Producer: Firebird
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £2.50
Language: Machine code
Author: Geoff Foley

It wasn't long ago that we all raved about Knightlore and Alien 8, well now Firebird have produced a game that graphically is very similar but much larger.

To set the scene. The people of Tslu need a leader and it seems that they are prepared to consider any old trog that comes in off the galactic byways. You, Cylu, play the part of just one such trog. The Tsluvians have devised a test to make sure that you are capable of leading them and a very complicated test it is too. (Why can't they just hold an election like everybody else?). The Evolians have a very large and unpleasant maze and they have scattered 24 objects around it. To prove your worth you must retrieve all of the objects and return them to the start point, do that and you get to become the TBC (Tsluvian Big Cheese).

The journey around the maze is fraught with dangers hitherto unimagined. To kick off with there are 32 forcefields which can only be passed by finding and loading the appropriate processor into the main computers I/O unit which is located in the start room. There are isolated areas of the maze which can only be reached via a teleport link and to operate the link you will need to find the correct key. You must always keep your eye on the fuel situation units are consumed very quickly. Scattered around the maze are lots of fuel pods which can be collected and used when needed.

The character on the screen is steered with reference to the direction that it is facing rather than in relation to the screen. In other words if you want to move left you must turn to the left and then move forward, this can be a little confusing at times but one soon gets used to it. You can only carry five objects at any one time. When an object is picked up it is placed into one of the five coloured boxes on the upper right of the screen. You are able to select which item you would like to use, perhaps a fuel pod, by entering the number of the box. When you approach a forcefield you can determine which coded chip you need to turn it off by pressing the examine button. The screen will come up with the code number and then it's up to you to pop off and find the appropriate CPU.

Against all of the odds you may manage to impress the leaderless ones, but by how much rather depends on your efficiency level. This is given as a constant reading at the side of the display and depends on how much time you waste and how quickly you manage to locate items of importance and put them to use.

COMMENTS

Control keys: very wide selection
Joystick: programmable only
Keyboard play: fine
Use of colour: only one colour to each screen
Graphics: Knightlore style but smaller and less detailed
Sound: clicking for movement
Skill levels: one
Lives: one
Screens: two hundred

The first Alien 8 lookalike is here in the form of Cylu. This game has graphics which are very similar to Ultimate's 3D effects but obviously not quite as good. The sound is not very well used, only a few beeps here and there, which is a shame as it might have livened up the game a bit. Playability wise this game doesn't rate too highly as there are a few mobility problems with your man which make the game more infuriating then fun to play. Generally I wouldn't strongly recommend this game - but as it only costs £2.50, you can't really go wrong.

There's no point pretending that this game is anywhere near as elegant as those it flatters. But for all of that Cylu is a playable game. I say the graphics aren't as elegant but they are still very good and create a passable effect. The game itself is complex but perhaps a little thin. I enjoyed playing it even though some of the Ultimate perfectionists in the office scoffed at it. Well worth the asking price.

I am greatly impressed both by the graphics and by the size of this game. Although the graphics on any one screen are washed in only one colour the effect is still pretty good. If you enjoy making maps I am sure you will have some fun with this but don't expect the scenery to be too varied. A very high quality budget game and a must for the mappers.

Ross: I was hoping that this would be some kind of crazy maze game... but to say that would be misleading. There's not so much as a measly minataur to stumble across in this limp labyrinth.

Talking of myths, I was certainly myth-lead by the claim that this game's graphics were up to Alien 8 standard - which would be impressive at £2.50! But no, they're not that good at all. It is a 3D style game, which although pretty, doesn't help you manoeuvre. The 3D bit means that the corridors between blocks are on the diagonals, and as your robot friend moves a character block at a time, staying on course is pretty difficult.

Big problem number two, is finding fuel cells to replenish your supply as you busily consume away on your convaluted travels. You can only carry five things around, so don't tank yourself up too much.

Access to hidden parts of the maze is gained by using keys to activate any of the nine teleport terminals. But even there, you won't be in for any great surprises. As a bargain priced game it's reasonable, but it's not what you'd call 'amazing'. 5/10

Rick: You're either going to love or hate this game. I hate it. The weird 3D effect confuses me beyond wanting to play, and as my fuel runs out before I get a chance to get into it, I ain't going to bother trying. 5/10

Dougie: If I had time to get into this I'm sure I'd enjoy it. As it is I just can't understand what makes it tick. 7/10

Publisher: Firebird
Price: £2.50
Memory: 48K

Accept the challenge. Dive into the bowels of a Spectrum and enter a purple world strongly reminiscent of Ultimate's Alien 8. In fact, game play is just the same too.

The Ostans need a new leader and to show your cunning, wit and logic, you are dumped into a computer to prove yourself. Twenty-four objects, including books and microdrives, must be collected and deposited at the I/O unit - the starting point.

Many objects are hidden behind walls and approach from different angles is necessary to collect them. Only five objects can be carried at a time resulting in many trips back to the start.

A map is essential if you are to conserve fuel which quickly runs dry. Fuel containers are scattered in the early stages of the game - cunningly hidden amongst the debris. In later stages you will have to find the RFL - master refuel unit - which can be carried around and used when necessary.

Pick up all silicon chips. They neutralise the forcefields which block many paths through the maze. The fields are also numbered which helps with the map-making.

Further aid comes in the shape of a teleport network, which when accessed, will jump you to different sections. The only difficulty lies in finding the key to it. Return to base - RTB - takes you straight back to the I/O unit. However, if you carry the RTB and RFL, you will only be able to pick up three other objects.

The graphics, though well defined, are not as highly polished nor as detailed as those in Ultimate's master- piece. You control a walking turtle shell - a many faceted blob - which is difficult to recognise when first playing the game.

Firebird says Cylu was a borderline case for its Gold range and if the similarities to Alien 8 were not so apparent it would have made it.

However, it is an excellent copy, enjoyable and great value, and probably the best and most playable game in the Silver range.

Spectrum
Firebird
Arcade Adventure
£2.50

Wanna be a leader? Cylu does, but it's not a question of going down to the Job Centre. He must pass a test of wits, speed, logic and cunning - he has to travel through a 3D maze collecting items and depositing them into the IO unit of the computer. The lower the efficiency rating the better, if Cylu is to please the Otsan.

Programmed by Geoff Foley for Firebird's Silver label, it is a challenging game with excellent graphics but, it must be said, ultimately Ultimatesque. This is more of a recommendation than a criticism, I guess.

Cylu is a little hard to distinguish from the furniture on the first screen - you start standing next to the IO unit - but once you get him going he blunders cheerfully about like the robot in Alien 8. Hidden in the maze are 24 objects which must be collected, returned to the starting point and deposited in the master computer. This will please the Otsan.

Barring his way are 32 force-fields. These can be opened up first by examining them to find out what sort of forcefield they are, then finding the corresponding microprocessors and placing them in the master computer. It's necessary to refuel frequently otherwise you fail and the Otsan are not pleased. The trick here is that there is a Use command as well as a Get command - just grabbing one of the 30 fuel packs doesn't make any difference to your fuel rating. According to the hints it is also possible to refuel from forcefields, but this didn't work for me and the Otsan were not pleased. Nine teleport terminals when used with the correct teleport key enable you to tesser to isolated areas of the maze. To teleport, stand facing next to a teleport, select the teleport key which you want to use, then press use.

Firebird
£2.50

Well you can't avoid comparisons and this one just asks to be likened to Knight Lore. Your quest is to search the maze (yes, yet another maze) find, collect and return to the master computer, 24 objects. To achieve this you will have to solve the problem of how to disable 32 force fields, use the nine teleport terminals and use the master refuel and master return to base units.

This is a game to get your fingers in a twist as there are no fewer that 11 control options plus save/load/abort game options. Movement, graphics and screen designs are very good, but the game is hard to get into, the problem of running out of fuel caused many a promising game to end rather too soon.

This is one for the expert gamester and should give many hours of enjoyment, however I must admit in the time I had to review it I did not get too far, once the pressure of writing this is off I will be going back for another session.

ARCADE

Clare Edgeley blasts her way through a wealth of challenging software.

Get fit quick just about sums up the last 12 months. 1985 has seen enough sports games to put you off doing anything more strenuous than lifting a pint glass, at least for the next year.

Since the 1984 Olympics, we have competed in every imaginable sport: played footie with Bobby Charlton, run rings round Daley Thompson and been KO'd by big Frank... There is hardly an action sport left which has not been turned into a money spinner, with a Sportsman's name attached. What is wrong with Tessa Sanderson's Javelin anyway?

Daley Thompson's Decathlon was first to the tape back in November '84 and notched up a gold for Ocean when it jumped to number one in the charts for a few weeks. You have to compete in all ten events of the decathlon, taking part in the high jump, long jump and pole vault as well as track events. The 400m is the most gruelling and to keep up speed you must pump the joystick back and forth, which may result in a touch of cramp. The graphics are colourful and the game does give a taste of the real thing.

Melbourne House also attempted a compilation of events with Sports Hero, although it was nowhere near as successful as Daley Thompson. Sports Hero has you competing in four events - 100m sprint, long jump, 110m hurdles and the pole vault, over three difficulty levels. To gain speed you must pummel the run button and press the jump button before takeoff. Aching fingers seem to be the norm in that type of game and in many cases you will end up with a sick keyboard as well. There is no sound and the graphics are not fantastic, although the scrolling background is interesting. A few more events should have been possible.

More recently, Brian Jacks' Superstar Challenge from Martech reached the top ten, although it came a poor second to Imagine's Hypersports. Both contain a weird hotch-potch of events - some interesting, others boring. Brian Jacks gives you a pretty raw deal. For £7.95 you can immerse yourself in such exciting events as squat thrusts and arm dips. Those may be thrilling to watch on TV but on computer they are about as much fun as a wet blanket.

Hypersports is a different ball game altogether. Licensed from the arcade game of the same name, the computer version is very like the original, although some events lack imagination. When swimming - or floundering, if you forget to breathe - instead of tearing down to the end of the pool, the end moves towards you. Clay pigeon shooting is certainly one of the better events, in which you must shoot the skeets through automatically moving sights. The vault is tricky and rather than vaulting as far as possible from the horse, you are likely to end up on your head beside it. The graphics are generally thought to be more professional than Daley Thompson's Decathlon, though whether the game is better is a moot point.

Jonah Barrington's Squash from New Generation is an interesting concept which seems to have fallen flat. Knock a miniscule black ball round the 3D court and try to beat Jonah at his own game. Jonah is one of Britain's leading squash players. Much was made of the fact that a taped recording of Jonah's voice calls out the scores. Unfortunately, all you get is an unintelligible gabble and it is easier to read them on the score board anyway.

We awarded imagine's World Series Baseball three stars in the June issue, which just goes to show that our forecasts are not always spot on. In June, July and August it remained at number three in the charts, only dropping to eleventh place in September.

The game opens with a traditional rendering of the tAmerican National Anthem. Then play starts, with one team pitching and the other batting. You can play with a friend or against the computer, adjusting the speed and direction of the ball when pitching and the strength and lift of your swing when batting. Loving attention has been paid to detail with a large scoreboard displaying genuine adverts between innings.

Last, but not least, boxing - the sport for ugly mugs. Cauliflower ears and battered brains are only half the fun - just think what you can do to your opponent. A few months ago three games were released simultaneously on the back of Punch Out!!, a highly successful arcade game.

Elite's Frank Bruno's Boxing knocks Rocco and Knockout for six, and is easily the most playable and realistic, offering more possible moves and a greater number of competitors than either of the other games. It is also the only boxing game featuring a sporting personality - Bruno helped in an advisory capacity during production which explains the close attention to detail.

Gremlin Graphic's Rocco squares up well in the ring, though you will find it is not as easy to dodge your opponent as it is in Frank Bruno, and there are only three competitors. The scoring system is simple and the graphics are the clearest of the three games. It is worth playing and annihilates Alligata's Knockout in the ring.

Knockout is appalling and lacks any addictive qualities. It is the only game which uses colour - the others being mono - although that could have been sacrificed for extra playability. Other than left and right punches to the body and head, there is no facility for ducking and dodging, but at least you can amble away if the going gets too rough. You tend to spend a great deal of time seeing stars after being KO'd. At least it lives up to its name.

The legendary success of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy lives on. Platform and ladders games are still the rage and dozens of versions have landed in the Sinclair User offices over the last 12 months. Two years ago Manic Miner was a sure recipe for success, and because it was ahead of its time a lot of money was made. Programming techniques are now more sophisticated and with games like Alien 8 and Spy vs Spy around, who needs a Manic Miner spin-off?

However, they are here to stay and some at least are worth the money you pay for them. One of the more successful games is Strangeloop, released late in '84, which has gone a long way to repairing the damage done to Virgin by Sheepwalk - one of its earliest and most awful games.

A half-crazy computer is the source of all your troubles in Strangeloop and, playing the part of a metagalactic repairman, you must shut it down. There are over 240 rooms filled with lethal swarf which attacks and damages your space suit. A jetbike waits somewhere and will make your task easier but you have to locate and refuel it first. Objects picked up will help with various tasks and friendly robots will patch your torn suit. The graphics are colourful and simple. and there is even a facility for saving your position on tape, to be resumed later when you have recharged your batteries.

Jet Set Willy II is the biggest rip-off of them all as Software Projects has done little other than add about 70 extra screens to the original. Essentially it is the same as Jet Set Willy which was launched back in 1984. The plot is similar; clear up the house before going to bed and avoid the hundreds of lethal thingummies found in each room. Despite being little more than a re-release, Jet Set Willy II is currently doing very well in the charts.

Despite the lack of original thought, if you are still hooked on the challenge of platform and ladders, try The Edge's Brian Bloodaxe. A loopy game if ever there was one. Brian, a viking soldier has been trapped in a block of ice for centuries, and as it thaws, he leaps out shivering, but ready to conquer the British. Flapping 100 seats, deadly ducks and mad Scotsmen are a few of the dangers that lurk on each level. Objects to collect and chasms to be leapt add to his daunting task. Brian Bloodaxe is at least as good as Jet Set Willy, with much visual humour and bright, clear graphics.

Hewson, which has made a name for itself in recent months with arcade adventures such as Dragontorc and simulations like Heathrow ATC, must have had a brain storm late last year with Technician Ted, which is totally unlike the semi-serious games released since. Guide Ted around a silicon chip factory while looking for a plate of the real things. Pick up knives, forks and other necessary implements and avoid several nasty traps. Easy to play and reasonably addictive, Technician Ted is not one of Hewson's best games but has done quite well in the platform and ladders stakes.

Artic's Mutant Monty is more sophisticated than Technician Ted and includes some extremely tricky screens requiring split second timing - if you are slightly out, a lemon or some other incongruous object will squash you flat, and then where will the beautiful maiden be? it is a constant source of amusement that so much work goes into preparing intricate story lines bearing absolutely no resemblance to the game you are playing.

On the whole rip-offs are uniformly mediocre in standard and not the sort of game you would buy for lasting playability. Real fanatics will find Activision's Toy Bizarre and Micromega's Jasper a doddle, and probably have more fun playing blindfold with their hands tied behind their backs. Both games are average and employ run-of-the-mill graphics. In Toy Bizarre, the player leaps round the levels of a toy factory popping balloons while being chased by a gang of irate toys.

Meanwhile, in Jasper much the same thing is going on, only this time you are a furry rat collecting money bags and treasure chests while avoiding furry cats, rabbits and other hairy animals. Platform games are usually fast moving and it is generally easier to keep up with the pace using a joystick. Unless you have very strong fingers, Jasper is doomed as your only option is to use the Spectrum's sticky keyboard.

Arcade adventures have come into their own in recent months, some remaining for weeks at a time in the top ten. With the advent of games like Gyron, fewer people are willing to put up with games like Jet Pac - classics two years ago but now gathering dust in cupboards across the country.

Superior graphics is the name of the game and the Spectrum is being stretched to its limits in a constant effort to improve software. Some games combine excellent graphics with originality, though equally large numbers have been launched on the back of the successful few. Ultimate's Knight Lore, Underwurlde and Alien 8 are three successful examples and Nightshade is expected to do as well.

Underwurlde is rather like a vertical Atic Atac featuring the Sabre-man who must escape a series of chambers while avoiding hosts of nasties. The pace is fast, the screens colourful - a devious game.

Knight Lore and Alien 8 could, at first glance, be mistaken for the same game. Featuring superb 3D grahpics, Knight Lore's hero must search a maze of rooms and find the ingredients of a spell to lift a curse placed upon him. Each room presents a challenge and one wrong move spells instant death. The scenario in Alien 8 is different from its predecessor and the quality of graphics is even higher.

Wizard's Lair from Bubble Bus is an Atic Atac lookalike with shades of Sabre Wulf and is an excellent game, even if you have seen the same sort of thing before. Bubble Bus has made some attempt to change the scenario which covers three levels, accessed via a magic wardrobe lift.

The programmers of Firebird's Cylu were influenced by Alien 8. Cylu is in the Silver range and at £2.50 represents very good value - it is almost as frustrating as the original but the graphics are a little patchy. Ultimate should be proud that so many companies want to copy their games, though it's a crying shame that those same software houses cannot put their combined programming expertise to good use, and produce something original of their own.

Games featuring film scenarios and famous names are often the subject of massive advertising campaigns, and Domark's A View to a Kill was no exception. Played in three parts you must guide the intrepid 007 through the streets of Paris, San Francisco and into Silicon Valley to stop the evil Max Zorin from tipping chip valley into the drink. The game received mixed reviews but, at the time of writing, it had just made it into the top ten - probably due to the James Bond name. It is an exciting game but lacks much visual detail.

The Rocky Horror Show from CRL is already sliding down the charts and does not live up to its namesakes, the film and play. Rescue Janet or Brad from the Medusa machine by finding 15 component parts of the de-Medusa machine. It sounds riveting. Your task seems enormous as you can carry only one part of the machine at a time and if you expect to meet normal sane characters in the castle, forget it. More could have been made of the graphics and the action is slow in places, but it is worth playing if only to meet Magenta who will strip you of your clothes. Wow!

Beyond's Spy vs Spy is unique and features simultaneous play between two players on a split screen. Take part in the zany humour of MAD magazine's two famous characters, the black spy and the white spy, each trying to stop the other finding secret documents in a foreign embassy. Set whacky traps as you ransack each room before escaping to the airport. It is fun, highly addictive and very amusing. Buying the licence to films, books and names is an expensive business, and at last one company has made the most of it with an excellent game.

It is interesting to note that when one unusual game is launched others of a similar nature swiftly follow. Perhaps all programmers follow the same thought waves. Last summer we had an unusual trio of games, reviewed in May, June and August issues. Two are based on the human body - not the most obvious subject for a game.

Quicksilva's Fantastic Voyage is a thrilling game based on the sixties film of the same name, in which Raquel Welch is injected into the body of a brain damaged scientist. Unfortunately, your mini-sub breaks up and you have only one hour to locate all the missing parts. Searching is a novel experience as you rush from atrium to stomach to lung and heart in a never ending circle. Finding your way to the brain is difficult as it is not signposted and the turning is easy to miss. Dine on red blood cells to keep up your energy and clear any infections which frequently break out - normally in the most inaccessible parts of the scientist's anatomy. A great way to learn about your bits, and where they are situated.

Icon's Frankenstien 2000 bears little resemblance to Fantastic Voyage, though it is played in a monster's body. Whoever heard of monsters smoking fags? This one obviously did and that is probably why it's dead. On reaching the lungs, battle with cigarette packets, avoid hopping frogs in the trachea, and fire at any oxygen molecules it is your misfortune to encounter. The graphics are uninspired and the game is simple.

Genesis' Bodyworks was reviewed in June and it is difficult to know what to make of it. It is hardly an arcade game - more of an illustrated, educational tour of the workings of a human body, describing the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems.

Space Invaders was one of the first great games on the Spectrum and software houses have never tired of the theme. Space games crop up in all categories; simulations, adventures and arcade adventures. Activision has even brought out Ballblazer, a sports game played in space. Way out!

Moon Cresta from Incentive is a traditional game in which you shoot everything in sight, and then dock with another space ship before taking off to do exactly the same on the next level. With complex games like Starion around one would think that games of this calibre would flop. But no, there must be some people around whose brains are in their trigger fingers. Surprisingly, Moon Cresta is creeping up the charts. Long live the aliens.

Melbourne House's Starion takes space travel seriously and combines a number of features, including the traditional shoot 'em up, word puzzles and anagrams. Kill off enemy space ships and collect the letters they drop, then unscramble those to form a word. Fly down to earth and answer a puzzle to change the course of Earth's history. There are 243 events to rewrite - and that amounts to a lot of flying time. Starion is well up in the top ten.

System 3 has come up with the goods against all opposition with the dreadful Death Star Interceptor, which has proved surprisingly popular. If you are really into boring games, this is right up your alley. Played in three sections, first take off into outer space, next avoid assorted aliens and then, as in Star Wars, plant a bomb in the exhaust port of an enemy death star. It is all thrilling stuff.

Quicksilva's Glass is amazing to look at. Psychedelic colours make you want to blink in this repetitive but addictive game. There are hundreds of screens to blast through, and whole sections are spent dodging columns as you hurtle through a 3D spacescape. The rest of the time is spent shooting radar antennae off unsuspecting space ships. The graphics make up for any limitations in the game and demonstrates that a traditional shoot 'em up need not be boring.

This final section consists of a number of games which cannot be categorised. A strange mixture falls into this area - many are shoot 'em ups in some form or another, others require an element of cunning and strategy.

Gyron from Firebird, a Sinclair User classic, is a unique game in which you must travel through a complex maze, dodging massive rolling balls and keeping a watchful eye on the guardian towers to be round at each junction. Those shoot at you, but approaching from another angle may change the direction of their fire. As there are two mazes to get through, it should take months. Gyron is likely to deter arcade nuts, but for those with staying power, it is an attractive proposition. It did make a brief appearance in the top ten at the time of writing, but has since fallen away.

US Gold's Spy Hunter, based on the arcade game of the same name, is a faithful replica of the original. It all takes place on the road as you drive your souped-up sports car through a variety of traps laid down by the baddies. Equip your motor with a variety of weapons, obtainable from a weapons van which you drive into Italian Job style. Rockets, smoke screens and oil slicks are all strongly reminiscent of 007.

Elite's Airwolf is a game that we found so hard as to be almost impossible, and which everyone else seemed to find a cinch - and told us so in no uncertain terms! Try if you can, to fly your chopper down a long, narrow tunnel to rescue five scientists stuck at the end. Blast your way through walls, which rematerialise as fast as you can destroy them - a well nigh impossible task for those whose trigger fingers and joysticks have suffered from the likes of Daley Thomson's Decathlon. Airwolf has done better than we predicted. You can't win them all.

Ghostbusters, the mega box office hit last Christmas was a prime candidate for a computer game and Activision was first to the ghost. Featuring all the best parts of the film, it was an instant success and Activision did well to launch it simultaneously with the movie. Drive around the city coaxing ghouls into your ghost trap but listen out for a Marshmallow Alert. That giant sticky marshmallow man is quite capable of flattening whole streets unless halted. Greenbacks play an important part in the game as you have to buy your equipment to get started, and earn enough prize money for the number of ghosts caught, in order to take part in a final showdown with Zuul.

Finally Tapper from US Gold - another Sinclair User classic. Tapper is a simple but refreshing game centered round an all-American soda bar. You play a harassed barman, who must serve his customers with drinks. Easy at first as you slide them down the bar but wait until they have gulped down the fizzy stuff. Running backwards and forwards between four bars, make sure the customers have got a drink, and catch the empties as they come skidding back. There are three difficulty levels, each one faster and more hectic than the last. Tapper is moving up the charts and we are sure that it will go far towards refreshing the parts other games cannot reach.

The fierce competition over the last 12 months has chased many companies into liquidation. There have, however, been successes, particularly with a number of small software houses bringing new blood into the market. That can only be seen as a healthy sign.

The lack of QL games software is the only disappointment. Where is it? Other than a few basic programs such as Reversi, which cut its eye teeth on the ZX-81 years ago, there has been a dearth of games for this flagging micro. If games of the quality of Knight Lore can be produced for the Spectrum, why not for the QL?