FAX BOX
Game: Time of the End
Publisher: Mandarin Adventures, 14 Langton Close, Woking, Surrey GU21 3QJ
Price: £3.95 (mail order only)

This is a well-written epic text adventure - or at least that's the author's modest claim, though quite how it can be more epic than any other game written with The Quill I'm not sure. The opening screen is a quote from T.S. Eliot, "This is the way the world ends... not with a bang but a whimper." from, it is claimed, The Waste Land published in 1925. Well The Waste Land was published in 1922 and this quote is from The Hollow Men, published 1925. Sorry for nit-picking, but if you're going to make literary references, you'd better get them right!

The references continue almost from the start. Check your opening inventory and you discover you're carrying coins, a sandwich and a handkerchief. EXAMINE HANDKERCHIEF. "Are the Tigers of Wrath wiser than the Horses of Instruction? Kilroy was here. I think... therefore I am. And many writings in strange languages I cannot understand." Well, that's what I like, a sensible response. I assume this is meant to be what you get if you examine the graffiti that's referred to in the location description.

I won't go into the long preamble about the destruction of civilisation and your part in its rescue, but after starting the game in a city location you're pretty soon whisked through space to a hall where some aliens are about to do the dirty on you. I made a quick exit into what looked like a maze, and decided to see if I still had anything with me. INVE produced the coins, sandwiches, handkerchief... and a location description. Then I was whisked away again and discovered I was a jackdaw locked in a parrot's cage, with seed, water and a door closed with a strong spring. EAT SEED. OK, it said. DRINK WATER. OK, it said. EAT DOOR. OK, it said, though I still couldn't get out that way.

I escaped by a different means and encountered a tramp who offered to tell me his story.

As you make your way up to and hopefully across the Cara River, you'll encounter quaintly named creatures like the Urga-Mauls, Quargs and Cavezats, most of which will gladly attack you soon as look at you, so if you like a bit of a bash with your brain-scratching Kentilla will do the trick.

Label: Mandarin
Author: Keith Milner
Price. £3.95
Memory: 48K
Reviewer: Richard Price

It is the near future, not long after the troubles of '88 that scarred and shattered the cities.

Even the earth itself seems to be shaking itself to pieces - earthquakes, meteors, tidal waves and intense heat are battering the planet, whilst its inhabitants war amongst themselves, like quarrelling children in the ruins of their world.

Just another Monday morning, you may think, as you scan the scenario for Time of the End - a program from a one-man software company, Mandarin Software. Who is behind it all, what sinister forces are at work to destroy mankind? is the Earth merely the plaything of demented alien powers who while away their boredom by tormenting the earth like a fly on a pin?

You betcha! And you are drawn by accident into the conspiracy. From unassuming city gent, still manfully going to work despite the fact the Bakerloo Line has packed up, you can become saviour of the world. To do this you'll have to go through Kafkaesque transformations and suffer numerous indignities and slights from the mad aliens.

"Huh' shrugs one as they prepare to torture you, "This one's a pathetic weakling even by their standards. Let's kill it." The game begins in riot-torn London in the late eighties. On your way to Waterloo along the Embankment you suddenly come across a glowing orb. They've got you now and, with a wrenching of atoms, you're transported to the alien base, deep in space. Once inside the glittering labs it's best to get quickly away from the creatures who seem to think you could benefit from a Charles Atlas course. Out of the frying pan into... the maze. When you've sorted it out you'll probably be feeling good like I was until the robot gets you and sends you back to Earth in the shape of a jackdaw. Devious, these aliens.

At this point you can ask for help - the droll response sums up the dry humour of the game: "You are a bird and limited in what you can do."

Time of the End is well-written and by no means simplistic. There is a nice attention to detail and descriptions are full and evocative.

A list of verbs is provided to avoid the old problem of finding the right action by going through your Thesaurus. The nouns you'll have to work out for yourself. There are numerous dead ends to get stuck in if you forget to think - at one point I found myself transported to the alien base but my body had disappeared, allowing me to do nothing except think. "OK" says the message, "You think so you exist but what are you thinking about?" it took me quite a while to get back my pathetically weak form.

The program is Quilled and text-only. Leith Milner, the boffin behind the game, firmly believes that graphics are only really useful for eating up memory that could better be used for more text. He's also included a solid type-face which is much better to look at than the normal Sinclair font.

Input is firm and beeped and there are a few sound effects to accompany transformations. This is a game that easily matches up to many commercially marketed adventures. The sci-fi setting is convincing, with a fair amount of action and a variety of different environments to get tied up in.

As it turns out, even Kilroy himself is an alien, this time a good one who's been trying to warn the Earth for years. Odd things like this give the game an individual, quirky feel and help to hook you in. It comes medium-priced with the promise of a sequel in July. If you fancy the sound of it send your cheques to Mandarin Adventures, 14 Langton Close, Woking GU21 3QJ.

SUPPLIER: Mandarin Adventures
MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
PRICE: £3.95

Mandarin Adventures is a new company specialising in text adventures. Using The Quill the aim is to produce well-written and creative adventures at a most price.

At £3.95 the price is certainly modest, and the packaging if not striking, is smart. The game is a science-fiction fantasy. Earth is reeling under a series of cataclysmic events - earthquakes, tidal waves, meteors and the like. Unknown to man, these disasters are being deliberately caused by a race of extremely bored alien beings just for a bit of fun.

The adventure starts off in the city streets, and after mulling over a few problems, the adventurer will surely end up at the mercy of the aliens, and be metamorphosed into another creature.

Taken home by children, here is your chance to see the inside of perhaps the most famous bird-case in the world.

There are problems in the game, but there is also a certain inevitability in some of the events, and to a certain extent the player is given a helping hand through the plot.

There is also humour, including the chance to meet the famous Kilroy. He, it turns out, is a friendly alien, who for years has been trying to warn Earth of the peril it is in!

Although there are no graphics, there are some unusual screen effects, coupled with sound. There is also the chance to destroy or save the earth - will you be up to it?

Mandarin seem to have kept their promise as to the quality of their software. When the word "Quill" appears on a game, it sometimes tempts the reviewer to use words like "rushed" and "cutting corners". This product proves that, given time, it is possible to produce a competent and reasonably priced product. The idea is also fairly original.

There is also humour..... some of which appears when you meet the infamous Kilroy; probably the best-known sign-writer in the world!....

There are certainly some inventive touches in the program, and one wonders if the price would remain so reasonable, had it been released by a larger company. Value for money.

CBM64/Spectrum 48K
Mandarin Adventures
Text Adventure
£27.99

When that excellent adventure-writing utility The Quill first appeared it seemed that adventure players would never be short of games to play. It added a new dimension to the adventure world. Overnight hundreds of enthusiastic would-be authors seemed to spring from the woodwork. Unfortunately many of the games were rubbish but that in no-way deterred people from trying. I am pleased to say that among the plethora of 'quilled' adventures there were and are some terrific games.

One of the more interesting and enjoyable is from Mandarin Adventures. Under the auspices of Keith Milner, a true adventure purist, it released Time of the End for the Spectrum. Now CBM users can enjoy this adventure - and not before time.

Once again it is time to take up the gauntlet and save the world from those proverbial aliens who seem to take great pleasure in upsetting poor unfortunate mortals. This time the aliens are interfering with the earth's weather; giant tidal waves are washing away cities, earthquakes are devastating whole areas which, in turn, is creating utter chaos for all. We were warned many years ago by a rebel alien called Kilroy, who came to the earth and left messages on walls in what he thought were public meeting-places, but as we all know who listens to anybody called Kilroy, I suppose Kilroy's mother would.

It happens that one day while out taking the air you are transported suddenly to the aliens' planet and learn all about their dirty tricks and. naturally, being the kind of person you are, you decide to do something about it.

You will have the chance to do a bit of time-travelling, find and change into different people and do a little flying - as in feathered variety. Text descriptions are just what the doctor ordered and the problems are well-thought-out without being too difficult.

Overall, an excellent first attempt and with sequels hovering in the not-too-distant future, plus the very low price, makes this adventure essential.

Mandarin Adventures
£3.95

In contrast to Mindshadow's professionalism comes what can only be called an amateur adventure, not from America but from my home town, Woking. A series of cataclysmic events indicates the end of the world - but they are in fact being caused by evil aliens, playing a demented game to relieve the boredom of their eternal lives. Taken to their planet, you must save earth from destruction.

Time Of The End is an imaginative hotch-potch of ideas. Inspiration ranges from Monty Python and Bob Dylan to the ubiquitous HltchHiker's Guide. At one point you become a bird and fly about; at another you lose your body and need to engage in deep philosophy. There is also a kindly alien called Kilroy. He tried to warn earth of its destruction with his graffiti, but it was misinterpreted!

Description is atmospheric, sometimes lengthy and above average. There is a peculiar offbeat wit - laughs from ideas rather than words. Where the game falls down is in its limited vocabulary; any game which requires USE needs improving. This restrictive vocabulary makes play feel linear, more an effort to find the right word than solve puzzles. Sound is really naff, particularly the death march. The game presentation I found rather unprofessional: a redesigned font, and less long pauses, garish colour and beeping would have improved this.

Generally then, a cheap (four pounds) and cheerful adventure: not bad if you like the idea and don't mind word matching, but hardly competition for Level 9.

Mandarin Adventures
£3.95

No I'm not going mad; I'm perfectly aware I reviewed this game several months ago. But is is a "new, improved" version, and very welcome it is too.

Why? Because one of the main faults I moaned about in my review has been corrected, namely the unprofessional presentation. The garish colour, over-long pauses and mindless beeping have all been removed; now we have a very readable redesigned font and polished appearance.

The good points I commended remain: the scenario is reasonably original and the problems you face are varied and unusual. Description is atmospheric, lengthy and impressive; and there is a pleasantly off-beat sense of humour.

The game still has a few faults. Although the vocabulary is friendlier than many games I review, at points it is nonetheless a bit limited, and pedantic about word combinations. I would have liked it to be more responsive at points. The program also repeats messages after every move when in certain locations, which is poor use of the Quill.

These are relatively minor points though. Time of The End has raised its status from sadly flawed amateur effort to a worthy product, particularly at what is basically a budget price. Definitely worth considering if you have a few pounds to spare. It's available mall order only from 14, Langton Close, Woking, Surrey GU21 3QJ. Mandarin is a company that certainly shows promise, and their next release, The Bottomless Pit, sounds most intriguing. And of course they come from my home town, a definite advantage...