Producer: PSS, 16K
£4.95

Good, classic version with three skill levels and clear graphics. A pity, though, that the makers don't tell you which keys to use either on the inlay or the screen. In fact they are the cursor keys - not the best arrangement for fingers but useful because you can use a Protek or AGF Joystick.

Producer: PSS, 16K
£4.95

Good, classic version with three skill levels and clear graphics. A pity, though, that the makers don't tell you which keys to use either on the inlay or the screen. In fact they are the cursor keys - not the best arrangement for fingers but useful because you can use a Protek or AGF Joystick.

Producer: PSS, 16K
£4.95

Good, classic version with three skill levels and clear graphics. A pity, though, that the makers don't tell you which keys to use either on the inlay or the screen. In fact they are the cursor keys - not the best arrangement for fingers but useful because you can use a Protek or AGF Joystick.

ELECTRO GOBBLE - PACMAN TYPE GAMES

In our sixth comparison, reviewers CHRIS PASSEY and MATTHEW UFFINDELL snatch a glass of water and a handful of power pills and prepare to do battle with a legion of ghosts...

Pacmania came over from the States quite a while back. Initially the game was regarded as odd in that it was relatively non-violent for a computer game, but it rapidly established itself as the number one arcade favourite. Although the craze is over now, there are still a lot of pacfans around. As a classic maze game, Pacman was among the first arcade originals to be copied in numerous forms on to the Spectrum. Copyright owners, Atari International, have been promoting their expensive 'official' version since before Christmas, but it competes against some very strong 'unofficial versions. Some are good, some not so good, and there are some interesting variants.

In brief, the classic version should have a medium complex maze connected horizontally by a wrap around tunnel. In the four corners are a similar number of power pills. Each pathway of the maze is regularly dotted. In the centre is a 'home' for ghosts of differing colours and point values, which are released into the maze at intervals. The object is to take your Pacman, an orange ball with a gobbling mouth, around the maze and eat all the dots to promote to a more difficult screen with more intelligent ghosts. Eating a power pill will cause all the ghosts to turn blue and edible. In this condition they should run away from your approach at a slower speed than yourself, Strawberries appear at intervals and can be eaten for bonus points.

GHOST HUNT
Producer: PSS
Memory Required: 16K
Retail Price: £4.95

This gets off to a rather poor start because it uses the cursor keys for control - an obvious disadvantage with this type of game. Generally the graphics are small (one character size), okay, but not the true pacman size! The sound does bear a resemblance to a chomping noise. Such things included are fruit, tunnels and power pills. Overall, this is not a very impressive or addictive version, but not the worst you can buy.
CP

This game got off to a terrble start - there are no instructions whatsoever. Once loaded one of the three skill levels has to be chosen, from easy to ultra-fast. Don't worry if you make the wrong choice - you merely have to reload the program. The graphics are small, very blocky and primitive. There is no gobbling action, but there are some odd looking fruit for bonus points. Sound and colour are generally poorly used, and the game isn't worth considering.
MU