FAX BOX
Game: A Fistful of Blood Capsules
Publisher: Zodiac Software, 22 Peakdale Ave, Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs ST6 5QP
Price: £4.00 (cheques/PO's payable to A. Lowe)
Reviewer: Mike Gerrard

Andy Lowe and Dave Dutton have produced another winner with A Fistful of Blood Capsules, a parody western that they describe as being "In glorious ANACHRONISM-OVISION!!!" That's because it contains such typical wild west items as drink dispensers and cashpoints outside the bank. It also features the Sheriff of Bodge City, Quiet Slurp, and his deputy, Marcus Bonehead, who couldn't possibly have been inspired by our own Dr Berkmann could he? The jokey names may be bad, but the humour's better in the adventure itself, believe me.

First comes The Storyboard, an optional introductory program to set the scene for the game itself. All this requires you to do is press a key and laugh at the jokes, though this too, is optional!

In the game your task is to arrest or otherwise dispose of (no questions asked) a gang of five murderous scumbags who have been terrorising the neighbourhood. When the game begins you've got one of them in the jail, but it's not long before his pals descend and bump off old Bonehead. If you rush out after them, you're just in time to discover they've formed a reggae band, singing "I shot the deputy, But I did not shoot the sheriff... oh no!"

In your in-tray there's a suggestion that you convert the town boundaries from concrete walls to elastic bands, producing a town of flexible size! Bonehead was reading The Daily Stubble, and I'd advise you to do the same. If you examine everything you might just about be able to save Bonehead's life - but you won't be able to stop Gringo Scumbagski from being rescued, so you still have to get out there and round 'em up.

Not one for those who like their games to be of Colossal dimensions and guaranteed to contain one troll and an old brass lantern (though there is a talking ring!), but for fans of Delta 4 and St Brides, Zodiac Software is definitely a name to add to the list. Worth a fistful of anybody's money.