[{"TitleName":"Kosmic Kanga","Publisher":"Micromania [UK]","Author":"Dominic Wood, JPW, Mark Candlin","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0002758","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 7, Aug 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-07-26","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":112,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\n\r\nTelephone numbers\r\nGeneral office [redacted]\r\nEditorial/studio [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\n\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\n\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nGeneral correspondence to: [redacted]\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Limited.\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 Studios, [redacted]\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd (Member of the BPCC Group), [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: Micromania\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price: £5.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code\r\nAuthor: Dominic Wood, JPW\r\n\r\nKosmic Kanga is an entirely novel game for the Spectrum by Dominic Wood who brought us Tutankhamun, Pengy and one of the best simple shoot em ups for the Stack Light Rifle, Invasion Force. All our reviewers agreed that this is not only a very original game, but also the best yet from Micromania.\r\n\r\nAt the outset, we must point out that there aren't as many screens as were suggested in our competition earlier, the main reason being that in putting the original concept together as a completed program, Micromania felt that it was getting too unwieldy and spoiling the playability.\r\n\r\nThe basic object of the game is to guide Kanga home, back to his base on the Moon. This takes him through eleven different screens; the Airport, the Desert, a bonus screen, the Ocean, Atlantis, a bonus screen, the Beach, the Country, a bonus screen, the City and finally the Moon. Each of the main screens is actually a very large playing area since they scroll from right to left for quite some time. Before each screen starts there is a status panel informing you of the nature of the enemies ahead and the objects to be collected, played to the tune of Tie me Kangaroo Down Sport. The bonus screens are only a screen wide, but they are designed to scroll vertically and so are quite high in total playing area.\r\n\r\nKanga is controlled by his jumping. He can be moved left or right as far as the scrolling screen will allow, but there is considerable manoeuvring possible by making higher or lower jumps. Points are gained by collecting objects which may be on the ground, floating on clouds or on the backs of whales in the sea, they may be on the tops of tall buildings. Some objects are dangerous, like bombs, but the biggest danger comes from the various deadly objects which fly along with the screen scroll. For his protection, Kanga can do what Kangaroos have always done, hurl boxing gloves at his enemies. All the playing screens are shown in the excellent demo.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: N/M left/right, increase jump = A, decrease height = Z, remaining keys on bottom row to throw a glove\r\nJoystick: Kempston, ZX 2, Protek, AGF\r\nKeyboard play: responsive, one reviewer thought they were all a little low down the keyboard\r\nUse of colour: very good\r\nGraphics: very good and varied, quite large\r\nSound: good tune, nice effects, not continuous\r\nSkill levels: 1\r\nLives: 4\r\nScreens: 11 with much greater playing area\r\nOriginality: highly original","ReviewerComments":["Kosmic Kanga is a really original game. The graphics are very good. So too is the playability. Generally I enjoyed this game enough to consider it a contender for a game of the month. The bouncing is a little difficult to co-ordinate at first, but with a little practice it soon becomes more predictable. Graphics are varied, detailed, smooth moving, and everything goes along well in what is a very good game.\r\r\nUnknown","The finish on Kosmic Kanga is good - lots of small details been used to add to playability. Each little pre-screen intro which warns you of what you are about to face, is a little gem in itself, fully animated bright lights effect the tune, and all the items listed dancing in animation to it. I also liked the small Kangas at the base of the screen which tell you how many men you have left. When a new life starts the screen Kanga appears from the top down as though materialised from all his atoms, and dies in reverse - so too do the small Kangas for that 'life'. Bouncing becomes quite an art once you get the hang of it. Moving left or right only works when you touch the ground, so the skill required to get through even one screen, let alone all eleven, is quite high. The graphics are excellent, all recognisable and very well drawn. Although there is little real animation as such, this doesn't matter because of the scrolling screen. I found the game playable and fun, and very addictive, because you do want to get on and see how far you can go and what comes next (the demo invariably falls to get very far into a screen).\r\r\nUnknown","Micromania are right - this is a totally original game, although I am sure I have seen a game for another machine or something in the arcade which has a boxing kangaroo in it, but not like this one anyway. There are many good looking sections to the game each requiring its own skill level and tactics. The way that Kanga bounces is very good even though he isn't really animated. Graphics are detailed, colourful and move quickly and smoothly. A cheerful, tuneful sort of game with a certain bounce to it!\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: A new, lively and well implemented game, playable and addictive, good value for money, highly recommended.","Page":"47","Denied":false,"Award":"Crash Smash","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Tie me Kosmic Kangaroo down, Sport..."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"79%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"87%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"93%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"88%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"88%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 17, Jun 1985","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-05-30","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":132,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nAssistant Editor: Graeme Kidd\r\nTechnical Editor: Franco Frey\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nSoftware Editor: Jeremy Spencer\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStrategy Reviewer: Angus Ryall\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey, Robin Candy, Ben Stone, John Minson\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\n©1985 Newsfield Limited.\r\nCrash Magazine is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions [redacted]\r\nEditorial/studio [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\n\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]; Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd (Member of the BPCC Group), [redacted].\r\nDistribution by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCirculation Manager: Tom Hamilton\r\nAll circulation enquiries should ring [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £14.50 post included (UK Mainland); Europe: 12 issues £21.50 post included. Outside Europe by arrangement in writing.\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. The opinions and views of correspondents are their own and not necessarily in accord with those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nMICRONET:\r\nYou can talk to CRASH via Micronet. Our MBX is 105845851\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Kosmic Kanga was a CRASH Smash in issue 7, but there is very little point doing more than to recall it since Micromania inconveniently went bust a couple of weeks ago, and at the moment we don't know the availability of their programs, including the recent Project Future.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"109","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 30, Sep 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-08-16","Editor":"Bill Scolding","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bill Scolding\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nConsultant Editor: Mike Johnston\r\nStaff Writer: Chris Bourne\r\nIllustrator/Designer: Craig Kennedy\r\nAdvertisement Manager: John Ross\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nProduction Assistant: James McClure\r\nEditorial Assistant: Colette McDermott\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nAssistant Publisher: Neil Wood\r\nPublisher: Gerry Murray\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\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 or articles:\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. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included.\r\n\r\nWe pay £10 for the copyright of each program published and £50 per 1,000 words for each article used.\r\n\r\nAll subscription enquiries to\r\nMagazine Services,\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\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":"ROO LACKS PUNCH\r\n\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £5.95\r\nJoystick: AGF, Protek, Kempston, Sinclair\r\n\r\nMicromania has raided the zoo again for ideas for its new game Kosmic Kanga. In it you control a Kangaroo, that moves along a scrolling landscape. By controlling the height of its bounces you can pick up objects and points, and try to avoid low-flying planes and ducks. To help you in that you can throw the traditional kangaroo boxing gloves at them.\r\n\r\nThe action is smooth and all the sprites large and colourful. Controlling the kangaroo is rather haphazard and consequently zapping anything becomes a matter of luck as well as skill. When the sprites meet the colours clash very badly. Of 11 screens eight are the samc with different sprites for variety.\r\n\r\nAll in all the game holds your attention for an hour or so but after that the interest wanes. There are many arcade games for the Spectrum, some good and some bad. At best this one is average. Nice graphics, shame about the game.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"37","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"John Lambert","Score":"5","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Gilbert Factor","Score":"5/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Big K Issue 7, Oct 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-09-20","Editor":"Tony Tyler","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tony Tyler\r\nAssisted By: Richard Burton\r\nArt Editor: Ian Stead\r\nFeatures: Nicky Xikluna\r\nContributors: Andy Green; Kim Aldis (Features); Steve Keaton; Richard Cook; Richard Taylor; Bernard Turner; David Rimmer; John Conquest; Nigel Farrier, Paul Walton; Tony Benyon; Trevor Spall\r\nPublisher: Barry Leverett\r\nPublishing Director: John Purdie\r\nGroup Advertising Controller: Luis Bartlett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Robin Johnson [redacted]\r\n\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nTelephone: [redacted]\r\nAdvertising: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished approximately on the 20th of each month by IPC Magazines Ltd. [redacted]. Monotone and colour origination by G.M. Litho Ltd [redacted]. Printed in England by Chase Web Offset, Cornwall. Sole Agents: Australia and New Zealand, Gordon& Gotch (A/sia) Ltd.; South Africa, Central News Agency Ltd. BIG K is sold subject to the following conditions, namely that it shall not, without the written consent of the Publishers first given, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended selling price shown on the cover, and that it shall not be lent, resold or hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated constitute or any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. IPC MAGAZINES 1984."},"MainText":"MAKER: Micromania\r\nFORMAT: cassette\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\n\r\nAfter much beating about the bush, Micromania have finally delivered. Following a handful of passable (but unexciting) arcade conversions they've produced their own original game - and it's a winner! In it you must help Kanga, an alien Kangaroo, phone home. This involves leaping tall buildings (amongst other things) with a single bound and avoiding all manner of obstacles in the ensuing scenarios. These include an airport, where trucks and planes do their best to trundle over you; the ocean, where here crabs and squids lurk with deadly intent; through Atlantis, across a beach and then into the countryside. It's quite a journey!\r\n\r\nThankfully you needn't rely on agility alone. When confronted by a deadly beach buggy (or similar) Kanga can unleash a flying boxing glove. Quite a potent weapon! I managed to hop through the airport without too much trouble, but those snappy crabs got me every time.\r\n\r\nThe large cartoon graphics are excellent and Kosmic Kanga displays enough invention to disguise it's obvious Jet-Pac origins. It's also delightfully addictive. After 30 minutes of abject screen failure, I dug out my Kempston 'stick and found both success and motivation. After that there was no escape! The CBM can keep its mutant camels. Kangaroos are far more classy.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"25","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Keaton","Score":"3","ScoreSuffix":"/3"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"3/3","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"3/3","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"3/3","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"3/3","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 10, Sep 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-08-16","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":132,"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\nSoftware Consultant: Tony Takoushi\r\nCartoons: Kipper Williams\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nGame-of-the-month poster: Jeff Riddle\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\nPublisher: James Scoular\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Jenny Dunne\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Satchell\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Jan Martin\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Susie Cooper\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Peter Goldstein\r\nAdvertisement Production: Simon Carter\r\nSales Executives: Ian Cross, 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, Curs, Sinc\r\nFROM: Micromania, £5.95\r\n\r\nA kangaroo... from space? Surely not. But there it was, bouncing around the moon in search of its spaceship.\r\n\r\nKanga sets out from the Earth and has to bounce his way from screen to screen to journey to the moon. You bounce automatically and can jump higher or lower and backwards or forwards.\r\n\r\nKanga starts at an airport and must get across it as it scrolls from right to left. On the way he can pick up bonus points by passing through bags, bottles and other airport paraphernalia. These can be on the ground, on the tops of buildings or suspended in the air on floating platforms.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile bombs, ambulances and aircraft must be avoided since they can interrupt him in mid-hop, costing a life in the process. The bombs must be carefully watched for since they can appear on platforms in place of bonus items.\r\n\r\nMost obstacles can be dealt with by firing boxing gloves at them. However bombs can't be 'knocked out' like this.\r\n\r\nIf Kanga manages to survive his airport ordeal then he can proceed to further screens. These screens all follow the same pattern as the first but the other characters are changed.\r\n\r\nEvery third screen is a platform screen where the usual opposition have been replaced by a bouncing ball which is just as lethal.\r\n\r\nIf Kanga can get through the desert, ocean and other earthly hazards he'll eventually reach the moon and his spaceship.\r\n\r\nLike Poo-Yan, another game with a surreal scenario, I don't think it'll lead to a flood of imitations but as a one-off it's a very enjoyable game.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54,55","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Bob Wade","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 34, Aug 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-07-16","Editor":"Tim Metcalfe","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"CREDITS\r\n\r\nEditor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nAssistant Editor: Eugene Lacey\r\nEditorial Assistant: Clare Edgeley\r\nStaff Writers/Reader Services: Robert Schifreen, Seamus St. John\r\nArt Editor: Linda Freeman\r\nDesigner: Lynda Skerry\r\nProduction Editor: Mary Morton\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Rob Cameron\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Louise Matthews\r\nAdvertising Executives: Bernard Dugdale, Sean Brennan, Phil Godsell\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Melanie Paulo\r\nProduction Assistant: Roy Stephens\r\nPublisher: 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, [redacted]. Typeset by Camden Typesetters Ltd.\r\n\r\nThe cover illustration: What a soap opera these four could make together!\r\nIllustrated by Bob Wakelin."},"MainText":"CANNED KANGAROOS?\r\n\r\nOne unlikely casualty of the home computer revolution could be the family pet or the local zoo.\r\n\r\nGames involving animals as the central character seem to be all the rage. Jeff Minter has been making a living out of mutant camels and laser spitting sheep for some time now. Animal lovers could easily be shocked by his treatment of furry beasts, but he claims he likes them really, having adopted a pet llama at his local zoo to prove it.\r\n\r\nSo, with the British love of animals in mind, Micromania has now launched a game featuring Australia's second most famous export after Foster's - canned kangaroos.\r\n\r\nKosmic Kanga is the story of a destitute kangaroo, left at an airport in a one-wallaby town.\r\n\r\nIf anyone fancies a trip down under for £5.95 with their Spectrum, you can pick up a copy of Kosmic Kanga from Micromania in Epsom, Surrey.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"28","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]