Computing with the Amstrad Issue 1 Reviews

Reviews that appeared in the magazine Computing with the Amstrad Issue 1

Galaxia
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Kuma

Reviewer - Andrew Scriven

Right from the start I was impressed. As soon as the initial header of Galaxia came up I knew I was in for good graphics - and I wasn't disappointed.

The object of the game, one of a set of high quality releases from Kuma, is to get past the alien fleet and dock with your starship.

"Ah", you're probably thinking. "Just another sideways scrolling screen with lots of obstacles you must dodge". And you'd be right - but you'd be missing the point by about as much as you would if you described the Mona Lisa as a snapshot of a woman.

As you hurtle down the screen you encounter 10 types of alien, each becoming successively more nasty.

If you're the non-violent kind you can move your craft up and down to avoid them. If you're like me you'll blast them to oblivion with your fire button (my psychiatrist says it's good for me - mind you, he's got a Spectrum).

There are Rammers, Mushies, Spiders, Bangers, Bashers. Spores, Darts, Zappers, Swoopers and Baiters - and they all make exceptional use of the Amstrad's graphics.

The Rammers and Mushies (mushroom shapes) were easily dealt with, but the Spiders and Bangers (yes, you've guessed - flying sausages) with their erratic movement were harder to negotiate.

Mind you these weren't that difficult. The Bashers and Spores that come next posed the first problems. Bashers fire missiles ahead of them - not easy to dodge at first, but I soon got the hang of it. The Spores were far more evil - sending their projectiles diagonally at me. Very nasty.

The darts didn't fire anything - they just hurled themselves towards me at twice the usual speed.

Most of my early efforts ended at that stage. The four lives I was given didn't last very long since when you lose one you restart at the level of nasty you were up to.

But the game's totally compulsive and I kept at it - only to encounter the super-fast Zappers, who are definitely bad news. Not only are they fast, they fire at you.

After them I took the Swoopers in my stride - well, almost. These very agile birdies who launch their explosive eggs at you were a little tricky.

Then came the Baiters - nasty little devils who hung back and waited for me to come near before launching their far too successful attacks.

But after many many tries, I cleared the lot of them and found my starship - only to crash into the thing when I tried to dock. A space pilot's life is hell.

But this game is also a great deal of fun. Galaxia's got the lot - good graphics, great sound and high-speed action.

It's a pity there isn't a joystick option, and that you can't select your own keys. But these minor niggles don't spoil the fun.

I can't stop playing Galaxia, and if I've manged to convey just a fraction of its excitement, I'm sure you'll see why.

© Database Publications

Ghouls
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Micro Power

Reviewer - Alan Sergeant

Hidden away in the creepy mansion at the top of the hill are a number of power jewels. Many have searched for them but no one has lived to tell the tale. Have you the courage to go and succeed where others have failed before you?

This is the challenge issued by Ghouls, Micro Power's first contribution to the Amstrad software market. It is a translation of an existing game for the BBC Micro and one of their best.

You control the star of the show, a little man looking like pac-man on two legs. His ever munching mouth continuously snaps up titbits for bonus points, as you attempt to access the various levels in your search for treasure.

You start off in the first of four screens - Spectre's Lair. Here to hinder you in your quest you will find the mansion's ghost who's out to get you.

He's a comical looking chap with an enormous frown covering most of his face. Let him catch you and you will die, watching that frown change to an enormous cheeky grin. This chap follows you through every screen and at times his presence is positively painful.

You have a time limit in which to reach the box of jewels at the top of the screen, in order to get to the next landing. Titbits and the occasional stray jewel munched en route count for bonus points.

A jewel has the additional perk in that it makes the ghost disappear for a short while. However there are plenty of other hazards to make life unpleasant.

In order to make progress you must balance on a moving platform and leap to and from it to higher levels. There is also a set of poison-smeared spikes in your way and contact with any one of these will prove fatal.

Should you succeed on the first screen you will progress to Horrid Hall. Still pursued by the ghost you will have to cope with not only a moving platform but also contracting floorboards. To get started you have at your disposal a large spring to propel you upwards to the first landing. There are also more poisonous spikes on this level.

Succeed on screen 2 and Spider's Parlour awaits you, introducing an obvious adversary. He is something to behold but not to be touched - an additional hazard to be avoided. Fortunately he stays in one spot bouncing up and down waiting patiently for a tasty morsel. Make sure it's not you!

The infuriating aspect of the game, as with most multi-level games, is that as soon as you die you start back at the beginning of the screen no matter how far you have progressed.

I must confess, it is because of this that I haven't even seen screen 4 except in the demo mode. (You automatically go into this if you don't start the game within one minute.) To be honest I've only seen screens 2 and 3 by watching the kids play - I can't get to the end of screen 1 myself.

Even so I've seen enough of the game to consider it excellent value. It is extremely addictive as there is always that incentive to "crack it this time".

The graphics are well presented but I would have thought better use could have been made of the colours available on the Amstrad.

An outstanding feature of this package is the clever use of sound. All kinds of weird and eerie sounds make the game come to life.

My only real criticism is the use of preset keys - surely it should be standard today to allow the user to define his own keys? I think this is the main reason I never make much progress in these quick reaction games.

There is a joystick option and an option to freeze the action while you take that necessary natural break.

If Micro Power wanted to make a "spirited" break into the Amstrad market, they certainly picked the right game.

© Database Publications

Manic Miner
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Software Projects

Reviewer - David Andrews

Everyone raved about Miner 2049er for the Atari when it emerged some 18 months ago. I couldn't really see what all the fuss was about.

It later spawned a glut of multi level type games which flooded the software market and no mean competition was the top selling Manic Miner for the Spectrum.

Well the game is now Software Project's first contribution to the Amstrad scene and I must admit I can now see why the game was so popular. It is fun to play, quite nerve racking, and above all infuriatingly addictive.

Our famous hero Miner Willy, while prospecting down Surbiton, has stumbled on an ancient long forgotten mine shaft. Exploring further he finds evidence of a lost civilisation far superior to our own, where automatons dig deep into the earth's core excavating the raw materials for their industry. And they're still at it.

Willy realises that vast wealth awaits him if he can only find the underground store. In each of 20 - yes, 20! - chambers, you control the little fellow as he collects all the flashing keys. Collecting these is your only means of getting to the next chamber and it's no mean task.

While doing so you must avoid a multitude of horrors - poisonous pansies, spiders, slime, mutant telephones, man-eating toilets, bouncing cheques and many more. A single touch from any one of them means instant death.

The test is really one of strategy and timing rather than quick reactions although on occasions it does help to be a little swift of finger to avoid the nasties.

When you first see the room you must plan the best, and sometimes the only, route to get all the keys. Once you have mastered a screen you will normally have little difficulty in completing it every time.

There is a demo at the start which takes you through each scenario in turn and an impressive colour display it makes.

But I must admit I haven't got past screen 2 yet. I am one of the world's worst games players. I did however watch my lad get to screen 6 with not too much heartache.

There's plenty of choice in the movement keys as the whole of the top row are alternately for left and right.

Very impressive graphics and sound make this a game which must have long lasting appeal to game players of all ages.

© Database Publications

The Moors Challenge
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Timeslip Software

Reviewer - Susan Tudor

The Moors Challenge by Timeslip Software is a version of the popular board game Othello.

For those who have never played Othello I will describe what the game is all about. The playing board is an 8 x 8 grid onto which two players take it in turns to place circular discs. These should be positioned in such a way as to trap the opponent's pieces.

Each player has different coloured counters. The number of counters each person has determines the overall winner when either the grid has been filled or one player's counters have all been trapped.

When the game has loaded you will be asked which type of game you would like to play. There are three options. The first shows a demo of how the game is played.

The second option allows you to play against the computer. There are five levels, from simple to advanced, which can be selected once the board has been set up.

The third option allows two players to compete. This feature is very useful if you want to challenge a friend.

The program is well presented. The instructions are not too clear, but playing the game helps you understand them more.

The game itself is excellent. Don't be put off if you consider yourself a bit of a wally. The simple game could be tackled quite easily by an eight-year-old, but the advanced level could cause problems.

Overall, a great game well worth buying.

© Database Publications

The Royal Quest
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Timeslip Software

Reviewer - Andrew Spencer

I hate writing reviews of adventure programs for there are two insurmountable problems.

Firstly, how much do you tell the players about the game? Do you tell them not to kiss the frog until it's under the rainbow, or that the friendly dwarf is a pathological liar? Do you reveal that the pH of the Red River is more than a little on the acid side?

Of course you don't - you'd be spoiling the adventure for the reader, wouldn't you? So rest assured, none of the above refers to Royal Quest, from Timeslip.

Even oblique hints like "try reading page 379 of Fraser's The Golden Bough" might offend the adventure purist.

The second problem is worse. You have to get sufficiently far into the adventure to let you feel the tone of it - and, of course, the programmers aren't going to make it easy for you. are they?

What the timorous reviewer prays for is a game that starts simply, has enough "classical" themes to give him something to latch onto and then one or two real problems to let him get the flavour of the game.

Fortunately for me, Royal Quest provides all these. You start on an East-West path, with a palace to the West, I suggest you visit the palace first in order to find out what the game is about (another stolen crown) and to receive your sword.

From then on it's East along the path, with diversions to visit a cemetery and overgrown orchard picking up one or two things - then via a sleeping dwarf into the forest. Oh for an adventure without a forest! Still, this one isn't too bad, and you're soon at the edge of the lake where the action really starts.

Incidentally, you need "GO BOAT" here - the only questionable bit of vocabulary I've come across. Normally the commands you enter are quite sensible - and you can abbreviate them to three letters, with single letters for N, S, E and W.

All in all the game is standard, enjoyable adventure fare, with enough tricks and puzzles to maintain interest plus one or two nice touches. I particularly liked the book packed full of information about wizards, dragons and the like.

And the game was well presented, with text appearing on a parchment scroll, making use of windows to separate the room descriptions from the commands and responses.

It was a pity the effect was spoiled by a plethora of misspellings that gave the game a totally undeserved amateurish feel at times.

That moan apart, Royal Quest is enjoyable and entertaining. Perhaps not quite a classic, but with enough interest and difficulty to make me glad of the facility for saving unfinished games.

© Database Publications

Flight Path 737
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Anirog

Reviewer - Helen Whitehead

When it comes to flying I'm about as useful as a chocolate fireguard, but I was determined to try out Anirog's jet airliner simulator Flight Path 737.

You take off from an airfield surrounded by high mountains and having climbed safely over them, prepare for a landing in the valley below.

There are six levels of play ranging from "first solo" to "test pilot"- I curbed my natural desire to try "stunt pilot" and selected the first level.

The screen consists of a split display in Mode 0 with the view from the cockpit above an instrument panel.

The brief pilot's notes explain the take off procedure. Press 7 and you will start to taxi at 20 knots (keys 7,4,1,0 control speed by +20, +10, — 10 and -20 knots respectively). I put the flaps down as requested and tried to line myself up with the runway.

I found this very tricky to start with as the key response was slow and regularly I had overshot the target even after releasing it (a joystick, or the left and right cursor keys, control lateral movement). You have to get the centre white line dead straight or else.

"Increase speed to 180 knots but not more than 200 because the flaps will be damaged", you are advised. I must have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to those flaps before I finally got it right.

Pull the joystick back (or use the down arrow key) and the jet will take off. Sure does! As you climb you have to keep your finger on the throttle to maintain air speed. Once above 300 feet you can retract the undercarriage (A) and the flaps (F) - and this is where the trouble starts.

Apparently when you raise the undercarriage on an air-craft the speed will increase by 5 knots so I had to be careful at this phase not to exceed the maximum flaps-down speed.

We climbed higher and the scenery changed to mountain tops as we levelled out at 6,000 feet. With the mountains approaching a red ground warning flashed but steadied when we were safely above the hazard. When the light went out we were clear of the mountains and ready for landing.

This is a nice piece of software for the flying enthusiast and games player alike and should be very popular.

The graphics are well done and the sound is adequate. I was a little dubious about the slow key response but I don't fly enough to know if this is standard on flight simulators. After all you can't turn a 737 round on a sixpence...

If you want a challenge that's going to have you kicking the cat every 5 minutes, then look no further.

© Database Publications

Football Manager
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Addictive Games

Reviewer - Dave Carlos

Football Manager by Addictive has to be one of the best strategy games available for home computers.

Already a best seller for a number of other machines I have watched my friends become totally enthralled with the game, forgoing meals to have just one more match.

As the manager of a football club you have to get from league division four to league division one in as few seasons as possible.

The first screen asks your name and allows you to select your team from the whole league. There seems to be little advantage in picking the well-known clubs as they are all dependent upon the skill of their manager - you.

The team you inherit is then displayed, together with six pieces of information on each player - playing position, number, skill rating, energy rating, saleable value and status (either picked or injured).

From this screen there are a number of other options affecting the game. You can get a display of your performance, beg for a loan from the bank and even pay off loans.

You can also affect the game settings if you wish. You can change your skill level, change the team and player names, save a game or restart a saved game.

Once you have done all the housekeeping from the first menu you have an announcement of your next fixture, which might be in either League or Cup competition.

Following this there is a readout of the comparison of the teams giving ratings for Energy, Morale, Defence, Midfield and Attack. This is worth careful study as it is here that you can achieve the most valuable changes by modifying your team slightly.

Presuming that you have enough players on your books you can arrange to strengthen your team to meet the opposition's rating. It is said that one of the most important skills of management is the resting of players who then build up their strength and morale. It certainly seems to matter in this game.

You have chances to sell your own players and bid for others. Unsuccessful bids mean an increase in the asking price so be warned.

I doubt that this game will ever be bettered. It is all it claims to be and is very addictive to boot.

© Database Publications

Forest at the Worlds End
Version - Amstrad CPC

Publisher - Interceptor Software

Reviewer - Justin Marriot

As soon as I saw the opening screen of Forest at the World's End, the latest adventure from Interceptor Software, I knew I was in for a real treat.

To say that the title page shows a castle on top of a hill, surrounded by trees is accurate, but it totally fails to convey the quality of graphics involved.

Quite simply they're superb - better than anything I've seen on other micros.

As the tape finishes loading you find yourself in the Great Valley before a forest - again beautifully drawn, conveying that ethereal air so vital for an adventure.

You won't get a picture for every location you visit, but still there are an enormous number packed into the game. I could continue raving about the graphics, but, after all, it's supposed to be an adventure game not a picture book, so how good is it?

Well, it's not bad at all. You'll find plenty to intrigue and bewilder you as, in your role as the mightiest of ancient warriors, you try to rescue Princess Mara from the clutches of Zarn, the evil wizard.

However I get the impression that more effort has gone into the graphics than the plot, which is rather predictable

All that is, except the combat. Having collected your bow and arrows you are ready to repulse attackers (hint - go south first).

But what a boring business it is. No skill, just totally random results as you loose your arrows. I find this aspect of adventures a definite minus, though I admit that I'm the type who prefers chess to Monopoly.

In mitigation, there is the Save feature, careful use of which can make the random mortality less final.

By the way, to fire your arrows enter: KILL ELF WITH BOW. It's the bow you use, not the arrows!

A nice feature of the game is the command syntax. As shown above, you can get away with far more than the normal two word commands of other adventures.

The game is thoroughly enjoyable, even if the objects do tend to get presented to you on a plate.

The first major obstacle is the chasm, which isn't a problem provided you've thoroughly looted all the other locations on this side of it.

Then there's a journey over the plain to the bank of a river - don't cross, though, until you've paid the old well a visit.

After one or two more incidents you come to a precipice. No problem provided you remember there's a dragon watching you.

Then you'll want to pay the witch a visit before you go through the Marl's gateway...

As you can see, there's plenty of action, and your interest level is maintained throughout. All right, there may not be much innovation, but that's not Mills and Boon's strong point either, and they still sell.

And, of course, the graphics take it well out of the ordinary class of adventure games - although I would have liked them to be an integral part of the plot rather than merely decorative.

Still, Forest at the World's End is an extremely enjoyable, entertaining game and deserves to be successful.

After this good start, I look forward to more graphic adventures from Interceptor. They're going to be even better.

© Database Publications