[{"TitleName":"CORE","Publisher":"A'n'F Software","Author":"","YearOfRelease":"1986","ZxDbId":"0001067","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 29, Jun 1986","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1986-05-29","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":140,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Publishing Executive: Roger Kean\r\nEditor: Graeme Kidd\r\nTechnical Editor: Franco Frey\r\nTech Tipster: Simon Goodwin\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStrategy Editor: Sean Masterson\r\nStaff Writers: Hannah Smith, Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: John Minson, Jon Bates, Rosetta McLeod\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nArt Director: Dick Shiner\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nProduction: Gordon Druce, Tony Lorton\r\nProcess Camera: Matthew Uffindell\r\nPhotographer: Cameron Pound\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nInformation and Bookings [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset (Member of the BPCC Group), [redacted]. Colour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted];\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH Magazine unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©1986 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nJULY-DEC 1985\r\nTotal: 93,356\r\nUK: 89,441"},"MainText":"Producer: A & F Software\r\nRetail Price: £9.95\r\nAuthor: The A 'n' F Team\r\n\r\nThe people living in the Federation's asteroid mine colonies are being wiped out for no apparent reason. Alien interference is suspected and Andrew Angello, explorer extraordinaire, has been drafted into deal with the problem.\r\n\r\nAndy travels to Eroc 1 to find that no-one is left alive. The only way to solve the mystery is to locate the bio-memory segments of the main computer, hidden deep within the mine workings on the asteroid. Once these have been located, the Federation can examine their contents and use the information they hold to combat the alien murderers.\r\n\r\nThe screen gives a side-on view of tunnels on Eroc 1. Dangerous alien machinery lies around the mines, so beware of anything that moves or looks nasty - contact with it drains energy from the battery pack powering Andy's protective suit. Each of the four mine levels contains over 250 cells which Andrew has to investigate - linked by the flip-screen method favoured by arcade adventure writers. Anti-gravity lifts allow travel between segments of a level, while automatic teleports link levels. Standing in a teleport for three seconds causes Andrew to disintegrate and rematerialise on another level. Every time Andrew uses an anti-gravity lift or teleport, or is zapped by a nasty, his battery pack loses a little power. As the battery powering Andrew's suit runs down, the screen changes colour from white, through yellow, red, mauve and finally blue. Death follows if the protective suit runs out of power.\r\n\r\nA status panel reveals Andy's progress. One display shows the exits from the current cell; a clock ticks out the time expended on the mission and a meter shows the amount of charge remaining in the suit battery. An icon-driven menu allows the game position to be saved, once a cassette has been found in the mines, and the game computer can be asked for help. The game may be paused and a saved position loaded in.\r\n\r\nAndy has to find tools and other useful objects in order to complete his mission. A slight oversight on the part of the Federation means that the intrepid explorer embarks on his adventure without a map. First priority must be to make one...\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: redefinable\r\nJoystick: Kempston, Interface 2\r\nKeyboard play: no problems\r\nUse of colour: monochromatic play area hence no clashes\r\nGraphics: quite neat but samey; nice animation on the figure\r\nSound: spot effects\r\nSkill levels: one\r\nScreens: 1,023","ReviewerComments":["At first glance I found Core to be very similar graphically to Alphabatim's Robot Messiah - but without colour clash. The man is very easy to control, but he seems to move two characters along when he turns which is a bit of a pain when trying to run away from the baddies. The whole idea of the game is very similar to an Everyone's A Wally in space, but with scenery that's rather 'samey'. The animation is very smooth and the graphics are pleasing to look at, but apart from that I found Core to be a very large but rather boring copy of all the good arcade/adventures.\r\r\nUnknown","Core has got a reasonable scenario, but the game itself is a bit lacking in content. The game is technically above average, with a very large area to explore; it has got good graphics, but colour and sound am both average. I found it quite difficult to get to grips with the game and make any big advances. With the exception of Chuckle Egg II, A&F have been quiet for a while, and I can't believe that they've spent all that time just developing this. For ten quid, it's not one I'd hastily recommend to everyone I meet, but mapping freaks might find it a challenge to their abilities as it is pretty big, but it isn't mega-good..\r\r\nUnknown","I don't really know what to make of this one. At first sight it seems to be very good, but after a few goes it becomes obvious that you should be able to do more than just potter around a stack of screens. A quick reread of the instruction booklet uncovered the Icons, but not how to use or access them. I really did try to get on with them, but after a few more goes I'd given up trying to make the icons work for me. Graphically this game is excellent, the characters are well drawn and animated and the backgrounds add a nice touch too. My only gripe is that there could have been a little more colour. The sound is poor: there is no tune, and very few spot effects during the game. Although I can appreciate the nicer points of this game, I couldn't really get into it.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: A large, but somehow uninspiring arcade adventure.","Page":"32,33","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Our superhero materialises in a teleporter while two mobile nasties - a starburst and electro cloud hover in wait for him. Cameron's got his own personal dark cloud that follows him round on Monday mornings!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"73%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"76%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"64%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"67%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"65%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"68%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 6, Jun 1986","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1986-05-08","Editor":"Kevin Cox","TotalPages":98,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nArt Editor: Martin Dixon\r\nDeputy Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nProduction Editor: Sara Biggs\r\nDesigner: Caroline Clayton\r\nStaff Writer: Phil South\r\nTechnical Consultant: Peter Shaw\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nContributors: Stephen Adams, Luke C, Steve Colwill, Iolo Davidson, Mike Gerrard, Tim Hartnell, Ian Hoare, Gwyn Hughes, Zareh Johannes, Max Phillips, Rick Robson, Rachael Smith, Phil South\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Neil Dyson\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Chris Talbot\r\nPublishing Manager: Roger Munford\r\nPublishing Director: Stephen England\r\n\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England.\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Sinclair ©1986 Felden Productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Sinclair is a monthly publication."},"MainText":"A'n'F Software\n£9.95\nReviewer: Luke C\n\nImagine you're Andrew Angello, a space hero, searching the asteroid Eroc 1 for whatever nameless horror is destroying all of its inhabitants. Too late, all 720 personnel are dead before you get there... so what does any normal person do? Go home - mission unsuccessful. Oh no, not Andy, he mutters to himself. 'This is going to require skill, speed and brains', and treks off in search of danger and the missing segments of the colony's computer that, once pieced together, will tell the whole story of the sad fate of the ex-personnel.\n\nEroc 1 is what they call a Deep Asteroid Mining Project, or DAMP, which is just a bit of technical jargon to explain the fact that this game has 1000 different rooms to explore, 250 on each of four levels. Yes, we're talking big here - but don't start searching for a massive piece of paper straight away, my first few hours with Core revealed about 30 rooms... Yes, you've guessed it, this is not a game you're going to finish in an afternoon!\n\nThe mines are split up into small sections, each containing a small number of chambers. You travel between these via teleport devices or doorways.\n\nMoving left and right around the chambers, the first thing you notice is that the fire button does not spit the standard 'death-dealing fire', but instead makes Andy bend down to pick up an object. Of course, once he's found a gun then things change - but, until then, you just have to dodge anything that looks deadly. A bit of a shame since virtually everything that moves is deadly, including the flying lightning clouds and sea-mines. Most of these objects just give Andy a shock and deplete his batteries if he touches them, but others, like the walking robot, kill him and that's that!\n\nCore is a lot of fun, and very addictive. Success is not that easy, but when you do get do get a break there's an overwhelming feeling of having accomplished something - especially when you've wandered around the same old rooms wondering if A'n'F had pulled a fast one about the 1000 rooms when suddenly you notice another exit and there lurking off me beaten track are a whole load of objects to be picked up and a new maze of mines to explore.\n\nCore can be frustrating if you're only into fast arcade-action extravaganzas, but I reckon it's one of tho best mixes of arcade and adventure games I've seen for some time.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"60,61","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Luke C","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"If you really want to know how long you've been playing the game, this is the best place to look. Of course, looking at your wristwatch might put things in a wider perspective but...\r\nThis window shows you your possible route from any particular chamber.\r\n\r\nHere's the Icon Menu which has four different display functions - it can act as a control panel, allow Andy to perform different functions via the Fire button, show the number of back-up batteries available and, lastly, show the items Andy has collected on his travels.\r\n\r\nWhat a load of Junk! Or is it? Some of these objects are extremely useful. Most handy is the spade, which can be used to dig up hidden items, and the gun...\r\n\r\nTravel by teleport! They take about three seconds to operate, dump you directly in the path of a nasty so there's no way of avoiding it, leave you very little time to exit the machine before it's zapped you back to where you came from, and drain your batteries. Pretty neat, huh?"},{"Text":"This red flashing button allows you to toggle the 'Direction Indicator' window when you've found some of the missing parts of the computer's memory, so that you can see how many you've got at any one time.\r\n\r\nEach time you zap through the teleport, Andy's battery pack drains a bit lower... and you have to pick up the batteries you find strewn around the mines if you're going to survive. If you let them get down low, you can't see what on earth's going on, it's so dark. Great!\r\n\r\nWhen you try and pick something up, this display tells you what you have just pocketed. It also comes up with unhelpful rubbish - such as 'Watch out' and 'Are you trying to kill yourself?' after you've just been zapped.\r\n\r\nSay hello to Andy. He's the one who decided to take you on this madcap whirl around the deadly 1000-chamber mines of Eroc 1.\r\n\r\nThe nasties aren't all deadly - they just drain your batteries on contact. They make the screen flash too... which is pretty neat!"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 22, Oct 1987","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-09-10","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":108,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Peter George\r\nActing Production Editor: John Leach\r\nTechnical Editor: Phil South\r\nSoftware Editor: Marcus Berkmann\r\nDesigner: Darrell King\r\nEditorial Assistant: Angela Eager\r\nContributors: Richard Blaine, Audrey & Owen Bishop, Chris Donald, Mike Gerrard, Gwyn Hughes, ZZKJ, Tony Lee, Rick Robson, Peter Shaw, Rachael Smith, Mischa Welsh, Tony Worrall\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Julian Harriott\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nManaging Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nPublisher: Roger Munford\r\nPublishing Director: Stephen England\r\n\r\nPublished by Dennis Publishing Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England.\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Sinclair ©1987 Felden Productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Sinclair is a monthly publication."},"MainText":"CORE\nBug-Byte\n£1.99\nReviewer: Marcus Berkmann\n\nVast problem-solving arcade adventure which didn't make much of an impact when released last year, but may do better on Argus' cheapie label. Really it's the old story of wandering around several screens picking things up and using them in the right way, which then lets you into another labyrinth of screens, and so on. There's not an amazing variety in the graphics, or indeed the gameplay, but it's the sort of game we don't often see any more - large, challenging and complex. Not for zappers, though.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"75","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Marcus Berkmann","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 66, Sep 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-08-18","Editor":"David Kelly","TotalPages":108,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: David Kelly\r\nDeputy Editor: Graham Taylor\r\nStaff Writer: Jim Douglas\r\nStaff Writer: Tamara Howard\r\nArt Editor: Gareth Jones\r\nAdventure Help: Gordo Greatbelly\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nHelpline: Andrew Hewson\r\nContributors: Richard Price, Andy Moss, Gary Rook\r\nHardware Correspondent: Rupert Goodwins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Mike Corr\r\nProduction Assistant: Alison Morton\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Linda Everest\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Lee Sullivan, Jerry Paris, James MacDonald\r\n\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by PRS Ltd, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1986 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nABC 84,699 July-Dec 1986"},"MainText":"Label: Bug Byte\r\nPrice: £1.99\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Andy Moss\r\n\r\nCore is a problem-solving game, with all the hallmarks of a classic text adventure, but with moving graphics. You start with nothing but a battery-operated life support system, and have to find a variety of objects to enable you to delve further into the game. Obvious essential items to find include a laser gun, armoured reflectors and, the reason for your doing all this, bits of broken computer to be reassembled.\r\n\r\nThe game is icon-driven, saveable (thankfully), and graphically excellent. A must if you like adventures.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Superior budget adventure with excellent graphics.","Page":"37","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Andy Moss","Score":"9","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"9/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 56, Jun 1986","Price":"£0.98","ReleaseDate":"1986-05-16","Editor":"Tim Metcalfe","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nDeputy Editor: Paul Boughton\r\nEditorial Assistant: Lesley Walker\r\nSub-Editor: Seamus St. John\r\nDesign: Craig Kennedy\r\nAdventure Writers: Keith Campbell, Paul Coppins, Steve Donoghue, Jim Douglas\r\nAmerican Correspondent: Marshall M. Rosenthal\r\nArcades: Clare Edgeley\r\nSoftware Consultant: Tony Takoushi\r\nPublicity: Marcus Rich\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Louise Matthews\r\nAssistant Ad Manager: Garry William\r\nPublisher: Rita Lewis\r\nCover: Steve Brown, Ian Watson\r\n\r\n...and the Bug Hunters!\r\n© Jerry Paris\r\n\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nJuly-December 98,258"},"MainText":"MACHINE: Spectrum\r\nSUPPLIER: A 'n' F Software\r\nPRICE: £8.95\r\n\r\nIs this Mission Impossible? Distress signals have been received from Eroc 1, a deep mined asteroid settlement. An alien attack is suspected.\r\n\r\nEnter Commander Andrew Angelico under orders to find out what has happened. But on arrival at the Asteroid, he finds all 720 service personel are dead. But why?\r\n\r\nAngello's only hope of finding out is to find the biological memory cells left on the asteroid, and re-assemble the parts to re-create the colony's memory.\r\n\r\nBy returning the complete \"memory\" to the mothership, a suitable defence strategy can be found to combat future alien attacks.\r\n\r\nThere are many objects to be found which prove handy for Andy. There are a number of tools, - some hidden, some buried, - which will help him.\r\n\r\nAndy can travel around the mines by walking or using the anti-gravity lifts or teleports.\r\n\r\nA display panel at the top of the screen shows direction, time and power. Descriptions and verbal prompts are also shown.\r\n\r\nThere are more than 1,000 locations in the game, split into four levels. A map is essential to get into the vast, complex and challenging game.\r\n\r\nThankfully, it includes a save game option. There's no way to complete this game in one sitting. CORE will also be available for the Commodore and Amstrad.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"28","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Computer Issue 5, May 1986","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1986-04-17","Editor":"Gary Evans","TotalPages":87,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Gary Evans\r\nSoftware Editor: Lee Paddon\r\nProduction Editor: Jim McClure\r\nSub Editor: Harold Mayes MBE\r\nEditorial Secretary: Sheila Baker\r\nDesigner: Chris Winch\r\nEditorial: [redacted]\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: David Lake\r\nAdvertisement Executives: Steve Coles, Ian Faux, Jeremy Kite\r\nClassified: Paul Monaf\r\nAdvertising Production: Nick Fry\r\nAdvertising: [redacted]\r\nMagazine Services Manager: Carole Fancourt\r\nPublisher: Paul Coster\r\nFinancial Director: Brendan McGrath\r\nManaging Director: Richard Hease\r\n\r\nCover by Mark Taylor\r\n\r\nISS 0263 0885\r\n\r\nYour Computer, [redacted]\r\n©1986 Focus Investments Ltd\r\n\r\nPrinted by The Riverside Press Ltd, England.\r\nTypeset by Time Graphics Ltd, [redacted]\r\nMember of the Audit Bureau of Circulation.\r\n\r\nReasonable care is taken to avoid errors in this magazine but no liability is accepted for any errors which may occur. No material in this publication may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the publishers. The publishers will not accept responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, listings, data tapes or discs.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately we are unable to answer lengthy enquiries by telephone. Any written query requiring a personal answer MUST be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope; please allow up to 28 days for a reply.\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: UK £14 for 12 issues. Overseas (surface mail) £22.50 - Airmail rates on request. Please make a cheque/postal orders payable to Focus Investments. (Please allow 5 weeks from order receipt of first subscription copy). Send orders to Your Computer Subscriptions, [redacted].\r\n\r\nThe following back issues of the magazine are available for £1.50 from the Back Issues Department, [redacted].\r\n\r\nDistributed by Business Press International, [redacted]."},"MainText":"Various\r\nA'n'F Software\r\nArcade Adventure\r\n£8.95\r\n\r\nWhy is it that there is always some alien trying to take over the world? Well, in this latest epic from the people who produced Chuky Egg the aliens have wiped out one of your asteroid colonies. You have the unenviable task of going in and finding out how and why - perhaps he had just had a difficult day at the office and wanted to let off steam.\r\n\r\nThe action takes place on a 2D scrolling screen rather like the Microgen Wally games. Above the playing area is a read-out with various icons telling you which exits are available, the current state of your backpack charge which you are carrying, and so on.\r\n\r\nAs is traditional in this kind of game, you have to find various objects and decide what to do with them. With 1,000 locations spread over four levels, solving this one should keep addicts happy for hours. In the grand tradition, there is no map; making one will be your first priority, so when you find the watch-'em-a-callit which might just fit in the widget, you will know where to find it.\r\n\r\nSome of the most important objects are buried and so a spade is fairly high on the priority list. The whole thing is joystick-controlled, with pick-up, drop and use being accessed using the icons. Once you have the idea of that, it is reasonably quick to control and could save lives when you are groping frantically for the right key in a tight spot.\r\n\r\nA welcome return to form by A'n'F, which will give arcade adventure fans many happy, puzzling, hours.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"43","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"3/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"3/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall Rating","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 26, Jun 1986","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1986-05-22","Editor":"Bryan Ralph","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bryan Ralph\r\nAssistant Editor: Cliff Joseph\r\nConsultant Editor: Ray Elder\r\nAdvertising Managers: Peter Chandler and John McGarry\r\nDesign: Argus Design\r\nA.S.P. Advertising and Editorial [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted by Alabaster Passmore and Sons Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nAdvertisement Copy Controller: Lynn Collis\r\n\r\nDistributed by: Argus Press Sales and Distribution Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nZX Computing Monthly is published on the fourth Friday of each month. Subscription rates can be obtained from ZX Subscriptions, [redacted]\r\n\r\nThe contents of this publication, including all articles, designs plans, drawings and other intellectual property rights herein belong to Argus Specialist Publications Limited. All rights conferred by the law of Copyright and other intellectual property rights and by virtue of international copyright conventions are specifically reserved to Argus Specialist Publications Limited and any reproduction requires the prior written consent of the company.\r\n\r\nArgus Specialist Publications Limited. ©1986"},"MainText":"A 'n' F\r\n£9.95\r\n\r\nA game of the 'wander round the caves avoiding the nasties and collecting the goodies' genre, but once all the objects have been collected you have to discover what to do with them. A game made harder for this poor reviewer, dear reader, by the lack of detailed instructions supplied in the preproduction version we received!\r\n\r\nNo matter, I girded my loins and sallied forth (not as painful as it sounds). Seriously though, even with the lack of instructions, the game was good enough to get me to spend a lot of time trying to work out what to do.\r\n\r\nThe plot is to locate the computer memory bank which is in nine bits and hidden in a massive (thousand plus locations) asteroid. Only when this is done can you get the information you need to save mankind from the invading aliens.\r\n\r\nThe top of the screen shows various details of time, status and position plus icon windows showing items carried, such as batteries and bits of paper. There are interesting adventure-like features such as Help, Pick Up, and Drop. Some nice touches are that you have to find objects to ensure success, you are not automatically given a gun, you have to find it and before you can save your position you've got to find a cassette.\r\n\r\nThe game has good graphics with smooth movement and superb animation, especially the stooping to pick up an object and the transporter sequences, colour is limited to a single overall colour on the animated action screen, but the objects and scenery are so well designed that no confusion was experienced.\r\n\r\nThe aliens come thick and fast and even on the few screens I managed to explore there was a very varied and evil selection to contend with. I particularly liked the lightning throwing clouds. Messages are scrolled along one line of the top of the screen, but I did find it hard at times to read the redefined character set.\r\n\r\nThis is an excellent game of its type and I must admit that I am looking forward to receiving full instructions so that I can go back to it in earnest. Probably the reviewers highest accolade, I do have a desire to go back to this one and I am sure each new challenge will be as well designed as the initial screens, the desire to see what the programmer has in store next is a major contributing feature to the addictiveness of a game of this sort.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"12","Denied":false,"Award":"Globella","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"Great","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]