Producer: Fantasy
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £5.50
Language: Machine code
Author: Bob Hamilton

In essence The Pyramid is a simple game, as all good games should be. Your hero is Ziggy, who sits in a little bubble capsule equipped with a 'highly effective phased plasmic laser' with which he can atomise any of the 60 weird aliens that live inside the Pyramid. This structure consists of 120 chambers on 15 levels, 1 chamber on the top level, 2 on the second, three on the third - and so on. The object of the game is to reach the exit on level 15 in as short a time as possible.

Each time the capsule touches an alien its shield power is depleted. When the shield has evaporated, Ziggy is vulnerable and will die it he runs into an alien. There are two exits from each chamber, protected by a force field. These are neutralised by crystals which drop from the top of the chamber after a certain number of aliens have been atomised. The crystals have three states - white, they destroy anything touched and deplete the capsule shield - yellow, they become vulnerable to destruction by aliens but are still too hot to pick up - and when blue they can be collected and used to neutralise the exit force field, although if the capsule is hit by an alien a crystal will still be destroyed. With each level the force fields require an extra crystal to neutralise them, so on level 3 it takes 3 crystals, level 4 needs 4 crystals - and so on.

And basically, that's it. Scoring is done by giving you 9999 points when you enter a chamber and awarding what's left when you exit. Points over 30,000 are coded and may be sent to Fantasy for publishing in their top 1000 scores every 6 months.

COMMENTS

Control keys: 3 options - Q/A up/down, O/P left/right, bottom row fire; or - top row up, 2nd row down, A-G left, H-L right, bottom row fire; or - Z/SYMBOL SHIFT left/right, X/M up/down, C N fire.
Joystick: Fuller, AGF, Protek, Kempston, Mikrogen
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: good
Lives: 1
Screens: 120

At first I thought this was going to be an adventure, but no, it's a very unique arcade game and well worth buying with 120 screens, each one more difficult than the last. It will take a long time to master. Another bonus is the graphics which are very good - like Ultimate's style, smooth, action-packed and detailed. Good keyboard positions too. A very addictive game.

This game is nicely packaged and presented with excellent instructions. In playing it's enjoyable because all the colours are used, the graphics are smooth and very detailed, each character having its own movement and animation - there's even a recoil effect on the laser. The game is great fun to play, frustrating when you start to get down a few levels, die, and have to go back to the start. Very challenging. I liked it!

Presentation and graphics are excellent and the range of control key positions and joysticks that may be used all add up to very good value for money. A highly addictive game.

ULTIMATELY ENDLESS

Most games for the 48K Spectrum boast that they will show you the answer to all your prayers, the answer to the ultimate question, and Pyramid is no different.

The difference is that during the game you must play a cosmonaut who is seeking the real answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything, which was formerly thought to be 42.

To do this you have been zapped into a pyramid of many levels and chambers. As you gain entry to each chamber you are one step closer to knowing the answer. All that stands in your way is the many creatures and objects which inhabit the dark corner of the pyramid.

You must clear each chamber before you pass to the next and the speed at which you do so will make points. The more points and experience you amass the bigger your code will become. The code is the manufacturer's way of checking how far you have advanced in the game. If you send it to Fantasy Software you could be entered into its Hall of Fame. The code is displayed on the screen.

The scope of the game will ensure that you will be playing it for months, if not years. There are 120 chambers on 15 levels and there are 60 types of aliens in those chambers. Most of the beasts defy description.

Pyramid costs £5.50 and can be obtained from Fantasy Software, Fauconberg Lodge, 27a St Georges Road, Cheltenham, Glos GL50 5DT.

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
JOYSTICK: Optional
CATEGORY: Arcade
SUPPLIER: Fantasy
PRICE: £5.50

This is one of a growing number of games which offers you remarkable value for money. Your task is to move a manned space-capsule down through a pyramid, which has 15 different levels.

At each level you come under attack from a different type of alien - so it's 15 games in one.

Actually it's more than that The authors have arranged that each time you descend a level you have a choice of two rooms to enter, each containing a different species of nasty.

So you can come across different creatures every time you play - up to a total of 60 types. Quite enough to maintain your interest for a month or two.Or six.

The game works like this: in each chamber you shoot up as many aliens as you can. When you've zapped a certain number, a crystal appears which you have to collect, and drop through a force-field.

After you've done this a few times, the force-field is neutralised and you can pass through it into the next level. The faster you manage to complete a room the more points you get.

The game plays very well. It features smooth graphics and all the aliens are nicely animated. For example, the first wave consists of dustbins with banging lids.

Fantasy Software have tried to add to the game's attraction by including a numerical puzzle to be solved. At each level you may be given a number.

If you put these clues together you're supposed to be able to work out what number is at the bottom level and hence discover the Meaning of Life.

Fantasy have also built codes into the program to enable them to verify high-score claims. Every six months they plan to publish a list of the top thousand highest scores.

So it all adds up to a game you could spend a great deal of time playing. I thoroughly recommend it.

The Pyramid, by Fantasy Software, sends its players searching through the 15-level pyramid in search of the Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.

Each chamber of the pyramid is occupied by a different type of alien. To escape from a chamber, crystals must be used to neutralise the energy fields around the exit and to obtain a crystal a certain number of aliens must be destroyed.

Points are gained for the speed with which a chamber is negotiated, so the more quickly the player acts the better. Aliens must be avoided, which is not always an easy task, as each type of alien has a different flight path. Crystals must be caught at the appropriate time, guarded from destruction by aliens, and negotiated to an exit as quickly as possible.

The Pyramid works with Fuller, Kempston, AGF/Protek and Mikrogen joysticks and contains four keyboard options. It is produced for the 48K Spectrum by Fantasy Software and can be bought at W H Smith for £5.50.

An arcade adventure which introduces Ziggy, an alien intent on discovering the secret of life, the universe and everything.

On his quest he investigates a pyramid which contains many alien creatures to be avoided or destroyed. Ziggy must go through a series of chambers and levels, starting at the apex, to get to the bottom level and the final exit. There are 120 chambers and 15 levels so a successful play can take several months to perfect. All players can enter the high score competition and have a chance of being credited in the Fantasy newsletter.

Position 23/50