Producer: Terry Taylor
Retail Price: £1.99

This Quilled adventure offers much more than a cursory glance might suggest. The theme chosen is one I much enjoy - ancient Greece - which I think suits the medium of adventure very well (though some unfortunates may well recall curiously inappropriate Latin lessons which have irrevocably tarnished these wondrous Greek stories).

Another plus for reviewers like myself is the superb information pack received with the game - a lesson for all budding software producers, who sometimes overlook the importance of clear instructions and information in developing product identity.

Your Herculean task in this one is to guide Hercules through a series of tasks (12 in all) asked of him by Eurystheus to assuage the strong man's guilt over cutting up his own family. Hercules's behaviour which is, of course, completely out of character, is explained away by his good friend, Theseus, who reminds him of Hera's curse upon him. By going to the oracle our hero finds his way of gaining grace: he takes on the 12 tasks which by and large must be completed in the order set by Eurystheus.

Your journey will throw you into the fascinating world of Greek mythology. You will encounter the fearsome Hydra, the Minotaur, Cerberus the terrible guardian of the underworld, and other characters from the realms of legend. Explore ancient Greece, cross wide plains, negotiate dangerous mountains and treacherous swamps, and sail the vast ocean to distant lands and islands… sounds like a holiday brochure from the days before Club 18-30.

Though it's a Quilled text-only affair, The Labours Of Hercules is a very engaging piece of software, and it has chosen some superb legends from which to create its problems. The location descriptions are often quite evocative, as in the case of the Royal Throne Room: 'This room surpasses anything that Hercules has ever seen. The walls are adorned with magnificent frescoes depicting all manner of exotic flowers, birds and animals. The floor is a huge mosaic, and tells of the battle of the Titans. At the head of the room is a huge marble throne, and seated on that throne is the regal figure of Eurystheus. It is from this location that the tasks are meted out.

The EXAMINE reports are contrastingly short, but the important thing is that just about everything can be examined, whether central to the plot or not.

A good theme with good problems - what more does an adventure need? The Labours Of Hercules is available by mail order only from Terry Taylor at 20 Lee Road, Bacup, Lancashire OL13 OEA.

DIFFICULTY: made easier by referring to the Greek myths
GRAPHICS: none
PRESENTATION: redesigned character set
INPUT FACILITY: verb/noun
RESPONSE: fast Quill

FAX BOX
Title: The Labours of Hercules
Publisher: T. Taylor, 20 Lee Road, Bacup, Lancs
Price: £1.99, mail order only

From time to time out of the mass of readers' adventures that get submitted to me, week in, week out, there's the occasional gem, and The Labours Of Hercules is one of them. It's based around the Greek legend of Hercules, the world's strongest man, who was duped into killing his own wife and children and as penance was forced by the gods to undertake 12 awful labours. Only by completing all of these, each one considered to be all but impossible for a mere mortal, could he regain his freedom.

You may recall the multi-headed Hydra, which grew two heads for each one that was chopped off - can you cope with a monster like that? Or what about Cerberus, the terrible guardian of the Underworld? Or the exceedingly unpleasant task of cleaning out the Augeian Stables? Pooh, I'd rather face the Hydra any time.

You stand at the start of your labours outside the fabled Lion Gate, the entrance to the mighty citadel of Mycenae. All you have with you is a club, carved from wild olive. Close by you in a hut is Pholus, half-man, half- horse, and both halves are roaring drunk. Enter the Lion Gate and go to the Throne Room of King Eurystheus and you'll discover what your first labour is - bring him the body of the lion of Nemea. Take my advice and do some mapping out first, as only at this point are the various creatures created. The obvious answer isn't always obvious either. Arming myself to the teeth to deal with the lion, I discovered that weaponry wasn't the whole solution - there's more than one way to skin a cat!

This text-only tale has been written using The Quill and The Press, and a vast amount of data seems to have been packed in there. I like the way the author's made full use of the EXAMINE command, allowing you to inspect nonessential things like the Lion Gate and the track, as well as all the objects you'll come across. A fine loading screen from YS reader Sean Doran, and a very impressive first adventure from Terry Taylor. Worth a few drachmae of anybody's money.

Label: T Taylor, 20 Lee Road, Barcup, Lancs, OL13 0EA
Author: Terry Taylor
Price: £1.99
Memory: 48K/128K
Joystick: various
Reviewer: Tony Bridge

At £1.99 Labours of Hercules is the best value I've seen this month.

Not only do you get a great adventure, but you also get some education as well! Don't let this put you off, though - the Herculean myths are great stories, which is why they've lasted thousands of years.

To atone for killing his wife and children in a drunken rage, and to gain immortality, Hercules is set twelve arduous tasks by Eurystheus, King of, Mycenae. This scenario has been tried before with varying success, but the story stands repeated telling, and Terry Taylor has done a grand job.

The individual labours are each a mini-adventure in themselves, and they get harder as you go on.

I particularly liked the way in which certain actions may at first appear to be the right solution, and turn out, many moves later, to be a wrong turning. Though there are four 'orrible mazes here (I 'ates 'em!), each one is different and each one is a great example of its kind.

Well presented, though text-only and no Ram Save/Load, it's an almost faultless use of Quill.

This is one for adventure-writers (to see how it should be done) as well as players.

MACHINES: Spectrum 48K
SUPPLIER: Mail Order only from: Terry Taylor, 20 Lee Road, Bacup, Lancs OL13 0EA
PRICE: £1.99
VERSION TESTED: Spec

"What have I done?" cried Hercules, unable to believe that he had knowingly killed his own family. Theseus, his friend, tried to reassure him, saying that his hands may have been guilty, but the evil goddess Hera controlled his soul.

"I must pay for my sins," replied Hercules, "even if it means taking my own life."

"Be not hasty,"" advises Theseus, "Visit the oracle at Delphi - she will advise you."

And advise him - she does, with words of great wisdom.

"You must purify yourself. Visit Eurystheus and submit yourself to whatever tasks he demands of you."

And so Hercules entered on an adventure with twelve tasks to solve in a land where graphics are not to be found, but instead the imagination paints vivid pictures. And he thought to himself: "This is a Quilled adventure." But that did not put him off, because he was enjoying the tasks at hand despite the rather limited vocabulary.

And he wandered the 150 or so locations which were bedevilled by ingenious and taxing hazards, such that even the best of adventurers might be troubled and he thought unto himself: "This ain't bad for a couple of quid".

A good value adventure that will keep you occupied for a few hours.