[{"TitleName":"Luna Crabs","Publisher":"Micromega","Author":"Mervyn J. Estcourt","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0002946","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 1, Feb 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-01-19","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":112,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nDesigner: Oliver Frey\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Rod Bellamy\r\nAdvertisement Manager: John Edwards\r\nProduction Designer: Michael Arienti\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\n\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\nMono printing, typesetting & finishing by Feb Edge Litho Ltd. [redacted]\r\nColour printing by Allan-Denver Web Offset Ltd. [redacted].\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £9.00 UK Mainland (post included)\r\nEurope: 12 issues £15 (post included).\r\nSingle copy: 75p\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to CRASH please send articles or ideas for projects to the above address. Articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope\r\n\r\nCover Illustration:Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Micromega\r\nMemory Required: 16K\r\nRecommended Retail Price: £6.95\r\nLanguage: machine code\r\nAuthor: Mervyn Estcourt\r\n\r\nYou're a part of the Solar System Resources Research team down on one of the Saturnian moons, taking samples and away from your craft, when suddenly you find yourself surrounded by nasty red crabs which spit green acid gob at you. Fortunately you have your guided missile cannon to try and keep them at bay, but they're all around. This is a 3D game which shows you the view of the mountainous planet's surface with the cannon in the foreground. As in such games as 3D Tanx, a hit from the green goo on the gun turret means a loss of a life.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nKeyboard positions: good, 1/zero left/right rotation and guide missiles, 9 to fire\r\nJoystick options: none\r\nKeyboard play: responsive\r\nUse of colour: good\r\nGraphics: good\r\nSound: average\r\nSkill levels: 1\r\nLives: 5","ReviewerComments":["The graphics are relatively simple, although the crabs scutter about very realistically, and the cannon fire fades away into perspective nicely. Although this is very playable, it tends to pall quite quickly - and you can't get back to the ship sitting so tantalisingly a short distance away.\r\nUnknown","I would expect a little more for the price, especially as it loses its appeal and becomes repetitive.\r\nUnknown","The crabs move about very well, and are as cowardly as one would expect. Shooting them isn't a simple task as the \"guided\" missiles are only so by virtue of the fact that they follow the swinging path of the turret. If you keep swinging about. sea sickness soon sets in. In the end, not very addictive.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Playable, but not very addictive","Page":"43","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Dressed LUNA CRABS are on tonight's menu."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"72%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"65%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"40%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"55%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"61.5%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 2, Mar 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-02-23","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":112,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nDesigner: Oliver Frey\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Rod Bellamy\r\nAdvertisement Manager: John Edwards\r\nProduction Designer: Michael Arienti\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\n\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\nMono printing, typesetting & finishing by Feb Edge Litho Ltd. [redacted]\r\nColour printing by Allan-Denver Web Offset Ltd. [redacted].\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £9.00 UK Mainland (post included)\r\nEurope: 12 issues £15 (post included).\r\nSingle copy: 75p\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to CRASH please send articles or ideas for projects to the above address. Articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope\r\n\r\nCover Illustration:Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Micromega, 16K\r\n£6.95 (1)\r\nAuthor: Mervyn Escourt\r\n\r\nYou must know the feeling - there you are, on a Saturnian moon, away from the safety of your explorer's ship, taking samples of moon rocks, when suddenly there are all these nasty red crabs surrounding you and gobbing green spit all over the place. Fortunately, you have your guided missile cannon. Descriptive 3D graphics are effective in this simple shoot-back-at-'em game, as you whirl and turn to avoid the green goo and to aim at the fiendish crabs. Good animation and colourful graphics, but in the end a game with limited playing appeal. Sensible control keys, no joystick option and only one skill level. Overall CRASH rating 62% M/C.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"59","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"62%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"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: Micromega, 16K\r\n£6.95 (1)\r\nAuthor: Mervyn Escourt\r\n\r\nYou must know the feeling - there you are, on a Saturnian moon, away from the safety of your explorer's ship, taking samples of moon rocks, when suddenly there are all these nasty red crabs surrounding you and gobbing green spit all over the place. Fortunately, you have your guided missile cannon. Descriptive 3D graphics are effective in this simple shoot-back-at-'em game, as you whirl and turn to avoid the green goo and to aim at the fiendish crabs. Good animation and colourful graphics, but in the end a game with limited playing appeal. Sensible control keys, no joystick option and only one skill level. Overall CRASH rating 62% M/C.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"77","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"62%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 10, Dec 1983","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1983-11-25","Editor":"Roger Munford","TotalPages":196,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"ZX Computing\r\nVol. One\r\nNumber Ten\r\nDec/Jan 1984\r\n\r\nEditor: Roger Munford\r\nAdvertising Manager: Barry Bingham\r\nManaging Editor: Ron Harris\r\nManaging Director: 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: Henry Garnett Ltd., Rotherham.\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 the Argus Specialist Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Argus Specialist Publications Limited 1983"},"MainText":"MEMORY REQUIRED: 16K\r\n\r\nYou have been sent to one of Saturn's moons to gather data and samples of minerals much needed on the planet Earth. A simple and routine exercise until the bio-sensor detects creatures following you. Suddenly, they start to spit deadly acid balls. You have no alternative but to stop and fight. One caterpillar track on your land crawler has been hit so you may rotate left or right and fire.\r\n\r\nThe game is in 3D. The screen shows the latest view from inside your crawler. The turret of your gun is shown at the bottom of the screen - if this is hit you die. As the crawler rotates the display moves in one direction or the other. When firing your photon bolt it may be guided to hit one of the rather ferocious Luna Crabs.\r\n\r\nTechnically the game is good; fine movement though rather jerky in the case of the crabs themselves. The overall graphics are pleasant and enjoyable to look at, it is fast whilst still being relatively easy even for the novice. Micromega have followed a very admirable policy of showing screen photos of the game on the cassette inlay so as to give you, the potential customer, a better idea of the game before buying. On the whole the game is surprisingly easy to handle, though still a challenge after playing a while.\r\n\r\nThough it is not up to the top professional standard of such companies as Ultimate, Crystal, etc, it is an enjoyable and surprisingly addictive game to play.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"32","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"James Walsh","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Documentation","Score":"4.5/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Quality","Score":"4.5/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Programming Achievement","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Appeal","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"4.5/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 24, Oct 1983","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1983-09-16","Editor":"Terry Pratt","TotalPages":164,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Terry Pratt\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\nProduction Editor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nStaff Writers: Seamus St. John, Richard Frankel\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Rita Lewis\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Rob Cameron\r\nAdvertising Executives: Louise Matthews, Mick Cassall\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Louise Flockhart\r\nPublisher: Tom Moloney\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: £10.00, Overseas surface mail: £12.00, Airmail Europe: £20.00. 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\n©Computer & Video Games Limited ISSN 0261 3697.\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: David John Rowe\r\n3D Illustrations: Dorian Cross\r\n3D Origination: Karran Products\r\nArcade Arena Illustrations: Ross Collins\r\nNext Issue: October 16th"},"MainText":"CRUSTACEANS LURK IN OUTER SPACE\r\n\r\nLuna Crabs and Haunted Hedges are two new 3D-style arcade games for the Spectrum.\r\n\r\nThese two all-machine code games are carefully constructed to achieve the correct 3D perspective and push the Spectrum's graphics capabilities to the limit, according to the manufacturers Micromega.\r\n\r\nLuna Crabs returns to the essential simplicity of the classic arcade games. The crabs behave semi-intelligently, swarming and bunching in changing patterns, and hiding behind hills to reemerge at unexpected intervals. The patterns are reset for each round, so the player cannot learn how to beat the computer The photon bolts used to blast the crabs are steerable so you have more chance to hit a moving target.\r\n\r\nHaunted Hedges is a new version of the most popular arcade concept of all - the maze chase. The features include full 3-D visual effects.\r\n\r\nAn animated figure with arms and legs moving as it chases and is chased around the maze.\r\n\r\nThe intelligence level of the ghosts is included as a variable the player can set.\r\n\r\nFull instructions are included on screen, and again the controls have been simplified. A feature of the programming is that the player can chose which keys suit him best to control the action at the start of the game.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"25","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 33, Oct 1983","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1983-10-21","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":90,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"CHARACTER SET\r\n\r\nEditorial\r\nEditor: Cyndy Miles\r\nDeputy Editor: Geof Wheelwright\r\nManaging Editor: Peter Worlock\r\nSub-Editors: Harriet Arnold, Leah Batham\r\nNews Editor: David Guest\r\nNews Writers: Ralph Bancroft, Sandra Grandison\r\nHardware Editor: Ian Scales\r\nFeatures Editor: John Lettice\r\nPrograms Editor: Ken Garroch\r\nListings Editor: Wendie Pearson\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nArt Editor: David Robinson\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Floyd Sayers\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nAdvertisement Director: John Cade\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Duncan Brown\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Nic Jones\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Mark Satchell\r\nSales Executives: Christian McCarthy, Marie-Therese Bolger, Jan Martin, Julia Dale, Dik Veenman\r\nProduction Manager: Eva Haggis\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Jenny Dunne\r\nSubscription Enquiries: Gill Stevens\r\nSubscription Address: [redacted]\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nAdvertising Address: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]\r\n© VNU 1983. No material maybe reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\nPhotoset by Quickset, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Chase Web Offset, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Seymour Press, [redacted]\r\nRegistered at the PO as a newspaper\r\n\r\nCover illustration by Richard Dunn"},"MainText":"NAME: Luna Crabs\r\nSYSTEM: Sinclair 16K or 48K\r\nPRICE: £6.95\r\nPUBLISHER: Micromega, [redacted]\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nLANGUAGE: Basic\r\nOTHER VERSIONS: None\r\nOUTLETS: Retail\r\n\r\nCUTE CRABS\r\n\r\nShould we sympathise with our enemies on the moon in a fight to the death? Is there a tinge of remorse as we wipe them out? Thanks to convincing 3D graphics the luna crabs have acquired an attractively crafty personality. It is this which distinguishes the game from a typical Space Invaders battle.\r\n\r\nOBJECTIVES\r\n\r\nPlaying the game is simple. You score points if you manage to shoot the furtive luna crabs while attempting to avoid their return fire. They dart forward, open their mouths and spit green acid balls.\r\n\r\nYour weapon is a cannon which is restricted in action to rotating to the left or right when firing its photon bolts. The cannon may be controlled only by keyboard as there is no joystick version. It is fairly easy to score, particularly if you pick off the little creatures one by one. When they make a concerted attack you are advised to cut and run.\r\n\r\nFIRST IMNPRESSIONS\r\n\r\nThe cassette comes sealed in cellophane and has an accurate if rather fuzzy colour picture of the graphics on the cover. It is always good to see an honest representation of the game instead of an artist's wildly idealised impression. The simple operating instructions are couched in florid science fiction twaddle but are easy to follow.\r\n\r\nIN PLAY\r\n\r\nA clicking sound heralds the appearance of cute red crabs which scuttle from behind purple lunar rocks, over a lemon terrain, against a black sky. Their random approach and withdrawal is displayed in good 3D which creates the clever illusion of skulking, canny opponents trying to avoid your fire.\r\n\r\nAs you move to the left or the right, the horizon rotates around your gunsight. Your landing craft sits invitingly in the middle distance. It is a disappointment in the game to discover that however many crabs you destroy it seems you are never allowed to reach its safety.\r\n\r\nVERDICT\r\n\r\nThe controls are simple and easy to master. The graphics are clear and colourful and the 3D effect is pleasing. An obvious weakness is that the skill level cannot be altered and the only objective is to obtain a high score by hitting as many crabs as possible. Nevertheless these nervous and unpredictable creatures are a more likeable, amusing and challenging opponent than the stereotyped, geometric, alien with all the character of a match-box.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"56","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Eric Salbine","Score":"3","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Lasting Appeal","Score":"3/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Use Of Machine","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall Value","Score":"3/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]