[{"TitleName":"Les Flics","Publisher":"PSS","Author":"Chris P. Cullen, Roger Pearse","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0002860","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 6, Jul 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-06-21","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\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey\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\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\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: P.S.S.\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price: £6.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code\r\n\r\nIt was probably inevitable that at some time or other the Pink feline thingummybob with a tail and a penchant for stealing diamonds would appear in a computer game. Les Flics isn't someone's name of course but a bit of French slang for the police, and in fine Peter Sellers style French, the inlay explains the situation. This is an arcade game with adventurish overtones, or rather it's several arcade games in one.\r\n\r\nThe first screen shows a plan of a city centre with a maze of tree-lined roads connecting nine buildings, their doors indicated in red. You appear as the Pink Thing with a tail on a road low down the screen. As soon as you start to move, two police cars appear on the streets, zipping about, but generally homing in on you.\r\n\r\nThe idea is to enter the buildings and pick up useful objects, which will enable you to find and steal the blue diamond. The interiors of all the buildings are designed as platform games with five levels and holes in the floors. Levels are connected by staircases, up or down lifts and firemen's poles. The buildings are littered with all sorts of things including daggers, a bag, a spanner, knives and forks, a key, money bags, beard disguise, masks and of course the famous diamond. There are some other odd things like heavy weights and poles. These can be moved around and weights, if dropped through a hole, will fall and squash the chasers on the floor below.\r\n\r\nThere are food 'pods ' dotted around and passing over them when in possession of the knife and fork will replenish your rapidly depleted energy levels. Numerous doors in buildings may be entered and exited from if in possession of the key. The chasers include Gend'armerie Kaolin (disguised as a chef), and of course Cleudeau - famous idiot detective.\r\n\r\nThe main task in this novel game is to collect things which will allow you to do the right things in other buildings, while remaining free of pursuit. Disguises help in some cases, the dagger will help in others. And all the while, the police cars are waiting outside...\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: cursors plus 0 to collect items and in combination with direction keys will operate lifts, poles, etc\r\nJoystick: Kempston, Protek, AGF\r\nKeyboard play: pity about the cursors, but responsive\r\nUse of colour: good and varied\r\nGraphics: very good\r\nSound: good, but the tune between lives gets irritating - an interupt key might have been useful\r\nSkill levels: 1\r\nLives: 3\r\nScreens: 11\r\nOriginality: very high in content and style","ReviewerComments":["At first, this game looked quite primitive with its block graphics, but once inside a building this all changes to good, detailed, colourful and well-animated characters. Finding the gemstone is fairly easy but getting it is difficult. With only a set number of buildings, I wonder how long its good playability and addictivity will last.\r\r\nUnknown","Unless the copy I was given had lost an extra set of instructions inside the larger plastic cassette case, Les Flics has a massive oversight. Nowhere does it tell you how to play the game or what the controls are. Of course, half the fun here is in finding out what does what and when it does it, but some control keys would have been nice. Trial and error proved them to be the cursors, rather a drawback in a game of this speed. Apart from this quibble, Les Flics is a great deal of fun, original, and combines several ideas in one game. The graphics are large and smoothly moving, amusing things happen, the lifts work very nicely, and there are enough adventure elements to make it all playable and addictive.\r\r\nUnknown","It can get to be extremely frustrating when you have got a key, a bag, money, you're well fed and everything, and the diamond is around the next corner, to run into a police car through inept maze dodging! Les Flics got me real mad - so it must be a pretty good game. Initial impression of simple graphics quickly gives way to the smooth, fast and large ones of the building interiors. One of the nice touches is the incompetence of Inspector Cleudeau, who will often come along and knock a Flic unconscious for you, just before the cop was about to nick you. I thought this was fun and really addictive.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Very good.","Page":"107","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Inside, the places resemble plush gymnasiums - you're the pink thng with a tail."},{"Text":"Small graphics belie a lot of larger activity inside the buildings, while outside Les Flics patrol."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"56%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"56%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"79%","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"75%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 8, Oct 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-09-20","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, Leon Heller, Stephen Adams, Dr D C Threlfall, Simon Goodwin, Peter Freebrey, Ross Holman, Dave Nicholls, Mike Leaman, Bill Shaw, Penny Page, The Saltcoats Computing Club, Mark Roberts, Sue Denham\r\nArt Editor: Hazel Bennington\r\nArt Assistant: Steve Broadhurst\r\nGroup Advertising Manager: Jill Harris\r\nAdvertising: Shane Campbell, Nik Saha, Dave Baskerville\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Art Director: Perry Neville\r\nPublisher: Steven 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":"LES FLICS\r\nPSS\r\n£5.95\r\r\n\r\r\nThe aim is to steal the Purple Puma diamond. First though, you must collect all the objects and then experiment to find out what they do, at the same time avoiding police cars, policemen and Kaolin the Chef.","ReviewerComments":["Based on the Pink Panther movies, this is a cops-and-robbers maze game - but one which includes some well-executed graphics. The trouble is they tend to get boring after a while. This could be due, in part, to a not particularly impressive choice of colours which cause the display to appear hazy. A better choice would have made the game a lot better.\r\nAlex Entwhistle","It's not the sort of game to keep you glued to the screen for hours, but it does make good use of the Spectrum's graphics; it's well-drawn, and moves very smoothly. However, while choice of colours is well above average, there's lots of overlapping that takes place - mainly because the characters are quite large. There's also a really good Pink Panther tune between lives.\r\nAlan Grier","The general idea is original, but the effect isn't. It ends up feeling like a cross between Pacman and an adventure - probably because the aim of the whole thing has been to give an adventure theme, while taking away a lot of the work. However, the technical execution is very good, with clear, smooth graphics, enhanced by well-chosen colours and a playing speed that's just right.\r\nAlan Hunter"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"60","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Alex Entwhistle","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":"MISS"},{"Name":"Alan Grier","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":"HIT"},{"Name":"Alan Hunter","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":"MISS"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Big K Issue 8, Nov 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-10-20","Editor":"Tony Tyler","TotalPages":124,"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, Duncan Gamble; Tony Benyon; Fin Fahey\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\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: PSS\r\nFORMAT: cassette\r\nPRICE: £6.95\r\n\r\nDressed up as an \"arcade adventure\" in the style of the Pink Panther (\"'Allo, ahm Unspecteur Cleuseau\") films, but actually just living proof that a whole can be less than the sum of its parts.\r\n\r\nWith joystick or cursor keys, you buzz a car a round a maze and enter different buildings. Within each, you avoid les vieux bill and ascend a structure while collecting various objets. Thus it is to varying degrees derivative of Manic Miner, Donkey Kong, Atic Atac and one of those ancient arcade car-in-a-maze things, without coming within a mile of any of them.\r\n\r\nTres ennuyant, mes enfants.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"26","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Dave Rimmer","Score":"0","ScoreSuffix":"/3"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"0/3","Text":"Primitif"},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"0/3","Text":"gauche"},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"0/3","Text":"rien"},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"0/3","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, Kemp\r\nFROM: PSS, £6.95\r\n\r\nFirst, a French lesson. Les Flics translates into English as 'The Cops'. So why not just call i that, you might well ask. The reason is that the game is based on the Pink Panther films in which Peter Sellers played Inspector Clouseau, whose English was as inept as his detection.\r\n\r\nYou play the part of the Pink Panther who wants to steal the Purple Puma, a priceless gemstone. Steadfast in their attempt to foil you are Inspector Cleuseau and his trusty gendarmes.\r\n\r\nThe game beings with a maze 0-chase sequence in which you have to escape from the pursuing squad car and enter on of the nine rooms containing various objects to help you in your crime.\r\n\r\nMost of the rooms are a combination of levels, lifts and greasy poles. Objects to collect include a key, a bag, a disguise, money and a very useful dagger for disabling the gendarmes.\r\n\r\nOnce the Pink Panther has collected an object he has to escape from the room, get back in the car and speed off to another one.\r\n\r\nEventually he will have enough equipment to enter the room where the Purple Puma is kept. It's not easy for him to get his paws on it, though, because the room is swarming with gendarmes sporting their stylish kepis.\r\n\r\nPlayers will find themselves confronted many a time with the message: 'You have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bastille' - a bit odd considering that the Bastille was destroyed in 1789. Much worse is hearing a horrible version of the Pink Panther theme-tune every time you are caught.\r\n\r\nHowever, the game is good fun and will take some time to solve. Animation and graphics are good, but perhaps nine rooms is a little skimpy when compared to what some software houses manage to cram into a Spectrum.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"58,59","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Peter Connor","Score":"6","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"6/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair Programs Issue 23, Sep 1984","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1984-08-16","Editor":"Rebecca Ferguson","TotalPages":60,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Rebecca Ferguson\r\nConsultant Editor: John Campbell\r\nStaff Writer: June Mortimer\r\nDesign: Elaine Bishop\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Howard Rosen\r\nProduction Assistant: Jim McClure\r\nEditorial Assistant: Colette McDermott\r\nSubscription Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nAssistant Publisher: Neil Wood\r\nPublisher: Gerry Murray\r\n\r\nSinclair Programs is published monthly by EMAP Business and Computer Publications.\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\nAll subscription enquiries:\r\nMagazine Services,\r\nEMAP Business and Computer Publications\r\n[redcated]\r\n\r\nCover Design: Ivan Hissey"},"MainText":"Controlling a \"Pink character with a tail\" you must avoid Inspector Cleudeau, Kaolin and Les Flics in order to steal the diamond .\r\n\r\nThe plot of Les Flies is simple enough, although it is explained in appalling mock-French. The game, though, is more complicated. First of all you rush round town, avoiding the police cars, and then you enter buildings, collect the objects there, avoid the other characters, use the objects collected at the appropriate times, and steal the diamond.\r\n\r\nThe main problem is that the uses of the objects are not explained. Some of these become apparent very quickly, while others remain totally obscure. There can be little more infuriating in a game than being able to enter every building, holding all possible objects, but not having any idea what to do to win.\r\n\r\nLes Flies is produced by P.S.S., [redacted]; and costs £6.95.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"32,33","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"June Mortimer","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 16, Dec 1984","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1984-11-29","Editor":"Ray Elder","TotalPages":164,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Ray Elder\r\nEditorial Assistant: Jamie Clary\r\nGroup Editor: Wendy J Palmer\r\nSales Executive: Jonathan McGary\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Barry Bingham\r\nDivisional Advertising Manager: Chris Northam\r\nCopy Controller: Sue Couchman\r\nChief Executive: T J Connell\r\n\r\nOrigination and design by MM Design & Print, [redacted]\r\nPublished by Argus Specialist Publications Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nZX Computing is published bi-monthly on the fourth Friday of the month. Distributed by: Argus Press Sales & Distribution Ltd. [redacted]. Printed by: Garnett Print, Rotherham and London.\r\n\r\nThe contents of this publication including all articles, designs, plans, drawings and programs and all copyright and other intellectual property rights therein 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 Argus Specialist Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Argus Specialist Publications Limited 1984"},"MainText":"PSS\r\n[redacted]\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nMore confusion for the overheated brainbox!\r\n\r\nPSS tell you the aim of the game, to find and pinch the Purple Puma Diamond by controlling the \"Pink character\". I seem to recall a similar theme in a series of films!\r\n\r\nThe problem is they don't tell you how!\r\n\r\nFirst you start driving a pink motor around a set of streets avoiding the police cars, there are nine different buildings which you can visit. Once you enter one of these buildings then you become a large animated panther, a-la cartoon.\r\n\r\nThere are eight other items to collect and use, each has a purpose but you only find out by trial and error. Also in these buildings are various characters like PC Kaolin (disguised as a chef) and Inspector Cleudeau.\r\n\r\nThe intro is amusing but the gameplay is quite serious - Peter Sellars would have been quite upset not having a banana skin to slip on!\r\n\r\nGood graphics, fair sound and an enjoyable and challenging game. I found no appreciable advantage by using a joystick, only Kempston is provided although the keyboard game will operate with the cursor mapped variety - AGF/Protek etc. Awkwardly, they provide two recordings, one on each side of the tape, for keyboard or Kempston rather than an option from within the program.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"154","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jim Watson","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Zapability","Score":"84%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]