FAX BOX
Game: Savage Island I/II
Publisher: Tynesoft, Unit 3, Addison Industrial Estate, Blaydon, Tyne and Wear NE21 4TE
Price: £7.95 each
Reviewer: Mike Gerrard

It feels like stepping back into a time-warp to be reviewing these two elderly Scott Adams titles, though I believe this is the first time the graphic versions have been released for the Spectrum.

You're not told much about the story behind part one, except to survive on the island. Can you outlive the awesome power of Hurricane Alexis and solve the problems of the volcano, the bear in the cave and the underground caverns? Well maybe you can if you're persistent and don't always believe what you read. Don't leave the first location until you've unearthed an object, and when in the lake you can also swim in the one direction you're not given as a possible exit. You can jump down a cliff and survive too! Devious, sometimes in the wrong way, but complex and quite lengthy as well.

It seems a bad marketing move from either Scott Adams or Tynesoft to make sure you can't start Savage island II 'til you've finished part one and got the password. Those who can't solve the first part aren't likely to buy a second part they can't start, are they? But if you enjoy what you've done in part one you might like to get yourself stuck in part two as well. The password's as easy as 1-2-3.

Part two is far removed from any island, savage or otherwise, because now you're in space and again the aim of the game isn't clear, apart from progress and survival. It's a game of force fields, console panels and captain's logs. The answer to the first problem of how to get through a vacuum, deserves an entry in the obscure inputs hall of fame. I had to get help on this one myself, and I make no apologies for passing it on, though I will print it backwards for the benefit of those stubborn nuts who'll still want to try for themselves: ETALITNEVREPYH. The input when you're through the vacuum is BREATHE OUT.

The graphics are variable, some good and some pretty dire, but again it should keep you playing for quite a while and in that sense, it offers you value for money. This pair of adventures hasn't converted me to being a Scott Adams fan, but those who already are fans won't care about that and will just be keen to get their hands on them.

SUPPLIER: Tynesoft/Adventure Soft
MACHINE: Spectrum, Commodore +4, C-64, C-16, BBC/Electron, Atari
PRICE: £7.95

The first in the Savage Island duo is, aptly enough, called Savage Island Part One. The game starts off with you on the beach of the island, standing next to a large stone head rather like those found at Easter Island.

From this starting position you can wander along three other beaches, and if you really want to, you can take a swim in the shark infested waters. But this doesn't get you very far, so you have to start making decisions about what to do.

First thing on your agenda should be to take some coconuts from the conveniently positioned tree on one of the beaches. But if you hang around too long before finding shelter, a nasty hurricane called Alexis comes and rips you apart in a very unfriendly manner.

But this ill wind there indeed does blow some good, as the hurricane knocks down some trees which you can somehow pick up and carry for use later.

The island's dormant volcano has a crater which has been filled in with rain water to form a lake. One use of the log is as a means for floating any heavy objects across that you think will be useful.

Also to be found in the volcano is a rather gruesome grizzly bear. But the bear is the least of your problems as the random hurricane tears around the island. I call it random because it is. As far as I know whether you survive the hurricane or not is a purely random affair. During the days I spent playing it, the hurricane never left without killing me.

Savage island is too outdated now to be a decent game. It was first released on the TRS-80 back in 1982, and although it now has some nice quickly drawn graphics (the screen is split into two, with graphics in the top part and scrolling text below it) it is nothing to write home about.