Memory: 48K
Price: £5.75

Jericho Road is that rare thing among programs, an adventure with a moral purpose. You have been transported back to biblical times and must make a journey to Jericho.

On the way you encounter characters from the Bible and participate in stories such as the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Written by a minister - the cassette insert does not indicate from which denomination, so perhaps we can regard this as an ecumenical adventure - the program seems to have a feel for the times.

You can even pray for guidance, which makes a change from the usual adventurer's despairing cry for help and at least some of the hints are in the form of biblical references, sending you flipping through the pages of the good book.

Unfortunately the vocabulary is a little limited and the computer was erratic about accepting standard abbreviations such as W for west.

To compensate, there are a few simple graphics to enliven the text from time to time.

There are two versions, one for novices and one for more advanced players.

If you do not know much about the Bible you had better try the simple version first, or you will probably spend more time languishing in a Roman jail than proceeding with your pilgrimage.

Jericho Road is a gentle, original and enjoyable adventure. How far it will appeal to customers used to more bloodthirsty fare is another matter but it may prove a more digestible alternative to the weekly school divinity period. It is available from Shards Software.

Described as an educational adventure, Jericho Road was written by a church minister. It is set in biblical times, in the middle of the first century AD, in and around Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Jericho.

The game has two levels of play - junior and full. I tried the junior version first, in which the aim is to get to Jericho. Wandering around in the hot sun nearly sent me to sleep, as there seemed nothing to do, the only light relief being when I got stripped, beaten and robbed. Along came a priest (trot trot trot), a lawyer (trip trip trip), and of course - you've guessed it!

Child's play, and I learnt little. But then, of course, this WAS the junior version, and I'm sure children will enjoy the sound effects as these various visitors arrive and depart.

Not expecting much better, I tried the full game option - easy enough as it's all there in memory, and doesn't require a separate load.

This version was in the same setting, but I was immediately impressed about how cleverly the full plot had been abridged in the version I had just finished. For the mission was quite different this time, and not nearly so easy.

Thus I was forced to type HELP on a number of occasions and, when there was help on offer, it came in the form of referring me to a chapter and verse in the Bible. This, I found, added a completely new dimension to the game, and suddenly made Bible reading quite interesting. Reading the text gave information vital to the game, both in terms of knowing what actions to take, and getting the answers right when asked questions.

The plot being inextricably tied up with the biblical narration relating to the scenario proved to be a winning formula as far as I was concerned. One thing to watch, though, is your typing, should you get frustrated. This game doesn't understand bad language!

Jericho Road is from Shards Software for 48k Spectrum, priced £5.75.