[{"TitleName":"Arcturus","Publisher":"Visions Software Factory Ltd","Author":"Vega [UK]","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0000247","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 3, Apr 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-03-16","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: Visions\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price: £6.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code\r\n\r\nThere have been a number of 3D Noughts and Crosses games for the Spectrum and now Visions have theirs out. The name of the program is justified by an extraordinarily long scenario, all about how super snails (well it is a sort of grid game) grew up aeons ago in a galaxy far, far away and mutated into super-thinkers who hated war. Then they had a bit of bother with those war-like Vigans (you know the type, all mouth and nuclear weapons) and they ended up settling the business by making the Vigans do this puzzle thing and somehow that got handed down to earth. Hence the name of the super snails were from Arcturus, hence the name of the game).\r\n\r\nThere is a very complex menu which must be used to play the game. This is displayed at the top and bottom right hand corners. A skill level from 0 to 9 may be selected, Mode allows you to select between defensive, attacking or neutral play, the sound may be on or off, printer on or off and the Evaluation on or off. The game itself is played on four boards of 4 x 4 squares stacked one above the other in perspective with a number axis horizontally and a lettered axis vertically. Players may move a flashing cursor onto any unoccupied square and ENTER the move. It is possible to play one player versus the computer, player versus player or the computer versus the computer. A timer can be set to limit time on moves or games.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: numerous for setting up options, cursors and ENTER for playing\r\nJoystick: AGF, Protek, cursor clip on\r\nKeyboard play: responsive\r\nColour: good\r\nGraphics: good\r\nSound: useful\r\nSkill levels: 9","ReviewerComments":["This is a very slick looking program. Others I have seen along similar lines tend to look very difficult to play, but the perspective stacks of four boards do make the 3D thinking process quite easy - well, quite may be an exaggeration. It's still a difficult game with tons of subtlety.\r\r\nUnknown","If you enjoy puzzles you'll no doubt enjoy Arcturus. The only serious problem I found with it was the difficulty of getting to play a game. There seem to be so many options and stages to go through to start one or get back for another and the inlay and onscreen instructions don't actually help. Also, I don't really know why they wrote an entire novel to explain why the game got its name. There are 22 pages of written history, all very interesting but not very relevant. I would have preferred to do without it and have them charge a pound less for the game.\r\r\nUnknown","Apart from the confusion arising from all the instructions and getting a game going, it nowhere mentions that your cursor is actually moved with the cursor keys. Perhaps they thought that would be obvious, but it only adds to the general sense of confusion at the start. Once going, the very game idea is compelling and easy to play - very hard to win against the computer. Perhaps the flashing cursor block could have been a bit more obvious, it tends to disappear when it moves about.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Very good for puzzler enthusiasts.","Page":"39","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"50%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"65%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"45%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"57%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"58%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"57%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 5, Jul 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-06-21","Editor":"Roger Munford","TotalPages":90,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Munford\r\nManaging Editor: Bruce Sawford\r\nDeputy Editor: Tina Boylan\r\nTechnical Editor: Peter Shaw\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nContributors: Ron Smith, Ian Beardsmore, Christopher Ashford, Henry Budgett, Penny Page, SQ Factor, Toni Baker, Dilwyn Jones, The Chiltern Computer Club, Tomas Green, Simon Goodwin, John Flenley, Phil Manchester\r\nArt Editor: Hazel Bennington\r\nArt Assistant: Steve Broadhurst\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Jeff Raggett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Shane Campbell\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Nik Saha\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\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":"ARCTURUS\r\nVisions\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nA 3D noughts and crosses game, where the plot is to enslave the free world by making us devote all our incredible mental resources to solving Arcturun's ultimate mental challenge.","ReviewerComments":["Something that should appeal to anyone who likes mind games, and made better by its fast response time, and reasonable use of colour.\r\nSimon Cox\r\n4/10","The cubes are poorly represented, and the choice of colours is very disappointing. This game's best feature is its response time but, to be honest, your time would be better rewarded with pencil and paper.\r\nIan Simmonds\r\n4/10","The idea behind this game isn't bad, but it's certainly not new. Also the representation of the supposedly 3D grid is very poor. The whole thing could have been made better if the colours had been more thoughtfully selected.\r\nJon Warner\r\n3/10"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Simon Cox","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Ian Simmonds","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Jon Warner","Score":"3","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"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: Visions, 48K\r\n£6.95 (3)\r\n\r\nAn awful lot of memory and effort go into the long-winded and entirely irrelevant history of this games name, but it turns out to be none other than a 3D noughts and crosses played on 4 x 4 grids, four of which are stacked one on top of the other. A winning line is a straight one up or across a grid or vertically through the grids, diagonals included. Two players may oppose each other, one player play the computer, or you can have the computer play against itself. The program is a slick one, but it's main drawback is the complexity of the option menu that poses a major task in logistics to get to play a game. Cursor keys are used to place your move, so AGF or Protek joysticks may be used. General rating: very good for puzzle enthusiasts, especially with its 9 skill levels. Overall CRASH rating 57%, machine code.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"62","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"57%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 27, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-17","Editor":"Bill Scolding","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bill Scolding\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nConsultant Editor: Mike Johnston\r\nManaging Production Editor: Harold Mayes MBE\r\nStaff Writer: Chris Bourne\r\nIllustrator/Designer: Craig Kennedy\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: John Ross\r\nProduction Assistant: Dezi Epaminondou\r\nEditorial Assistant: Colette McDermott\r\nManaging Editor: Nigel Clark\r\nAssistant Managing Director: Barry Hazel\r\nManaging Director: Terry Cartwright\r\nChairman: Richard Hease\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by ECC Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\nTelephone\r\nAll departments\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs, articles or ideas for hardware projects to:\r\nSinclair User and Programs\r\nECC Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nPrograms should be on cassette and articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included.\r\n\r\nWe will pay £10 for the copyright of each program published and £50 per 1,000 words for each article used.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1984\r\nSinclair User\r\nISSN NO. 0262-5458\r\n\r\nPrinted and typeset by Cradley Print PLC, [redacted]\r\n\r\nDistributed by Spotlight Magazine Distribution Ltd, [redacted]"},"MainText":"ARCTURAN MIND MATCH\r\n\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: 6.95\r\n\r\nMind game enthusiasts should find Arcturus from Visions Software Factory just the thing to occupy a few spare hours - or days. At the start of the tape are about 20 screens recounting the saga of how the Arcturans' ultimate mental challenge formed part of a plot to take over the free world and, although there seems to be no harm in it, it is not clear why it was included since it has no bearing on the game. So, unless you have nothing better to do, skip the saga and start with the demonstration of the game, which could be described as a complex form of noughts and crosses.\r\n\r\nEach player attempts to place noughts or crosses in a line of four on either one single squared board or across the four which are shown in perspective, superimposed one above the other on the screen. What constitutes a line, difficult to grasp at first, becomes clear after a few bouts against the computer, which can operate on 10 levels of skill.\r\n\r\nApart from that, the game incorporates a number of other choices and refinements. You can play against another player instead of the computer, with or without sound effects, and with the clock switched on or off. You can also replay a game, load and save one, or consult the computer for help.\r\n\r\nThe screen display is clear and the method of making moves is simple and convenient; you use the cursor keys to move round the squares and press ENTER for the square you warn. For those who like to pit their wits against a computer rather than human opponents, it is a well-presented version of an unusual and interesting game.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"33","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Gilbert Factor","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"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: Visions\r\nPRICE: £6.95\r\n\r\nFuturistic title screen followed by a staggering 25 screens of blurb introduce the intrepid player to a game of... 3D noughts and crosses.\r\n\r\nThe program claims to be difficult to beat, but the PCG editor won at the highest level first time off. Either he's a genius, or this is a duff game.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"70","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Cooke","Score":"2","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"3/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"3/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"2/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"2/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"2/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 30, Apr 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-03-16","Editor":"Tim Metcalfe","TotalPages":180,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nAssistant Editor: Eugene Lacey\r\nEditorial Assistant: Clare Edgeley\r\nReader Services: Robert Schifreen\r\nArt Editor: Linda Freeman\r\nDesigner: Lynda Skerry\r\nSub Editor: Mary Morton\r\nStaff Writer: Seamus St. John\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Rob Cameron\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Louise Matthews\r\nAdvertising Executives: Bernard Dugdale, Sean Brennan\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Melanie Paulo\r\nProduction Assistant: Roy Stephens\r\nPublisher: Tom Moloney\r\nAssistant Publisher: Rita Lewis\r\n\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES POSTAL SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE. By using the special Postal Subscription Service, copies of COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES can be mailed direct from our offices each month to any address throughout the world. All subscription applications should be sent for processing to COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES (Subscription Department), [redacted]. All orders should include the appropriate remittance made payable to COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES. Annual subscription rates (12 issues): UK and Eire: £14. Additional service information including individual overseas airmail rates available upon request. Circulation Department: EMAP National Publications. Published and distributed by EMAP National Publications Ltd. Printed by Eden Fisher (Southend) Ltd.\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Mickey Finn\r\nNext Issue: April 16th"},"MainText":"VIOLENT VISIONS OF ARMAGEDDON\r\n\r\nThe Visions Software Factory has really got their production line working overtime, churning out games at an incredible rate. Another six games have been added to their range of Spectrum and Commodore 64 titles.\r\n\r\nArmageddon 'a game of gratuitous violence' is a jolly little game which lets you and a friend or two blow the world to pieces as many times as you like before breakfast. Global genocide is now possible on a CBM 64 plus breaks for coffee, of course!\r\n\r\n1994 is a multi-level game for the 48K Spectrum. You must guide Smithy (I suppose they mean Winston Smith from 1984) through eight levels inhabited by droids, robot eagles and plasma bolts to find the key that unlocks the gate to the next screen. WILLY get to the top or fall to the bottom of the mine? ...oops different game - isn't it?\r\n\r\nThere aren't any speed limits on the moon so why not go for a spin across the lunar landscape with a little help from Moon Buggy. It's not all smiles though. The local aliens have got a little narked with all the noise you've been making and are trying to shoot your brains out. Sounds like a rough neighbourhood.\r\n\r\nMoon Buggy, 1994 and Articus run on the 48K Spectrum. Two other releases - Banana Drama and Gusher - run on the '64.\r\n\r\nBanana Drama is a kingdom-type game where you play the part of a dictator of a small banana republic.\r\n\r\nTaxes have to be collected, crops sown, exports sold and the population fed, otherwise you could be on the end of a very nasty revolution.\r\n\r\nAll the games are available from the Visions' Software Factory or from most High Street retailers.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"21","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]