REVIEWS COURTESY OF ZXSR

Smuggler's Cove
by John R. Keneally, Steinar Lund
Quicksilva Ltd
1983
Your Spectrum Issue 1, Jan 1984   page(s) 48

Differing slightly, and more like a traditional adventure, is Smugglers Cove. This offers text with the delights of hi-res graphics, while you visit 27 locations, somehow or other picking up 65 objects along the way (without so much as a sack). One point here is the game's lightning response to your directions, something which many previous adventure game incarnations have been less than famous for. Both of these are well worth a spin.


REVIEW BY: Ron Smith

Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 1, Feb 1984   page(s) 64

Producer: Quicksilva, 48K 6.95

It's 1753 and you are on a hunt for Blackbeard's famous treasure, hidden in a complex of caves on the north Cornish Coast. The program burbles away at you in piratese of the 'Argh, Jim lad, me scupper, there 'e be,' type. The top half of me screen contains well designed and instantly appearing location graphics, but the game gets nowhere. It seems impossible to get beyond the first few locations and then it ceases to be any fun.


Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 2, Mar 1984   page(s) 65

Producer: Quicksilva, 48K 6.95

It's 1753 and you are on a hunt for Blackbeard's famous treasure, hidden in a complex of caves on the north Cornish Coast. The program burbles away at you in piratese of the 'Argh, Jim lad, me scupper, there 'e be,' type. The top half of me screen contains well designed and instantly appearing location graphics, but the game gets nowhere. It seems impossible to get beyond the first few locations and then it ceases to be any fun.


Transcript by Chris Bourne

Crash Issue 4, May 1984   page(s) 71

Producer: Quicksilva, 48K 6.95

It's 1753 and you are on a hunt for Blackbeard's famous treasure, hidden in a complex of caves on the north Cornish Coast. The program burbles away at you in piratese of the 'Argh, Jim lad, me scupper, there 'e be,' type. The top half of the screen contains well designed and instantly appearing location graphics, but the game gets nowhere. It seems impossible to get beyond the first few locations and then it ceases to be any fun.


Transcript by Chris Bourne

C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 27, Jan 1984   page(s) 19

What do you do when you come across an Adventure which speaks in a strange country dialect? You delve into your Cornish tourist phrase book that's what! Smuggler's Cove has a nice turn of Cornish phraseology to entertain even the most jaded Adventurer.

'OK' is a common Adventure response to a command successfully obeyed. Smugglers Cove, set in a cave on the Cornish coast, replies 'Right me dear'. Other fairly standard replies get similar treatment.

These replies made a welcome change, and persuaded me to explore the cave into which I'd fallen, and from which I was trying to escape complete with Blackbeard's treasure.

Smuggler's Cove should not be confused with Pirate's Cove. It is an orthodox type of Adventure, complete with monochrome hi-res drawings of each location occupying the top lines of the display. Unlike most graphic Adventures, these pictures display quickly, and the overall time between commands is faster than a lot of games without graphics.

Another thing about the pictures - they change in accordance with the state of play. For example, in a cave with a ledge both described and clearly visible, I threw a rope with such skill that it hooked onto the ledge and was left hanging to the ground. This change was reflected in the picture.

On the minus side are disappointing omissions in vocabulary, and a barrel containing - no, not rum! - spiked shoes of all things!

I kept slipping off the ledge, and being offered a chance of reincarnation. Unfortunately my stars were always in the wrong house!

If you can stand the dialect, and the shocking pink border, not a bad, but fairly mediocre game for your Spectrum, me luvlies! It comes in a standard cassette box, with attractive inlay containing full instructions and background story.

Smugglers Cove
From Quicksilva for 48k Spectrum at £6.95


REVIEW BY: Keith Campbell

Logic/Difficulty3/5
Vocabulary2/5
Plot/Theme3/5
Transcript by Chris Bourne

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