The Korth Trilogy is a set of three science fiction books from Puffin, each with a computer tape enclosed. On each tape three games are to be found, and each game relates to a part of the appropriate book.

The games are not Adventures, repeat NOT, adventure games. This rather upset me, as the packaging that comes with each implies the opposite. Instead, they are arcade/strategy games but are being reviewed here because the packaging suggests otherwise.

I felt that the books are aimed at the eight to twelve year age group. Thus, if like me, you are out of that category, the stories seem rather boring.

Each member of the trilogy is priced at £4.95 which is good value for money if you are in the appropriate age group and own either a 16k or 48k Spectrum. Of course, for the price, one cannot expect the games to give Ultimate any sleepless nights, but as a package they are superb. So here is a mini-review of each.

The first, Escape from Arkron is about three members of Interplanetary Patrol who go to Sirius and find the evil Korth Empire at work. The best game on this tape is Prisoner, where you lead four men on a mission to free Louis and escape, avoiding the deadly robot guards. I found this quite like a Berserk game, but with more robots.

Besieged has only one game really worth playing and that is called Alpha. The aim is to reach the control room of Alpha base and solve the problem of trinary maths to re-program the Korth computer.

Alpha is in many ways a graphical adventure, but as there is no proper vocabulary, and only graphical monster-bashing, it is not worth much more than to say it is great fun.

The last book is Into the Empire and the last game on the tape with it is, in my opinion, the best in the trilogy. The game is called Empire, and is one of the oldest games available for micros, being a simulation of the Empire's economy. You have to control the destiny of thirty planets, quell revolts and supply the empire's needs etc.

Overall, I feel that Puffin did really well with this trilogy. Although it is true that the games are not the best in the world for the Spectrum, they are value for money. You may find the books worth a read too - but do not expect Asimov!

TRILOGY SCORES ON STRATEGY AND LOGIC

MICRO: Spectrum 16K or 48K
PRICE: £4.95 each
FORMAT: Cassette
SUPPLIER: Puffin Books, Penguin Books Ltd, Bath Rd, Harmondsworth, Middlesex

This trilogy is of the zap and strategy variety. The Korth Empire is invading; can you repel it?

The programs contain one or two nice touches, such as choice of your control keys on the zap games and choice of objective on the strategy game in Escape from Arkaron.

I must say that 'shoot 'em up' games leave me somewhat colder than Skegness on a wet Whit-Monday, but kids seem to like them.

But where the Korth Trilogy really scores is its strategy programs, with at least one on each tape. I'm a great fan of strategy games, and the logic required for kids has got to be educational.

The raid game in part one lets you enter your moves up to six turns in advance, not easy when you don't know what the enemy is doing to do.

I particularly enjoyed Empire, the final program of part three, which is easily the best version I have seen of the Hamurabi genre.

The idea is that the Empire computer has broken down and you have to control production of three essential commodities on 30 individual planets. Full information is available on all 30 planets and overall performance is updated in bar graph form.

I would say that Korth is aimed mainly at the eight to 14 years age group, although there are a couple of programs I shall do again.

The trilogy is presented as a series of program packs. It was released by Puffin Books for the Spectrum, which easily has the biggest market for young computer addicts.

I ought to add that these packages are not adventures. For £4.95 you get a 50 page paperback book which, as you would expect from Puffin, is of excellent quality. You also get a cassette (surprise, surprise), which contains three programs, and both these items come inside a nice plastic display wallet.

The idea is that you read the book and then play the three games which are related to it.

It is not essential to buy all three packages, or even to buy them in order, as they are self-contained. The second and third books give a brief resume of what has gone before. Neither is it essential to read the book before doing the game.

By no stretch of my vivid imagination could I class myself in the age group at which Korth is aimed so my views have to be based accordingly.

My conclusions are that you shouldn't buy Korth if you are expecting a true adventure and, that you shouldn't expect the earth for £4.95. However, at this price they do represent good value.