REVIEWS COURTESY OF ZXSR

Star Games II
Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd
1987
Crash Issue 45, Oct 1987   page(s) 106

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.

The budget market has just got into compilations, with two distinct approaches. On the one hand you have The Power House throwing together most of their £1.99 releases, past and present. In a bundle of budget fun - Powerplays, eight games for £9.99. None of the games are very impressive, the point being quantity rather than quality. On the other hand you have Tynesoft looking at the budget problem from a completely different angle: in the Micro Value Pack you only get four (very old and not very good) games, but for the extremely cheap compilation price of £3.99.

After the success of Star Games, Gremlin Graphics has quickly hit the streets with Star Games II. Now part of the US Gold conglomerate, Gremlin offers old favourites such as the very popular Highway Encounter (originally from Vortex) along with another CRASH Smash, Ultimate's Cyberun. On the same tape, in the shadow of these two giants, can be found a couple of Lucasfilm games Ballblazer and The Eidolon. Of course Gremlin also gets a look-in with the underrated and very playable Trailblazer and their Gauntlet clone Avenger.

STAR GAMES II
Gremlin
Highway Encounter - 95% Issue 20
Cyberun - 90% Issue 28
Trailblazer - 88% Issue 34
Avenger - 85% Issue 36
Ballblazer - 71% Issue 28
Eidolon - 76% Issue 36
£9.99


REVIEW BY: Paul Sumner

Transcript by Chris Bourne

All information in this page is provided by ZXSR instead of ZXDB