Producer: Bug-Byte
Retail Price: £2.95
Author: Tymac/Software Conversions Ltd

A few years ago this game arrived on the Commodore with the rather tame title of Gandalf. Bug Byte have taken it out of the cupboard, dusted it down, converted it for the Spectrum, up-dated the title and scenario a bit and released it as a budget game.

Sodov the wizard, in keeping with modem times, has abandoned the apprenticeship concept in favour of the Youth Opportunities Scheme. While he scampers around the battlements of his castle shouting magical spells which turn marauding green dragons into lumps of gold, Sodov's YOP stays in the castle courtyard stirring a cauldron.

The dragons, true to form, are fairly aggressive beasties. What they want is Sodov's YOP - a tasty morsel in dragon terms. The dragons scamper around the field outside the castle, trying to avoid Sodov's magical wrath as they run towards the castle walls to beat on the portcullis.

Sodov casts his spells using a Mission Command style crosshair cursor to aim his magic. He can scamper left and right along the battlements and along the castle floor by holding fire down with the appropriate direction key, entering the towers at the left and right of the screen to change levels. Each time a spell is cast Sodov loses some energy from the counter on the status bar at the bottom of the screen. More magical power can be drawn from the magic star in the firmament if Sodov goes to the top of one of the towers - providing the star's not covered by a cloud.

All is not in Sodov's favour, however. Every so often a mean red spider potters into the castle andscurries round. If it touches Sodov he loses magical energy, but he can take refuge from the red meanie by hiding in one of the towers until it goes away. The little cloud which scuds across the sky is more than a nuisance covering up the power star from time to time. It occasionally shoots a power-sapping bolt of lightning at Sodov, knocking off some of his energy points. And to add financial insult to magic injury, an ostrich turns up now and again in the field and pinches some dragon gold!

When a certain number of dragons have made it to the walls, they manage to get the gate open and one of their number enters the castle and drags the YOP outside. While YOPS are fairly expendable - the wizard has three available - Sodov can choose to nip outside and mount a rescue attempt. Temptation lies in Sodov's path, however. Lumps of gold are to be found on the ground outside the castle - Condensed Dragon, produced the wizard's defensive magic. Should he collect the loot or save the YOP? Decisions, decisions...

Out in the field, the wizard is vulnerable to dragon attack - they have particularly bad halitosis it seems, and a couple of puffs of Dragon Breath from close up kills the wizard, who explodes into the word 'DOOMED'. On the field screen, the wizard can lay mines in the path of the dragon that's got his YOP and is legging it towards the left of the screen. Sodov can only lay one mine at a time, and if he gets it in the wrong place it's a matter of waiting until a wandering dragon stumps over the mine before another one can be laid in the path of the abductor.

While waiting for a laid mine to explode, Sodov can scamper around gathering up the gold nuggets by walking over them. If the dragon dragging the YOP hits a mine, Sodov has a few moments to rush over to his little worker and lead him to safety before another dragon, seeing that lunch is about to escape, carries on the shopping and seizes the lad.

Should Sodov fail to rescue, his YOP he gets to keep the gold anyway, and it's back to the castle and on with the game, one YOP down and plenty more where that one came from.

COMMENTS

Control keys: O left, P right, Q up, A down to move sight, bottom Row to fire; Fire with direction key to move Sodov
Joystick: Kempston, Interface 2, Cursor
Keyboard play: using the sight is a bit tricky
Use of colour: pretty
Graphics: quite neat
Sound: passable tune at the start, little more
Skill levels: one
Screens: two

Apart from the obvious problem with the title, Sodov is an enjoyable game. Bearing in mind the price, it represents good value for money, and the graphics are quite neat. As to its lasting appeal, well, it depends on how much you like the game: you'll either hate it or love it. I fall into the latter category, I think. The sound isn't up to much, but the game doesn't need it. I can't see the sales for this running into the hundreds of thousands, but it may appeal to you - it appeals to me!

I am well impressed with Bug Byte's latest release: it's very playable and quite compelling. I first saw this one ages ago on the C64 - then it was very good for its time and now it is just as good on the Spectrum, and also very cheap. Graphically this game is not brilliant but the characters are fairly well done and the 3D works well on the 3D screen. Sound is limited to a few burps and squawks here and there - a tune or two would have been appreciated. After a bit of practice I'd got quite good at this one, and I can't see myself getting bored for a couple of hours at least.

I loved Sodov. It's a very simple, two screen game but it's a lot of fun to play, and makes a pleasant change from a diet of arcade adventures. The graphics are not stunningly detailed, but perfectly adequate nevertheless. I like the way the dragons blow up into little mushroom clouds when your spell zaps them. No music, a minimal scenario and only two screens to the game means it's not a super dooper hit. Plenty going on all the time you play, a neat challenge, humour, and the price all add up to a good deal. Get it.

Bug Byte
£2.95

Who remembers Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Fantasia? Other than the Ed, go on, put your hands up? Well, it seems nothing's changed much. Wizards are still feisty so and sos and apprentices lazy lads likely to be laid off for laid out) at a moments notice. Of course, the world of Disney innocence is now long gone. Bug Byte's sorcerer is charmingly named Sodov and his three apprentices are all on YOPs courses.

But despite this humourous nod to the present, this games as old as, if not the hills, then at least the earliest sword and sorcery arcades. The wizard defends the castle ramparts whilst his proteges toil and trouble in the courtyard. Dragons attempt to swamp the castle but you can zap them with a shouted spell (mmm, now I wonder what that could be, - is there a clue an the Wizard's name?). The spell turns the dinos into dosh, but at great expense to your energy - which can only be replenished by shouting another spell at the star over the tower.

Miss the dragons though and they'll make yum-yums of your YOPs - and if you don't pick up the cash pretty slick, then an ostrich will. So there is a (marginal if not magical) touch of strategy - you'll have to make a decision as to when you whizz out of the castle - or do you stay and protect your apprentices.

Sounds familiar? - you bet. But while Bug Byte keeps the emphasis on the cheap and cheerful rather than pretentious and pricey then I won't hear a word against them.

Publisher: Bug-Byte
Price: £2.95
Memory: 48K
Joystick: Kempston, Interface II

Dragons are partial to a bit of apprentice meat so, Sodov, you must take care of your three young 'uns.

As chief sorcerer of the castle you have your own reasons for seducing the dragons into the locale, but just remember not to let the dragons make a meal of your assistants. After all, who would stir the cauldron of power on the ground floor of the castle while you shout the magic word to turn the dragons into gold?

That word - which I am under pain of death not to reveal - is aimed at the dragons using a cross-hair cursor and your joystick or keyboard controls. Pressing fire - if you're on target - will transmute the dragon into a fountain of gold.

You must destroy as many of the creatures as you can for two reasons. Each time you kill a dragon more gold is scattered upon the ground. Also, if dragons escape your spells they will start to lift the castle's portcullis and one of them will storm into seize the hapless and defenceless tyro.

Surprisingly, you must let this kidnap occur if you want to gather the gold which has accumulated outside the castle. You boost your spell power by travelling to the top of one of the towers. Once boosted to a full 50 spell points you can go to the ground floor of the castle and wait for the dragon raid.

At any moment a dragon will rush in, grab your apprentice and storm out. Don't spell him while he's in the castle as the portcullis will shut and you'll have lost your chance to gather gold for another round.

If you can stay your impatience, follow the dragon into the outside walls and lay a mine for him by positioning the spell cursor so that he walks over it. The gold flies and the apprentice is free for you to take back to the castle. Quick, though, as the dragons have fiery tongues and there is a chance of recapture. If you're lucky - or skilful - you will be able to pick up some gold dust from the ground on the way.

Once you have a certain amount of gold you can progress to the next level of the game in which the dragons change colour and get more nimble on their feet. At that pace you can do little else but concentrate on the attack from the battlements of the castle. Beware the little red spider which can enter the castle under the portcullis and attack you at anytime.

The spider is an undead creature and requires power to sustain its grubby little existence. It steals its power from you and forces you to replace your energy with a trip to the tower.

Energy is also lost during sudden thunderstorms when the game's token cloud shoots lightning at Sodov. Again, because this game is full of pretty gold and nothing so loathsome as death, all you need to do is take yet another trip up the tower.

The game finishes either when all your apprentices have been kidnapped by the dragons, or when you have become a fried magus. In keeping with its magical attitude of not killing off sorcerers or tyros, the game does not have to be restarted. You are reincarnated with no power, no gold and a zero score.

Sodov the Sorcerer, despite having only two screens, is one of the best games I have seen this year - either in the full price or budget range. The graphics are smooth and entertaining, the concept is new to the Spectrum and the plot has at least three strands to it. It is an enchanting game of which you are unlikely to get tired.

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
SUPPLIER: Bug Byte
PRICE: £2.99

Apart from the silly pun in the title, which is so bad we refuse to use it in our headline, this isn't a bad little game.

Sodov - indeed! - the Sorceror is defending his castle and his apprentices from some nasty attacking dragons. The dragons have one aim in life - to steal away with the sorceror's apprentices. They do this by attacking his castle, opening the portcullis and rushing in.

The Sorceror can stop them by zapping them with a spell from his battlements which has the added fortunate effect of creating a whole bunch of gold coins. The spell transforms a dead dragon into gold. A neat trick if you can do it.

It's inevitable that the dragons will get into the castle. There's just too many of them. But you, the sorceror, can dash out to save your apprentice and collect a few gold coins. Unless you roasted by a dragon, that is!

This is a two screen game. One inside the castle and an interesting 3D screen outside the castle. Points are scored by collecting gold.

This game was originally released by an American company called Tymac for the 64 way back in '84. This conversion looks pretty and is playable if not long on lasting appeal.

Spectrum
Bug Byte
Shoot-'em-up
£1.99

Sodov is a game which offers a new meaning to the term Youth Opportunities Program. You, as the youthful player, have control of a sorcerer who is under attack from a mean-looking bunch of local dragons. Thankfully with this program, you have the opportunity of blowing these monsters away at which time they turn into gold coins which can be collected to add to your score.

Plenty of scope to satisfy the twin vices of greed and violence though a plot line which lacks any depth make this a game whose attractions are short-lived.

Bug Byte
£2.95

Your task as Sodov the Sorcerer is to defend your castle against some very cute looking dragons. By aiming your spell in the appropriate direction you can convert the dragons into gold - ready currency useful even to a Sorcerer.

However this frenetic spellbinding saps your energy which can only be replenished by a quick sprint up the battlements to the tower. The gold is ready and waiting outside the fortress but if you hang about an ostrich will nip in and make off with if.

You also have to avoid spiders who scuttle around your ankles intent on draining your magic powers. If you allow the dragons into the castle they will purloin one of your three YOP apprentices who are looking for an opening in the sorcery trade.

Quick thinking is needed to judge whether you can nip out and grab the loot without losing a fledgling magician. This game is a conversion of Gandalf the Magician on the C64 and is a welcome addition to the stream of budget software. With its impressive graphics and arcade style action Sodov is well above average for a budget range game with enough features and gaming challenges to make you feel you've got far more than your money's worth.