Producer: Cheetah Soft
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £6.95
Language: BASIC and Machine code
Author: Mark Jones

To emphasise its 3Deeness. Bat Attack has the '3D' at the end of loading, seen lying flat on the 'ground' some way off in full perspective. The characters then come closer as you 'walk' towards them, rearing upright when you get close.

This is a three-dimensional game in which you are incarcerated in a tower with four floors. There is a lift between the floors and you can go to any one you wish, although each time you use the lift the bats which inhabit the floors of the tower will become more vicious.

The floors of the tower maze are lined with gold blocks which you must collect. You have no armament against the bat attacks, but at intervals on each floor there are cloves of garlic which may be eaten by running over them. This will give you immunity for 20 seconds only. It a bat attacks you after garlic has been eaten, it will stun but not kill the bat.

The corridors of the maze are drawn in perspective with green lines, uprights indicating the length of one step. The gold blocks on the floor are solid yellow rectangles, and the resulting scene resembles a modern open plan office with desks in straight lines and dividing partitions. Below the visual display there is a radar showing your position and that of the four bats. A map display of the maze, gold blocks and lift is also available at a key press. On this large map you can see the bats flitting about quite well. Below the display there is a direction indication arrow.

If you are hit by a blood sucking bat, a large crack appears over the screen and may take you by surprise if it came from behind. If it attacks from in front, you will see it approaching.

COMMENTS

Control keys: cursors, CAPS and 0 to view maze
Joystick: ZX 2, Protek, AGF
Keyboard play: a little confusing at times, and no immediate response from the keys
Use of colour: fair to average
Graphics: average, reasonable 3D effects
Sound: poor
Skill levels: 11 with between 1 and 4 bats selectable
Lives: 3
Screens: 4
Originality: 3D maze games are hardly new - depends on how much one has to offer in new ideas...

Movement of the maze is fairly slow, while the bats fly very quickly. Garlic is never to be found when you need it, and a map that is not co-ordinated with your key movements - that is, you move in one direction and your position marked on the map moves in a totally different direction - very contusing, if not frustrating. Graphics are large, detailed and approach you in a quite realistic way. The colour is also well used. Overall, a batty unaddictive game.

After following the usual screen messages I pressed any key to begin " (it wasn't the BREAK key) and the game crashed, leaving a mess on the screen. Said incident happened several times. I made a final attempt with the Kempston interface unplugged - and success! Surely if the game was tested fully such information could be included with the program. I thought Bat Attack was basically boring, dated and almost colourless 3D maze game. There were games like this about a year ago. Unless this type of game can be revitalised or improved upon, then the 3D maze game has had its day. Not a particularly inspiring or exciting version anyway.

Bat Attack instantly reminded me of Gilsoft's Maze of Gold. You had to collect gold bars in that one too, but without the hindrance of monsters chasing you. The graphics are greatly improved though over some of the earlier 3D maze games, and the map facility is excellently done. The sense of movement along the corridors works quite well, but I think the real drawback to the game's working really well is the bats. Wouldn't it have been better to provide a weapon for shooting them? The garlic is totally ungainable in a hurry unless you happen to be right on top of a clove of the stuff. What also confuses and slows reactions down is the system whereby you can move in any direction with the cursor keys, but to face in the direction you must use the cursors and CAPS SHIFT to turn. This means you can sail down a long corridor only seeing the side wall! in a panic situation this can be quite troublesome. I enjoyed Bat Attack, but I don't really think it offers quite enough playability or excitement in the long run to be addictive.

Trapped inside a 3D maze, trying to gather up gold blocks, your task is to fight your way along to the next level.

Frank: Oh, no, not another maze game! The 3D representation of the walls is OK, and so are the bats. Use of colour is adequate, which gives quite reasonable clarity. But it's still just another unoriginal program. MISS

Phil: This game (or one very like it) first appeared as a listing in a certain magazine under the title of 3D Dracman. It was OK for free, but as a commercial produce it's awful. Graphics, colour and speed arc all uninspiring. Lit

Ian Players can choose their own degree of difficulty by entering on different levels, with a greater or lesser number of bats. Both the graphics and the colour are above average, making for a very playable game. HIT

Memory: 48K Spectrum
Price: £6.95
Joystick: Sinclair

Welcome to Transylvania. The dubious delights of the vampire's tower await you in 3D Bat Attack, by Cheetahsoft.

The tower is built in four levels, each connected to the others by a lift. Play begins on the lowest level and the foolhardy explorer must collect the gold blocks on the passage floors. Heads of garlic are also scattered round the place and must be eaten to provide some protection against the four vampire bats which squeak about the maze seeking a quick snack of your Type O.

A map and radar are provided to show the position of both adventurer and bats, and there are ten levels of difficulty available.

The keyboard movement takes a Little getting used to as the cursor keys are doubled up - using Capshift - to enable the player to rotate as well as move. The rotate facility can be confusing but the map shows the whole floor, including the location of the garlic. The graphics are competent and clear and there are comprehensive instructions.

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Keys, Sinc
FROM: Cheetah Soft, £6.95

The cassette inlay says Bat Attack is 'the first of a series of tapes which are more realistic and more challenging than the games you've been playing so far.' You'd be batty to believe it.

Admittedly, the first few seconds are impressive, as the title looms toward you and tilts itself upright. But what follows is simply another rendering of a well-tried theme: the 3D maze game.

The scenario is that you're inside Dracula's castle to collect the gold bars which litter the floor. But your attempts at burglary are put in jeopardy by a collection of bats, against whom you can only protect yourself by means of cloves of garlic.

What actually happens is that you are given a simple 3D view of the corridor in which you are standing, revealing exits to right and left, and any gold or garlic which may be lying on the floor.

You can move in any direction, or rotate to see what lies to your left, right and rear.

You can also get an overview of the entire maze to see how many gold bars you've collected. A separate 'radar' continually indicates the position of the bats as they close in on you.

But although this is all competently done, you may be disappointed by the complete lack of animation. When you move, the screen simply switches directly to the new position. And the bats themselves - when you see them, just get larger as they approach - no flapping wings or drooling mouths.

Those who lack Sinclair's Interface 2 may also take exception to having to use the cursor keys for control - plus Caps Shift when you want to rotate.

There are a total of four mazes, linked by a lift. The bats become increasingly aggressive as you progress through each successive maze. But you, I fear, may become increasingly bored.