[{"TitleName":"Freddy Hardest","Publisher":"Dinamic Software","Author":"Emilio Pablo Salgueiro Torrado, Javier Cubedo, Luis Rodriguez Soler, Manuel Cubedo, Raul Ortega Palacios, Enrique Ventura","YearOfRelease":"1987","ZxDbId":"0001860","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 47, Dec 1987","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1987-11-26","Editor":"Barnaby Page","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Managing Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Dominic Handy, Lloyd Mangram, Ian Phillipson\r\nSubeditor: David Peters\r\nPhotographers: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nOffice: Frances Mable, Glenys Powell\r\nTechnical Writers: Simon N Goodwin, Jon Bates\r\nAdventure Writer: Derek Brewster\r\nPBM Writer: Brendon Kavanagh\r\nStrategy Writer: Philippa Irving\r\nEducation Writer: Rosetta McLeod\r\nContributors: Robin Candy, Mike Dunn, Paul Evans, Ben Stone, Paul Sumner, Bym Welthy\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrator: Oliver Frey\r\nDesign: Markie Kendrick, Wayne Allen\r\nProcess and Planning: Jonathan Rignall (Supervisor), Matthew Uffindell, Nick Orchard\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Andrew Smales\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\nPlease address correspondence to the appropriate person!\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group.\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 - including written and photographic software and hardware - unless it is 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©1987 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Imagine\r\nRetail Price: £7.95\r\nAuthor: Dinamic\r\n\r\nFirst there was Biggles, then there was 007, now there is Hardest... Freddy Hardest. Skilfully posing as an astral playboy, our hero is in fact a counterespionage agent in this humorous arcade game written by Spanish software house Dinamic. On leaving a party, Hardest crashes his spaceship on an enemy planet. To escape this hostile world he'll have to hijack a spacecraft, but first he must find the spacebase.\r\n\r\nFreddy trudges across the planet's horizontally-scrolling landscape, doing his best to avoid a flock of attacking aliens and human reptile mutants. To get him through this maelstrom of malevolence, Freddy is equipped with a laser and a devastating repertoire of high kicks.\r\n\r\nHe can also leap over the frothing lava mouths which obstruct his path.\r\n\r\nWhen our titanium-tough hero has reached the spacebase he can't escape to freedom straight away - first he has to decipher the Captain's code. Then comes Freddy's final task: he must fuel the ship by shifting nuclear energy cells, using the base's lift, and prepare for blastoff.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nJoystick: Kempston\r\nGraphics: in both sections, mostly divided into monochrome areas to avoid colour clash; detailed backgrounds\r\nSound: delightful title tune and spot effects\r\nOptions: definable keys","ReviewerComments":["The graphics aren't as good as they might be and there's a little colour clash, but after the first few attempts you get the feel of Freddy Hardest and it's very addictive.\r\nMike Dunn\r\n83%","It's good to see the Dinamic programmers improving with every game they bring out. Freddy Hardest is much more playable and enjoyable than their previous work for the Ocean/Imagine group (Army Moves (Issue 41), Game Over (Issue 44) - 54% and 55% Overall respectively). Freddy bears an unbelievable likeness to the cartoon character Desperate Dan, but he makes the game. The first two levels differ enough to add addictiveness; the second level is very similar to Ocean's V (Issue 29), though it's more playable. It's also more attractive than the first and the action is more intense. It's just as well Nick Roberts is promising the access code for the second level in the Christmas Special Playing Tips.\r\nPaul Sumner\r\n86%","At the start of all the best games you'll find fantastic graphics and a great tune, arranged like the beginning of a film. Freddy Hardest is no exception, and here you get Freddy doing an impression of the roaring MGM lion! Freddy is quite well-defined and his hunky stance gives him the 007 look. The second stage, in the spacebase, is full of surprises, and though it's very like Ocean's V you'll get loads of fun out of this excellent game.\r\nNick Roberts\r\n85%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Dinamic's best game yet is great fun, with realistic animation and effective graphics.","Page":"27","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mike Dunn","Score":"83","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Paul Sumner","Score":"86","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"85","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"'Great fun and effective graphics.'"},{"Text":"Sobered up in the spacebase."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"85%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 25, Jan 1988","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-12-10","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":126,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Peter George\r\nDeputy Editor: Marcus Berkmann\r\nProduction Editor: Lucy Broadbent\r\nTechnical Editor: Phil South\r\nDeputy Art Editor: Darrell King\r\nContributors: Richard Blaine, Audrey & Owen Bishop, Jonathan Davies, Chris Donald, Mike Gerrard, Gwyn Hughes, Joe King, Tony Lee, John Minson, David Powell, Nat Pryce, Rick Robson, Peter Shaw, Rachael Smith, Mischa Welsh, Tony Worrall\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Simon Stansfield\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nPublisher: Kevin Cox\r\nPublishing Director: Roger Munford\r\nManaging 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 ©1988 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":"Imagine\r\n£7.95\r\nReviewer: Jonathan Davies\r\n\r\nThey say \"Don't drink and drive\", and perhaps they should extend that to flying as well, 'cos after having one too many at one of those awful allnight intergalactic parties, Freddy Hardest has gone an' crashed his spaceship on an enemy planet. As all the phones seem to be phonecard-only, he can't get a mechanic, so instead he decides to do what you or I would have done - break into the enemy base and nick one of their ships. (Speak for yourself. Ed)\r\n\r\nFirst of all Freddy, who's one of those hunky astral playboys we all dream of being, has to find the base. This means wandering along a scrolling landscape wasting aliens left, right and centre with a variety of martial art moves and the usual laser pistol.\r\n\r\nThen it's time to load in part two, type in the code number you were given at the end of the first part (whaddya mean you can't remember it?) and start looking for some transport. Having found the correct ship, loaded it up with fuel, got the codeword and worked out the take-off procedure he can finally jump in and hit the heavens.\r\n\r\nWhile previous Dinamic stuff tended to be hot on graphics but a little cooler where addictiveness was concerned, this is certainly not the case with Freddy. Okay, so part one is a bit monotonous, but it's easily beaten and things are much more fun in the second bit. Although it bears a frightening resemblence to the notorious V it's actually very good, with just the right mix of beat em up and exploration.\r\n\r\nGraphics are without doubt the game's strong point, with well animated sprites and nicely drawn backgrounds in part two. For some reason though, Freddy doesn't appear to have a nose! It's probably just as well, considering the amount of after shave these guys tend to wear.\r\n\r\nDefinitely worth a look for all would-be bodybuilders.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"An interesting blend of hack 'em up and arcade adventure, good value too.","Page":"52","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jonathan Davies","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 68, Nov 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-10-18","Editor":"David Kelly","TotalPages":124,"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, Tony Bridge, Chris Jenkins, Tony Dillon, Gary Rook\r\nHardware Correspondent: Rupert Goodwins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mike Corr\r\nSales Executive: Steve Prescott\r\nClassified Sales/Production: Alison Morton\r\nPublisher's Secretary: Debbie Pearson\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: Clive Goodyer\r\n\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\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: Ocean\r\nAuthor: Dinamic\r\nPrice: £7.95\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: Kempston\r\nReviewer: Graham Taylor\r\n\r\nDinamic doesn't make it easy on itself. It makes games that are hard - too hard for most reviewers in fact and often large sections of its games are never discussed.\r\n\r\nLet's hope that's not a happens with Freddy Hardest its latest and possibly greatest game. The point is that Part 1 (around 48K's worth!) is a) fairly impressive b) pretty difficult but Part 2 (another 48K) is a) absolutely brilliant and b) pretty difficult.\r\n\r\nDescribing graphics as 'cartoon-like' has become somewhat meaningless, so let's say that the Freddy Hardest sprite is superbly animated, large, and very detailed. The guy seems to have a real character - he thinks he's cool (check out the haircut) but obviously he's a dork (note the legs).\r\n\r\nIn Part 1 he just has to try to get across the planet surface by leaping over volcanoes and zapping or kicking his a past some of the most brilliantly designed aliens seen in a Spectrum arcade game. From time to time he comes across enormous gaps that require some pretty exact leaping to successfully get across - luckily the amount of precise control you have over the leap (it according to long you hold the Fire button ) is enormous. Practise makes perfect so if you get it it's you and not your joystick...\r\n\r\nAs Freddy leaps and kicks his way a the aliens get and more nasty. The first are a bunch of dull-looking potato creatures - fry them with your laser when the chips are down. (Sorry about that - a Carry On film was last night). Later you get the bouncing ants, a far - and deadly - adversary. They tend to bounce straight into your path as you leap over a passing volcano - you'll need to combine all your blasting and kicking skills to get past them.\r\n\r\nPart 2 is a little like several other games but most of all it reminds of Impossible Mission. The general plot is part of the reason but it's the speed and excitement combined with absolutely graphics that is the real key. Set below the planet surface are a multitude of different levels reached via transporter pads. Freddy's task here is to interrogate a series of to find the whereabouts of various fuel pods and other equipment which will allow him to escape.\r\n\r\nThere is a partial attempt at 3D in this section - the backdrop is flat with key equipment like computer terminals and lifts drawn with a very effective illusion of perspective. The actual walkways are drawn in the same way and the end result looks marvellous.\r\n\r\nIn this section a whole new selection of aliens plague Freddy's life including what for a long time I believed was a raincoat, (technical problems with the mighty SU TV). This section is mostly two-colour, so no attribute problems but Dinamic has cleverly used spot areas of colour so that the overall effect is not of drabness - it looks great.\r\n\r\nCriticisms? No serious ones but I think Dinamic lets itself down in the structure of its game. Part 1 goes on for too long and is essentially very simple though fantastic to look at. Part 2 is of similar length but seems more involved and inventive.\r\n\r\nNevertheless there is lots to recommend this one - it has some of the best graphics design seen since the Knight Lore period of Ultimate and is very exciting to play.\r\n\r\nWill you be one of that elite band who persevere and survive long enough in Part 1 to gain access to the brilliant stuff in Part 2?","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Gigantic arcade game with brilliant cartoon graphics - slightly unwieldy structure leaves it just short of a classic.","Page":"100,101","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Graham Taylor","Score":"9","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"PROGRAMMERS\r\n\r\nDinamic is a Spanish software house marketed here by Ocean. For more details see SU 64. It has an extensive in-house development team consisting of graphics artists and programmers who work across a number of systems. A Basketball game soon to be released here has been the best selling game in Spanish history.\r\n\r\nSoftography: Army Moves (Ocean, 1987), Game Over (Ocean, 1987)"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"9/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"The Games Machine Issue 2, Dec 1987","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1987-11-19","Editor":"Oliver Frey","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nAssistant Editor: Nik Wild\r\nSoftware Co-ordinator: Richard Eddy\r\nStaff Writer: Robin Hogg\r\nEditorial Assistant: Frances Mable\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson (Assistant)\r\nContributors: Jon Bates, John Gilbert, Robin Candy, Martin Coxhead, Mel Croucher, Martyn Lester, Mark Rothwell, Rob Steel, Robin Waterfield, John Woods\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nDesign/Layout: Gordon Druce, Markie Kendrick, Wayne Allen\r\nProcess/Film Planning: Jonathan Rignall (Supervisor), Matthew Uffindell, Nick Orchard\r\n\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nSales Executive: Andrew Smales\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order\r\nCarol Kinsey\r\n\r\nSubscriptions\r\nDenise Roberts\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by the Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow with colour origination taken care of by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset [redacted] - a member of the BPCC Group. Distribution effected by COMAG, [redacted].\r\n\r\nCompetition Rules\r\nQThe 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 (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) 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 THE GAMES MACHINE. 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 drop Fran Mable a line at the PO Box 10 address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into THE GAMES MACHINE - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it's accompanied by a suitably stamped, addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photographic material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©Newsfield Ltd, 1987\r\n\r\nOn The Cover\r\nThe cover illustration is a composite made from an original computer generated picture designed by Steve Jarrett using Degas Elite. It was distorted to form the perspective shape, retouched in zoom mode before being photographed by Cameron Pound. This was then enlarged, laser scanned and composited at film planning stage with additional elements painted by Oliver Frey."},"MainText":"Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £7.95\r\nAmstrad CPC Cassette: £8.95, Diskette: £14.95\r\nCommodore 64/128 Cassette: £8.95, Diskette: £12.95\r\n\r\nTHE HARDEST HUNK\r\n\r\nBreasting bravely on the wave of Game Over, this is Imagine's third release from Dinamic, the Spanish software house who also brought us Army Moves. Dinamic are Z80 programmers, so Imagine's in-house team prepared Freddy Hardest for the Commodore.\r\n\r\nAll-round macho man, high-lifer and self-fancied spy Freddy Hardest, blasts into space following a 'small party', plays Space invaders with a meteor storm, and inevitably crash-lands on the moon of the planet Ternat. By an incredible coincidence (and a spot of luck, otherwise there wouldn't be a game to follow) the moon also contains the alien base of Kaldar.\r\n\r\nHis only hope of getting off the moon is to discover the Kaldarian base, hi-jack a ship and hi-tail it off. The moon's surface is pitted with chasms and bubbling craters, guarded by robots and populated by nasty alien fauna; a kick deals with the orbiting robots, moon creatures are seen off with a swift laser bolt.\r\n\r\nGetting into the base, once it is found, is no problem since reaching the end of part one gives you an access code which you enter as soon as part two has been uploaded (Spectrum 128 is a single load). The Kaldarians aren't so easily disposed of, immune to laser fire, Freddy has no alternative but to resort to fisticuffs, and whilst he enjoys this kind of 'full blown bruise up', it does hinder the task of getting the Captain's Code - essential to take off - from 16 computer terminals scattered throughout three of the base's four levels. The fourth level houses four colour-coded ships, and having selected one, only the correct colour-coded computer information is of any use.\r\n\r\nThe ship will need fuel too and that involves collecting the appropriately coloured nuclear cells, placing them in, and operating, a loading lift from a nearby loading computer terminal. Lifts can also be used to access the base's different levels and tunnels used to move to other parts of the current level.\r\n\r\nIn general Freddy Hardest suffers most - the graphics on all machines being jolly enough to delight the eye - from not being hard enough, unless it's in a fake kind of way, as on the 64 version, where collision detection is almost too fine-tuned to be fair. So while this makes an ideal game for the younger player, it does mean that the street-cred brigade are less likely to find much more than an immediate appeal.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"It suffers a bit in comparison due to the limited use of colour but in one sense copes better - the graphics are well detailed, almost like cartoons. The film style opening is a nice touch and adds to the game's all-round humour. A too easy first levels is virtually made redundant once the access code is gained, but this applies to all formats. A playable, nicely put together release from Dinamic, but too soon completed to have high lastability.","Page":"58","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Loads of colour and dashing graphics for the Amstrad CPC as hunk and all round macho man Freddy leaps for space."},{"Text":"Looking for Kaldar on Ternat, Freddy encounters craters and robots by the score - Spectrum screen."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"\"...Ideal for the younger player, Freddy hardest suffers most from not being hard enough for the street-cred brigade...\""},{"Text":"AMSTRAD CPC\r\n\r\nOverall: 69%\r\n\r\nAs is the case with most Dinamic games on the Amstrad, this is highly detailed graphically, and makes good use of colour all round. But the Amstrad first level is too easy, the main cause being lenient collision detection. The second level has even more colour and detail and with the large number of screens, makes for much more of a challenge, although it shouldn't take too long to complete."},{"Text":"COMMODORE 64/128\r\n\r\nOverall: 62%\r\n\r\nThe 64 version is definitely the Hardest! The aliens and robots move around much quicker; on the first level, Freddy needs to make almost perfect jumps to land on the floating islands and losing a life for being a pixel out is very frustrating. The second level is straight out of Ocean's earlier V, but a lot better in execution, and surprisingly quite easy. Level two's graphics look messy compared with those of level one, and the main sprite is barely average."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"67%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]