[{"TitleName":"Dragonsbane","Publisher":"Quicksilva Ltd","Author":"D. Moore, M. Preston, P. Hunt, R. Rose, Steinar Lund","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0001501","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 4, May 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-19","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":128,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nTelephone numbers\r\nEditorial [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\nNo material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\n\r\nColour origination by Scan Studio, [redacted]\r\nPrinted in England by Plymouth Web Offset Ltd, [redacted].\r\nDistribution by Comag, [redacted]\r\nAdditional setting and process work by The Tortoise Shell Press, [redacted].\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £9.00 UK Mainland (post free)\r\nEurope: 12 issues £15 (post free).\r\n\r\nWe cannot undertake to return any written or photographic material sent to CRASH MICRO unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Quicksilva\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price: £6.95\r\nLanguage: BASIC with some m-c\r\nAuthor: Preston, Hunt, Rose and Moore\r\n\r\nThis graphical adventure-style game takes you deep into the maze of rooms that make up Earthstone Castle, where you must battle with vampires, zombies, skeletons, gryphons and sphinx, among other legendary beasts. All this to rescue the Princess Paula from the Dragons Lord. There are 172 rooms laid out in a roughly radial manner, so that progressing backwards or forwards a number won't actually mean ending up in the room next door.\r\n\r\nThere are 20 duplicated monsters to encounter, some friendly, most not, and you will need to eat food regularly to keep up strength, although over-eating will give you indigestion and halve your strength! Of course, there are also all sorts of useful objects lying about to be picked up when they are needed - if you can work out when that is.\r\n\r\nThe screen is divided up into a main viewing area in which very simple 3D-style images appear of each room, plus a colour representation of any objects or monsters, and a status area, which gives an indication of the direction in which you are facing, the weapon you are using, the room number you are in and a key to the coloured bar codes beneath, which indicate the amount of strength you have, endurance, skill, and your proximity to both the princess and the Dragons Lord. A display panel above the view screen prompts you with messages like, 'Do you want to speak with the beast?' The view will also clear on pressing key H to show you your options, which are: pick up or drop an object; change a ready-to-hand weapon; eat some food; call up inventory; Look; free princess; and quit game.\r\n\r\nThe view area will also clear to give a verbal description of any battles taking place.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: cursors, plus prompt keys\r\nKeyboard play: reasonably responsive\r\nUse of colour: reasonable\r\nGraphics: detailed creatures although slowish to appear\r\nSound: poor\r\nSkill levels: 1\r\nLives: 1\r\nScreens: 172 rooms","ReviewerComments":["Movement from room to room is done by pressing the cursor keys, which is quite a good idea, although if you press too long you may move through several rooms at once without realising. The computer doesn't say much throughout the game, making the adventure quite boring after a short while. \r\r\nUnknown","This isn't a proper adventure because the player has little control over the game and there really aren't any puzzles to solve other than the geographical one - where are you? Most moves are made as a result of an option menu. The hi-res graphics make a fine tracery of white detail to tie everything together in a vaguely Gothic-looking way, but it doesn't make up for the atmosphere lost by not having proper text descriptions, and the 3D effect of the rooms is extremely simplistic. Not my favourite type of game.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Neither adventure nor arcade, this game falls between two stools and fails to captivate.","Page":"83,84","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Lonely Beast - would like to contact similar for mutual friendship and exchange of beastly confidences. Box CM0457."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"55%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"64%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"54%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"59%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"42%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"52%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"54%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 4, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-17","Editor":"Roger Munford","TotalPages":90,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Munford\r\nContributing Editor: Bruce Sawford\r\nDeputy Editor: Tina Boylan\r\nEditorial Assistant: Pete Shaw\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nContributors: Ian Beardsmore, Ron Smith, Stephen Adams, Damir Skrgatic, Simon Goodwin, Toni Baker, Peter Jackson, Paul Walton, Andrew Pennell, Max Philips\r\nArt Editors: Jimmy Egerton, Hazel Bennington\r\nArt Assistant: Steve Broadhurst\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Jeff Raggett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Shane Campbell\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Jason Wood\r\nTypesetting Manager: Derek Cohen\r\nTypesetters: Beverley Douglas, Maggie Kayley, Velma Miller\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Art Director: Perry Neville\r\nPublisher: Stephen England\r\nDistribution Manager: Colin James\r\n\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England. Telephone (all departments): [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Spectrum ©1984 Felden productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Spectrum is a monthly publication.\r\n\r\nCover photography by Ian McKinnell"},"MainText":"DRAGONSBANE\r\nQuicksilva\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nA graphic adventure through 172 rooms; avoid 40 monsters while trying to rescue the helpless and hapless Princess Paula. The usual assortment of monsters, both friendly and otherwise - and you can also use joysticks.","ReviewerComments":["Good clear graphics. It uses all the 48K of available memory, and is jolly good fun.\r\nDilwyn Jones\r\n8/10","The game can be crashed quite easily - which is a bit disappointing. It also takes a lot of playing before you get to understand the characteristics of the monsters.\r\nIeuan Davis\r\n5/10","Slow, with lots of 'Y/N' single key answers. Good use of colours, but it doesn't look too good if all you've got is a monochrome TV.\r\nGerralt Jones\r\n6/10"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"52","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Dilwyn Jones","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Ieuan Davis","Score":"5","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Gerralt Jones","Score":"6","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Big K Issue 4, Jul 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-06-20","Editor":"Tony Tyler","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tony Tyler\r\nAssisted By: Richard Burton\r\nContributors: Paul Walton (Features); Paul Rambali (Arcades); Jenny Parrott; John May; Steve Keaton; David Rimmer; Richard Taylor; Bernard Turner; David Ellis; David Eastbury; Tony Benyon\r\nArt/Design: Central Art Studio\r\nGroup Art Editor: Doug Church\r\nGroup Advert Controller: Luis Bartlett\r\nPublishing Director: John Purdie\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nTelephone: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished approximately on the 20th of each month by IPC Magazines Ltd. [redacted]. Monotone and colour origination by G.M. Litho Ltd [redacted]. Printed in England by Chase Web Offset, Cornwall. Sole Agents: Australia and New Zealand, Gordon& Gotch (A/sia) Ltd.; South Africa, Central News Agency Ltd. BIG K is sold subject to the following conditions, namely that it shall not, without the written consent of the Publishers first given, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended selling price shown on the cover, and that it shall not be lent, resold or hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated constitute or any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. IPC MAGAZINES 1984."},"MainText":"I must confess to being generally nonplussed by the recent spate of hybrid arcade adventures. The likes of the chart-bustin' Atic Atac fall between too many stools for my taste. However, Dragonsbane (which runs on a 48K Spectrum from Quicksilva) is enormously impressive. It's a 'true' graphical adventure that thankfully doesn't involve zapping everything that moves, although I must confess that the plot is a little ho-hum. Trapped within Castle Earthstone you must outwit the dread Dragon Lords and rescue the beautiful Princess Paula. Still the hoary old story is more than compensated for by a stylish presentation.\r\n\r\nYou move through the castle's great halls using the cursor keys, picking up artefacts and battling such hideous adversaries as vampires, ghouls and (shriek) giant pigeons. There are 172 locations to visit and 40 species of well-drawn monster to avoid, not to mention a brace of randomly generated trapdoors. Its a true graphic adventure.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"51","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Keaton","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 6, May 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-19","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":168,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Chris Anderson\r\nProduction Editor: Roderick George\r\nArt Editor: Ian Findlay\r\nTechnical Editor: Stuart Cooke\r\nStaff Writers: Steve Cooke, Peter Connor\r\nEditorial Assistant: Samantha Hemens\r\nSoftware Consultant: Tony Takoushi\r\nCartoons: Kipper Williams\r\nProgram Control Guardians: Jeff Riddle\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nCover Illustration: Pat Weedon\r\nGroup Editor: Cyndy Miles\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\nPublisher: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\nAdvertising Manager: Herbert Wright\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Jan Martin\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Mike Caroll\r\nAdvertisement Production: Simon Carter\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Coraline Turner\r\nSales Executives: Joey Davies, Marion O'Neill\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]. Typesetting by Spectrum Typesetting, [redacted] Origination by Fourmost Colour [redacted]. Printed and bound by Chase Web Offset [redacted]. © VNU Business Publications 1984."},"MainText":"MACHINE: Spectrum 48K\r\nJOYSTICK: No\r\nSUPPLIER: Quicksilva\r\nPRICE: £6.95\r\n\r\nThis game is best described as Adventure by Multiple Choice. Your best choice is to steer well clear.\r\n\r\nThe scenario is familiar. You're wandering through the halls of a monster-infested castle in a bid to rescue Princess Paula.\r\n\r\nYou're shown a picture of each hall (all almost identical), together with a monster if one is present.\r\n\r\nThere is no movement, no arcade action. And unlike a text adventure you cannot suggest your own course of action. Instead you are presented with a set number of choices, e.g. fight or run.\r\n\r\nFighting will result in a written running commentary appearing which details the fights progress and may end with the monster's death or you feeling very weak. The trouble with this kind of program is that it is completely devoid of atmosphere and variety. The choices forced upon you reduce the adventure to a banal affair more in keeping with a Chemistry O-Level.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"77","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Chris Anderson","Score":"2","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"2/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"2/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"3/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"2/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"2/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair Programs Issue 22, Aug 1984","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1984-07-19","Editor":"Rebecca Ferguson","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Rebecca Ferguson\r\nConsultant Editor: John Campbell\r\nManaging Production Editor: Harold Mayes MBE\r\nStaff Writer: June Mortimer\r\nDesign: Elaine Bishop\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Holly Fleming\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Rick Holloway\r\nProduction Assistant: Dezi Epaminondou\r\nEditorial Assistant: Colette McDermott\r\nManaging Editor: Nigel Clark\r\nManaging Director: Terry Cartwright\r\nAssistant Managing Director: Barry Hazel\r\nChairman: Richard Hease\r\n\r\nU.S. Press representative Mr J. Eisenberg, JE Publishers' representative, [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair Programs is published monthly by ECC Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nIf you would like your original programs to be published in Sinclair Programs, please send your contributions, which must not have appeared elsewhere, to\r\nSinclair Programs\r\nEEC Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nPrograms should be on cassette. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included. We pay £10 for the copyright of each program published.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1984 Sinclair Programs\r\nISSN No. 0263-0265\r\n\r\nPrinted and typeset by: Cradley Print PLC, [redacted]\r\n\r\nDistributed by Spotlight Magazine Distribution Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Design: Ivan Hissey"},"MainText":"DRAGONSBANE\r\n\r\nDragonsbane - 48K Spectrum, £6.95 - is one of those awful amalgamations of adventure and strategy game which become disenchanting within a few minutes of loading. The aim is to make your way through the castle, past the deadly monster, to rescue the princess. Only one room is displayed at a time and, even with careful use of a map, it is difficult to do anything other than trust to luck, as fleeing from monsters can transport you magically over some distance.\r\n\r\nDragonsbane should be re-named Userbane and is definitely not recommended. Produced by Quicksilva, [redacted].","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"37","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"June Mortimer","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]