[{"TitleName":"Greyfell","Publisher":"Starlight Software","Author":"Nick Eatock, Simon Welland, Susan Rowe","YearOfRelease":"1987","ZxDbId":"0002143","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 38, Mar 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-02-26","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Publishers: Roger Kean, Oliver Frey, Franco Frey\r\nPublishing Executive/Editor: Graeme Kidd\r\nSub Editor: Ciaran Brennan\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Lee Paddon, Hannah Smith\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStrategy Editor: Philippa Irving\r\nTech Tipster: Simon Goodwin\r\nContributing Writers: Jon Bates, Brendon Kavanagh, John Minson\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrators: Oliver Frey\r\nProduction: Seb Clare, Tim Croton, Mark Kendrick, Tony Lorton, Nick Orchard, Michael Parkinson, Cameron Pound, Jonathan Rignall, Matthew Uffindell\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Nick Wild\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nBookings [redacted]\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 Magazine unless 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: Starlight Software\r\nRetail Price: £8.99\r\nAuthor: Mick Eatock and Simon Welland\r\n\r\nGreyfell is an ancient land ruled over by Mauron The Evil. Norman the Wise (a cat of no particular ambition) hears tales of this sad land from the great wizard Hitormis, whilst quaffing a few too many in his local. According to legend, Mauron stole the Orb of Life and in so doing, sentenced the land to a future without love or peace. A drunken ambition is kindled in Norman's feline breast. He staggers out, vowing to destroy the evil one and return Greyfell to the tranquility it once knew.\r\n\r\nWhat a rash cat, you may think, but curiosity...\r\n\r\nNorman is soon embroiled with many enemies, out to prevent him succeeding. Rats, Wolves, Crocodiles, Dragons, Minotaurs, those old favourites - Killer Tomatoes - and even Cat-eating Plants burst forth from all over the place.\r\n\r\nThese creatures can be despatched with a quick spot of fisticuffs, but Norman also has three spells he can summon up. Physical fighting drains stamina, but, worse, the spells are finite and care should be exercised to conserve them for really tight spots. Stamina, on the other hand, can be replenished by eating plants (walking over them). Stamina is shown as a can of beans - if all the beans vanish. Norman riddles loses one of his nine lives ... how appropriate.\r\n\r\nThe adventure element in Greyfell is supplied through action icons, seen at the screen base. Pressing fire while Norman is stationary accesses icon mode. With the icons, spells can be selected and fired (unless supplies run dry), objects can be picked up or dropped, and the last selected object can be used. There are also facilities for pausing the game, saving current position to tape and toggling the sound on or off.\r\n\r\nSome Greyfellians are pleasant, and are even helpful when they offer clues as to which objects might be collected and to whom they may most usefully be given. Clues appear as speech bubbles in cryptic form like \"Fe2Cu\". Having pondered on the possible meaning, Norman can hare off to get the required object.\r\n\r\nGreyfell is traversed on foot using the cardinal compass points. Pressing against an object allows Norman to cat-jump onto it, if it's low enough. He can also enter the small huts encountered along the way, the scene cutting to their interiors. There may be a series of flip-screen rooms inside, seen Alien 8 style. Norman's objective is to seek out Mauron in his lair, and return the orb to its rightful place in the cup of sorrows. Success is measured 'arcade style' by the number of nasties killed, and adventure style, by the percentage of quests completed.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: definable: walk north, walk east, walk south, walk west, fire\r\nJoystick: Kempston, Cursor\r\nUse of colour: limited\r\nGraphics: 3D monochrome graphics\r\nSound: a chirpy tune at the beginning and spot effects throughout\r\nSkill levels: one\r\nScreens: 120 plus","ReviewerComments":["An impressive debut from STARLIGHT. The plot is original, if perhaps slightly tacky. The graphics are cute - the 3D forced perspective screen layout works well, and the characters are endearing. Sound is also well above average with a few tunes and a worthy amount of effects. Greyfell falls over one giant stumbling block: Its gameplay - it left me cold. Stomping around the playing area fighting off the meanies just isn't fun. After a few goes I'd had enough. Not playable or addictive enough for me to recommend.\r\r\nBen Stone","This is a lovely game to launch a new software label with. But despite the flashy loader and pretty graphics, the game breaks no new boundaries. The screens are superbly drawn, pleasing to the eye and offer one of the best 3D views I've seen. The icon-driven section is a bit too cumbersome to use quickly, and things are generally too slow for the average arcade player. The strong adventure elements make it more likely to appeal to adventure players than arcade fans. It's a decent little game, and well worth a look.\r\r\nPaul Sumner","Greyfell is very well presented. It has excellent graphics, and a very neat loading sequence. The 3D effect is superbly executed, but unfortunately, the game moves slowly. The fact that there are far too many meanies makes it much more unplayable than it could have been. This is a pity, because if the game had had as much playability as it has polish, then I think this new label would have been off to a flying start. As it stands, I think Greyfell is very well produced, but lacking in the playability department.\r\nMike Dunn"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Not very original, but this is almost rectified by the highly polished presentation.","Page":"37","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ben Stone","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Paul Sumner","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Mike Dunn","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"A shady character gives Norman a not-so-cryptic clue."},{"Text":"Norman can't see the doors for the mlking stools."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"84%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"61%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"59%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"59%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"67%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 16, Apr 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-03-12","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":114,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nSenior Art Editor: Hazel Bennington\r\nProduction Editor: Sara Biggs\r\nAssistant Editor: Phil South\r\nStaff Writer: Markus Berkmann\r\nDesigner: Darrell King\r\nContributors: Luke C, Chris Donald, Mike Gerrard, Tony Hetherington, Ian Hoare, Gwyn Hughes, ZZKJ, Tommy Nash, Rick Robson, Rachael Smith\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Julian Harriott\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nManaging Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nPublisher: Roger Munford\r\nPublishing Director: Stephen England\r\n\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press 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 ©1987 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":"Starlight\n£8.99\nReviewer: Rick Robson\n\nThere are more belly laughs than at Greyfriars and more thrills than at Greystoke Hall here 'cos we're in the magical land of giggles and guffaws created by Ariolasoft in its latest arcade adventure - Greyfell.\n\nAs Norman the Wise (no, not Dame Edna's hubby - this ones a cat), your quest is to recover the orb of life from Mauron the Evil One (Shouldn't that be Moron? Ed) bringing peace and love back to the land, hey like wow, man! Norm may be full of wisdom but he's a gormless chap who begins the game legless as he falls out of the pub! This may account for his peculiar on-screen movement, but then again it may not! So, Norm the Gorm needs help (don't we all) from the various good guys scattered around the land of Greyfell.\n\nOnce he's found these illustrious heroes, like the Wizard, Blotto the drunken rabbit (is this game licensed I wonder?), and Willy the Pig (he's a policemen) they'll give Norm clues to the orb's whereabouts. But by this time he's in need of a drink himself to understand the gobble-degook they speak!\n\nBut, of course, no adventure is worth its magic salt without its legion of nasties roaming about, and roam they do. There are rats, who get everywhere you want to go, especially the caves. Killer tomatoes and wicked wolves are also ready to pounce, and there are dragons, cat-killing flora, minotaurs and crocodiles to contend with - all before the final confrontation with Mauron the skeletal overlord. Phew!\n\nMost meanies can be vanquished arcade style - run, hide or zap (our Norm packs a mean punch). You've also got a bevy of icon-driven spells at your disposal while on-screen monitors measure your stamina rating ion a baked bean tin!) and your score, which can be upped by rolling around in the right plants?! Even so, you'll be struggling to keep your nine feline lives.\n\nSurvival's only half the story, though. Certain key objects (notice the clue) must be found then swopped with the Heroes' goodies before you can hope to succeed... but now I'm telling you the plot!\n\nSuper zealous adventurers might say Greyfell's too heavy on the laffs and not heavy enough on the magic but I reckon it's brilliant. It's true the icons are a bit scrunched up but otherwise it's a bundle of fun and well above the Norm!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"66","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Rick Robson","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Here's Norman inside on of the huts. Really there's not a lot of point him sticking around - if he tries to get over those pointy jobs, his only possible destiny is certain doom. And he should be careful of the floor panel near the door - it'll launch him in the air, towards the pointies and more doom. So go back the way you came, Norm!"},{"Text":"Norman the Wise meets some interesting characters in the forest, including a rat (which he really should get around to killing) and Blotto the drunk rabbit, to whom you should hive a carrot (if you can find one!) Watch out for the rat lurking behind the tree on the right!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 60, Mar 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-02-18","Editor":"David Kelly","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: David Kelly\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nSenior Staff Writer: Graham Taylor\r\nStaff Writer: Jim Douglas\r\nDesigner: Gareth Jones\r\nAdventure Help: Gordo Greatbelly\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nHelpline: Andrew Hewson\r\nContributors: Chris Jenkins, Clare Edgeley\r\nHardware Correspondent: Rupert Goodwins\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Mike Corr\r\nProduction Assistant: Alison Morton\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Linda Everest\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Lee Sullivan\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs or articles to:\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nOriginal programs should be on cassette and articles should be typed. Please write Program Printout on the envelopes of all cassettes submitted. We cannot undertake to return cassettes unless an SAE is enclosed. We pay £20 for each program printed and £50 for star programs.\r\n\r\nTypeset by PRS Ltd, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1987 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nABC 90,215 July-Dec 1985"},"MainText":"Label: Starlight\r\nPrice: £9.95\r\nJoystick: various\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nReviewer: John Gilbert\r\n\r\nNorman the cat stumbles blindly out of his local pub and into one of the most bizarre arcade adventures ever to cross wires with the Spectrum.\r\n\r\nAt first the land Greyfell resembles the Ultimatesque exteriors of Knightlore and Alien 8, combined with an icon control system that looks as if it's been lifted from Beyond's Enigma Force.\r\n\r\nBut there the similarities end. The game is a wickedly sarcastic comment on heroic fantasy where 'umble 'eroes battle darkhearted demons.\r\n\r\nThe nearest you'll get to an 'umble 'ero is Norman. The great wizard Hitormis, tells you of how the land of Greyfell was plunged into darkness when Mauron, the Evil One, stole the precious orb of light. Peace and love have been banished forever from the land. Anyway, that's enough plot. Basically its incomprehensible tosh - and intended to be so. I suppose you ought to know there's an Orb too which needs to be returned to its proper place in the Cup of Sorrows.\r\n\r\nGreyfell is absolutely chock-full of seemingly useless objects some protected by medieval security systems, huts with seemingly useless interiors, and seemingly endless tree clusters.\r\n\r\nYou'll never walk alone in Greyfell. Not for long. There are five goodies and eight types of baddie. A simple artificial intelligence routine makes the goodies talk through speech bubbles - a technique first used in Imagine's Movie - while baddies remain silent, but deadly if they get too close.\r\n\r\nGreyfell's characters talk in riddles and spout on about their standard of living and what they need to survive. Offalorien, the shifty spy, for instance, says 'Fruit 4 me'. When you come across a strawberry, perhaps, pick it up and look for shifty. Maybe he'll give you something in exchange to help you with your quest.\r\n\r\nYou pick up objects, choose Zap spells and use them with the icon-control system. It's slightly unwieldy and, when baddies are badgering you, almost impossible to use.\r\n\r\nThe Zap icon is easy to use, you just press Fire twice and the current spell wends its way slowly towards the enemy. If your luck holds - and it's the right spell - it'll hit the baddie and destroy it. More than likely, however, the spell will float over its head and it'll get even more angry.\r\n\r\nThe other icons are more of a pain to use. You have to flip through four of them and press the Fire key to pick up an object. That would be OK but if several rats are making you feel as if you're the minced meat in a sandwich you can't do anything but defend yourself and loose energy.\r\n\r\nOnly the right type of spell will destroy first magnitude monsters - wolves, killer tomatoes and cat-eating, fish-headed plants, but a good fist-clobbering will do for some of the lower life forms among the dark lord's denizens. Just hit the Fire button and Norman hits his foe. You will, of course, have to be within striking distance and you'll have to get in one or two good thumps before the baddie's blitzed and all the while you'll be in danger of losing one of your nine lives.\r\n\r\nGreyfell is one big trap. You can fall down pot holes into useless dungeon locations. You can step on pressure pads which catapult you into the arms of fish-head plants. Or get pinned between walls which pop out of thin air.\r\n\r\nThe walls are there to protect some of the more important objects. When you step toward them, over an invisible boundary, they build brick by brick and, unless you've worked out which spell to use you'll just have to give up and go on searching for cup and orb.\r\n\r\nVery rarely do two cliches put together make an original game, but Greyfell is an exception. And who cares if it's filched bits and pieces from Enigma Force, Knightlore, Alien 8, Fairlight, Marble Madness the Holy Grail...","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Humorous fantasy combined with a strong, heroic quest, set in a Knightlorish world.","Page":"28,29","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"John Gilbert","Score":"5","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"5/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 66, Apr 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-03-16","Editor":"Tim Metcalfe","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nDeputy Editor: Paul Boughton\r\nEditorial Assistant: Lesly Walker\r\nSub-Editor: Seamus St. John\r\nDesign: Craig Kennedy\r\nAdventure Writers: Keith Campbell, Steve Donoghue, Matthew Woodley\r\nAmerican Correspondent: Marshall M. Rosenthal\r\nArcades: Clare Edgeley\r\nSoftware Consultant: Tony Takoushi\r\nPublicity: Clive Pembridge\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Garry Williams\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Katherine Lee\r\nAd Production: Debbie Pearson\r\nPublisher: Rita Lewis\r\nCover: Mark Bromey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nJuly-December 98,258"},"MainText":"MACHINES: Spectrum/Amstrad/C64\r\nSUPPLIER: Starlight\r\nPRICE: £9.95\r\nVERSION TESTED: Spectrum\r\n\r\nAbout time! A game with a cat as the hero. In their debut game Starlight strike a blow for cat-kind and prove for good that all cats are probably the most intelligent creatures in the known universe.\r\n\r\nNorman is the name of our feline friend. He finds himself in the strange world of Greyfell on a quest for the Orb of Light which will restore sweetness - and light - to Greyfell, currently under the evil rule of Mauron the Evil One.\r\n\r\nNorm the Cat explores a world which owes a lot to Knightlore, Fairlight and several other similar games - but never fear it's FUN anyway.\r\n\r\nYou have to interact with the other characters in the game. There are five nice guys who will help you and eight baddies who seek to rid you of one of your nine lives.\r\n\r\nThese characters talk in riddles which appear in speech bubbles - first seen in Movie. Unravel the riddles and you could be on the way to solving some of Greyfell's numerous puzzles.\r\n\r\nWatch these bubbles carefully 'cos you could get a clue which will lead onto other clues.\r\n\r\nFor example someone might ask for some fruit. Take him a nice fresh Granny Smith and he might give you something in exchange.\r\n\r\nUse this to pick things up, select useful spells - yup, old Norm has magic leaping from his paws - and use objects.\r\n\r\nAt busy times, when you are being attacked for example the icon system gets a bit frustrating and difficult to manipulate.\r\n\r\nTraps are everywhere. Pressure pads, magical self-building walls, pot-holes, dungeons and so on.\r\n\r\nVery mappable, extremely playable and very addictive, Greyfell is quite simply the cat's whiskers.\r\n\r\nArcade adventurers shouldn't fail to add this debut game from Starlight to their collection.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"16","Denied":false,"Award":"C+VG Hit","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tim Metcalfe","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"9/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 37, May 1987","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-04-23","Editor":"Bryan Ralph","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bryan Ralph\r\nAssistant Editor: Cliff Joseph\r\nConsultant Editor: Ray Elder\r\nAdvertising Manager: Peter Chandler\r\n\r\nDesign: A.S.P. Design Studio\r\nA.S.P. Advertising and Editorial [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted by Chase Web, [redacted]\r\n\r\nAdvertisement Copy Controller: Andy Selwood\r\n\r\nDistributed by: Argus Press Sales and Distribution Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nZX Computing Monthly is published on the fourth Friday of each month. Subscription rates can be obtained from ZX Subscriptions, [redacted]\r\n\r\nThe contents of this publication, including all articles, designs plans, drawings and other intellectual property rights herein belong to Argus Specialist Publications Limited. All rights conferred by the law of Copyright and other intellectual property rights and by virtue of international copyright conventions are specifically reserved to Argus Specialist Publications Limited and any reproduction requires the prior written consent of the company.\r\n\r\nArgus Specialist Publications Limited. ©1987"},"MainText":"Starlight\r\n£9.95\r\n\r\nThe debut game from Ariolasoft's new label casts you as Norman the Wise cat who must battle the evil Mauron. His friend the Wizard Hitormiss has told him of the Orb of life that Norman must find to free the land from Mauron's evil grip. The game plots Norman's attempt to complete his vital quest.\r\n\r\nThe screen shows a typical Knight Lore style 3D arcade adventure landscape packed full of trees and boulders to block Norman's path, populated by Mauron's minions to rob our hero of his nine lives and deadly cat eating plants and mines to keep you on your feline toes.\r\n\r\nA series of icons beneath the main display can be accessed a pressing the fire button and allow Norman to pick up drop and examine objects that might help him in his quest, load, save and halt his game position, and choose and fire two different weapons along with an energy and number of lives display.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, as with many other Spectrum arcade adventures the graphics and animation, although impressive, slows down dramatically when there are three or more critters on the screen. Despite this, Greyfell is a fine example of arcade adventuring in which you might have a whisker of a chance to get the bottom of the tail.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"39","Denied":false,"Award":"Globert","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"Good","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]