[{"TitleName":"Gobstopper","Publisher":"Calisto","Author":"Andrew Taylor","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0002072","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 5, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-24","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":126,"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\nTelephone numbers\r\nEditorial/office [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\n\r\nPhotosetting by SIOS [redacted]\r\nColour origination by Scan Studio, [redacted]\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd, [redacted].\r\nDistribution by Comag, [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: Calisto\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price: £5.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code\r\nAuthor: Andrew Taylor\r\n\r\nMeet a new hero - Spodgo, who resembles a cross between a green snowflake and a Splat. Spodgo has three different screens to survive in this very original arcade game. In the first, you must shoot up the blue coloured gobstoppers, whilst avoiding the uncommonly intelligent mutant toffees and a purple snake. Spodgo fires in the direction of movement, a sort of unbent paper clip, which kills the gobstoppers. The toffees cannot be destroyed, and all four gang up to chase you round the screen.\r\n\r\nSurviving this stage moves Spodgo on to a screen across which three trains move from left to right, one above the other, the middle one being the shorter but faster. A blue path zig zags down the screen blocked by opening and closing gates. The object is to guide Spodgo from the top right to the bottom right of the screen, avoiding the gates, and dodging across the railway tracks between trains.\r\n\r\nThe third screen Sam the demented ice-cream salesman hurls endless supplies of ice-cream cones across the grass at you, and they must be dodged.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: cursors and 6 to fire\r\nJoystick: Kempston, Protek, AGF\r\nKeyboard play: responsive, pity about the cursors though\r\nUse of colour: good\r\nGraphics: very good but a bit jerky\r\nSound: excellent\r\nSkill levels: 1\r\nLives: 3\r\nScreens: 3","ReviewerComments":["Gobstopper is a good game. My main criticism is that your hero does not move very quickly, and as the screen is very crowded because of the large graphics, it means hit and run tactics have to be used. Generally the graphics are good but jerky, although the trains move very smoothly. I found the game mildly addictive with joystick play. The keyboard play is terrible.\r\r\nUnknown","Gobstopper has nice large graphics, well drawn details as well. The gobstoppers' mouths all move up and down as they float about, the trains are very big and detailed, a pity the wheels don't revolve though. There are nice touches like the cartoon-style strip at the start of the game, and the explosion when you lose a life has a little \"pop\" written in its centre. Nevertheless, I thought overall it looked a bit childish and is probably intended for younger children despite its difficulty. It is quite hard to play, but once mastered, there is insufficient scope to really be addictive.\r\r\nUnknown","I have never seen a game quite like this - it is totally unique. I found the first screen very active, quite hard, but pitched about right so you can get on to the second after a few minutes' practice. I like the idea of firing paper clips at chewing mouths while being attacked by frenzied toffees. The trains are drawn nicely, but move fairly slowly and make the screen too easy. The third screen is very difficult - almost impossible. The graphics are large, colourful and move very well. Great sound. I quite enjoy this game, but I think the addictive qualities will wear off after a few hours play.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Good.","Page":"35","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Second screen of Gobstopper - dodge the Starlgiht Express."},{"Text":"You won't have time to get toothache with this game, besides which - the mutant toffees are real mean."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"52%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"67%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"69%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"66%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 5, Apr 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-03-15","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":176,"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\nGame-of-the-month poster: Pat Weedon\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nCover Illustration: Richard Evans\r\nGroup Editor: Cyndy Miles\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\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: Pat Dolan\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: Optional\r\nCATEGORY: Arcade\r\nSUPPLIER: Calisto\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\n\r\nGobstopper is a compulsive game with excellent graphics and sound.\r\n\r\nThere are three screens to survive as you help a small graphics shape by the name of Spodgo to demolish gobstoppers, avoid trains, and dodge lethal ice-cream cones. Unfortunately you have to control him using the Spectrum cursor keys, but as the game progresses he becomes quite nimble.\r\n\r\nTo begin with Spodgo finds himself on the screen surrounded by gobstoppers and killer toffees. In this game the sweets aren't just bad for your teeth, they're fatal. You have to despatch the gobstoppers with your gob-blaster by pressing the 0 key and avoid the toffees. An occasional snake wiggles across the screen, robbing you of one of your three lives if you happen to be in its way.\r\n\r\nOnce you've polished off all the gobstoppers, it's on to the next screen, where you have to manoeuvre Spodgo down the screen along narrow pathways, avoiding trains and randomly placed barriers.\r\n\r\nOnce you reach the bottom, you enter the next screen, where you have to dodge falling ice-cream cones. Your only objective in this screen is to stay alive for a predetermined amount of time. You then find yourself back at the beginning of the game.\r\n\r\nAlthough the first screen makes the rest of the game seem a little tame by comparison, Gobstopper should keep you happy between meals.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"78,79","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Cooke","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Ease Of Use","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]