The pick of the crop, is Bobby Bearing. It was the last of the Marble Madness derivatives end it's a well-wicked game. The other four unfortunately aren't up to the same standard. Brian Bloodaxe is a bit like Dynamite Dan only a good deal less playable platform game. Starbike is too similar to Lunar Jetman (which I hated). Psytraxx is big and boring and That's The Spirit is rather run-of-the-mill icon-driven adventure.

Result: one very decent game and four passable ones.