[{"TitleName":"Knight Driver","Publisher":"Hewson Consultants Ltd","Author":"Clive Brooker","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0002715","Reviews":[{"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: Hewson Consultants\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price: £5.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code and some BASIC\r\nAuthor: Clive Brooker\r\n\r\nKnight Driver is not an attempt at' Pole Position' and is content to more resemble some of the earlier Spectrum road games, which is not to say that it is primitive at all. In essence, you must steer a car along a fairly lengthy series of roads which appear to be set in a seaside resort town. The view is seen from directly above and the roads are defined with double broken white lines as though the painter from Double Trouble has visited the place before.\r\n\r\nThese roads twist and turn energetically past tree-filled parks, between houses and shops, past parked cars, round traffic islands and even turn into cul-de-sacs and car parks. The object, quite simply, is to get all the way through to the 'finishing' line without steering off the road. There are two levels, Professional and Learner. If you select Professional you lose one of your lives every time you veer off the road, whereas Learners don't, but have a time limit imposed on them. There, is also an Automatic mode, which is really a demo.\r\n\r\nThe screen display is divided into three areas. The two larger squares at the top are the town map and a large graphic device of your car flashing. Running along the bottom is a large report strip. When you have finished, or run out of time or lives, this reports back on how well or badly you did.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: Z/CAPS SHIFT = left/right, BREAK/SYM SHIFT - accelerate/brake. ENTER to start\r\nJoystick: none\r\nKeyboard play: sensible keys, but the response is a bit slow and car control is difficult\r\nUse of colour: very good\r\nGraphics: nice and big, detailed and smooth with excellent scrolling\r\nSound: good\r\nSkill levels: 2\r\nLives: 5","ReviewerComments":["Knight Driver is a drive around a rather scenic track and the graphics are quite good. As the playing area is much greater than the display, the graphics are constantly on the scroll, and they do this rather well. Unfortunately the control is not exactly brilliant (possibly an Eastern bloc vehicle - Skoda, etc). The game is playable at first but I soon began to lose interest - just beating the clock gets a little boring after a while. Nice graphics, above average.\r\r\nUnknown","The scene is set in an empty town and you're the lonesome driver. The graphics are drawn very nicely and the streets move across the screen wonderfully. But steering your car is a disappointment and it's quite unrealistic due to the fact that 45' increments are used. Thus you tend to oversteer. Poor key response makes this factor worse. Otherwise colour and sound are well used. At the end of each game the computer prints out your score and a lengthy report in very large letters. This delays you having another go immediately - frustrating.\r\r\nUnknown","It s a pity, because the graphics are of a high quality, that this game really offers so little to the player. After a couple of turns around the streets I had had enough. The car is exceptionally difficult to steer, more like a tank than a saloon! This doesn't add to its playability and certainly bonks on the head any addictive qualities it might have possessed. The report, which comes in such large letters that only two or three words can be displayed at once, takes an age and only acts to interrupt any flow you may have achieved. I would have expected a bit more from Hewsons than this.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Good graphics but ultimately a rather pointless game.","Page":"36,37","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":"53%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"73%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"60%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"65%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"45%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"57%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"59%","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":"KNIGHT DRIVER\r\nHewson Consultants\r\n£5.95\r\n\r\nA 'plan view' racing game in which you carefully steer the car left and right, accelerate and decelerate to keep it on the track.","ReviewerComments":["It's a pity that the best use of colour happens to be on the threequarters of the screen that contain the instructions and the instrument panel. It's an easy game to control, but difficult to win.\r\nSimon Cox\r\n6/10","The speed is fast enough to make this game addictive, but it's a pity that the track only takes up about a quarter of the screen - the rest is given over to instructions, fuel gauges and so on.\r\nIan Simmonds\r\n4/10","While the colour and speed are reasonable, the graphics are too large, and this tends to spoil the effect. But it's still a well thought-out and highly enjoyable game, with some exciting effects.\r\nJon Warner\r\n6/10"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"52","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Simon Cox","Score":"6","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Ian Simmonds","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Jon Warner","Score":"6","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 7, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-17","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":132,"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\nCONTROL: Keys\r\nFROM: Hewson Consultants, £5.95\r\n\r\nKnight Driver puts you behind the wheel of a small car, confined to a small display on the right of the screen. The rest of the screen is taken up with either a fuel gauge or (at the higher skill level) information on lives remaining and a large flashing panel which looks pretty but doesn't add anything to the game.\r\n\r\nThere are two levels of play - learner driver and professional - and a demo mode. As a learner driver you must steer your car round the track while your fuel runs out steadily. When it runs out you finish and will be presented with a progress report based on the score you managed to clock up.\r\n\r\nAs a professional driver you don't have to watch the fuel gauge, but you have five lives and must avoid all collisions if you don't want to lose any of them.\r\n\r\nThe trouble with Knight Driver (apart from the cramped display) is that the progress reports take so long that waiting for another chance to play becomes rather frustrating. The first time they flash on the screen they're mildly amusing. The tenth time they're not.\r\n\r\nThe controls are rather fiddly, you need quick reactions to get round the bends. Sometimes it's more fun not going round, but crashing through the barrier and driving off through some rather crudely displayed trees and buildings.\r\n\r\nKnight Driver is one of those games that would be great value at £2.50, or if it could fit into 16K, but must otherwise be considered a rather uninspiring game, unlikely to have the motor-power to keep up with the competition.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"58,59","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Cooke","Score":"5","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"3/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"4/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"5/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Micro Adventurer Issue 8, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-17","Editor":"Graham Cunningham","TotalPages":48,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Graham Cunningham\r\nAssistant Editor: Carmel Anderson\r\nSoftware Editor: Graham Taylor\r\nMaster Adventurers: Tony Bridge, Mike Grace\r\nEditorial Secretary: Cleo Cherry\r\nAdvertisement Manager: David Lake\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Simon Langston\r\nAdministration: Theresa Lacy\r\nManaging Editor: Brendon Gore\r\nPublishing Director: Jenny Ireland\r\nTelephone number (all departments): [redacted]\r\nUK Address: [redacted]\r\nUS Address: [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions: UK £10.00 for 12 issues, overseas surface (excluding US and Canada) £16 for 12 issues, US and Canada air-lifted US$33.95 for 12 issues.\r\n\r\nMicro Adventurer is published monthly by Sunshine Books, Scot Press Ltd. Typesetting by In-Step Ltd, [redacted]. Printed by Eden Fisher (Southend) Ltd, [redacted]. Distributed by SM Distribution, [redacted].\r\n\r\nISSN 0265-4156\r\n\r\nRegistered at the Post Office as a newspaper.\r\n\r\n© Sunshine Books 1984"},"MainText":"TESTING DRIVING SKILLS\r\n\r\nMICRO: Spectrum 48K\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nSUPPLIER: Hewson Consultants, [redacted]\r\n\r\nKnight Driver, by Hewson Consultants, is a driving simulation which requires a red car to be driven round a narrow track. This becomes quite fiddly after a while, especially as the keys produce slow response.\r\n\r\nInstead of four direction keys there are two keys which swivel the car clockwise and anti-clockwise, and two keys for accelerate and brake, all of which are conveniently displayed on the loading picture. This method of swivelling the car is fine at the start, but when the car turns round and comes backwards it gets a bit confusing.\r\n\r\nThere are two skill levels: learner and professional. In learner mode there is a fuel limit, whereas in professional mode only four crashes are allowed but there is no fuel limit. Each has its disadvantages. In learner mode the car has to be driven at full speed making it difficult to stay on the road. In professional mode the car must be driven very carefully, made more difficult by the awkward control.\r\n\r\nThe screen is split into three sections: a score section, a section in which is displayed a picture of a car and the game section: Despite being well set out, the graphics, and indeed the game itself, is rather simple. Instead of a head-on three-D view, like the pole position-type games, the player is presented with a plan of the track which scrolls as the car moves. On either side of the track are extremely simple trees and houses - looking distinctly user-defined and amateur in style.\r\n\r\nThus far, although the responses are a bit frustrating, the game has been quite playable. The player is curious to see more of the track and to explore more features, producing a just-one-moregame syndrome. As I ventured into this land I expected to see more interesting features, like fuel cans, road works, or even petrol stations, but my curiosity was cut short when I saw the finishing line, where the track started again. After that I didn't feel like playing much because all the excitement had gone, only having lasted half an hour. The game was fun for a while, but I wouldn't call half an hour's play good value at £5.95.\r\n\r\nWith the already excellent standard of Spectrum software rising every week, I am rather surprised that Hewson Consultants think they have a chance of selling many copies of a game of this calibre.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"23","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mike Grace","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair Programs Issue 20, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-17","Editor":"Rebecca Ferguson","TotalPages":60,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Rebecca Ferguson\r\nConsultant Editor: John Campbell\r\nManaging Production Editor: Harold Mayes MBE\r\nStaff Writer: June Mortimer\r\nDesign: Elaine Bishop\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Gary Price\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Frank Humphrey-Gaskin\r\nProduction Assistant: Dezi Epaminondou\r\nEditorial Assistant: Colette McDermott\r\nManaging Editor: Nigel Clark\r\nManaging Director: Terry Cartwright\r\nAssistant Managing Director: Barry Hazel\r\nChairman: Richard Hease\r\n\r\nU.S. Press representative Mr J. Eisenberg, JE Publishers' representative, [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair Programs is published monthly by ECC Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nIf you would like your original programs to be published in Sinclair Programs, please send your contributions, which must not have appeared elsewhere, to\r\nSinclair Programs\r\nEEC Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nPrograms should be on cassette. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included. We pay £10 for the copyright of each program published.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1984 Sinclair Programs\r\nISSN No. 0263-0265\r\n\r\nPrinted and typeset by: Cradley Print PLC, [redacted]\r\n\r\nDistributed by Spotlight Magazine Distribution Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Design: Ivan Hissey"},"MainText":"ENJOYABLE VERSION OF AN OLD RACING FAVOURITE\r\n\r\nKnight Driver provides its players with a birds-eye view of the car to be controlled. The aim is to drive the car round a complicated circuit. Controls are accelerator, brake and steering to left and right.\r\n\r\nThe road is very narrow and attempting to remain on it at speed is no simple task. Learner option allows players not to lose a life when they steer off the road but limits time allowed to complete the circuit. That time is short and any player who can negotiate the course at sufficient speed to complete it in that time should choose the professional option.\r\n\r\nProfessional limits players to five lives, one of which is lost whenever the car is steered off the road. Beginners will find it difficult to move more than a few inches without losing all five.\r\n\r\nAutomatic option allows the computer to guide the car round the course. It gives some idea of what the course is like, how long it is, and where the most difficult bends and obstacles are.\r\n\r\nRacing car games are not new but this is a difficult and enjoyable version. Knight Driver is produced for the 48K Spectrum by Hewson Consultants Ltd, [redacted] and costs £5.95.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"28","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"June Mortimer","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Computer Issue 6, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-17","Editor":"Toby Wolpe","TotalPages":220,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Toby Wolpe\r\nAssistant Editor: Meirion Jones\r\nStaff Writer: Simon Beesley\r\nProduction Editor: Ian Vallely\r\nSub-Editor: Paul Bond\r\nEditorial Secretary: Lynn Dawson\r\nEditorial: [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions: U.K. £11.50 for 12 issues.\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Shobhan Gajjar\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Nicholas Ratnieks\r\nAdvertisement Executives: Nigel Borrell, Julian Bidlake, Kay Filbin\r\nNorthern Office: Ron Southall\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Jeanette Mackrell\r\nClassified: Claire Notley\r\nPublishing Director: Chris Hipwell\r\n\r\nYour Computer, [redacted]\r\n©Business Press International Ltd 1984\r\n\r\nPrinted in Great Britain for the proprietors of Business Press International Ltd, [redacted].\r\nISSN 0263-0885\r\nPrinted by Riverside Press Ltd, [redacted], and typeset by Instep Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nABC 122,642 July-December, 1983."},"MainText":"Spectrum 48K\r\nRacing\r\n£8.95\r\nHewson Consultants\r\n\r\nA breakneck racing game which gives you a downward looking view of a tortuously-twisting race track. Accelerate, decelerate turn accurately left and right. Don't hit anything.\r\n\r\nGood for your reflexes, but I found I tired of it somewhat rapidly.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"57","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"2/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]