Producer: Hewson, 16K
£4.95

Considering the quality of most Hewson programmes, this one is a complete mystery. Put it down to history. It's probably the simplest one available, with matchstick figures, white ghosts and some fruit as power pills. Four screens, cursor keys so works with AGF or Protek joysticks. Not very good.

Producer: Hewson, 16K
£4.95

Considering the quality of most Hewson programmes, this one is a complete mystery. Put it down to history. It's probably the simplest one available, with matchstick figures, white ghosts and some fruit as power pills. Four screens, cursor keys so works with AGF or Protek joysticks. Not very good.

Producer: Hewson, 16K
£4.95

Considering the quality of most Hewson programmes, this one is a complete mystery. Put it down to history. It's probably the simplest one available, with matchstick figures, white ghosts and some fruit as power pills. Four screens, cursor keys so works with AGF or Protek joysticks. Not very good.

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.

Producer: Hewson Cons.
Memory Required: 16K
Retail Price: £4.95

Poor graphics, unexciting and unaddictive seem the words to sum up this one. The graphics are small, undetailed and lacking in colour. Control is with the cursors to make things even worse. It didn't appeal at all - the less said the better. (Sorry Hewsons!)
CP

Like a lot of these games, this version is quite old, and it shows, it is very primitive with its design and graphics. The maze is exceptionally complex, with the odd lemon positioned randomly in it. Power pills, too, appear randomly placed. Ghosts move about the maze not caring at all whether you eat the dots or not. The game does have 12 different mazes, but the terrible cursor keyboard layout is quite unresponsive - if not positively erratic. Can't be recommended apart from historical interest - Maze Chase to 3D Lunattack - there's encouragement for you!
MU

THE WORLD COMES TO VISIT

If you have a Spectrum and you want to know about far-off places you may never have to pick up a gazetted because of a new database package called Countries of the World.

The program, for the 16K and 48K Spectrum, centres on an incredible high-resolution colour drawing of a world map. The countries can be listed and scrolled through backwards and forwards.

Each country has a code number and by referring to that number you can access its statistics, general information and a graphics representation of its position on the globe.

The detail in the program is very fine but some points made about countries are inaccurate. For instance, the program gives the capital of Andorra as Andorra-La-Viella, where it should be Andorra-La-Vella. Little mistakes like that spoil the program.

Another new release is Maze Chase. The program is in the Pac-man mould but is very addictive and difficult to play.

The manufacturer says the game has four mazes on the 16K version and 12 on the 48K. We have managed to get through only the first few mazes as the game is so difficult.

The player must eat the energy pills and lemons while staying away from the evil guardians. If a magic strawberry is eaten the guardians will lose their power and you can eat them.

Maze Chase and Countries of the World are available from Hewson, 7 Graham Close, Blewbury, Oxon. Maze Chase costs £4.95 and Countries of the World £5.95.