REVIEWS COURTESY OF ZXSR

Fireflash
by Kevin Flynn
Unknown
Crash Issue 1, Feb 1984   page(s) 88,89

Producer: Abacus
Memory Required: 16K
Recommended Retail Price: £5.95
Language: machine code
Author: K Flynn

Fire flash is a very superior Missile Defence type game and a Games Designer in one! Abacus seems to specialise in games requiring seven or eight digit hands and good co-ordination as well. This is certainly no exception!

You are in command of four missile sites which are protecting your planet from attacking multi-warhead missiles. These, it seems, have managed to get through the Sentinel system due to your ineptness as a space pilot in the former game of the same name! How they imagine you're going to do better on the ground than you did in space is another matter, but the people at Abacus are obviously kind in their judgement! The four launch pads are connected by underground tunnels which deliver fresh missiles as long as they remain undamaged. At either end of the screen stand two laser towers which only fire horizontally.

The incoming missiles split up into four smaller warheads if they are not quickly destroyed. You can select which launch pad to use and after firing your Fireflash missile, guide it to the enemy missile and detonate it. To add to the problems there is a small red space craft which goes about, just under the umbrella of laser fire, bombing all your installations. Using a guided Fireflash on it is dicey as you're as likely to blow up your own buildings as the enemy!

If it's all too fast Abacus have provided a marvellous facility for redesigning features of the game. By pressing key zero (POKE) you are asked for the memory address of the item you wish to alter. These are all listed on the excellent Inlay, so there's no difficulty involved. It's possible to alter the following: speed of game, speed of reloads, speeds of laser heating (if it overheats through use you must wait for it to cool down), probability of blaster appearing, elapsed time before two bombs used - three bombs used - two blasters used.

In addition to Fireflash on side two of the tape is a game called Destroyer.

COMMENTS

Keyboard layout: complex with six keys in play, but well laid out
Joystick option: none
Keyboard play: highly responsive
Use of colour: very good
Sound: very good
Skill levels: nine but redefinable with POKE facility


At last, a game when there's action all the time for the 16K Spectrum. Very good colours and smooth graphics. A very fast game. excellent playability, good value and - just brilliant!


Definitely a game requiring skill in timing. Like their Sentinel, the guided missiles are fast and exceptionally responsive - even too much so, as it's easy to turn one right round and blow up yourself while trying - to do three other things at once. Fortunately I was able to slow the speed of the game down with the POKE facility - not that it did much good! The graphics are colourful, neat and very smooth moving. 1 always thought Sentinel was underrated - I hope this one won't be.


Fast, fast, fast! Some may think too fast to be good and too busy to cope with. If you're bored with arcade games to date, try this one, whatever else it does - It won't bore you! Pity the end of life sequence takes so long after the final planet leveling bomb has gone off. They could have made it quicker so you can have another go.

Use of Computer80%
Graphics75%
Playability74%
Getting Started75%
Addictive Qualities80%
Value For Money85%
Overall78%
Summary: General Rating:

Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 2, Mar 1984   page(s) 48

Producer: Abacus, 16K
£5.95 (1)
Author: K Flynn

This is a very superior 'Missile Command' style game and a games designer in one - another from the specialists in games for eight-fingered players. Your base has 4 missile launch pads supplied by underground tunnels, and 2 laser bases at either end of the screen. Incoming alien missiles split into 4 small and hard to hit warheads if not destroyed quickly. You must select the launch pad required, fire the missile, guide it to its target and detonate it at the correct moment. If that's not enough, low flying alien craft bomb your installations. If you like a fast difficult to master game, then this is for you. But many factors can be modified by the clever POKE facility which allows you to redesign the game to suit your own taste. On the reverse side is a free game called Destroyer. Uses 6 control keys, no joystick option, excellent graphics. recommended. CRASH overall rating 78% M/C.


Overall78%
Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 3, Apr 1984   page(s) 65

Producer: Abacus, 16K
£5.95 (1)
Author: K Flynn

This is a very superior 'Missile Command' style game and a games designer in one - another from the specialists in games for eight-fingered players. Your base has 4 missile launch pads supplied by underground tunnels, and 2 laser bases at either end of the screen. Incoming alien missiles split into 4 small and hard to hit warheads if not destroyed quickly. You must select the launch pad required, fire the missile, guide it to its target and detonate it at the correct moment. If that's not enough, low flying alien craft bomb your installations. If you like a fast difficult to master game, then this is for you. But many factors can be modified by the clever POKE facility which allows you to redesign the game to suit your own taste. On the reverse side is a free game called Destroyer. Uses 6 control keys, no joystick option, excellent graphics. recommended. CRASH overall rating 78% M/C.


Overall78%
Transcript by Chris Bourne

Sinclair User Issue 24, Mar 1984   page(s) 8

Memory: 16K
Price: £5.95

Alien missiles are descending towards the planet's surface, showering warheads on buildings and silos, while planet-levelling bombs detonate above the ground, preparing the way for the landing of the enormous alien mothership. Thus the scene is set for Fireflash, a run-of-the-mill arcade game from Abacus Programs which owes not a little to the popular Missile Command. You are in control of the Fireflash guided missiles and laser cannons which comprise the planet's defence.

Visually the game is more or less what you would expect and the on-screen action holds few surprises, but the machine code program is sufficiently competent to while away an idle hour or two, and there is a poke facility allowing you to alter some of the program features.

On the flip side is Destroyer, a plodding submarine attack simulation which employs the limited sound effects of the Spectrum to imitate your destroyer's sonar.


Gilbert Factor5/10
Transcript by Chris Bourne

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