Producer: Alligata
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £5.95
Language: Machine code
Author: Elliot Gay

Quite who the hero Blagger may be is not detailed in this game or why the son of Mr. Blagger should be called Slippery Sid who's real dad would appear to be another person called Roger the Dodger. It's all most confusing. What isn't so muddling is that Slippery Sid, attempting to out-emulate his famous dad, is working as an espionage agent deep inside Spectrum Security HQ on a task to collect all the golden keys dotted around the large scrolling complex. Quite why he should be doing this is not explained either and gives the feeling you've just walked into an exciting TV serial in the middle of episode three!

Son of Blagger is a large maze complex with platform overtones along the lines of Jet Set Willy or Monty Mole, although it tends to resemble the latter more. Within rooms, which are of various shapes and sizes, platforms are connected by downward escalators, upwards moving ladders or linked by dissolving floors. Various monster robots prowl the premises on unvarying paths of destruction, guarding the keys. The screen 'window' scrolls periodically to keep Blagger's Son in the middle of the action. There are several levels to play through with a time limit imposed by falling air supply.

COMMENTS

Control keys: Z/X left/right, SPACE to jump
Joystick: doesn't need one
Keyboard play: responsive enough
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: large, detailed, and varied
Sound: continuous tune with on/off facility
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 3
Screens: many, scrolling
Special features: protection colour code is printed on inlay - very sensible and user-friendly

Son of Blagger is a fairly slow Manic Miner type game. Apart from the screen layout, the graphics are not too good and a bit dated, and the sound, which only comes in a tune form, is affected, like the animation, by the scrolling screen. I saw this game for the CBM about six months ago and then it seemed quite impressive, but now on the Spectrum I've lowered my opinion of it. I think everyone's just about about had enough of games where all you do is pick up keys and time jumps.

First thing in this game I thought the graphics were most attractive - a major part of any game. Animation is great; detailed objects spin and rotate, 'you' walk very nicely. The main thing that spoils this game is the speed at which your man walks. I've heard of slow, I've heard of very slow, but this goes beyond a joke. The game gets tedious to play after a while, and collecting trivial objects like keys becomes a boring task. It's a shame that a game of this standard of quality of graphics is let down by the slow movement of the key item in the game - you. What can l say, buy the game and put up with the slow speed of play but enjoy the nice graphics, or not to buy the game and never to be able to see the colourful detail? The choice is yours.

There's a lot to see in Son of Blagger - that's if you can get to see it before the ever so slow pace of the hero and the irritation of having to constantly go back to the start each time you lose a life gets to you first. Graphics are cheerful, well drawn with plenty of details. The continuous tune is adequate, although it's a pity everything comes to a stop when the screen scrolls over a bit. But the real let down is the playability of the game. It's ruined by the sluggish pace of play, because otherwise, the combination of timing required with the movement of floors and nasties is perfect.

Roger: When you've finally managed to keep the Blagger loaded by persuading this program that you have actually entered the correct master anti-piracy code deduced from straining peepers at a miniscule key on the packaging, disappointment soon follows...

Son Of Blagger ain't just another platform game - it's a bad platform game. Less-than-witty graphics are notable only for their crudity, abetting annoyingly erratic control of the Blagger himself. As he hops, jumps and creeps around the two-dimensional scrolling screens of Spectrum Security HQ, our boy is expected to scarper out of each room with all the hidden' gold keys before exhaustion of limited air supply.

Quite what he's supposed to do with a binful of such upmarket locksmith's accoutrements. I don't know... not having hung around to find out Do yourself a favour and blagg a better game than this! 1/5 MISS

Ross: It's nice to sec a scrolling Manic Miner type game - after all, they're really popular on the CBM 64 and BBC Micro. Catching the occasional brief glimpse of an as yet unreached area can make the game that much more interesting! 2/5 MISS

Dave: I found movement on-screen a little sluggish, and play was a bit boring. However, the scrolling techniques used are clever. 2/5 MISS

PRICE: £5.95
GAME TYPE: Arcade

It is safe to say that I liked Jet Set Willy, you liked Jet Set Willy, we all liked Jet Set Willy. It is safe to say that because sales figures, charts, readers' letters, readers' votes and reviews all agree on these points. What it is not safe to say, bearing these things in mind, is that we will all like every game which is based on the Jet Set Willy theme.

There are major differences between Son of Blagger and Jet Set Willy, but it is the latter which wins in every case. As Slippery Sid, the son of Blagger, you must make your way through the Spectrum Security Headquarters, collect the golden keys from the maze of passages in the complex.

Sid is larger than Willy, the screen scrolls smoothly from one part of the maze to another rather than changing only when you leave a room, the monsters and layouts are different in both games. Despite these differences it is obvious from the moment the first room appears on screen where the idea for Son of Blagger came from.

Unfortunately, the idea is a failure. The game shows the fragility of the success of Jet Set Willy, how easily it could have slipped from the excellent to the mundane if it had shed its quirky humour and all the small touches which made it a pleasure to move from one room to the next.

Son of Blagger is produced for the 48K Spectrum by Alligata Software, 1 Orange Street, Sheffield.