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Reviews
Top games get the
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Tricks 'n' Tactics

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Sight & Sound

Dedicated music and
graphics sections
Adventure
Follow the Pilgrim

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GUIDE
50 games you've
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AND PLAYFEATURESSUCH AS LAZERS, CATCH AND HOLD,
ELONGATOR AM) MUCH, MUCH MORE. THISIS A R R A N = -
THEREAL THING! AMSTRAD £895 COMMODORE £8.95
SPECTRUM £795 COIN-OP

ARKANC)11) Licensed l• b i t ° Corp 1986.

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REALISTICGRAPI-ICS AND ALL
THE CON-OP FEATURES
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 CONTENTS
MIDI Guitar p36
r
m
una I N T E R F A C E
lins
isio 8 N e w s
UK
_ow A l l the news that's fi t to print from the world o f
&A c o m p u t e r entertainment.
II 13 L e t t e r s
Can't have letters in a launch issue? Don't you
believe it.
14 A C E R e a de r Sur v e y
Your chance to tell us what you want to see in ACE is
also your chance to be one of 5 software winners.
98 T h e B lit t e r E n d
Lots of juicy tid-bits, Plus exclusive news of what's
coming up in next months ACE.

r SPECIALS
18 W h i c h C ons ole ?
C R E D ITS
111I ; I „1 The games consoles have - at last - arrived. But are
, they worth buying?
7 :1
7
Bubble Bobbie p56 36 T u n e In
Introducing ACE's music section. Mystified by MIDI?
The first part of our series will get you going. Plus -
review of Casio's new DG20 digital guitar.
30 G r a p h i c s Sc e ne
Baffled by blitters? ACE Graphics reveals all about
Tic? INTTE the hardware, software and techniques used in
crnu computer graphics.

r
COVER CASSETTE 43 S Gc r e e n Te s t
7 Full instructions on how to load Introducing A A C E 's g a me s re vi e w s,
and play those cover cassette incorporating the revolutionary Predicted
M - a new way of looking at
Interest Curve
games— Gift of the Gods and games. E
Blue Ma
24 A Pr c a d e s
News and L pics of the new machines, plus
tips on beating Bubble Bobble
A
89 T r i c k s 'n• Ta c t ic s
Y the pokes you've got to read if
The tricks, the tactics,
you want to get the better of the big games. Stay
alive in Barbarian, crack the codes for ST Sentinel,
bounce through Gremlin's Bounder, make it to the
topin Defender of the Crown, break through those
problem screens in Arkanoid.

Ouedex p44

Advanced Computer Entertainments Future Publishing, 4 Queen Street, BATH BA1 lEJ S Telephone 0225 446034, Fax 0225
446019, Telecom Gold 84:IXT152, Prestel/Micronet 045 874 0 • Co-editors Peter Connor, Steve Cooke I Reviews Editor Andy
Wilton I Staff Writers Dave Packer, Andy Smith I Ar t Editor Trevor Gilham I Publisher Chris Anderson • SUBSCRIPTIONS &
SPECIAL OFFERS Carrie-Anne Porter, The Old Barn, Somerton, Somerset TA117PY, Telephone 0458 74011 • COLOUR
ORIGINATION Wessex Reproduction. 352a Wells Road, Bristol BS4 OOL I DISTRIBUTION SM Distribution, 16/18 Trinity Gardens,
London SW9 8DX, Telephone 01-274 8611.5 • Copyright- FUTURE PUBLISHING LTD 1987 - No part of this publication may
reproduced in any form without our permission.
"MAL
 Stopright here...
...SO we can welcome you to Britain'shottest computer
entertainment magazineit comes to you courtesy of the team
whoproduced the legendary PersonalComputerGames, a
group of people whonow believe that gamesplayers are
crying out for a newkind of magazine. Here it is...
Onthese pages you'll find a new world of possibilities for
squeezing the maximumthriii-powerout of yourmicro. A new
way of looking at games software; plus special sectionson
graphics and music-making with MIDI - all brought to you by
peoplewho believe that computerentertainment is at last
coming of age.
Thatmeans there are quite a fewthingsyouWON'Tfindon
these pages....youwon't find kiddy comic-style reviews that
treat you like a five yearold; you won't find pageupon page of
incomprehensible programmer-speak; you won't findendless
little competitionswith pathetic prizes.
Whatyou will findis a magazine that realises that computing
isno longerjust forboffinsand that computerentertainment is
nolongerjust forkids.ACEis foreveryone who thinks
computers can be fun - and that means you.
So read on, and we'll take you furtherinto the world of
sight,sound, and games than any magazine has taken you
before. What more could you want - except Issue2?

79 A d v e n t u r e s
The Pilgrim takes you by the hand and guides you 3 1 1 1 1 " ,
through the world of adventures. This month he gives R I K )
' • ORM
you an in-depth review of Knight Oro from Level 11006
91Rainbird andpresents th e first of a series of
Playing Guides to the big adventures - this
issueGuild of Thieves -

1
r initt-
II%thos
; ieseldst via thr ill rem%
S p Be c i a l
T$ak1e ;• : •i 821
94 Of f e r s )-•rim ts the castle
U huge discounts on top software in
We're offering you dMit
m i entside a i I i tiftil in a Medea tall& bits lead le all
directions ied inside. Ino cm see a drahrido. lie itabtlep is closed.
our Special OfferY pages. Can you afford to ignore Ile t!Hr Mi I kh e
s i l t MOWS fi l l 11*
)nhocke on the &silkiest
savings of up to E.2.00 on a single game?
L d e m
Knight Orc p79
71 B u y I e r s • G u i d e !

We name the 50 games you just can't do without.

N
9 5 S u b sE c r i p t i o n O f f e r
Subscribe to ACE - and get a E10.00 software
S it makes sense.
discount. You know

COM PET IT ION

28 S T s tunne r
ACE and Atari are giving you the chance to win one
of three complete ST systems. Don't miss out
 NOW FOR COMM

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MASK - A M ) DIE ASSOCIATED TRADE MARK ARE ENE

PROPERTV OE KENNER PARKER TO , I M E T 1 1 9 8 7 . C8M64/128 al Amstrad - £ 9 . 9 9 TAPE
£14.99DISK
Spectrum
, 48/128K - f 7 . 9 9 111
Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd, Alpha House. 10 Carver Street, She FSTe6 ,

COVER CASSETTE
H o w to loa d a n d pla y our tree c ov e r g a m e s
SIDE A
BLUE MAX
US GOLD • C64
LO ADING
Plug your joystick into Port 2. Rewind tape to
beginning Hold down the SHIFT key and pless
RUN/STOP. When the game has loaded, press fare
to play or P3 for game options (see below). Blue
Max is recorded twice on Side A of the tape. In
case of loading difficulties.
THE SC EN A R I O
You are air-ace Max Chatsworth. known to your
buddies as The Blue Max - the name of the medal
offered by the Axis powers to any pilot who can
shoot you down! Your mission involves high-level
bombing. crir-to-air combat and strafing runs over
heavily defended enemy territory. Are you up to
the challenge'
PL A YIN G BLUE M A X
Controls
Left - banks left
Right - banks right
Up - climb
Down - dive
(Set controls to 'Pilot in game options to reverse
these last two.)
Fire on its own uses the machine gun.: fire & dive
together releases a bomb.
Hit space boa to pause game.
G A M E O PT I O N S
Use F3 to select the option, and F5 to change it,
Take-oil Press fire to start taxying, and then climb
as soon as your speed reaches 100 mph. Don't try
climbing earlier, or you're sure to crash.
Mission Objective Your mission is to destroy as
many bridges. guns, buildings, ground vehicles.
ships and planes as possible. Flashing targets are
particularly important: you cannot move on to the
next level until ycru've destroyed your quota of
these. (When you have, the control panel will turn
green and you should then kind your plane.)
Bombing Dive and tire to release a bomb. You'll
need t o lead' targets more - drop your bomb
earlier. that is - if you're bombing from high
affitude.
StrcdingFly at between 20 and 25 feet - the control
panel will turn brown when you're low enough -
and open tire on ground targets.
Dogfighfing Climb or dive following the arrow on
the right of the control panel. to match altitudes
with your opponent • the control panel turns blue
when you're at the right height. Now bank to line
up on him. and open lire
Landing Line your shadow up on the runway, and
dive until you touch down. When your plane stops
it will be refuelled automatically, and then any
damage will be repaired To abort this process and
start taxying. press fire
Control panel:
fuel remaining
B- bombs remaining
ALT - altitude
Below 20ft - dangerously low: control panel turns
yellow as a warning
From 20-25ff - strafing altitude: control panel turns
brown
Over 25ft - docffightlbombing altitude: control
panel is black but turns blue if you're at the same
-altitude as an enemy plane
SPD - speed of plane
grey =below 100mph: do not try to lake off
white -100-200mph; take off using 'chmn (push up
on joystick with normal controls)
W wi n d y conditions: can blow you off course or
make you gain height.
P - enemy plane approaching or on screen: an
arrow on right of screen indicates above or below
You
I. • approaching runway: prepare t o land for
refuelling and repairs
Damage display:
M monoauvrability impaired.
G - machine-gun damaged: fires intermittently.
B bomb release damaged operates intermittently
F - tdol leak
Target Score
It you can reach 5000 within a week, you're pretty
mean.
SIDE B
GIFT OF THE GODS
followed by demo of new Ocean games
OCEAN SPECTRUM 48/128
LO ADING
48K Spectrum: to load type LOAD". hit the ENTER
key and press PLAY on the tape deck.
128K Spectrum: select 48K Basic and load as
above, Gift of the Gods will NOT load us ing the
128K Tape Loader
To load the demos, first load Gift of the Gods.
Stop the tape as soon as the game loads, reset the
computer and then load the demos following the
loading Instructions as for the gmne
A second copy of Gift of the Gods is recorded at
the end of Side A of the cassette, in case of loading
difficulties on Side B
THE PLACE
The Palace of Myceriea in Ancient Greece
THE PLOT
Orestes, our hero, returns from exile to avenge his
C OV E R C A S S E TTE
1
lather's murder and rescue his sister Electra from the
catacombs beneath the palace. To do this he must
find six geometnc shapes. and take them to the
Guardian's chamber inside the catacombs.
His task is complicated in two ways. first, his
evil mother Clytaemnestra stalks the catacombs
intent on murdering Electra. so Orestes must find
and protect his sister. Second, the evil demi-gods
who inhabit t h e Guardian's c hamber a r e
determined t o stop h i m They hav e created
monsters to sap his stamina, and false geometric
shapes to confuse him. Only by killing monsters or
seeking Dectras advice can he tell which shapes
me real and which useless fakes.
The Olympian gods have equipped Orestes
well for his task: they have given him a sword.
winged boots crnd the Seven ears of Icarus - the
latter for use i n mak ing his wa y around the
catacombs
They tell Orestes Return to the Guardians
chamber when you find yourself weakening. If you
kill a creature, the demi-gods' false shapes will
disappear for a short while - use the time to find the
real ones.'
C O N T R O L L IN G ORESTES
Select joystick or keys alter loading. If you choose
keys. any TOP row key acts as fire Any SECOND
row key is up and any THIRD row key down, while
bottom row keys alternate between left mid right.
While Orestes is on the ground: to go through a
door. reverse direction in front of it and push up on
the stick. To stab, hold fire down and press in the
direction lies facing To slice with the sword, press
fire and pull down on the stick To lick up. press fire
and push up, and to drop something simply pull
down (You can only hold one shape at a time, and
you can only drop shapes In Mt n& In corridors the
drop action leaves a tear of [cams to mark Orestes's
route )Fire on its own stops Orestes in his tracks.
While Orestes is airborne. he cannot tight. Also,
you must pull clown and fire to drop an object in
flight.
N
E

N
W
S All the news
that counts
from the world
of computer
entertainment

E
ALL
GO! TOGETHER
N O W. . .
for GOLD Punters at the British Mt lgir Fair
c ould b e s e e n wa n d e r L n g
around w i t h l i t t l e s c raps o f
paper f rom t he Casio stand, a
large number of whic h ended
Software magnates US Gold have just cmnotmced not only a wealt h up o n t he floor. That's a pit y ,
of games f or t he aut umn but als o a brand new label t o publis h because they were c arry ing an
them. It's c alled Go, and unlike the main US Gold label f e a t u r e invitation t o support a nat ional
software written entirely in the UK.
IVIIDI club, proposed by Casio as

W
Gd releases to wat c h out tOT inc lude original t iles and coin-op a means of generat ing mut ual
conversions, as wet] as games based on TV series, comic book heroes s upport a n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n
and toys. between MIDI users.
Trmtor - The Last Storm flooper is a shoot-em-up with enormous Since MI DI is one of those
sprites and nasty time limits. Your task: fl omethrower your way to the things that. sadly, appears more
heart of an alien planet. You'll meet still opposition (of course). and if complex t han it ac t ually is, a
you dont reach a computer t erminal every 90 seconds you're dead second of user club interaction is
Sounds simple?
worth an hour of boning up on
How about Wizard Warz t hen? It's a fantasy roieplay ing game MI DI t ec hno-book s , mo s t o f
demanding arc ade skills as welt as strategic elements, we' re told. whic h a r e appallingly writ t en
Battle monsters, fill your spell book and take on seven might y sorcer- either b y Japcmese synth-engi-
ers in your bid to become the boss Wiz.
neers who can't speak English,
The big news in t he Go! schedules - surprise, surprise - c o me s or English music journalists who
from licensing deals. There are tie-ins wit h t he Marv el c omic strip wont , I f y ou' re int eres t ed i n
Captain A me r i c a - s af eguarding democ rac y f r o m t h e e v i l D r bec oming inv olv ed, wr i t e t o

S
Megalornomn • and the feature film Masters of the Universe, based on Dave Clancey of Casio at Unit 6,
the comic. doll, TV program etc. a n d featuring musclebound giant 1000 Nor t h Ci r cul ar Roa d,
Dolph Lundgren. London, NW2 7.111
If you alway s thought the Masters of the Universe TV series was
just a half-hour adv ert for plastic He-Man toys, y ou'll immediat ely
recognise the principle behind the new cartoon series Bravestalr A PREDATORY
cowboys-in-space epic set on the far-off planet of New Texas. the TV Expect p l e n t y a i c a r d b o a r d
Trantor: fi rst out of the blocks for series (and ac c ompany ing Mattel toys) will be reaching the UK this Arnold Schwarzeneggers at t he
GO! auramn. G d will be bringing us a Bravestarr computer game round PCW s h o w f olk s - Ac t iv ls ion
about the same time
have got the rights t o his latest
Even more directly toy-related is the Got licence for the infra-red stateside bloc k bus t er Predator,
shooting game Lcrzer Tag. The computer version will be a vertically and they don't c are who knows
scrolling tag-em-up involving both target and combat shooting. it! Th e s c reamingly successful
For play abilit y fans, t he best news i n t he launc h is a cleat
fi lm f ollows t h e ex ploit s o f a
between (lo! and coin-op magnates Capc om whic h should bring us c ommando unit as t hey t rac k
some red-hot arc ade conversions. Expect t o see Sidearms, Bionic d o wn t erroris t s , r e s c u e k i d -
Commandos and Speed Rumbler on a computer near you soon. napped diplomats and - weird,
As cm added bonus, five of the titles will each have a rock track
this - get killed by an alien.
recorded on the B-side of the tape version. The tracks come from a How does this transfer t o a
specially commissioned session b y rock-group Resister, a n d p l a y computer g a me
through a normal hi-fi system.
7 sSt and
on e e 1417, a n d y ou'll also
get
f o a r look at Activision's ot her
hot
y o p ruo pre rst i e s . Th e r e ' l l b e
Rampage,
e l f a conversion from the
Bally coin-op gone; Plundered
Hearts a n d Bey ond Zork, b o t h
from Irifccom. And if you're very
lucky, a glimps e o f t h e n e w
System 3 Th a i B o x i n g g a m e
Bangkok Knights.
41Elb

CHEAP
THRILLS
'Were grabbing games., r u n s
the Hews on ad, a r i d n o w w e
k now wh y _ t h i s hill-pric e soft-
ware house is jumping onto the
budget bandwagon wit h Rack-
It, a n e w r ange launc hing i n
September. 12 titles, inc luding a
submarine simulation, two-play-
er c has e game. a n d a puzzle
title 'in t he Boulderdash mould'
wi l l n o w b e wa i t i n g t o b e
grabbed by punters.
Believe it or not, that means
there are now nearly TWENTY
budget labels here i n Britain.
These l a b e l s n e e d a h i g h -
turnover of games. releasing as
many as fi fteen or more titles
simultaneously Wh e r e does it
all come from?
When it comes to C64 titles.
Palace Software ma y hav e t he
answer. Th e i r Shoot E m
Construction Kit, on sale in mid-
October, enables 'a person wit h
no p r o g r a mmi n g k n o wl e d g e
whatsoever t o writ e t he sort of
games that, u p to now, wo u l d
hav e cost C10.00'. That sounds
like the sort of games that, from
now on, will cost E1.99.
This isn't a s unlik ely as i t
sounds. US G o l d ' s Americ c ma
label has already brought Out a
title us ing Incentive's Graphic
Adv ent ure C r e a t o r , a n d
Interceptor are relaunc hing t he
Aut omat a l a b e l wi t h n o less
than nine utility tiles (see sepa-
rate story) prov ing that there's a
lot a dedicated amateur can do
with a good game creator.
It may c ome as no surprise
therefore, t o hear t hat Palac e
themselves are medit at ing o n
budget l a b e l possibilities. Wi l l
they be publishing games creat-
ed using their Construction Kit?
We would consider r e p l i e d
Palace's Mat t hew rims , choos-
ing his words very carefully.
SOLID ACTION
If you want a front•runner for the
next big games trend, keep an eye
on solid 3D. Filled graphics games
are pretty rare things. wit h only
three titles - Sentinel Startox and
Starstrihe 2 - springing readily to
mind.
That's all going t o change in
the next few months though. with at
least as many s olid 3 D games
again expected at the PCW show.
It's a surprising development, given
the enormous amount of program-
ming effort such games involve.
Take Incentive f or example:
they've just spent the best part of a
year creating their solid 3D system
Freescape You'll be able to see the
first Freescape game. Driller, at the
PCW s how (Stand 3052) and a
pretty ambitious effort it is too.
Driller models an entire planet,
buildings and all. Gas build-ups
below the surface are threatening
to blow the whole thing apart, so
your mission is to put drilling rigs in
position and v ent t he gas of f -
hence the name,
Freescape, ACE logo, created using
Incentive's new technique
ac>ACE
Galax: 30 and really solid,
The scale of the game is cer-
tainly impressive, but s o are the
graphics_ Driller i s initially corning
out o n t h e 8 - b i t mac hines -
Spectrum, Amstrad and C64 • mak-
ing the speed and realism of the
demos all the more remarkable.
Over o n t he 16-bit s ide o f
things where the available power is
better suited to solid 3D. you'll be
able to see Gremlin's new shoot-
em-up G a l a x a n d Nov agen' s
Backlash r u n n i n g o n t he ST.
Rainbird are also about to enter the
solid 3 D s t ak es wi t h Ca r r i e r
Command, a strategic aircraft caM-
er simulation c um shoot-em-up.
and possibly some sign of the filled
graphics sequel to their amazingly
successful Starglider.
If you're really after solid 3D
perfection, not t o mention s ome
amazing flight controls, track down
Zarch f rom Superior Software.
Running only on Acorn's exotic 32-
bit Archimedes micro. this little 256-
colour marvel appears in playable
demo form on the Archie welcome
disk, under the name Lander.
If the name suggests a lunar
module viewed-side on, the rolling
landscapes a n d s ubt le s hading
here will soon show you your mis-
take, Th e realism defi es belief:
every particle of a LanderZarch
explosion casts its own shadow and
falls under gravity. An Archie will
set you back upwards of E800 and
you don't even get a joystick port
for that money, but what a game!
The strange thing in all this is
the eerie silence on t he Amiga
front That blitter's ultra-fast shape-
filling functions make it a natural for
solid 3D. s o a dedicated Amiga
game would run fast and be rela-
tively easy to write. But where is it?
N EWSI
VERY
IMPORTANT
NEWS!
In a shock announce-
ment that stunned the
computer magazine
world, a jubilant Steve
Cooke, co-editor of
Advanced Computer
Entertainment,
announced that Issue 2
of the magazine—on
sale October 1st—would
be giving away the first
five levels of Firebird's
brilliant Bubble Bobble
coin-op conversion on a
free cover cassette.
Cooke said; 'This is a
great opportunity for
Commodore and
Spectrum owners to try
before they buy.
Bubble Bobble's a great
game and we're proud
to be associatdd with it.'
He added that owners of
machines other than
Spectrums or
Commodores shouldn't
feel left out of the free-
bies; they'll be getting
special software dis-
count vouchers worth
more than E5.
S t o p Press
Price C u t
Just when we'd sent our games
console article off to press, Atari
announced price reductions on
their XE games system. Here's
what it'll cost you...
XE Console, Missile Command, 1
joystick E79.99
XE console, keyboard, Missile
Command, Fl i ght Simulator
Bug Hunt, 2 joysticks, light gun
£119.99
Atari da t a cassette r ecor der
£29,99
Light gun + software (yet to be
decided)E29.99
Keyboar d, d a t a c a s s e t t e r
recorder, 1 joystick £5999
r NEWS
S T E A LT H
VERSUS SPEED
You've he a r d t h e r umour s,
you've built the plastic model,
now pl ay the game - Project:
Stealth Fighter from MicroProse.
In this new flight sim you'll be
taking t o t he ai r i n t he F-19
'Harvey', the USAF's top secret
radar-invisible fighter. There'll be
none of the usual claims of accu-
racy or acknowledgements to the
plane's manufacturers on thi s
one : the F-19's still so secret the
USAF won't even admit it exists.
Whether t he KGB will learn
anything from playing the computer
game isn't yet clear. The game's
designers say they have 'a fair idea'
of the plane's capabilities - but UK-
based military attaches won't have
to wait too long f or it. Project:
Stealth Fighter i s due out at the
end of September, as is the ground
combat game Airborne Ranger.
They're both C64 titles to start with,
Stealth Fighter: looks like the secret's
nut
ARCADIA
ACTION
Arcadia, Mastertronic's coin-slot
operation using Ami ga boards
in arcade consoles, is launching
at PCW with its first two titles,
Boulderdash-alike Rockford and
2-pl ayer R o a d War s_ B o t h
games w i l l b e conver ted t o
micro for mats a n d r el eased
before Christmas by Melbourne
price E14.95 cassette or E19.95 on House under the Arcadia name,
disk. costing 49, 95 on cassette a nd
If you think the idea of a stealth #19.95 on disk. You should be
simulator is a bit far-fetched, just able to see The Living Daylights
wait u n t i l y o u h e a r a b o u t as well, al r eady pr oduced by
Activision's latest C64 title. At the Domark for home micros, but
more reasonable pric e of E9.99 converted by Ar cadi a for t he
cassette or E14,99 disk, it's a com- coin-op market.
bat simulator featuring NASA's leg- Let's face it, these games are
endary X-15 rocket plane. Called going t o h a v e t o b e g o o d .
X-15 Alpha Mission. t h e game Arcadia is costing Mastertronic
sends an intrepid astronaut (that's several million quid, so at that
you) up into orbit to destroy a ter- price a lot of lOps will have to
rorist-held space station. If the X- slip thr ough the slots to make
15's orbital capability is a little fanci- the ventur e a success. Ri ght
ful then so, it must be said, is its now the ar cade titles that ar e
'assortment of onboard weaponry'. really pulling in the punters are
Be t hat a s i t may . X - 1 5 Alpe those with dedicated ccdomets -
Mission should be with us at the
end o f t he mont h - unless, o f
course, it turns out to be a cruel
hoax.
25 M E
• - I • BE V
6 5 0 2011I 1 PlEil
3 5I DI E1111ThER r---
3 At i l l Afi l l
1 I I RI J I I I I CK
2 ctuRfintissi. r ,
1.i 1
--- -
. -
Stealth Fighter: the boys relax
1 - over a
quiet drink
1 -
• -
1 -
1 -
Arcadia: inside the cabinet lies an
Amiga board
Gauntlet. Hang-On and the like
- a n d w i t h ga m e s l i k e
Streettighter (see separate story)
this trend is very much on the
increase. The future for the old-
style of cabinet isn't as rosy as it
was, even if your products are a
third of t he nor mal cost a n d
quicker to develop, as Aroadices
will be
'I wish them luck,' said Tim
Chaney of US Gold. 'It's a tough
market a nd even games that
succeed aren't around for long.'
Let's hope Ar cadi a stick i t out
longer than most,
TRACK
STUFF
Over on stand 1317 a t PCW,
Activision's sister l a b e l Electric
Dreams a l e g o i n g rac et rac k
crazy, They've got conversions
of ar cade hits Super Hang-On
and Firetrap, but pride of place
will go to Super Sprint Based on
the smash hit Atom coin-op, the
game's due out at the end of the
month across Spectrum. CO4
and Amstrad.
Also out in the fast lane are
Mar ech. w i t h Ni gel Mansell's
Grand Prix (presumably riot the
one where a nut fell off his back
wheel). The game won't be out
till a f t e r t h e l a s t W o r l d
Champi onshi p r a c e i n
November, but there should be
some sort of pr evi ew a t t he
show.
 rnici ITFRRrPRIPc
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Arcade Midlands, but the tour only had
time to take in three of t hem -
goods. Galax. a 3D ST blaster, is
more or less fi nished and looks
whic h was quite enough to see
Sweat-em- some irnprPesive stuff.
The most original a n d sur-
as though it will be a real tough
challenge. I n cm adjacent room
musical maes t ro Ben Dalglis h

up!
Just when you thought it was
sate t o g o bac k in t o t h e
arcades, along comes a con-
sole that positively inv ites
total destruction. C apCom
are releasing a new game -
Streettighter - which hits the
arcades i n October. Forget
the rest, t his one sounds
really mean.
The console features a new
control system using rubber air-
filled pockets. Not for this game
the namby-pamby plastic button
routine; in Streetfighter you hurl
prising s of t ware i n dev elope- was lay ing d o wn f unk y music
ment was at the starting point in for the Gremlin output.
Birmingham. Th e r e i t i s t hat , The Gremlin operation is run
under the direction of project co- very smoothly. What strikes the
ordinator Ken Bulmer. 15 or so visitor - apart from the masses of
programmers a r e wo r k i n g o n software u n d e r wa y - i s t h e
what c o u l d w e l l b e c a l l e d relax ed a n d c r e a t i v e a t mo -
Ramrod - a g a m e w i t h a sphere. N o ego-t ripping p r o -
startlingly original SC:Snarl() and grammers, just lots of t alent ed
some of t he snazziest graphic s and busy Gremlins doing what Basil The Great mouse Detective
you've ever seen on on Amiga Gremlins do best hu
or Atari ST. nt
The object of the game is to in
fi nd a CD player, but on y our g
f
travels it's v it al t hat y ou don't
o
f
get bored. If your boredom level
r r
rises too high then t he game is
11 w o o c= g i e
over Rcrmrca features a human SS
10 l

r
441
punches at the controls and the figure running through a surreal u
11
force with which you hit them lcmdsccrpe of gigantic tubes and 1. e
determines t h e ac tion o n enormous b o u n c i n g s pheres . 14 1 s

o
1
screen, Some of these a r e met al a n d
z*
1
There are controls for kick can b e forced of f t he play ing
0

and punch, and the style o f

attack varies according to the
ferocity o f t h e p la y e r .
Electrocoin, who determine the
future of a lot of consoles in this
country, p u t t h e mac hine
through four weeks of playtest-
ing and were so impressed that
they're now manufacturing the
unit for Europe.
John S t e r g i d e s o f
Electrocoin said the game was
'fantastic. It's got a massive
memory and excellent sound -
with lots of backgrounds. It's a
mixture of Kung-Fu-Master and
Karate Champ, but the control
design makes you feel as if
you're actually taking part."
Since CapCom are working
with US Gold's new GO! label,
we look forward to a possible
Spectrum 48K version with
interest. Just what those rubber
keys were made for Meanwhile
the arcade version should be
on the streets in October.
area to sink in rivers: but ii you
force a glass sphere into water it
will float. It's that sort of game.
Ramrod l o o k s s t unning.
even at this early s t age i n its
life; i t should b e really s pec ia
by the time it hits the world's lo-
be. screens. Only problem is, you
might hav e t o wait a bit; y ou
could we l l b e seeing it i n t he
arcades first.
Elsewhere on the multi-use:
system at Birmingham Basil The
Great Mouse Detective w a s
well on t he way t o completion
for the Spectrum: it's a cute E90-
screen platform game, aimed cr.
the y o u n g e r g a m e p l a y e r s
Tour de Force, a l s o well under
wa y on the Spectrum, Is a kind
of Deathrace 2000 o n t wc
wheels - a v iolent c y c le rac e
round t he world. There's lot t c
do, and it looks as though it will
be very playable indeed
Not too f ar away in exotic
Derby another team, under the
ins piring leaders hip o f G r e g
El it' e l :t E, l
:
Happy Birthday P C W
This year sees the tenth annual
PCW show, an event that bodes
well for games players. In what's
beginning t o look like the most
eventful show for several years.
all t h e major games software
houses are planning ambitious
stands to show off their autumn
releases.
Apart from the software titles
listed elsewhere in this section
items of particular interest should
be t he At ari Wo r l d ' a n d t h e
Commodore 'Village. We leave
you to draw your own conclusions
- do the titles reflect the size of the
companies' bank balances? O r
just their egos?
Syndromic Music are taking a
stand under Atan's banner. This is
Video f r o m T r i a n g l e T V
Psygnosis' Terrapods f o r t h e
Amiga will also be on show. but
Amiga owners will have to go over
to the Atari section to see it along-
side its ST counterpart. Oh. the
humiliation There are rumours of
another Psygnosis product to be
derno'd on the stand - Barbarian
2
7 Probably the best thing about
K years show, however, is the
this
e
space - up 30% on last year. That
e
means you should be able to see
p games and avoid dying of
the
y
heat-stroke or being trampled to
o
death as the herds kick. punch.
u
cough. and elbow their way round
r halls. I f things do get tight.
the

Gremlins
e
perhaps PCW could pick up a few
Daddy ' Holmes , s h o u l d j u s t
hardly surprising - the ST is now lessons
y from the Chelsea Flower
about b e wr a p p i n g u p J a c k
regarded mus ic ally a s ' t he' e
Show - which has a one way sys-

at Work the Nipper 2 G r e g conceived machine t o own, thanks t o it s s

ACE staff members so frequently
ride a b o u t t h e c o u n t r y i n
swanky wh i t e BMWs t hat i t s
hardly news , B u t t h e lat es t
occurrence was a little bit differ-
ent; a t t h e wh e e l wa s bos s
Gremlin I a n Stewart. a n d t he
purpose of the ride was a light-
ning t our of Gremlin's v arious
software dev elopment teams to
investigate work in progress
There a r e fi v e ' G r e ml i n
Laborat ories ' • a r o u n d t h e
Jack in t he first place, a n d the
follow-up looks as though it will
be e v e r y b i t a s wa c k y a n d
entertaming as its older brother
Els ewhere i n t h e l a b Ch r i s
Shrigley, A n d y Green and Rob
Toone are at the early stages of
an ST shoot-em up featuring hor-
izontal and vertical scrolling.
A q u i c k b u r n u p t he M I
bangs us to Sheffield, birthplace
of Gremlin and still housing thee
largest programming team. The
slightly manic atmosphere does-
n't prevent t hem produc ing the
built-in MIDI port Syndrome have
rapidly become a very big noise in
the computer music field - expect
to hear it at the show.
In addition. Atari are promis-
ing a CD-player as well as the lat-
est additions t o t he Mega S T
ranges together wit h products
from over 30 supporting compa-
nies
Down in the 'village* you can
check out the Amiga and related
applications - including Desktop
tem, ensuring that (a) you pass all
p stands and (b) y ou av oid
the
e
physical discomfort. We' re not
e
pansies. but we do like a bit of
l
space t o spread ourselves in if
e
possible
d The P CW Show r uns a t
.Olympia fr om 23r d t o 2 7 t h
September. The first two days
are f or tr ade vi si tor s onl y.
Tickets E3.00 available fr om
Keith Prowse, POB 2, LONDON.
W6 OLO.Tel 01-741 9999 f or
credit card bookings.

ACE

ACE LETTERS
Your chance to lets us - and the rest of the world - know what you think
PROUD OWNER
As t h e p r o u d o w n e r o f a
Sinclair 1 8 8 I a m wr i t i n g t o
ask w h y y o u a r e n o t c ov er-
ing t h e m a c h i n e i n y o u r
Screen Test rev iews section.
There a r e m a n y ent hus i-
astic 1 8 8 owners a r o u n d t he
c ount ry a n d ma n y mo r e just
wa i t i n g for t hat sexy beas t to
pop t h r o u g h t heir let t er box .
(Any d a y n o w) • I a m s u r e
t hey wo u l d b e a v i d readers
of y o u r ma g a z i n e - i f o n l y
y ou r e v i e w e d t h e l a r g e
a mo u n t of s of t ware av ailable
a n d g a v e mo r e c ov erage t o
their mac hine.
C. Sinclair
Cambr i dge
As f a r a s we re aware, Mr.
Sinclair. there aren't yet a n y
games a v a ila b le f o r t h i s
machine. O f course, i f i t
takes off in the field of co m-
puter entertainment we'll be
reviewing games a n d other
programs. W e lo o k fo rwa rd
to a version of Wizbal
OLD TI MER
Just a w o r d t o congrcrtulcrte
y ou on y our I c runc h. Wh a t a
breat h of f res h a i r it wa s t o
hem of a n i n t e l l i g e n t a n d
elegant c o mp u t e r ent ert ain-
ment magaz ine H o w refresh-
ing t o fi n d t h a t e v e n w e
adults are not neglec t ed ! At
the ripe old a g e of 978 I still
fi nd t i me t o p u t i n a f e w
hours of joystick wa g g l i n g on
a g a m e o f Gaunt let , a n d I
t hink I c o u l d h o l d m y o w n
wi t h a n y of t he y o u n g whi p-
pers nappers w h o h a n g
round t h e arc ades i n t hes e
pasts. P l e a s e d o n ' t n e g l e c t
the old-timers.
Methusel ah
Zion
More p o we r to yo u r elbow.
squire. It's letters like yours
that ma k e the blood, sweat
and tears that go in to pro-
ducing ACE worthwhile.
BRILL1 etc.
Wow! Your m a g is brill, b a d ,
Strange things have been happening down
here at ACE headquarters. Even though this is
our very first issue, the postman's been bring-
ing us sacks of letters for the past few weeks.
We were so delighted we didn't bother to read
all the addresses on the envelopes; we just
ripped them open and read them. And once
we'd read them, we thought we might as well
go ahead and print a few of them.
wic k ed, me g a - g r o o v y . T h e
rev iews a r e b r i l l a r i d t h e
des ign is wic k ed.
A. Mol e, London
A CURIOUS BUG
Has a ny one else noti ced the
curious bug t hat occurs wh e n
loading the C Compiler in t he
run-t ime m o d u l e w h e n
y ou're i n D O S (v ers ion .3.1,
t hat is ) i n L i n e 6579 of t h e
Public Do ma i n ut ilit y G l i t c h '
A. Bore
Dor ki ng
No,
CAN YOU HELP?
I rec ent ly purc has ed a
Toughguy S u p e r Ma c h o toy-
stick but Dr i ha v i ng tr oubl e
getti ng i t t o wor k w i t h m y
Spectrum. Ca n y ou help?
Possibly. The problem seems
to be that yo u r computer is
not wh a t experts ca ll Co m-
patible w i t h t h i s jo yst ick
Basically. y o u need to b u y
either a n e w a n d m o r e
macho computer - the Super
Toughguy wo rks o n ly wit h
520K RA M a n d a b o ve - o r
b u y a new joystick.
PET GERBIL
Hey! W h y d o y o u l e t t h a t
loud-mout hed s o-c alled gos -
sip c o l u mn i s t s o u n d o f f i n
y our pages ev ery mont h? He
talks a l o a d o f rubbis h a n d
he has n't g o t n o t h i n g wo r t h
s ay ing a n d h e m a k e s m e
wa n t t o h e a v e t h e c ont ent s
of my s t omac h ov er my corn-
LETTERS
I f or o n e a m c a n c e l l i n g
m y subscription f ort hwit h.
John Smi th
Newcastl e
Of course we've noticed. Do
you t h i n k w e r e b l i n d ?
Incidentally, y o u w i n t h e
prize f o r t h e fi rst cancelled
subscription: a no-expenses-
paid night out for two in the
Beau Nash Strip Club, Bath.
UNCANNY COI NCI DENCE
There's s o mu c h b u d g e t soft-
puter. M y pet gerbil c ould do wa r e a r o u n d these day s t hat
better t han wh a t he does. I don't k n o w wh a t t o buy .
H. Metal Could y ou pleas e run an arti-
Sheffi eld cle o n w hi c h a r e t h e be s t
c h e a p ° games ?
There must be some mistake Ada m Wa r dm a n
here. A C E does not have a Hc alow
gossip columnist - not even
a 'so-called' one K i n d l y t ak e an u n ca n n y coincidence
your letter elsewhere. that you should ask, A d a m.
There's a n a rt icle o n t h a t
IS HE ALONE? v ery s ubjec t in Issue 2.
A m I a l o n e i n not ic ing a
ma r k e d inc reas e in t he num- UNCANNY COI NCI DENCE 2
ber of adv ert is ement s in corn- There a r e s o m a n y joysticks
put er magaz ines prominent ly around t h a t I don' t k n o w
dis play ing s ens it iv e part s o f wh i c h one to buy . Co u l d y ou
t he f emale anat omy . A r e t he pleas e r u n a n a r t i c l e o n
c ompanies p l a c i n g t h e s e wh i c h are the best ones?
adv ert is ement s a w a r e t h a t Ada m War dmcm
t eenage boy s ma y be s eeing Har l ow
t h e m a n d t h a t t h e y are, t o
say t he least, I nfl ammat ory ? It's an u n ca n n y coincidence
Ho w c a n y o u pos s ibly jus t if y that you should ask. Ad a m.
print ing s uc h blat ant ly l e wd There's a n cu ticle o n t h a t
pictures? v ery s ubjec t in Issue 2.
OK. It's a fair cop. A spoof can go far enough.
We plead guilty to fabricating the entire con-
tents of this page, falsifying names and
addresses and making up all these 'letters'.
So for Pete's sake send us some gen-
uine ones. We want to hear your opinions on
anything in ACE or the world of computer
entertainment; other ACE readers want to
hear your opinions top. Sorrow, anger, joy,
indifference — no matter what the sentiment,
we want to hear it. Here. Soon. When you've
written your letter send it to:
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'VlDURI D E S C:> F
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How muc h do you spend monthly on software (on
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STRATEGY A n w i l k ADVENTURE
SIMULATION F R NIASY
Faar- t h c A . T R I S
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T BALANCEcrPOWER
-

1. ORBITER
COMINGSOON
The most accurate space shuttle
simulation available, taking you from
launch to landing.. and every possible
hazard in between.
2. BALANCEOF POWER
'Balance of Power is simply the best
strategy game out on the ST." Popular
Computing Weekly. E 2 9 . 9 5
3. STRIKE FORCEHARRIER
The most realistic simulation yet of flight
and combat in one of Britain's most
exciting fighter planes_ E2 4 .9 5
4. GATO
Take command of a GATO class World
War II submarine in this award-winning
simulation. E,29.95
5. DEFENDER OFTHECROWN
COMINGSOON
Defender of the Crown brings back all
the romance, action, thrills and
adventures of the days of chivalry.
E29.95
6. BERMUDA PROJECT
COMINGSOON
Danger and adventure in the mysterious
Bermuda Triangle.
7. SDI
The screen burns with forbidden passion
and global war! E2 9 .9 5
8. SPITFIRE 40
COMINGSOON
Ely the mostlamous warplane of all and
save your flight log. Rise through the
ranks of the RAFtowards the coveted title
of Group Captain, DSO, DEC, VC.
E24.95
The publishers reserve the right loaner prices and
specifications without notice. Please check prices
and availability before ordering.
Mirrorsott Limited
Athene House, 66-73 Shoe Lone, London EC4P 4AB
Telephone: 01 377 4645, Fax: 0 1
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353 0 5 6 5
Its 7.00 in the evening. You've just finished
anothermeal.You should do your homework but
something is calling you from the garage.Some-
thing that would terrify theneighbours.Something
agile, fast anddeadly. Pegasus-the PatrolHydro-
foil Missilecraft. The temptation is just too much

theauthentichandling ofNATOally
hydrofoils:US, Italian andIsraeli.
76mmwater coolednavalgun,
HarpoonandGabrielmissiles.

IGO T ini128
FOUL
SA ili AW
U:ORM
i Elreal life missionsand
al c 0on-screenmaps.
C
I N T
"

TMBADIgT37 Lantern Ltd. (1.) All : ghts reserved Screen allots represeM064 vffsmn
Otters may vary
i_lectronic Arts sohare is available on a volde range ot home compulem mcludmig
nmmoikireC64, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST,113M, Soenrum and Amsirad
Electronic Arts. 11-49 Station Bd. Langley. Slough. Berkshire. SL3BYNEngland
 CO
Clockwise, from the top: An arcade machine you don't
Atari XE, Nintendo have to feed with 10p
Entertainment System, pieces...a machine that gives
you instant loading of games
like Space Harrier and Hang
d i r g e Master System. On....a machine whose
graphics capabilities make
most home computers look
positively prehistoric. A games
console can be all of these.
But which one - if any -
should you go for? Atari are
in the struggle with their 2600
system and the XE consoles;
Nintendo are now being
marketed in the UK by toy
giants Mattel; and budget big
boys Mastertronic have
weighed in with the Sega
machine. Will the consoles
carve a niche for themselves
on the games scene, or are
they just another flickering
spritG on the Great Screen of
Life? A.C.E. investigates the
console phenomenon and
comes up with the answers...

Softwa r e
What's alway s been true of micros is ev en
more true of consoles - software support and
the qualit y of the games released are the
only buy ing criteria wort h considermg. You
can check out reviews of the hcadwctre until
you're blue in the face, but unless the games
themselves are hot y o u might as well save
your pennies So will the consoles deliver? If
they do, c an you alford to pery for whats on
offer? Will you want to?
The Nint endo mac hine has a larger
selection of software globally av ailable -
excess of 60 t it les - t h a n it s J apanes e
competitor Sega. Furthermore, this software
comes from a variety of manufacturers other
than Nintendo, though the company still vets
and labels software before release.
Neit her of t he J apanes e inv aders ,
howev er, c omes c los e t o ma t c h i n g t he
v olume of software av ailable for Atari's XE

11 'ES.ACE

1
N IN TE N D O V A T A R I V S E G A
console-computer hy brid or f or t he 2600
console; t h e r e a r e t hous ands of t it les
available on 8-bit Atari format. Not only cue
many of t hem excellent games. t hey c an
also be snapped up ca prices sometimes as
muc h as 50% less t han Sega or Nint endo
prices. At ari games. though, are getting a
1
little aged and there's not likely to be muc h
interest on t he part of software houses in
developing new stuff
As for t he Sega system, this - for t he
time being at any rate - is simply a way of
getting a unit to play Sega games on (some
of whic h, of course, are pretty hot). Ot her
manufacturers will possibly get a look in at
some later date, but there are currently no
fi rm plans for this to happen before nex t
year.
You s houldn't b e mis led b y fi gures
r e g a r d i n g t h e t o t a l n u mb e r o f g a me s
S
crvallable for a system. however. How may
of t hem will y ou ac t ually be able to buy ?
Unfortunately Mattel, wh o cue int roduc ing
Nintendo in this country, are only planning
to int roduc e 27 of those 60+ titles in this
country in 1987. Sega are bringing in only
20 of the systems 40 tiles. No problems on
this score f or At ari, t hough; there's lots of
software waiting to be bought.
Both S e g a and Nint endo will rev iew
this policy cater Christmas, but wit h software
costing between EIS and £35 you may think
that t he ques t ion of numbers of t it les is
largely academic. Sego's gctmes hav e the
O
adv ant age o f b e i n g c h e a p e r t h a n
Nintendo's by at least fi v e pounds Bot h
companies cue planning to divide the games
they releaw into different categories • Sego's
will ret ail at E14 95, E19.95. a n d E24 95.
Nintendo's at El 9.50,E28,50, and £31 50. The
cheaper Nintendo range are the 'sports and
action titles'. the games compatible wit h the
Zapper g u n w i l l f a l l i n t o t h e m i d d l e
c at egory , a n d t h e R OB. a n d o t h e r
accessory-driven games will tip the top-end
of t he scales. Sego's games a r e pr i c ed
ac c ording t o f o r ma t - o n e me g a b y t e
L
cartridges are cheapest, t hen 2-megs, a n d
the credit-card style softcards' a r e the most
expensive
Atari software is muc h cheaper A full-
price cassette costs around E10. but there are
numerous budget titles around whic h are
well worth considering. The 2600 system is,
of course, ccatidge-only: these typically cost
either E9.99 or E12,99, though many shops
are doing bargain prices. There's a pretty big
list of 2600 tales, but most of them are none
too recent: t h e past c ouple of y ears has
probably s een o n l y a doz en a; s o n e w
releases.
The actual quality of whcrt's on offer is.
of course, just as import ant as the pric ing
and the variety of choice. You can check out
t he r e v i e ws o f t h e s of t ware f o r t hes e
machines on the following pages and mak e
your own decisions, but most of U5 at A C.E.
reac hed t he s ame c onc lus ion - t hat t he
software on the Nintendo looked slicker, and
that t he system possibly h a d t he great er
potential, but that the games for Sega were
ac t ually more play able, wh i l e t he At ari
systems' h u g e software bergP
, w a sthe longevity of mcmy
despite
a t t r a c t i v e
Co n t ro l
Of almost equal importance to software for
the discerning games play er is the question
of what you use to play the games. Nintendo
axe investigating the possibility of providing
alternative joystick units as well as the 'hand
controllers that come wit h the system. These
little units - wit h their t iny knobs, pressure
pads and but t ons - are broadly similar on
the Sega a n d Ni n t e n d o ma c h i n e s a n d
feelings about t hem differ widely according
to personal taste.
However, an alt ernat iv e would be a
life-saver for those of us who can't handle
anything other than a good, solid stick. Sega
have no plans to provide alternatives, but
the action of third-party suppliers may make
bot h c ompanies ' plans i r r e l e v a n t i f t he
market takes off, expect copious supplies of
add-on joysticks Atari. of course, supply their
traditional joysticks - and you can use a wide
v ariet y of alt ernat iv e sticks wi t h t hes e
machines.
I 4 I
N T
The Nint endo is av ailable as t wo different
( N
packages. The complete system will cost you
E159 99 a n dDcomes wit h a plastic robotic
figure (ROB) O
and a light gun. You also get
two free games - Gyromite and Duck Hunt -
which mak e use of ROB and the Zapper (as
Nintendo c
- Despite t he plas t ic construction, t he
qualit
all y of manuf ac t ure of these unit s is
excellent.
t h e Mos t kids, of what ev er age, will
get
g ua kick
n out of unpacking the system and
setting
) it up, ev en l i t h e main control box
does look a bit...well., boxy
For E99.99 y ou c an get the s limmed-
down system. which misses out the robot, the
Zapper, a n d t he t wo games a n d ins t ead
gives you a copy of Super Mario Brothers..
For some games freaks, t he inclusion of a
freebie Mario g a m e wi l l probably be of
c ons iderable a p p e a l • it 's c ert ainly a n
astonishingly addictive romp.
Once you've plugged the unit into the
FEATURE"
mains ( p l u g supplied), connected up your
TV, and selected your game, y ou slot it into
the box where it snuggles down and makes
perfect c ont ac t - n o pus hing or s hov ing
required. The g a me loads ins t ant ly a n d
you're away.
The 'game controllers', or joystick units
feature f our buttons - one labelled START,
another SELECT, and t wo tire buttons. These
are us ed f or v arious dif f erent purpos es
ac c ording t o what g a me y ou're play ing
Unlike the Sega units. you cant screw a rmni-
pystick lever onto them.
The Zapper gun is very well made and
easy t o use. I n practice it seems accurate
and r e a s o n a b l y
t olerant o f y o u r
dis t anc e f r o m t he
screen, t h o u g h
obv ious ly t h e
f urt her a wa y y o u
stand the harder it is
to hit your target.
ROB - the robot
• is lik ely t o b e a
waste of money for
most g a m e s -
players. True, there
are games that use
it - but t hey cost a
lot mo r e (E31. 50)
and alt hough they
wi l l d o u b t l e s s ROB struts his stuff.
appeal t o y ounger
souls, older gamesters are unlik ely t o be
impressed Th e prospect of wat c hing ROB
dither about spinning gyros and performing
other antics is unlikely to appeal to someone
whose first response to a robot is to send it
into et ernit y wit h a mega-bolt f rom t heir
pocket neutron blaster,
SEG A
The Sega, unlike the Nintendo, comes in one
version only - t he complete system. costing
E99.95. For this you get the basic unit. t wo
'c ont rol p a d s a n d t h e I V l e a d ( wi t h
aerial/console switch included). You also get
a f ree c opy of Hang-On - a n ex c ellent
version of the arcade motorcycling classic.
The s t y l i n g o f t h e m a c h i n e i s
significantly better t han t he Nintendo and
the qualit y of construction only marginally
inf erior - c e r t a i n l y n o t t o t he p o i n t o f
d e ma n d i n g a d v e r s e c o mme n t . O n e
particular point about the control Pads is that
you are supplied wit h little knobs whic h you
can screw into the pads, mak ing them more
like a conventional joystick Since most of us
found t hem pretty useless wit h or wit hout
knobs this point is largely academic.
The cartridges for the Sega system are
more s t andard i n appearanc e t han t he
Nintendo ones. They are notable for coming
in one and t wo megaby t e sizes. space to
pack some quite impressive software in. And
of course you can get the softccads as well., if
you're E35.00 in credit at the bank
If you want to get the Lasgun (at.,light
gun to y ou arid me) you'll have to fork out
anot her E44.95, but y ou get a c ouple of
games wit h it (on what's c alled a Combo
Cartridge - two games on one cartridge).
 RE
YouY o
ucan also get some very hi-tech 3-D
specs for i49.95 Whet her you think its worth
50 t o get 3D games must depend on the
games themselves. You nev er k now what
the future has in store, but judging by the
one we were sent (or rev iew we feel t hat
Mastertronic ore unlikely to be burdened by
our 50 quid for some time yet.
ATARI
Atari are rev amping a couple of their older
models f or a n ons laught on t he console
market. First there's the XE system, whic h for
119.99 gets y o u t he XE ma i n unit plus
k ey board ex pans ion a n d dat a rec order
thereby effectively giving you a I 30)CE 8-bit
computer, but wit h only half t he memory
You a l s o g e t t he CX40 joy s t ic k a n d a
software cartridge thrown in.
Alt ernat iv ely , t here's s t ill t he 2600
games c ons ole Th i s wi l l s et y o u b a c k
9.95, b r i n g i n g y o u t he c ons ole unit ,
joystick, and games cartridge.
In b o t h cases t here was s t ill s ome
uncertainty at At ari as to whic h software
titles would be bundled wit h the machine.
However, software is one t hing these units
have in abundanc e. There are, in theory,
over 2000 titles f or t he XE system, wi t h
approx imat ely 130-90 readily av ailable on
ROM = f r i d g e , cassette, or disc Prices for
cartridges vary enormously but some of the
older titles can be picked up for less than a
termer.
Age is the real concern here, however.
The 2600 system first saw the light of day in
1979 and although it was ahead of its time
in those days it certcnnly wasn't eight years
ahead. Ho we v e r A t a r i c l a i m s ales of I
million unit s t o dat e a n d for t hat reason
some s of t ware houses are still s upport ing
both the 2600 and the XE system - Activision
(and At ari, o f c ours e) b e i n g t he p r i me
examples. Some dedicated gamesters may
also appreciate the possibility of being able
to play some of the older epoch-malang titles
that ma d e A l a n f amous a n d f uelled t he
early clays of computer games - Star Pcndels.
for example, or Pac-Man.
In t he fi n a l analy s is howev er, a n y
money spent on these units is money spent
on his t ory Tr u e , a t S49. 95 t h e 2600 is
inc redibly c heap and despite its age t he
software still packs an addictive punch. S o
as history goes, it's pretty entertaining - but
do you really want to spend todays cash on
yesterdays system.
DUCK-HUNT - Nintendo
Quack, quack - you're dead. Played with the
'z apper' t h i s c a r t r i d g e g i v e s y o u t h e
Opportunity to shoot one duck, two ducks, or
clay pigeons. The zapper itself is accurate
enough even at distances of five metres from
the screen and has a pleasant balance and
weight; it actually feels l i k e a pistol. The
game has pret t y graphics and reasonable
animation, as well as one or two nice touches;
when you bag the birdie your faithful hound
jumps up with it in his mouth - when you miss
it gives a sly guffaw. But that's about it. Both
duck and clay pigeon shooting are far t oo
easy to keep you at it for long; when you're a
crack shot you need something a bit more
challenging.
SAFARI-HUNT - Sega
Sega's s of t ware f o r us e wit h t h e pis t ol
includes three games; Safari Hunt, Marksman
and Trap Shooting. Safari Hunt, as the name
implies, involves shooting various animals
that bound o r fl ap around t he on-s c reen
jungle. The scenery and the animals change
for eac h round t hough t he graphic s are
generally s implis t ic wit h a rat her bloc k y
aspect to them.
Marksman l a k e s plac e on an indoor
range of the type favoured by Clint Eastwood
when i n prac t ic e wi t h h i s Ma g n u m 44.
Silhouettes of baddies pop up or t rundle
across the screen; waste the requisite number
and y ou can go on t o t he next stage. The
perspective and s hading of t he game are
good, the sound is suitably atmospheric and
the game proves t o be quite a test of your
marksmanship.
Trapshooting, as t he Americ ans c all
c lay -pigeon s hoot ing, boas t s wonderf ul
explosions when y ou score a hit. This is a
good shooting cartridge, let down somewhat
by the far too simplistic Safari Hunt. St ill,
Sega's pistol-packing game gets nearer the
bull's-eye than the Nintendo offering.
SUPER MARIO BROTHERS - Nintendo
Now this is a game worth playing; in fact, it's
almost worth buying the console just for this
one game. Can 4,000,000 Japanese buyers be
wrong? In this case, no.
Playing the game involves controlling a
lit t le man - Mario - on his ques t f or t he
Mus hroom Princ es s , k idnapped b y t h e
denizens of the Turtle Kingdom. It's a s illy
scenario, very Japanese and cutesy, but don't
let it put you oft.
The game area is made up of several
'worlds', each comprising four separate levels,
Mario runs and jumps f rom lef t t o right ,
catching various objects and destroying walls
with his hard-hatted head. Catch a Magic
Mushroom and you become twice as big and
twice as powerful; get a Fire Flower and you
are transformed int o Super Mario, lobbing
bolts of fire at the nasties; grab hold of a star
and you are, temporarily, Invincible Mario.
The game is incredibly addictive, with a
huge playing area, hosts of wacky enemies,
and a plethora of puzzles which will only be
solved by lots of practice and large helpings
of luck. The graphics are bright and very cute,
and the musical accompaniment must be one
of the catchiest computer tunes ever written -
it certainly fi ts t he crazy ac t ion perfectly.
Super Mario is by far the best game available
for the Nintendo system, and more than holds
its own with games we've seen on any home
micro in the last few years.
GYROMITE - Nintendo
Your c hanc e f or meaningf ul man-mac hine
Interaction as you plug in ROB - your Robotic
Operating Buddy. You sit ROB in front of the
screen, connected to the console via the
second c ont rol pad. RO B ac t iv at es t he
buttons of the control pad by placing spinning
gyroscopes ont o a red or blue 'c up'; t he
weight of the gyro' then depresses the cup
which in t urn activates t he but t on on t he
control pad. Depending upon which cup the
gy ro's i n , a s e r i e s o f c o l u m n s o f
corresponding colour is raisedlowered on the
screen enabling a little character, (the profi) to
wander across the screen and reach his goal.
ROB•s an interesting little add-on to the
system, but it remains to be seen what i f any
- software will be produced to take advantage
of it. Gyromile itself is a very simplistic game
which has little to recommend It except that it
shows how ROB can work.
HANG ON - Sega
This motor-bike game was - rightly - a big hit
in t h e arc ades , largely bec aus e o f t h e
faithfulness of t he s imulat ion. Sega hav e
pulled this off rather well; the game is exciting
and demanding. Graphics are very similar to
the arcade original, with only two very minor
points letting it down; fi rstly, the trackside
obstacles, as they move closer, grow larger in
a somewhat jerky fashion, and secondly that
when you crash you miss Out on all the fun of
seeing your hapless rider tlung through the air
• on this version the bike just explodes into a
ball of flame. But these are minor points: the
game is as s moot h and responsive as ever
and t hough s ound is not quit e up t o t he
arcade standard it is still difficult to fault.
SPACE HARRIER S e ga
A very disappointing version of Sega's arcade
smasher. Though the game is very big, bright
and c o l o u r f u l i t l a c k s t h e s mo o t h 3 D
movement t hat made t he arcade game s o
playable.
Jerky graphics are not the game's only
drawback, all the enemy creatures and objects
are displayed in square character blocks and
if two of these overlap then part of the most
distant character can be erased by some a
blank one.
Space Harrier's s ound contains little to
redeem t he graphic s , wit h t he t une being
played very weakly throughout and a voice
that sounds like a cross between Micky Mouse
and Donald Duck blurting out the usual 'Get
Ready' as each wav e of enemies starts t o
hurtle toward you.
AT ARI X E G A M E S
ROBOTRON 2084 - cartridge
A conversion of the old arcade zap-ern-up in
whic h y our t as k was t o res c ue t he las t
surviving humans from the clutches of hordes
of killer robots. You are placed in the middle
of a screen crowded with robots that all begin
to c onv erge on y ou as y ou des perat ely
attempt to blast a path through t heir metal
bodies. Also wandering around the screen are
a number of humans which it is your duty to
rescue. A very good conversion of a frantic
game - b u t it is getting a little long in t he
robotic tooth.
JOUST
Another arcade conversion, this is the game
of kni ghtl y confli ct wi th the combatants
perched at op giant birds. The objec t is t o
unseat your opponents and grab the egg that
falls from the now riderless bird. Graphics are
pretty s implis t ic when c ompared wit h t he
arcade v ers ion and t his it s elf is a rat her
ancient game (from way back in '83) but all of
the playability has been retained, inc luding
the o p t i o n f o r t w o p e o p l e t o p l a y
simultaneously.
STAR RAIDERS
Yes, its the first and all time great space zap-
em-up in which you defend the Atarian Empire
from the marauding Zylons. You are equipped
with a Galactic map showing y our location
and t he number of enemy s hips in eac h
sector, a short range scan that shows y our
position and that of any other craft within a
sector and t he essential bat t le c omput er,
shields and photon torpedoes_
The object of the game is simple - warp
around the map and destroy all of the enemy
ships before they destroy either y ou or your
 FEATURE

Starbases, A 3D view is given of the small but

fast attacking ships as they fl y by blasting
your defences t o pieces; If you survive the
fi ght y ou c an warp of f t o a s t arbas e f or
repairs. Star Raiders is a last and compulsive
challenge but, unfortunately, it can't be played
without the add-on keyboard.

0 4 0 0

C ON C LU SION S
With t he Atari machines y ou at least k now
where y ou stand. The 2600 is c heap and
oartndge software that's been around for
a while a n d is readily av ailable. The XE
system is e n t i a l l y an 8-bit computer with a
vast a mo u n t of games t o choose f rom.
Neither , though, seems to have muc h of a
future i n terms of s of t ware dev elopment ;
unless they sell extraordinarily well software
houses will see little point in devoting R&D
resorces to them.
Sadly, b e c a u s e o f t h e res t ric t ed
a v a i l a b i l i t y of t it les f or b o t h J apanes e
mac hines . it 's v e r y dif fi c ult t o ma k e a
defi nit iv e j u d g e me n t a b o u t e a c h unit 's
potential A C.E,'s Steve Cooke was in Tokyo
last summer and saw Nintendo software that
knocked spots oil any t hing we'v e seen for
the machine over here. But the message is -
A it's not on the shelves in t he UK t hen it
might as well be in Never-Never Land. And
don't go rely ing on Japanese imports - t he
Mattel unit uses a different cartridge format
from the Japanese Nintendo system,
Similarly, ma n y of t he games we' v e
seen here for the Sega have been written in
a c harac t er-bas ed f as hion t hat giv es a
slightly primitive look to the display and at
worst causes ugly masking problems.
When it c omes t o ma k i n g a c hoic e
between the two systems, the Japanese don't
seem t o hav e h a d any trouble. Nint endo
c laim 95% of t he games console mark et -
perhaps an over-stated figure, but the tact is
that Sega sales have been nowhere near the
level of Nintendo's, O v e r here, howev er,
things don't seem to be so clear cut. N o w
that Mat t el hav e dropped the onc e of the
Nintendo unit to equal the Sega system, its
even harder to pick a winner.
We rec k on t hat if y ou' re af t er s lic k
programming a n d ex pans ion possibilities
Nintendo has the greater potential; i f you're
keener on g a me p l a y t han cute displays,
Sega • for t he time being, at any rate - has
the edge. Remember, however, t hat there
are alway s exceptions - Nintendo's Super
Ma r i o i s a s uper-addic t iv e a n d v e r y
play able game, a n d Sega's Transbot h a s
some great-looking screens_
But s hould y ou buy a console rat her
than, say, a lo-bit computer like the ST or the
Amiga? While on ST costs E2013 more than a
console, its a muc h more versatile machine,
both in terms of what you can do with il and
the kind of games you can play on it,
Ideally, we d all hav e enough cash to
From top lett: own a computer and a console. Given that
Duck Hunt - Nintndo: most of us haven't a choice has to be made.
Joust - Atari XE: If y ou like the look of console software and
Space Harrier - Sega: are interested exclusively in games then the
Hang On - Sega: Super machines are worth taking a good, long look
Mario Brothers - Nintendo at: if y ou wa n t s omet hing t hat wi l l play
games and do that little bit more then you're
better off with a computer •
 r 0 , ” prt rm. •

• • •k '
1 1
1 1
ik•

Cl i tt• i t t 11•• s o n .

PAWL t e l t • N I . NM I
 The Knell of the emit the sun on your tack. the Band betweeit your tees • This
isn't California Dreamin

1
desi
• — gnedttoheati your
s pulee racing Wow your frtende with ycur incredible flying
ekatetoard feats;
f o or ehow your owl hacking at the sack. Skate down the
l e r
b o wl
m a l l
- King re Californian sports— shooting the curl as you bett;ie with trkAie giant
that
S
Pudic i x
Na r milers to decide whmh surfer truly rake] the waved
o f
Californta
k tlamei
C t o , andh one toeeight players can take per.. All the quality ycu expect from an
m ,
b product e a
fEpp fle ai t u r e iss here and ao much more, We mold tell poi more but Instead late
hear
t what ZZAP 84 had to say,
sp u p e r
W
"California e
t presentGames Le vita aimply the apex of computer sports gaming at
b
the s t tme.
gh r a p
CEven inopurely technical terms Epyr have somehow managed to surpass
he i c s
theira own s high etandarde— the pictures and sounds generated by this
,program
F are atrcospherio beyond belief.
t
ar Ifiyou gather
l
p o up all the superlatives from previous Epyx reviews and add

0
lthem
a together, you just might go halfway towards describing California
r t
tb l
a
h e
Games
ea
7he
an e et
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od s
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h
w w e r
eh
oe
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—

a u x Is a F,,ppowmi Tradelltok No1195.171) ,

 C
r
A
R
C
A
D
E

They used to be
seedy dens of
iniquity where
granny-muggers
wasted tons of 10p
pieces on Space
Invaders and
Asteroids. Now the
arcades are where
you go to see
what's going to be
on your home
micro in six months
time. That's why
each month in ACE
we'll be carrying
news of the latest
arcade machines,
plus playing tips on
how to beat the
games that are
costing you a
fortune.

Acticoe-go-go in R-Type; bombs, missiles, ground installatiions. There'sliois to cope with.

R - T Y P E ! r e m 2 0 p p e r g a me
R-Type follows fi rmly in the footsteps of such
classics as Defender and Nemesis - high-
class a c t i o n t o t he a c c o mp a n i me n t of
breat ht ak ing graphic s . R-Ty pe w i n s n o
points for game originality, it's one of those of
the horizontally-scrolling fly-your-spacestup-
t hrough-t he•t unnel games You' ll hav e t o
keep y our fi nger p u mp i n g t he lire but t on
beccmse there's wav e upon wav e of assorted
aliens t o zap: f rom bubble-hke ground and
c eiling gun emplac ement s to Transformer-
lik e robot s t hat fi re s alv o af t er s alv o of
deadly homing missiles. A guardicm monste
protects t he e n d of e a c h s ec t ion, t hes e
stunning creatures all have their weak spots
but it wi l l t ak e y ou a stack of c o i n s t o
discover them
Extra fi repower is av ailable to help y ou
survive in the shape of letters which, when
picked up, prov ide y our ship wit h various
aids, pick up the letter M and your ship gains
its own horning missiles that lock onto any
enemy entity, get the letter S a n d gain the
protection of a shield.
The graphic s really a r e s t unning, s o
colourful and i ma g i n a t i v e that they'll hav e
y ou gas ping in a we a n d apprec iat ion -
especially when you get to meet one of those
enormous guardians . It's not all cosmetic
either, the action comes very thick and very
fast and you won't be able to take your eyes
off the screen for a second. Dont be deterred
by t he puzzlingly dull and unins pired title
screen, bey ond it hides a game that deserves
to be a c laz ic • if not for originality then for
sheer speed and addictiveness.
 I)E A
ARCADE
,

SUPER

CE
HANG-ON
Sega 2 0 p p er game
Motorcycle arc ade games hav e never been
t he s ame s inc e t he a p p e a r a n c e of t h e
superb Hang-On f r o m Sega. The original
game boasted breat ht ak ing graphic s a n d
g a me p l a y , y o u r on-s c reen mo t o r b i k e
handling impressively like the real thing.
Super Hang On, a g a i n f rom Sega, is a
souped-up version of that earlier classic. You
still control the slick bike and rider w i t h a
v iew as if you were actually on the saddle.
The racetrack scrolls t oward y ou and y ou
steer the bike through the twisting course -
av oiding other riders and road-side obstacles
- by us ing handlebars on t he f ront of t he
game c abinet Th e monit or is housed in a
hood shaped like a racing bike's faring while
speakers on either side of t he monitor blast
stereo muc ir and effects at y ou in stunning
style as y ou p l a y T h e handlebars n o w
shudder and vibrate as you gun the engine
wit h the twist-grip accelerator. A choice of
three gears (low, mid and top) selected from
t he h a n d l e b a r s let s y o u g e t t h e bes t
perf ormanc e f rom y our bik e i n y our / ac e
against the clock
MINN S AUL I O W - - S M S . S e im Super Hang-On is ev en more ex c it ing
and t hrilling t han t he original. T h e
111
•1••

,
improv ement s t urn a great g a me int o a
• • • • met MP
, brilliant one which is going to gu22,Ie a lot of
E 1
i 1 O NO • your l o p pieces.
t 1
r
1
i
t
n
Darius sel-up screens; choosing your character and the plan el your ship.
,

D A R I U S Tait o 2 0 p per game

The most obvious point about this fast and scrolling landscapes, av oiding the huge rock then get a choice of which type of landscape
furious shoot-em up is the massive 45 wi d e formations hanging from the ceiling or rising you'd lik e t o light in. Des t roy ing c ert ain
monitor t he g a from the floor. 25 different types of airborne enemies reveals a power unit in the form of a
-
you a play ing area three times bigger than aliens at t ac k in f ormat ion f rom f ront a n d small baloon. If you c an collect it y ou gain
the
l e ' snormal coin-op Darius is a one or two. rear: 25 more ground-based enemies add to additional powers, depending on the colour
player
p l a game; y e in two-player mode the action your troubles of t h e b a l i o n , r e d o n e s i n c r e a s e t h e
is
d simultaneous. Monster-like battleships guard each end destructiveness of y our air-t o-air missiles,
o You n control a battleplcme fl ying over a of the section; destroy one of them and you green ones increase t he destructiveness of
v- ariet y of lands c apes , y our a i r - t o - g r o u n d
inc
t ludingh s pac e caves. bombs, b l u e ones giv e
Van
a Allen
t radiat ion belts you t he protection of a
and
g underwater
i bases. At shield
first
v sight e Darius bears a Darius h a s
res
s emblanc e t o t hat old certainly got a gimmick.
arcade classic Scramble: in t h e s h a p e o f t h a t
A
using missiles arid bombs massive screen: but omit
you mu s t we a v e y o u r y ou c a n p l a y a
way left to right across the A crazy lunar indSCape on Darius's eilreiside screen. cracking game.

• • • AC!
r
A
R

Beating
C
A
D
E

Bubble Bobble
The smash hit Taito g a me - now
appearing on micro, courtesy o f
Firebird - has caused a lot o f us
a lot o f problems. Here, from the
fertile brains o f tw o o f th e UK's
to p p r o g r a m m e r s , C h i g l e y &
Bob, a re tips to g e t you going -
if you're a novice - a n d to g e t
you e v e n further - i f you're a
hardened Bubble Bobbler,
Bubble Extras
WATER Bursting this bubble sends a stream of
wat er in t he opposite direction t o t he one
you're facing Th e stream will wash away all
aliens on contact, but look out - it c an also
wash you away Collec t diamonds for 7,000
points
LIGHTNING Burst this and send a lightning
bolt across t he screen in t he opposite
direction to whic h youre facing. Kills all
aliens on contact. Collect diamonds for
7,000 points.
changes screen colours.
Wat c h freezes a l l aliens , b u t t h e t i me r
96
c ont inues a n d y o u d o n o t b e c o m e
You've got unlimit ed time on this screen, so
indestructible there's no excuse f or rus hing it. Push t he
Potion bot t les fi ll a l l av ai l abl e s pac e on light ning bubbles to the right unt il they are
screen w i t h bonus es , m a k i n g a l i e n s abov e the g a p Th e y wi l l t hen fl oat d o wn
disappear. Collect bonuses before timer runs and position themselves next to t wo t apped
out: you get rto x 500. giv ing a mccomum of aliens N o w wait f or a wat er bubble a n d
100.000 burst it, mak i ng sure y ou are f ac ing right.
Red cross changes the bubbles y ou fire into The wat er wi l l was h d o wn t he s mall g a p
fireballs, whic h kill aliens on contact
where the light ning bubbles hav e stopped.
Cy an c ros s fi lls s c reen wi t h
water, killing all aliens. As y ou pass, t he bubbles burst a n d
Yellow c r o s s release t he bolt s of l i ght ni ng
int o t h e a l i e n s S i mp l e ,
causes a large
shaft o f innit?
light ning
to z a p
across 100
Your fi nal s ueen
You' ll fi n d a
huge a l i e n
who is

screen. unaffected
FIRE Bursting this one drops a fl ame d o wn
Kills a l i e n s by ordinary bubble fire.
the screen. On contact with a platform a fire
on contact. Each t ime y ou appear on
breaks out, k illing aliens on contact Collec t
Fruit s g i v e y o u screen y o u mus t c ollec t t he
diamond for 9,000 points dif f erent a m o u n t s o f green potion bottle As the overgrown
points alien bounces around the screen y ou must
LETTERS These spell the word EXTEND. When Purple necklace starts a b a ll bouncing dodge him and his fire. Stay in and around
all letters are collected you get a bonus life. around t he s c reen. k i l l i n g a l l aliens o n the c orner a n d nev er stop fi ring Blas t a
contact.
c olumn of bubbles up the side of the screen
PULSING Bursting this gets you 10,000 points Green lightning potion bottle appears on
and lump into them This releases a sheet of
a n d c hanges t h e b u b b l e s y o u fi re i n t o final screen only. c hanging bubbles you fire
into ligh!nmg bubbles. light ning bolts across t he screen t o hit t he
fireballs for a limited number of shots
alien. I t takes a good 100 hits t o t urn t he
PROBLEMSCREENS creature int o a massive bubble. Burst this
i mme d i a t e l y o r y o u w i l l h a v e s erious
Bobble Bonuses When - or rather if - you get through problems. When the bubble bursts the alien
Candy Sticks :make a large bonus appear to the later stages of the game, dies and you get the fi nal sequence... whic h
when you kill the last alien. then there are certain screens that we won't spo:. by describing.
Pulsing Hearts mak e you indestructible for a will give you a real hard time. Here's
short %me, so that you con run over and kill advice on two of them.
the aliens
Orange sweets increase firing speed
Cyan sweets zicrease weapon speed.
Purple sweets mak e bubble travel further.
ARCADE ACES!
Shoes mak e y o u mo v e faster r o u n d t he
screen. If you're a top gun on any of worth 25 quid to you.
Umbrella warps y o u f o r wa r d a r a n d o m the latest coin-op sensations, Please m a k e t h e t i p s
number of screens
don't you think you should detailed, c lear, a n d - i f
Bauble ring gives you points for mov ing lett
or nght be s har ing y o u r ins ider possible - include diagrams.
Silver ring causes stars to stream down the knowledge with the rest us? The address to write to is:
screen. k:lling aliens on contact,
Purple kettle gives lull fire power. Each month we'll be running
Blue kettle gets extra points. tips on the top machines. If Arcade Tips
Red k et t le ex plodes int o six large pieces.
killing all aliens. yours are chosen as Tip of ACE
Skull kills all aliens. the Month, then y ou w ill Future Publishing
Secret door get you into a secret screen (with
muc h° points). receive y our choice of a 4 Queen Street
Spell book explodes, k illing all aliens. game from our Screen Test Bath
Bomb explodes. killing all aliens
Cloc k resets t imer on c urrent lev el, a n d
section. And that could be BA11EJ
.
,
1 PBM. AVA L O N
SEE I
FREE =wok womb W
a ' M A P i r ' M M M APROr M g r '
-
...matow, m__1•1111mmeAlirin d rat
The chronicles of the 'Knights of the Avalon', is a new W AT
100 player computer moderated Fantasy Play By Mail - M r 23-21SEPTEMBER1981
game fr o m JADE Games. Startup i s FR EE, w i th W m . OLYMPIALONDON
further turns costing 70p, players outside o f the U K '
1.00. The game features, 1000s o f player armies and
fleets contantly involved in conquest, a playing area of = w M N
1,259M00 sq miles w i th o ve r 100,000 locations. A o k SHOW
highly developed class system of squires, knights, lords STAND No.
etc fighting to become emperor. An economic trade 3052
system with 1000+ trade items, merchant and political
banks, stock markets and trade treaties. Religions
based o n a planet wide n e tw o rk o f temples and
FEATURING
monasteries. Players having the choice o f accepting TM

one of the twenty existing gods or creating their own

god and religion. A hierarchy of gods capable of direct
interaction w i th players. Alliances o f trade, religion,
politics and military might. + MUCH MUCH MORE, LITERALLYTHOUSANDS
games limited only by the players imagination. OFBILLIONS OFSCREENS!
For a FREE startup write to:
JADE Games, FREEPOST, Southsea, C A Si OnF TcW eA RnE t Li vT eD
Hants, PO4 OBR. 2 MINERVA HOUSE, CALLEVA PARK, ALDERMASTON,
(no stamp required). BERKSHIRE RG7 4OVII (07356)77288

OR CALL
IAN ELLERY
NEXUS PRODUCTIONS ON: 01-658 5723 *-
are looking for experienced programmers For more
and graphic artists to work on a range of
innovative 1 6 Bit games. details I
NEXUS PRODUCTI ONS LTD
DSB House, 30 The High Street, Beckenham, Kent BR3 lAY
r C OMPETITION

Luc
PURPLE at t he thought of splashing 16-bit colour across y our
screen wit h Atari's Neochrome• or SOUNDING OFT off in disgust
I because y our mic ro c ant handle the MI DI out put f rom y our
f
music keyboard - now's your chance!
y Here's what you've got t o do. O n t he opposite page y oull see
o
three images taken f rom screenshots of At ari software titles running
u the ST Using your skill and judgement just mat c h up the image
on
' h the name of the program you think the shot was taken from.
wit
v For ex ample. if y ou t hink t hat shot number I c omes f rom a
e
screenshot of Neoc hrome, t h e n ent er a I i n t he box oppos it e
b
Neochrome on the entry form provided.
e Once you've identified all three images.. just add your name and

Sirik
e
address in BLOCK CAPITALS and send your entry post haste to the
n
address printed on the form. Closing date for entries is 1Cith October
T All correct entries will be put into a draw, wit h first prize going to
H first entry out of the hat The black-and-white systems will tumble
the
I
into the laps of the second and third entries drawn. Winners will be
R
notified by post and receive their prizes in a splendiferous ceremony
S the ACE offices - or by post if attendance is inconvenient.
at
T So get out that pen.. fi ll in the form. and get it off to us as quickly
I possible Y o u c ould soon be s pending t he money y ou'v e been
as
N
saving for your ST on c hampagne instead
G
t
o
A,C,E's aSTounding pnze • a complete colour Atari ST set-up worth
s
ODOM for the first correct entry out of the hat, while second and
p
thud runners-up each get Atari ST mono systems worth neatly
i
£450,00 apiece.
l
ACE a n d Atari br ing y ou a d r e a m of a
l
c om pe t it ion - to win a
t he m a c h i n e o f y our d r e a m s l
i
e
n
Here's your chance! We've got three b
aSTounding Atari systems to give away three l
ST computers PLUS monitors to whisk you o
o
away into the world of 16-bit software the d
moment they land on your desk! i
n
B

M E PRIZES a
r
b
a
r
FIRST P R I Z E i
a
n
One Atari 520 ST-FM with built-in 0.5 meg disc .
drum kits etc , turning your ST into a powerful music composing and
g
drive plus colour monitor (retail value a editing
o
instrument

staggering #699.980.
This is the system we've all been drooling over. Just in case you're
still in the dark ages here's the tun tech spec of Britain's fastest selling
16--bit entertainment system:
Built-in 0.5 megabyte capacity disc drive. Rapid loading of software
from readily crvailable robust 3.5 diskettes.
512K - enough to swallow the biggest games and applications.
512 colour palette - get up to sixteen colours on-screen at once in
320)(200 resolution.
Built-in RS232C and parallel ports - no problems hooking up printers
and modems.
MIDI port Included as standard - plenty of software available to
help you manipulat e other MIDI instruments - guitars, keyboards.
i
Mouse, ST BASIC, and GEM desktop all inc luded plus two standard
n
Atari joystick ports
g
Colour monitor included! Normally this would set you back £399.99
on its own. Stunning colour display that really does justice to the STs
huge colour palette.
S E C O N D A N D THIRD
PRIZES
Atari ST-FM as above together with hi-resolution blac k and white
monitor - that's nearly V150.00 worth of hardware that could be yours
for the 'mice of a stamp A n d who's complcarung about monochrome
when you can plug the computer into your colour TV anyway? If
they're watching the box, )ust remind them about the £100 license
they had to cough up for to receive the programmes - chances are it's
up for renewal soon, in whic h case they might as well unplug the
aerial for a year and save a bit of money!

1E1ACE
 C OMPETITION

T h r e e S Te p s t o a f r e e S T _

Just work out which shot comes from which of the three programs—Neochrome, Crystal Castles,
or Star Raiders - then enter the shot number opposite the program name on the entry form. Simple!
A H e lping Hand__
You're panicking You can see the chance of a free ST slipping away you're actually drawing, t he map disappears and is replaced by a
from y ou as you check out the screenshots and fi nd you hcrvent the magnifi cation of the area curently being work ed on - a neat bit of
faintest idea whic h is which. Ahhh...poor y ou A n d y ou think were program design that really speeds up precision drawing.
going to help you??! We're practically t hrowing these prizes at you,
and were going to give you HaP??.! CRYSTAL CASTLES., This was a classic At ari coin-op arc ade game.
Oh alright t hen - and just in case (Heav en forbid) we should Friendly, f urry Bentley has to negot iat e a senes of 3-D mult i-lev el
actually hav e to keep these prizes for ourselves. here's some info to mazes Horribly addictive.
help you make up your mind:
STAR RAIDERS, t h e classic space game in whic h
NEOCHROME _This is one of the most popular ST you t ally -ho across t he univ ers e to destroy t he
cal packages, wit h 38 different paint brushes and Zycrords. The big daddy of all space adventures.
spray c ans O n e of its best features is t he 512
colour ma p that stays on screen while you work OK. n o w check out those shots a g a i n and nail
for rapid c olour selection f rom t he palette While yourself a tree SP

S hot n u m b e r 2
Be alert this game obviously needs lade_

Shot n u m b e r 1 Shot n u m b e r 3
O000h...isn't this tricky? Could this Obviously a shot from Revenge of the Killer
be..er..Teddy Bears picnic?
. . . . . . . .
Decdotant...or Is it?

I E n t r y Form Please tick one of the f ollowing boxes before posting

your entry:

Your name: LI I do not own a computer

1 own a
Your address: .
1:1Commcaore 64 or 128 L I Sinclair l J A ms l i a d ó l 2 5
LI Amstrad 464 j Atari ST L I Commodore Amiga
LI IBM PC-compatible A p p l e Macintosh
I think that:
Image number was taken from NEOCHROME. J Other computer (please specify)

Image number was taken from CRYSTAL CASTLES.

Image number was taken from STAR RAIDERS.
RULES
1 The closing date for entries is October 10th 1987 drawn al random f rom amongst those received prior to the closing
2. Employees of Future Publishing Ltd. At ari Corporation, and their date and no correspondence will be entered in to,
families are ineligible for entry. 4. Winners will be notified by past and their names published in the
3. The winners of the competition shall be the first three correct entries December issue of ACE

S e nd this f or m to:
Atari Competition Adv anc ed Computer Entrertcnnment 4 Queen Street BATH BA1 1EJ
r G
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1
A
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GRAPHICS
-
SCENE
H
The h a r d w a r e , t h e s of t wa r e , t h e p e r i p h e r a l s a n d t h e
t e c h n i q u e s f or g r a p h i c s - a ll o n s h o w in A C E' s
r e g u la r C o m p u t e r G r a p h i c s slot.

E
From Spectrum sprite to programs and games) uses the low resolution
320 x 200 mode similar to that used on the
Spielberg movie, you just Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC's.
can't avoid computer The difference comes when y ou realise
that t he ST c an dis play 16 colours f rom a
graphics. That's why we're palette of 512 and the Amiga 32 f rom 4096,
introducing this section of c ompared to the C64's 16 f rom 16 and the
section of ACE, dedicated to CPC's 4 (or 16 in low-res 160 x 200 mode)
from 27 av ailable colours The Amiga, in its
covering all you need to know special 'hold and modif y mode.. can display
about this exciting growth a mind-boggling 4096 colours.
area of computers. Whether The import anc e of c olour in c omput er
graphics stems from the way that the human
you want to design a game on eye and brain work together. I f possible the
your Spectrum or create a TV brain will alway s t ry to mak e sense of an
image sent from the eye. Remember the old
ad with your Amiga and video, Silk Cut adverts? Y o u c ould alway s mak e
this is where you'll find out out the image even when made up of large
about the software, the squares of colour at very low resolution. Th e
brain is fooled into ignoring the lagged edges
techniques and the and inconsistencies. A c omput er i ma g e
peripherals that have put works in a similar way ; it is the subtlety and
range of the colours that is most Important.
computer graphics at the You can produce images on a computer
forefront of computer screen i n t w o m a i n wa y s , o n e r e a l l y
entertainment. We kick off this dev eloped f rom t he ot her. Firs t , wi t h a
programing language such as Basic you can
put a n I mage together us ing s imple point.
line and - if available - more complex shape
and fi ll c ommands , B y c ombining s imple
mcrthematical operations and functions you
c an c r e a t e h i g h l y e l a b o r a t e pic t ures .
especially wit h modern fractal techniques.
Even t h e h u g e l y e x p e n s i v e a n i ma t e d
graphic sequences f rom Califorrua or Japan
are produc ed in this way . (More of these in
later issues.) Th e complexity and degree of
animat ion of the image produced depends
on the type of machine and the power of the
languages it has a v a i l a b l e T h e s e a r e
described in a box elsewhere
Second, y ou c an use a program whic h
makes point, line, shape, fi ll and a host of
ot her d r a w i n g f ac ilit ies a v a i l a b l e o n
c ommand so that the computer o m be used
as a paintbox or drawing bocad The range
of software crvcalable is v ery wide, a n d in
recent months - wi t h the gaming popularity
of t he ST a n d A mi g a - it has s t art ed t o
become extremely sophisticated I t is only
now t hat t he t rue pot ent ial of these 16-bit
machines begins to become apparent.

month with a look at just what

computer graphics is and and
what are the software and
hardware tools you need if you
want to get involved.
Reso lu t io n a n d c o l o u r
The number of dots that can be shown on a
computer screen and the range of colours it
c an d i s p l a y are v i t a l c ons iderat ions i n
c omput er graphics, a n d this is where t he
great d i v i d e b e t we e n 8-bit a n d 16-bit
(ROI Defender of the Crown cn the
machines occurs. But the biggest difference Amiga &1 eh Wariccdor the Anstrad
is not, as y ou might expect, in the greater the sane screen resolution, but what
a difference those extra colours
resolution of the more powerful machines - it make.
is t he number of colours they c an dis play
that sets t hem a p a r t I n tact, most of t he
graphics-onentated software offered so far for
t he A t a r i ST a n d t h e A m i g a ( b o t h a r t
 GRAPHI CS1

Wh i c h sof t w are?
The most nat ural divisions in t he range of
graphics software are between 8-bit and 16
,bit machines cmd between applications that
are abject orientated and those that are bit
mapped. (See the Graphics Jargon b o x for
an explaricrtion of the difference.)
The best bit-mapped Paintbox program
Roinbirds Adv anc ed Art Studio, is av ailable
almost universally ( O n l y on the Amiga is it
not implement ed - yet!) O n the Spectrum it
is excellent - the most powerf ul and easiest
to use piece of graphics software ever written
for t hat mac hine, put t ing Leonardo a n d
A MX Art out in the cold E v e n on the ce)4
and t h e A ms t r a d CFCs wh e r e t h e
competition is harder it still comes out top.
though Artist CA o n the C64 and A MX Art
on t he CPCs come close. ( A M X Art suffers
on all machines by not hav ing a full screen-
drawing area). Th e Image System deserves
a n h o n o u r a b l e me n t i o n f o r it s u n i q u e
facilities. especially on the CM. 'Acme) Deluxe Paint I, on the Amiga a
On the At ari ST the competition is even piece of Botticelli magnified for some
detail work, and also actual sire on
stronger; A d v a n c e d Art Studio i s pus hed left of screen. :Leh) An Decior Dr the
into second plac e by Art Director, whic h is ST an impressive tiger drawn with
this powerful package, but newt to an
by far the most powerf ul graphics package Amiga screen the ST's limitations do
for the ST - but twice the price! Degas Elite show.
is also a very good package - but at around
cA50 00 it should be - and though it has been
left behind by events Neoc hrome s t ill has
its attractons.
For t he A mi g a t here is n o doubt t hat
Delux e Paint 2 r u l e s t he lines - a n d i n
perspective toO I n f ac t its hard to think to
think of any graphics prc gram on any sub
El 0,000 mac hine so far t hat c an compare.
The pric e is pret t y Delux e t oo t hough -
around E l 30. Aegis I mages a n d Delux e
Paint 1 are about equal in power, though the
:atter is the easier to use.

Beyo n d painting
Paintbox programs lik e these are not t he
only packages to use bit -mapped graphics.
The s peed a n d power of t he ST a n d t he
A mi g a a l l o w images p r o d u c e d us ing a
paint box t o be mov ed about t he screen,
distorted and scaled in real time to produce
animations. F i l m Director o n the ST a n d
Deluxe Video o n the A mi g a both prov ide
easy to use and powerf ul environments for
t he p r o d u c t i o n o f animat ions , A e g i s
Animat or (av ailable on both machines) is
also bit -mapped but ilq.Ps object-onentcited
a n i ma t i o n a s w e l l t o p r o d u c e s mo o t h
t rans f ormat ions a n d l w e e n i n g • ( s e e
Graphics Jargon box again).
For many micro users the most f amiliar
applic at ion t hat uses an objec t -orient at ed
approach is CAD (Computer Aided Design).
Almost every mac hine ever built has some
sort of CAD program and some of thorn work
pretty well. G e n e r a l l y s peak ing, 2D CAD
pac k ages t e n d t o b e r a t h e r d r y a n d
unexciting (though very wort hy arid useful),
well concentrate on 3D programs which are
Starglider on the Amstrad almost alone
among games, vector graphics more i n t e r e s t i n g a n d , a n t h e 1 6 - b i t
programs like this are object mac hines , h a v e f ant as t ic p o t e n t i a l f or
orientated rather than bit-mapped. animation.
One o f t h e fi rs t p a c k a g e s f o r t h e
Spec t rum w a s V u - 3 D, a 3 D d r a w i n g
program I t work ed well t hen a n d is still
worth buy ing even today if you see it in the
 CIOUSLE
LETTER
ECORE

A-E
1-2
C•2

f•E
6-3 P - 2
H-2 0 - r
1•E

SEAILIr-7
- -

TIMELY IOUS 191.4

IT'S ONTHE TILE

Leisure Genius presents this classic word game elegantly translated to
computer. SCRABBLE
De-luxe
' is version is available for Commodore 64/128. Spectrum 128 and Amstrad
CPC 6128_
a v a i l a b l e
Computer
f o r SCRABBLE
vocabulary.
4
m f a oi t h fsTheu l computer
l ty provides you with intelligent computer *opponents: a
clock and 8 skill levels.
fh o lo l o mw s
te h e
Commodore 64/128 cass E E12,95 Spectrum 128 cassprE El 0,95 A m s t r a d CPC 6128
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c oo ma
disc E El 5.95 d
u t e discr 0E15.95 d i s c only DE15.95
Name g
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Please make cheques or postal orders payable to Virgin Games Ltd and send to 2/4 Vernon Yard,
Portobello Road, London Wil 2DX. ( P l e a os e do not post cash)
n
Leisure 1

SCRABBLE Tra d e M a rk and Copyright licensed by J.W. d

w Spear and Sons PtC. Leisure Ge n iu s' is a registered trademark
of Winchester Holdings Ltd. a w h o lly owned su b sid ia ry o f Virg in Games Ltd_ e n i u s
h
a
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se

budget bin N o t to be f ound in any bin is
Glentop's Graphics Drawing Board. This is an
excellent a n d easy-to-master 3D d r a wi n g
pac k age f or t h e C64 t h a t is e x t r e me l y
powerful. us ing loons to provitie a series of
predefi ned shapes that c an be distorted and
nccembled into a 3D perspective image.
Equally wort hwhile, t hough slightly less
flexible. is AMX's mouse-operated Zicon f o r
the CPC machines. A s usual f rom A MX it
has a graphic ally pleasing workbench. Less
accurate as a CAD 'tool but even more fun
t han ZICOn i s Amors Model Universe - also
for t h e CPCs - wh i c h animat es y our 3D
c reat ion a n d allows y ou t o l a k e a wa l k
around it'. A s wit h the other 3D packages
GRAPHICS JARGON
Bit-mapped vs. Object-orientated
Almost all of the many graphics programs
available today fall into one of these two
categories, according to the way they store
and manipulate picture information.
Paintbox or 'Art' programs are bit-
mapped, and deal with your picture in the
same way it actually appears on screen—
as a pattern of coloured dots. When you
add lines, circles etc. to a picture the
program thinks of them as dot-patterns
rather than pieces of geometry. Using the
*zoom' option o n a bit-mapped package
WHICH MACHINE?
Of t he more popular mac hines the Sinclair
Spec t rum is t he leas t we l l - e q u i p p e d f or
sophisticated graphics. It has a single rather
low resolution (256 x 192) and can manage
only 16 colours, t hough all these can b e on-
screen at once. The display is limited mainly
by t he attributes problem (also suffered to a
lesser degree on t he C64). I n eac h 8 x 8
pixel character soructre only one foreground
arid one bac k ground c olour c an be used.
Spec t rums o r i g i n a l B a s i c w a s p r e t t y
rudiment ary , t hough it has a good c irc le
c ommand and has been improv ed over the
years
The original Basic on the C64 was all but
useless f or graphic s , h a v i n g har dl y a n y
relevant commands. This has been rectified
by a r a n g e o f m o r e s o p h i s t i c a t e d
implementations b y t hird part y producers.
The C64 display is reasonable at 320 x 200 in
a v ariet y of c olour c ombinat ions but is
dogged b y v arious at t ribut es limit at ions .
This is c ount erbalanc ed b y its h a v i n g 8
hardware sprites.
There are no hardware sprites on t he
Amstrad CPC's - but no at t ribut e problem
eit her I t h a s t h r e e r e s o l u t i o n / c o l o u r
combinations, Mode 0 wit h 16 colours at 160
x 200. mode I hav ing 4 at 320 x 200, a n d
mode 2 wit h 2 at 640 x 200. all these chosen
from a 27 colour palette A ms t r a d Basic is
ex c ellent a p a r t f r o m t h e l a c k of a fi l l
me n t i o n e d a b o v e , y o u r c r e a t i o n i s a
transparent ' wire frame'. I t takes a great
deal of processing t ime to prov ide 'hidden
line r emov al o r c oloured surfaces, a n d
especially for a real-time animat ed drawing
the 'redraw t ime (see Jargon b o x ) on 8-bit
machines can be rather long.
Redraw t ime is muc h less of a problem
wit h 16-bit mac hines and t wo v ery recent
packages for the ST and Amiga respectively
s how t h e w a y f or s o me v e r y e x c i t i n g
developments in animat ion C y b e r Studio
for the ST allows you to create complex solid
3D objects whic h c an be lit f rom s ev eral
direc t ions ( wi t h f ull s hading) a n d t h e n
animat ed in front of a bac k ground picture
doesn't show you more detail—it just shows
you the individual dots of the picture more
clearly.
CAD or 'Drawing Board' programs are
oblect-orientated Your drawing still appears
on-screen as a pattern of dots, but the
program treats it as a collection of individual
elements — lines, circles and other shapes.
The dot-pattern y ou s ee is jus t the
programs best approximation of the actual
picture, and zooming in will show you more
detail. This approach not only saves on
storage space but also allows kinds of
c ommand on t he 464 a n d there are n o w
numerous other languages implement ed -
including C
1 6 - bit s e d u c t i o n
C has certainly become the most fashionable
l a n g u a g e t o u s e o n t h e n e we r 1 6 - b i t
machines lik e the At ari ST, a n d t here are
several versions av ailable. Nev ert heles s .
Basic also has a high profile wit h Fast Basic
and G M Basic, bot h of whic h are very fast
and support the GEM graphic env ironment
that is bundled wit h the mac hine. T h e ST
has t hree res olut ions , 320x 230 wi t h 16
c olours ( c h o s e n f r o m 5 1 2 ) , 6 4 0 x 2 0 0
dis play ing 4 colours, a n d a monoc hrome
high resolution of 640 x 400. T h e biggest
problem wit h t he dis play is t hat high res
requires a s pec ial mo n i t o r wh i c h giv es
excellent clarity but cannot be used at any
other resolution - 2 monitors for one mac hine
The A m i g a a l s o h a s p r o b l e ms i n
displaying high resolution images but it gets
round it wi t h a dif f erent b u t almos t as
annoy ing solution - interlacing. 4 resolutions
are prov ided on t he Amiga: t wo normal
ones. 320 x 200 m 32 colours, 640 x 200 in 16
colours: and t wo interlaced ones. 320 x 400
wit h 32 a n d MO x 400 wit h 16 colours, all
chosen from 4906.
Interlacing provides the extra colours by
mak ing t wo scans of the screen so that the
Aa
1
GR A PH IC S
1
created in Degas. Art Director or the like.
Similar in concept is Videoscape 3D b y
Aegis f or t he Amiga. B u t wh e r e Cy b e r
Studio stops, Ifideoscorpe t ak es off, using
high resolution wit h 16 colours, overscan to
e l i mi n a t e t h e border, a f r a c t a l s c ene-
generator t o build realistic landscapes and
4096 colour hold-and-modify screens for very
complex scenes that are to be recorded to
v ideot ape. O v e r a l l i t s a n as t onis hing
pac k age t hat almos t riv als ma i n f r a me
systems a n d points t he wa y f or what we
hav e i n s t o r e f r o m f u t u r e a n i ma t i o n
packages. Well be looking at the program in
depth, a n d the techniques it uses, i n future
issues of ACE.
manipulation bit-mapped programs can't
manage. especially if you're working in 3D.
Redraw Time
The time taken for the new position of an
'object' to be calculated before it can be
drawn on the screen.
Tweening
An animation term, short for Inbetweening'—
automatically fi lling in the 'in between'
stages of a transformation from one shape
to the next,
refresh rat e of eac h pix el is about 25 per
second instead of 50 This results in a distinct
and annoy ing fl icker whi c h c an only be
removed wit h an expensive high persistence
monitor 'There's also the stunning (but rather
I mprac t ic al) ' h o l d a n d mo d i f y ' m o d e
mentioned earlier, whic h gives 320 x 200 in
4096 c olours - but wi t h some v ery nas t y
restrictions.
The A mi g a has a WI MP env ironment ,
a n d a mo u s e a s s t andard. I t h a s a
reasonable Basic arid many other languages
are available. T h e greatest adv ant ages of
the mac hine are the Blittei chip, whic h can
move and combine bit-mapped images with
incredible speed, arid the Copper chip which
allows mix ing of several different resolutions
and pallettes on the same screen.
Despite t he limit at ions of t he c heaper
machines there's still a lot y ou c an do in the
way of graphics: you only hav e to look one
of t he better Spec t rum games t o see t hat
while it ma y be c heap a n d get t ing on i n
years.. it is no mean performer. The s ame
applies als o t o A ms t r a d CPCs a n d t h e
Commodore 64, they too will let you produce
wotrthwhile graphic output.
But wh e n it c omes t o v ide(' link -ups ,
animat ion and the really sophisticated stuff
it's c lear t hat bot h ST a n d A mi g a are the
mac hines t o get in t o - if y ou c an afford
them
G
R
GRAPHICSEXTRAS
A
P
H
I
C
S
The deeper you get in to
computer graphics the more
mouth-watering add-ons you'll
be tempted to buy. So we've
taken a tour of the graphics
extras that could be on your
shopping list to give an idea of
what's available, what it can
do - and what the damage
might be to your wallet.
Light Pens
As art add-ons go. t he lightpen looks pretty
straightforward to use: y ou lust hold it u p
against t he screen, press the button and -
software permitting - you can draw onto the
screen as if was a piece of paper.
In p r a c t i c e , t h e y d o h a v e t h e i r
dis adv ant ages . Fo r a s t art , t h i r d p a r t y
support for t hem is l o w - that is. v ery f ew
software companies write art packages you
can use with lightpens.
Another t hing t o bear in mi n d Is the
position of y our TV/ monit or screen. Unless
y ou f anc y t ipping y our t elly on its back..
y ou' ll h a v e t o d r a w a g a i n s t a v e r t i c a l
surface. This can cramp your drawing style -
and your wnst - quite badly
There are ot her lit t le drawbac k s
too. Lighrpens work b y detecting t he
Light given off by a particular part of the
screen I f you're trying to point to a dark
area - wh i l e d r a wi n g i n whit e on a
black background, for ex ample - there
ma y not b e e n o u g h l i g h t f r o m t he
screen for the pen to function.
In a relat ed problem, y o u ma y
fi nd t he cursor tends t o get 's uc k ed'
towards light areas of the screen. Add
to this the fact that the pen is probably
bloc k ing y o u r v i e w o f t h e c urs or
any way , a n d you've got s omet hing of
an accuracy problem You can pick up
a l i g h t p e n p l u s s of t ware f or 8-bit
machines for as title as £20,
Graphics Tablets
you wont the sticaghtforwardness of a
Adigitised011ie, loaded in to Art Director running on the ST. 011ie's nose was recorder or c amera - are used as t hey
light pen wit hout t h e mo r e obv ious
drawbac k s , a graphic s t ablet mi g h t
well appeal to you Rat her than drawing on
the s c reen y ou mov e a stylus across t he
surface of the tablet. This in t urn mov es a
cursor on screen, whic h ac t ually does t he
drawing.
On a good graphics tablet you c an lay
a drawing over the pad, trace round it wit h
the stylus a n d so c opy it ont o t he screen.
More expensive pads are pressure-sensitive,
and don't need a special stylus. Wit h one of
these y o u c a n , i n t heory , d r a w q u i t e
normally a n d y e t h a v e a c opy of y our
drawing on screen at the end of the session.
Tablets c an cost any where bet wen £150.00
and E600.00: obviously, at the upper end of
the pric e range. y ou' re p a y i n g f or v ery
accurate and sophisticated gear.
M ic e
Now almost obligat ory for computer artists.
mice are amaz ingly useful drawing tools
They're also the main hardware requirement
for those oh-so•fashionable pulldown menu
art pac k ages S T a n d A mi g a users are
already equipped wit h mice of course, but
the d o mi n a n c e of pult down programs like
Art St udio on t h e 8-bit mic ros means a
c ont inuing d e ma n d f or t he lit t le plas t ic
beasts as add-ons.
Mic e t hems elv es are c h e a p - t heir
increasing popularity over the last few years
led to mass production in the Far East - but
you c an't lust b u y one a n d use it. There's
nowhere to plug a mouse in on a Spectrum.
Co4 or CPC so you'll need on interface. Mice
magnat es A d v a n c e d Me mo r y Sy s t ems
(c onf us ingly s h o r t e n e d t o A M X ) a n d
Kempston Dat a bot h sell mous e/ int erf ac e
packages for the 8-bit mac hines Mi c e can
be as c heap as £40 00 or as expensive as
i200•00.
Digitisers & Scanners
Digitisers a n d scanners allow y ou to feed
video. TV a n d paper images int o a n art
thenaddeduising the software
package allowing y ou to create animat ed
sequences a n d produc e images of almos t
photographic quality.
A digitiser takes the signal from a video
c amera or recorder a n d converts it int o a
picture on your computer screen. Point your
c amera al people, oblects or views and cm
instant portrcrit, still life or lcmcIscape is fed
into y our computer. Sav e t he image as a
screen file, load it into a good cut pac k age
and you're away. Combining and modifying
digit is ed i ma g e s i n dif f erent wa y s c a n
produce some very striking outwork indeed
A s c anner is rat her more specialised
t han a digit is er i t c onv ert s fl at images -
drawings , phot ographs and t he like - int o
computer screens. A digitiser. c amera and
rostrum c ould achieve t he same thing, but
scanners tend to be cheaper
ART APPEAL
We want your input - right here on these
pages. If you're involved in computer graphics
then send the fruits of your labours in and
we'll try to hang them in the best possible
tight. We want you pictures and designs: but
we'd also like your notes on how you did
them, what software and hardware you used
and any tips you c an giv e on graphic s
techniques t o ACE readers N o t e t hat
although we'll try we can't always guarantee
to return work sent to us Send your work -
preferably on disk - to
Graphics Scene
ACE
4QueenStreet
BathBA1 1Esi
01 course, there is a drop in quality from
t he o r i g i n a l t o t he s c anned or digit is ed
image. O n t he Spectrum such images are
necessarily monochrome.. and on most of the
graphic ally more powerf ul mac hines t he
best y ou' ll get is grey scale - a series of
shades bridging the gap bet ween blac k
and white, t o try and t ak e some of t he
graininess' out of t he pic t ure Cl e v e r
pallette changes can giv e the illusion of
c olour h e r e , b u t y o u r e a l l y n e e d
machines of the Amigct's c alibre t o get
proper colour digitising
Scanners c an c ome as c heap as £80.
but once y ou start t hink ing about v ideo
c ameras y ou' re u p i n t o t he s ev eral
hundred quid bracket
Ge nloc k
A: t he limit of graphic s h a r d wa r e f or
home computers, Genlock for the Amiga
allows y ou t o mi x t he v ideo out put Of
your c omput er wit h images f rom other
sources • This is n't t he s ame t h i n g as
digit is ing at all: t he images c oming in
f rom outside - whet her f rom TV, v ideo
are, me a n i n g t hat t here's n o loss of
qualit y at a l l Th e y s imply replac e the
bac k ground t he A mi g a wo u l d n o r ma l l y
have to its pictures, allowing y ou to subtitle
y our v ideos f or t he h a r d of hearing, f o r
example, or run animat ed sequences over
The Nine O'Clock News, if t he f anc y takes
you
Whether we l l ever see Genlock for the
8-bit mac hines remains doubt f ul, b u t i t
wasn't so long ago that y ou c ould say the
s ame about digitisers. ST owners s hould
definitely wat c h this space - you could well
be seeing Genlock this side of Christmas, so
start drafting your letters to Santa nowl
 -

THE ASTONISHING
ADVENTURES o F a o
MR E p ND T H E
MS
SHE A l '

Mr W e i Alb, 2 faill U k 1 L á i , ild.S f o r ( Spectrum cassette E7.95.

way intolhe •ansion of the She Vampires
Armed with ? id-fire garlic gun and smart- 3
pill, he mus, a z e his way through six lethal levels
,A,
of the Mansion. Sharp-fanged bats, dim-witted,
Frankenstein monsters, and thirsty She
Vampires stand in his way. Weems has just one
small problem. Staying alive!
Commodore/Amstrad cassette .E13.95.
Amstrad/Commodore disc .E13.95.
a
From all good stockists or, in case of difficulty:
Helen Holland, Piranha, 4 Little Essex Street,
London WC2R 3 LE Tel: 01-836 6633.
r M
U
S I
C

TUNE Introducing our sec-

tion on computers
and music-making,
for beginners and
pros alike. Forget
your inhibitions,
ignore the neigh-
ii bours, and use your
hardware to drive
some really BAD
sounds...

111011 Home keyboards, synthesisers, digit al gui-

tars. d r u m kits. there's no limit to what y ou
can plug into the back of your computer via

IMO a MI DI int erf ac e Ho w d o y ou d o it? Ho w

much (or rather how Little) does it cost? And

Ida what son of kit should you be looking for? If

!MU
mon you've ever asked yourself these questions.
then this column is for you.
Most readers will be familiar wit h programs
11113121
lorm like Rainbird's Adv anc ed Music System or
similar utilities. These programs allow you to
inin manipulat e the sound chip of your computer

11 to p r o d u c e dif f erent n o t e s a n d t ones .

Roanbilas program als o inc ludes a mus ic
IMIIIM scoring and editing facility.
HMI Lets f ac e it . howev er, t h e sounds
MIN that y our c omput er c a n dis h u p
Mom aren't a l wa y s t hat exciting. Th e
mom Commodore 6 4 i s probably t h e
noconc• best available - unless you're lucky
enough t o hav e an A mi g a • but
machines like the Amstrad or (even
worse) the Spectrum lust don't score
highly o n t he mus ic al scale. Ev en
the At ari Si's sound chip is a bit of a
squeaker
What's more, a l l home computers limit
you to three (or at the most four) chan-
nels a n d - of course - their keyboards
don't exactly lend themselves to highly
strung musical performance, or per-
formance of any kind come to that.
All these machines, however, can
HIGHLY STRUNG be int erlac ed wi t h c heap a n d
casicis new 500 and 510 MIDI gui- readily av ailable portable key-
tars give you the opgolunity to boards, g u i t a r s . d r u m
store and edit your strumming at machines, a n d synthesisers to
the computer keyboard. Not Only
that, but you can use them to drive produce s ome quit e astonish-
akeyboard or other MIDI compatible ing mus ic al systems I t s these
instrument. Featuring octave
switching and 96 programme systems, a n d h o w t o choose
changes, these two will set you and us e t hem, t hat we l l b e
back E499 00 each iinc VAT). it the
price scares you off, check Out our concentrating on over the next
review of the cheaper DG20 MIDI few months.
digital guitar on page 40. But let's get one thing clear right
away. You do not hav e to pos-
sess mus ic al cicills Y o u d o not
need perf ec t pit c h. Y o u d o not
need t o k n o w t h e dif f erenc e

••i• 45"

bet ween a Fender a n d a Stradivanus. A l l
you need is the urge to make yourself heard
- even if its just you listening.
The f a c t 15 t h a t m a n y o f t o d a y ' s
instruments are superbly suited to cortermg
for mus ic al beginners B u t t hey also offer
suffi cient p o we r a n d c harac t er t o b e of
interest t o more, ex perienc ed play ers I f
you've had a musical upbringing and want
to expand your horizons. you'll be amazed at
just how muc h y ou c an ac hiev e using new
technology • and how easy it is to do
Inc om pr e he ns ible M ID I
A l l t his is ma d e pos s ible b y MI DI - t he
industry standard Musical Instrument Digital
Interface You'v e almost certcunly heard and
read about it, but an too often journalists
pres ent MI DI i n a n i n c o mp r e h e n s i b l e
fashion. I n part ic ular it c an be particularly
galling, once you've spent a couple of years
mas t ering computerese, t o c ome across a
c o l u mn i n a c o mp u t e r ma g a z i n e t h a t
assumes y ou'v e mastered mus ic al jargon.
You wo n t hav e that problem here - one of
the main aims of this section will be to make
t ec hno-mus ic j a r g o n c omprehens ible t o
ev ery one Th e k ey -word here is f un n o t
elitism. so if y ou hav en't t he faintest idea
how t o p u n c h a pas s age i n t o y o u r
sequencer, fear not - all will be made clear
Fun F a c t o r
Many of us at A C E we r e musical nov:ces
MU
S
IC
when we began looking at the MIDI scene,
a
arid we've been staggered at how enjoyable
l
(and af f ordable) some of t he new systems
can be. You a m plug your MIDI guitca into a
keyboard and literally 'strum' t he keys: y ou
c an set u p y our mi c r o as a mult i-t rac k
rec ording s t udio: y o u c a n ev en squeeze
sound f rom a digit al ac c ordion What ev er
your musical background,. MIDI c an open up
a wh o l e n e w lands c ape of int eres t a n d
enjoyment - and it needn't cost you an arm
and a Leg either, Stick around, a n d soon
you'll hav e t he neighbours c alling out for
encores.

MIDI MADE
SIMPLE
Attaching a M u s i c a l
Instrument Digital Interface to
your computer opens up a
world of possibility. Start here
with the first of a series of
articles in which we take the
muddle out of MIDI and show
you how to hand over musical
control to your micro.
Home computer users are justifiably sceptical
wh e n i t c omes t o ' indus t ry s t andards '
Alt hough t he business world struggles on
wit h a pretence of c ompat ibillt y us ing MS-
DOS. CP / M a n a t he like h o m e c omput er
owners h a v e alway s been strictly confi ned
to software writ t en for t heir own mac hine
Communic at ion bet ween micros is fraught
wit h difficulty and frustration. MSX - the only
serious a t t e mp t a t s t a n d a r d i s a t i o n -
foundered in a cess-pool of high prices and
poor software
The a m a z i n g t h i n g a b o u t M I D I ,
however. is that the powers-that•be actually
seem t o h a v e got it right Th e r e ma y be
areas of inc ompat ibilit y bet ween different
MIDI systems, but as a general rule they are
positively miniscule compared to the sort of
problems y o u m i g h t e n c o u n t e r i n
mic ro-t o-mic ro c ommunic at ion Th e first,
and best thing about MIDI is that it actually
works. I t s a s y s t e m y o u c a n h a v e
c onfi denc e i n - not jus t anot her mes s y
standard where you hav e to spend all your
time learning about what wont work, rather
than what does
In t h e b e g i n n i n g
MIDI dev elopment wa s ins t igat ed b y a
synthesiser c o mp a n y c a l l e d Sequent ial
Circuits (makers of the famous Prophet range Wh a t t h e y c a m e u p w i t h w a s a
of s y nt hs ) i n 1981 T h e ris e o f d i g i t a l specification for a simple senal interlace - a
instruments. as opposed to the old analogue means o f h i g h - s p e e d c o mmu n i c a t i o n
mac hines , h a d g i v e n b i r t h t o s erious between Instruments in whic h information IS
interlacing problems Complex digital signals sent one bit after anot her d o wn one line
were n o w necessary to c ont rol t he s ound rather t han in parallel (where eight or more
generators, as opposed t o s imple v olt age bits cue sent simultaneously down a number
lev els t h a t h a d b e e n u s e d prev ious ly . of different lines)
Sequential proposed a Universal Synthesiser The main adv ant age of this is that y ou
Interface that, wit h support f rom the rest of need o n l y a s i mp l e l e a d w i t h e a s i l y
the industry, developed into MIDI av ailable 5-pin DI N plugs at bot h ends.
The MI DI spec hasn't c hanged (apart We're not t alk ing about unwieldy ribbon
from one or t wo minor tweaks) since 1982 cables a n d 32-pin d i a p h r a g o n a l 2-plugs
and that's another reason why the standard av ailable only by mail order f rom the USA.
is so well implement ed Wh e n y ou think of Elec t ric al c onnec t ions us ing MI DI are a
the number of revisions that. f or example.. docidle that anyone can understand
MS-DOS or CP/ M hav e been through, y ou Data is transmitted d o wn this line at a
can see how MIDI's unc hanging structure is rate of 3) 25kBcrud (or 31250 bits of info per
not o n l y a t ribut e t o t he original people second). Each byte, or combination of bytes.
involved, but also contributes t owards t he that is transmitted conveys a particular item
system's suooess and ease of use of musical information f o r example. a NOTE
M
tderlie
4
-4-'•'1
4•%#
,
1 )14
N ot e we ll...
Activision's Music Studio for ST. Amiga, a4'1213 , and PC compatibles is typical ol a growing band of music packages that
not only allow you to program your computer's sound chip. but give you MIDI facilities as well, The screen on the left allows
you to com_pose and edit SC049S, while the screen on the right gives you basic control rat MIDI data transmission to your
keyboard. The ST version allows you to place notes on the stave from the keyboard as well as with the mouse. At around
twenty pounds, the package is ericellent value, but if you're serious about MIDI you'd probably do better to pay a bit over the
odds for a more comprehensive package, Check Out our MIDI software reviews In torthcoming issues.
1r u SIC
ON byte followed by the number of tne note
to be play ed Th e enormous speed of t ne
dat a t r a n s f e r m e a n s t h a t a l t h o u g h
information is Ircalsrmtted serially i t can be
used t o c ont rol a n u mb e r o r c ht lerent
instruments simultaneously'
MIDI C ha nne ls
Communic at ion wit h different instruments
'simultcmeousty is made possible by MIDIS
abilit y t o send dat a down sixteen different
c hannels H o w c a n w e operat e s ix t een
c hannels wh e n t here' s o n l y o n e l e a d ?
Simple, a l l w e d o is ens ure t hat e a c h
mes s age i s H u g g e d ' - I e m a d e t o
incorporate a part ic ular ID number in t he
range zero to fifteen - and in this way it can
be rec ognis ed Os belonging t o one of t he
sixteen channels, rather confusingly referred
to as one to sixteen The value of this is that
MIDI-controlled instruments can us ually be
programmed to respond only to information
t agged wit h a pc at ioilar c hannel number.
so y ou c an s end s imult aneous ' messages
c arry ing d i f f e r e n t d a t a t o dif f erent
instruments Enter the one-man band!
MIDI d a t a
Al this stage. I n c ider t o really understand
the system, w e need to look a lit t le more
closely at t he sort of dat a MI DI transmits
flrict it very comprehensive. giving you
the abilit y t o c ommunic at e almos t ev ery
aspect of mus ic al perf ormanc e i nc l udi ng
not e inf ormat ion p i t c h wh e e l pres s ure
tempo, a n d so on A l l this 15 communicated
by a combination 31 status' bytes and dat a'
bytes.
Status bytes indic at e whic h part ic ular
function is involved a n d data bytes provide
any a d d i t i o n a l inf ormat ion t hat ma y b e
required. For example, pressing clown on the
middle C key of y our keyboard would send
a status by t e tor NOTE ON. f ollowed by a
dat a byte specnymg middle C Status bytes
are distinguished by hav ing then seventh bit
set. so by wielding our immens e powers of
binary computation. we c an see that status
bytes belong in the ex alt ed range128-255
whereas dat a bytes c ringe at t he bot t om
end of t he scaie, in the range 0-127. It you
find t his c onf us ing c hec k y our c omput er
ma n u a l f o r a n e x p l a n a t i o n o f b i n a r y
numbers a n d remember that t he bits in a
byte cue numbered f rom right to left. 0 - 7,
and not left to right, 1 - 8!
System m e s s a ge s
Howev er ma n y i n s t
connec t ed up t hat y ou
r
wis
u m e n t cs o mmu n i c a t e
h t o
wit
y ho indiv
are
g g o
o
u ' idually
i n g t
v e , t here
to b e s ome
1 another status by t e - it's a
categories of information
t hat w i l l a p p l y 0 system mes s age by t e a n d
univ ers ally F o r Function
example, a 'song pointer
t hat t e l l s e v e r y o n e
0 ex c it ement . i mme d i a t e l y
wh e r e t h e y a r e i n a
pcuticular piece of music
1
This half of the byte specifies
the MIDI function involved - in
or a clock pulse to keep
everybody in sync This 0 this case NOTE ON
t y pe o f i n f o i s s t i l l Fig. I MIDI status byte formal Data bytes have bit 7 set to O.
0
conveyed by status bytes but we don't need
to t ag t h e m wi t h a c hannel n u mb e r ' so
people t end to retei t o status bytes as being
sub-dencted int o t wo categories S Y S I E M
mformation and CHANNEL information
N e x t month...
In the October issue of A C E we
- check out MIDI interfaces - whic h one
should you get for your machine')
- c ont inue our ex plorat ion of MI DI b y
taking the mystery out of channel moc
,d ata formats, and patch boxes,
- c arry on t he Ca mp a i g n Agains t The
Jargonoptules by subjecting sequencers,
ex panders , a n d t hru-box es t o fi erc e
int errogat ion, t hereby f orc ing t hem to
reveal their true identities' and
- make music'
Getting bac k t o the e•,....mbers game. a
status by t e c arry ing c hannel inf ormat ion
adopts the formal shown in Figure 1.
A status by t e c arry ing system inf ormat ion
doesn't need to dedicate its least significant
nybble (a ny bble is four buts - halt a byte) -
l e b i t s 0 t o 3 - t o c onv ey i ng c h a n n e l
inf ormat ion T o a v o i d c onf us ion, s y s t em
bytes have then most significant ny bble is set
to 1111, whic h puts them in the range 240 -
255 A s soon as y our s y nt h spots t hat i t
knows its receiving system information and
therefore should not treat the least significant
nybble as a channel number
Most system bytes - for example STOP or
CONTINUE - occur singly wit hout the need
for any dat a bytes to follow them. There are
howev er t hree exceptions, wh i c h are t he
SONG POSITION POINTER whic h is followed
by t he s urpris e s o n g position, t he SONG
SELECT message whic h not unnat urally is
f ollowed b y t he n u mb e r of t he s ong we
should all select, a n d fi nally t he SYSTEM
EXCLUSIVE message
Sysex m a n i a
System e x c l u s i v e . o r SYSEX a s t h e
rargonophiles call it, is an excellent ex ample
of MIDI flexibility. It's also a nice little phrase
to throw around at MIDI dinner parties. Cr5
'Would you like to see my SYSEX patches for
the Wat anabe CSD Liquidator Lap-Held? or
Dont call me SYSEX me on channel 01 ' Like
most jargon terms. it's dept es ingly easy t o
understand and really has no snob value at
all
However comprehensive MIDI is, t here
Channel
We're on channel one - only
instruments programmed to
receive it will respond
AES
are bound t o be c ert ain features of y our
instrument that are manufacturer-exclusive
Take f o r e x a mp l e t n e ac t ual process of
defi ning and produc ing a sound Y a ma h a
have the hots for FM syntriests, Roland are
launc hing i n t o L A o t h e r s b r a n d i s h
PCM w e ' l l c hec k out t hes e t erms nex t
month, b y the wa y a n d never shall synth
speak u n t o s y nt h i n its o wn v oic e MI DI
therefore includes a way of sending brand-
specific information to y o u r synth that will
enable it t o pef orm c ert ain idios y nc rat ic
functions that would send synths from other
manufacturers into fits I n other words, t he
information that makes a Yamaha sound like
a Yamaha a n d n o t l i k e a
Roland I nf ormat ion that really matter
The w a y i t wo r k s i s t h i s - e a c h
manuf ac t urer of MI DI equipment is giv en
t heir o w n s pec ifi c MI DI i d e n t i fi c a t i o n
number Sequent ial Circuits, perhaps not
surprisingly, is number 01 Y a ma h a happens
to be numbet 75 Wh e n y ou want t o send
some specific information down the line to a
certain manufacturer's synth, y ou send first
t he s t at us b y t e f or SYSTEM EXCLUSI VE
(11110000, or 240) followed by a dat a by t e
(102
contain t he ID number of the manufacturer
11
concerned
r)?) Y o u c an then follow this second
i
byte wit h any number of data bytes and its
up
n t o the manufacturers to mak e sure t hat
then
w MI DI instruments c an mak e sense of
h
what follows As soon as the synth receives a
data
i byte whic h has the format 1 ?
a
)c one in bit seven, it s k i k now that this is a
?
nhe?wY snt at uesi by t e a n d e t h a .t t h e Sy s ex
message
t has fi nished
SYSTEM
-h T h eEXCLUSIVE data, therefore, is that it
oe n be
must l iny the range 0-127. as must all MIDI
lq i motherwise
data i t a tthei synth will think its a new
ou n byte
status
oe n
s
Mor e buzzwords
t
Asi well as system exclusive, y ou may hear
people
o t a l k i n g a b o u t CO MMO N s y s t em
messages
n and REAL-TIME system messages
COMMON s imply indic at es messages t hat
m
are int ended tor all units connected to the
a
MDI
r network. REAL-TIME is slightly different
-kmessages belonging to this category are of
the
s one-byte-only variety but they differ from
other single-byte messages by being allowed
to interrupt other data without disturbing rt.
For example.. suppose your synth is busy
executing a NOTE ON c ommand. II has lust
received the NOTE ON status byte, t agged
wit h t he right c hannel number. I t is n o w
wat t mg impat ient ly for t he f ollowing dat a
byte whic h will tell it whic h
note t o p l a y S u d d e n l y .
instead of a data byte, it gets
real-time, single byte, status
the s y nt n, b u b b l i n g wi t h
recogmses this obvious fact
by scanning the bit pattern.
It hurriedly c arries out t he
operation required - usually
synchronisation wi t h ot her
instruments b y adjusting its
clock a n a then settles back to watt la] t he
dat a by t e it was onginaliy ex pec t ing O f
course t h e real t ime mes s age ma y h a v e
been something lik e STOP or SYSTEM RESET
in whic h case the note will never tie picryeci
Moving on
MIDI is a very simple system to uncietstcald
particularly for c omput e] owners to wh o m
muc h of t he computer jargon wt ac h drives
SHARPEN
YOUR AXE
MIDI means keyboards to most
people, but digital techniques
are making a big impact on the
guitar scene as well. Now
Casio h a v e introduced a
digital guitar for under three
hundred pounds. How does it
measure up?
Just h o w m u c h c a n y o u g e t out of a
guit ar') What ev er y o u r s k ill lev el, t here
at e g o i n g t o b e t i me s w h e n t h e
differences in expression a n d infl ec t ion -
d e p e n d e n t o n y o u r n i m b l e fi n g e r s -
(merit going t o stop y ou y earning for t he
p o we r t o c r e a t e a d i f f e r e n t k i n d o f
s ound
I nv es t ing i n a c onv ent ional elec t ric
guit ar w i l l ut t er y o u r a t h e r m o r e
possibilines p r o v i d e d y ou' re wi l l i n g t o
inv es t i n a n a mp l i fi e r , a f e w ef f ec t s
pedals a n d o t h e r g a d g e t s T h i s
i n s t r u me n t h a s r e m a i n e d v i r t u a l l y
u n c h a n g e d s inc e it wa s inv ent ed in its
modern f o r m by Les Paul i n t he 1940's,
but it was n' t unt il t he delv elopment
of t h e e l e c t r o n i c mu s i c
s y nt hes iz er b y
All s t r a p p e d u p
The ease and conventeince ot shoulder-strung instruments lead Yamaha to design the SHS10 This lime number packs a lot
ot *elves into a untt so light you can t help keeling there's nothing inside It - slightty disconcerting at lirst for someone used
to toting a heavier load. Don't be deceived however, the SHS10 boasts EU digital voices and rhythms, chord sequence, pitch
bend wheel MIDI, one hand melody playing and more lot a price yet to be confirmed, but almost certain to be Elect 00 Inc
VAT On general release about the time you read this.-
musiacms wild will be second-nature 11 you
fi nd things heav y going d o n l despair l u s t
re-read this art ic le a c ouple at times and
then catch up on next mont hs issue You'll
1
soon fi nd things slipping into place and then
suddenly rust when you thought you simply
couldn't mak e the grade y ou' ll be inv it ing
someone bac k to y aw house Icx a t am a
s mgs ong o r perhaps a bit of sysex parc h
swapping for you] Wcrtonabe CSD
Dr B o b Mo o g (pronounc ed M o g u e )
t he l a t e 60' s a n d e a r l y 7 0 ' s t h a t t h e
guit aris t s possibilities extenciect b e y o n d
a f e w w o b b l y e f f e c t s a n d fi l t e r
t reat ment s
Syn t h s n a g s
For prac t ic al reasons h o we v e r a p i a n o
k e y b o a r d wa s u s e d t o c ont rol Moug' s
s y nt h - a L e y b o u l d b e i n g t h e eas ies t
plac e to fit t he s wit c h needed t o operat e
any elec t ronic c irc uit s o w h e n
guitarists s t art ed t o ex perinient wi t h t he been t o
synthesizet modules t h e y c a me up wit h c onv ert a
a f e w problems O n t h e guit ar t here' s
frequency
no s wi t c h t o c los e w h e n y o u w a n t t o
(the s peed at wh i c h
play a note, t h e v iloic rt ing me t a l s t ring
t he g u i t a r s t r i n g i s v i b r a t i n g ) t o a
sets u p ma g n e t i c d i s t u i b u n c e s i n t h e
v olt age ( wh i c h c an det errrune t he pit c h
pic k up wh i c h are inc reas ed b y as steel
at w h i c h a s y nt hes iz er p l a y s ) E a r l y
c oil a n d a mp l i fi e d ex t enially T h e fi rst
guit ar s y nt hs s uc h as t he Hi-Ft t h e Vox
•guitcu s y nt hes iz ers s u c h as t h e EMS
O r g a n G u i t a r a n d ot hers d i d n ' t e v e n
Synth' HI-FI us ed b y The Rolling Stones
at t empt t o do this t h e first t o do so was
Groundhogs A s t i r a a n d ot nei b a n d s
t he 3 6 0 Sy s t ems G u i t a r s y n t h w h i c h
we r e really glorifi ed effects unit s wh i c h
used a s unc hannel f requenc y t o-v olt age
wo u l d shift t he pit c h of t he gult ai s ound
c onv ert ing p i c k u p a n d s t uf f ed t h e
dis t ort i n o r a d d v a r i o u s r e p e t i t i v e
out put I nt o six M i n i M o o g synthesizers
effects Y o u we r e r a ac t ually c ont rolling
This w a s a n e x p e n s i v e w a y of g o i n g
a mu s i c s y nt hes uel w i t h a g u i t a r l u s t
about things b u t a t the time t h e
ma k i n g a g u i t a r s o u n d a b i t l i k e a
mac hine' s fi rs t us er J o h n Mc L a u g h l i n
synthesizer
was earning rat her a lot of mo n e y wi t h
t he Mahav is hhu Orchestra
G u it ar synths
Perhaps i n e v i t a b l y t h e a n s we r
To get t ec hnic al t ot a mo me n t (not
c a me f rom t he J apones e i n t he t orm of
t oo t ec hnic al! ) t h e p r o b l e m of
Roland's o w n gui t ar e q u i p p e d wi t h a
guit ar s y nt hes is has
s pec ial p i c k u p w h i c h w a s a
a l w a y s
d i s a d v a n t a g e f or t h o s e w h o d b e e n
using a f av ourit e guit ar f or t h e last t en
years S t i l l y o u h o d t o t ak e wh a t was
av ailable a n d guit aris t s s uc h as Steve
Hac k et t m a d e m e mo s t o f t he Ro l a n d
CR505's pacsuoillites
Sinc e t h a t t i m e . R o l a n d h a v e
l a u n c h e d t h r e e mo r e guit ar s y nt hs ,
c u l mi n a t i n g w i t h t h e f u l l y
p r o g r a m m a b l e G R7 0 7 w h i c h s t ores
m a n y a l t e r n a t i v e s ounds i n it s fl oor-
s t anding s y nt h u n i t a n d als o giv es a n
out put i n MI DI c ode w h i c h c a n c ont rol
any ot her mo d e r n s y nt h A l t h o u g h
ACE
rmusic
c os t ing a c o u p l e of t h o u s a n d pounds ,
t he G1'707 h a d the mark et s ewn up unt il
rec ent ly , w h e n t h e mu l t i - t h o u s a n d
p o u n d S y n t h a x e a n d St epp Di g i t a l
Guit ar prov ided t wo alt ernat iv es f or t he
we a l t h y professional.
C h e a p a lte r na tiv e
But n o w there's an alt ernat iv e for the
prov ert y -s t ric k en a ma t e u r as we l l L i k e
t he S t e p p a n d S y n t h a x e , w h i c h
abandon t he us e of c onv ent ional
t ens ioned strings a n d magnet ic pickups.
t he n e w Cas io DG-20 t ak es a g o o d f ew
steps a w a y f r o m c o n v e n t i o n a l g u i t a r
d e s i g n i n o r d e r t o a c h i e v e it s a i ms
Wh a t y ou hav e t o dec ide is whet her the
gains are wo r t h t he effort of get t ing int o
a wh o l e n e w style of play ing. . .
First up. t he DG-20's ma d e of plastic
not a v e r y aus pic ious start f or a gui t ar
and, i n c i d e n t a l l y t h e t h i n g ma k e s n o
useful noise at a l l unt il y ou s wit c h it o n
(bat t ery or ma i n s t r ans f or mer opt ions
a r e p r o v i d e d ) T h e s t rings a r e a l s o
ma d e of plas t ic - n y l o n t o b e mo r e
prec is e - a n d a r e n ' t u n d e r t e n s i o n .
s imply bec aus e t h e DG-20 isn't look ing
at t heir s peed of v ibrat ion t o fi gure out
wh i c h not e t o play , s o t hey don't n e e d
to be
Play ing or. six fl o p p y plas t ic strings
wi t h e q u a l g a u g e a n d e q u a l s p a c i n g
does n' t c o m e n a t u r a l l y t o t h e
ex perienc ed or inex penenc ed guit aris t ,
but at leas t y ou c an f orm c hord s hapes
in t h e n o r ma l w a y a n d s t r u m o n t h e
s t rings H o w e v e r , y ou' ll fi n d t h a t frets
a n d fi n g e r b o a r d a r e a l i t t l e w e i r d -
t hey 're m a d e o f r u b b e r , a n d t h e
fi n g e r b o a r d h a s a s eries of p r e s s u r e
sensors under it. P l u c k and hold a string
d o w n o n t o t h e fi n g e r b o a r d a n d y ou' ll
get a new not e - just lik e that
This me a n s t h a t o n e or t wo g u i t a r
t ec hniques wo r k as normal, a n d one or
t wo don' t . F o r i n s t a n c e , y o u c a n
' h a mme r on" t o a not e ( p l a y o n e not e
a n d b r i n g y our fi nger d o w n h i g h e r u p
the s t r i n g wi t h o u t a c t u a l l y p l u c k i n g it
again), b u t y o u c a n t p u l l t he s t ring u p
or d o w n t o b e n d a not e, b e c a u s e t he
sensors don't reac t t o t he ex ac t p l a c i n g
of y o u r fi nger. Y o u c a n s l i de u p t h e
fi ngerboard, y o u c an' t g o o u t o f t une,
a n d you'll probably nev er s nap a string.
S o u n d i n g it o u t . . .
But w h a t s ort of s o u n d s d o y o u g e t "
Well, t here a r e 20 a v a i l a b l e us ing t e n
me mb r a n e but t ons o n t h e t op e d g e of
t he g u i t a r • f our ac ous t ic guit ars , t w o
elec t ric guit ars , dis t ort ion, v a r i o u s
perc us s iv e gloc k ens piels . h a r p s a n d s o
on. a n d a c ouple of t y pic ally J apanes e
noises T h e y ' r e not t oo b a d - a b o u t o n
t he l e v e l o f a c h e a p k e y b o a r d
s y nt hes iz er - b u t t h e f ac ilit ies w h i c h
really ma k e t he DG-20 unus ual are t he
P CM s a m p l e d a c c o m p a n i m e n t s ,
a r r a n g e d i n t o 1 2 d r u m pat t erns w i t h
adjus t able t empo a n d selectable fills.
You c an set t he d r u m section t o steal
p l a y i n g a u t o ma t i c a l l y wh e n y o u hit a
La z a r r e v o l u t i o n
Born out of an industrial design engineering course at Leeds Potytecnnic, the Lazar guitar's revolutionary design features a
stringless neck equipped with sensitive contact switches. A.C.E checked out a prototype at the British Musical Fair and
tound the switch action remarkably sensitive, though it has yet to be seen how the guitar will perlorm in practise,
Designer Alasdair Bryce. now working under contract tor Elka-Orlattiki Ltd. claims "no delaynis-tracking problems
associated with conventional systems. Many unexpected subtleties are also featured including proviWens for most guitar
techniques such as hammer-ans. pull-ohs. arpeggios, slides, and string damping. as well as typical chord techniques.
Transposition and channel-splitting are also possible: Certainly the umt tools impressive and handles well - should De in the
shops late October for around E299.00. Watch this space...
note, a n d there's a little rubber start/stop
but t on n e x t t o t h e M a i n V o l u me
c ont rols . Y o u ' l l a l s o fi n d f o u r r u b b e r
pacts wh i c h a l l o w y ou to play t he Snare,
Hi a n d L o T o m a n d C y m b a l s o u n d s
ma n u a l l y - useful for little intros a n d fills
rat her t han for f rant ic d r u m solos.
In t erms of expression, that's about it.
You c an set t he guit ar to Solo so it'll only
play one not e at a time, a n d c an choose
S u s t a i n / Re v e r b w h i c h a l l o w s t h e
dif f erent sounds to die a wa y rat her more
s lowly . S o m e sounds - s uc h as Chorus -
wi l l hold on for as long as y ou hold the
strings d o wn , but t here is a Mu t e but t on
wh i c h will k ill any u n wa n t e d notes
FX BOX
DG20- Digital guitar with MIDI
6 strings/ 20 frets
20 tones
6 not e poly phonic
Effects s us t ain, revert), mut e a n d
solo c horus a n d / o r distortion pre-
p r o g r a mme d on s uit able tones
12 PCM aut o rhy t hms
4 built -in d r u m pads
Transpose - 11 steps
MI DI OUT
Footswitch
Built-in speaker
Headphoneehne out jacks
Acceesones test batteries s upplied
Price £279.00incVAT
Availability: October1987
Contact:
Cusio Electronics. Unit 6, 100 Nort h
Circ ular Road, Staples Comer, London
NW2 ?JD. Tel, 01-450 9131
Wh a t t h e g u i t a r l a c k s i s a n y
indic at ion of the c urrent tempo, a n d any
indic at ion of wh a t s ound y ou'v e selected
af t er y o u ' v e p u s h e d t h e m e m b r a n e
button.
On t he s ide c ont rol p a n e l of t he
g u i t a r y o u ' l l fi n d a t u n i n g c o n t r o l ,
headphone a n d amplifi er outputs. a 9 V
DC p o we r input , a f oot s wit c h i n p u t f or
Sustain, a n d t he IVHDI Out socket T h i s
allows y ou to play a n y other s y nt h
mo d u l e f rom t he guit ar. wh i c h of c ours e
c ould giv e y ou access to better sounds
It wo n ' t d o a n y t h i n g f o r t h e guit ars ' s
t rac k ing t h o u g h - y o u ' l l s t ill g e t t h e
oc c as ional u n wa n t e d not e a n d wobble,
part ic ularly bef ore y o u g e t us ed t o t he
fact t hat y o u c an't b e n d s t rings wit hout
get t ing unpleas ant results. I n fact there's
no w a y eit her t o b e n d p i t c h ( a l t h o u g h
y ou c a n Trans pos e i n t o a c o mp l e t e l y
dif f erent k ey ) or t o a d d v ibrat o. wh i c h
does depriv e t he guit aris t of rat her a lot
of his t ec hnique.
If y ou're not interested in MIDI, there's
a c h e a p e r DG 1 0 m o d e l wh i c h h a s 1 2
onboard sounds but no MI DI ouput Th i s
sells a t £225. w h i l e t h e DG-20 s ells a t
E279
U pgr a de options
If y o u wa n t s omet hing a lit t le mo r e
professional. Cas io h a v e als o l a u n c h e d
t he stylish MG 5 0 0 a n d Strat-like MG510
mo d e l s ( b o t h 5 4 9 i n c V A T ) - m o r e
c onv ent ional guit ars w h i c h h a v e
pic k ups wi t h MI DI out put s t h e abilit y t o
s elec t a n e w s y n t h s o u n d h o r n t h e
f r e t b o a i d a n d a s y n t h / g u i t a r v o l u me
mi x c ont rol O b v i o u s l y these h a v e to be
p l u g g e d int o s ome k ind of s y nt h to hav e
m u c h ef f ec t - b u t t h e pos s ibilit ies a r e
endles s n o w, w i t h t h e Y a m a h a FB0 I
mo d u l e at #299 or Yamaha' s TX81Z a n d
Rolana' s n e w MT- 3 2 a t # 4 5 0 o r s o a l l
of f ering g o o d v a l u e A l l t h e s e u n i t s
wo r k i n " M I D I M o n o M o d e " . w h i c h
means ev ery guit ar s t ring c a n c ont rol a
def erent s ound - pret t y powerf ul stuff
Me a n wh i l e i t y ou're int o guit ars but
wa n t s ome s y nt hy sounds, a r e bus k ing
a n d wa n t a nov elt y , o r a r e look ing f or
a n original Chris t mas present. t he DG-20
c ould be t he one f or y o u C e r t a i n l y it's
g o i n g t o ma r k o n l y t h e s t art of Casio's
ex c urs ion into guit ar synthesis
bien4Ins
 -
addictive
A qualities to turn even the toughest
coin-op
n critic into an arcade junky". C/3E VG
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typturn
v to aft age of mystery and intrigue, a pia r I d the fabled
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treasure of King Solomon shone brightly i t s glorious wealth.
6
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Where amongst the network of mystert s rooms lies the next key
"
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that will bring you nearer to these fabulous riches. Where amongst
the stone pillars and hidden dangers lie mythical creatures that can
perpetuate your life long enough to reachlopur ultimate goal.

CBM 64/128 To& A M S T R A D

catt.t 9.99 ohk.t14S9 I R I D a n .. ( A n t 9 . 9 9 Disk. 1 1 4 . 9 9
; MS FRAU V URSIOS
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US. Gold Ltd.,
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1 SCREEN TEST

SCREENTEST
The A C E S y s t e m You might think it takes a bit
Each review starts with t he n a me of the game reviewed t he supplier and the version we've of a nerve to offer a com-
tested for the main review section. If other versions are available for review al the same time
then you'll find information on them in separate boxes Where two versions differ substomnally
pletely new way of rating
then the box will be quite long where the ac me is essentially the same the comment will be games. It does - but we had
brief and to the point
Each rev iew also has Cl Release Box. giv ing information on prices and when other ver- to take the plunge. Because
sions are expected to appear We can only pass art what the software houses tell us s o OUT we think you, the buyers
NOW means we've actually seen the game and that it will be in the shops IMMINENT means
that the software house is confident it should be on sale by the time that issue of ACE is on the and players o f computer
street - but you know as well as we do tht these things are never certain. NOV 87 means that games, have been getting a
that's when the software house is expecting the version to be available. We will, of c aus e be
keeping you updated on all release news.
raw deal. Sure, ratings usu-
Each and every game rev iewed in Screen Test is seen by all 5 members of the team. ally tell you how the graph-
although the review is written by one person. The ACE Rcrting isour collective opinion: but if a
game provokes a violent difference of opinion then well allow space for a dissenting voice to
ics score. Yes, they'll put a
be heard. Games are tested thoroughly. and our opinion is influenced only by the good or figure on the sound. And
bad qualities of t g a m e itself 'Trust us - between us we've seen more goalies than Smith's then there ar e all those
had hot dinners. You can rely on our ludgement
Playabilities a n d Lasting
Interests a n d V alue f o r
The PIC c h a r t e x p l a i n e d Moneys and umpteen other
A new system takes a bit of getting used to so we've cooked up some ratings for a fictional
game St andard Issue ScroPing Corn-Op Conversion to help y ou along. You know the kind ot labels that just don't give
thing: good scrolling, fast and noisy action, picking up extra weapons. No w check out t he you the info you need. So, if
ACE treatment this game gets...
you want to get the real
dope on a game; if you
VISUAL: What does the game look like? The more of
want to find out if it gets to
these squares that have turned white, the higher the you right from the start; if it
games visual score is Grey squares mean jerky ani-
mation, flickering sprites, colour clashes or poor exercises the old grey mat-
attention to detail. Check out Ouedex (Oa) and
AUDIO: How does the game sound? Are Me in-game
effects mighty booms and piercing screeches. Or Sidewalk (MB) for the kind of game that gels lots of ter; and, most important of
the white ones,
just puny blips? Do you want an LP of the title
music, or would you preler a pair of earplugs? Does
all, if you'll still be playing it
that digitised speech say "Missile launched" or is it
more like "Ng isslye lauged"? Sound makes a big VISUAL EFFECTS • • E • • N O next week, month or year -
difference - just look at Impact (pSB) for example.
There's 200K of digitised effects there!
Nice scrollingand the sprites are great get a load of our exciting
A U D IO E • • s o n l i new system.
The tune's good but the elects are dull
I Q FACTOR •ammems
10 FACTOR: How much thought does the game Shoot first think later
PREDICTED INTEREST CURVE, or PIC for short One
demand? Is il an epic of strategic planning, or a FU N FA C TOR M E M N ON look will give an instant idea of the game in
mindless shoot-ern•up? A low rating here doesn't question. The higher the curve, the more of your
Loyely controls but sudden deaths are trustratinig
mean the game's bad but don't expect it to tax your attention the game holds al any one lime: the top of
grey matter too much. Brainiest game this issue is the box means total obsession, while the bottom
Xor (p52) with a perfect 7 for 10. PREDICTED
means complete and utter indifference I n our
INTEREST
fictional shoot-em-up here those graphics mean
CURVE
you'll be pretty impressed after a minute. You're
even keener alter en hour, thanks to those nice
controls, But frustration at those sudden deaths
FUN FACTOR: Is the game instantly playable? Does has taken the edge oft this by the end of the first
it offer immediate, compulsive pleasure o r does il day, and after a week the lack of depth is starling to
show as well, By a month you've seen just about
lake long•term commitment to gel anything out ot it?
Expect a high tun tactor for coin-op conversions - everything the game has to offer and want a new
1rn 1
Bubble Bobble ()56) is the top scorer this issue - and challenge, but the playability and great graphics
-
a low one for games based on theology books. pl ay time mean you'll still be loading it up occasionally in a
o u r
The 10 Factor and Fun Factor are used in conjunc- year's time.

ACERATING180
1
tion with the P I.C. curve to tell you what TYPE of o

interest a game otters.

a
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E Paie 2 A maze, with the goal hprielen
away behind a locked door. You need • • • • • • -

E to collect the keys lying around and • •

• •
I M P
,
• • • • •

find a route through the plane's •

N contusing teleport system • the ball is •

. .
•
•
•
•
•
•
• In.

•
•
•
a i •
•

actually in the process of 1 1 •1 •1 1

T ,
, • • •

dematerialising, caught by the camera •

1 1
.

in mid teleport. Roll over onto one of •

E •
•

the deaths heads to the right or •

S above, and you'd see it dematerialise

permanently'
T

- - IP • ;

41
-
31
.1
rE Pane 6' Collecting hidden question
-
;:rrrr.rprpr r marks switches various features on

1. . 7 . a u r m a r r r r r.r i P and off. One sets the planes suction-

-
d tube system in motion: the bills
i
r
-V. . --t i e4 4 pictured here travelling through one
owl alit. Be careful though - you can
e H get sucked onto a deaths head!

rr-.-rtrr,„ f
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-rf-P r p r ; r t E Pair 4 A straight race from starting
line to goal, but your path Is strewn
• ' 1 — Em.
,
o
r': rtrrla -
a with columns. You lose five seconds
s
ii-IP ' l k ' e
-- fru" f u r - l ! 1 r i
_ II you hit a column, and the electric
s T I g seas sap your time too.
g
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a
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IF 1 aEa I O
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-a 4

t-
'r:'
m 4 Plane 9 Pick up the crosses and your
r:; -
Plane 1 The goal only appears when ball gels extra power. Destroy those
ra you've collected lour hidden amulets. columns by smashing into them,
-rr- r
rrpr i5 It'satrickyplamtomunter,Mthlots
of hidden walls and another nasty
picking up another cross every time
your ball turns grey again. Smash all
. teleport system to disentangle. the columns, and the goal appears.
a
ttru .1
-e :
.pi a
Ilt 1
i1
fP f4
-f
1
i P .?
-n
: r r r r r •

i,• a , . lim • q m 111. • • • • • • • • • • •

;11.! rr,,,volp,,-11--fr:rfr117! o4
r-Of
• • • • N am. a• ,,,,,, . _
i Ef,•_I . _ _ _ , , ••••

ir-fri--,.-r-rr,
, , , , , • • • 4 , 11

.,.......;_
. ._
,

•••• • O E M. • O E ... • o w . • r- r
.• • • •
Pane t h e floor collapses along a
set route, so you'll have some real fun
ilifl I i i: K : S : r f ,r - . 1 1 1 M
a trying to find a path to goal that stays
-A rams:r5:r:i
NOW . _ 4. IT! open long enough. Thera are keys to
collect too.
_,- ....-.:l f -
--1 I f f - r 1 r I e; *, f I

-17 . l J r !
- - - ; • e; ,
r - i
 SCREEN TEST

Q1JEI)EX
SUPPLTER THALAMUS VER SION TESTED C 6 4

to change the default order in whic h Queclex die ins t ant ly E i t h e r w a y me a n s e n d of

P R O N O U N C E D ' tChanue-K c lweef dr da tehxe' r offers you planes to tackle - but the real killer
this new Thalarms title offers on impressive is t hat eac h plane inv olv es a c omplet ely
variety of goTneplay styles along wit h some dif f erent s t y le of g a me p l a y Y o u r a i m is
v ery hot graphic s Q u e d e x is a l l a b o u t always to reach the goal. but often this cant
dexterity. Steering your metallic borll around be r e a c h e d o r does n't e v e n c o me i n t o
ten different g a me areas or 'planes', y ou' ll enstence until you've completed a series of
need precision. sharp reflexes and a first-rate other tasks.
joystick There a r e c o mmo n element s t o t h e
Each plane has a starting point and a different planes game features like teleports,
'GOAL G e t t he ball f rom one t o t he other lifts a n d let hal obstacles alway s look t he
and you've completed the plane The aim of some Th e game controls - up, down, left,
the game is to complete all ten planes within right a n d j u mp - are constant, a s is t he
a giv en time limit but tackling them in any scrolling overhead view.
order you like The biggest c ommon link bet ween t he
different planes is time. Every plane has a
VISUAL EFFECT EN EE•T time allowance, a n d any unused time gets
Very altrat•ve graphics • corned over to the next section. Once you've
progressed a bit t he games time allocation
A U D I O EMEMION::::
giv es t hings a s t rat egic edge. d o a f e w
ttilay be even better on the ooduction version
planes you're used to first, a n d you'll hav e
I Q F A C T O R EIIIIIIEn n more time to explore a new plane later.
Delinitety needs If at any point you fi nd yourself running
F U N F A C T. O R 111111E•wnst short of t i me on a p l a n e or s i mp l y lose
a o t patience with it, you can go off and try y our
Very appealing - but
t y .n o lightweight staff :uck on another Build up a bit more time or
h r PREDICTED ent hus ias m a n d y ou c an c ome bac k f or
INTEREST another go later on. Again, this freedom over
RVE g a me p l a y mak es Q u e d e x unus ual a n d
Interesting to play
There is a plome that you can only t ole a
crack at onc e though, a n d there's a good
reason for the restriction - its a bonus plane,
packed with extra time Youll need it. there's
• 1.,
a lot of trial-and-error learning to be done on
pl a y ti m e
some of them Often, essential objects car) be
game, so a little care really is essential.
Its not just hazards like this that demand
dexterity. There are gaps to jump on some
planes, but even de: z ing t hem may not be
enough. J umping from a high platform to a
low one can cost y ou a lime penalt y if the
height difference is too great. Lifts can offer a
painles s wa y d o wn , b u t c a r e f u l rout e
planning also helps,
R e le a s e box
C64/128 £ 9 . 9 9 a S1499dkOUTNOW
Quedex Ls a huge challenge Solve a few
planes, string them together in your zhosen
order a n d y ou s t art h i t t i n g s ome of t h e
game's nastier surprises. Suffi ce it t o s ay
there's p: ent y here t o k eep y ou rolling,
jumping and t eleport ng into the wee s mall
hours Ev en when you've solved the g a me
there's alway s a faster mne to a i m for, of
course
On the graphics front. Quedex really hits
the spot. Great use of colour and a very nice
metallic sheen on the ball make some planes
startlingly good to look at As for sound, t he
music's impressive and the effects, t hough
riot quite complete on the rev iew copy
were well up to scratch.

ACEATING934 seen only when the ball gets very close to

This freedom over the order in whic h you
take the planes gives Quet lex an unus ual
edge - there's even a 'game designer' option
t hem I nv is ible barriers mak e t hings ev en
more confusing, as do the tortuous networks
of telepon pads
There's also the dreaded 'electric sea to
sap your remaining time Poll onto this and
see y our precious seconds ev aporat e - or
trundle over a deaths head floor symbol and
SCREEN TEST

SD
I EWALK
SUPPLIER IN FOGR AMES VER SION TESTED ATARI ST
mg you to lase all sense of direction and ren-
dering the gcmne almost unmappoble
Stdewalics graphics are its main attrac-
tion a n d they're certainly worth a look Th e
caricatures of t h e v arious characters y o u
meet T h e Crazy Guitarist the sumo wrestler
the gel in the record store a r e all superbly
drawn Unf ort unat ely t h e g a me seems t o
lack t he logic t h e Frenc h a r e reput ed t o
have s o muc h of b u y one ticket i n o n e
place t wo more In anot her and you'll still
have only t wo tickets afterwards)
Granted it's all v ery original interesting
stuff and the presentation's very stylish b u t
Y O L I Your mot orbik e has been stolen Release Box problems l i k e t hes e d o u n d e r mi n e t h e
a r e
thsmembered. and its parts distributed about AtariST £19.95 I M M I N E N T games realism A d d in the frustration of try
i n A t 10 p m y o u need it t o take your
town trig to find your way around and you could
d e
girlfriend to a Band Aid concert i f you dent be left a bit less t han satisfied I t s a meat
e p it s hell go with that slimy creep John.
have game to look at though, a n d t he fact t hat
t rt op of that, you still haven't bought any
On
o u - and getting those can be something
tickets Thore's no need to be rude
you're not trying to get rich or save the
galcncy must count for something
DP
b al problem ,
of
e ,In order to recover y our bik e y ou must
m
wander the streets of a seedy French t own
o
'interacting wit h its various inhcrbitcmts Th e
n
screen is displayed in monochrome and you
%
may mov e f orward int o bac k wards out of
n left or right agains t t he v e r y det ailed
or
e
street-scene backdrops These are very well
w
drawn a n d giv e t he game that
t
cartoon/corrac look typical of muc h French
software. There are also t wo windows at the
bottom of t he screen t h e first s howing t he
bike ports you hav e so far collected and the
second displaying the other obiects you are
carrying such as money and concert tickets
Interaction with the chcrracters you meet
is rather limited You me faced with a picture
of the indiv idual and three options run past
them. t alk to t hem or beat them up I I they
are potentially violent you are also told their
size and strength
Ii y ou choose t o talk y ou are presented
with three or four questions you can ask one
or more of whic h ma y produce some useful
result There are some people you must talk
to in order to complete the game but for the
most pall the becrrem up option is the most
useful and achieves the best results (It's also VISUAL EFFECTS EmEmEns
the most emoy ablei I n a fi ght y our oppo- „3 a n d good all NO1
nent a p p e a r s on the screen wit h y ou and
A U D I O 111111111111111156
starts to lay in to you with whatever weapon
he is carrying Alt hough t hes e include such Nice tunes taco effects
nasty pieces of hardware as a bill-hook and I Q FA C TOR m i n n o w s
a fl ail y our v igorous punc hes k ic k s a n d oho recpre some pandenrg
head-butts w111 usually gam the upper hand FU N FA C TOR E m m onnt
A nice touch is the wa y your strengths are
Vey engaging - out it lust doesnl%3S!
represented by filled pint glasses whose con
tents disappear as you are tut a n d the way
that once a fi ght is over y ou can replenish PREDICTED
INTEREST
your energy by buy ing a drink at the bar
CURVE Atough customer time to run/
Despite the v ery limit ed t ime the game
awes y ou to complete your task the actual
problem-solving b i k e a n d ticket-collecting
port is so easy that wit hin a few goes you'll
k now how to collect almost everything you
need The only problem is getting to the right 1min 1 nolo r 1 d a y 1 week 1 m o t i h ' y e a r
places t o collect it a n d this is where t he pl ay limo
game becomes very frustrating While on a
single screen t he game's mov ement system
works very well b u t as soon as you mo v e
from loc at ion t o loc at ion t h e s it uat ion
becomes very confusing t h e controls oat s
-
ACERATING108
4eS.

RENEGADE
SUPPLIER I M A G I N E V E R S ION TESTED AMSTR AD
PICTURE the scene I t s lat e ev ening in
a t ough c it y a n d y ou're o n
your wa y t o meet y our g i l l A s y our trcan
pulls into the graffiti-covered s ubway station
you're attacked by a gang of vicious mug-
gers There's n o n i r mn g a wa y f rom these
jerks so you've gotta do what a mans gotta
do - fi ght You' v e also gotta meet y our girl
so y ou only hav e a short t ime to polish off
the nasty g a n g
Your mission in this action-pocked game
from I magme is t o s urv iv e a t ot al of fi v e
gangs eac h wit hin a t ime limit so that y ou
can mak e that dat e There are fi ve scenar•
los. eac h loaded separately f rom t he cas-
sette Y o u start off in t he t ube station a n d
then - assuming you're still aliv e -mov e on
to t he pier stage where you hav e to fend off
a gang of motorcyclists who attack on bikes
as well as on foot Surv iv e t he bikers a n d
you hav e a f emale gang t o contend wit h
Man t hes e dolls are mean c o m i n g at y a
with clubs and whips No sign of safety yet
though because the next gang are all razor-
wielding maniac s
Finally you've got to d e a l wit h a clang
who t urn u p where y ou h a d arranged t o
meet y our girl Th i s t ime t he g a n g s boss
takes potshots at y ou wit h his revolver K i l l
these badcLes and you will have proven that
love conquers all by being in t ime for y our
date Wh e t h e r you hav e any energy left to
have f un is anot her mat t er A n y w a y y ou
only get a short t ime wit h your gal because
SCREEN TE S T
.I
Another Wm bites the dust.
Mayhem on the metro!
The g a me has wonderf ul blood-thirsty
graphics; knock a thug down enough times
and his head splits open oozing blood a l l
over t he sidewalk I t might not be to every-
ones taste but it works very well in the con-
text of t he gcrrne Superb animat ion really
gives t his g a me a n arc ade f eel a n d t h e
backgrounds are all stunningly detailed wit h
plenty of colour. T h e game area is on t he
small s i d e t hough, t y p i c a l l y b e i n g o n l y
about four or five screens long The scrolling
is smooth and fast, enhanc ing t he game a
great deal
Renegade is a n ex t remely play able a n d
you h a v e t c g o t hrough t he whole night -
maae again - wit h even tougher opponents.
addictive game. wit h some of the smoothest
graphics e v e r s e e n o n t h e A ms t r a d
Renegades g a me p l a y i s pret t y t o u g h Although there are only five levels the game
stuff Y o u can use the keys or a combination will not be fi nished in a hurry, it s real
of joystick and keys You have to move your tough out on the streets
AS
character left right u p and down and you
also have three separate attack keys - attack
left at t ac k right and Jump Mas t ering y our
moves takes a little while but onc e you're
used to It you c an puE off some pretty neat
VISUAL EFFECTS • • • • • • 1 1 1
tricks - such as grabbing the ruffians by the
Wonderfully bloody graphocs
lapels and nut t ing t hem Eac h gang has a
boss and this is the guy (or girl) you're after A U D I O 1111111111•11111
The boss wi l l o n l y loin i n w h e n y ou' v e Great at.mmosoharic t,tr
despatched enough of his (her) henc hmen I Q FA C TOR mmnismite
Off the boss and his (her) head is dispicryea More brawn than brain
at the bottom of the screen as a trophy
FU N FA C TOR IIIM IS E ns
Jump right — but the hgM could last a lor
R e le a s e B ox ,
g I m e PREDICTED
Spectrum£7.95 cs I M M I N E N I T INTEREST
CURVE
Amstiod S8.95 csS14.95dk IMMINENT
C64/128 f6.95 csS12.95dk IMMINENT
You start t he game wit h three lives, a year
horizontal bar at t he t op of t he screen dis- play time
ACERAINS841
play ing your s t amina level for y our current
life Eac h hit you take reduces your stamina
until y ou run out of luck and get c reamed
On the fourth and fifth levels one touch from
the razor-wielding mobsters results in death..
ACE
SCREEN TEST

LASTMISSION
SUPPLIER U S GOLD V E R S I O N TESTED C 6 4
VISUAL EFFECTS E m m o n s
Shame about the Stale o
AUDI O Emonons
• y o J
s h i p
Nh_etune CM nothing special
I Q FA C TOR E m m o n s
All Win n and no to o ITLIC
n b ra I V O T h
FU N FA C TOR Ile ila tintil
Not enough to grab you
I N you have been driven from your home
PREDICTED
t h y a n d t he only wa y of ending y our
galax
INTEREST
exile
i s is to defeat an inv ading force of aliens CURVE
who
e hav e been t orment ing y our people
Who
i it was who exiled you in the first place
isg not made clear
h At the bot t om right -hand c omer of the
screen
t is a radar that shows t he position of
t-he a l i e n plac ement s Thes e r a n g e f rom 1min l h o u r ' d a y 1 weiei5 •m Qn l
missile
w silos to huge guns, as t he screen is p l a y ti m e h I
y e
also
a fi lled wit h a host of small alien craft all

ACERAT\G531
a r
out
y iCrI your blood then attempting to destroy
one
s is not an eas y task W h e n a n alien
c
placement explodes it leaves behind a pod Shields on - where's !he melhership?
r
which, wh e n y ou pick it up. gives your ship
ano extra weapon or shield Shields make you The m a i n p r o b l e m i n t h e g a m e is length as you blast at it The ship is no push-
invulnerable
l for a limited time and weapons surviving long enough to shoot all the small over as it c ont inually shoots lasers at you..
range
l f rom a fast laser to a potent dev ic e aliens on a level A bar at the bottom of the Onc e a l l t h e energy ray s are g o n e t he
i
that shoots for a short distance in all eight screen shows how many there are left, even mothership explodes and y ou mov e on t o
directions
n the next level for more of the same
when blas t ing to t he best of y our abilit y it
g still decreases very slowly Onc e the bar has On the whole Las/ Mission is a tolerable
a Release B ox depleted any remaining craft vanish and its game, b u t it doesnl really have any t hing to
r time to face the mothership
cSpectrum i8.99cs I M M I N E N T The Mothership is a strange-lookin make it stand out from the competition a l
aC64/128 i9.99csS14.99dk C O N N contraption that has energy rays pulsing out
d of each of its four sides, whic h decrease in
e

FLUNKY
g
a
m
VISUAL EFFECTS EMMENUNI
e
Pretty and very lunny incols
A U D I O ••111111611111
Ennis are los and fat helweer
I Q FA C TOR E m is s ion
wo °mady tine you perplexed
SUPPLIER P IR A N H A VER SION TESTED SPECTRUM
FU N F A C T O R E m m o n s
ToQii,n
FLUNKYis is a derogat ory t e r m f or a
servant, cook, wait er Release B ox PREDICTED
INTEREST
etc. I n this game you play a be-wigged and SpectrumS9.95 cs I M M I N E N T CURVE
servile fl unky al Buckingham Palace whose
lob i s t o w a i t o n as s ort ed r o y a l s a n d
Amstrad £995 cs£14.95dkIMMINENT
complete the various loopy tasks they set for C64/128 £9.95 cs£14.95dkIMMINENT
you Fl u n k y is writ t en b y Don Trap Door
Priestley, t he games authorship shows in its
crazy puzzles, wh i c h of t en don't s eem t o approximately 500 seconds. Princ e Andrew In 1 ho,r l
c a y pl a y ti m e -
hove any logical solution is taking a bat h and wort s a boat to play t w e
Each royal has a specific task for you

ACERATING616
with, Fergie wants some freckles, Di wants a e k
that must be completed within a time limit of wi g (for some reason she's bald): Charles is i m o
n h i
on his roc k ing horse a n d want s his polo ,
YouFong M a balls, the Queen wants her Corgis 1
- Fail to complete the task wit hin the time y F
t a
e m? limit and the guard will kill you Offering the '
particularly fl atters*, but they're not p a r t i c -
wrong object will have the same effect
Graphics are v ery distinctive, wi t h big ularly savage either
bold sprites and little or no attribute clash Flunky is certainly a strange game. The
Your actual v iew of each room is through a tasks s ound eas y but a r e ex c ruc iat ingly
window, the size of whic h depends upon the difficult to solvesmce the various parts of the
size of t he room A large room will fi ll t he solution seem to be totally unconnected with
screen whereas a staircase will only fillabout
one fi f t h Th e c aric at ures of t he v arious each other.
- is the only Trial
way and errorthe
to crack - and lots of it m
game.
royals are all v ery humorous They ' re not

-e l- 4E6. AI
 •
From -
rano 'BUBBLE BOBBLE
arekkoL
• s ia s sy u Blow and bounce and bob your way into oblivion in this
2. •, incredible conversion of the greatest arcade game of ;mita 9 t r n i
the year...
lay asti:ita t h Bubble Bobble will blast your brains and bruise your 1 1 1 1 1 a A
fl '
—14
/14„aevart senses...
i
.X —
r ; t
g t 111

r
'Ilk, • t a t a r i r -
Baffle yourself...buy Bubble Bobble
a
q
t
1
Ipa
a
7

P A L : a l '1s t
st

s pa „ f fl i i k o
littnitit m
sts o o t 1 a Spectrum E 7 .9 5 Commodore & Amstrad cassette I
t
S
t i t
s R I. :
I tt

a n n M O W E 8 . 9 5 Commodore disk E l 2 .9 5 Amstrad disc

U d a l l • a "

s t E l 4 .9 5 , and for the Atari ST E l 9 .9 5

•
t
i
a

e r i
)

s
o
f PAM 619 • E l Ics a
Firebird Software, First Floor, 64-76 New Oxford St., London WCI A I PS.
a Firebird is a Registered Trademark of British Telecommunications plc.

r
SCREEN TEST

Release Box
AtariST S24.95dkOUTNOW
Amiga 224.95dkOUTNOW

wards a n d back, ru n ditto, j u mp , u p a n d

ATARIST:Hegor waits the bow and arrows but he's no
match tor that armoured bad-guy.
down.
The icon control is initially confusing for
such a search and slash game, but is not too
difficult to master. It does mean, though, that
success in your scraps depends more on tim-
ing and anticipation than a n y real fighting
skill; a sword-thrust a t the wrong moment
can spell disaster: ti me i t right a n d you'll
send your snarling foe to perdition as a n
evaporating mass of slimy green ectoplasm. -
There are about 70 screens of 2-D views
to the game area - not particularly large, but
there is enough happening on each screen to
make up for the lack of area
The graphics are well drawn with good
detail a n d shading of the walls (the usual
backdrop), Colour i s well used, and anima-
tion is smooth and pleasing to the eye with a
distinct cartoon aucthty The grime's 'context-
sensitive animation' c a n be a little tricky in
that th e same co mma n d w i l l d o different
things according to Hegor's situation. Fo r
example, a walking Hegor when ordered to

BARBAR
jump will do just that; a running Rego' when
told to jump will produce a n acrobatic for-
ward somersault.
Sound is limited to effects, but these are
entertaining a n d mo re interesting th a n
many a repetitive soundtrack. Hegor grunts
as he performs various acts and yells whelp"
when he flees, while the death throes of the
monsters m a y w e l l curdle yo u r b l o o d i f
youte of a sensitive disposition.
SUPPLIER PSYGNOSIS VERSI O N TESTED ATARI ST Barbarian i s full of humour and has a
lot of instant appeal - it's easy to identify with
the hero and the graphics create an atmo-
sphere which draws you into the world of the
N o r game of the some name, Psygnosisl
t o
Barbarian i s a n icon-driven arcade-style
b e
adventure, whose graphics very skilfully cm-
c oan atmosphere heavy with evil and dan- VISUAL EFFECTS Immo' al
ate
n f It ain't got much of a plot - control the
ger. Great atmosphere, shame aoout the lack of scroiiing
u s A U D I O I n t i • N t
'amen-haired and muscle-bound hero Hegor
e his
on d quest to destroy the evil wizard Nemon Terrific effects but they're a bit sparse
-wbut that doesn't detract from the pleasures I Q F A C T OR n o o s e s
i
available.
t Afew posers but nothing too problematic
As Hegor you must travel to Necronts
h
underground kingdom of Durgcm, destroy FUN F A C T OR m o • • i s s
t Easy :o get involved but can oe a irustratirg game
the crystal which is the source o f h i s evil
h
power and then escape to the surface. It's a
e PREDICTED
daunting task; Durgan is heavily guarded by
AMIGA: Another arrow, and two more noshes guarding it P INTEREST
a host of characters determined to axe you to CURVE
- the top one throw rocks at our hero. a
bits or rip you apart with their bme teeth. If
l
that's not enough to contend with then there
a
are numerous traps to avoid; bridges that
c
titSr collapse under your feet slabs of rock falling
e
from ceilings, spikes appearing out of the
wiL.'
Ort ground, and much more. lmin 1 beer b a y 1 week 1 month 1 year
A
The g a m e p l a ys p re tty w e l l - e ve n p l a y ti me
f - ;ea; though you flip from screen to screen rather

ACERAIRG725
- -
, ! ) •-:•v-y than smoothly scrolling along - and is con-
•p t( s• : ' 6i711
. trolled largely from the icons displayed at the
• • •
base of the screen. These are well designed
• •
: -

and offer all the necessary moves

•
- w a l k f o r -
. I C ) ACE
'
 SCREEN TE S T
,

game. But there are some annoyances, its a you've sustained Repair boxes, found scat-
s hame t he g a me doesn't scroll, a n d I t s tered a l l ov er t he game area, reduc e t he
exceptionally frustrating that y ou can't level of damage, but be warned - you won't
save a game after hours of exhaustinc
adventuring.
AS always be able to get to a repair box in time
if you sustain heavy damage.
Obviously Venom are not going to let
A M I G A VERSION you rescue y our chums without put t ing up
Rather mo r e c o l o u r a n d a n ex t r a t it le some sort of fight Depending upon your time
sequence, but otherwise it s very muc h like period, t he e n e my inc lude tanks, pt ero-
the ST version_ dactyls that drop bombs (pretty neat for an
extinct beast), gun emplacements and giant
spiders. Eac h lev el has dangers t hat are
peculiar t o it. The prehistoric level has such

MASK
curious delight s as s napping t urt les a n d
man-eating plants,
Control of Thunderhawk is rather diffi-
cult at first as it tends to slide around all over
the plac e - largely because of t he control
inert ia O n c e y ou'v e got t he hang of it,
though, it poses no problems and actually
makes d r i v i n g Th u n d e r h a wk great f un.
Gameplay in general is very good with each
level well designed and challenging, but by
S UP P L I E R G R E M L I N G R A P H I C S V E R S I O N I ESTED A M S T R A D no means impossible to complete. A l l the
keys, bombs, scanners a n d
the like have a new position
at t he start of ev ery g a me
whic h means no t wo games
WIC A M M IM S
wi l l e v e r b e e x a c t l y t h e
A S S WP M E M .K
V S IC same. Puzzles that k eep you
on y our toes are a welc ome
addition, (it c on take ages to
117€11;
fi gure out h o w t o get pas t
t hat blas t ed r a i l wa y ) b u t
these do not c hange ev ery
time you restart
Smoot h mu l t i - d i r e c t i o n a l
s c rolling adds t o t he h i g h
AMSTRAD On prehistoric Earth, Matt (centre) AMSTRAD A MS
standard of graphics, whic h
bees
. M adonger
t t from
k ndinosaurs
d s • not J toL mention
e t o i l y • but where s Julio himself? - ond your get o scanner.
VENOM. are c olourf ul a n d we l l cmi-
s m a s t R, A
mated. Gremlin hav e f ound
i n t h e D,
f u t u r e A s t hat h a p p y me d i u m in this
- that Vicious Evil Network Of scanner key. The scanners keys,e once collect- game whic h allows plent y of bac k ground
V E N O M Ma y h e m - hav e been up to ed, need to be assembled m bto reveal a letter. det ail wit hout c lut t ering up t he screen or
their old tricks. They 'v e ex ploded a t ime Pressing t he indic at ed kl ey
e will activate a making things difficult to see. Mask is action-
bomb at Mask HQ on Boulder Hill scattering scanner (of course you'vet got to pick up the packed and full of excitement with plenty to
all the Mask agents into a space-time vortex scanner first). You can thenh follow the direc- keep y ou bus y for a long t ime • or at
that. Ma t t Trak k er is t he only remaining tion indicated to wherever e your Mask buddy least until Mask 2 comes out.
Mask a g e n t i n a pos it ion t o hit bac k at is hiding. Onc e you've pcollected y our col-
Venom; his job is recover his seven unfortu- league you can go after ihis Mask - also to be
nate Mask buddies, e
found ly ing around somewhere. If y ou suc-
c VISUAL EFFECTS o• m om • e
You t ak e c ont rol of Mat t i n his c ar ceed in collecting all the agents and their
e
Thunderhawk . a n d must rescue t he other respective Masks, y o u mus t t hen t ot ally
s
members of Ma s k f r o m t hree dif f erent destroy Venom HQ to complete your task. A U D I O memo
t
space-time locations t wo agents ended up The play ing area takes
o up the majority
in prehistoric times. t wo travelled to the f ar of t he s c reen wi t h relev
I ant inf ormat ion I Q FA C TOR m a m m a *
future and t wo ended up at Venom's base shown on the right and cat the bottom. Here cra re 'S !DV, so il%
Luckily. one Mask agent dodged the forces you can see your score, theo countdown clock
of Venom and hid in the area surrounding which you are continually n up against, y our FU N FA C TOR O S M I U M
Boulder Hill. direction indicator whichais used once you've 1.ike5 g o ; r , 9
. r 7 3
Finding your comrade al Boulder Hill is assembled the key and collected a scanner. PREDICTED
- C
your first task in this shoot-em up with added and a diagram of Thuncierhawk. INTEREST
,
puzzles. V i e we d f rom above, y o u c ont rol Next is a diagram of a bomb and fuse; CURVE
2
Thunderhcrwk - initially armed wit h a front- pick up a bomb and you a m drop it next to T a
tiring gun - and must collect four pieces of a something y ou wish to destroy, such as the n
wall at the top of the first playing area. This 1 2
needs b l o wi n g u p bef ore y ou c an driv e , •
Thunderhcrwk t hrough a t unnel under t he
1 ,
Release Box railway to the remainder of the game area.
d
Make sure you me well clear of the bomb as pl a y t i m e •
a
Amstrad S9•99 cs S14.95dkOUTNOW

ACERATING814
the fuse burns down or you might fi nd your- y
C64/128 S9.99 csE14.95dkIMMINENT self c aught up in t he blast, whic h will do '
y
Thunderhcrwk no good at all.
Spectrum £7.99 cs I M M I N E N T Six box es a r o u n d 't he d i a g r a m of
4
,
Thunderhcrwk indicate the level of damage 1
'
- r • -
I
A C
SCREEN TEST
Map section V-Bomb
XOR
SUPPLIER L O G O T R O N VER SION TESTED SPECTRUM
I r y o u jus t lik e high-s peed mindles s
blasting games, y ou wont enjoy this
one too much. Not that XORS dull mind you
- its infuriatingly addictive and can get very
tough in places - but you'll really need your
thinking cap on to get anywhere.
You c ont rol t wo shields. Ma g u s a n d
Queston on their journey through a series of
15 fi endis h mazes. You c a n mo v e y our
c urrent s hield up, d o wn or s ideway s , or
switch control f rom one shield t o the other
The s hields h a v e ident ic al properties but
often start a maz e a long wa y apart - so
they're both needed,
In eac h maz e there is a set number of
masks: collect them all, and that unlocks the
maze exit. Get either shield to the exit and
you're onto t he nex t maz e O f course.. t he
masks aren't alway s eas ily accessible. As
y ou work y our wa y t hrough t o t he lat er
mazes y oull fi nd various kinds of object in
y our way . A t first these are just t he maz e
walls themselves and the games t wo kinds
of forcelteld, but you'll soon come up against
a t o u g h e r p a i r of obs t ac les - fi s h a n d
chickens. • S
Given t he chance, fish f all downwards
mid chicken run to the left. Often y oull fi nd
them resting on masks or torcefields, poised
to f all/ run as soon as these are remov ed
They may well block your way to a mask if
they do this, or t rap y our shield. They c an
Take the lop two masks. push the
chicken down and it'll run to the left.,
straight into the V-Bomb. This sets
the bomb off, blasting a hole in the
brickwork above and below You can
then gel down far enough to pick up
the map section, but you'll need to set
the lower bomb off as well to get any
further a nd that MESINISfinding
another chicken from somewhere!
Take the top mask end stand welt
clear - it'll start a chicken stampede
and fish avalanche rolled into one!
Your shield
the two used together. The resulting chicken-
fish f ormat ions c a n b e v e r y dangerous
indeed: one wrong mov e and animals fly in
all directions'
Wit h c a r e y o u c a n ' d i s a r m' t h e s e
formations, nudging fish or chickens aside t o
s af ely r e mo v e mas k s f r o m wi t h i n . Th e
t hink ing i n v o l v e d h e r e wo u l d t a x t h e
might ies t o f b r a i n s , w i t h i n t e r l i n k e d
formations t wo or t hree screens high. One
false mov e c an drop a fish on y our head,
wall you in or bury a vital mask.
even kill you if you get in the way . so great It's honendously tricky stuff, a n d there's
care is needed. you don't get any extra lives, plent y more where t hat c a me f rom wi t h
so a deat h us ually means res t art ing t he bombs, t rans port ers a n d c ut e lit t le dolls
maze you were on. adding t o y our problems on lat er levels.
Once y ou'v e got t he hang of chickens XOR is inf uriat ingly dif fi c ult at times, but
and fish separately, you're then faced wit h alway s maddeningly addic t iv e A n ac t ion
VISUAL EFFECTS Emomik •
Pie711's gnature lune
AUDI O linommen
pla ,,gfa ocs but they cc The lob
I Q F A C T O R EI N I MI B E•
Are. bran - bender
FU N FA C TOR 11111•02•16
Sudfisdigly mayatie for sucha puzzler
PREDICTED
IMEREST
N VE
T
E
R
E
.! 211.1!1fiRf -
m i tt!
T ' -
pl a y l i m e
I t
ACEROG921 H
•
AC1

R e l e a se B o x
Spectrum £7.95 cs O U T NOW
Amstrad S9.95 csS14,95dkIMMINENT
C64/128 £ 9 .9 5 esE12.95 dkIMMINENT
AtariST N / A O C T 87
replay feature lets yo u re vie w a failed
attempt on a maze and (you hope) se
where
, you went wrong
. The graphics may look a little simple
but they scroll nicely and serve their purooce
perfectly well.that
puzzling, cmd Thegrips
pointlike
of course
a vice is the 1 1
TAI-PAN
SUPPLIER O C E A N V E R S ION TESTED ATARI ST
BASED on the novel b y Shogun author
James Clcrvell, t h is historical
blockbuster takes you to the South China
Seas of 150 years ago In its combination of
trading, arcade-adventure and sailing simu-
lation Tar-Pan tries to offer the player a var-
ied and interesting set of tasks. Its plciyability
is marred by control problems though. and
you ma y we ll be left frustrated or simply
confused
Staffing the game as a penniless sailor
stranded in Canton, yo u have t o trade,
smuggle or tight your wa y to riches in the
turbulent Far East of the 1840s. Youll need to
borrow money for a ship first though, and
crew her for the voyages ahead Wandenng
the side-on viewed streets of the town you'll
also need to keep an eye out for stores,
ammunition and goods to trade
The choices you make in this and future
shore-bound sections o f t h e g a me w i l l
depend on the kind of career you plan to
have Whether you want to trade in legal
goods, contraband or simply go in for out-
right piracy.. whether you hire a volunteer
crew or roam the backstreets pre%-gonging
drunks. its all up to you Control over buy-
ing, selling, picking up and dropping items
is by icon and pointer, with menus appear-
mg as appropriate.
Wandering the streets of Canton in
search of some financial backing!
nice backdrops, shame sbriut the
animation,
The backdrops here are very pretty to be
sure, b u t the sprites have an unfortunate
roller-skating action to their walk - a com-
promise forced on them b y la ck of dick
Release b o x
Spechum £ 7 .9 5 cs O U T NOW
AtariST S 1 9 • 9 5 c l k OUTNOW
Atari800 £ 8 . 9 5 cs£12.95 dkOUTNOW
C64/128 £ 8 . 9 5 cs£12.95 dkOUTNOW
AmstradCPC£8.95 cs £14.95 dkOUTNOW
space. Ocean soy. Irs pretty hard controlling
your character a t first, o r just sorting out
where you're going. It can even be tough
simply telling where you a re - location
names would have helped a great deal here
- a n d the switch from a main street to an
alleyway con be confusing to say the least.
Once you have a ship, crew and mug°
you corn set soil for other ports After a pretty
(but purely cosmetic) vie w o f yo u r ship
pulling away from its moorings the game
switches to on overhead perspective and
you're at sea - in more ways than one, you
might feel. Control of your vessel is limited tc
steering and altering your sail height - a
crude process that has a rather haphazard
effect on the speed of your vessel The dis-
play is rather simplistic, showing for the most
part only your ship and the surrounding
coastline.
Again, the various options open to you
are offered as icons along the bottom of the
screen Aside from changing the scol height
OTfeeding the crew, youll mostly be using
these for combat. Choose 'status a n d you
can find out lithe lookout sees other ships in
the area Follow up his sightings with tele-
ACE
SCREEN TE S T
,
scope' to find out where the ships are and
what flags they're flying a n d then close in
for occanon fire or boarding
Both these stages load sencn•crtely from
disk, a n d neither o f th e m a re exactly
advanced stuff Cannon fire has the enemy
ship sailing in a straight line past your guns
You just set the elevation, fire at the appro-
priate time and with luck shell heave to
ready for boarding I f you overdo the can-
non you risk sinking her, but against a pirate
ship this may be the best option open to you
Boarding is a straightforward Gaunt/et-
style blast and slash effort where your object
is to kill the enemy captain I f you achieve
this and have enough crew to man the cap-
tured ship you can add her to your fleet, and
set her to work for you running legitimate
goods from port to port I f you don't have
enough crew you'll have to plunder her hold
and leave her.
If after six months (game lime) you've
amassed enough wealth you must pay back
your original benefactor and then concen-
trate on building your mercantile empire I f
not, you're for the chop - quite literally
Overall Tal-Pan is something of a missed
opportunity, wit h reasonable atmosphere
but some rather weak gameplcry Mouse
control is very unwieldy. and monoeuvering
your s h ip c a n b e extremely difficult.
Shorebound menus arm be rather clumsy,
and don't always have tcmcer options if you
select them by mistake
There a r e e ye -ca tch in g g r a p h i c
sequences in the game to be sure, but these
usually have to load in trom disk with what
can be quite lengthy delays A lot of nice
touches here, but more attention to basics -
ship control and sprite animation ashore in
particular - would have made a more
appealing whole.
AS
VISUAL EFFECTS n e o n
Nice backdrops arkt map - sot res are a 01 below
par
AUDI O moonses
I d a s s y it repEtkte
Ra FA C TOR •••1111EB
y o u , h e IQ 61Se yOur tc a n nefE
,
FU N FA C TOR NENE mon
Combat sequences ordyrtF
, t ot lt rt
PREDICTED
a c t i o n
INTEREST
CURVE
•rnal 1 6 n
pl a y ti m e
ACEROG697
r SCREEN TEST

DIZZY
SUPPLIER C OD E MASTERS V E R S I O N TESTED SPECTRUM
VISUAL EFFECTS ne e notti

A U D IO
Pretty and nicely animated

Pleasant lune and lively elects

I Q FA C TOR B o • • • • •
A lair arnount ot puz2le•934vin9 to be done
FU N FA C TOR • • • • • • •
Very ebloyable - 1.1111you solve
wo n t hav e to s pend hours at t empt ing to PREDICT
I Pi Di z z y a s ma l l e g g - s h a p e d c rea- work Out h o w t he programmer' s m i n d INTERE
ED
ture
A wh o s e mission is to k ill t he ev il sor- has been work ing. r C U R V ST
E
/
cerer lax , a n ex c eedingly wic k ed piec e The g a m e is a little on t he s mall side
oft wo r k w h o h a s b e e n c o n j u r i n g r a i n but a t E l 99 5 0 screens of t his q u a l i t y
dhu r i n g t h e S u n d a y a f t e r n o o n c ric k et a n d addic t iv nes s are not to be sniffed at
Ai n d sorcerers don't c o me mu c h nas t ier - e v e n i f Di z z y d o e s l o o k
s
t han t hat d o t hey / Hu mp t y Dumpt y
a To ac hiev e y our objec t iv e y o u mus t •,• T I L , : h y e a r
brr e w a s t range pot ion t hat , a s we l l as Am s t r a d V e r s i on pl ay time
c curing A t h l e t e ' s F o o t ( a s t h e i n l a y

ACERATING188
Graphics o r e virtually i denti cal t o t h e
c alaims ) w i l l des t roy loc k a n d e n d h i s Spectrum version; y ou mi ght tel a little
d
reign of t enor I n t his n o b l e ques t Dizzy peeved about that, but they ar e very well
e
runs a n d l u mp s f r o m s c reen t o s c reen done. Gameplay is just the same
s aearc hing f o r t h e p o t i o n s ingredient s
ad n d objec t s t hat m a y h e l p h i m o n his

SURVIVOR
wa v y M a n y objec t s are needed t o g a i n
e
access t o dif f erent sections of t he world,
whic
n h c o v e r s a b o u t 5 0 s c reens , a n d
wh t e n a n d wh e r e t o us e t h e m mus t b e
disu c ov ered p a r t l y b y l o g i c a l deduc t ion
a rn d part ly by trial a n d error
e The balanc e bet ween pilz 7le diffi cul-
tyy a n d rat e of progress is kept at just t he
o
right lev el in Dizzy t o k eep y o u c o mi n g
bacu k f o r mo r e , b u t wi t h o u t m a k i n g
p
t hings t o e a s y T h e p r o b l e ms u s u a l l y SUPPLIER U S GOL D VER SION TESTED SPECTRUM
h la v e a q u i t e l o g i c a l a n s we r s o y o u
a
y Release Box g a me element s c reep in wh e n y ou hav e
D E E P powerf ul s pac es hip, fi l l e d w i t h
Spectrum i 1 .9 9 cs O U T NOW to j u mp y o u r w a y u p s ev eral shafts i n
ilifeforms
n f rom a t hous and planet s Y o u order t o progres s E x t r a p o we r f or y o u r
Amstrad S I 99 cs O U T NOW s
c ont p rol
a a s olit ary c reat ure on board t hat
jumps is obt ained by duc k ing.
c e
s pac es hip i n its at t empt s t o perpet uat e The a n i ma t i o n o f t h e c harac t ers is
fl
its rac e. Y o u c arry wi t h y o u t en pods , v ery smooth. Colour is used liberally a n d
o alas t o f y o u r species: int roduc e t h e
the
Dizzy ponders a graveyard problem there are n o at t ribut e c las hes as ev ery -

•
t s t o t he inc ubat ors scattered a r o u n d
pads t hing a d o p t s t h e c o l o u r o f it s c u r r e n t
&Ai Iroggbi
.0.E.orivo a lev els of the s hip a n d ensure the sur-
the bac k ground - t his does c aus e t he oc c a-
vniv al of y our race.
e This 2 D arc ade-adv ent ure c ov ers a
DV C M ' O F '
MOM pnl a y i n g area of some 140 screens, wh i c h VISUAL EFFECTS BM•IMISESt
o Well animated and cddilhAl
fl ip rat her t han scroll wh e n y our c harac -
r A U D I O ••11111111111•
ter reac hes a screen border Th e s hip is
divm ided I nt o v arious lev els , w h i c h a r e
Pret'y dui errects
o
accessed by lifts and air vents.
u ICI FA C TOR • • • o n a n

,•;,* o r
.04 Your c reat ure has a l i mi t e d e n e r g y
ssupply t hat is reduc ed o n c ont ac t wi t h
a FU N FA C TOR E • • i l m i s t
A few plaktm puzzles

- other creatures ( wh o c ome in all s hapes

oer t,
•
ann d s iz e f r o m m i n i s pac e-s hut t les t o Noi quite endogh to do
d
A i ov ergrown aspirins.) Re p l e n i s h i n g y our
R o
energy inv olv es d r o p p i n g t he pods int o PREDICTED
+ k
, the i n c u b a t o r s A l t e r n a t i v e l y y o u c a n INTEREST
Survivor: inside Me ship
CURVE
get a t as t y s nac k b y eat ing o n e of t he
engineers w h o s t roll a r o u n d t h e s h i p
look ing like animat ed jelly babies.
Your def enc e f rom t he energy -leech-
ing aliens is t o spit at t h e m Y o u r s aliv a
c ont ains a paraly s ing ac id, t hus ma k i n g -
it pos s ible t o j u m p o v e r t h e c reat ures o pl ay ti me
Escape is y our only alt ernat iv e, eit her by u
hiding in the air vents or the lifts
Survivor's gc mieplay is pret t y t ough,
d e ma n d i n g ac c urat e pos it ioning of y our
c harac t er t o J u mp obs t ac les . P l a t f o r m
ACE G604 r
d
d
y
i
Act w
e
 SCREEN TE S T
'

sional problem as t he aliens c an be a lit- old dog Major Fielding again,

tle l i f f j r
Now. either Major F has got a pretty neat
- Surv iv or w i l l c e r t a i n l y t es t y o u r ship out there - 2 0 0 m p h speedboat per
'ii1
powers of enduranc e and pers ev eranc e naps - or something has g o n e badly amiss
t o g a m e wi l l t a k e t i me a n d ef f ort t o
the
with the game design and/ or programming
cs omplet
p e S a d l y d e s p i t e its polis h a n d Whatever the cause • a n d it is an isolated
classy
o t c ons t r lotion i t lacks t hat t ouc h of
incident i t ' s symptomatic of whcrts wrong
anginalit y t hat mi g h t mak e y ou wa n t to wit h Pirates. f ar too muc h repetition and not
enough scope for genuine skill and strategy
t ak e the nol dole to try and fi nish it e l
The game does have its moments and is
enjoyable enough for the occasional voyage
R e le a s e Box The packaging is excellent too. wit h a nicely
produced map of the Caribbean and a book-
Spectrum £8.99 cs O U T NOW
let tilling you in on the histoncal background
Amstrad E9•99 cs,£14.99 dkIMMINENT But it's not the k ind of game that will either
make jump around in excitement or grip you

PIRATES!
by Its deep and complex gameplay

Have ot you! With sky-high morale and 64 men behind him

it looks like victory is Smith's

S W I T N O S . E N G L E ' S , ' C A P TA C IN

SUPPLIER MIC R OPR OSE VER SION TESTED C 6 4 t lt 1

r
k

sn iT M
booty Doing battle involves circling around S :P TA IK fecm
A A A R RI it ' s t i me t o ma k e a l l t h e m SNAEN STRONG
the other ship and trying to get a good shot
s h i v e r
piratical oliches beloved of games reviewers in Almos t inv ariably you hav e to ram your
m e -

,
walk t he plank once again as we raise the victim and board ship Vic t ory or defeat is a
olt Skul:
i m and
b Crossbones and take to the the function of the relative size and morale of the
e r s t wo crews
high seas for some swashbuckling adventure A visit to the governor gels you a politics lesson
m
wit h Pirat es t h e lorres t o f f e r i n g f r o m The battle is only resolved when, Out of 1 1 1 .1 .1 1 1 K -
e
Mimpros e You c apt ain a pirate ship buc- the smoke'. y o u s ee t h e e n e my c apt ain r Y S THAI peOM IS ING
' c
caneering through t he Canbbean in search approac hing Th e r e f ollows a nc lic ulous ;7
u t MUTAN
9 T N C S P A J W.A r * N O
of ICIIYIP f ort une pres t ige a n d even - stcrp arcade' s equenc e as t he t wo stick-like fig-
) e
me vitals a mamageable wench
01
4 CNATTOF Y OU T O
ures wav e what are supposed to be swords .OUT AND O C S 000.
s 41 N E M-Y ' S S N I N
Prrares work s through a senes of action at each other, a hit producing a mousey and E
.1—: •
TO0y
and strategy screens A t t he beginning of very feeble squeak i11 0 1 N P
1M
the game you select the level at whic h y ou Microprose hav e got a bit of a nerv e 1:
want t o p l a y - Apprent ic e t hrough t o cafling Pirates a simulation it's basically an 2o WI TH AC T I V I T Y , N O VON :
Tf 01
Swashbuckler - a n d a n historical period old-fashioned role-playing game of the type Ot I ,
Once you're ID c ommand of your ship your you could fi nd three or four years ago F-15 We P 47
actions are cruided by the choices in the win- airplanes are one thing, but the data just Isn't NM O r
I
dows that appear R g
av ailable t o 'simulate' i n a n y meaningf ul 1 1 1T 111.1.11
11
N T i
The dis play init ially s hows y our s h i p way a long-distant historical period .
1 . , G
bobbing around o r t h e b l u e Caribbean a
Of course, i t s f un pret ending t o b e a 1 F
wafted by t he wmds and guided by y our pirate, whet her t he g a me deserves t o b e
11
.
VISUALI EFFECTS
u ••••••11
G c
11
cilDuc aro should lave been much better
self You can either put in to port or cruise the called a s imulat ion o r n o t Unf ort unat ely •
Y
shipping lanes wait ing t o encounter a suit. Puates v ery quickly becomes repetitive and
1111
M A e AUDIO oninsimmi
,
I m
able orey I f y ou put in t o port y ou might - at points - very strange indeed Despite the o Wind waves and cannon-lire
E
choose to go to see the Governor t rade wit h large number of ports you can put in to. the a
I Q FA C TOR EINEMIEN
I
merchants or go boozing in the local tavern Governors hav e a v ery limit ed v oc abulary S
6 Some inchli decisions to be taken
Here you c an take on new crew. loose old and it becomes v ery tedious indeed t o be
crew omd bribe vanous old sea dogs for infor- told the same thing wherever you go
FU N FA C TOR E N U R E §
A
5
mation a n d treasure charts Whet her y o u And something v ery odd is happening - Despite the drawbacks it can be giebe tun
can pay for any of this o f course depends F
around t he Combee Islands. p u t i n t o a n L PREDICTED
or. how well y ouv e beer. doing in the plun- English port v is it t he Governor and he will I
INTEREST
der and piracy stakes introduce y ou t o his daughter She takes a N
G CURVE
When out on the high seas you hav e to shine to you arid bold buccaneer that your
decide whether or not to attack the ships you cue. and you ask if she wants to marry you
meet this will depend largely or the state of She declines - her hance Ma r t Fielding wit
your crew t he number of cannon you hav e do very nicely t hank you very muc h
and whether you have room in your hold for Fair enough. Better luck next t ime You
can't win e m all Plenty more fish in the sea •r : n t i c . . .
, 1
You sail off a n d pop in at t he nex t island pl a y ti me
d a y
R e le a s e Box with a British Governor He says exactly the

ACERATG134
!
9
C64/128 £14.95 Cs,£19.95dkIMMINENT same words as t he previous one h e intro- .
duces you to his daughter s he takes a shine '
Amstrad N / A D E C 87 to you, you ask for her fair hand in marriage •

she declines because y e s ! its that rcmdy

ACT
SCREEN TEST
BUBBLE
01313
SUPPLIER FIREBIRD VER SION TESTED C 6 4
IF you don't normally associate Firebird
with coin-op conversions, this one may
come as a bit of a shock Where Cholo and
Sentinel were heavy on the l a Bubble
Bobble is solid arcade playability
As in t h e Tonto o rig in a l, t h e ma in
characters are two cutesy little dinosaurs -
Bub and Bob by name - who blow bubbles,
burst them and run round collecting things.
The 2D playing area's viewed side on. a n d
since most screens cue high-rise efforts there's
a fair amount of platform-lumping to be
done
Release B ox
Spectrum S7,95csOCT87
C64/128 S8.95csS12,95 dkOCT87
Amstrad S8.95csS14.95 dkOCT87
AtariST S19.95dkOCT87
It's a true two-player game. with Bub
arid Bob either competing for points or co-
operating to reach higher levels Even if you
select a single-player game a friend can pin
in at any time Simply press fire on joystick
two. Bob appears and you're in business.
To complete each of the games 100
screens, you'll need to tackle its complement
of 'bullies' (bad-guys) using bubbles Blow
your own bubble around a bully at close
mime and hell float off trapped inside: jump
up to burst the bubble, and the bully turns
into a nice juicy piece of fruit There's no time
to waste here though - if the bubble bursts
before you reach it the
main
, b u andl l ymecner than ever!
w iCollecting
l l the fruit from defeated bullies
earns
t eyou extra points but there's a knack to
hitting
f r the e real
e high scores I f you burst
bullies individually they turn into humble
bananas. b u t burst several at once and
you'll get a whole spread o f ju icy (and
valuable) items
Dodging bullies can he a tricky business,
especially given that they can outrun you on
the level Shooting's none too easy either
your bubbles o n ly ca rry a ve ry short
distance before ficatng oil harmlessly Pick
up a running shoe though culd you're up to
sprinting speed. while some gum gives your
bubbles that bit more stayina power
As you progress onto higher screens
you'll find better weaponry in the form of
water fire and lightning A ll these come in
bubbles - burst them crt the right moment
and you can re a lly wreck those bullies!
What's more bullies destroyed like this turn
into d ia mo n d s ra t h e r t h a n f ru it , a n d
diamonds me worth big points
VISUAL EFFECT • • • • • , . ,
AD1 Culesy but very good
AUDIO
- d o i n g•EE•ESIES
OK e n s and tenlic muSic
ICI FA C TOR m o n s e r n
You need !o 91.n% a bit in places
FU N FA C TOR •••••1111111
.•o
' : . lyable
aim I how I d l y l w e e k 1 m o n t h 1 y ear
pl ay ti me
ACERATG958
There are all manner of strange bonuses
and powers to collect as you work your way
through the game, but they can be difficult
to get to and most of them vanish if they
aren't co lle cte d q u ickly L e t h a l e xt ra
firepower can b e very handy. a n d timed
bonus screens y i e l d enormous sco re
increases11 you can clear them fast enough
Spend too long on any one screen and youll
be told to 1-lun
across
- a ll bullies still on the screen turn into
their
y Up t :meaner 'escaped from bubble' forms
tmaking
o things a good deal more dangerous.
hIf y ou
e still
l pdon't get a mov e on a bubble-
gproof enastyt comes after you, so time ts of the
essence
t h
For CI la rg e ly non-violent and (some
e
would say) rather twee g a me B u b b le
m e really
s is amazingly addictive stuff.
Bobble
sPleasing
a graphics
g and great music add to its
eappeal, but with such a playable game
Firebird had to be onto a winner A1J11
 SCREEN TE S T
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CRE DI TS
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Sc'eel 5 One bully in a bubble and the other Screen 8 1
being washed away looks like two more heed will get him corns extra Pspeed - il he
.can reach it in time..
bananas coming up!
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Screer 4. Can Bub drop down onto that .
Screen 10 Bananas are all veryuwell
e but
s U
banana without hitting that banana? those grapes up there are worth big points!
U
. r
r S
C
R
E you catch a falling token - all of these merg-
E ing into a frenzied. richculous cacophony as
N the ball really starts moving
On t he garneplcry side, the clever sys-
T tem for get t ing extra powers adds a lot t o
E Impact a p p e a l Fr o m t ime to time, s mall
S yellow tokens t umble down from bricks that
T the b a l l has just destroyed Ca t c h one of
these with the bat and click the right mouse
button, a n d y oull engage t he Slow' option
(see the POWERS box). Catching t wo tokens.
and c lic k ing t he right but t on gets y o u a
magnetic bat, catch three to divide the ball.
four to get a wide bat a n d so on. A small
pad on the right of the scieen shows you the
power you've earned' so far
When y o u select a power, y o u lose
your tokens and start again f rom zero. You
hav e to spend them wisely then, but this can
be t ric k y . Unles s y ou're c ount ing t ok ens

VISUAL EFFECTS M i n i m a IA
ve
, A U D IO • • • • • • •
!
' I w i N c l i n g elects
•
,I Q FA C TOR nononnals
l No' too troublesome
M P A o
FUt N FA C TOR • • • • • • •
Total &Minor
q
,
SUPPLIER AUDIOGENIC VERSION TESTED ATARI ST u
i
r

IF Arkcmoid o we d a certain amount to

that golden oldie Breakout. I mp a c t
Derivative needn't mean bad though.
and in this case it certainly doesn't Original
e
a
owes a great deal more t o A r k a n a d You touches and subtle differences from its prede- 11) s
k now the drill m o v e your bat f101 cessors give Impact's gameplay a character C
-
side, t ry ing t o keep a ball bounc ing round of its own, but there are more obvious dis- r
the
11 play
s i dinge area.t As
o the ball bounces oft the tinctions too. e
incur • Jay ' w e e 4 . m o
patterns of coloured bncks there it breaks t
Above all, I mpac t is terrific to listen to — p l a y ti m e
e
them down, of t en releasing 'tokens • whic h It d o e s n t q u i t e h a v e A r k ma o ' s v is ual

ACERATING95
a
can giv e either bat or ball useful extra prop- appeal, but on sound effects it wins easily. s
erties if y ou c at c h t hem. Clear t he screen There's the xylophone chime every time the A
and you get another, harder pattern to work ball hits a brick, t he screech of y our laser r
on.
and missile fire, t he glockenspiel trill wh e n k
a
n
o
Build frames of your own using .
Impact's handy screen designer. s c r e ugg A g n e rd
When you're got them just right you
can writs them to disk, boot up the nitspdiO4
game itself and play them! ]ccel ; 0
El - M I MIll M I M E = Ell moxspd
MN I = E l l M E M IMP t o ken s vc
ME 1 E 1 ME M E M E M es s
ME - 1111 E l Ell EE M E M E ,o pl ieeen
dup:e
.1:0
MEI E l l E l E l l I n EM olien.2:0
In • = I MEI M E M olien.3:1
M I UM M E EN olien.4:1
ME Ell MN M E E i l l • olien.5:1
IN = El M E = 1 olien.6:1
1 11111 • - '._ M I E l Ell V I olien.7:1
E l ME ME I = Ell E l E l Ell EE MI E l I E E E olien.8:1
11M 1
EE 11E Ell 1M = MEI M E = EM E l ME Ell bombs : 0
! E l l m u to k i l l : 2
ft
,
o M. m
ri m ME
= E n n a =
e NEI* ! "
1
1111
b•IES•Aa 1111
 SCREEN TEST1

y ouv e got to keep an eye on the icon pad, You c ant carry tokens across from one
without losing your concentration on the ball frame to another, but you do get 1000 points
and bat Mis s ing t he Option y o u wa n t b y for any y ou don't use This is an enormous
catching too many tokens can be as t a d as bcost, a n d if you're going for a high score
selecting too early, because there's no easy you probably wont want to use your tokens
way back at all.
Impact i s amaz ingly addic t iv e stuff,
and just has t he edge ov er Ark anoid i n
itself. But there's an additional reason for pre-
R e le a s e Box ferrmg it, i n t he f orm of a screen-designer.
AtarIST S14.95akOUTNOW After Impact's 80 built-in frames (Ark anold
has 33) there's room for another 48 of y our
CBM64/128 N/A IMMINENT own design. These c an incorporate any of
Spectrum N/A IMMINENT the games different brick types, aliens arid
tombs. You've also got control over the ball's
Amiga £14.95dkIMMINENT
speed and acceleration so there's plenty I TO KE N P O W E RS
of scope for you to expenment. MI
S LO W
The ball's speed rises continually during play,
often making impossible demands on the play-
er's reflexes, SLOW lakes i l back to starting
speed, which can be-useful towards the end of a
level - but then you'll probably have too many
tokens for It by that time anyway!

(110116
' 11ciL
MAG NE T
the ball cling to the bet only olorying on
you hit the kelt mouse-button. This means
, move the bet and release
bricks or get the ball
pinpoint accuracy you
k;r the bat by clicking the
A 000 itiff
fsl'
k
1 SCORE DI V I
1 Splits i n t o three, giving you twice or
0005935 hree tines the brick-hitting power as long as you
keep juggling. Be warned though - the balls
In different directions immediately. Use it
the screen and you might well lose all

0
DE B A T
and flaps told out either side of your bat,
0 its width. Very handy for high speed
but frowned on by reflex fiends.
•4

Eipay:71
TO RCH
- Shows up those naughty Invisible bricks which
C Z = E can pet so confusing otherwise. It's more a luxu-
ry than a practical option, but can be very handy
- when you're exploring new screens.

LA S E R
:Abovel Cut loose with Impact's The first of the really powerful options, this lets
devastating missile option and watch you shoot bricks or aliens. Each hit is equivalent
those bricks evaporate! :Led b e cw
In .erti Knock out those BONUS bricks in to one ball impart, so a double-hit brick will need
the right order to pick up an extra life, shooting twice. YOleVO still got to keep the ball
NO I n M I bouncing, mind you. As for clearing stull Out
me SAi a I M E
SO s i - t • 1 1 1 1 from behind indestructible or laser-reflecting
11111 S i t •
1111 I S M E bricks. you'll have 10 do that the old-fashioned
SC01211'
• tc y n way.
NO I M M 001- 3390
I
F RAKE
i s Ls i s us = IS E GS S M ART BO MB
1.1110.11.11612911111MVA=11111111:t C h
• Kills all aliens on the current screen, permanent-
ly. That includes the infuriating bombs* - small
yellow nestles that temporarily freeze the bat -
•••
making this a very useful option indeed on the
• higher levels. II does make things a tot less inter-
1 = r3 2
esting though.

MI S S I LE
Very powerful sluff indeed. Like LASER this lets
you shoot bricks. Unlike LASER your shot pow-
ers on up through whole columns of bricks, tak-
ing any aliens in its stride. Great lot clearing out
the screen edges, but do use your shots wisely-
BONUS you only gel three!
SCoRE
0022905 FO RCE FI E LD
The ultimate option in more ways than one, this
gives your ball the hitting power of a missile.
Slice your way through bricks and aliens alike
with thi s one. FOROEFIELD takes s o m any
tokens you'll only ever get it in time tor mopping
up, but i l
g r t 5
ls
i m pr
e s s i
v e .
 •

knife-edge world of the vigilan _ .•,,,-

no place to rest,no time to think— g r n i l l i l P
but look arp—the re is ,always time to die! From the city subways to the gan h e t t o s you will always
encounter the disciples ollnovil whose mission it is to exterminate the only man on earth who dares to throw down
t h e gauntletintheirpath—theReriegade!AEreathtakingTeMrsionofNellpadZhitby
T a i t o nowforyourhomecoriCputer.Withalltheoriginalplayfeatures
P L A Y RENEGADE...PLAYMEAPNIg_ _ ._,_--

trorn Ta ti o Corr) 1986 Progratrmed tot Amstrad, Spectrum Commodore by ;magma Software

Imagine Software • 5 Central Street • Manchester M2 SNS • Tel: 051 834 3939 - Telex: 559977
 SCREEN TE S T
I

RMAGEDDONMAN
SUPPLIER MARTECH VER SION TESTED SPECTRUM

divided into In and Out trays enabling y ou

/
plac e Y o u a r e t n e S u p r e me to r e a d a n d s end messages. Th e r a d i o VISUAL EFFECTS E m m o n s
T
Commander of the UNN - The Armageddon monit oring icon, e n a b l i n g y ou t o rec eiv e GCOCsveen design
T
Man, y o u r mis s ion is t o k eep t he peac e
2 radio messages s ome of these t hough need A U D IO
b e t we e n t h e r i v a l n a t i o n s , u s i n g a l l a fcm bit of aecodmg
0 Reasonable but nothing special
av ailable resources to ensure that nuc lear Annageaaon Mans gameplay aepends
3
war does not break out You are resident in I Q F A C T O R 11•11•1111111
largely on t he memo's whic h pop onto tne
2 'atODIle'Very srYONK
an enormous a n d s ophis t ic at ed s at ellit e screen throughout the game t hey demand
A
c odenamed Olympus, where y ou control a FU N FA C TOR n o n n o w s
I
network of spy and laser defence satellites Release Box Not a game you pick up and play tor lust had an hour
D
a .
, Spectrum S12•95 cs O U T NOW
n •

d
- Amstrad £12.95 csS19.95dkIMMINENT
•

t 4
1
C64/128 i12.95 csi13.95dkIMMINENT
h 1
1
e 1
0 action eit her immediat ely or in the future.
w 6
and how y ou respond t o t hem determines
o r
o the course of events. Firing off a stiff note lm,r Im o n th l y o a r
r p
r reprimanding t wo powers who aren't getting , pl ay time
l o
along c an defuse an explosive situation. if i

ACERATING793
;
d h
; you just ignore events then sooner or later
i -
o
- there's going to be a nuclear war
s u
In t his ic on-driv en strategy g a me t he Since maint aining peac e and stability
n r
screen is soul into t wo main sections. A map are y our ma i n objectives, y ou must ensure
o 1
of t he world occupies t he t op right c omer that countnes hav e a sound ec onomy and lot t o doffer. t he deeper y ou get int o it f o,o
r
while t he fi ve ma i n icons displayed to tne that t hey are get t ing along wit h t he other more arewarding it becomes No t e t hough.
a and across the bottom o f the screen are
left countries A n d military stability is of course. that They Annageddon Man is a game more
s
your means of c ont rolling t he game y o u r particularly important. for t he1 s eas oned s t rat egis t t h a n t he
a
satellite icon means you c m secretely listen There's nothing graphically outstanding dabbler w
l messages T h e c ommunic at ion ic on is
to

RSMOP
in the program but Armageddon Man has a e
e
i
e
VISUALi EFFECTS 11111111/116
i Standaro issue
A U D IO
Nice MOO

I Q FA C TOR E m m o n s
SUPPLIER REAKTOR VER SION TESTED C 6 4 Fliyy cleaning don't trouble the brain too mucl

MRSMOP is t s
that t h e wa t e r i n y our c l e a n i n g buc k et
quickly runs out, a t whic h point y ou must
FU N FA C TOR • • • • • • •
Easy 10 gel ri to but the tun wont last too hang
while being assaulted
c by staff pupils and find a sink and tap in order to refill it
even a horde of savage
t ry dogs Yes t he Bnlish
educational system h JS in a rear *mess Just to
add to y our problems
i Mrs Mop has a bad
Release Box
back and i t goes - y oull need a week oil to
rec ov er i t f er a r n o t t o r y o o n e n o C64 i 4 99cs O U T NOW
ordinary olearungt ladyr y y o u ocro null soap
at y our oceadants i no r ev en k ill a n d c lean
everything on screeng at once oy using a can Im o I h o . . . r C O '

of Glecoloo - t h e cdaz l z ling lady's answer to pl ay time

smart combs

ACEWING532
e
The game displays
a an overneaa view ot
the school scrollingn iarouna the ngure Of Mrs
Mop as 5r16 aeons n and shoots The scnool
g
div ided int o sections arid t o c omplet e a
-
sectuot, Mrs MC4., ELL.St cieari ail or the floor
and k ill a certain1 number of eac h t y pe of this type of tour-way-scrolling shoot-em-
attacker Y o u begin; i t he g a me wi t h fi v e up is pretty c ommon these days and though
weeks t o c omplet 0 e y our task. a s lowly the scenario is original t h e floor c leaning
y
decreasing back-strength bar al the bottom part soon becomes more a frustration t han
6
of the screen indicates how long it will be an interesting variation from the norm That
before y ou wi l l hav e t o use one of those s aid t h e g a m e is c o mp e t e n t l y p u t 111
weeks resting to heal your "cock The process ,together and reas onably good value a l E l
Mrs Mop aoes her Mutt s et upon by the revolting mmaies
of cleaning is further homperea by the tact al our ac hoois the once

ACE
r SCREEN TEST

DEATHWISH3
SUPPLIER GREMLIN V E R S ION TESTED C 6 4
and shot things will beeome ceeet but a new
not s oon break s out a n d y ou me oil a g a i n
hunting crown the new leaders
Gremlin h a v e m a d e a g o o d r o b i n
c rewing a n amus ing ac t ion packed game
from a rather limited fem Licence l' nough the
v iolenee i s relent les s a r i a g r a t u i t o u s
nobody 5 going to take it seriously A r e they
The lasting appeal at t he game is doubtful

bur ittss colourful

for wort h c hec
and kgory
ing out
grapnes.
it only 2
THIS game or t he fi lm raises computer-
screen gore to n e w height s Y o u
hav e t he pleas ure - s ome might s ay t he S p e c t r u m V e r s i on
dubious pleas ure - of play ing Paul Kersey
Colours not quite so bright, s omehow y ou
ma c h o - ma n v i g i l a n t e h e r o o f Ch a r l e s
seem t o miss out on t he gore t he ot her
Bronson's Death Wish fi lms It t5 your task t o machine supply
rid New York at the gangs of creeps who are
constantly not ing in the streets and mak ing A m s t r a d V e r s i on
rife a misery for decent citizens
The graphics and colours look particularly
The obrect of the game is to fine and kill
good on this The game plays as tot other
the eve gcthg leaders who are instigating the versions,
may hem To this end you are equipped wit h
a variety of weapons a map showing either 064 A paramedic dregs a corpse off
your loecrtion or that of the gong leaders arid
a b u l l e t p r o o f v es t Y o u als o rec eiv e a
printout f rom Police HQ t elling y ou where
VISUAL EFFECTS I I • • I B TSRE
vecy gory deaths
new riots cue break ing our arid a compass
that shows the direction you are facing A U D IO • • • • • • •
You start the game with an armoury that Excellent soundtrack
would be the envy of ma n y an army rocket
ICI FA C TOR • • • • • • •
R e l e a se B o x launc her, m a c h i n e gun, p u mp - a c t i o n
shotgun, pistol Wh e n you have used all the Will taAe some rho,..ight to told al gang ieaders
C64 S 9 . 9 9 csS14.99dk OUTNOW FU N FA C TOR E•nnimmai
ammunit ion in a weapon then it is discarded
Spectrum i7.99cs O U T NOW and t he nex t is used I f y ou use a l l y our Youll gel ,r 10 easily. bull may ro•• last
Amstrad i9,99cs S14.99dk OUTNOW weapons then y ou must search fox another
You can, of course. s wap between available PREDICTED
weapons whenever you like INTEREST
Any contact wit h gong members meals CURVE
331
The top hall of the screen displays a side- they wi l l start beat ing y ou t o deat h wit h
on v iew of the action as you run along the clubs fists of i f they're upmarket punks. they
streets or t hrough buildings blas t ing t he will hav e a gun wit h whic h they can shoo
thugs whilst attempting not tc rut-the Police -
you from a distance. II you hav e no weapon
(also fi ght ing t he not ) or t he innoc ent old .
you are helpless a n d mus t run a wa y but l hour l d a y 1 week iment h • If
ladies who, i f not b e i n g mugged, s eem when armed you can gun them down and pl ay ti me
obbvious of all that is going on around them with the right weapon, totally muelcrte aria
Als o wa n d e r i n g t h e streets are a l a r g e
number of prostitutes, y o u c an tee that's
what they are because they repecrtedly hike
up their skirts to flash a bit of thigh
mangle their bodies Us ing the pumpac t on
s hot gun l e a v e s y o u r v i c t i m a mas s of
strawberry etm on the sidewalk
Once the gang leaders have been found
ACEWI\G139

CENTURO
I NS
SUPPLIER REAKTOR VER SION TESTED C 6 4

stolen several cases of Tyron-Deeromcrte, an

T A K E who defer from you and me in so untested c hemic al dev is ed t o a l l o w t he
cforoas n tthey hav e frameworks Ex ot rames - peeess of Nucleon Ne o n
ratot ac
l hed t o t heir bodies Thes e gadget s az
Its a o n e or t wo play er arc ade style ,
o
supportf a number of weapons to help the
adventure-maze game in whic h you control problems math whenJ you come to collect the
a
Centunons in their struggle against the eve one of three Centurions. Jake Rcekwell. Ace ex large keys needed a to exit from one level
t
Dcc eTerror
Mc Cloud o r Ma x Ray Y o u c a n c hoos e to the next k
c a
Centunons, t he computer game, is the e it k ey s y ou h a v e t o
whic hev er Cent urion you'• l i k e to be a n d To get at t he ex
n
fi nal confl ict bet ween t he Centurions and t
you c an c hange characters at any point in unlock s ev eral doors Th e keys tot these
o forces of Dcc Terror, who has broken into
the i
the game Your mission is to clear all three of s maller doors a r e pos it ioned o n s ma l l
f
the Weapons Dev elopment Cent re a n d r
t he game' s lev els of t he c hemi c al T h e Islands eac h at whicoh is amessible only by
s u
p e s
r b 4e5t. d
 SCREEN TEST1

crosses and when you wcuk over one you get

Release Box VISUAL EFFECTS M E E M •ns
to choose an enhanc ed weapon wh i c h is
C64/128 S9.99 cs S1299 dk OUTNOW promptly fitted to your Eatorrome 1,, ,
Centurions graphic s are aaectuate but r i n A U D IO MOOMM•li
AMSTRAD£9.99 cs £12.99 dk OUTNOW gty
not impres s iv e t h e animat ion a n d mu t t OK Otos and a pleasant tune
SPECTRUMi8.99 cs I M M I I N E N T direc t ional s c r o l l i n g a r e g o o d a s y o u :
c r
I Q a FA C TOR nom m ono
c harac t er wa l k s about blas t ing a l l a n a
n You'll need a good Meeltify IOTkeys
sundry
the chcaacter related to it A c e McCloud, for Fans of t he I V. series or t he toys will FU N ky FA C TOR • • • • • • •
Takes
ex ample, c a n o n l y g e t k ey s o n is lands doubtless fi nd s ome las t ing appeal i n this b ;erserverarice to get a l
surrounded by his parlacalar Dolour blac k ) - u
I./w PREDICTED
To change between characters you must computer
to fi nd t h game.
a t it soon
anybecomes
one elsetedious.
is likely 1 1 1 t here
Y it t e r e s l i n g INTE HST
go to a selection zone You simply walk over CURVE
the zone of your choice - either land. sea or Amstrad Version h
au - to become the character corresponding CI) e
Very s imilar t o t he Co mmo d o r e v ers ion c
to that particular zone. Alt ernat ing between
although the Amstrad graphics are a shade o
characters is essential as the keys are located
on several different islands more attractive, t hey don' t hav e such a l
blocky look about them. The idea and the 1, n o
To mak e things difficult there is a host of I our • d a y T w e e i m o n t h 1y ear
gomeplay are identical. u
aliens shooting at you, eac h hit deplet ing pl ay ti me
r
your limit ed energy by one point Y o u start

ACEPM\G692
'
wit h 1001 energy points and when they are s
all gone you've tailed Kill enough aliens and u
a 'crucmt appears on the screen Quants are n
f unny t hings , t h e y look l i k e l a r g e wh i t e a
m
e

GAMEOVER
a
l
Things picki up an awful lot on the second
planet, but there
n are are reservations about
the garne's rough
g edges You can walk off a
screen straight onto a mine tot ex ample, or
lump into a situation you don't hav e room to
jump Out of - av oidable wit h prac t ic e
but v e r y frustrating
SUPPLIER IM A GIN E V E R S ION TESTED AMSTRAD
Sp ect ru m Version
Spanish programmers Dinomie may k now
,ne n a s gone too tar
their Amstrads, but they're clueless when it
G R E M L A t h i s t ime a n d she must b e
comes t o Spec t rum attributes. The c olour
stopped As her ex-henchman Arkos y ou are clashes are enough to make you wince
the ma n t o do it You' ll hav e to t ight y our
way t hrough t wo planets ol noshes. booby- C 64 Version
traps a n d rat her inc onv enient holes in the Graphic s a r e o n t he dull s ide here, but
ground, but that shouldn't WOrtty a light ing c ont rol is t he r e a l problem, There 5 no
man like you keyboard option, and the game's dreadfully
Garneplay on t he first planet involves unwieldy on joystick.
running from left to nght jumping gaps and

VISUAL EFFECTS NEMER.'"

R e l e a se B o x SOOOuse ot Colour aid sore smooth auton
Speorr-Ti Setrious attribute problems
Spechum i7.95cs O U T NOW A U D I O 11111111111111ft
Amstrad i 8 1 5 c s i14.95dk OU T NOW from the energy drain of taking repeated hits Perky tune and some reasonable etleots

C64/128 S8 .9 5 S14.95dk O U T NOW
z apping mashes You' v e got a laser a n d a
limit ed s upply of h a n d grenades t o us e
against t he fl ying, jumping or waik ing bad
guys, some of wh o m y o u might think l o o k
strangely lik e airborne k angaroos I n tact.
they a r e airborne k angaroos Fi x e d g u n
turrets need mult iple laser hit s t o destroy
them, as do t he giant monsters/robots t hm
periodic ally a p p e a r t o g u a r d t h e w a y
forward.
Shoot barrels along t he wa y and y ou'll
or from misjudging a lump arid falhng down I Q FA C TOR E m E m ign
a gap What ev er the cause though, losing a Not too taxing
Life is a senous matter - and not just because
FU N FA C TOR 1111•••011111
you've only got three of them Every time you
die you get sent back to the start of the game Some instant appeal but ran be trustrat
,
section y ou're on. a n d t hat c a n u n d o as
muc h as ten screens of work nrg
Complet ing t he first part get s y ou ins.
access code for the separately loaded secono
picmet. an altogether more Interesting place
Here t here are bounc ing monsters, let hal
iakes and, most unportant of all, lifts to other
floors. Land mines are the main hazard here.
thour l o a y t week r mo-th y ear
Al] of this is v ery good t o look at, wit h
pl ay ti me
well-drawn spntes and terrific use of colour.

find useful extras - =l e a s e d firepower, more
grenades. a n energy rec harge or ev en a
f orc e-fi eld g i v i n g y o u s h o r t t e r m
invulnerabtht y
II y ou av oid the mines y ou c an still die
ACERAT1G
\
The sound isn't quit e so inspired but it's still
well up tc scratch But compared to stuff like
Green Beret Ghosts'nGoblins o r t he more
recent Exolon, the first stage of Game Over is
a nit short on playability

Aa 1
r S
C

ATHENA
R
E
E VISUAL EFFECTS Ellimmens2
N 11.th ccicuf u• very nicely draw-
T A U D I O ENE•111111111
E An assonthent 01 Spectrum beeps

S I Q FA C TOR M I N N a
T Maze•hroe OunieS must be solywl
SUPPLIER IM A GIN E V E R S ION TESTED SPECTRUM FUN FACTOR • • irn isill
1 n this arc ade c onv ers ion y o u play t he these will drain your energy - in most oases, Very grus t
I I I part of At hena - not the goddess, but a very quickly indeed At the start of the game ,
fearsome Oriental princess. It is your goal to PR EDICTED
a!ing
Athena can only attack by kicking. but otter
seek out and dis member the Dark Overlord, INTEREST
k illing a f ew foes y ou s hould discover a
CURVE
who has transported you to his mourn for a cudgel, whic h Athena can then use to smash
bit of sport Th e realmC her w a y t hrough rocks a n d opponent s
-eac h of wh i c h y o u mus t bat t le t hrough Hidden inside some of the rocks are special
, 0 1 1 Syou
before i S fc 5
an face the Overlora icons whic h c an grant any t hing f rom new
o f s i x weapons and armour to winged boots that
w o r l Release d s , Box provide extra height when lumping. 1mr ,- In
. o ,
pl ay ti me
SpectrumS7.95 O U T NOW )
u 1
f
d
Amstrad 1815 csE14.95dk IMMINENT
ACERAI1NG628
l
a
,
w ,
e 3
e r
You have five minutes to complete each x
of the worlds, eac h of whic h takes t h e form
of a m u l t i - l e v e l h o r i z o n t a l l y s c rolling y ou m e a n s t hat e v e n wh e n c l a d i n
landscape wit h more t han a h i n t of maz e
armour and c a r r y i n g a powerf ul weapon
about them, Ev ery world has two exits: one
your lee won't last long
guarded by a powerf ul monster, t he other
Wit h it s we l l - d e fi n e d g r a p h i c s a n d
unguarded but usually very difficult to find. c ompet ent s ound t his g a me c ould h a v e
The worlds at e fi lled wit h a v ariet y of At hena is s poiled b y y our ex t remely been v ery addictive; it has animat ion and
assailants f r o m h o o d e d monk s t o s mal l short life-expectancy Th e sheer frequency. features that are potentially engrossing ,

REBEL
potato-like creatures Cont ac t wit h any of number a n d speed of creatures at t ac k ing ;.•
.but it's virtually unplayable. 1

VISU A L EFFECTS EMMEN" MN

Ef4ght 'pink relitxpw • 'e poweog garish
A U D IO
Noihng spew!
IQ. FA C TOR •11Enallin
SUPPLIER V IR GIN VER SION TESTED SPECTRUM Reitectots can gwe you cause ior thought
FU N FA C TOR • l l • s i n n o
t hat a s olar b e a m, w h e n t riggered. i s
[ W I slave' m i g h t h a v e b e e n a n Enlo
diverted to the exit and blasts it open
t o
appropriate motto for this g a me your aim Is y
The screen scrolls in four directions as PREDICIED
ab
sl imply
i t o at t ain Freedom.. o r d i e i n t he y ou m o v e a b o u t n a v i g a t i n g a r o u n d INTEREST
v e le
attempt Rebels scenario does a good iob of CURVE
!
cl onv i inc ing y ou that your f reedom is wort h
Release Box c
k
fi ght ing f or, y o u r d i a r y ent ries p a i n t a ,
e Spectrum £ 9 .9 5 coss OUT NOW
suitably ciaspinting picture of lire as a soya b
a
plant at ion work er in t h e state-controlled CBM64/128 E915 coss o u r NOW e
m
agricultural bloc g
a i -o
To escape y ou hav e to break through thewalls, buildings and other obstacles that u pl ay time
an senes of s ealed c ompounds in a stolen hinder your progress Your CCV can shoot in
n

ACERATING691
t b r
Crowd Control Vemc ie (basically - a tank). almost a n y direc t ion (Spec t rum owners -
h u •
This involves collecting and placing them so react that box!), whic h is lust as well since u
a t
y ou're u n d e r c o n t i n u a l a s s a u l t f r o m n d
n
d Spectrum Box helicopters planes and a particularly nasty o '
Rebel differs pretty wildly from the C64 kind of indestructible lank thought.t U you, align them wrongly or leave
i
eversion. There's no shooting, either by or the CCV in w
e t he ray pat h, y ou'll lose a lif e
at you. The nasties ar e al l small a nd when you e
n tngger the solar 1:earn_
l e
square to avoi d attribute clashes, a nd o
The levels are alway s the same Onc e
i u ,
move i n fi x e d pa t t e r ns The m a i n you've work ed out the reflector plac ing and
k g ,
echallenge comes in finding reflectors and alignment required
h r on a given level, you've
working out beam paths within a time cracked it for- gc od You' ll still hav e to fi nd
a c
limit. There's a time bonus for completing the reflectors
h Oand place them, and they are
a level, but fast work ear l y on is still scattereda at nr a n d o m t o t ry a n d maint ain
essential. Scrolling Is smooth, but the your interest.
l r
window's s m a l l a n d t h e gr a phi c s Witl h 13: progressively t ougher levels
Uninspired. As for gamepl ay - good at e IRebel w o u l d h o l d y our h a
y ou'd t hink
first, but flawed. Plac ing t h e refl ec t ors is a t r i c k y n y
attention. It does, but only for a shoe
business r e q u i r i n g a g r e a t a mo u n t o f while g u
e d
4 ! n o . m i t Act
r
 Aollmet

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ROCKMAN
1 SUPPLIER A L L IGA TA VER SION TESTED SPECTRUM
MON
ROCKMAN as it says on the inlay
j ca rd . o r Ro ma n as it
says o n th e screen, i s a n arcade style
adventure in which your mission is to find
the Holy Grail, Your reward is the hand in
momage of a Middle eastern pnncess plus
half o f h e r father's kin g d o m. Sounds
crttrcrctivel Well, read on.
A window opens on the screen to show
you standing at the start of your journey.
Using a joystick or keys to go left-right, rump
and pick-up you wander through the game
HYBRID
SUPPLIER STARLIGHT V E R S I O N TESTED AMSTRAD
A l o existence
n g time the before the came
aliens state came into
to earth.
Where they came from nobody knew but
they carved a swathe of destruction across
the earth the likes of which had never been
seen. Scientists eventually managed t o
contain t h e a lie n s i n a n escape-proof
galactic gaol; b u t th e y we re unable to
destroy them.
Your task then is to destroy the four
remaining aliens. To help, you have three
half-cirold, h a lf-o rg a n ic b e in g s c a l l e d
Hybrids - a robot, a xylon and g brain - s
which yo u must control separately a n d
guide through a complex of some 200 rooms.
Find one of the four rooms in the complex
that allows you to p in the ciroids into one
monster drord a n d yo u a re transferred
automatically to a room containing one of
the aliens which you must destroy. This has
to be done four times in all, with the aliens
Release Box
Amstrad S9,99 csSI4.95 dk OUTNOW
SpectrumS43•99 cs I M M I N E N T
C64/128 t 9 , 9 9 csS14.99dkIMMINENT
area, wh ich is o f th e t wo dimensional,
viewed side-on variety Along the way you
will find various keys which have to be
picked up to enable you to gain access to
other locations. You only have one life in this
game but you are allowed to make three
mistakes. A portrait of your good self at the
base of the screen changes colour with each
mistake - from yellow, through green to red
before you die on your fourth mistake
Hearts, found throughout t h e game,
should be collected as they allow a mistake
to be made without your image turning
colour
Also to be collected are twelve goblets,
each of which will get a part of the shield
you have to complete to finish you task
Sound is used well, with an interesting
title tu n e a n d n ice wa lkin g noises a s
Rodman ambles on his merry way - leave
Release Box
Spectrum £ 1 . 9 9 cs OUT NOW
1
getting meaner everytime.
So. y o u mu st wander t h e complex
VISUAL EFFECTS m i n i m
Blocky and uninsprto
A U D I O Milintitallis
ard Ileless
I Q F A C T O R 1 1 • • • 9 I ND
Gels more tactical it you cerseniete
FUN FACTOR noneenn
Grows on you but (besn t grab yo..,
PREDICTED
INTEREST
CARVE
1.03y r week II-1001h • year
pl ay time
ACERATING615
•P•
SCREEN TE S T
I
Rockman alone for a couple of minutes and
he turns to face you before doing a little
dance until you press a key and resume
play, Graphics, too. are suitably cute.
Rockman I s a n enjoyable a n d hum-
ourous
you game
a run withmoney
for your enough fun to give 111
VISUAL EFFECT E m m a *
Some nice ttle Ouches
AUDIO E • M E N
Jolly effects is tiaces
I Q F A C T O R MIIIMMEnn
Ataw tricky teasers
F U N F A C T O R IMIlit immit
Very enpyabie tor its lite-span
r tday lint . l
r pn loa ry l h
lime
e a '
ACERAMG/02
avoiding or killing the assorted smaller aliens
therein You control each Word individually
and can switch between them at any lime
The chords have different abilities, which
means you can't complete the game b y
using just th e one d ro id The robot, f o r
example, is a mean fighting machine able
to take out enemy gun emplacements and
major obstacles whereas the xylon can gain
access to bridges across t h e o th e rwise
impassable electric currents which bar your
way.
The large game area and the strategy
elements make this gone different from the
average shoot-em-up-cum-mcrze game but
unfortunately the idea and game concept
just haven't been d o n e justice o n t h e
programming side Ignore the poor graphics
and dull sound Of you cxm) and the game
does grow on you, but it's still not addictive
and you'll need plenty of determina-
tion to complete it.
r SCREEN TEST
EARL
WEAVER
BASEBALL
SUPPLIER ELECTRONIC ARTS VER SION TESTED A M I G A
' E A R L Wone e a vofet rhe- winningest
as we all kmanagers
n o w - 'is
in bas eball history. The long career of this
sports l e g e n d i s n o w c r o wn e d b y t h e
arcade "strategy computer game that bears
his name I f you're the least bit interested in
t he game, or t hink y ou c ould bec ome so,
t hen it c ould prov ide y o u wi t h hours of
engrossing entertainment,
Baseball - like our very own cricket -
one of t hos e games wh o s e afi c ionados
delight in a bizarre jargon and a morass of
statistics, wh i l e professional c oac hes are
mas t ers o f d e e p s t r a t e g y . T h e s e
characteristics a r e a boon f or t he g a me
designer: t he game can be as simple or as
c omplic at ed as y ou lik e, f rom relat iv ely
straightforwcad arcade baseball action up to
t he c ons t ruc t ion o f a s t a d i u m a n d t h e
management of a whole league.
In EW Baseball y o u r simplest option
t he Play Ball f eat ure, wh i c h lands y o u
straight in to a game. The screen displays
t he d i a mo n d (roughly equiv alent t o t he
pitch). A strip d o wn t he right h a n d side
shows the pitcher and the batter in close-up,
R e le a s e Box
Amigo £ 2 4 9 5 dk OUTNOW
C64/128 S9.95 csS16.95dk D E C 87
IBMPC £ 2 4 . 9 5 dk O C T 87
speed. You c an also at a n y stage get t he
statistics for any player, but this is one strictly
for those in the know
This arcade section is the simplest pcnt
of t he g a me but is t he basis of t he more
complicated sections. When you've absorbed
a bit more of Earl's wisdom you may want to
go o n t o ma n a g e t eams , b u y a n d s ell
players, construct a t eam of all-t ime greats..
create and run your own league or even get
into stadium construction.
Earl Weaver Baseball has what it takes
to keep y ou play ing over a long period of
time: ifs rather like a cross between Foot ball
Manager a n d Graham Gcoclfs Test Cricket
that has c ome out of t he processor as a
baseball game. The Arruga's graphic s are
a d e q u a t e l y u s e d - t here' s s o me n e a t
animat ion on the pit c hing/ bat t ing - but it's
not a v i s u a l l y s t u n n i n g g a me . Sound,
though, is impressive, from the t heme tune
t hrough t h e digit iz ed s peec h u p t o t h e
continual background noise from the crowd.
Unf ort unat ely f or t he UK c ons umer
Electronic Arts have thrown us a curve in the
pac k aging b y n o t i n c l u d i n g a n y
ex planat ion of t he princ iples or rules of
baseball: s o if y ou don't k n o w t he g a me
already.. or at least k n o w s omebody wh o
does, y o u c ould s t ruggle wi t h t he
program
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You c an control the game wit h mouse. URA
joystick or keys. Batting is a matter of holding
down the button/key and releasing it at the
right t ime to connect wit h t he ball: l i mi ng
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you're get t ing is t he tricky bit here. a n d it
lm in IhOur I n v ' week , ' m onth ly ear
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curving left or c urv ing right. Throwing t he
ball you intend is a question of being pretty
nifty wit h your mouse. joystick or keys.
If y ou' re pit c hing y o u als o h a v e t o
control y our fi elders, t ry ing t o ant ic ipat e
whic h base the runners will mak e for and
quickly mov ing a diamond-shaped cursor to
the base you want the ball to go to. If you're
the bat t ing s ide y ou h a v e t he opt ion of
getting y our men t o 'steal' - sneak - f rom
base to base while the pitcher is throwing.
If y o u g e t i n t o t r o u b l e wi t h y o u r
gameplan then, at the touch of a button, or
Earl is ready t o giv e y ou adv ic e f rom his
position in the dugout I t may not mean a lot
to y ou - 'Bunt for a base hit, for instance -
but it's nice to k now it's there. Other options
inc lude c onf erenc es on t he mo u n d (Earl
checks out t he pitcher), slow-motion action
replays, and a radar read-out of the pitching
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 OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Expansion in an exciting industry.
Continuing success and growth in home computer software creates further
positions for personnel in program writing, development and management,
Ocean group markets software worldwide offering the most extensive
publication of computer programs and producing maximum sales revenues.

HOW RICH DO YOU WANT TO BE?

You've probably heard a lot o f claims and promises from software
companies concerning payment for program code or design work but the fact is
reward depends upon success and by linking into success you will achieve your
maximum potential whichever way you choose to be paid.
If you have talent and dedication then Ocean with its resources and
international connections will bring the fame and fortune you deserve.
HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES?
We are looking for people to work in the fields of game design, graphic
animation, program coding a n d related skills either directly a s in-house
personnel o r on a freelance basis. Training and support will b e offered;
everything from equipment to friendly advice — we want to help you do a better
job for both of us.
We are also looking to market finished software and will offer to translate
original programs to every relevant micro format in order to increase the potential
revenues to the creator.
We work and publish in both 8 bit and 16 bit environments worldwide and no
project is too large or too small for our consideration.

DON'T MISS THE BOAT

Contact us today in full confidence either by phone, telex, fax or write to:
Product Acquisition and Development,
Ocean Software Limited,
6 Central Street,
Manchester.
M2 5NS.
Telephone — 061-832 6633
Fax — 061-834 0650
Telex — 669977 OCEANS G.
 50 games you've got to have
ACADEMY
CRL
Spectrum E9. 95 cs
CBM E 9 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
Amstrad £ 9 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
Atari ST E 1 9 . 9 5 cik
Amiga E 1 9 . 9 5 dk
A flight simulatorishoot-em up that
is incredibly smooth and well put
together. The attention to detail is
impeccable as you design your
skimmer craft, and set oft on the
first of twenty hair raising missions
as a space cadet at the Galcorp
Academy.
ARCHON
Ariolosoft (Electronic Arts)
CBM E 9 . 9 5 cs
The perfect balance of skill and
strategy, Archon resembles a type
There are some games that any
self-respecting micro
owner really ought to have - and that
anyone new to computer entertainment
ought to think seriously about getting. So
here they are - the 50 games that we at
ACE reckon are indispensable to a
connoisseur's collection.
Programs are listed alphabetically,
with their publishers, the machines we're
recommending them for and their prices
on cassette and/or disk. If a machine isn't
listed then it means either that it isn't
available on that format or that we can't
recommend it. Look out, too, for versions
of some of these games about to appear
on other formats - particularly ST
and Amiga.
-
of Chess in which mythical beasts
fight it out in order to gain the five
glowing power points, or annihilate
the opposing side. Each monster
has its own strengths. powers and
weaknesses and each side also
has a commanding wizard with an
assortment of spells at its disposal.
Don't be fooled by the dull•looking
graphics: this is an exciting and
challenging game that will keep
your interest for years to Come.
ARKANOID
Imagine
Spectrum E7_95 cs
CBM E 8 . 9 5 cs, E12.95 dk
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
Atari ST E 1 4 . 9 5 dk
By tar the best micro version of the
arcade classic Breakout.
The game concept is simple
 „the ulti ?Incredible we
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SPECTRUM
4111 £7.95
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enough: the player controls a bat at
the base of the screen, which can
be whizzed left and right. The object
is to keep a small ball in play, and
direct its flight path to destroy a
formation of 'bricks*, which are
displayed horizontally toward the
top of the screen. Destroy all the
bricks and progress to the next of
the 33 screens. Arkanoids clever
extra features and the feeling of
sheer frustration it induces make it
most addictive
BARBARIAN
Po;ace
Spectrum E 9 99 cs
CBM E 9 . 9 9 cs. E12.99 dk
Amstrad E 9 . 9 9 cs. E12.99 dk
Best of the all-kicking_ chopping,
jumping combat games to date. The
player controls a large on-screen
character with sixteen possible
moves. You can opt to fight the
computer or play simultaneously
against a friend. The flicker-free
animation is the best of the combat
crop. Extremely gruesome and with
a wicked sense of humour, ifs a
must.
BOULDERDASH
Prism Leisure Corporation
Spectrum E2.99 cs
CBM E2.99 cs
Amstrad E2.99
One of the most original and
addictive computer games ever
written, Bookierdash sets you the
task of collecting jewels which are
buried in underground caverns.
protected by various configurations
of rocks and earth. Digging your
way round it sometimes seems as if
you need an 0 Level in Physics -
that might help but it isn't really
necessary_ Bouiderdash grips you
right from the start and lets loose
very slowly indeed,
BOUNDER
Gremlin
Spectrum E7. 95
CBM E 9 . 9 5 CS. E12.95 dk
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 cs. E13.95 dk
A grea: arcade bounce-em-up, and
very addictive too. You guide a ball
as it bounces from one platform to
another, high above the vertically
scrolling landscape. Land on
marked squares and you can stay
aloft longer or gain a mystery
bonus. Fall in a gap or hit one of the
games many nasties, however, and
you'll lose a life. Bonus bouncing
sections at the end of each level
help vary the pace. and those tough
gaps really keep you coming back
for more. Bright, witty graphics,
great music - and it's so playable!
CHESS
Psion
Atari ST E24,95 dk
IBM PC £24.95 dk
Macintosh £24.95 dk
Excellent chess game for 16-bit
machines, with 3D view option and
a host of other features. Best bet on
8-bit machines is the very
strongColossus Chess from CDS,
while CheSsmaster 2000 from
Electronic Arts on the 16-bit side is
also worth a gander.
DECATHLON
Firebird Silver
Spectrum E1. 99 cs
CBM £ 1 . 9 9 cs
Amstrad E 1 . 9 9 cs
The toughest lest in athletics
becomes the test of a tough joystick
as you 'waggle furiously to run,
jump and throw your way to gold.
Exhausting but exhilerating. this
Decathlon - originally published by
Activision - just pips Oceans Daley
Thompson-endorsed product for the
honours. Also provides great two'
player competition.
DROPZONE
US Gold/Americana
CBM 64 C 2 . 9 9 cs
This Defender clone leaves the rest
standing: breathtaking graphics,
speed and unrivalled smoothness of
action. fi l l e d in scrolling backdrop
packed with alien assailants sets
the scene as you rush to collect the
mindless humanoids and deposit
them at your Dropzone before they
are captured and transformed into
killer mutants, A snip at E2.99
EIDOLON
Activision
CBM C 9 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
Amstrad E 9 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
The best of the Lucasfilm fractal
graphic games. and very impressive
it is too. The Eidolon is a craft you
use to explore a network of tunnels,
evading or attacking the different
creatures you find there. You're
searching for jewels, which will give
you access to the game's higher
levels_ You also need to pick up
fireballs to use as ammo against
monsters blocking your path -
particularly the dragon guarding the
route to the next level, Great
graphics and first-rate animation.
ELITE
Firebird
Spectrum E14 95 cs
CBM E 1 4 , 9 5 cs, E17.95dk
Amstrad E14. 95 cs. E12_95dk
One of the first space games to use
vector graphics, and still one of the
best. It's a shooting and trading
effort several galaxies wide, with
plenty of vanety to the gameplay.
You can trade legal goods in
(relatively) safe systems, or run the
gauntlet of pirates in the galaxies'
danger spots with your hold full of
contraband. Either way there's a
nice line in zero-G dogfighting, and
as big a task as you'll find
anywhere.
ENCOUNTER
Nova gen
CBM64 E 9 . 9 5 cs. E12.95dk
A form of 3D Battle Zone. a tank-
blasting exercise - with solid though
undetailed graphics. Very fast and
with a multitude of different enemy
craft, the game has eight levels of
difficulty with a frustratingly hard
warp phase between each one.
Unceasing action all the way.
EXOLON
Hewson
Spectrum E 7 95 cs
CBM 64 E 8 . 9 5 cs, El 2.95 dk
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
A graphically superb horizontally
scrolling shoot-em-up in which you
run, duck and jump your way along
a planers surface blasting away at
alien defences. A gun and a missile
launcher are used to blast the foes,
but if things are still too tough then
you can grab an exoskeleton for
extra protection and fire power.
GAUNTLET
US Gold
Spectrum E8. 99 cs
CBM E 9 . 9 9 cs, E14.99 dk
Amstrad E 9 . 9 9 cs, E14.99 dk
Atari ST E 2 4 , 9 9 dk
The famous multi-player arcade
sensation makes it to home
computer format still mostly intact.
You and a friend choose to be the
Warrior, Wizard, Valkyrie or Elf and
rush around crowded dungeons in
search of treasure and magical
potions, hacking away monsters as
you go. Fast and frenetic fun - but
the ST's scrolling leaves something
to be desired,
At
HEAD OVER HEELS
Ocean
Spectrum E7, 95 cs
CBM E 8 . 9 5 CS, E12.95 dk
Antstrad £ 8 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
3-D exploration reaches its peak
with this huge, intricate
masterpiece. You play two
characters - Head and Heels - as
you search for the crowns that will
tree the Galaxy. The puzzles can
get very tricky indeed, and you'll
often have to split Head and Heels
up to use their different abilities.
The game's 300 locations are wittily
drawn, and the animation's
excellent throughout. A real classic.
IKARI WARRIORS
Elite
Amstrad E8. 95c s . E14.95 dk
The best of the Rambo-type gun-
em-downs Run up the vertically
scrolling screen arid gun down or
grenade anything and everything.
Capture a tank and you can run
down the opposing troops as well.
Ikari Warriors is slaughter on a
grand scale, with slick graphics and
an enjoyable two-player option.
IMPOSSIBLE MISSION
US Gold
CBM E 9 . 9 5 cs and dk
An all-time great arcade adventure
which still looks original a good
three years after its first
appearance. As the animated nero
you run, leap and somersault
around a network of tunnels, trying
to seek out and destroy the evil
Professor Elvin Mindbender. The
many rooms contain devices which
may either aid or hinder you in your
mission: it's not quite impossible,
but very nearly. Also features some
neat synthesised speech.
INTERNATIONAL KARATE
System 3
CBM E 6 . 5 0 cs.El 2.99 dk
Atari ST E 1 9 . 9 9 dk
Best of the many karate games now
available, with one and two-player
options and a possible 16 moves.
The game's "Internationar in that
each round lakes place against a
different exotic backdrop - Venice,
Sydney Opera House etc. Good
choppin', kickin' stuff.
'
B
U LEAD ERBOARD
US Goid
Y Spectrum £8. 99 cs
CBM E 9 . 9 9 cs, 214.99 dk
E Amstrad £ 9 . 9 9 cs, £14.99 dk
R A golf simulation that will provide
hours of fun on the fairway.
S Using your skill and judgement -
G and you realy do have to use them -
you play each course to the best of
U your ability. Select the wrong club
and you could end up way over par.
I CBM64 E 9 . 9 5 cs, £ 1 2 . 9 5
D LIGHTFORCE
Gargoyle
E Spectrum E7. 95 es
CBM E 8 . 9 5 es, E13.95 dk
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 cs. E13.95 dk
A fast vertical-scrolling shoot-em
up. And on the Spectrum -
miraculously - not a colour clash to
be seen. Basically, it's a question of
shooting the descending aliens and
destroying the installations, varied
aliens attacking in different
formations make this a demanding
game which can easily become a
habit.
LORDS OF MIDNIGHT
Beyond
Spectrum
CBM
Amstrad
A strategy-cum-adventure game of
truly epic proportions. The
marauding forces of evil are on the
warpath, and you've got to stop
them. This means either gathering
allies, forming up armies and
marching off into battle, or sending
a small party of adventures off to
destroy the source of the bad guys'
power - or some combination of the
two. It's a vast game • 4000
different locations • and games can
last days. Enthralling stuff!
MATCHDAY
Ocean
Spectrum E7. 95 cs
CBM E 8 . 9 5 cs
Definitely the football game on
micros; magnificent animation, great
gameplay, with vicious and skilful
computer opponents.
MARSPORT
Gargoyle
Spectrum 29. 95 cs
Amstrad E 9 . 9 5 es, E13.95 dk
Take the part of Commander John
Marsh, Earth's last hope in the
struggle against the Sept in this
arcade adventure packed with
puzzles to solve and aliens to zap.
The 3-D animation is great as the
main character wanders around the
enormous space station on which
the game is set. Like the earlier
Gargoyle games Dr na Nog and
Dun Darach this is good, thought-
provoking stuff.
MERCENARY
Novagen
Amstrad
dh E9_95 es, E19.95 dk
Fly around a city of strange
buildings and explore the maze of
underground passages all
presented to you in fast, smooth
vector graphics. Your goal is to
escape from war-scarred Targ by
buying, stealing or earning an
Interstellar Ship. Join forces with
either of the warring Paliars or
Mechaniods or play them off against
each other.
PAPERBOY
Elite
Spectrum £7. 95 es
CBM E 8 . 9 5 cs, E14.95 dk
Amstrad £ 9 . 9 5 cs, E14,95 dk
Thnlling conversion of the coin-op
hit. Mount your BMX, don the
baseball cap and set off to make
your daily delivery of newspapers
(Washington Post rather than The
Sun). Lots of obstacles and a BMX
training course at the end of each
street mean that you'll keep
pedalling for quite a while.
PITSTOP 2
Epyx
(Available on Epipi Eaicscomailaaon:
,CBMt E 9 . 9 5 es, E14.95 dk
Thrilling racing game where the
screen is split into two and you can
race the computer or a human. Lots
of different Grand Prix circuits, tyre
blow-outs and of course the all
important pit-stops guarantee to
give you hand cramp and your
brain a real racing treat.
POWERPLAY
Arcana
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 cs, E14.95disk
CBM E 8 . 9 5 cs, E14_95disk
Trivial Pursuit may be the best-
selling game of the best-selling
quiz, but we reckon that if you want
to try out your general knowledge
you'd be better off with this original
and challenging combination of
strategy game and quiz - all
graphically very pretty in its setting
on Mount Olympus, home of the
Gods.
PLUTOS
Tynesoft
Atari ST E 1 4 . 9 5 dk
Excellent vertical-scrolling arcade
game, with arcade-quality graphics.
lit's a difficult mission, but the two-
player co-opertion option gives you
a better chance. Just pips
Microdeal's very good Goldrunner
for a recommendation on the
grounds of superior playability.
PSI-WARRIOR
Beyond
CBM 64 C 9 . 9 5 cs
Monsters of pure mental energy are
taking over. You are the Psi-
Warrior, sent in to the silo to seek
out the Source of the creatures and
destroy it. Zoom, bounce and leap
up and over ramps and pits on your
magnetic surf-board as you net and
absorb the Psi and Id creatures.
Excellent control and a huge playing
area make this a real Commodore
classic.
RANARAMA
Hewson
Spectrum E7.95 cs
CBM E 8 . 9 5 cs, £12.95 dk
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 cs, E14,95 dk
Often compared to Gauntlet, this
spells-'n'-blasting epic stands Out for
its beautifully paced gameplay.
frog form, you have to clear the
nasties out at several levels of
dungeon. Your main targets are evil
magicians - defeat them and you
can upggrade your magical powers
to help blast through the hordes of
other nestles. As your spells get
meaner you can brave the lower
dungeon levels, but be warned -
they're very tough indeed!
REBELSTAR
Firebird
Spectrum E1. 99
CBM 2 1 . 9 9 cs
Amstrad E 1 . 9 9 es
A skirmish wargame for one or two
players in which you take charge of
ten or so raiders in an attempt to
destroy the Isaac computer at the
centre of Moonbase delta. A neat,
tidy ordering system makes this an
easy game to pick up and play • but
it's certainly no pushover.
SCRABBLE
Leisure Genius
Spectrum E9.95 cs
CBM E 1 2 . 9 5 CS E14.95 dk
Amstrad E 9 . 9 5 Cs E14.95 dk
IBM PC £ 2 4 . 9 5 dk
The hugely popular word game very
successfully translated on to the
micro. Very fast, excellent display
and a surprisingly large vocabulary.
Will give even a strong humanoid a
tough game.
THESENTINEL
Firebird
Spectrum E9.95 es
CBM E 9 . 9 5 Cs, E14.95dk
Amstrad E 9 . 9 5 cs, E14.95dk
Bizarre and compelling strategy
game played over the chequered
surface of a planet dominated by
The Sentinel. Essentially you have
to absorb energy while trying to stop
Me Sentinel absorbing yours. A
clear brain and a fast trigger finger
are both necessary in this original
and big - 10,000 possible
landscapes - game.
SORCERY
Virgin
CBM E 8 . 9 5 cs
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 es
As near to graphic perfection as
most games get, this arcade
adventure's no slouch on the
garneplay side either. As a sorceror
on the side of good you have to fly
round the landscape - dungeons,
waterfalls, castle battlements etc -
freeing your imprisoned
companions. Scattered around
you'll find weapons to dispose of
nestles and keys to help you
explore turther, but you'll have to
plan their use carefully. Good to
listen to. wonderful to look at and
great to play.
SPELLBOUND
Mastertronic
Spectrum £2. 99 es
CBM C 2 . 9 9 cs
Amstrad E 2 . 9 9 es
You control a small character -
Magic Knight - in his quest to free
Gimbal the Wizard. This is a puzzle
packed arcade adventure full of
character and wit. At this pnce it's a
real bargain; and there are three
further games Knight Tyme,
Finders Keepers and Stormbringer
- in the Magic Knight senes.
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Title Supplier M a c h i n e RRP Systems' Title Supplier Machine R R P S y s te m s '
Borrowed Time Activision S T : A m i g a 24.95 19 95 infocom A
Wohbr inger STmiga 2 9 . 9 5 24.95
Basketball Activision S T : A m i g a 24.95 19.9$ Zark I infocom STAmiga 2 9 . 9 5 2 4 . 9 5
Golf 24.95 19.95 Zork II Infocom
ACti V i l i O n A m i g a ST:Amiga 2 9 . 9 5 2 4 . 9 5
GFL Football Activision S T : A m i p 14.95 19.95 Zork III Wixom ST/Amiga 2 9 . 9 5 2 4 . 9 5
Hacker ACMIliOn S T i ' A m i g a 24.95 1995, Irrysi-Clue Books Intacom NIA 6 . 9 5 5 . 9 5
!
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Hacker II Activision S T / A m i g a 24.95 19.95 Altair Infograrnes ST 1 9 . 9 5 16.95
Intern. Karate Activision S T 19,95 16,95 Grafton & Xunk ST 1 9 . 9 5 16.95
infograrnes
LCP Activision S T A r n i g a 14.95 28.95 EdenBlues ST 1 9 . 9 5 16.95
Infogrames
Music Studio Activision S T / A m i g a 34.95 2E95 P r ohi infogrames ST 1 9 . 9 5 16.95
Portal Activision A m i g a 34.95 28.95 TNT
bi ti o Infogrimes ST 1 9 . 9 5 16.95
Shanghai
Tass Times
Demolition
Activision S T I A m i g a
Accinsion S T I A m i g a
Arco A m i g a
24.95
24.954
9.95
19.95
19.95
13.95
McAdam
n
Colourspace
Outcast
Bumper infogrames

4
liamasoft
Mastertronic
ST 1 9 . 9 $
ST 1 9 . 9 5
ST 9
16.95
16.95
95 7 . 9 5
Karate King Arco S T / A m i g a 9_95 8.95 Nina Mission Mastertronic ST 9 . 9 5 7 . 9 5
Space Battle
EmeraldMines
Phalanx
Anco A m i g a
Arco A m i g a
Anco A m i g a 995
1
9_9S
9,95
8.95
8.95
8.95
Airball
Cards
Goldrunner
1.
Mitrodeal
MIcrodeal
Microdeal
ST 2 4 . 9 5
ST 1 9 . 9 5
1 9 95
16_95
ST:Amiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5
9,95
1!
Challenger 8.95 Microdea

,
Arco A m i g a Jupiter Probe STArniga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5
Cruncher Factory Anco A m i g a 9.95 8.95 Karate Kid11 Microdeal ST/Amiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5
Tee-up Anco S T 14.95 12.95 Silent Service Microprose ST/Amiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5
7 Cities Ariolasoft A m i g a 29_95 24.95 Ultima III Microprose STArtiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5

1
Archon Arclasoft A m i g a 29.95 24.95 Balance of Power Mirrorsoft Si-Amiga 3 9 . 9 5 3 1 9 5
Archon II Arialasoft A m i g a 29.95 24.95 Defend, of Crown Merorsoft Amiga 2 9 _ 9 5 2 4 . 9 5
Adventure Const. Ariolasoft A m i g a 29.95 24,95 Deta Vu Mirrorsoft Amiga 2 9 . 9 5 2 4 , 9 5
Artie Fox Arbizolt S T : A m i g a 29.95 24.95 Sinbad Mirrorsoft Amiga 2 9 . 9 5 2 4 . 9 5
Marble Madness
One on One
Instant Music
Ariolasoft A m i g a
Ariolasoft A m i g a
Anolasoft A m i g a
29.95
29.95
29.95
. 24.95
24.95
24.95
SO I.
Art Director
Film Director
Mirrorsoft
Mirrorsoft
Mirrorsoft
ST/Amiga 2 9 . 9 5 2 4 , 9 5
ST 4 9 , 0 0
ST 5 9 . 0 0
39.00
49.00
%Obi Ariolasoft S T ' A m i g a 29.95 24.95 Fleet Street Mirrorsoft ST I I 5.00 9 5 . 0 0
Super Huey
Bridge Player
Chessmaster
Ariolasoft S T : A m i g a
ST
C.P. S T : A m i g a
19.95
19.95
45.95
! 16,95
I 6,95
34.95
Hades Nebula
Mercenary Comp.
Aricanoid
Nexus
Novagen
Ocean
ST 1 9 . 9 5
ST 2 4 . 9 5
ST 1 4 . 9 5
16.95
1 9 9 5
11.95
Amiga Karate Eidersoft A m i g a 19.95 I 6.95 Pandora ST T B C I B C

!
Eagles'Nest
STKarate Eidersoft S T 19.95 16.95 DeepSpace Psygnosts STAmiga 3 4 . 9 5 2 9 . 9 5
Pro-Sprite Eidersoft S T ' A r n i g a 39.95 32.95 Arena, Brattacus Psygnosd STIAmiga 3 4 . 9 5 2 9 . 9 5
Pro-Sound Edersoft S T 57.50 45.00 Barbarans Psygnosis STAmiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5
1stWord + E!ectric S T

,
79.95 65.95 Sound Digitiser Rcbtek Amiga 4 9 . 9 5 3 9 . 9 5
Q Bali English S T 19,95 16.9$ Hollywood Poker Rootek ST:Amiga 1 9 . 9 5 1 6 . 9 5
Jewels of Dark Firebird S T : A r m g a 19.95 16.95 Swooper Robtek ST'Amga 1 9 . 9 5 1 6 . 9 5
The Pawn Firebird S T ' A i n p 24.95 19.95 Extensor Robtek ST:Amiga 1 9 . 9 5 1 6 . 9 5

1
Guild of Thieves Firebird S T ' A m i g a 24.95 19.95 Liberator ST 1 2.95 9 . 9 5
Tynesoft
The Golden Path Firebird S T I 9.95 16.95 Mousetrap Tynesoft ST 1 4 . 9 5 11.95
SiliconDreams Firebird S T : A m i g a 19.95 16.95 Plutos Tynesoft ST 1 4 . 9 5 11,95
Starglider Firebird S T : A m i g a 24.95 19.95 Timeblast Tynesoft ST 9 . 9 5 7 . 9 5
Typhoon
Trailblazer
Faerytale
GremlinGraphics ST
GremlinGraphics ST
Haba A m i g a
24.95
24.95
49.95
, 19.95
19.95
39,95
Leaderboard
T O u rrl, L e ad e r

Mean 18
US Gold
US Gold
US Gold
ST/Amiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5
STArniga 9 . 9 5 8 . 9 5
ST/Amiga 2 9 . 9 5 2 4 . 9 5
Ba.11yHoo Infocom S T A r n i p 29.95 24.95 Metrocross US Gold ST 2 4 , 9 5 1 9.95
Bureaucracy
Cutthroats
Deadline
Infocom S T A r n i g a
Infocom S T A n a g a
infoccon S T I A m i g a
34.95
29.95
29.95
1 29.95
24.95
24.95
Phantasie I
Phantasie11
Gauntlet
US Gold
US Gold
US Gold
ST 2 4 . 9 5
Si 2 4 . 9 5
ST 2 4 . 9 5
19.95
19_95
24.95
Enchanter 29.95 24.95

!
Infocom S T / A r i n g a Hardball US Gold ST 2 4 . 9 5 19.95
Hach Hiker Infocom 5 T / A m i g a 29.95 24,95 Autoduel US Gold ST 2 4 , 9 5 19,95
Infidel Infocom S T / A m i g a 29.95 24.95 Roadrunner US Gold ST 2 4 . 9 5 19.95
Leather Godess Infocom S T A m i g a 29,95 24,95 Roadwar 2000 US Gold STArniga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5

i
Mind Forever Infocom S T A m i g a 34.95 29,95 Co l o n . C O N , I t S t US Gold ST 2 4 , 9 5 19.95
moonrnit Infocom S T A m i g a 29.95 24.95 Aitern, Reality US Gold ST 2 4 . 9 5 19.95
Planetfall Infocom S T : A m i g a 29.95 24.95 US Gold ST 2 4 . 9 5 19.95
Champ. Wrestling
Seastalker Infocom S T : A m i g a 29.95 24.95 10th Frame US Gold ST 2 4 95 1 6 , 9 5
Sorcerer
Spellbreaker
Starcross
Infocom S T : A m i g a
Infocom S T A m i g a
Infocom S T A m i g a
29.95
29,95
29.95
l 24.95
24.95
24.95
Quest Probe
Rogue
Super Huey
US Giad
US Gold
US Gold
ST 1 9 . 9 5
ST 2 4 . 9 5
STAmiga 1 9 . 9 5 1 7
16.95
19.95

Stationfal Infocom S T A m i g a 29.95 24.95 SubmarineSim. US Gold ST 2 4 . 9 5 19.95

l
-
Suspect Infocorn S T A m i g a 29,95 24.95 Temple Apsha USGoad ST/Amiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9_95
9
Suspended Infocom S T ' A m i g a 29.95 24.95 World Games US Gold ST/Amiga 2 4 , 9 5 1 9,95
Trinity 34.95 29.95 Winter Games 5
Infocom S T A m i g a US Gold ST:Amiga 2 4 . 9 5 1 9 . 9 5
Witness 29.95 24.95

i M VISA
Infi x= S T A n s g a

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E M
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i
 SPINDIZZY
Electric Dreams
Spectrum E9. 99 es
CBM E 9 . 9 9 cs, E14.99 dk
Amstrad E 9 . 9 9 cs, E14.99 dk
Tremendous stuff - steer your
spinning top over tough obstacles
and collect jewels. against a
fiendish time-limit. The good-looking
game landscape is a vast system at
ramps, towers, catwalks and
trampolines surrounded by lethal
drops a n d NO safety rails. There
are floor switches to activate lifts
and bridge gaps, but tripping them
in the right order can be harder than
it looks. A few bad guys and a lot of
nice touches, but the exploration's
the thing.
SPLITPERSONALITIES
Domar k
Spectrum E 7 95cs
Amstrad E8_95cs , E14 95 dk
Dashed clever and infuriatingly
addictive puzzle. loosely based on
the Spitting Images TV prog. The
idea is to reconstruct a famous face
from 20 puzzle pieces before your
brief span of time runs Out. As you
rack your brains to pet the pieces
together a variety of booby traps
and bonuses appear for you to
dispose of or utilise as you can.
Original, witty and very compulsive.
SPY HUNTER
US Gold
Spectrum E7. 95 cs
CbM E 9 . 9 9 es, E14.99 dk
Race along the verlically-scrolling
road shooting and knocking the
enemy cars out of your path, but be
careful not to harm the innocent
motorists Alternate from car to boat
and back again as your change
from river to road collecting new
weapons from you backup truck
along the way. Excellent conversion
of the arcade classic.
SPY VS $PY
Beyond
Spectrum 0 . 9 5 es.
CBM E 9 95 cs. E14 95dk
Amstrad E 9 . 9 5 cs, E14.95dk
It's the spies from MAD magazine
up to their old tricks. The action
takes place in an embassy where
the spies compete to find a variety
of objects, put them in a bag and
escape in an airplane. Each spy has
a variety of traps he can set in order
to delay the other's progress, but be
careful they don't backfire.
STARGLIDER
Rainbird
Spectrum E14. 95 es
CBM E 1 4 . 9 5 es, E17.95dk
Amstrad E 1 4 . 9 5 cs, E19.95dk
Atari ST E 2 4 . 9 5
Amiga £ 2 4 . 9 5 dk
Starglider is a shoot-'em-up cum
strategy game boasting vector
graphics at their very best. The
screen is essentially your view from
the cockpit, your objective is destroy
the •Starglider', flagship of the Egron
forces who have invaded your
homeland Novenia. Standard issue
scenario, but an outstanding game.
SUPER PIPELINE
Mastertronic
CBM E l 99 es
Amstrad £ 1 . 9 9 es
Originally programmed and
marketed by Taskset, this is a
strange and original game in which
you rush around attempting to lix
the bursts in a series of pipes under
attack from a variety of objects
among which are numbered
screwdrivers, plumbers' plungers
and - very strange, this a lobster.
Gets very frantic indeed.
THANATOS
purer
Spectrum E9. 95 cs
COM E 7 . 9 5 cs, 0.950k
Amstrad 0 . 9 5 es. E11.95dk
Control Thanatos the dragon as he
rescues Eros the enchantress and
flies off to find the book of spells
and the magic cauldron. The large
and smoothly-animated dragon
makes this game a pleasure to
behold. Other mythical creatures
attack you on your journey,
including a Iwo headed dragon, but
most of your attackers are human
and a great pleasure to fry with your
fiery breath or mangle with your
claws.
THEBEST OF 3D
Vortex
Spectrum E 8 99 cs
Amstrad
Great value this compilation,
feturing four excellent Vortex
games. two of which. Highway
Encounter and Revolution - would
have been included in this list evenj
at full price. What you get in these
games are superb graphics and
fiendishly tricky garneplay. A real
bargain.
THING ON A SPRING
Gremlin
CBM 1 9 . 9 5 cs, E12.95 dk
Amstrad C8 , 9 5 cs, E12.95 dk
Bounce around the Evil Goblin's toy
factory collecting pieces of the
jigsaw that will show you how to
destroy him and break his evil spell.
Thing is a scrolling platform 'jump-
em up' that will tease the brain and
test your reflexes to their limit. Great
graphics and a stunning Rob
Hubbard sound track make this one
of the best arcade adventures ever.
THRUST
Firebird
Spectrum E1.99 es
CBM El.99 cs
Amstrad E1.99 es
Terrifyingly sensitive controls and a
large helping of reakife physics
make this budget title an absolute
must. Flying down through the
caverns of an enemy-held planet,
you have to pick up fuel and destroy
hostile gun turrets without crashing
into the tunnel walls. Tough enough
as it is - but you've then got to make
a return journey with a heavy load
slung under your craft Very mean,
and very addictive.
TOMAHAWK
Digital Integration
Spectrum E9.95 es
Amstrad £ 9 . 9 5 es, E14.95 dk
Atari ST E 2 4 . 9 5 dk
One of the all-time great flight
simulators. Tomahawk's also got a
strong combat edge to it. Flying a
US Army Apache helicopters a
complex business, and the game's
realistic controls make no
concessions for learner pilots.
Choose one of the three combat
missions and you can fly out to
attack ground targets, while keeping
a weather eye open for enemy
aircraft. Landscape, buildings and
vehicles are all drawn in cnsp vector
graphics.
TRAILBLAZER
Gremlin
Spectrum E7.95 cs
CBM 64 E 9 . 9 5 cs. E14.95 dk
Amstrad E 9 95 cs, E14.95 dk
Atari ST E 2 4 . 9 5 dk
Imagine a rnultnolou red checkered
floor zooming toward you at break
neck speed and you have a good
idea of your view in Trailblazer. You
must bounce a ball along a course
of coloured squares - each of which
affects your ball in a different way -
whilst avoiding holes in a race
against the clock and/or an
opponent. Good competitive fun.
URIDIUM
Hewson
Spectrum £8.95 es
CBM64 £9.95 cs, E12.95 dk
The definitive scrolling shoot-ern-up;
blast the dreadnought and attacking
ships while dodging around any
large structures, Great metallic-
looking dreadnoughts and the
smoothest scrolling you'll ever see
put this head and shoulders above
the opposition. A game not to be
missed, especially row CBM
versions come packaged with the
excellent Paradroid.
VULCAN
CCS
Spectrum E9.95 cs
Amstrad E 9 . 9 5 cs
An elegant. simple arid ingenious
wargame, Vulcan covers the
Tunisian campaign of 1942-43. A
huge playing area and air attack
phase make the game an
improve meht over the same
authors earlier works Arnhem and
Desert Rats. Vulcan is fast. efficent
and simple to play, and no sell-
respecting wargamer should be
without it.
WIZBALL
Ocean
CBM E 8 95 es, £14.95 dk
Amstrad E 8 . 9 5 es .212.95 dk
Spectrum E7. 95 es
A compelling and original ball game
from in which you become the
Wizball and attempt to conquer the
Colour Creatures who are Out to
eliminate the spectrum and render
the landscape grey and drab.
Controlling the Wizball is great fun
and makes this one of the most
playable games to have appeared
for a long time.
ZOIDS
Martech
Spectrum £7. 95 es
CBM E 8 . 9 5 cs. E14_95dk
Amstrad £ 8 . 9 5 cs. E14.95dk
The game of the toy, an icon-driven
arcade adventure in which you fuse
your mind with a aid. then stomp
around the Zoidstar in search of
pieces of the mighty Zoodzilla.
Tactics are needed if you're to
survive long enough to come near
completing this thrilling game. It
takes a while to get into but it
becomes so engrossing that it's well
worth persevering.
 At last the real McCoy

From NC Games, Britain's leading PBM CO

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THE SETTI NG

The game is set in Ne w York Cit y in the late 1990's_ You role-play the
part of a gangleader who controls a group of misguided youths. The city
has seyerley deteriorated. The brave citizens who remain are now in a life

1 and death struggle with the ever increasing number of drug-crazed street
gangs. The New York Police Department is severley undermanned.
MI
Your main goal is to become a very powerful gang. This is measured by
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On a typical turn you could send your Pros. Punks and 'Cruits out to take A V A I L ABL LL L EA DI ERS
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building, buy and sell drugs. have yourselves a party, t erroriz e t he FEATUFW
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e t rra Nb l i t
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SEND YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TODAY FOR YOUR PA/Ling. Cos
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tw e , Wi n n e . . C . ,
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POPULAR PLAY-BY-MAIL. Relegabon
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WRITE TO: No e l .. Shill
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SHEKHANACOMPUTER SERVICES SPECTRUM SCREENSHOTS

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larbarlan - 01 7 SO Barbarian 7 50 H a l l 0 2 7 5 1 IN Tk R E S T FR OM BANK £ 7 2 9 •
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UALLACE 6 3 M I N CROUD V IOLE N C E , DAM AOE S f. 0 8 7 2 5
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Eprx 7 . 5 0 Ratlieships - 02 $ . 9 5 D e a th Wish - 02 7 1 0 BANK RE P AY M E NTS £ 9 3 2 5 -
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From the Dawn of Time comes a Legendary
Warrior to thrill players everywhere....
4.5 billion years have passed since the earth's creation. Many dominators
have ruled in all their glory, But Time, their greatest enemy ultimately
defeated their reign.
• , '107 ••••••••••
And now a Dominator's reign begins Rygar , the Legendary Warrior'! A
warrior who respects one code and one code alone, the code of combat.
Antagonistic gladiators, reptiles, mammals, monsters, creatures of
magic...come one, come all, come to meet the might of the fearless
Rygar and in the words of the immortal warrior LET'S FIGHT!!!
SCREEN SHOTS FROM ARCADE VERSION.
CBM 64/128 SPECTRUM A MSTR A D
U.S. Gold Ltd., Units 2/3 Belford Way, Belford.
£9.99 214.99 £ 8 . 9 9 E 9 . 9 9 E14.99 Birmingham B43 TAX. Tel: 021386 3388
Cassette D i s k • Cassette Ca s s e t t e D i s k

Timeshave changed forthose ofuswho tap the keys in
the hope of hitching a lift through the galaxy or duffing up
a dragon. Join up with the Pilgrim as he launches a new
section for a New Age of Adventuring - multi-user games,
playing guides, Quilling and GACing, retrospective
reviews, tips, and.. .oh yes. ..the latest, hottest games.
Your Guide to the Pilgrims Pages...
The m os t a uthor ita tiv e
r e v ie ws
Wntten by Britain's most experienced writ-
ars, y oull find news of the latest releases
heading the section. This month you can
check out Level c•s Knight Orc in detail
and new games from Sierra On-Line.
U nique pla y ing guide s
Not just bps, but a whole new way of
understanding and solving games. Each
month we take a well-known game and
give you a guided tour - but without giving
away anything you don't want to know.
That way, if you've got the game you can
solve the problems you choose to. and if
you haven't you can get further informa-
tion to decide if rt's one for your shelf
. bargain.
N e w Ratings System
The Pilg has come up wit h four new ratings
to really pin-down the games he reviews.
That means you c an be more certain than
ever of not wasting your pennies. Check
out page 81 for fall details
R etr ospective r e v ie ws
Old adventures never die - but they do stop
appearing in the shops. The Pilgrim will
select a game from the best in back-oata-
logue software - often available at less than
the original retail price - and give y ou the
low-down you need Games for beginners,
difficult•to•track-down games, imports, and
venerable classias - get ready
KNIGHTORC
SUPPLIER LEVEL 9 / RAINBIRD VERSION TESTED ATARI ST
Knight Orc is probably t he most import ant
release for Level 9 since Colossal Adventure,
their first ever game Consider the following,
and you'll see what I mean.
Level 9 - as most people know • grew up
for a great shopping trip down memory
lane.
The M U G diaries...
Regular gossip from the worlds of MUD.
SHADES. and other multi-user games. Mak e
sure your personae behave themselves -
they could end up in print
Pr ogr a m m ing with Pat...
The Quill and GAC hav e brought the abili-
ty to program 'home-brewed' adventures to
thousands. Despite their power, however,
these utilities (and others like them) are not
always that easy to get the best out of. Pat
Winstanley will help you put it all together,
and give you valuable tips for producing
arid marketing your own games into the
The timeliest tips
Solutions to readers' problems, provided by
readers, for readers, together with puzzle-
solving assistance from The Pi]; and a
world•wKle network of adventurers to help
you out of trouble.
Fining it in...
As with cd1 adventure columns, space is a
problem • there's so much to say! To give
you variety, ctnd make sure nothing gets
left out, well be alternating the Player's
Guides and Pat's Patch with the retrospec-
tives and MUG diaries. Check page 87 for
further details.
in t h e cassette mark et , c r a mmi n g t heir
games into 48K (or less), and combining fer-
tile imaginat ions wit h programming skill t o
carve a reputation in the UK second to none.
Some of you might have noticed howev-
ADVENTURE1
er that it's a long time since a Level 9 game
was published by the c ompany itself (rather
than by Rambird), and also that the last t wo
releases from the c ompany hav e both been
compilations of previous titles • t he Silicon
Dreams and Jewels of Darkness trilogies
In t he meant ime, we' v e seen Infocom
titles ma d e av ai l abl e a t mu c h reduc ed
prices f or t h e Co mmo d o r e 6 4 a n d t h e
Amstrad machines - as we l l as the 16 bit
mark et We've seen Magnetic Scrolls achieve
a reputation on the basis of t wo games, The
Pawn and Guild of Thieves, that has pushed
them to the pinnacle of the media circus big
top. But we ain't seen muc h f rom our old
friends Level 9 But they have been busy, fel-
low Pilgrims, a n d Knight Oro is what they
hav e come up with,
Knight Orc falls ostensibly into three parts
- Loosed Oro, A Kind of Magic, and Hordes
of the Mount ain King. I n practice, however,
you play through only two sections since the
latter t wo are pined together and y ou can
move from one to the other without difficulty
The player takes the role of Grindleguis, your
run-of-the-mill, unwas hed, rat -gobbling Orc
whose recent life-history is detailed in a short
story t hat accompanies t he game. As wit h
most Rainbird software y ou abandon this
booklet at your peril, since it is linked to the
protection s y s t em a n d prov ides y o u wi t h
*11 l i a t w o
4 6i tl i t *t r 0t i l %
1 1
:Bra • ol• ' 1 1 •
pdligil C i r l
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woo
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s
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seies,cooties reirtmenoeste• I net time abe tie ens dose Isk kg to„
ov
ket
Its eilet• be tties oet i t. tbrfullm i nk ,
we're m e midgists we best e end vi1 i s sew, Immieumas tie
-
w beenrears ad belts.
fnektewd
er
h,
t
KNIGHT ORC - digitised graphics on the ST. 8-bit pics are also improYed.
e
r'
passwords (drawn at random from the text)
whic
e h the program will, f rom time to time.
b:
prompt you to enter.
e Grindleguts enters the game strapped to
a l-
horse a n d confronted b y a burly k night
h promptly dismounts him with his lance
who
inw
e
Ia jousting contest. During this bit of scene-
setting t here really isn't any t hing f or t h e
tb to do except sit and watch while his
s
player
protege is tm-horsed, knocked unconscious,
sI
a
and left to awak en later underneath a rub-
bish
i heap. Onc e you've abzmdonect y our
sm the gcnne begins in earnest.
heap,
k Quite frankly, Loosed Orc i s not t he
ig most exciting adventure experience.
world's
l
Level 9 explain that the main reason behind
l section is t o int roduc e play ers t o t he
the
b
adventure system, but I can't see why this
i
introduction s h o u l d b e s o limit ed. Mo s t
d
adventurers would probably prefer c orning
w
to grips wit h the system by being thrown in
i
at , the deep-end. but in Loosed Orc your only
objective
O is t o gat her sufficient items t o tie
together
r to mak e a rope that will carry you
claims
t into the next section.
l With t wo exceptions, this task is extreme-
lyeeasy for any experienced gamester. Most
t
l
e
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Jackdefiantly.

GremlEoGraphics Software Lie.,

Alpha Horn, 10 Career Street, She:Hick! Si 4/1
Tel (0744 753423

SP•Tirses PE1110013

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4
1
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CBM 64/128 S P E C T R U M 48/128K . AMS'rRAD 1
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at the bits of string, hawser, cord, or whatev-
er a r e bot h eas y t o fi nd a n d of obv ious
importance - you just have to pick t hem up
and be t hem together. I n at least one case
you c a n fi nd t he desired object s imply by
t y ping FIND followed by ROPE or a few syn-
onyms thereof. Its significcmt,however, t hat
the t wo more c hallenging problems involve
interaction w i t h ot her c harac t ers i n t h e
game. Characters are Level 9t latest flavour
of t he mont h for t he moment , so its wort h
seeing h o w t hey appear in t he game and
what you can do with them.
C ha r a c te r s ga lor e
The first a n d most import ant point here is
that t here are a LOT of characters i n this
g a me You' v e got animals , r a n g i n g f rom
mice t o wolv es (t hough not v ery ma n y of
these), humans, orcs, a troll or two, a drag-
on, a n d a n u mb e r o f o t h e r creatures.
Altogether there are around 50 different 'peo-
ple' t o meet a n d of these y ou will need to
interact in a complex manner wit h at least
six to finish the game.
The system allows you to ask characters
for inf ormat ion, a s i n DENZYL, TELL M E
ABOUT THE RUBBISH and also allows you to
issue t hem wit h c omplex commands, as in
PROPHET OF GREAieR MANCHESTER N. GET
PUTTY KNIFE THEN ATTACK BOADICEA. The
most useful c ombinat ions come, howev er,
from using some of the more advanced com-
mands, s uc h as FIND, WAI T, a n d GO TO
wit h other characters. For example. suppos-
ing y ou wa n t s ome treasure t o pay a t oll
and Denz y l is wi t h y ou. You c ould ent er
DENZYL, FI ND SILVER SALVER, GET SILVER
SALVER, THEN FIND ME This would have the
effect of sending Denzyl off on a salver scour-
ing mission, at t he end of whic h he would
(should) ret urn t o y o u wi t h t h e des ired
object. Meanwhile, y o u c a n get o n wi t h
something else Of course. Denzyl might not
find the salver, but that's another story...
The humans a l l t ak e o n roles i n t he
game, of whic h the Prophet in the ex ample
abov e is only one. You'll also c ome across
Ghengis, Odin, The Phantom of t he Opera,
Fungus t he Boggit Man, a n d many others.
Almost without exception their objective is to
attack y ou, s t eal y o u r treasure, a n d f re-
quently kill you unless you run away or get
lucky.
Fortunately. deat h s imply sends you to
Paradise, f rom where you can get back into
the game alter a couple of turns, assisted in
your reinc arnat ion b y heav enly ny mphs .
You d o howev er lose most of y our posses-
sions in the process and must recover these
from t he point where you ex pired - or f rom
the humans who may have pinched them In
the meantime.
Any one w h o h a s p l a y e d M U D wi l l
immediat ely rec ognis e t h e r o l e o f t h e
humans in the game I n fact for the first few
minutes y ou feel v ery muc h in the l a n d of
that notorious multi-user game. For this rea-
son, most of the humans are obsessed wit h
either k illing y ou or stealing y our 't' (trea-
sure). They are v ery good at it M y only
gripe about this is that wit h t he number of
characters in t he game. play cam often be
held u p as numerous characters interact,
wit h little of interest going on apart from the
exchange of blows and wealt h Since this is
usually of no interest to Grindleguts its ques-
tionable how muc h it adds t o the game I
should also point out t hat while t he game
proceeds wit h admirable speed on the ST I
c ant help t hink ing t hat 8-bit versions ma y
find themselves slowed down a wee bit as
the processor arbitrates amidst
so many interactions.
Plots a n d pla c e s
Level 9 c laim, curiously, t hat
you shouldn't need (or attempt)
to mak e a ma p of this game.
The idea is t o use t he GO TO
and FEND c ommands to mov e
about, part ic ularly s inc e a l l
Icoations that hav e puzzles are
named, a n d the desigers obvi-
ously felt that it was therefore
unnecessary t o wander about
step by step from one place to
another look ing for something
to happen.
This is borne out strongly in
the game. since if y ou start mov ing about
using the N,S,W,E directions the program will
suddenly pop up wit h a reminder that y ou
could be using the more complex commcmds
instead. Wh y enter a senes of directions to
reach t h e castle wh e n y o u c ould s imply
enter GO TO CASTLE.
All v ery fi ne in theory, but in practise
this drint thrill the Pilg one jot I LIKE explor-
ing a n d mak i ng maps I LIKE wandering
through different places that may not hav e
A word about ratings...
The Pilgrim has given a lot of thought recent-
ly to the all-important question of ratings. As
the software we see changes, so does our
need to check on our criteria for evaluating
it. Characters, graphics, advanced parsers -
all these are common in today s games, so in
A C E y ou'll fi nd the Pilgrim assessing
games under each of the following cate-
gories:
SYSTEM - Nowadays we look for programs
that go just a teensy-weensy bit further than
verb-noun inputs. eh Pilgs'
)gory
T his ethe result of rigorous lodgement of -
S
the Yparser,
S TitsEstrengths
M and weaknesses, the
c a t esize -and usefulness, and. final-
vocabulary,
ly, t he program execution speed - tortoise-
slow or 68000 speedy? A max imum score
under the SYSTEM label would contribute
300 to the overall verdict whic h carries a
possible total of 1000. Programs Mort demand
illogical inputs or deliver inappropriate
responses aren't going to score highly here,
ENCOUNTERS - Today's PlIgirm expects to
fi nd more than an inert lump of t ors gold in
t hem there hills. This section promises low
marks for a simple obiect-oriented game,
wit h extra points for the involvement of inter-
active characters. The more intelligent the
character routines, the higher the score.
Complex treatment of objects (e.g mult iple
containers) will also contribute towards a
AC1
ADVENTURE11
muc h purpose t o t hem, but do add at mo-
sphere to the game. The problem is that hav-
ing implement ed these GO TO c ommands
wit h such thoroughness, Level 9 hav e come
up wit h a game t hat s f ull of intermediate,
poorly described locations that do nothing for
the atmosphere I f you're just going to enter
GO TO CASTLE. wh y hav e cmy locations in
tes
; 1 1 4 t o o t t l . fel c u t s sold cot.
- c r e w tat tam set a Nils f/orh.
- , . ; [ 9 civtit It a berth/el tootle. Ews
a
-
:
.
.
)
kbetween at all'?
i More insidiously, af t er a while I f ound
;the skeletal nature of the map began to com-
abine with the skeletal nature of the plot in an
nattack o n t h e effectiveness of t h e wh o l e
igame. The fact is that t he f rom the start in
tKnight Orc y o u are not very sure of what's
e
going on. The documentation tells y ou only
s
tthat the aim of the game is to 'escape' - from
what o r wh e r e t o Is n o t des c ribed Th i s
b
emeans that for the first two thirds of the game
i
d
s
e
.
max imum of 200 points contributed by this
T section to the total score
h
e CHALLENGE - A possible total of 250 points
d here, awarded for quality of puzzles and their
r complexity, plus the size of the map.
i Illogicality will rob you of points in this sec-
k tion, as will a game with only 10 locations.
t Sometimes a very high CHALLENGE score
r will indicate a game unsuitable for begin.
o ners c hec k mim-comments for details.
l LANDSCAPE - When were playing a gocrne
g
we don't want to be sitting at the keyboord -
t
we wont to BE THERE. A game that doesn't
L
i carry you out of this world is a poor con-
tender for high points in this category.
Programs succeed by using original, wel-
written, and well-designed Icxxxlions.
Graphics can help too, as can a logical and
carefully planned map. But above all, the
250 points available here are for a games
power to drag you away from the screen
and into the realms of imagination.
THE PILGRIMS VERDICT - Simple, just one fig-
ure. built up from the preceding sections,
that gives the game a defi nitive rating. Out
of 100], a program that grabs 999 is going to
he bought by every player on Earth
Anything under 500 is sub-average and to
be treated like a sulky GDHUM on a dark
night - don't empty your pockets unless
you're sure you k now test!
r A
D
V
E you are wandering around from place to
place, besieged b y predominantly hostile
N
characters whose behaviour is repetitive,
T traversing large tracts of poorly described
U scenery with nothing to offer, looking for
R something to do,
E IZAMSAVEs w i l l b e required i n ma n y
SYSTEM • • • • • •
GO TO FIND and a hog ot 3:let advanced comma ,
d! •
ENCOUNTERS • • • • • • 1 0
Poor character speech but some very complex command
sequences possible
CHALLENGE III••M11111
Puzzles tevolving other characters can be tun
LANDSCAPE • • • • M n 1
Lar,qe playing area o,,r much of11of hole tilliefeSi
VERDICT905
Keeps Level 9 in the - - -g 3rod promises well tor the
:n tact, t he plot of Knight Oro i s tr,ore
than usually tortuous and very original, but
you're unlikely to realise what's going on
until youVe played for a few hours. Not
much of a rt incentive to a greenhorn, o r
even to an experienced player.
M a g i c a n d puzzle s
One thing you can do. however, right from
the start of Part 2. is experiment with spells.
There are 21 of these, and you master a spell
simply b y forcing the game to display its
name. In the most simple case, this involves
reading a notice on which the name of a
spell is mitten. They get steadily harder after
that! A s with ma n y of Level 9's previous
games, you can't complete this adventure
without a thorough knowledge of each spell.
which is used by CASTing it AT someone
Many of the puzzles involve the use of
magic, but the most difficult ones - as rile
KINGSQUEST III
Supplier Sierra On-Line / Activision Version tested Atari ST
Ever since adventures fast started appear-
ing, people have been trying to mix text
input with graphic realism to g ive us a
'world' which we can not only communicate
with, but can also see. Kings Quest III is one
Kings Quest 3
mentioned - involve other characters. This is
for two reasons. first because the characters
are i n themselves unpredictable. E ve n
though you may know the solution to a prob-
lem, the person in question may take a while
to f a ll i n wit h yo u r wishes Numerous
instances, since failure to get the situation
under control ca n often result in death.
Second, some of the puzzles comprise several
stages of action. These are the most difficult
to solve - some of them. I would say. very dif-
ficult indeed and not at all suitable for begin-
ners.
For example, supposing someone were
guarding a cup which you need to solve
another puzzle. You might have to (1) lure
them outside by dropping some treasure; (2)
once they're ouside. command another char-
acter to distract them,. (3) get another char-
acter to enter the premises and retrieve the
cup, (4) lure the first character back inside so
that you can then go back outside and get
the object you need. This sort of puzzle needs
an awful lot of trial and error - as well as
careful thought • to get right.
The v e r dic t
Knigh.t. Orc i s at times a frustrating game,
with vast areas of underdescribed locations
that serve little purpose. In addition, the feel
of the game takes a long time to seize hold of
the imagination and the plinles me - at the
later stages • very difficult. It will not suit
players who like a clear-cut game with obvi-
ous objectives, nor will it suit anyone who
gives up easily. Furthermore, the number of
characters is al times a weakness, adding
confusion to an already confusing gone.
On the other hand, the adventure system
- while not a s good as that in Guild o f
Thieves - is excellent and some of the charac-
ter interaction possibilities are both complex
and original. The graphics are plentiful and
awte unlike the detailed hi-res screens that
have become the norm in other games. The
of these attempts, and not a bad one at that.
The storyline is Wizaid's Apprentice stuff -
little Gwydion has to spend his days muck-
ing out Mancumans mountain-top cottage
One foot wrong and he's either turned into a
snail • or worse
This in itself would be bad enough, but
Gwyclion's predecessors all met grisly
ends when they reached 18 years of
age. Mcmcmncm doesn't trust anyone
who's old enough to vote, it seems,
rind prefers to dispose of them and
appoint a new, younger assistant
Your time will come, and from then on
your social life will be confined to the
Wy-pad
Unless, that is, you can escape The
program shows you a full-screen dis-
play of the room or location you find
yourself in You can move Gwydion
about using either the keyboard or (if
if31
Ng would compare them with water-colours
- others thought they simply looked wishy-
washy and indistinct. They're certainly a big
step forward from any of Level 9's previous
attempts with pen and ink.
FORMATS BOX
This is Level 9's largest game to date, and
that means bad news for some players on
the graphics side. All cassette versions will
be text-only, and in addition the disk ver-
sion tor Atari 41:4800 and Apple II will also
be plc-less. Digitised graphics on the 16-bit
versions are attractive, but 8-bit versions
will be line-drawings only, and the quality
of these cannot be vouched for at the time
of writing. Otherwise there should be be
very little difference between versions,
though 8-bit formats may be slightly on the
slow side because of the character-pro-
cessing that's going on.
SI/Amiga £19.95dkOUTNOW
Spectrum £14.95csLATESEPT
MSX t14•95osEARLYOCT
Mac S19.95dkLATESEPT
IBM S19.95dkLATESEPT
CBM64/128 £14.95dklcsLATESEPT
AMSTRADCPC/PC S14,95ca S19.95dk
EARLYOCT
ATARI400/800
£14.95dk/csEARLYOCT
APPLEII
£19.95dk MIDOCT i
Knight Orc i s an important release for
Level 9, There's no doubt that it takes time to
get used to, and there is a strong lack of
direction in the game's early stages Most
committed players will not test until they
have cracked it, but haw many stick it out to
the end without recourse to hint sheet or psy-
chiatric help is another matter.
you have one) the mouse Leaving the dis-
played room through a door or wandering
off along a path sets the disk drive whirring
to load in a new screen
Keyboard control is more precise, and
since you're on the top of a mountain with
very steep cliffs on all sides, precision is defi-
nitely needed. Less drastic tumbles (down
the steps. for example) leave Gwydion sitting
there stunned, with little stars spinning round
his head. Nice touch.
The game kicks off with some rather
unimpressive music, then dumps you down-
stairs i n t h e h a llwa y. Mancamctn soon
appears and gives you some chores to do -
these change each time you play, though
there aren't many altemabves • cleaning the
kitchen, dusting the study - that sort of thing
It doesn't seem t o ma ke a n y difference
whether you actually go and carry them out
or not.

As y ou wander about, t he wiz-
ard reappears i n a puf f of smoke
and announces that he is going on
a journey . Now' s y our c hanc e t o
explore unint errupt ed a n d p l a n
your esoape. Rout ine search a n d
collect is the order of the day as you
gather bits and bobs for Gmrydion to
use i n b r e wi n g VOTIOUS m a g i c
potions whic h will enable him to fly
to safety and further adventures.
The graphics in this game are
excellent. b u t • unus ually f or this
category of software - the rest of the
KINGS QUEST III - Keep away from the edge! Feed the chickens instead,
SPACE QUEST - Same system as K0111. but mote hi•tech•
program doesn't seem t o hav e suffered too
much as a result. First, t he parser is compe-
tent enough to deal wit h most simple Inputs
and the vocabulary has been well matched
to t he illustrations. I t s also quit e sizeable.
wit h most synonyms catered for, a n d if it
doesn't understand it will tell whic h word it's
hav ing t rouble wit h. I nappropriat e actions
are generally greeted wit h a comprehensi-
ble ex planat ion ( Y o u don' t n e e d it ', f o r
example) rather than flat rejection.
Guild of ThievesElPlayer's Guide
One of this year's most important releas-
es, Guild of Thieves has already been nomi-
nated for the British Micro Game of the Year
Awards a n d i s av ailable f o r mos t dis k -
equipped machines It's not as hard as The
Pawn, i n t he PiIg's opinion, f or t he s imple
reason t hat the scenario is somewhat more
conventional - a n d t hat means the play er
will fi nd most puzzles easier to come to terms
with.
Guild of Thieves
O SAVE disc wi t h plent y of space.
R
E
:.r.ime to yt 1 , fi r e I .00i c / ti' f oto,,o. ' l e i
RT. io n l i t tech take pat le l site d ist gash.4 M IN e s t i
tht n o t fist sa il'. I ls ern phi bat th4 tut is re1 t it le in t
hie/ bekot that studs ste t to tie g a t .
)]oc a t ettnthinn that is ih Vie Iran held_
Objects can be taken and used
if you're close enough to them -
in whic h case t hey disappear
to join y our inventory. Picking
up s o m e o b j e c t s s e n d s
Gwyclion into a flurry of activi-
ty - s weeping t he fl oor if y ou
get t h e broom, perhaps , o r
dusting t he desk-top wit h t he
feather-duster. There' s s o me -
thing rather touching about this
frantic activity, over whic h you
have no control unt il t he poor
kid drops the offending instru-
ment and is ready to mov e on
to other things.
In some cases you hav e to be quite precise
about pos it ioning t he fi gure O n e p l i n l e
revolves around loccaing a certain book in
the library EXAMI NE SHELF tells y ou about
the book, but there are t wo shelves and no
hint as t o where exactly t he book is t o be
found. Trial and error is the order of the day
here, but then it would be in a real library
too.
Apart from Gwydion and the Wizard,
The g a me comes wit h niLuty enc oded
hints i n t he What Burglart magaz ine, b u t
there are still some areas of assistance that
new players may require. This playing guide
will help you crack the game (and perhaps
tempt y ou t o get it if y ou haven't already
done so), but won't give too muc h away . If
you're really stuck, check out s ome of t he
Pilgs tips (indicated b y letters in brackets,
whic h refer to the clues in the box on p87).
Ge tting Sta r te d
First off, check you've got a spare
This i s part ic ularly import ant i f
you're playing the Amiga version -
we f ound t hat t he operat ing sys-
!em c ould crash if this disc fi lled
up. Very upsetting if you've made
lots o f progress s inc e y o u r las t
SAVE.
Your mapping materials will of
course c ome in handy . but there
are s ome points here t hat need
1
1
•k mentioning too. Most of the action
0 •__n Guild takes plac e in three dis-
1
1
1
1
1
•
ADVENTURE
SYSTEM • • • • m m
GOodvocab to.' a grapn.cs-dased gaitre
ENCOUNTERS Imoommom
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CHALLENGE ••••m••
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Lots to do z i c e of game sowed by system
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IBMPC c S19.99dkOUTNOW
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there are numerous n other = m a t s and char-
acters who pace s about on different screens -
chickens, cats, pirates, almost all of wh o m
can be interacted wit h in one way or anoth-
er. The Ng , hav ing been brought up on a
farm, particularly enjoyed feeding the chick-
ens.
This is an undeniably attractive game
on the ST. The graphics are bright, the game-
play simple but compelling, and the parsing
quite adequate for this sort of quest. It is how-
ever of a slightly c hildis h appeal - whic h
means that a will probably appeal most to
older children over 30 or younger lools under
15 Thos e in bet ween ma y fi nd the role of
wizard's apprentice a little beneath them
tinct areas - t he castle, t h e temple. a n d
under t he hill. You really need only ma p
these areas. Other locations in between are
few a n d are quic k ly memorised. The most
efficient met hod is t o hav e three det ailed
mid separate maps f or each of t he major
areas.
Mak e sure wh e n y ou build y our m a p
that you note down the name of each loca-
tion. This is vital because of the program 's GO
TO c ommand, whic h enables you to GO TO
any named locution The catch is, however,
that s o me o f t h e locations h a v e s imilar
names and if you enter the wrong one you
may fi nd yourself heading off in the wrong
direction.
This is import ant because y ou c an k ill
yourself easily in the game by GOing in the
wrong cluection. I n particular. you should be
careful about using the GO TO c ommand to
travel to and from the castle and the temple.
Inadvertently leaving the castle with some of
the objects found inside will cause the gate-
keeper to kill you, curd at later stages of the
game t rav elling t o t he t emple or t he bee-
hive can drown you en route
r A
D
V
E Tactics
Success in GOT demands careful manipula-
N 2) Ma k e a not e of a n y words y ou don't
tion of objects and a structured approach to
T the different challenges. You're best off start-
U ing wi t h t he castle - easy t o get int o (A),
since y o u l l fi nd t hat t here a r e ov er 150
R
points t o b e garnered wit hin, a s we l l as
E 4) Here and throughout the game, if some-
objects required t o solve other puzzles else-
where in the game.
The C a s tle
The castle not only provides y ou wit h trea-
sure but also with the means to solve several
other important puzzles in the game. The first
thing y ou need t o fi nd is some money (B)
since it is v it al that y ou hav e something to
bet wit h Prompt attendance at the race is
essenbal to place your bet - and mak e sure
you play for the highest stakes.
Once y ou'v e discovered - as any one
interested. in rubbish will - that you can bank
treasure wit hin t he castle itself, y o u wo n t
hav e to work out how to get past the gate-
keeper, who quite nat urally kills you if you
try t o sneak past wi t h any of his master's
loot
Points to note in the castle are:
PILGRIM'SPOST
...in which ye Pug gives a breel hiltorie leflon cmd begs you,
the readers, to correfpond with him on matters of the utmolt
gravitie.
When I s a t down to writ e my first adven-
ture g a me rev iew, t he wor l d - ctnd t he
worlds we play ed in - were v ery different
places. A n adv ent ure game was a text-
only affair that had a vocabulary of under
a hundred words, understood inputs only if
they used those words in verb-noun format,
and offered may be fifty or sixty locations' to
visit.
These games were often fiendishly diffi-
cult to solve. Programmers made up for the
lack of input options b y devising puzzles
that wo u l d driv e a n y s ane play er crazy
wit h frustration. For some, led on by rather
better offerings from companies like Level 9
or (now defunct) Cornell Software, this frus-
tration was t he occasional price y ou paid
for brav ing the unknown
For others, i t was a good reason t o
leave a n y t h i n g remot ely res embling a n
'adventure o n t he shelf and in t he shop.
Adventures bec ame the release for a small
minority of games play ers - a dedicated
minority, but a minority nevertheless.
All t his I s c h a n g i n g A u t h o r s l i k e
Douglas Adams a n d Roger Zelamy hav e
turned their skills to produc ing interactive
novels'. Ma g n e t i c Sc rolls / Roinbud a n d
Level 9 have given us games with phenom-
enal illustrations, powerf ul parsers, a n d
huge vocabulcuies. Lnfocom - the text-only
traditionalists • a r e n o w break ing n e w
ground wit h greater use of interactive char-
acters and even - gasp - rumours of graph-
ics in their new games.
However, it s a sad fact that there are
still s ome c ompanies around w h o t hink
1) Look under as we l l as on, i n, a n d a t
things. Don't forget to try moving things.
understand as t hey c ould h e l p y o u ris e
above later difficulties
3) There are some items you can - and must -
take past the gatekeeper. Find out which.
thing doesn't raise your score when 'banked'
then dont bank it
5) The books in the library give several useful
hints
6) There are two puzzles where, although you
mcry hav e guemed the solution, y ou might
still hove difficulty completing. These are the
bear in the cage (C) and the rats (D),
The C a s tle
This group o f locations, b o t h abov e a n d
under ground, is more Cl source of objects
and information t o solve other puzzles t han
treasure. The t emple is link ed t o the set of
locations under t he hill, but t he link is one
way only - so don't look for it unt il you've
explored the under-hill area thoroughly (F).
Collect everything you fi nd here - some
of it is bankable, but not muc h. All keys in
they c an get a wa y wit h produc ing prod-
ucts that haven't really developed since the
pre-Hobbit era. You a m be quite confident
that t his c ol umn wi l l b e ruthless i n it s
expose of software that doesn't come up to
scratch. But we' l l nev er criticise wit hout
being constructive, a n d we' ll alway s b e
keen t o hear f rom dissenting voices • a n d
keen to publish them too.
The c ompanies wh o produce adv en•
tutes and the people who write about them
rely absolutely o n YOUR judgement a n d
discretion. Your opinions are of the utmost
value, and the Pilgrim's Post column is there
fox you to fill. Any opinion you express on
this page will be read by the people who
matter - and that's one step closer to seeing
the mark et c hange ac c ording t o YOUR
wishes. So don't b e s hy - it only costs a
stamp1
To contact the Pilgrim cmd fill
this space with your views
on the wo r ld w e p l a y in ,
write to
The Pilgrim
4 Queen Street
Bath BA1 lEJ
or, i f y o u have a modem
cmd access to BT Gold, mall
me on 83:JNL251.
421-•el-ACE
the game will fit mat c hing doors - in most
cases t h e connections bet ween k ey s a n d
doors are obvious (usually related to colour).
Don't waste time by knocking your head
against dead-ends. You c an also save t ime
when you've found your way across (G) the
coloured squares b y us ing t he FUNCTION
c ommand - assign the sequence of moves to
the specific f unc t ion k ey s o t hat y o u c an
cross all the squares wit h one press (if your
machine has that facility).
Because t he use of objects is often not
required until some time after fi nding them,
and because you can't carry an infinite num-
ber of items, it makes sense to have an object
'cache' where you can drop things unlit you
need them. The Pilg uses the entrance hall in
the castle f or this purpose. Anot her useful
function defi nit ion i s t heref ore G O T O
ENTRANCE HALL, DROP ALL EXrelle LAMP
whic h you can then follow by retrieving any
items you may need.
The l a mp s hould g o wi t h y o u ev ery -
where - if you have any difficulty, check out
U nde r The Hill
This group of locations holds ma n y puzzles
and places to explore. You'll need the gloves
and the ivory key as well as the lamp before
you enter - these will enable you to go most
places without difficulty.
You should not s how t he berries t o the
gatekeeper - you may never get t hem back
In general, b e c aref ul t heref ore a b o u t
SHOWing objects to people.
Don't be af raid to try going places that
seem slightly inaccessible. The most difficult
puzzle in the under-hill region involves cross-
ing the hot mats. To do this you will need to
have (not necessarily in this order) ent ered
the mill, betted on the race (and won), left
the mi l l wi t h y our possessions intact, a n d
play ed art critic. Don' t was t e t ime k illing
yourself if y ou haven't done a l l this. You'll
also need to get back - best done after play-
ing botanist, so a SAVE is advisable before
crossing the barrier.
While under the hill. remember the joke
in the original Adventure game about killing
the dragon wit h y our bare hands Here, it
seems, as in Collossal Adventure, y ou don't
know your own strength.
With t wo main exceptions (the ccals and
the spider) the solutions to the punles under
the h i l l a r e almos t a l l n e a r a t h a n d
Persevere in search of payment, food, release
from cold embrace, and means of entrance
are all close by
A fi na l Wor d
This guide should have giv en y ou a simple
framework that will mak e success in Guild
that b i t easier. Normally we' d giv e mo r e
explicit hints, but because of the hints includ-
ed wit h the pac k aging t hat approac h isn't
appropriate in this case. Solv ing GOT is as
much a n orgcmiscrtional a n d persistence
problem as one of insight
It's also a g a me in whic h y ou'll fi nd it
comparatively easy - wit h numerous saves -
to amass at least 250 points, gained by enter-
ing rooms difficult to access and by banking
treasure What you will probably find then is
 a
dr' 4 - ; J •

KNIGHTORC
Available in August:
AMIGAWise) • ATARI St (Disc)
Tofollowsoon: Enter the world of Knight Ore.
IBMPC(Disc) MAC (Disc) APPLE II (Disc')
AMSTRADCPC(Disc) •AMSTRADPCW(Disc) The latest, most challenging and fun packed three part
ALLAT119.95 adventure from Level 9.
CBM64/128 (Cassette' or Disc) The text is pure Level 9 at their most innovative and
AMSTRADCPC(Cassette') • SPECTRUM(Cassette') the graphics, well they are superlative
ATARIBOO(Cassette' or Disc') • MSX(Cassette')
ALLAT114.95 worlds
; s t abeyond.
te o f
t h You e are castaas a desperate,
d downtrodden, evil minded
*Testversiononly.
a onnthe rampage
Ore d in adventureland.
At all good retailers or direct from: For generations the Humans have been persecuting
RAINBIRDMAILORDER
Ores, which is hardly surprising as Ores are singularly
Toorder enclose a cheque/POpayable to unpleasant creatures.
BRITISHTELECOMplc statingmachine,
cassette or disc,andnumber requiredandsend to
Now it's time to redress the balance.
RAINBIRDMAILORDER,POBOX394,LONDONNS.
Orcall the RAINBIRDHOTLINEon
01-348 8618
quotingyour Access/Visacardnumber.
Remember,always state yourName,Addressand

Postcodeincluding the reference code printed below. t e l l

All prices include PAP Allow 28 days tor delivery.

With 7 0 characters to contend with, masses of spells

and punks to use and solve, you'll need all your Orcish
cunning if you are to reap your ultimate revenge.
PUBLISHEDIN THE UK BY RAINBIRD SOFTWARE, But be warned adventurers, for all is not as it first
FIRST FLOOR, 74 NEW OXFORD STREET, LONDON WCI A IPS
Rainterd and the Rainbird logo are trademarks of
appears in ...Knight Orel
British Telecommunications Olt.

Screen shots taken from the Amiga version.

IKEI
-
:AL
L
I
 The order of the solar system
as kept for thousands of years 4 . d i r
by the people of Zybor was coming
apatt. Growing dissatisfaction in outlying
planet bodies increased as their technot T e a t h e i g h t s .
Zybor reacted in the o w a y left to it whilst the tedmological advantage remained in its hands. And so Trantor was brought
from out of the ranks of the warriors forcesAlert a brutal streak and rebellious nature made sure his
talents never realised thek full potential. Hiscredentials were perfect his mission was simple, to lead
a band of outlaw mercenaries and smash thegrowing power of the New Wodd NEMI LMI ONE before
Its atomic threat turned into an awesome cataclysm of conflict But the fiebithons were not
unprepared and when n return from a reconnalsance scouting. Trantor found the
remains of his undercover force scattered amongst the alien

ladscapehealong with the last

l fragments ofi his battle cruiser,
d fe
ynd
ib
o
u
s
rg
d
n
a
lth
within the ice cold compartment of his mind, he
recognised the burden that now lay with
him, that ail now depended on he
Trantor, the Last
Storrntrooper.

Sm
'Ns. a t

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SrECTRUM +3112.99i
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9 9 7
TOMORROW,SOFTWARETODAY t
Units 2/3, Holford Way, Holford, Birmingham 66 7AX Tel: 021 356 3388 J r
MOW 4

that there are one or two puzzles you simply
can't solve - or dont even know that they are
puzzles
To help you avoid this situation. remem-
ber to hang on to objects found - almost all
have t hen uses - b y storing t hem i n y our
cache Ne v e r risk los ing a n object wit hout
SAVEng first. That way , y ou will prevail in
the end, And of course we'll he printing more
tips o n t h e g a me i n f ort hc oming issues.
Members hip o f t h e Guild is wi t h i n y o u r
grasp/
Pat's Patch
Pat Wins t c mley , ex -edit or of Adv ent ure
Cont ac t , k i c k s of f wi t h t h e fi rs t ins t al-
me n t of her r e g u l a r c o l u mn f or adv en-
t ure a u
t h oWhet
r s her y ou' re a wo u l d - b e a d v e n -
.ture
. . writ er, or already a profi c ient coder,
this c o l u mn is t ailor-made for y ou. Ov er
the n e x t f e w mo n t h s we ' l l b e l o o k i n g
bot h at t he general t heory of adv ent ure
p r o g r a mmi n g a n d t h e a c t u a l c o d i n g .
us ing s uc h populc a ut ilit ies as G r a p h i c
A d v e n t u r e Cr e a t o r , T h e Q u i l l , a r i d
Genesis - p r o g r a ms t hat a l l o w y o u t o
writ e y our o w n adv ent ure g a me s wi t h-
out a n y p r o g r a m m i n g e x p e r i e n c e .
There a r e n o w m a n y c o mme r c i a l l y -
releas ed g a me s writ t en b y h o me - b r e w-
ers a n d t here's n o r e a s o n w h y , w i t h
i ma g i n a t i o n a n d per s ev er anc e, y o u
s houldn't join t hem.
GuildofThievesClues
A Just call out to the gatekeeper and as
him to lower the drawbridge - you'll prob-
ably need to shout
B Chec k out the cushion
C Tr y SMEAR you•should-know-what ON
what-you-should-have-caught Then feed
it to the bear
.D Vandalis m is the order of the day. One
of the pipes con be P a l e d Then its bath-
time for your furry friends
E The lamp fits in your pocket
F P Ul l a n g or MOVEing t he statue w e
send you plummet ing down into the well
DIK)P the statue and SWIM NORTH
G M a k e a ma p of t he grid, us ing t he
description as a guide You need to follow
the reversed order of the rainbow (WOE-
NIAR). w h i c h i s v iolet , i n d i g o , b l u e
green, yellow, orange a n d red
There is, howev er, o n e b i g p r o b l e m
y ou're lik ely to fi nd wh e n us ing a ut ilit y -
namely , g i v i n g y our g a me t hat c ert ain
indiv idual t ouc h t hat mak es it s t and out
f rom ot her h o me - b r e we d titles. To h e l p
you, we' ll be look ing at rout ines such as
c o mb a t c ont ainers , int erac t ion, s c reen
lay out , r e d e s i g n e d c harac t er sets, a n d
generally c us t omis ing y o u r adv ent ures
so t hat t hey don't appear c loned.
We'll be c ov ering all the popular ut il
at a h i l l W h i c h r i s e s u p a a a a a * Pb.
an d A O t h e a a a a a i s t h e m o a t s e • h o f t e k .
rt / S 1 1 0 a n d i t s d r A w S r i d g e .
,
1 be senough to last y ou for aeons! Not t o
0
0 ment
k
a Retrospectives
t
t
h e
e
s r
i
e
d w
t
. i
ities so, for those of y ou wh o hav e yet to
s ample t h e d e l i g h t s o f c r e a t i n g y o u r
o wn g a me , t his s eems a n a p p r o p r i a t e
mo me n t to check out what 's av ailable;
The Quill
This p r o g r a m is still wi d e l y us ed des pit e
its a g e a n d is ideal for beginners due t o
its s i mp l e s t ruc t ure. M o s t c o mmo n l y -
used rout ines a r e b u i l t in, s o c o d i n g is
s t raight f orward. Howev er, t his s implic it y
is a d r a wb a c k w h e n y o u h a v e mo r e
ambit ious ideas, as t he p r o g r a m is rela-
t iv ely infl ex ible.
The Quill w a s t he first of t he adv en-
ture utilities on the mark et a n d has since
s pawned a n u mb e r of add-on programs ,
such a s T h e illus t rat or ( f o r a d d i n g
graphic s ). O n e of its adv ant ages is t hat
it i s a v a i l a b l e f o r a w i d e r a n g e o f
mac hines . so t hat in t heory a g a me y ou
dev elop on, f or ex ample, t he Spec t rum
c an also be ma d e to run on the Ams t rad
a n d CBM64 wit h little modifi c at ion.
Friendly or Fle x ible ?
For mo r e fl ex ibilit y t h a n Th e Quill y o u
wi l l p r o b a b l y n e e d t o res ort t o a less
us er-f riendly p a c k a g e s uc h a s Genes is
(av ailable f or t he Ams t rad o n l y a t pre-
sent) or ABS (f or t he Spec t rum) Genes is
wi l l do v irt ually any t hing y ou like, but is
diffi cult t o learn. ABS a l s o does more or
less a n y t h i n g , b u t i t requires a g o o d
k nowl edge o f B A S I C t o o p e r a t e S o
b e wa r e - b o t h t h e s e ut ilit ies a r e f o r
experts only!
Perhaps t h e b e s t c o mp r o mi s e i s
G A C f r o m I nc ent iv e A beginner mi g h t
fi nd it harder t o learn t h a n Th e Quill -
alt hough it's really not t oo dif fi c ult - b u t
it scores ov er Quill i n its fl ex ibilit y Wi t h
G A C y o u a r e p r o v i d e d w i t h s i mp l e
building blocks whi c h c an be c o mb i n e d
in almos t a n y wa y t o produc e t he effect
y ou want . G A C als o has the a d v a n t a g e
of a n int egral art p a c k a g e - s omet hing
wh i c h is a n ex t ra wit h The Quill. G A C is
a v a i l a b l e f or Ams t rad, BBC. Spec t rum,
a n d Co mmo d o r e mac hines , wi t h a n ST
v ers ion c urrent ly under dev elopment .
PAWS f or t hought
Fairly n e w on t he mark et , a n d c urrent ly
av ailable f o r S p e c t r u m o n l y ( o t h e r
mac hines soon) is Gilsoft's Professional
ADVENTURE
Nextmonth...
Next mont h y ou c an wallow in the new
MUG diaries - we lock off with an intimate
dip'n'delve Into the world of SHADES A n d
-
D A C E tips section I f you're wonriler-
the
mguwh y we won't be printing tips every
month
r - just check out nex t issue! There'll
e ion t h e fi r s t o f t h e P i l g ' s
t See you in October!
h
e
Adv lent ure Writer, or P A W f or short.
Despite t h e c o mp a n y ' s prot es t at ions t o
l
the bc o n t r a r y t h i s a p p e a r s t o b e a n
upgraded
e v ers ion of Th e Q u i l l w i t h all
the tm a j o r f eat ures o f t h e Gils on p r o -
grams h int egrat ed int o one pac k age. A
system e of ov erlay s is us ed t o b r i n g v ari-
ous fpart s of t he program int o use as a n d
wh ein required.
Like
r Quill, P A W i s v ery eas y to get
into,sa n d as it uses the s ame lay out , peo-
ple tu p g r a d i n g f rom t he earlier p r o g r a m
wi l l i fi n d it v e r y f a mi l i a r right f r o m t h e
start.n B u t t here t he s imilarit y ends . Th e
wh osl e p r o g r a m enc ourages y o u t o cus-
t omis t e y o u r g a me , w h i l e a t t h e s a me
t imea a l l o w i n g t h e b e g i n n e r t o w o r k
t hrough
l t he s t andard system t o produc e
a game.m
One v e r y us ef ul f eat ure of P A W i s
e
t he n opport unit y t o c reat e sub-processes
in t ht e c o d e w h i c h c a n b e c a l l e d c is
required f or ot her sections. Th e ma n u a l
gives s peec h wi t h ot her c harac t ers as a
suggested u s e f o r t hes e sub-processes
but t he possibilities go muc h further t han
this - d i f f e r e n t c h a r a c t e r s mi g h t , f o r
instance, b e giv en t heir o wn dis t inc t iv e
text style.
The pars er. t oo, is mu c h bet t er t han
Quill - n o more wi l l t he poor play er b e
restricted to v erb/ noun input wit h all t he
problems that brings, One minor quibble
of m i n e t h o u g h i s t h a t P A W d o e s n ' t
rec ognis e f ull wo r d s - only t he lust fi v e
characters. Di s t i n g u i s h i n g b e t w e e n
words such cis s c hooner a n d s c hool wi l l
therefore c aus e problems . N o d o u b t I 'll
fi nd a w a y r o u n d it in t i me - s o wa t c h
this space!
For t he foreseeable future. G A C a n d
P A W appez t r to be t he obv ious choices
for a n y o n e c o n t e mp l a t i n g w r i t i n g a n
adv ent ure. Bot h are t remendous ly fl exi-
ble, wh i l e f airly eas y t o g e t int o. Eac h
has features t he ot her lac k s , b u t a lit t le
t hought should solve most problems .
Finally , don't f orget t hat this c ol umn
is t here t o s erv e y ou. I f t here a r e a n y
special effects y o u ' d l i k e t o i n c l u d e i n
y our games us ing a n adv ent ure wr i t i n g
ut ilit y a n d c an' t s ee h o w t o ac hiev e it,
writ e i n t o m e a t A.C.E. a n d r i l d o m y
best t o c o me u p wi t h a s olut ion i n a
f ut ure issue.
 C U T PRICE SOFTWARE LTD
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5 7,25 Footballer V . . 795 $ 2 50
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I n ° lEatel ........- - ,,,,,...... 9.96 725 Aul Monty 799 5.50
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Epys Eln:. , , . , . 7 2$ I I 96 1
Gams O w . 7 S25 1 19S Troul Pomo , - 112_ $
6.50 Falcon 9 9 5 725 Cinch 23 . . 7.25 I I 95 Sole4 1M 3 7.25 11.95 Sole a Malkin I 1,725 11.95 SkarnSernot _ _ _ _ _ 7.50 11.9$
1 1 .afiWarnor , 795 5,50 Hybrid; 0.79 6.95
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ke 7.25 10 96 a Konsini Cain Op 715 I I
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1 I I 9$ inw Karate 630 1095
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950 Long Daylighte 995 7,29
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4
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Prolvbiti:n . - - - _ _ 995 713 Shockway Rider _ _ _ _ 7.9S 550 Exam Caq KVA 21 96 Deirroyse 1095 I f ignalPumas IPCW5 16 95 Irib ial Po n ,*
9 1115 1 7
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Death or Gler7 7 . 7 5 I I 95 T 550 14;A MeadCloe - 9695 I 1,0) Super Hos7 - 7.25 I 1.95
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el
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s IPCW)
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Wiz ..........6 5 0 i i 95 Grwhe C r e . . . . . . 17,95 22.95 Plan It MCA') _ - _ _ _ 94% 20.95 Winter
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615 1 1 95 Lunen 5 195 2 9 5
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 TRICKS ' N T A C T I C S
.'

TRICKS 1
N TACTICS
It may not be cricket, old chap, but let's face it—
sometimes the only way to get a high score is to

1
CHEAT! Or at the very least pinch a trick or two
from the experts. T r i c k s
1 your way with a selection of red-hot tips on top
n games—so rip off the old school tie and get
down to some serious action.
1
Ta c t i c s
s e n d s
t h
RENEGADE
e
b a l l s Amstrad
STAGE A t the for right of t he s ubway is a knocked d o wn so don't try. No w bac k off
ledge that c an be used to y our adv ont age and let her charge you. Leap up and kick as
Walk into your foe and push him back to the soon as she starts her run-up, a n d this will
ledge. Then use a fl y ing kick to knock him fi nally finish her
over t h e edge. I t ma y t ak e t hree or f our
attempts so mak e sure you're not grabbed STAGE 4: One hit from any of these slashing
from behind.
thugs and its curtains, so keep mov ing and
Dispose of the pipe-wielding guys first: if only use kicks, One lock will floor them, but
one of these is left when t he Boss turns up don't pummel - you don't have time.
you are in big trouble. Good t iming is required if y ou're to outkick
If y ou ma n a g e t o knock an opponent STAGE 5: The same as stage four, but the boss him but what ev er happens, don't back oft If
down, c rouc h on t op of h i m and p u mme l is shooting at y ou so k eep mov ing up and you do, hell draw the gun again
him to death The black guys only take one down the screen t o av oid his bullets. Onc e Wit h t he last boss disposed of y ou get
punch but the white guys need three. all the thugs are dead, close in on the gang y our g i r l K e e p a close ey e o n our hero's
leader: he'll put away his gun and use kicks. hands1 •
STAGE 2: The attack of the bikers: in the first
part of the level the bikers will attempt to run
you down, riding on from either side of the
screen. Stay in the middle and as soon as a
bik e c omes o n t he screen s t art b a c k i n g
HOT TIPS...TOP PRIZES!
away , earning yourself some thinking time.
Then do a fl y ing kick to knock the rider off very month well be giving away Ea -w o rth o f software to
Knock f our riders of f a n d it's bac k t o t he
fighting. readers who send in the best playing tips, pokes, maps, and
Level t wo has anot her of those useful hi-score tactics...
ledges, this time at the far left, so use it to rid
Tip of the month - gets the six top-rated games for their
yourself of first t he pipe swingers and then
t he mas k ed muggers I f y ou're us ing t he machine in the current issue of ACE completely free. A prize
pummelling technique. pipe swingers t ak e usually worth at least'E60.00!
t wo hits when down and masks take three.
Five runners-up each receive the top-rated game for their
STAGE 3: Its the girls chance to have a bash machine in the current issue.
on level three, Some wield whips and others
So get down to it! Send your tips to:
pipes, and this time there's no ledge to help
you out. Use k ic k ing as muc h as possible: Tricks'n'Tactics, Advanced Computer Entertainment, 4 Queen
one fl ying kick will kill a blonde outright The Street, BATH, BA1
black girls are tougher, but it still only takes
two pummels to finish them. Don't forget to include your name and address (clearly written in
The big (and we do mean big) problem block capitals) and the name of your computer — so we can pick
on this level is gang boss Bertha. Use kicks to
the right prize!
wear h e r s t rengt h d o wn - s he c an' t b e

ACE
RICKS ' N ' TA C TIC S

ARKANOID ,• • • • • = 1 1 1
•

• • • , ' . 1 1 1 • S w . ,

Spectrum 8( ST Cheat Mode

ATARI: Ho l d d o wn Ca p s L o c k a n d t y pe
DEATHSTAR wh i l e t he game is boot ing,
t hen p r e s s S t o c y c l e t h r o u g h t h e
s c reens a n d c h o o s e wh i c h o n e y o u
would like to start on.
SPECTRUM: Fi r s t y o u ' v e g o t t o s c o r e
enough t o regis t er y our name on the high
s c ore t able — s houldn' t b e t oo d i f fi c u l t
Enter REMAIN as your name and you can
t hen pres s t he s pac e b a r at t he end o f
each game to re-s t art on the s ame screen
y ou were last on.
S c r e e n Tips
If your sense of fair play wo n ' t let you use
the cheat modes t hen at least try these tips.
They ' ll h e l p y o u t h r o u g h s o me o f t h e
tougher screens.
Six rows of bricks on this screen;
two c oloured rows s andwic hed
-411-41 - 4 1 -Ell
between f our rows that require
multiple hits. Again, concentrate g. rp
your attack in one place so that your ball will l -01 -41 -II -11-41-411
be trapped and can demolish the blocks from
the inside. Las ers are a Gods end on t his
g
g, g , • a •g,gi
level.
1
The majorit y of t he s c reen is 1
taken u p by ' Th e Di me n s i o n
d
Changer' . a h u g e h e a d t h a t
issues what look like l o p pieces
from its mout h (squares on the Spectrum).
The 'coins' head for your current position so
IMPACT i
try to keep your bat in a place where the ball Auctiogenic's solid gold bat-em-up laid
is less likely to be returned, and zip across to bare for you: RpM of A.A. fame brings
return t he ball. Hit the head enough times you those level codes.
and you'll destroy it, completing the game. •

3
The b o t t o m r o w o f b r i c k s i s
indestructible save for the three to the
tar right of t he ST screen or the f ar
left of t he s c reen on t he Spec t rum
version. Your best bet is t o demolis h t he
three bricks and try to hit the ball on the very
left (or right for Spectrum) of the bat so that
it strikes t he wall a little below the gap and
bounces in and along. Best benefi t t o get
here is t he s t ic k y bat, because very careful
aim is needed. Keep your bat on the s ame
side of the screen because chances are the
ball will c ome flying through the gap at some
speed.
this screen, They are all in a vertical
line i n t he mi d d l e s urrounded by
8 There
masses areofonly
indestructible
seven blocks bricks.
to hit Hit
on
the first brick and try to aim your ball for the
far left — the ball will be trapped and bounce
around frantically, demolishing the remaining
bricks. Best benefit is the laser.
11 This h a s t hree rec t angles o n
screen; two smaller ones inside a
larger one. Spec t rum owners .
though, only get two rectangles.
All t he bricks need t wo hits. Tak e out t wo
bricks from either corner then aim your ball
for the gap - you should be able to trap the
ball bet ween t he rectangles. You'll get no
benefits to help you on this screen,
This is lough bec aus e t he fi rs t
BARBARIAN
B a r b a r i a n s t oops t o c o n q u e r - o r a t
leas t h e d o e s i n t h e g a m e b y
Psygnosis. For as t oundingly e n o u g h i f
y ou us e t he Pic k u p ic on c o n t i n u a l l y
wh i l e b e i n g a t t a c k e d y o u b e c o m e
inv ulnerable N o mat t er wh a t ma n n e r
of b a d g u y at t ac k s Hegor s o l o n g as
y ou k e e p h i m b e n d i n g d o w n t o pic k
t hings u p he' ll s u r v i v e W i t h t h a t i n
mi n d h e r e are a f e w tips t o h e l p y ou
on y our wa y
First y ou ma y be wo n d e r i n g h o w to
LEVEL C O D E
11 G o l d
21 F i s h
31 W a l l
41 P l u s
51 He a d
61 F o r k
71 Ro a d
(81 U s e r )
If you want to impress y our friends wit h a
massive score, use the screen designer to
create easy bonus screens packed f ull of
tokens. Once you have played your screens
(gaining many lives and a huge score on
the way) the game will wrap back to screen
one, giving your score the legitimate look.
wh e r e a s k ull is c arv ed i n t o t he k ey -
stone y o u pos it ion Hegor,'s f eet o n e
e a c h s i d e o f . t his w a i t u n t i l t h e
p e n d u l u m s wi n g s l e v e l w i t h h i s
f orehead a n d t h e n ma k e a r u n f or it
y ou s hould lust get pas t - b u t t his still
requires s plit -s ec ond t i mi n g . A n o t h e r
w a y to t ac k le the p e n d u l u m is to do as
abov e but run only unt il y ou are
b e l o w t he piv ot Th e n use t he old pick-
u p trick f urt her rot at ions will not h a r m
y ou unt il y o u dec ide t o mo v e on and,

II row of bricks is s o low and y our

ball is ret urned s o fast. Tr y t o
blast a hole all the way up, either
right in t he middle or t o one side, s o t hat
your ball can work from above. Watch out for
the eight double hit bricks near the bottom
and t he eight indestructible bricks near the
top Any benefit you can get will help on this
screen, but the laser is particularly useful.
k ill t he I RON M A N in order t o get t he
b o w. We l l t h e s i mp l e a n s we r is t h a t
y ou c a n t , n o r c a n y o u p i c k u p t h e
as y o u are half w a y t hrough already ,
not muc h t iming is required. •
If it's t he WI ZARDS wh o are g i v i n g
b o w e v e n if y o u d o get pas t h i m, It's y ou t r o u b l e t h e n us e t h e s hield wi t h
t he d e f e n d i c o n t o defl ec t t h e i r fi re-
lust a decoy, t he real b o w being a little
f urt her on balls a n d run a n d duc k (pic k u p ) past
II you'r e stuck a t the P E NDULUM t hem This also requires great t i mi n g . •
t hen t ook a t t h e b r i d g e a r c h b e l o w.
ICIPACE
 TRICKS 'N' TACTICSI

DEFENDER
OF THE
CROWN
Amiga Strategy
G e n e r a l T act i cs frantically. Follow the some procedure once
you're inside the castle.
1.Choose Geoffrey Longsword as your
c harac t er. G e o f f r e y ' s v e r y g o o d a t A t t a c k i n g cast les.
swordplay and that's what the game hinges You re trying to knock down the outside wall
on. eac h t ime s o y ou mus t fi nd t he c orrec t
range. Eac h t ime y ou fi re, memoris e t he
2. Spend y o u r g o l d o n s oldiers a t t h e
exact position of t he c at apult by taking a
beginning o f e a c h t u r n ; b u y k night s
bearing o n t he pix el pat t erns bes ide t he
whenev er possible, as t hey s eem t o hav e
stone. After firing and demolishing a portion
more staying p o we r when t he going get s
of the wall, return the catapult to the exact
t ough, part ic ularly wh e n y ou re o n t h e
offensive. fi ring pos it ion a n d mo v e it u p o n e pix el
bef ore fi ring again. Caref ully mo v e t he
3.Raid other castles as often as you c an to c at apult head up one pixel f rom t he firing
replenish your stocks if you get low on gold position eac h t ime and you shouldn't have
any difficulty,
4. Don't bother with the jousting; it's incredibly
difficult to win and irrelevant to winning the
game. I f y ou re s ummoned t o a joust. I t s
safest to joust for fame and not for land.

5. Capture your Opponents' home castles -

you then get all their land as well.
WIN A FREE FLIGHT ON
6. Keep your territories grouped together or
you will b e c ut of f f rom y our home bas e,
landing you in all sorts of trouble.

7. Return home at t he start of eac h turn t o

CONCORDE
transfer your home soldiers to your campaign
army

B. Keep some soldiers at your home castle at

A flight on Concorde
all times, losing your base means the end of 2ND PRIZE
your game.
A computer of your
9. Robin Hood will help you up to three times;
use him only when y ou think you might run
. d a l l o b o choice up to the value
into stiff opposition.
i t 1 S T
P RP I L ZSO25
E runner up prizes of 3 free
10. Rescue the Saxon lady when prompted.

11. Be cautious about at t ac k ing a c ount y

games from the current U.S. GOLD
when you've just seen it c hange hands: t he
victors c ampaign army may still be lurking
o f range AND a free T. Shirt!
there. £All you
3 have
0 to do is fill in this coupon and present it at
12. Mak e sure y ou heavily out number t he 0our stand—No 1311 at the PCW Show in Olympia or
send it direct to us at US GOLD LTD,
defenders when attacking a castle i f you
don't then you won't hove a chance. Select R UNITS
. R 2.& 3, HOLFORD WAY, HOLFORD,
fierce attack if things look promising. BIRMINGHAM B6 7AX.
PNAME.
. i nA G E .
13. Wait to see the size of the enemy's army if
y ou c o m e u n d e r a t t a c k , t h e n a c t cADDRESS:
. V A
accordingly - select Wild retreat if the going
gets tough.
T .
COMPUTER.
Sw orcifi ghts
Keep your mouse arrow on the door through Closing date for entries 31st October 1987.
which the enemy guards came, making sure Draw will take place 2nd November 1987.
the arrow is just abov e ground level. As you Winners will be notified by post.
clash with the guards press the mouse button
TRICKS ' N T A C T I C S
EXOLON
Amstrad
1. St at ic o b st acles: hese pose
no t hreat abLir• f rom obs t ruc t ing y ou
Let rip wit h a missile t o destroy t hem
2. M i n e s : These n e e d to be j umped
over
3. P n e u m a t i c H a m m e r s :
These rise f rom t h e g r o u n d a n d y ou
s hould wa i t unt ill t h e y d i s a p p e a r
bef ore jumping across
4. Si n g l e sh o t can n o n s: Walk
t o wa r d t hes e a n d d u c k b e f o r e t h e
bullet hits y o u L o o s e of f a missile t o
destroy these
5. M u l t i s h o t c a n n o n s Keep
adv anc ing on t hes e fi ring all t he time.
' Duc k t o s h o o t t h e l o w bullet s a n d
s t and u p t o s hoot t h e h i g h ones .
Missiles h a v e n o e f f e c t o n t hes e s o
y ou h a v e t o wa l k pas t t hem. A t all
costs DONT JUMP
6. Combination Cannons
Very t ric k y t o g e t pas t t hes e, k e e p
fi ring a n d adv anc ing and fire a missile
t o des t roy t he single shot p a i l o f t he
c a n n o n T h e n t r e a t os n o r ma l mult i
shot c a n n o n
7. A i r b o r n e a l i e n s : These all
a t t a c k i n v a r i o u s f o r ma t i o n s , a n d
f o l l o w d i f f e r e n t fl i g h t p a t h s S o m e
at t ac k in wa v e f orms a n d y ou s hould
k e e p j u mp i n g a n d fi ring. De l i c a t e
t iming is inv olv ed bec aus e a j u mp at
t he w r o n g m o m e n t c o u l d res ult in
y our losing a life.
B. H o m i n g m i s s i l e s Try t o
c r o n g e p l a t f o r ms jus t b e f o r e t h e
missile hit s y o u a n d fi re a mis s ile t o
destroy t he g u i d a n c e pod
9. Fa s t /s low missiles These
c o m e a t y o u s lowly t h e n s u d d e n l y
s p e e d u p w h e n t h e y g e t h a l f wa y
across t he s c reen Fire fast a n d k eep
duc k ing and jumping
S W a r M e r S . Des t roy t h e r e d
p o d a n d t hey c o me s warming at y ou
- fi re like m a d a n d k eep fi ring Os y ou
duc k and jump
SENTINEL
The ST Codes
Firebird's a ma z i n g 3 D t hink -em-up sees bot her: y o u m a y as w e l l h y p e r s p a c e
its t es t v ers ion y et on t he ST, wi t h faster y ours elf a n d s a v e t h e u n i t t h a t t r e e
p a n n i n g a n d bet t er graphic s t h a n a n y w o u l d c os t y o u . S o me t i me s y o u c a n
of it s 8-bit inc arnat ions . There' s als o a
bloc k a s c a n per f ec t l y t h o u g h , s o d o
marv ellous help f ac ilit y built in: just look c hec k for this.
u p at t he sky, pres s HELP a n d y o u g e t
a n aerial v iew of t he lands c ape f rom t he The c o d e s
point of the sky y ou're look ing at. Here's a r u n t hrough f rom 0042 t o 1024:
That's a l l v e r y we l l of course, b u t it large g a p s indic at e lands c apes wi t h a
does m e a n y o u was t e t i me look ing u p lot of energy , a n d t hat t ends t o me a n a
and t hen bac k d o wn again. Mo r e lot of sentries. Tr y out a f e w of t he hot
s erious ly , HELP s t art s t h e s ent inel a n d ones - 335, 507 a n d 845 are part ic ularly
sentries t urning a n d s c anning, so lik e U- tough!
t urn it s hould only b e us ed onc e y ou'v e
look ed around c aref ully a n d work ed out 0042 67887349
y our plan of attack. 0048 57765168
0071 33586247
The best form of de f e nc e 0086 02166969
0097 74976881
Th e s e n t i n e l i s t h e k e y t o e a c h
l a n d s c a p e bec aus e he's t h e las t t h i n g 0119 79854657
y ou c a n abs orb. Wh e r e t here a r e 0124 47578848
sentries, t he priorit y is t o get a b o v e a n d 0144 64558555
abs orb t h e m as s oon a s possible_ This 0156 99076986
u s u a l l y m e a n s fi n d i n g a g a p i n t h e 0187 93445012
s c anning patterns, b u i l d i n g a v ery h i g h 0206 92896748
t ower and get t ing on it. 0237 72814583
This 'gung-ho' approac h c an bac k fi re 0267 21622814
b a d l y but it's quic k er a n d eas ier t han a 0302 64656793
g r a d u a l h e i g h t g a i n , es pec ially wh e r e 0335 61440960
there are a lot of sentries - s ay t hree or 0366 72095535
more K e e p i n g t rac k of s o m a n y s c ans 0304 73464697
c a n be v ery diffi cult, b u t as long as y ou 0416 99508761
get h i g h e n o u g h a n d t h e s ent inel' s 0442 15687207
look ing t he ot her w a y y o u c a n abs orb 0471 45608736
a n y t h i n g t hat look s at y ou. O n c e that's 0507 61743526
done of c ours e y o u jus t r u n r o u n d t he 0546 33972766
sentinel, s c ouring the lands c ape for trees 0576 46498401
• a s s u mi n g y ou' re g o i n g f or b i g l e a p s 0605 99578366
t hrough t he lands c ape numbers , t hat is. 0634 92482276
0661 61089974
Im m e dia t e scans 0680 67957977
Often y o u r init ial look r o u n d wi l l s h o w 0718 06092762
that y ou're about t o get s c anned. Wh e n 0745 25677845
y ou're i n a g u l l y t his c a n b e a s erious 0767 77004694
mat t er, as y ou can't use t he long transfer 0787 58045771
out of danger. I f t he s c anner (s ent ry o r 0808 07855664
sentinel s c anning y ou) is v ery close y ou 0845 76690341
ma y e s c a p e it s g a z e s i mp l y b y a 0886 58739454
t rans f er of o n e o r t wo s quares t o o n e 0916 33117306
side. 0937 48469772
Wh e r e t he s c anner's s ome dis t anc e 0967 10905081
off on t he ot her hand, y o u ma y be a b l e 0994 85851974
to b l o c k it s g a z e w i t h a t ree. I f t h i s 1024 15566662
means being half -s c anned instead, don't
ACT
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WIZBALL DEATH WISH 3 LEADERBOARD
Ocean Gremlin u s Gold/Access
Use the combined powers of the Clean up the streets in THE golfing simulation bar none
bouncing Wizball and Cataball to spectacularly violent style with your Vtirsito P R ? ACE pro N o cccit
bazooka, machine-gun, pistols. etc. Spectrum cass 8 . 9 9 6.95 Al 0 7SC
collect magic water drops, Original
and addictive. RAP ACE ;ft' Ortgr cok CBM 64 cass 9 . 9 9 7.95 A10 7CC
CBM 64 disk 1 4 . 9 9 11.95 Al 0 7CD
Verson RP ACEprice Only cmit Spectrum cass 7 . 9 9 6.25 A103SC
6.25 A109SC CBM 64 cass 9.99 7.95 A103CC Amstrad cass 9 . 9 9 7.95 A10 7AC
Spectrum cass 7 . 9 5
8.95 6_95 A109CC CBM 64 disk 14.99 11.95 A103CD Amstrad disk 1 4 . 9 9 11.95 A10 7AD
CBM 64 cass
CBM 64 disk 12.95 10.95 A109C0 Amstrad cass9 . 9 9 7.95 Al 03AC Atan ST disk 2 4 . 9 9 19.95 A10 7ST
Amstrad disk 14,99 11.95 A103AD Amiga disk 2 4 . 9 9 19.95 A1C 7AM
Amstrad cass 8 . 9 5 7.95 A109AC
Amstrad disk,. .. 14,95 11_95 A109AD

MASK
Gremlin
Addictive gameplay based on the
TV c artoon.
eii R R P ACE wipe Ordier xide
Spectrum cass 7 . 9 9 6 . 2 5 A 1 0 1 S C
CBM 64 cass 9 . 9 9 7 , 9 5 A l 01CC
CBM 64 disk 1 4 . 9 9 11.95 A l 01CD
Amstrad cass 9 . 9 9 7 , 9 5 A l OIAC
Amstrad disk 1 4 . 9 9 11.95 A l 01AD
Muni-

S.D.I EPYX EPICS

Mirrorsoff
Strategic Defence Initiative: action
plus strategy.
NV ACE Ott Ordirecde
Atari ST disk 2 9 . 9 5 24.95 A l 16ST
Amiga disk 2 9 . 9 5 24.95 A l 1 6AM
US Gold/Epyx
Collection of four stunning classics:
Summer Games, Impossible
Mission, Breakdance, Pitstop II.
Yersion R R P ACE pro Oder rade
CBM 64 cass 9 . 9 9 7 _ 9 5 A l 05CC
CBM 64 disk 1 4 99 11_95 A l 05CD

TOP GUN
Ocean TAIPAN
You've seen the movie, now plan Ocean GAUNTLET
your own dogfights. One and two- Advanced strategy game based on
the James Clavell novel. US Gold/Tait°
player action.
Versco A Cpric . Order code term NIP ACEpria Or* code The arcade smash hit featuring
Spectrum cass 7 . 9 5 6_25 A l 14SC Spectrum cass 7 . 9 5 6.25 A l 1 3SC mazes teeming with spooky
Amstrad cass 895 6.95 A l 14AC Atari ST disk 19.95 15.95 A l 1351' enemies.
Amstrad disk 14 95 11.95 A114AD Verviit RPP a r m Orde tole
IBM c ompatible 19.95 15.95 A l 14PC Spectrum cass 8 . 9 9 6.95 All 8SC
Atari ST disk 19.95 15.95 Al 14ST CBM 64 cass 9.99 7.95 A l l 8CC
CBM 64 disk 14.99 11.95 A ll 8CD
Amstrad cass 9 . 9 9 7.95 A ll SAC
Amstrad disk 14.99 11.95 A ll SAD
Atari ST disk 24,98 19.95 A ll 8ST

livnitormaiski W i t r N GAME OVER

p Imagine
I Exciting shoot-em-up featuring
B huge, evil guardians at the end of
M each level.
I Vrs ARP ACEpricy Or, code
Spectrum cass 7 . 9 5 6_25 0%110SC
A
M BALANCE OF CBM 64 cass 8 9 5
CBM 64 disk
6.95
12.95 10.95
A l l OCC
A l 10CD
S POWER Amstrad cass 8 _ 9 5
Amstrad dusk
6_95
14.95 1115
A l 1 OAC
AllOAD
T Mirmrsoft
RENEGADE
R
A demanding game of strategy.
A Versim PAP ACE pkt Oiler code
Imagine
O Software Atari ST disk 2 9 . 9 5 24.95 A l 17ST
All action street-fighting. Original Amiga disk 2 9 . 9 5 24,95 A l 17AM
andPviolent!
* k VC R P ACEprice Order co*
Spectrum
C cass_:...7.95 6,25 Al 00SC
CBMO64 cass 8 . 9 5 6.95 A l 00CC
STRIKE FORCE
CBM 64 disk
M
12.95 10_95 A l DOCD HARRIER
Amstrad cass 8 . 9 5 6.95 AlOOAC
P disk
Amstrad 14.95 11.95 AlOOAD mirrorsoft
A All action flight simulator and shoot-
T em-up.
WORLD GAMES
I vesion PR? ACE Om N o r cc&
US B GolidiEpyx Spectrum cass 9 . 9 5 7.95 A l l 5SC
CBM 64 cass 9.95 7_95 Al 1 5CC
EightL great sports: cliff diving, log CBM 64 disk 14.95 11.95 Al 1 5CD
rolling,
E bull lighting, weight-lifiting, Amstrad cass 9 . 9 5 7.95 A l l 5AC
slalom skiing, sumo wrestling, barrel
S Amstrad disk 14.95 11.95 Al 1 5AD SOLOMON'S KEY
jumping and caber tossing! Atari ST disk 24.95 19.95 A l 15ST
%nide IIRP ACEdrict Ordircede US Gold
Spectrum cass„, 8,99 6,95 AlOBSC Wizard coin-op game packed w th
CBM 64 Gass 9.99 7.95 A108CC puzzles and invention.
CBM 64 disk 14,99 11.95 A108CD Winkel RR ACEprice 016 ado
Amstrad cass 9.99 7.95 A108AC Spectrum cass 8 . 9 9 6.95 AlC 4SC
Amstrad disk 14.99 11.95 A108AD CBM 64 cass 9.99 7.95 Al0 4CC
Alan ST disk 24.99 19.95 A108ST CBM 64 disk 14,99 11.95 A l 0 4CD
Amiaa disk 24.99 19.95 A108AM ArnAtrad clang g Qg 7.95 Al r 4AC
IBM co mpat ibis _24 .99 19.95 A108PC Amstrad disk 14_99 11.95 A104AD
l
 HEAD OVER HEELS MA IL O R D E R '
Ocean
Exploit the different abilities of two
Characters in a brain-bending
exploration of a stunningly-depicted
3D world.
*me KM ACE pic# Cdercot*
Spectrum cass 7.95 6. 25 A l 11SC
CBM 64 cass 8.95 6. 95 A111CC
CBM 64 disk ..... . 1295 10.95 A111CD
Amstrad cass 8 . 9 5 6. 95 Al11AC
ACE MAIL ORDER
Amstrad disk 1 4 .
95
1 1 . 9 5
• Fast delivery
A 1 1 1
A D
• Friendly service
• Fat discounts

HOW TO ORDER
Just make a note of the detrrils of
the items you want, inc luding the
order code. Then fi ll these in on
the free-post card marked "ACE
READER OFFERS attac hed to the
DEFENDER OF THE outside of the magazine
CROWN You can either post this as it is
MirrorsottiMindscape with your credit card detctils, or
Strategy and combat backed by put it inside another envelope
graphics you would not believe! (addressed the same way ) with a
RR? ACE Rice Ordercode cheque. Either way you need pay
CBM 64 disk 1 4 95 11.95 A 1 0 6 C0 no postage.
Amiga disk 2 9 . 9 5 24.95 A l 06AM Alternativ ely ring 0458 74011
and mit
Orders.
- for
ARKANOID
Ocean A C
PLEASE NOTE
Really enjoyable Breakout Clone E
with 32 levels. C1. All items are despatched by
rclass
'keen R R P Caprice Ordercode
first mail.
Spectrum cass 7 . 9 5 6 . 2 5 A l 1 2SC
e
2. Wed hav e tried to list only those
COM 64 cass .... _8.95 6. 95 A l l 2 CC versions
i t of software whic h are
CBM 64 disk 1 2 . 9 5 10.95 A l 12CD av
Amstrad cass 8 . 9 5 6 4 5 A l 12AC C ailable NOW.
Amstrad disk 1 4 . 9 5 11,95 A 1 1 2 A 0 3.
a All prices include VAT, postage
IBM cornpabble 19.95 15.95 A l 12 PC and packing.
r
Atari ST disk 1 9 . 9 5 15.95 A 1 1 2 S T 4 Yo u will normally receive
d
software within 7 days of
ordering. But please allow 2-3
weeks in case of temporary
shortages.

SUBSCRIPTION
OFFER
If yo u wo n t o n e ve n better d e a l,
turn back one page and hav e a
look at our subscription offer. It'll
save you another C10
STAR GAMES 2 1
Gremlin
A compilation of superb titles !
including Ball Blazer, Eidolon,
Knight Games, Highway Encounter, CREDIT CARD HOTLINE
and Trail Blazer. Stunning value.
veto RRP ACEprke Maude
Spedrum cass 7 . 9 9 6.25 A102SC
COM 64 cass 9.99 7.95 A102CC
© 0458 74011
COM 64 dish 14.99 11.95 A102C0 Ac
Amstrad cass 9 . 9 9 7.95 A102AC cs VISA
knstrad disk 14.99 11.95 A l 02AD
AD ti
s
r
B

THEBUTTEREND...
L
I See you at the
T
T
E Starry-eyed
'We've got a n ac e produc t here, ent hus ed
R Robert Whit e of Durell Software. 'it s c alled
Popular Astrology and it can do nat al charts
E and interpretations drawn from 300K of text.
N So wh a t ' s f unny ' ) We l l , a p p a r e n t l y t h e
prc gram, o n first boot ing u p in t he Dureli
D office, p r o mp t l y predic t ed dire fi n a n c i a l
prospects for the compcmy.
Popular As t rology wi l l b e out o n t he
streets by the time you read this - let's hope
Dwell aren't out there with it.
Dirty old ROMs...
Here's o n e y o u c a n t ry if y ou' v e got a n
Amiga, Kickstart 1.2 in ROM, a n d t wo pairs
The A.C.E. t e a m . . .
PCW Show
of hands. On the workbench, hold down both
ALT keys a n d bot h SHIFT keys. No w press
Find ACE on the Future
eac h of t he f unc t ion keys i n t urn (t his is Publishing stand in the gallery of
where the extra hands help) and you'll get the National Hall,
little messages appearing on the status line -
programming and design credits, that sort of 25th — 27th September
t hing. No w, s t ill h o l d i n g bot h ALTs, bot h
at Olympia.
SHIFTS and the Fl key, change the disk. For or
split second you'll get an interesting message
c ont aining a rat her n a u g h t y wo r d , a n d
ex pres s ing s ome u n k i n d t hought s a b o u t
Commodore's policies towards the Amiga. For
those of y ou without on Amiga, we suggest
y ou p o p d o wn t o y our loc al Commodor e
Next month...
dealer wi t h a f riend a n d test it out. We' d
Issue 2, i n the shops on October 1st, will be
dearly love to print it here but there are laws
bursting wit h reviews of the latest red-hot
against that sort of thing
releases, i n c l u d i n g Te r r a p o d s f r o m
Psygnosis. Jack the Nipper 2, Eagles Nest on
the ST, plus new releases f rom Nov agen.
Microprose. Alligata and many more.

Steve Cook e (co-editor)
Work ed as a des pat c h rider in London
unt il a d d i c t i o n t o a r c a d e g a me s l e d
h i m t o deliv er a j o b applic at ion f or
Personal Co mp u t e r Games , wh e r e h e
b e c a me d e p u t y editor_ Lat er edit or of
Th e H o m e C o m p u t e r A d v a n c e d
Co u r s e W i d e l y r e s p e c t e d a s a n
a d v e n t u r e c o l u mn writ er. St ev e als o
fi n d s t i m e t o w r i t e p l a y s i n h i s
h i d e a wa y ret reat n e a r L a n d s E n d i n
Co r n wa l l Fav our i t e games . I mpos s ible
_Mis s ion I mp a c t a n d P a c M a n
Pete Connor (co-editor)
Ers t while Pers onal Co mp u t e r G a me s
staff writ er a r i d lat er edit or of Ams t rad
Ac t ion W a n d e r e d i n t o t he r e a l m o f
the dreaded I BM PCs b u t strode out t o
p i n ACE Des pit e a disposition t ending
t owards media, s t ill enjoy s a fast a n d
pref erably f u r i o u s s hoot ' em u p
Fav ourit egames Wriggler.
Boulderdas h, Plutas
A n d y Wilt on (rev iews editor)
C a m b r i d g e b o f fi n a n d e x - A ms t r a d
Ac t ion hac k er s upreme. a b a n d o n e d a
p r o mi s i n g l e g a l c a r e e r t o a c h i e v e
wo r l d - r e n o wn f or his infi nit e lives pok e
on Blaby ' s Wr i g g l e r . Pres s ure o f t h e
l i me l i g h t f o r c e d h i m t o m o v e t o
Mic ronet w h e r e h e r a n t he A ms t r a d
dat abas e Re c e i v e d nas t y let t ers
c o mp l a i n i n g t h a t h e wa s r e v i e wi n g
too ma n y games , so ret ired to ACE arid
proc eeded t o hac k ev ery t hing in s ight
Fa v o u r i t e g a m e s Th r u s t . S e n t i n e l
Head ov er Heels
Dav e Pac k er (staff writ er)
Wrot e his o w n g a me s o n a LIK101 i n
1981 a n d realis ed he was in d a n g e r of
b e c o mi n g a n obs es s iv e g a me s f reak
Went out a n d b o u g h t a n A t a r i 400 t o
c heer hims elf up. k n o c k i n g u p his first
million on Def ender s ev en week s later.
Realis ed a t this point t hat h e WA S a n
obsessive g a me s f reak T r i e d t o c u r e
this af fl ic t ion b y b u y i n g a n Elec t ron
Gav e u p t he s t ruggle af t er f our week s
a n d bought a Co mmo d o r e 64 f ollowed
b y a n A t a r i ST F a v o u r i t e g a m e s
Arc hon. Enc ount er. Ult ima ry
A n d y Smit h (staff writ er)
Andy s pers onal det ails a r e t o o
s h r o u d e d i n my s t e r y a n d d u b i o u s
c irc ums t anc e f or us t o report t hem. He
c aref ully a r r a n g e d t o b e o n h o l i d a y
while t his it em wa s b e i n g writ t en, b u t
w e d o k n o w t h a t h e s p e n t his t i me
c hopping u p me a t f or pies bef ore
s t art ing t o c h o p u p aliens ins t ead
Rumoured t o hav e s t rong affections for
p l a y - b y - ma i l g a me s . V u l c a n , a n d
At ari ST& - b u t his girlf riend wo n ' t let
h i m h a v e o n e S e n s i b l e of her, w e
t hink
PLUS
• W e t es t 3 0 b u d g e t c las s ic s f r o m
Boulderdash to Decathlon. Games that once
ruled t he charts or, lull-price, but c an now
be snapped up for a positive pittance.
• Joystick Jury - the right stick can beat
the s t aling out of the toughest game. ACE
puts its linger on the button arid discovers
whic h rods belong in y our armoury a n d
whic h belong in the bin.
• Massi ve Tricks'n'Tactics section wi th
screen-soorching tips on Xor. Quedex. Mask,
Leaderboard, Paper boy , Boulderdas h,
Decathlon, and muc h more - inc luding the
Pilgrim's Pl ayer s' Gui de t o Hi tchhi ker s
Guide He a d off t hrough t he galax y a n d
mak e t his a u t u mn y our highes t s c oring
season evert
• I n our music section we check out MI DI
interlaces for your micro - the cheapest, the
best - a n d t h e pit s . W h o c ares a b o u t
keeping up wit h the Joneses when you c an
blast them away wit h music?
• PLUS S T shootem-ups - we report f rom
the battlezone on whic h conflict gives y ou
more f or y our money , a report f rom t he
Science Fiction Convention. a n d a host of
news, reviews, and comment to keep you at
t he v e r y f o r e f r o n t o f t h e c o mp u t e r
entertainment scene. See you in October

Bargain Software 93 9 I Imagine WC

Cascade 424 I Incentive - 27
Castle Computers 8 88 J Jade Games 3 27
Compumart 6 65 K KJC Games 77
Cut Price Software 8 88 L Logotron IBC
D & H Games 7 77 M Mastertronic 66
Electronic Arts 2 22- 23 M Mirrorsoft 15
Firebird 4 49, 72 N Nexus 27
Gremlin Graphics 6 6, 80 O Ocean OBC,60,70
F.'VERT
!E
R
S
IN
A
'
ACE
 There are no random events in XOR's labyrinthine palace and there is no
premium on hand-eye coordination. You have all the time in the world to
work out the precise nature of the hazards you encounter. Logical
thinking, strategy and tactical problem solving are all part of the XOR
experience. And XOR is not simply about finding solulions. If you c a n
solve
-- the entire puzzle( I 5 levels p l u s
to
- be a member of the ORDER of XOR, with a certificate and a badge to
prove
a n eit,n c r y p t e d
a n a g r a m ) ,
y"...thiso is one u of the most compulsive, cunning and
attractive
q u aprograms
l i I've f seen
y for some time! t h e
game is superb - a very classy original twist on the
basic maze theme" A+B Computing . „ BBCwien„

XOR's Features

-
-. Each maze approximately 16 screens
-1Super smooth high speed scrolling
-5High resolution quality graphics
-gHigh speed or step-by-step replay
-r Intriguing logical problems
- Interactive dynamic puzzles
a
d
Also e included in the package is an ICON
DESIGNERd so that vou can change the
m
appearance of the game characters to
baffle i and delight N'our friends.
n
d
b
e
Commodore 64 D i s k E12..g5
n Cassette £9.95
d E7.95
Spectrum C a s s e t t e
i
Amstrad D i s k £1495
n Cassette
BBC g D i s k £12.95
m Cassette 04.95
a
CominN z Soon for IBM PC and compatibles
e
s
XOR Designer - Available for BBC
•
and Commodore computers.

1,0S0frOn G l i a ran tee:

All orders dispatch& u
,nye/1414
iFa
-t idly
h i software
st 5 will be replaced
immediately,
do r ad ey s
oPostage
r . f mid Packaging Free_
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seller SHOGUN, _ Willies

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