Issue 57 was dated January 1990 and priced at £1.50.
Regulars
Contents - 1 page (5)
Zzap Rrap - 4 pages (22-23,25-26)
Competitions - 2 pages (33,40)
Scorelord - 1 page (48)
Zzuperstore - 2 pages (64-65)
The Word
News Headlines - 2 pages (19-20)
- Into the Nineties: Editorial - Stuart Wynne (19)
- 16-bit Gardeners: 16-bit Computer Fair at Royal Horticultural Halls (19)
- Trash for MUGS: Trash designed by Third Millennium Systems using MUGICK (19)
- Izzy Wizzy, Alternative Get Busy: Sooty and Sweep licenced by Alternative Software (19)
- Thalamus Hit Gold: 8 gold prize winning cassettes amongst Snare and Retrograde tapes (19)
- 10 Things You Didn't Know About Robin Hogg (20)
- CD ROM on the 64: Codemasters release The CD Games Pack that uses any CD player to connect to C64 (20)
Features
80's: The Best Games of the Decade - 3 pages (28-30)
- Looking back over the Eighties, the first decade of mass market home computer games, and trying to pick the best is no easy task. But after much head-scratching, and flicking over back issues of ZZAP!, here's the personal charts of all three reviewers - As for the best game ... no amount of argument could settle one, and in fact all the charts are only in rough order of preference. No doubt many excellent games are missing, and a lively debate seems likely in the Rrap.
Cale Bros' System for Success - 2 pages (34-35)
- The Cale brothers have pretty much dominated beat-'em-up arcade adventures ever since The Last Ninja, released in mid-1987. The success of their games, particularly in America, means the System 3 car park is blessed with a pair of Ferraris. To follow up the sizzling Tusker and Myth, Mark Cale is watching over the completion of a Ninja-style arcade adventure without ninjas — Vendetta. The marketing blitz for which is being handled by Adrian Cale. But programming is by a relative newcomer at the company, STAN SCHEMBRI, who took some time out to talk with ROBIN HOGG.
Previews
The Previews - 2 pages (80-81)
- Featuring Starflight and Nebulus 2
Reviews
Main Reviews
Key for table:- Pre: Presentation, Gra: Graphics, Sou: Sound, Hoo: Hookability, Las: Lastability, Ove: Overall
| Game Title | Publisher | Format | Reviewers | Pgs | Pg. No(s) | Pre (%) | Gra (%) | Sou (%) | Hoo (%) | Las (%) | Ove (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snare | Thalamus | C64 | SW, RH | 1 | 7 | 92 | 86 | 74 | 84 | 92 | 88 |
| Retrograde | Thalamus | C64 | SW, RH, PK | 2 | 8-9 | 94 | 95 | 95 | 94 | 95 | 94 |
| Moonwalker | US Gold | C64 | SW, RH | 1 | 10 | 64 | 73 | 62 | 54 | 65 | 60 |
| Moonwalker | US Gold | Amiga | SW, RH | 1 | 10 | 80 | 61 | 72 | 61 | 60 | 61 |
| Operation Thunderbolt | Ocean | C64 | SW, RH, PK | 2 | 14-15 | 84 | 90 | 79 | 94 | 92 | 92 |
| Operation Thunderbolt | Ocean | Amiga | SW, RH, PK | 2 | 14-15 | 96 | 98 | 94 | 96 | 94 | 97 |
| Ghouls 'n Ghosts | US Gold | C64 | SW, RH, PK | 2 | 16-17 | 94 | 94 | 98 | 96 | 97 | 96 |
| Double Dragon II | Virgin | C64 | SW, RH | 1 | 18 | 76 | 69 | 58 | 70 | 75 | 72 |
| Double Dragon II | Virgin | Amiga | SW, RH | 1 | 18 | 76 | 71 | 62 | 74 | 62 | 67 |
| Ninja Warriors, The | Virgin | C64 | SW, RH | 1 | 67 | 60 | 80 | 79 | 82 | 73 | 79 |
| Ninja Warriors, The | Virgin | Amiga | SW, RH | 1 | 67 | 80 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 80 | 82 |
| F29 Retaliator | Ocean | Amiga | SW, RH, PK | 2 | 68-69 | 92 | 96 | 94 | 94 | 98 | 97 |
| Dragon Spirit | Domark | C64 | SW, PK | 1 | 70 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 24 |
| Dragon Spirit | Domark | Amiga | SW, PK | 1 | 70 | 52 | 72 | 63 | 65 | 72 | 70 |
| Pictionary | Domark | C64 | SW, PK | 0.5 | 71 | 66 | 62 | 8 | 70 | 62 | 68 |
| Pictionary | Domark | Amiga | SW, PK | 0.5 | 71 | 68 | 74 | 12 | 80 | 68 | 75 |
| Power Drift | Activision | Amiga | RH, PK | 0.5 | 71 | 81 | 75 | 70 | 68 | 62 | 65 |
| Wicked | Electric Dreams | C64 | SW, PK | 0.5 | 74 | 86 | 82 | 85 | 81 | 80 | 82 |
| Strider | US Gold | C64 | RH, PK | 0.5 | 74 | 50 | 56 | 63 | 51 | 38 | 42 |
| Eye of Horus | Logotron | C64 | SW, RH | 1 | 75 | 74 | 83 | 67 | 69 | 77 | 75 |
| Eye of Horus | Logotron | Amiga | SW, RH | 1 | 75 | 71 | 80 | 70 | 72 | 82 | 80 |
| Twin World | Ubisoft | Amiga | SW, PK | 0.5 | 76 | 70 | 74 | 82 | 80 | 84 | 78 |
| Ghostbusters II | Activision | Amiga | SW, PK | 0.5 | 76 | 73 | 75 | 80 | 66 | 55 | 60 |
| Turbo OutRun | US Gold | Amiga | RH, PK | 1 | 77 | 81 | 85 | 73 | 80 | 78 | 80 |
| SimCity | Infogrames | Amiga | SW, RH, PK | 2 | 78-79 | 96 | 85 | 57 | 97 | 96 | 96 |
| Game Title | Format | Ove (%) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snare | C64 | 88 | A fascinating and extremely addictive arcade/puzzle game. |
| Retrograde | C64 | 94 | An utterly awesome shoot-em'-up. |
| Moonwalker | C64 | 60 | Better than the movie! |
| Moonwalker | Amiga | 61 | Acceptable yesteryear gameplay for Jacko fans. |
| Operation Thunderbolt | C64 | 92 | A difficult coin-op to convert but one that's emerged as well presented, highly playable, and great fun. |
| Operation Thunderbolt | Amiga | 97 | We're not talking an Amiga conversion of the coin-op here; we're talking the coin-op in an Amiga!! |
| Ghouls 'n Ghosts | C64 | 96 | An incredibly well-designed game gets the superbrill Software Creations C64 treatment. |
| Double Dragon II | C64 | 72 | An enjoyable conversion of yet another beat-'em-up coin-op. |
| Double Dragon II | Amiga | 67 | A very classy conversion of a mediocre coin-op. |
| Ninja Warriors, The | C64 | 79 | One of the better ninja games around, although not overly original. |
| Ninja Warriors, The | Amiga | 82 | A top-notch conversion of a somewhat unoriginal coin-op. |
| F29 Retaliator | Amiga | 97 | Ocean's first flight sim is the best out, and an incredibly fun game! |
| Dragon Spirit | C64 | 24 | Oh dear! |
| Dragon Spirit | Amiga | 70 | A good conversion of an uninspiring coin-op. |
| Pictionary | C64 | 68 | Good family fun. |
| Pictionary | Amiga | 75 | Lots of fun with friends. |
| Power Drift | Amiga | 65 | Nowhere near as playable as the C64 version. |
| Wicked | C64 | 82 | An original, and extremely playable arcade game. |
| Strider | C64 | 42 | A pallid shadow of the real thing. |
| Eye of Horus | C64 | 75 | A well presented adventure/shoot-'em-up hybrid. |
| Eye of Horus | Amiga | 80 | An intriguing arcade-adventure. |
| Twin World | Amiga | 78 | Initially primitve looking but surprisingly playable |
| Ghostbusters II | Amiga | 60 | 16-bit presentation for a very 8-bit game. |
| Turbo OutRun | Amiga | 80 | Another extremely playable US Gold coin-op conversion. |
| SimCity | Amiga | 96 | An utterly compelling game no Amiga owner should be without. |
Cor Blimey!: The Budget Bit!
| Game Title | Publisher | Pg. No(s) | Ove (%) | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyper Sports | Hit Squad | 49 | 90 | This is the sports sim which even people who hate this type of game will love. An essential purchase |
| Barbarian | Kixx | 49 | 83 | At a mere three quid it deserves a place in your software collection. |
| Auf Wiedersehen Monty | Kixx | 49 | 58 | Overly difficult and dated as it is, this might still deserve a look if you feel nostalgic. |
Adventures
Key for table:- Atm: Atmosphere, Puzz: Puzzle Factor, Int: Interaction, Last: Lastability, Ove: Overall
| Game Title | Publisher | Format | Pgs | Pg. No(s) | Atm (%) | Puzz (%) | Inter (%) | Last (%) | Ove (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indy: The Graphic Adventure | Lucasfilm/US Gold | Amiga | 0.75 | 37-38 | 91 | 79 | 84 | 85 | 86 |
| Game Title | Ove (%) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Indy: The Graphic Adventure | 86 | The game is great fun to play, with some good puzzles, although obviously not quite the depth of an Infocom game. |
Pig in a Poke (Tips)
Cheats
- Equalizer (53)
- Gemini Wing, Batman: The Movie, Kings of the Beach (54)
Pokes
- Citadel, Forgotten Worlds (53)
- Gemini Wing (54)
- Renegade III: The Final Chapter (60)
- Speedball (Cock-up Corner) (61)
Tips
- War in Middle Earth, Mission Elevator (53)
- APB: All Points Bulletin, Cabal, Forgotten Worlds, Kick Off (54)
- Mean Streak, Project Firestart, Typhoon, Rally Cross Simulator, Red L.E.D., War Machine, Wizball (55)
- Times of Lore (Solution) (60)
- Shadow of the Beast (Solution), Savage, Spore, SWAT (61)
Maps
- The Quest for the Golden Eggcup - 1 page (38-39)
- Tusker (Maps/Solution Part 3) - (54-55)
- Shadow of the Beast - 1 page (56)
- Times of Lore - 1 page (59)
The Def Guide to New Zealand Story - 1 page (62)
Music Hacks and Cartridge Corner - 1 page (63)
Adverts
Games
- System 3 - Myth: History in the Making (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64, Amiga, Atari ST) - Pages 2-3
- Ocean - Batman: The Movie - Page 4
- US Gold - Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64, Amiga, Atari ST) - Page 6
- Thalamus - The Search for Sharla - Page 27
- Goliath Games - World Championship Boxing Manager (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64, Amiga, Atari ST, PC) - Page 27
- Tanglewood Software - The Racing Game (Spectrum, C64) - Page 32
- US Gold - Turbo OutRun (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64, Amiga, Atari ST) - Page 36
- Virgin Games - Shinobi, Continental Circus, Silkworm, Gemini Wing, Ninja Warriors, Double Dragon II: The Revenge (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64, Amiga, Atari ST) - Pages 42-43
- Ocean - The Untouchables (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64, Amiga, Atari ST, PC) - Pages 50-51
- Codemasters - The CD Games Pack (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64) - Pages 72-73
- Ocean - Operation Thunderbolt (Spectrum, Amstrad, C64, Amiga, Atari ST) - Pages 82-83
- Ocean - Mega Mix - Page 84
Magazines
- Complete Computer Entertainment Guide - Page 24
Others
- Mills Computer Products Ltd - Page 11
- Gordon Harwood Computers - Pages 12-13
- New Era Publications - Page 20
- Premier Mail Order - Page 21
- Logic Computer Stores - Page 31
- ASA Ltd; Hardware Distribution; Turbosoft - Page 32
- Datel Electronics: Action Replay Mk VI - Page 41
- Compunet; Williams Computer Services Ltd; Dynamics Marketing Ltd - Page 44
- Cintronics Ltd; Suncomp; Midland Computer Repair Services - Page 47
- Euromax - Page 52
- Bitcon Devices Ltd - Page 57
- Evesham Micros - Page 58
- ELSPA - Page 66
Classifieds - 2 pages (45-46)
Analysis
| Type | Pages | % |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 5 | 6.0 |
| Reviews | 21.75 | 25.9 |
| Previews | 2 | 2.4 |
| Competitions | 2 | 2.4 |
| Other Editorial (Contents, Surveys, etc..) | 7 | 8.3 |
| Tips | 8 | 9.5 |
| Letters | 4 | 4.8 |
| Advert: Games | 15.25 | 18.2 |
| Advert: Magazines | 1 | 1.2 |
| Advert: Other | 18 | 21.4 |
| Total Editorial | 49.75 | 59.2 |
| Total Adverts | 34.25 | 40.8 |
Other Credits
Sub-Editor
Staff Writers
Contributor
Designer and Illustrator
Editorial Director
External Links
You can find this magazine over at The Def Guide to Zzap!64
Issue Index
| Date | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 |  1 |
 2 |
 3 |
 4 |
 5 |
 6 |
 7 |
 8 | ||||
| 1986 |  9 |
 10 |
 11 |
 12 |
 13 |
 14 |
 15 |
 16 |
 17 |
 18 |
 19 |
 20 |
| 1987 |  21 |
 22 |
 23 |
 24 |
 25 |
 26 |
 27 |
 28 |
 29 |
 30 |
 31 |
 32 |
| 1988 |  33 |
 34 |
 35 |
 36 |
 37 |
 38 |
 39 |
 40 |
 41 |
 42 |
 43 |
 44 |
| 1989 |  45 |
 46 |
 47 |
 48 |
 49 |
 50 |
 51 |
 52 |
 53 |
 54 |
 55 |
 56 |
| 1990 |  57 |
 58 |
 59 |
 60 |
 61 |
 62 |
 63 |
 64 |
 65 |
 66 |
 67 |
 68 |
| 1991 |  69 |
 70 |
 71 |
 72 |
 73 |
 74 |
 75 |
 76 |
 77 |
 78 |
 79 | |
| 1992 |  80 |
 81 |
 82 |
 83 |
 84 |
 85 |
 86 |
 87 |
 88 |
 89 |
 90 |
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