Producer: Ocean
Memory Required: 16K
Recommended Retail Price: £5.90
Language: machine code
Author: C Urquhart/N Pierpoint

Ocean have been quite consistent in their games, bringing out a series of well written and well designed programs on traditional themes. Transversion is probably one of their best yet, combining those two important qualities of any good arcade game, simplicity of idea and the sort of addictiveness that would keep you pumping in your money if you were in an arcade. It is also neatly packaged with an exciting inlay, and perhaps the first on-screen title that actually looks like the cover of the cassette.

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO

You are Captain of the Elimax and your mission is to enter the Galactic Grid and eliminate the alien pods, passing over them with your Raydon field. Fortunately the Raydon field is a very advanced piece of technology so there's no firing to take care of. Like Quicksilva's Gridrunner, a bright red grid opens up before you - the Galactic Grid - but fortunately the similarity with Gridrunner ceases there. The pods, which are alien spawn in reality, appear as bright blue dots arranged in symmetrical patterns over the grid, and the Elimax appears in the centre.

The alien Guardians can be seen on all four edges of the grid, top, bottom and both sides. These move constantly along their axis, firing very solid looking missiles at you. Should you remain stationary, or travel along a single grid line for more than a moment, the aliens will line up and fire - they home in instantly. At any one moment you can find yourself having to dodge four missiles.

In fact the travel speed of the missiles is the same as your ship, and not particularly fast, but the effect of having so many on screen is quite unnerving.

The arrangement of the pods on the grid is critical too. Ones which are patterned in spirals mean wasting lots of time clearing them up - ones in straight lines tempt you to clear them up at a run, which means the enemy can home in on you before you know it. Losing a life means having to start all over again on that grid. If you clear the first sheet, the second (it alternates between every other sheet from then on) is a green spawn arranged in a spiral and very close to the sides where you're in the most danger. But more points are awarded for each pod eliminated, so if you lose a life here, you're almost certain to get to the third sheet, and so on.

GENERAL

The packaging is excellent and the cover picture describes the nature of the game very well. The inlay contains detailed loading and playing instructions, which are repeated on screen. Control keys are Q/A = up/down, N/M = left/right. There is a hold and restart function. Several joysticks are catered for in the screen menu. On screen scoring and hi-score are shown, along with grid level and lives left.

COMMENTS

Keyboard positions: very good
Joystick options: Kempston, Quickshot, AGF, Protek
Keyboard play: very easy and responsive
Use of colour: mixed opinions, average to good
Graphics: excellent
Sound: very good
Skill levels: none mentioned, but it does get harder
Lives: five

The graphics are small and simple but they move very well.

As far as the graphics go, I don't think any improvement could be made. It has excellent keyboard layout and the program is very responsive. It has a good use of colour.

The colour was nothing special, but the keyboard layout is good and easy to control. I thought the sound was very good.

Well used sound effects, with some recognisable tunes.

The graphics, though simple and small, are to the point and very smooth. There is continuous sound and the tune "Congratulations" if you make a new hi-score. I found the keyboard positions so good, that they were easier to play with than a joystick. This is a very nail-biting game and addictive to a danger level! I also found the graphics to be extremely accurate, in the sense that you can almost brush a missile and not lose a life - none of the "but it didn't hit me" arguments here.

A game that will not be tired of easily.

A game to come back to.

Producer: Ocean, 16K
£5.90 (1)
Author: C Urquhart & N Pierpoint

Undoubtedly Ocean's best and most addictive game to date. It combines simplicity of idea with speed and killer frustration. You are captain of the Elimax. Your task: to clear the galactic grid of alien spawn. There's no shooting since the Elimax simply destroys the spawn by moving over it. But there are 4 alien ships situated on each edge of the grid firing at you. Each one, operating and firing independently, moves along its edge, homing in on you, and aims its missiles along a line of the grid. You can be facing up to four missiles at one time and its death to remain stationary, or operate on a single line, for more than a second. With each screen cleared you are faced with a different and more difficult arrangement of spawn to clear. There is also a 'between frame screen' of spiral shaped spawn for bonus points. Only one life so frustration levels can be dangerous... Excellent packaging, well used sound, very smooth graphics and good control keys. Joystick: Kempston, AGF and Protek. CRASH rating: Highly recommended, overall 83% M/C.

Producer: Ocean, 16K
£5.90 (1)
Author: C Urquhart & N Pierpoint

Undoubtedly Oceans best and most addictive game to date. It combines simplicity of idea with speed and killer frustration. You are captain of the Elimax. Your task: to clear the galactic grid of alien spawn. There's no shooting since the Elimax simply destroys the spawn by moving over it. But there are 4 alien ships situated on each edge of the grid firing at you. Each one, operating and firing independently, moves along its edge, homing in on you, and aims its missiles along a line of the grid. You can be facing up to four missiles at one time and its death to remain stationary, or operate on a single line, for more than a second. With each screen cleared you are faced with a different and more difficult arrangement of spawn to clear. There is also a 'between frame screen' of spiral shaped spawn for bonus points. Only one life so frustration levels can be dangerous... Excellent packaging, well used sound, very smooth graphics and good control keys. Joystick: Kempston, AGF and Protek. CRASH rating: Highly recommended, overall 83% M/C.

Producer: Ocean, 16K
£5.90 (1)
Author: C Urquhart & N Pierpoint

Undoubtedly Oceans best and most addictive game to date. It combines simplicity of idea with speed and killer frustration. You are captain of the Elimax. Your task: to clear the galactic grid of alien spawn. There's no shooting since the Elimax simply destroys the spawn by moving over it. But there are 4 alien ships situated on each edge of the grid firing at you. Each one, operating and firing independently, moves along its edge, homing in on you, and aims its missiles along a line of the grid. You can be facing up to four missiles at one time and its death to remain stationary, or operate on a single line, for more than a second. With each screen cleared you are faced with a different and more difficult arrangement of spawn to clear. There is also a 'between frame screen' of spiral shaped spawn for bonus points. Only one life so frustration levels can be dangerous... Excellent packaging, well used sound, very smooth graphics and good control keys. Joystick: Kempston, AGF and Protek. CRASH rating: Highly recommended, overall 83% M/C.

As summer poises, ready for the onslaught of fab new games around Christmas, CRASH takes a look back at some of the major games we have reviewed in the past to see if they (and the reviews) stand the test of time. MATTHEW UFFINDELL and LLOYD MANGRAM take keyboard and reputation in hand...

Transversion was a surprise rave in the first issue of CRASH and the first of a series of Ocean hits by Chris Urquhart with his friend, Nick Pierpoint. In the original review we said, 'A game that will not be tired of easily.'

Transversion is still the best, most playable and slightly less addictive game that it ever was - nobody's improved on it - and since there have been quite a few attempts, it looks as though no one can? The graphics are small by today's standards but perfectly adequate with good colour and sound. If you want a grid game, this one is still the best.
MU

There have been faster and more complex versions of this game but I don't think any of them has bettered Transversion. The success of the game then was its simplicity, and it still shines out. It's one of those mind-boggling games at which you will eventually fail because your reflexes will not stand up to it. That makes it addictive. I really enjoyed getting this one out again.
LM

(Matthew) Use of computer (95%) looks very over the top by our reviewing standards today. The keys are good and responsive, but the joystick options aren't so extensive. And I think if I was reviewing it now, I would drop the addictive qualities to around 70%, but it's still great value for money.

(Lloyd) I don't think I would quibble with the review much, although the ratings for use of computer and addictivity do seem rather high but I would certainly keep the playability figure intact (83%).

ORIGINAL REVIEW

Use of Computer: 95%
Graphics: 70%
Playability: 83%
Getting Started: 85%
Addictive Qualities: 90%
Value for Money: 75%
Overall: 83%