[{"TitleName":"Chart Attack","Publisher":"Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd","Author":"","YearOfRelease":"1992","ZxDbId":"0011576","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 73, Jan 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1991-12-05","Editor":"Andy Hutchinson","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"WHAT'S IN A NAME?\r\n\r\nLife, love and loofahs; the YS experience. So, just what's in a name we wonder?\r\n\r\nEditor: Andy (Manly) Hutchinson\r\nArt Editor: Andy (Manly) Ounsted\r\nGames Editor: James (He seized the heel) Leach\r\nStaff Writer: Linda (Serpent) Barker\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne (Rebellion) Booth\r\nAdvertising Manager: Cheryl (Charity) Beesley\r\nProduction Coordinator: Lisa (My god is satisfaction) Read\r\nPublisher: Jane (God has favoured) Richardson\r\nPublishing Assistant: Michele (Who is like the lord?) Harris\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg (To be watchful) Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue (Lily) Hartley\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair (Groovy), Future (That which is to come) Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Pearl (A pearl) Stokes\r\nDistribution: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Colin (A young dog) Jones\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\nABC Jan-June 1991 65,444\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair is whittled out of Chinese Walnut by the same eternal twelve year olds who assemble (from Airfix kit form) Commodore Format, Amstrad Action, Amiga Format, 8000 Plus, PC Answers, PC Plus, Sega Power, Amiga Power, Amiga Shopper, Classic CD, Needlecraft, Mountain Biking UK, PC Format, Public Domain and ST Format.\r\n\r\nBut what we really want to know is... have you ever been sitting in class, felt the need to ask your teacher a question, and called him/her mum or dad?"},"MainText":"Gremlin\r\n£15.99 cass\r\nReviewer: Rich Pelley\r\n\r\nGremlin, possibly the finest-ever software house to be named after a mythical beastie, have released a pack of its latest hits. It's called Chart Attack. And, if you'll just pay a nominal fee, remove your coats and outer garments, then follow me into this dimly lit tent, you'll most likely see what can only be described as a review of it. (Oh dear, oh dear. Ed)\r\n\r\nGHOULS 'N' GHOSTS\r\n\r\nBuckle on that trusty sword, take off that obviously twentieth-century wristwatch and hide those incriminating bicycle clips. For it's time to hop into Specydom's most famous underwear as Ghosts 'n' Goblins crashes back into half-life. Slicker, more playable and even tougher than the original, this new spook-'em-up also features a natty arsenal of add-on weapons and the chance of being turned into a duck. Let no man say that weirdness ever stands in the way of true genius.Tragically, however, only the 48K version is included in the Chart Attack compilation, so denying 128Kers a truly dazzling soundtrack, but judged on gameplay alone this is mean, and mightily addictive.\r\n92°\r\n\r\nIMPOSSAMOLE\r\n\r\nIf you're a fan of burrowing creatures in general, or if you are only interested in moles, settle down into a comfy chair and prepare to read with interest (and a little sadness) the sentences that follow. From the talent behind Rick Dangerous comes the pointless updating of Monty Mole. Five big levels of flashily-presented platform action seem to promise a game to pop your TV tube. Unfortunately Impossamole must have been crossing his little furry fingers. It's slow, linear and frankly dull, nowhere near the standard of Rick and hundreds of light-years behind Pete Harrap's original Monty trilogy. Not bad, more of a mistake.\r\n62°\r\n\r\nSHADOW OF THE BEAST\r\n\r\nAn enormous punch-while-you-puzzle platform game that boasts atmospheric graphics and a high degree of playability. It wouldn't be dreadfully incorrect to compare Shadow Of The Beast to a veritable Eiffel Tower amongst small bungalows, or even a large Transit van among those bubble cars you sometimes see. It towers over the gameless Amiga version, you see. Beast overflows with sneakiness, fast action and most of all, fun. A beast buy. (Aarghh! Ed).\r\n86°\r\n\r\nSUPERCARS\r\n\r\nSupersprint with attitude, this is a hee-uge scrolling race game with chassis armour and car-to-car missiles and the emphasis is on tyre-burning manoeuvres. As you plough on with these, you'll feel the need to rebuild your car from time to time. Gremlin, clever Sheffield-based souls that they are, have considered this, and have given you extra armour, better weapons and even more powerful cars. All you need is the dosh to collect 'em. And you only get that by skilful and unimaginably violent manoeuvres. Yes, you've got to ram opponents and manufacture pile-ups whilst hurtling round a nightmare track of junctions, tunnels and underpasses. Outstandingly playable.\r\n86°\r\n\r\nLOTUS ESPRIT TURBO CHALLENGE\r\n\r\nThis is one of the better tie-ins, because it doesn't continually throw the licence in you face. Both the one and two player modes are dead spiffy. The idea is to watch your half of the horizontally split screen whilst, if another player is racing, he watches his. Get confused between the screens and not only does the car seem to stop responding to your joystick movements, but it seems to be doing everything your human opponent wants it to. And the other car seems to crash, looking like nobody's controlling it at all. Spooky, until you realise your mistake (Actually, if you're that stupid, you deserve to lose! Ed) Anyway, whether pranging the wing mirrors of horribly competent computer drivers or belching fumes over your fuming best friend, Lotus is tremendously enjoyable. The small playing areas combine with the roller-coaster landscape to increase the excitement, as you're often driving blind. My only quibble is that the cars are confusingly identical. First gear. Sorry, rate.\r\n84°\r\n\r\nA good spread of genres and four excellent games make Chart Attack top value for money. Put it on your Chrissy list now.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"83","Denied":false,"Award":"Your Sinclair Megagame","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Rich Pelley","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Hello stranger, I greet you in traditional fashion by hurling an axe at your throat. Yes, Ghouls 'n' Ghosts is certainly spirited."},{"Text":"I may be smaller but I'm faster. So if you don't get out of the way I'm going to tie a sausage to your gran and call myself Toby."},{"Text":"If I just stop here, I can drag on of these big arrows into the road, thus puncturing his tyres when the rounds the bend, ho ho."},{"Text":"In an attempt to stop the skeletal ghosts attacking him, Monty does his rendition of a Sonia dance. And it works! The skeleton, seeing the dance, crumbles into dust and vows to never buy another Sonia LP."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"TEN BAFFLING THINGS POPULARLY ATTRIBUTED TO GREMLINS\r\n\r\n1. The sporadic breakdown of allied machinery during the second world war.\r\n2. The Tay Bridge disaster.\r\n3. The destruction of Kingston Falls.\r\n4. Gyles Brandreth.\r\n5. The absence of point six in any top ten list.\r\n6. The Ford Edsel.\r\n8. Baby gremlins.\r\n9. March 15th, 1962.\r\n10. Gyles Brandreth again."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[{"Header":"Ghouls 'n' Ghosts","Score":"92%","Text":"Ghouls 'n' Ghosts"},{"Header":"Impossamole","Score":"62%","Text":"Impossamole"},{"Header":"Shadow of the Beast","Score":"86%","Text":"Shadow of the Beast"},{"Header":"Supercars","Score":"86%","Text":"Super Cars"},{"Header":"Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge","Score":"84%","Text":"Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge"}]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 119, Jan 1992","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-12-18","Editor":"Garth Sumpter","TotalPages":60,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Commander Coloninabadway\r\nDesign: Captain Ooneneeky Cheeky\r\nSoftware Editor: Star Commander Angus Headrush\r\nAdditional Design: Earthling Jane Davies\r\nSU Crew: Garth 'Lost in Space' Sumpter, John 'Bad Boy' Cook, Alan 'Space Cruiser' Dykes, Pete 'Astro' Gerrard, Yvette 'Brightstar' Nichols, Phillip 'Black Hole' Fisch\r\nAd Manager: Jerry 'Astonomical' Hall\r\nAd Production: Jo 'Venus' Gleissner\r\nMarketing Man.: Mark 'Starman' Swallow\r\nMarketing Women: Sarah Ewing, Sarah Hillard\r\nPublisher: Graham Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1991 EMAP IMAGES\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Proprint\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\n\r\nIncidentally, just before Garth disappeared into a spaceship, he said that he would always believe in Santa and wished all the readers (including his mum and dad) merry Christmas and the rest of the Crew wished a merry Christmas to mum and dads everywhere, without whom, nothing would be possible! Would it?"},"MainText":"Label: Gremlin\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nPrice: £14.99 Tape\r\nReviewer: Big Al Dykes\r\n\r\nWell now, what do we have here? A combination of racing sims and shoot 'em ups, and a good one to boot. What's happening to the world these days, eh?\r\n\r\nThis compilation from Gremlin has the best of both worlds with the inclusion of Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge, Shadow of the beast, Ghouls 'N' Ghosts, Super Cars and Impossamole.\r\n\r\nFirst out on the grid, Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge raced up the charts, with its good driver's seat perspective racing action and graphics which set Lotus apart from other racing games. Definitely right up on the starting grid making as much noise as the big boys.\r\n\r\nVertically viewed race action can be seen on Super Cars. It's fast, graphically good and the power-ups and new cars that can be purchased with race winnings make it well worth a look.\r\n\r\nGhouls 'N Ghosts is a ferocious fighting game with lots of monsters and lots of movement as you leap old Arthur across live huge stages - in the hunt for his lady. Ghouls 'N Ghosts is a classic game that everyone should have.\r\n\r\nShadow Of The Beast has excellent graphic presentation and fantasy/adventure storyline. A long game that'll really attract beat 'em up fans.\r\n\r\nImpossamole, a 1990 addition to the Monty Mole adventure saga was a reasonable bash marred by some difficult playability and lack of any real excitement, not a very inspiring game.","ReviewerComments":["Nothing in this Chart Attack compilation succeeds in being stunning but I don't think you'll be especially let down by it either. So pick up your sword, shift the car into gear and it's up, up and away!\r\nGarth Sumpter"],"OverallSummary":"A fine collection whose lastability is greatly enhanced by some well known and highly playable games. If you're into platform adventure and racing this is the one for you.","Page":"27","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Alan Dykes","Score":"80","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Garth Sumpter","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Impossamole contemplates kissing frogs. Takes all sorts eh?"},{"Text":"This is a really strange looking nightclub. Hope he's got a tie."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"80%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]