Producer: Gremlin Graphics
Retail Price: £7.95
Language: Machine code
Author: Shaun Hollingworth

Grumpy Gumphrey Super Sleuth isn't the first arcade adventure to be set in a department store, but the central character Gumphrey must be the first geriatric hero to star in a computer game!

Poor old Grumpy Gumphrey is definitely the department store's dogsbody. Apart from the fact that he is supposed to be guarding the shop's stock from marauding thieves (he is the Store Detective after all) Grumpy is also set a whole variety of tasks by the mean and moody manager. In between shooting mad, rampant ducks on the ground floor, Grumps has to make tea for his ungrateful boss and cope with a whole host of minor and major emergencies in the store.

Each task has to be completed within a time limit game-time is relentlessly ticked off by a digital display at the foot of the screen. Failure to complete a task in time results in a summons from the manager. Once summoned, Grumpy has to make his way to the Manager's Office within half an hour to receive a warning letter. If he fails to arrive in time, it's instant dismissal and time for a new game.

The store is crowded with shoppers (and the odd toy soldier), who mill around manically getting in Grumpy's way as he tries to complete his tasks. If any of the characters other than the harmless hippy bump into him, Grumpy is pushed about and may be knocked off his feet in which case he sits down. While he is sitting down, Grumpy gets closer to his next warning letter - sitting down on the job is frowned on at Mole Bros Stores! A bar at the bottom of the screen indicates how close Grumpy is to his next warning letter as it gets shorter another missive gets closer. Four letters and he's out of a job.

A horizontal message area at the bottom of the screen displays the latest order from on high and is used to remind Grumpy of the next task he needs to complete in order to survive the day. Whenever the Manager calls, he must be obeyed immediately, and the current task put on ice.

There's a variety of objects scattered throughout the store which can be used to help Grumpy in his chores. To pick up an object, Grumpy has to be moved up to it and the pick up key pressed whereupon the object is transferred to his pocket - an area at the bottom right of the screen. Once an object has been picked up it can be dropped, used or knocked out of Grumpy's hands by jostling shoppers.

The Mole Bros. store has four floors, each containing a number of departments selling a wide range of goodies to the shoppers. Grumpy can travel between floors in the lift, pressing the appropriate button to select a level. Watch out for the light switch though! There's also an escalator which travels up and down alternately and needs to be hopped onto at the right moment. Try to go up when the stairs are coming down and Grumpy takes a tumble.

Points are awarded for completing tasks and picking up objects, but the real score is collected by completing a day - worth 10,000 points no less. A whole variety of useful items can be found scattered around the weird and wacky store in which the action takes place. It's up to you to work out how they can best be used to assist Gumphrey in his campaign to avoid the sack.

If you don't succeed in completing all the tasks in one working day - from 9.00 in the morning till 5.30 in the evening - then there's always another day... providing Grumps hasn't had his cards!

COMMENTS

Control keys: O Left, W right, P up, L down, Space fire, D drop/pick up, T re-read message, S scroll objects
Joystick: Interface 2 and Kempston
Keyboard play: responsive, well placed keys
Use of colour: bright and cheerful
Graphics: interesting 3D effect owing to masking of characters
Sound: walking and 'resting' noises, spot effects
Skill levels: one
Screens: 39

Graphically, this game is very good. The characters are well drawn and animated, although there are a lot of attribute problems. The sound is not very exciting. I didn't get very far in the game, and didn't find it very playable, but I can see potential in R for people who want to persist and get to grips with the game. On the whole I think there are too many games of this type on the market already - and this is not the best of them.

Another long overdue game - well worth the wait, though. The graphics reminded me of Thors Jack and the Beanstalk type games, but much improved. The animation of Gumphrey is smooth and flicker free and the whole presentation of the game is very professional - a credit to Sean Hollingworth. This is an enjoyable game which l found easy to get into. While this game will mainly appeal to arcade adventurers, it's very good and well worth getting if you like the type.

After spending a bit of time guiding Gumphrey round the store, I realised that the idea behind the game had something in common with Technician Ted, with the different tasks to be completed in set time limits. Graphically the game's impressive, especially the way Gumphrey walks convincingly in front of and behind certain objects, creating a realistic 3D effect. Considering the amount of colours on screen the lack of attribute clash was quite impressive. There's a lot of nice little touches - lots of thought and attention to detail behind this one. I loved the way all the clocks in the store kept game-time for instance. Overall a nice little game and though it may not appeal to everyone, l really liked it.

Ross: Poor ol' Grumpy Gumphrey. It's a hard life being a store defective - especially when you're getting on a bit and you reckon it's about time to take things easier. I mean, the shoplifters are getting younger and it's hard to spot them if the old eyes aren't what they used to be. On top of that the boss is out to get you, as he thinks you're a lazy old beep and he's got you running errands all over the place. So you'd better be on your toes 'cos as soon as you put a foot wrong, you're out on your ear, P45 an' all!

Your day at the store starts at 9am. Not only do you have to catch any shoplifters but when the boss says jump, you jump - and you'd better not be late with his tea. In between times, you'll have to cope with floods, fires and even an escaped gorilla monkeying about in the store.

Playing the game is pretty simple, although the controls aren't exactly responsive and the lifts between floors are prone to get stuck sometimes - I haven't sussed out if that's a feature or a gremlin.

Overall, this game's not bad but it feels as if there's something missing - not fun but perhaps addictiveness. I certainly don't think you could class it as one of the Gremlin Greats. 5/10

Dougie: For a complex 3D game, I'm amazed at how they've overcome the colour problems. Get's my vote on that alone. 7/10

Rick: So, Gremlin's taken the leap off the platforms into something altogether different. Out of the frying pan? 'Fraid so. 5/10

Publisher: Gremlin Graphics
Price: £7.95
Memory: 48K
Joystick: Kempston, Sinclair

The life of a store detective is not always fun, especially when you have to pamper to the whims of a psychotic store boss who is hooked on warning notices, bring him cups of tea and look after your reputation as a super sleuth.

Play starts on the street outside the store. You must decide how to keep the boss happy for a day without getting the sack. You will be given three warning letters before that unhappy event occurs.

Your first job should be to map the store. Although you have been there for years you have had a sudden attack of pernicious amnesia.

Getting tea for his nibs is easier said than done. First you have to find it, crashing though hundreds of customers who are not averse to calling you a clumsy oaf. Then take the tea to the top floor where Sir - a talking head in a swivel chair - will give you a mouthful of abuse, courtesy of the scrolling message window.

On your way up you will find objects which will be of help in your store patrol. Those include a wooden box, a skateboard, a gun, a hammer and a cage. The use of some of those is obvious but you will have to work hard to discover the use of others.

As well as giving the boss his tea you are contracted to shoot ducks on the ground floor, kill bugs - not in the program - and extinguish fires. All those tasks are overseen by the boss who will literally give you the boot if you are slow. So, get on your skateboard and start moving. The day finishes at 5.30pm and there are still hours of hectic floor walking ahead of you.

Grumpy Gumphrey, Supersleuth, with its novel plot, is a welcome change from Monty Mole. The graphics are better than the Mole games - not so much screen flicker - and the plot is complex. Most of the characters within the store have some semblance of intelligence and often reveal that they have more upstairs than Grumpy.

Show your boss that you can bring some sanity to this computerised version of a Saturday morning at Marks and Sparks. You will find it a difficult but rewarding job.

MACHINE: Spectrum
SUPPLIER: Gremlin Graphics
PRICE: £7.95

You are sacked. GET OUT! Gilbert "Grumpy" Gumphrey, aged detective at Mole Brothers Store, has had another bad day. But there's always another day.

There is enough going on in the 40 screens of Gremlin's new game to make Grace Brothers in Are You Being Served? seem really dull.

And it's not the normal game we've come to expect from Gremlin. Supersleuth is a touch more sophisticated, a lot more infuriating and jolly addictive.

The game invites comparisons with Pyjamarama and the like and comes off well.

Messages appear on the screen telling Grumpy what to do next. For example you may have to get the boss his tea, clear an invasion of ducks, put out fires, clear up floods or trap an escaped gorilla.

Fail to carry them out and you get a warning letter. Three letters and it's the sack. For you gamesters who love making maps, Supersleuth will put your skills to the test. Without one, you might as well give up.

One hint, it's a good idea for Grumpy to grab the skateboard. With it he can move around the store very quickly.

Gremlin Graphics
£7.95

The copy we received was a preproduction copy and had no instructions whatsoever, so if I get something slightly wrong I claim ignorance!

You appear to be a store detective who is striving to keep his job. Messages appear at the bottom of the screen and I assume you have to deal with them. These tend to vary from the mundane (the boss wants a cup of coffee), to the bizarre (ducks on the ground floor!)

Wandering around, you begin, to remember the layout of the store and where various objects can be found. The series or sequence of actions to achieve your objectives is one which you must discover for yourselves. I must admit I have not been able to get very far at all (and I've tried, how I've tried!).

The animation is superb and of the large animated cartoon variety, the other characters are carefully created and all the action takes place in a well designed, frustratingly complex building. If this kind of visual arcade puzzle is your cup of team then this game is for you, but personally I find it irritating.

I think there is probably more to this program than I have discovered and so I will simply say that if you liked Everyone's a Wally you'll probably enjoy this one, if you are easily frustrated then try it out at your local shop first.