[{"TitleName":"Handy Andy","Publisher":"CRL Group PLC","Author":"Zafarullah Karim","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0002225","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 13, Dec 1984","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1984-11-15","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":172,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Chris Anderson\r\nDeputy Editor: Steve Cooke\r\nProduction Editor: Roderick George\r\nArt Editor: Ian Findlay\r\nStaff Writers: Peter Connor, Bob Wade\r\nEditorial Assistant: Samantha Hemens\r\nCartoons: Kipper Williams\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nGame-of-the-month poster: Graham Humphreys\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\nPublisher: Tony Harris\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Peter Goldstein\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Sarah Barron\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Phil Pratt\r\nSales Executives: Ian Cross, Marion O'Neill\r\nProduction Manager: Noel O'Sullivan\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Susie Cooper\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\nCONTROL: Kemp, Keys, Prot, Sinc\r\nFROM: Omega, £1.99\r\n\r\nVIDEO NASTY\r\n\r\nThe software market is a strange one. It is incredible that such a huge gap exists between the best and the worst. At one end is superb software such as Sabre Wulf, Jet Set Willy and Lords of Midnight and at the other end in the value for money stakes the wooden spoon goes without a doubt to this awful program. I had the honour of reviewing the last Omega release, and yes folks - this is even worse.\r\n\r\nWe are told that Andy the caretaker is looking after a toy warehouse and suddenly the dolls come to life and try to escape (well who can blame them). Guess who has to try to catch them.\r\n\r\nYou take the title role and can move around the screen in any direction dodging the other horrors of the night - there are loads of these which are very hard to dodge - and catching the dolls by running over them. Other toys that are picked up give a bonus on your score. Each screen consists of different nasties which are well animated and move very smoothly. There is just one skill level but the control keys are good.\r\n\r\nThe graphics of Andy and the dolls are very detailed though the animation is pretty poor. The sound is really bad, for the most part - just clicks and barely audible. The death sequence will really have you tearing your hair out - a tombstone springs up and a high pitched tune 'plays' for about ten seconds. This holds up the game and you may find yourself reaching for the plug.\r\n\r\nThe main problem with the game is the fact that the whole wretched program consists of only one screen of action, which would not even qualify for being a part of any top game.\r\n\r\nPrehistoric compared to the standard of software which people will buy and a complete waste of time, money, and effort on Omega's part.","ReviewerComments":["When this 48K program took only one minute to load, I though that perhaps it included a fast-load system; sadly I was wrong. Handy Andy is short but not at all sweet, being a 'dodge the blob' game of the simplest variety.\r\r\n\r\r\nThe graphics consist of your little man, one type of bouncing alien and various static characters; overall they are limited in variety and uninteresting. Sound is very basic, with dull 'plipp' sounds punctuating the 'action'.\r\r\n\r\r\nIf you are one of the rare breed of snail-racing, maggot-wrestling individuals you will probably enjoy this game. On the cassette insert it says, 'The dolls begin to march out of their store' - they obviously have taste.\r\nSteve Spittle","The only thing this game is handy for is the rubbish bin. It has horrid graphics and sound and a mindless task for you to complete.\r\r\n\r\r\nThere is no lasting interest provided by the meagre single screen and the game itself is not very playable. Omega seem to have licenced much of the substandard software of other major companies who are unprepared to sell it (I wonder why?).\r\nBob Wade"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54,55","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Martyn Smith","Score":"2","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Steve Spittle","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Bob Wade","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"3/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"1/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"1/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"2/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]