[{"TitleName":"Trio","Publisher":"Sparklers","Author":"","YearOfRelease":"1985","ZxDbId":"0011386","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 57, Jul 1986","Price":"£0.98","ReleaseDate":"1986-06-16","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\nAd Production: Debbie Pearson\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":"In the past few weeks there has been a flood of game compilation tapes onto the market. Are they the bargain they seem? C+VG investigates and asks are the V.F.M. - that's value for money?\r\n\r\nThe automatic response to getting anything up to 30 games for a few quid is that they're a great bargain. But are they the big deal they at first appear? Or is it case of software houses desperate attempt to make money on games that weren't successful first time round?\r\n\r\nFirst up is a gigantic offering from Argus - 30 games on two cassettes. Titles on the Spectrum version include Jet Set Gerties, 3D Tunnel, Carpet Capers, Meteor Storm and Blood and Guts. The list seems endless.\r\n\r\nPerhaps the best known of the bunch is Jeff Minter's Gridrunner, a game with plenty of zip and a lot of zap.\r\n\r\nAnd Commodore owners aren't left out. Argus has also put together another package of 30 Games for them. Titles include many of those in the Spectrum collection plus others such as the Quicksilva's Schizofrenia, a fiendishly difficult game to play.\r\n\r\nBoth packages offer good value. It could be months before you finish all these games.\r\n\r\nOff the Hook, the charity package put together by Electric Dreams, offers even better value for money - ten games for £6.99. And at the same time you can ease your conscience about the many hours spent hunched over your computer by the fact that all money raised by Off the Hook goes to the Prince's Trust for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.\r\n\r\nGoodies on the Spectrum include Beyond's Psytron, Blue Max from US gold, and Melbourne House's Mugsy. It also includes Elite's Fall Guy but we prefer not to talk about that.\r\n\r\nBeau-Jolly also has its Computer Hits Volume 2 out on the Commodore, Spectrum, Amstrad, BBC B and Electron, price £9.95.\r\n\r\nWe took a look at the BBC B collection and Amstrad. The BBC tape includes Micropower's Frenzy and Jet Power Jack and Kissin' Kousins from English Software.\r\n\r\nPerhaps the best is Superior's Starstriker, a version of the arcade classic Moon Cresta. Hewson's Technician Ted and Micromega's Codename Mat are the stars of the Amstrad collection, ably supported by Superpipeline 2, Tasket and Moon Buggy, Anirog.\r\n\r\nRemember Creative Sparks? They've been a little quite recently but now they've bought out two compilations of the Sparklers range of budget games, price £2.95.\r\n\r\nThe Spectrum \"TRIO\" features: Desert Burner, Ouackshot and St Crippens.\r\n\r\nIn Desert Burner, a fast scrolling arcade game, the lacier of a group of freedom fighters travels through the night on the Desert Burner, a powerful gun-carrying 200 mph road bike. His aim is to deliver top secret plans to the other resistance members without getting caught by his enemies.\r\n\r\nYou need to be a \"Quackshot\" to survive in the next of the three games, where a revolution of clockwork ducks gets out of hand.\r\n\r\nSt Crippens is the world's worst hospital. Escape is only possible if you can beg, steal or borrow new clothes to fool the guards who try to stop you leaving. First you must find your way through the dozens of wards.\r\n\r\nThe Commodore 64 \"TRIO\" is equally testing with a choice of Chopper, Kayak or Merlin.\r\n\r\nThe first game, \"Chopper'' concerns a mighty helicopter gunship which has set Out to annihilate the enemy base. It needs a combination of both courage and skill to reach it as both man and machine are taxed to the limit.\r\n\r\nKayak is a canoe simulation which requires first class presence of mind to negotiate the course ahead.\r\n\r\nIn the third game, Merlin needs assistance in conquering the powers of evil that he encounters in this orginal arcade game.\r\n\r\nAnybody still got a VIC 20? Well grab £6.50 and splash out on Llamsoft's Viva Vic collection, included are Abductor, Gridrunner, Traxx, Andes Attack, Laserzone, Matrix, Megagalactic Llamas, Battle at the edge of Time and Hellgate.\r\n\r\nFancy a bit of arcade fun for £4.50? Then Astro Cade on the Spectrum from DDS Software could be for you. The six games on offer are Simeon, Caverns D'Or, Bomber, Zombier, Luna Rover and Alien.\r\n\r\nThe Complete BBC from Audiogenic is also worth checking out. Titles include The Chrysalis, arcade action in the cabbage patch, Drain Mania, a fairly standard platform game, and The Genesis Project, deep space action. Perhaps the most interesting game is Flip. Although it's not much fun to look at, it's good fun to play. It's a two player graphical strategy game in which hidden words must be uncovered.\r\n\r\nAnd last, but by no means least, Gremlin Graphics has come up with probably the two best quality compilations of the lot with 4 Zzap! Sizzlers and 4 Crash Smashes. As you may have guessed all the games have received high praise in a rival magazine.\r\n\r\nThe Commodore 64 games are Who Dares Wins II (Alligata), Wizard's Lair (Bubble Bus), Drop Zone (US Gold) and Thing on a Spring (Gremlin). The Spectrum games are Spy Hunter (US Gold), Night Gunner (Digital Integration), Dun Darach (Gargoyle) and Alien 8 (Ultimate).\r\n\r\nGood fun, and excellent value at £9.95. All are well worth buying.\r\n\r\n30 Games\r\nArgus\r\n£9.95\r\n\r\nOff The Hook\r\nElectric Dreams\r\n£6.99\r\n\r\nComputer Hits Vol 2\r\nBeau Jolly\r\n£9.95\r\n\r\nTrio\r\nCreative Sparks\r\n£2.95\r\n\r\nViva Vic\r\nLlamasoft\r\n£6.50\r\n\r\nAstro Cade\r\nDDS\r\n£4.50\r\n\r\nThe Complete BBC\r\nAudiogenic\r\n£19.95\r\n\r\n4 Zzap Sizzlers\r\nGremlin Graphics\r\n£9.95\r\n\r\n4 Crash Smashes\r\nGremlin Graphics\r\n£9.95","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"32","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"3/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]