[{"TitleName":"4 Most Balls, Boots and Brains","Publisher":"Alternative Software Ltd","Author":"","YearOfRelease":"1992","ZxDbId":"0011182","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 98, Apr 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-03-19","Editor":"Lucy Hickman","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Coming to you live from CRASH Towers are:\r\n\r\nEditor: Lucy 'G & T' Hickman\r\nDeputy Editor: Nick 'Totally Teed' Roberts\r\nProduction Editor: Warren 'I'm free?'' Lapworth\r\nStaff Writer: Mark 'Deja Vu' Caswell, Ian 'Obituary' Osborne\r\nArt & Design: Charlie 'Chipper' Chubb, Mark 'Five Times' Kendrick\r\nSystems Manager: Ian 'Insomniac' Chubb\r\nScreenshots: Michael 'Parky' Parkinson\r\nPublisher: Roger 'Moore' Kean\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Sheila 'Sip-Riot' Jarvis\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: George 'See Ya' Keenan\r\nAdvertisement Production: Jo 'Gi's A Break' Lewis\r\nProduction: Jackie 'Johannesburg' Morris\r\nReprographics: Rob 'Exiled' Millichamp\r\nManaging Director: Jonathan 'Radical' Rignall\r\nCirculation Manager: David 'Sinister' Wren\r\nAccounts: Santosh 'Tart' Thomas, Sheila 'Boolde' Adams\r\nSubscriptions: David 'Single' Bingle\r\n\r\nProduced using Apple Macintosh II computers, running Quark Xpress and Adobe Illustrator 3.0. Printing BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd. Distribution COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available, if something untoward happens we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of CRASH. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case write to us at the address below). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for either EUROPRESS IMPACT or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions. No material may be reproduced whole or in part without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into CRASH - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it is accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Copy published in CRASH will be edited as seen fit and payment will be calculated by the printed word rate. The views expressed in CRASH are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nEuropress Impact Ltd, CRASH [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover design: Oliver 'A' Frey. Powertape inlay: Mark Kendrick."},"MainText":"A decent footballer needs skill, dedication, courage and a poncy haircut (I didn't know you played football, Al - Ed). But what it comes down to is Balls, Boots and Brains - have you got them or not? Alan Green definitely has all three and is here to prove his worth…\r\n\r\nIncentive\r\n£3.99 cass\r\n\r\nFans of all types of footy are in luck with this fourpack of sport sims. As for that rude sounding title - all the sports involve balls (tee-hee!), you need boots to play them in real life, and presumably a brain to do especially well (but that never stopped Bill Beaumont, so who knows?).\r\n\r\nThe Double and Rugby Boss are management games. 'Oh no, not again!' I hear you scream. Yep, this wave of football games is still on the rampage for some reason beyond the understanding of the universe. Why, oh why, oh why?\r\n\r\nFIRE EXTINGUISHER\r\n\r\nWait before you burn this review and allow me to decimate them. The Double follows a long tradition of amazingly boring games. With instructions as long as your arm (if it's really long, that is), it claims to be the most realistic and controllable of its kind.\r\n\r\nIt boasts 65 teams and thousands of players. Each with individual characteristics, and every other conceivable factor that goes into the making of a footy manager (except for the scandalous stories, worse luck).\r\n\r\nIt's so bloomin' complex the whole thing's snail-pace slow and scores as one of the dullest games yet, even among other sims strategy games. You don't see matches, just stare at a teleprinter for the final scores.\r\n\r\nRugby Boss is similarly deathly. Absolutely no action at all, and very little thought required (flip, it's just like the real thing!).\r\n\r\n'WHO ARE THEY?'\r\n\r\nThis painful compilation's worsened further by Australian Rules, a 'playing the match' simulation which doesn't sound too bad at first. Unfortunately, it's just a load of little red and blue blobs charging around after a totally humungous ball (almost twice as wide as the players - and judging by Bill Beaumont, well...). You can't help but think the programmer couldn't give a XXXX.\r\n\r\nFinally, there's Soccer Challenge, where you prove yourself worthy of your fave team (yippee. I'll be centre-forward for Akrington Stanley yet!).\r\n\r\nThis involves practicing various soccer skills and completing an assault course. The only assault course you're likely to encounter is against you're poor Speccy when you get racked off with this bunch of naff games.\r\n\r\nChallenge is a touch above the rest, with passing, tackling, dribbling (over the keyboard, possibly) and penalty taking to master, all requiring some skill to suss.\r\n\r\nDespite the measly price, I doubt even the footy-maddest will wet their panties in excitement. The 'brainy'sims are fantastically dull and the other two are just crap.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"72","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Alan Green","Score":"38","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Booorrrrring! Who ever took these screen shots certainly knows how to be Mr. Interesting!"},{"Text":"Oh look at these incredibly interesting red and blue blobs. The height of Speccy graphics (ha ha)."},{"Text":"Oh look there's one of those plonkerish reportery peeps - methinks he's telling porkies!"},{"Text":"Rack you brains, bash those balls - I sure wouldn't like to be in his boots!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"38%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[{"Header":"The Double","Score":"40%","Text":"The Double"},{"Header":"Rugby Boss","Score":"39%","Text":"Rugby Boss"},{"Header":"Aussie Rules","Score":"36%","Text":"Australian Rules Football"},{"Header":"Soccer Chal","Score":"48%","Text":"Soccer Challenge"}]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 75, Mar 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-02-06","Editor":"Andy Hutchinson","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"LOVE? PAH!\r\n\r\nLove sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better. Ha! Give us a lot of good Knicks/Pisons basketball match any day! So, what's the greatest love of your life?\r\n\r\nEditor: Andy (Honda Custom Motorbike) Hutchinson\r\nArt Editor: Andy (Shergold Meteor Guitar) Ounsted\r\nDeputy Editor: Linda (Green duffle bag) Barker\r\nActing Staff Writer: Jon (SAM) Pillar\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne (My mum) Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Cheryl (Highland Toffees) Beesley\r\nProduction Coordinator: Lisa (George Michael) Read\r\nPublisher: Jane (David Cassidy and Roy Ayers) Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michele (Chips 'n' Gravy) Harris\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg (Trot-along) Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue (Her Greenhouse) Hartley\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair (Peace & Fudge), Future (World Domination) Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: The Old Barn [redacted]\r\nDistribution: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Paul (His Kate Bush CDs) Kidby\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\nABC Jan-June 1991 65,444\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair leaps into its scooter and vrooms around the carpark with these mighty organs: Commodore Format (Scuba Diving), Amstrad Action (Draught Bass), Amiga Format (Wadworth 6X), PCW Plus (Insomnia), PC Answers (Well balanced yacht moored in the Aegean), PC Plus (Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica album), Sega Power (Eliza Smith-Meddings), Amiga Power (Sherbert Lemons), Amiga Shopper (Sophia Loren aged 23), Classic CD (Worms), Needlecraft (Mary Whitehouse), Mountain Biking UK (Manic MTB down hill rides), PC Format (London Monarchs), Public Domain (Debauchery), ST Format (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Total! (Ladies, and errmm, associated activities with said gender).\r\n\r\nBut what we really want to know is... have you ever gone to the loo and discovered too late that there's no paper and no lock on the door?"},"MainText":"4 MOST BALLS, BOOTS AND BRAINS\r\nAlternative\r\n£3.99 cassette\r\nReviewer: Jon Pillar\r\n\r\nForget the games - on the title alone, this compilation has won me over. Ah well, suppose I'd better string out the suspense and get on with the reviews. (But I can tell you now - it's a winner.)\r\n\r\nTHE DOUBLE\r\n\r\nLet's start with a management game. The Double is a classic of the genre, with a thick foldout inlay covered in tiny writing and screensful of well-presented number lists. To the layperson it may appear exactly the same as every other management sim, but it's not. Probably.\r\n70°\r\n\r\nSOCCER CHALLENGE\r\n\r\nPleasantly different from the usual soccer game. Challenge has you brushing up your footy skills in preparation for the competition course at the end. With passing, dribbling, tackling and penalties included there's plenty at variation in the gameplay. As a bonus the graphics are clean and detailed, and all in all it's quite spiffy.\r\n78°\r\n\r\nRUGBY BOSS\r\n\r\nNumbers time! This management sim is from the programmer of the ancient Superbowl and is in much the same style. Again, if you like such sims you'll probably go a bundle on it.\r\n70°\r\n\r\nAUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL\r\n\r\nPlaying fair is not an option in this Kick Off-like game. Rising above the obligatory horrid graphics, the gameplay is an enjoyable twist on standard footy - there's lots of bashing into people rather than skilfully dodging them. Manic fun.\r\n80°\r\n\r\nGood stuff, with plenty to do whether you want to stretch your brain or flex your muscles. Great value, with an extra mark for that title.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"61","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jon Pillar","Score":"81","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Cottingham is the largest village in Europe, and that's a fact."},{"Text":"Prince, tired of people laughing at his films, decided to try his hand at something more muddy."},{"Text":"Suddenly the whole pitch was covered in camels and fat men. Nobody knew where to look."},{"Text":"You stand in the right hand corner and I'll run into you. Got that?"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"81%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[{"Header":"The Double","Score":"70%","Text":"The Double"},{"Header":"Soccer Challenge","Score":"78%","Text":"Soccer Challenge"},{"Header":"Rugby Boss","Score":"70%","Text":"Rugby Boss"},{"Header":"Australian Rules Football","Score":"80%","Text":"Australian Rules Football"}]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 122, Apr 1992","Price":"£2.1","ReleaseDate":"1992-03-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan 'Jaws' Dykes\r\nDesign: Yvette 'Wish I was in Africa' Nicholls\r\nSU Crew: Garth 'Ancient Beard' Sumpter, Pete 'Tartar Sauce' Gerrard, Phillip 'Killer Whale' Fisch, Graham 'I was upstairs, honest' Mason\r\nAd Manager: Tina 'I'm not a Goth!' Zanelli\r\nAd Production: Matthew 'What film?' Walker\r\nMarketing Man.: Mark 'Speech, speech' Swallow\r\nMarketing Women: Sarah 'Pink room' Ewing, Sarah 'Where is it Al?' Hilliard\r\nPublisher: Graham 'Dad' Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'Good morning' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Proprint\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or used to pad out wet or undersized footwear without the express permission of the Publisher. On a lighter note I really hope that Garth can be found again. I hate to think of the poor chap wandering aimlessly aroudnd the world, searching for Spectrum user groups. I hope Puff is feeling much better too! Incidentally, anyone writing to Suck Up For Software had better be nice to Al from now on 'cos otherwise they won't get any software."},"MainText":"Label: 4 MOST (Alternative)\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £3.99 Tape\r\nReviewer: Toni Naqvi\r\n\r\nA budget, four game sports simulation pack. Sounds good, let's take a closer look. There are four games here, two soccer sims, a rugby bash and an Aussie rules game. (Yeah!! - Yvette.)\r\n\r\nThe Double involves managing a third division club, competing against 65(!) other, computer managed clubs and winning 'The Double', ie Both league and F.A cups in one season. Make up a winning team by buying and selling players and competing in the transfer market. The game is menu driven and includes settings for training and transfers, wages, ground preparations and treatment rooms. There's even one for informing the local rozzers of expected crowd levels at home matches. Finally, sit back and relax as the match results come through. Zzzzzzzzzz!\r\n\r\nInstead of re-creating to mayhem and violence of the real sport, Australian Rules Football, the game succeeds only in being hard to understand and difficult play. In fact, ball control is so dodgy so that I rarely touched it during an entire game. There are four quarters of play, each lasting about three and a half minutes, during which you run around the field like a raving loony, kicking and punching your way, hopefully, to the touch line to win points. At any given time you control only one player, marked by an arrow. Difficult stuff dudes, not bad looking and with some real Aussie Rules features, but a real devil to play.\r\n\r\nHey! Now this is a new idea. In Soccer Challenge you've got a chance to begin trials with your favourite footy team. Your job is to make a huge impression on the Boss by showing him all your flash skills and fancy moves, and get him to sign you up. It's not as easy as it sounds, you're going to need lots or skin and stamina, just to get through training! This is quite a good footy game with the added bonus of a code which you can use in the sequel, if you complete this one! What a nightmare. In Rugby Boss you've just been appointed boss of a Rugby League Team. Your job, as always, is to create the best possible team, win the championships and collect assets for the club. (Do I hear more snoring... Zzzzz!!) Responsibilities include team selections, banking, finances and of course, game tactics. Basically this game looks like a soccer management sim except it's not. It's rugger.\r\n\r\nBut that's a poor excuse.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"I'm not very happy with this pack. The most interesting game is soccer challenge, the next has to be Australian Rules Football. The rest are quite boring, formula games. Boots, Balls and Brains' only redeeming factor is that it has four games for £3.99","Page":"40","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Toni Naqvi","Score":"54","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"A report on Liverpool's Ian Rush. Not that bad is he?"},{"Text":"Australian Rules Football. Anyone for a barbie afterwards sports?"},{"Text":"The Boss. The only thing you'll need is a sheepskin coat!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"54%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]