REVIEWS COURTESY OF ZXSR

Strangeloop
by Charles Goodwin
Virgin Games Ltd
1984
Crash Issue 9, Oct 1984   page(s) 100,101,102

Producer: Virgin Game
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £5.95
Language: Machine code
Author: Charles Goodwin

As Christmas approaches, Virgin Games are on the warpath again, with a new batch of games (of which this is the first), new programmers and a totally new look in packaging. Gone are the broad stripes, in comes a game-specific cover and detailed instructions, very free of hype.

Strangeloop is certainly an auspicious start - a mammoth arcade adventure style game with 240 rooms to explore. Your mission is to regain control of a robot controlled space factory which has been taken over by aliens who are reprogramming the robots to destroy Earth. No maps of the factory exist, indeed no man has stepped foot inside for over 100 years. All you know is that the environment is desperately hostile, no oxygen, no gravity, very high temperatures and razor sharp industrial waste (swarf). The object is to reach the central control room, but this isn't just a case of stumbling around until you find it. There are many obstacles to overcome, many objects which must be collected to help you on your way.

Your equipment is a space suit and a laser which fires straight ahead or diagonally upwards. The laser can carry a maximum of 99 charges, and these charge packs are one of the more vital objects that you could find lying around. Another is the jet cycle which has been left behind from a previous service of the factory. This is a bit old and thirsty on fuel, so keep an eye out for fuel cans. The swarf, being razor sharp, creates leaks in your suit, which releases your precious oxygen even faster than it should. But patches are something else that is to be discovered.

The screen display is split into two unequal halves, the larger, at the top, being the playing area representing one of the 240 rooms. These have a variety of industrial equipment in them, all robot controlled of course, various exits which are indicated as semicircles cut from the thick screen edge wall, and the razor-edged swarf flying about. Here, also, can be seen 'you', a large character in your space suit.

Below the playing area is the status panel. On the left is the suit status showing numbers of leaks and patches held. Then the laser status showing how many charges are held. In the centre is a pockets indicator. Here any useful objects picked up are shown and may also by used by selecting them with SPACE and the direction keys. Fuel level is indicated for the jet cycle if you are using it, your lives left and a compass which always points in the direction of the control room. Finally, there is 5 by 5 grid of the rooms immediately around you, with yours in the centre. This shows the exits in the 25 rooms. A magenta room indicates Megaswarf is present, one with the jet cycle symbol indicates the presence of the cycle, and a yellow one is the control room.

Each life starts with you in the teleport, a square which may be moved with the direction keys to the place where you want to materialise on the screen. Because of the size of Strangeloop, a SAVE and LOAD facility is provided.

COMMENTS

Control keys: preset as cursors with 1 to fire horizontally, and 0 to fire diagonally, but all keys are user-definable, SPACE to activate
Joystick: almost any via UDK, but a twin-fire would be useful
Keyboard play: responsive - control takes getting used to (no gravity don't forget)
Use of colour: excellent
Graphics: very good
Sound: good
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 6


Strangeloop has a wonderful loading screen which appears very quickly because of the 'Flash Load' system. When you start to play the game you'll find it hard to describe because it's not a platform game and it's not really an arcade adventure as such. It's a - well, I'll let you decide. Even though it's a baffling game at first, it's very good and smooth and the sound is good too. This game is certainly fun to play and addictive if somewhat difficult to understand at times. It's sure to be a hit with almost anyone. All in all, a great program and a turn about from the people who brought you Yomp!


Strangeloop is one of those games that take a long time to find out everything. It comes with very detailed instructions, but these only scratch the surface. They don't warn you, for instance, about the vile vats of green liquids that kill, nor the floors that open up beneath you. They don't tell you about the various tempting things that could be useful like the Vend-o-matic machine (but where's the money to put in the slot), and although they tell you that robots can be given objects you may be carrying for them to use, they don't tell you why you should want to. In fact, it's a great mystery of a game with colourful, varied and well animated objects that makes you want to find out more. In play, Strangeloop doesn't let you down, because it's immediately exciting and fun. One for a long time playing and therefore addictive.


The teleport start to each life is very useful an addition, as it avoids you entering a new life in an instant death position (like in Jet Set Willy), and actually offers an advantage because you may position yourself up above an otherwise impenetrable platform that before you died you couldn't get around. So there is actually, at times, a tactical reason for getting killed off! it would be hard and unfair to criticise Strangeloop in a short space because there is a lot going on, and it will take me quite a bit of time to get to the bottom of it, but I will, because I want to. This is the very best game Virgin have ever put out for the Spectrum, both in content and in looks. There are nice touches too many to mention, including the comic style written comments. Highly recommended by me anyway!

Use of Computer86%
Graphics87%
Playability82%
Getting Started89%
Addictive Qualities85%
Value For Money86%
Overall86%
Summary: General Rating: An involved and involving game, with plenty of playability and challenge.

Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 21, Oct 1985   page(s) 52

Use of Computer: 86%
Graphics: 87%
Playability: 82%
Getting Started: 89%
Addictive Qualities: 85%
Value for Money: 86%
Overall: 86%

In Strangeloop it is your task to regain control of a robot controlled space factory that has been invaded by aliens who have reprogrammed the robots to destroy Earth No man has stepped into the factory for over 100 years and no maps exist. All you now is that the place lacks oxygen, has no gravity and is infested with razor-sharp industrial waste (swan). The object is to reach the room with the central computer in it but this isn't a case of exploring the maze until you find the room because you must overcome many puzzles before you can complete Strangeloop.

To help you on your mission you have an oxygen suit and a laser gun. If you get hit by flying swart then a hole is ripped in the suit and your oxygen leaks out faster than it should, so a continual search for suit patches is another part of the game. The laser has a maximum of 99 charges and fires either horizontally or diagonally so as well as looking for suit patches you must also look for gun charges. Somewhere in the complex of rooms is a jetcycle which can be used to speed up your movement throughout the rooms but this cycle is rather old and drinks up a lot of power so look out for extra power packs. As Strangeloop is such a large game the LOAD and SAVE facilities are required quite a bit.

Strangeloop was and still is one of the most difficult arcade adventures around and it shouldn't be missed by fans of this type of game. The graphics are still good by today's standards and the sound is reasonable. It is still very playable and the various puzzles should keep you addicted for a long time, the only problem being that the game might prove a bit too difficult. It is definitely still worth getting a year after its first release.
RC

In my opinion, Strangeloop is the best game Virgin ever produced, and actually one of the best arcade adventures of its kind. The problems it set and the methods required for solving them are as appealing today as they were a year ago. Certainly a game that has aged very little indeed.

(Rob)I would probably lower all the ratings by a couple of percent but no more because it is still a very good arcade adventure.

(Lloyd) This one has stood the test of time and I think our original ratings were pretty well spot on.


REVIEW BY: Robin Candy, Lloyd Mangram

Transcript by Chris Bourne

Sinclair User Issue 32, Nov 1984   page(s) 30

ROBOTS ON THE RAMPAGE

Memory: 48K
Price: £5.95
Joystick: Kempston, Interface 1, Sinclair, Cursor

The robots have gone loopy in the mechanised factory far out in space. Your job as the metagalactic repair man in Strangeloop from Virgin Games, is to get through the rooms filled with dangerous swan, reach the control room and shut down the crazed computer. On the way you will meet superswarf and an anti-hero who will try to disrupt everything you do, as well as robots which will help you to patch up your space suit when it has been attacked by swarf. Virgin is giving a £2,000 robot to the first player to complete the game.

You are guided by a map on which you can see some of the 240 rooms around you and which will help you find a jet-bike.

You can pick up fuel and patches for your suit and retrieve items such as rings and spanners, which are given out by robots or left strewn around the floor. The objects can be used to perform various tasks which must be done before you stop the factory computer. For those reasons the game can be called an arcade adventure, on a par with Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner.

If you run into trouble you can save the state of play onto cassette and resume the game later. You can also halt all the on-screen action to take a quick break. A real-time clock tells you how many months you have spent on the game.

If you are killed off you are reincarnated, as long as you have one of your eight lives left, and may position yourself anywhere within the present room. Thus you can sacrifice a life to escape from a particularly lethal situation.

Strangeloop is more than likely to be one of the biggest selling games at Christmas and may make as large an impact on the market as any game from Software Projects or Ultimate. For the first time in its short life Virgin Games has a winner on its hands.


REVIEW BY: John Gilbert

Gilbert Factor9/10
Transcript by Chris Bourne

C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 38, Dec 1984   page(s) 38

MACHINE: Spectrum
SUPPLIER: Virgin
PRICE: £5.95

Virgin are taking a whole new look at their range of games - and coming up with me interesting new titles for Christmas. One of these is Strangeloop - a Jet Set Willy-ish ramble through a maze of rooms filled with deadly hazards. And it's great fun!

Here's what you have to do. Your mission, little space-person, is to regain control of a robot factory situated on the edge of a far distant solar System.

The factory has been invaded by a powerful alien force which is re-programming the robots as they come off the production line.

Instead of being nice quiet metal-beings who only want to help the human race, the robots are being turned into fierce killers. Out to destroy anything that looks vaguely humanoid.

No maps the factory exist - not even in the latest copy of C&VG! So you have to warp into the unknown. The environment of the factory is extremely hostile - unless you are an indestructible robot that is.

There's oxygen, zero gravity, soaring temperatures and nasty sharp bits of industrial waste zapping around. There are 240 rooms between you and the control room - which you must reach if your mission is to be successful.

All you have between you and disaster is a very old space suit - government cuts you see, no new ones available - and a laser gun.

During your through the factory, you'll come across an old abandoned jet cycle that is great for whizzing around - but it does use up a lot of fuel. You have to keep topping up at the various fuel dumps you'll find dotted about the factory.

With all that sharp stuff flying about, your suit is bound to get punctured - you do have some patches to plug the leaks but these soon run out and you'll need to pick up spare patches as you go around the factory. You can top up on oxygen too as bottles are to be found in various rooms.

As in an Adventure, there are various objects to collect and use along the way - essential in your quest to stop the aliens.

The screen layout shows the room you are currently in. At the bottom of the screen is a readout showing the status of your suit - how many leaks and patches, plus your laser status, and what you've got in your pockets, for instance things you've picked up along the way, plus a compass showing the way to the control room and a map of the rooms around you.

Game control is keyboard only - but this doesn't detract from the playability. Graphics are certainly not state of the art but pretty good for all that. The animation of the spaceman and his jet bike and the nasties is great and flicker free.

I found Strangeloop amusing to play. It certainly has that all important lasting appeal and, with a game SAVE facility, you don't have to sit up all night to beat it!


Graphics7/10
Sound6/10
Value8/10
Playability8/10
Transcript by Chris Bourne

Personal Computer Games Issue 12, Nov 1984   page(s) 46

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Keys
FROM: Virgin, £5.95

ROBOT FACTORY RUNAROUND

Okay readers, so Virgin have produced a couple of dodos in the past, but Strangeloop... well, welcome back Virgin, all is forgiven.

Flex your trigger finger, gather your mapping materials, and prepare to do battle with one of the most challenging arcade adventures on the Spectrum.

On a planet far beyond the reaches of even British Airways, trapped in a robot factory of no less than 240 rooms, stands a noble space-suited gent intent on making his way to the dreaded Control Room and defeating the aliens who have taken it over.

You control this courageous animated figure and must guide him through the different rooms, while blasting the obstacles therein, solving puzzles, dodging other sprites, and trying not to use up too much oxygen.

The main playing area shows the room you're in, complete with gabbing mechanical jaws, spinning fragments of industrial waste, conveyor belts, computers, or whatever.

Bottom right of the display is a map of the surrounding rooms showing their entrances and exits, together with a 'compass' that gives you some idea of the direction in which you must travel to reach the Control Room.

Bumping into other sprites punctures your space suit, resulting in one or more leaks which you can mend (automatically) with your limited supply of patches. Once you run out of patches your suit begins to lose oxygen rapidly and unless you can either find more patches or visit the hard-to-locate repair room you're headed for the galactic graveyard.

One of the characters you meet is a robot who offers to mend your suit - only you need to pay him some money, which you have to try to pick up in another screen.

A status panel tells you how many laser charges you have left, your fuel status if you've succeeded in finding and mounting your space-bike, and an inventory of the objects you've collected.

There aren't many objects to pick up - about fifteen by my count - but every one is important and they're scattered far and wide. You won't finish this game in a hurry even when you know where everything is.

Strangeloop is a really great game to play. Even though there's no joystick option, you can define your own keys, and although the action isn't blindingly fast it is smooth and easily controllable.

My only quibble is that quite a few of the rooms are featureless save for the inevitable industrial waste. Still, that's what your fire button's for, isn't it?

If this is a representative example of Virgin's new generation of games then I'm converted. For once the Mega Hyper of the software industry has something really worth shouting about.


This game is a big step for Virgin and unlike most of their previous stuff, is an excellent game, full of detail and thought.

Throughout, graphics are superlative and sound is well implemented. Control is fairly good, but it's a pity there's no joystick option (there are too many control keys to make this possible).

But this is one program I shall be playing for a long time.

ROB PATRICK

According to Virgin, even if you know exactly how solve this game, it still take several HOURS of crossing and re-crossing this robot factory before you can complete it - it's that complex.

Simply exploring the factory is fairly easy, the problem is finding useful objects and trying to decide what order to use them in and how. There aren't that many puzzles to solve, but some are very satisfying. I suspect some people will find the thing too daunting, but even on a shoot-'em-up level it's pretty entertaining.

Overall I rate this as one of the best arcade-adventures in the current flood of these releases. Virgin, congratulations.

CHRIS ANDERSON

Virgin have really got their act together with this game and look to have a real best seller on their hands.

The arcade-adventure is the mode of the moment and this is one of the best yet with many novel touches like your leaky spacesuit, the jet bike and the machinery and nasties you find around the rooms.

The thinking element is not neglected either and finding you way through the puzzles and tasksm is more than a match for any Jet Set Willy or Sabre Wulf fans.

BOB WADE

REVIEW BY: Steve Cooke, Chris Anderson, Robert Patrick, Bob Wade

Graphics8/10
Sound6/10
Originality7/10
Lasting Interest9/10
Overall8/10
Award: PCG Hit

Transcript by Chris Bourne

Sinclair Programs Issue 25, Nov 1984   page(s) 30,31

Strange Loop is a massive arcade game, including over 200 locations, enemies to kill, mazes to solve, things to collect, transport and supplies to find; in fact, everything which we have come to expect from Spectrum arcade games presented in a extremely well thought out game.

The game is set in a robot factory where robots have been programmed to carry out all the humdrum tasks which once were humans' lot. Now, though, the factory has been invaded by aliens who have reprogrammed the robots to destroy Earth. Your task is, of course, to save the human race. All you have to do is overcome the high temperatures, the lack of oxygen, the sharp industrial waste, the robots, etc...

The object is not merely to find the control room, which is a relatively easy task, but to enter it and save the Earth. To do this you will probably need a detailed map, good shooting ability and some idea of your route and things to be collected on the way.

It is difficult to find fault with the game, save in its safety. Aliens, mazes robots; surely we have all been here somewhere before? Yes, it is very well written. Yes, it is difficult and challenging. Yes, the graphics are very good. On the other hand: no, it is not an original idea. No, there are no new elements to this game. Yes, Virgin are, very much, playing it safe.

Good it is, innovative it is not. Strange Loop is produced by Virgin Games, 2-4 Vernon Yard, 119 Portobello Road, London W11 and costs £5.95.


Transcript by Chris Bourne

Sinclair User Issue Annual 1985   page(s) 46

SOFTWARE SCENE

While some software houses are taking the Spectrum to its limits and beyond others doggedly continue to churn out ever more diabolical pieces of programmed junk. John Gilbert present a personal pick of the bunch, and Chris Bourne take an irreverent look at the dwindling ZX-81 software scene. Their talents are combinedd in listing the Top Ten Turkeys of 1984. Let the reader be warned.

SPECTRUM SOFTWARE

A cynic may argue that development within the software market in 1984 was non-existent. The same type of game appeared as those which took the lead in 1983, the most popular being of the arcade variety. The programs were written in the same style and to please the same type of customers.

That is only a superficial view, however, and if you look at the games market as a whole, dividing it up into sectors such as strategy, arcade and adventure, you will see that substantial and sophisticated changes have taken place. Despite what some pundits have said you will find that the world of computer games is still buzzing with life.

When Strangeloop came onto the market in the autumn Virgin Games confidently claimed it would beat games such as Jet Set Willy and those from Ultimate both in terms of popularity and sales.

The game, which involves a race around a robot factory to find the computer which has made everything go haywire, is well on the way to doing just that and may well turn into a 1985 successor to the Miner programs.

Another area of success for arcade software was that of the visually stunning game where the graphics mattered just as much as the plot. into that category fall such offerings as Death Chase from Micromega, Trashman from New Generation, and Stop the Express, a new addition to the Sinclair Research software library.


REVIEW BY: John Gilbert

Gilbert Factor9/10
Transcript by Chris Bourne

Sinclair User Issue Annual 1986   page(s) 47,48,49,50,51

ARCADE

Clare Edgeley blasts her way through a wealth of challenging software.

Get fit quick just about sums up the last 12 months. 1985 has seen enough sports games to put you off doing anything more strenuous than lifting a pint glass, at least for the next year.

Since the 1984 Olympics, we have competed in every imaginable sport: played footie with Bobby Charlton, run rings round Daley Thompson and been KO'd by big Frank... There is hardly an action sport left which has not been turned into a money spinner, with a Sportsman's name attached. What is wrong with Tessa Sanderson's Javelin anyway?

Daley Thompson's Decathlon was first to the tape back in November '84 and notched up a gold for Ocean when it jumped to number one in the charts for a few weeks. You have to compete in all ten events of the decathlon, taking part in the high jump, long jump and pole vault as well as track events. The 400m is the most gruelling and to keep up speed you must pump the joystick back and forth, which may result in a touch of cramp. The graphics are colourful and the game does give a taste of the real thing.

Melbourne House also attempted a compilation of events with Sports Hero, although it was nowhere near as successful as Daley Thompson. Sports Hero has you competing in four events - 100m sprint, long jump, 110m hurdles and the pole vault, over three difficulty levels. To gain speed you must pummel the run button and press the jump button before takeoff. Aching fingers seem to be the norm in that type of game and in many cases you will end up with a sick keyboard as well. There is no sound and the graphics are not fantastic, although the scrolling background is interesting. A few more events should have been possible.

More recently, Brian Jacks' Superstar Challenge from Martech reached the top ten, although it came a poor second to Imagine's Hypersports. Both contain a weird hotch-potch of events - some interesting, others boring. Brian Jacks gives you a pretty raw deal. For £7.95 you can immerse yourself in such exciting events as squat thrusts and arm dips. Those may be thrilling to watch on TV but on computer they are about as much fun as a wet blanket.

Hypersports is a different ball game altogether. Licensed from the arcade game of the same name, the computer version is very like the original, although some events lack imagination. When swimming - or floundering, if you forget to breathe - instead of tearing down to the end of the pool, the end moves towards you. Clay pigeon shooting is certainly one of the better events, in which you must shoot the skeets through automatically moving sights. The vault is tricky and rather than vaulting as far as possible from the horse, you are likely to end up on your head beside it. The graphics are generally thought to be more professional than Daley Thompson's Decathlon, though whether the game is better is a moot point.

Jonah Barrington's Squash from New Generation is an interesting concept which seems to have fallen flat. Knock a miniscule black ball round the 3D court and try to beat Jonah at his own game. Jonah is one of Britain's leading squash players. Much was made of the fact that a taped recording of Jonah's voice calls out the scores. Unfortunately, all you get is an unintelligible gabble and it is easier to read them on the score board anyway.

We awarded imagine's World Series Baseball three stars in the June issue, which just goes to show that our forecasts are not always spot on. In June, July and August it remained at number three in the charts, only dropping to eleventh place in September.

The game opens with a traditional rendering of the tAmerican National Anthem. Then play starts, with one team pitching and the other batting. You can play with a friend or against the computer, adjusting the speed and direction of the ball when pitching and the strength and lift of your swing when batting. Loving attention has been paid to detail with a large scoreboard displaying genuine adverts between innings.

Last, but not least, boxing - the sport for ugly mugs. Cauliflower ears and battered brains are only half the fun - just think what you can do to your opponent. A few months ago three games were released simultaneously on the back of Punch Out!!, a highly successful arcade game.

Elite's Frank Bruno's Boxing knocks Rocco and Knockout for six, and is easily the most playable and realistic, offering more possible moves and a greater number of competitors than either of the other games. It is also the only boxing game featuring a sporting personality - Bruno helped in an advisory capacity during production which explains the close attention to detail.

Gremlin Graphic's Rocco squares up well in the ring, though you will find it is not as easy to dodge your opponent as it is in Frank Bruno, and there are only three competitors. The scoring system is simple and the graphics are the clearest of the three games. It is worth playing and annihilates Alligata's Knockout in the ring.

Knockout is appalling and lacks any addictive qualities. It is the only game which uses colour - the others being mono - although that could have been sacrificed for extra playability. Other than left and right punches to the body and head, there is no facility for ducking and dodging, but at least you can amble away if the going gets too rough. You tend to spend a great deal of time seeing stars after being KO'd. At least it lives up to its name.

The legendary success of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy lives on. Platform and ladders games are still the rage and dozens of versions have landed in the Sinclair User offices over the last 12 months. Two years ago Manic Miner was a sure recipe for success, and because it was ahead of its time a lot of money was made. Programming techniques are now more sophisticated and with games like Alien 8 and Spy vs Spy around, who needs a Manic Miner spin-off?

However, they are here to stay and some at least are worth the money you pay for them. One of the more successful games is Strangeloop, released late in '84, which has gone a long way to repairing the damage done to Virgin by Sheepwalk - one of its earliest and most awful games.

A half-crazy computer is the source of all your troubles in Strangeloop and, playing the part of a metagalactic repairman, you must shut it down. There are over 240 rooms filled with lethal swarf which attacks and damages your space suit. A jetbike waits somewhere and will make your task easier but you have to locate and refuel it first. Objects picked up will help with various tasks and friendly robots will patch your torn suit. The graphics are colourful and simple. and there is even a facility for saving your position on tape, to be resumed later when you have recharged your batteries.

Jet Set Willy II is the biggest rip-off of them all as Software Projects has done little other than add about 70 extra screens to the original. Essentially it is the same as Jet Set Willy which was launched back in 1984. The plot is similar; clear up the house before going to bed and avoid the hundreds of lethal thingummies found in each room. Despite being little more than a re-release, Jet Set Willy II is currently doing very well in the charts.

Despite the lack of original thought, if you are still hooked on the challenge of platform and ladders, try The Edge's Brian Bloodaxe. A loopy game if ever there was one. Brian, a viking soldier has been trapped in a block of ice for centuries, and as it thaws, he leaps out shivering, but ready to conquer the British. Flapping 100 seats, deadly ducks and mad Scotsmen are a few of the dangers that lurk on each level. Objects to collect and chasms to be leapt add to his daunting task. Brian Bloodaxe is at least as good as Jet Set Willy, with much visual humour and bright, clear graphics.

Hewson, which has made a name for itself in recent months with arcade adventures such as Dragontorc and simulations like Heathrow ATC, must have had a brain storm late last year with Technician Ted, which is totally unlike the semi-serious games released since. Guide Ted around a silicon chip factory while looking for a plate of the real things. Pick up knives, forks and other necessary implements and avoid several nasty traps. Easy to play and reasonably addictive, Technician Ted is not one of Hewson's best games but has done quite well in the platform and ladders stakes.

Artic's Mutant Monty is more sophisticated than Technician Ted and includes some extremely tricky screens requiring split second timing - if you are slightly out, a lemon or some other incongruous object will squash you flat, and then where will the beautiful maiden be? it is a constant source of amusement that so much work goes into preparing intricate story lines bearing absolutely no resemblance to the game you are playing.

On the whole rip-offs are uniformly mediocre in standard and not the sort of game you would buy for lasting playability. Real fanatics will find Activision's Toy Bizarre and Micromega's Jasper a doddle, and probably have more fun playing blindfold with their hands tied behind their backs. Both games are average and employ run-of-the-mill graphics. In Toy Bizarre, the player leaps round the levels of a toy factory popping balloons while being chased by a gang of irate toys.

Meanwhile, in Jasper much the same thing is going on, only this time you are a furry rat collecting money bags and treasure chests while avoiding furry cats, rabbits and other hairy animals. Platform games are usually fast moving and it is generally easier to keep up with the pace using a joystick. Unless you have very strong fingers, Jasper is doomed as your only option is to use the Spectrum's sticky keyboard.

Arcade adventures have come into their own in recent months, some remaining for weeks at a time in the top ten. With the advent of games like Gyron, fewer people are willing to put up with games like Jet Pac - classics two years ago but now gathering dust in cupboards across the country.

Superior graphics is the name of the game and the Spectrum is being stretched to its limits in a constant effort to improve software. Some games combine excellent graphics with originality, though equally large numbers have been launched on the back of the successful few. Ultimate's Knight Lore, Underwurlde and Alien 8 are three successful examples and Nightshade is expected to do as well.

Underwurlde is rather like a vertical Atic Atac featuring the Sabre-man who must escape a series of chambers while avoiding hosts of nasties. The pace is fast, the screens colourful - a devious game.

Knight Lore and Alien 8 could, at first glance, be mistaken for the same game. Featuring superb 3D grahpics, Knight Lore's hero must search a maze of rooms and find the ingredients of a spell to lift a curse placed upon him. Each room presents a challenge and one wrong move spells instant death. The scenario in Alien 8 is different from its predecessor and the quality of graphics is even higher.

Wizard's Lair from Bubble Bus is an Atic Atac lookalike with shades of Sabre Wulf and is an excellent game, even if you have seen the same sort of thing before. Bubble Bus has made some attempt to change the scenario which covers three levels, accessed via a magic wardrobe lift.

The programmers of Firebird's Cylu were influenced by Alien 8. Cylu is in the Silver range and at £2.50 represents very good value - it is almost as frustrating as the original but the graphics are a little patchy. Ultimate should be proud that so many companies want to copy their games, though it's a crying shame that those same software houses cannot put their combined programming expertise to good use, and produce something original of their own.

Games featuring film scenarios and famous names are often the subject of massive advertising campaigns, and Domark's A View to a Kill was no exception. Played in three parts you must guide the intrepid 007 through the streets of Paris, San Francisco and into Silicon Valley to stop the evil Max Zorin from tipping chip valley into the drink. The game received mixed reviews but, at the time of writing, it had just made it into the top ten - probably due to the James Bond name. It is an exciting game but lacks much visual detail.

The Rocky Horror Show from CRL is already sliding down the charts and does not live up to its namesakes, the film and play. Rescue Janet or Brad from the Medusa machine by finding 15 component parts of the de-Medusa machine. It sounds riveting. Your task seems enormous as you can carry only one part of the machine at a time and if you expect to meet normal sane characters in the castle, forget it. More could have been made of the graphics and the action is slow in places, but it is worth playing if only to meet Magenta who will strip you of your clothes. Wow!

Beyond's Spy vs Spy is unique and features simultaneous play between two players on a split screen. Take part in the zany humour of MAD magazine's two famous characters, the black spy and the white spy, each trying to stop the other finding secret documents in a foreign embassy. Set whacky traps as you ransack each room before escaping to the airport. It is fun, highly addictive and very amusing. Buying the licence to films, books and names is an expensive business, and at last one company has made the most of it with an excellent game.

It is interesting to note that when one unusual game is launched others of a similar nature swiftly follow. Perhaps all programmers follow the same thought waves. Last summer we had an unusual trio of games, reviewed in May, June and August issues. Two are based on the human body - not the most obvious subject for a game.

Quicksilva's Fantastic Voyage is a thrilling game based on the sixties film of the same name, in which Raquel Welch is injected into the body of a brain damaged scientist. Unfortunately, your mini-sub breaks up and you have only one hour to locate all the missing parts. Searching is a novel experience as you rush from atrium to stomach to lung and heart in a never ending circle. Finding your way to the brain is difficult as it is not signposted and the turning is easy to miss. Dine on red blood cells to keep up your energy and clear any infections which frequently break out - normally in the most inaccessible parts of the scientist's anatomy. A great way to learn about your bits, and where they are situated.

Icon's Frankenstien 2000 bears little resemblance to Fantastic Voyage, though it is played in a monster's body. Whoever heard of monsters smoking fags? This one obviously did and that is probably why it's dead. On reaching the lungs, battle with cigarette packets, avoid hopping frogs in the trachea, and fire at any oxygen molecules it is your misfortune to encounter. The graphics are uninspired and the game is simple.

Genesis' Bodyworks was reviewed in June and it is difficult to know what to make of it. It is hardly an arcade game - more of an illustrated, educational tour of the workings of a human body, describing the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems.

Space Invaders was one of the first great games on the Spectrum and software houses have never tired of the theme. Space games crop up in all categories; simulations, adventures and arcade adventures. Activision has even brought out Ballblazer, a sports game played in space. Way out!

Moon Cresta from Incentive is a traditional game in which you shoot everything in sight, and then dock with another space ship before taking off to do exactly the same on the next level. With complex games like Starion around one would think that games of this calibre would flop. But no, there must be some people around whose brains are in their trigger fingers. Surprisingly, Moon Cresta is creeping up the charts. Long live the aliens.

Melbourne House's Starion takes space travel seriously and combines a number of features, including the traditional shoot 'em up, word puzzles and anagrams. Kill off enemy space ships and collect the letters they drop, then unscramble those to form a word. Fly down to earth and answer a puzzle to change the course of Earth's history. There are 243 events to rewrite - and that amounts to a lot of flying time. Starion is well up in the top ten.

System 3 has come up with the goods against all opposition with the dreadful Death Star Interceptor, which has proved surprisingly popular. If you are really into boring games, this is right up your alley. Played in three sections, first take off into outer space, next avoid assorted aliens and then, as in Star Wars, plant a bomb in the exhaust port of an enemy death star. It is all thrilling stuff.

Quicksilva's Glass is amazing to look at. Psychedelic colours make you want to blink in this repetitive but addictive game. There are hundreds of screens to blast through, and whole sections are spent dodging columns as you hurtle through a 3D spacescape. The rest of the time is spent shooting radar antennae off unsuspecting space ships. The graphics make up for any limitations in the game and demonstrates that a traditional shoot 'em up need not be boring.

This final section consists of a number of games which cannot be categorised. A strange mixture falls into this area - many are shoot 'em ups in some form or another, others require an element of cunning and strategy.

Gyron from Firebird, a Sinclair User classic, is a unique game in which you must travel through a complex maze, dodging massive rolling balls and keeping a watchful eye on the guardian towers to be round at each junction. Those shoot at you, but approaching from another angle may change the direction of their fire. As there are two mazes to get through, it should take months. Gyron is likely to deter arcade nuts, but for those with staying power, it is an attractive proposition. It did make a brief appearance in the top ten at the time of writing, but has since fallen away.

US Gold's Spy Hunter, based on the arcade game of the same name, is a faithful replica of the original. It all takes place on the road as you drive your souped-up sports car through a variety of traps laid down by the baddies. Equip your motor with a variety of weapons, obtainable from a weapons van which you drive into Italian Job style. Rockets, smoke screens and oil slicks are all strongly reminiscent of 007.

Elite's Airwolf is a game that we found so hard as to be almost impossible, and which everyone else seemed to find a cinch - and told us so in no uncertain terms! Try if you can, to fly your chopper down a long, narrow tunnel to rescue five scientists stuck at the end. Blast your way through walls, which rematerialise as fast as you can destroy them - a well nigh impossible task for those whose trigger fingers and joysticks have suffered from the likes of Daley Thomson's Decathlon. Airwolf has done better than we predicted. You can't win them all.

Ghostbusters, the mega box office hit last Christmas was a prime candidate for a computer game and Activision was first to the ghost. Featuring all the best parts of the film, it was an instant success and Activision did well to launch it simultaneously with the movie. Drive around the city coaxing ghouls into your ghost trap but listen out for a Marshmallow Alert. That giant sticky marshmallow man is quite capable of flattening whole streets unless halted. Greenbacks play an important part in the game as you have to buy your equipment to get started, and earn enough prize money for the number of ghosts caught, in order to take part in a final showdown with Zuul.

Finally Tapper from US Gold - another Sinclair User classic. Tapper is a simple but refreshing game centered round an all-American soda bar. You play a harassed barman, who must serve his customers with drinks. Easy at first as you slide them down the bar but wait until they have gulped down the fizzy stuff. Running backwards and forwards between four bars, make sure the customers have got a drink, and catch the empties as they come skidding back. There are three difficulty levels, each one faster and more hectic than the last. Tapper is moving up the charts and we are sure that it will go far towards refreshing the parts other games cannot reach.

The fierce competition over the last 12 months has chased many companies into liquidation. There have, however, been successes, particularly with a number of small software houses bringing new blood into the market. That can only be seen as a healthy sign.

The lack of QL games software is the only disappointment. Where is it? Other than a few basic programs such as Reversi, which cut its eye teeth on the ZX-81 years ago, there has been a dearth of games for this flagging micro. If games of the quality of Knight Lore can be produced for the Spectrum, why not for the QL?


REVIEW BY: Clare Edgley

Overall5/5
Transcript by Chris Bourne

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