REVIEWS COURTESY OF ZXSR

Two-Gun Turtle
by Steve Hughes
MC Lothlorien Ltd
1984
Crash Issue 4, May 1984   page(s) 29,30

Producer: MC Lothlorien
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £5.95
Language: Machine code
Author: Steve Hughes

In the middle of winter a turtle is defending his strawberry patch against a variety of marauding bugs. Some go for strawberries, some go for the turtle. The turtle, for his protection, is armed with a gun - one, not two as the title might suggest, but that doesn't make any difference to this very fast game. Bugs stealing strawberries, pick them up and sidle off screen, but if they are shot, then the strawberry drifts back to its place.

The game is played out against a calendar starting in October. As each month passes, the type bug changes. It's already snowing slightly, but as winer nears, larger snowflakes fall and these may be picked up for bonus points.

The strawberries, 12 in all, float in a neat three by four block at the centre of a black screen. In the background pixel drops of snow fall. The monsters float in from both sides and the turtle may move all over the screen shooting in the direction of movement, but only horizontally, although he can move in eight directions.

COMMENTS

Control keys: user-definable
Joystick: almost any type via UDK
Keyboard play: very responsive
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: very good, very fast
Sound: good
Skill levels: progressively difficult
Lives: 5


The graphics are nicely detailed, well drawn and move smoothly. They are also fast, and have to be as this is (almost) unplayably fast. I like the falling snow in the background and the explosions are very good. The bugs are super-intelligent, homing in on you in a gang if they can. The difficulty of firing in the direction of movement in a fast game is that you have to work ever so hard to keep far enough away from a bug to be able to turn and fire at it.


If you've got exceptionally fast reactions and the stamina of an elephant, you'll probably enjoy this game with its colourful, smooth and detailed graphics. The bugs change every month, not during a break between screens, but actually as the game is playing. Each bug has its own characteristic, the skulls, for instance, are ruddy deadly and come straight for you. It manages to be fairly addictive, but also irritating, because you don't last very long.


The graphics are nice and big and very fast. In fact the whole game is fast. I suppose the idea of a flying turtle is novel, but the game is quite simple in itself. Hard to play though, you certainly have to move like greased lightning to shoot anything up and when there's two or three bugs it can be almost impossible to shoot them up in a row. Not bad, certainly worth a try to see if you like it.

Use of Computer85%
Graphics83%
Playability60%
Getting Started69%
Addictive Qualities68%
Value For Money73%
Overall73%
Summary: General Rating: A good game, very tough, which may spoil its addictivity.

Transcript by Chris Bourne

Your Spectrum Issue 5, Jul 1984   page(s) 53

An arcade game, similar to Pssst by Ultimate, where you defend a strawberry patch situated in the middle of the screen from marauding bugs, by blasting them with your six-shooter.

Ian: The fast smooth graphics in this game are almost of arcade quality. And the idea of a pistol packing turtle is good fun, if not original; it's been available for the Oric for some time. 4/10

Simon: Good use of colour and the sprites stand out well on the background, but it's a bit too fast for the player to be successful. A reasonably addictive game that's fun to play. A supple wrist is needed for this game! 5/10

Jon: The game includes some pleasing tunes, and the explosions are reproduced well. It's a very colourful game that would be improved if the graphics didn't flicker so much. 3/10


REVIEW BY: Simon Cox, Ian Simmonds, Jon Warner

Simon5/10
Ian4/10
Jon3/10
Transcript by Chris Bourne

Sinclair User Issue 30, Sep 1984   page(s) 12

Memory: 48K
Price: £5.95
Joystick: Kempston

Gardening games are rapidly becoming a genre in the arcade-action field and Lothlorien has produced a little number with Two-Gun Turtle for the 48K Spectrum.

An armed turtle is entrusted with looking after a patch of strawberries which is assailed by a variety of mean creatures. The bugs will carry off the fruit if not driven away or destroyed.

A calendar counts the days on the bottom line and, during the winter period, snow will fall occasionally. If the turtle catches a snowflake a bonus is awarded. Movement is by definable keys or Kempston joystick.

Although the concept is simple, the action is fast and dangerous, requiring good reaction speeds and care in firing; a shot in the wrong place will wipe out a strawberry and ruin all the good work. The bugs whizz menacingly round the screen and will chase the turtle, which adds to the general tension.

The graphics are colourful and very smooth and put a fine polish on an exciting and compulsive machine code program.


REVIEW BY: Richard Price

Gilbert Factor7/10
Transcript by Chris Bourne

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