[{"TitleName":"Magic Meanies","Publisher":"CDS Microsystems","Author":"","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0002984","Reviews":[{"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: C.D.S.\r\nMemory Required: 16K\r\nRetail Price: £5.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code\r\n\r\nThis game is a good copy of an old arcade favourite, on the whole a not much copied game as yet. Blaby did a version, called Gold Digger, and in most respects this is very similar, although it boasts a rather splendid continuous music sound track.\r\n\r\nThe object of the game is to control your little wizard Meltec through underground caverns which he himself creates as he goes. Dotted about are lumps of lead, resembling blue diamonds, which are to be collected for points. There are also red apples (underground?) which can be pushed along an existing tunnel and made to squash the meanies by dropping them down a shaft, or one can be used to block a tunnel by undermining it. Meanies can also be killed by firing one of your five crystal balls at them. Killing meanies adds to your points. There's also a cherry on each screen which must be collected. This goes wandering about the place in a most distracted, not to say distracting manner.\r\n\r\nClearing a screen of lead and cherry takes you on a level to more meanies.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: Q/Z up down, I/P left/right, M fires\r\nJoystick: Kempston\r\nKeyboard play: very responsive\r\nColour. average\r\nGraphics: small, 1-characters size, but quite fast\r\nSound: good\r\nSkill levels: 9 speeds, rising difficulty\r\nLives: 3","ReviewerComments":["Cutting out the story of wizards good and evil and dark ages when they spent their efforts obtaining lead to transmute into gold, which sounds like an adventure game, Magic Meanies is an arcade game. It's only a reasonable game, but it's fun to play.\r\nUnknown","The graphics are quite small, one-character size and they move quite jerkily, but they are called on to do very little, since much of the game's attraction lies in the skill and quick thinking required. Once on the move your man can only be stopped by running up against an apple, or by constantly reversing his direction. It's a simple game but manages to be addictive in playing. Nice, bright colours, and an insistent and continuous music track that can be turned off if it's driving anyone else mad!\r\nUnknown","Despite the simplicity of this type of game, it isn't easy to play, requiring quick reflexes. C.D.S. have also provided nine playing speeds as well as rising skill levels. At the slowest speed the game can become a bit repetitive, but at medium fast it is quite demanding. The highest speed level is sheer madness. Fairly addictive, and a good version.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Above average.","Page":"90","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Hot on your tail come the Magic Meanies."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"60%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"45%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"58%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"60%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"55%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"58%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 3, May 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-09","Editor":"Roger Munford","TotalPages":122,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Munford\r\nManaging Editor: Bruce Sawford\r\nDeputy Editor: Tina Boylan\r\nEditorial Assistant: Pete Shaw\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nSub Editor: Nik Lumsden\r\nContributors: Phil Manchester, Ian Beardsmore, Ron Smith, Mike Mepham, Sandy Dewhurst, Colin Young, Andrew Wright, Richard Archdeacon, Stephen Adams, Damir Skrgatic, Dilwyn Jones, Simon Goodwin, Toni Baker, SQ Factor\r\nArt Editor: Jimmy Egerton\r\nArt Assistant: Steve Broadhurst\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Jeff Raggett\r\nAdvertisement Managers: Shane Campbell, Gill Harris, Jason Wood\r\nProduction Editor: 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\nDistribution Manager: Colin James\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":"MAGIC MEANIES\r\nCDS Microsystems\r\n£5.95\r\n\r\nThis is one of those tunnelling maze games where the player's character - a wizard - makes his own maze as he goes. The idea is to defeat the magic meanies whilst picking up all the lead which can be transformed into gold.","ReviewerComments":["Colour and graphics, although not spectacular, are certainly adequate, giving a reasonable amount of enjoyment. The plot is rather silly, but the fame's very addictive.\r\nJohn Hall\r\n7/10","The graphics used in this game are a little limited - because they're one graphic block in size, and move only one block at a time.\r\nTony Samuels\r\n8/10","There are already a few games of this type, but this is one of the better ones. Nine speed levels are included, and these begin quite easily, increasing to a level where a high degree of manual dexterity is required.\r\nMark Knight\r\n8/10"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"69","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"John Hall","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Tony Samuels","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Mark Knight","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"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: CDS, 16K\r\n£5.95 (2)\r\n\r\nDespite the inlay blurb of times past and wizardry renewed, this is no adventure game. In fact a good version of the 'Dig Dug' type of mining game, where your man creates his own tunnels in search of valuables and thus his own maze, and gets chased by meanies. You're in control of Meltec (a wizard) who is seeking lumps of lead. There is also a wandering cherry on each screen which he must collect to progress to the next screen. The meanies set off chasing him up his self-created pathways - to get rid of them he can undermine the red apples and drop them on the meanies, or at least block off a pathway before dashing onto the next blue lump of lead. The graphics are quite small, one character size and they move jerkily, but the games attraction lies in the skill and quick thinking required to outwit the meanies. Sensible control keys, joystick: Kempston, 9 skill levels in speed and progressive difficulty, above average. Overall CRASH rating 58% M/C.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"68","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"58%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Big K Issue 1, Apr 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-03-20","Editor":"Tony Tyler","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tony Tyler\r\nAssisted By: Richard Burton\r\nContributors: Paul Walton (Features); Paul Rambali (Arcades); Andy Green (Technical); Jenny Parrott (News); John May; Steve Keaton; David Crossweller; Bernard Turner; David Eastbury; Tony Benyon\r\nArt/Design: Central Art Studio\r\nGroup Art Editor: Doug Church\r\nGroup Advert Controller: Luis Bartlett\r\nPublishing Director: John Purdie\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: CDS Micro Systems\r\nMACHINE: Spectrum\r\nFORMAT: cassette\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\n\r\nAmazing what you can do with five crystal balls, four magic apples and a bit of creative writing. Why, you could almost convince someone this is not another variation on the well worn Dig Dug theme. The action is, we are told, set in the lead mines of the ancient mystic land of Zeldor. Here Good Wizard Meltec tunnels about carrying out his eternal quest for lead (blue blobs) which he can change into gold. The mines are, of course, guarded by evil magic meanies (reject space invaders) who chase Meltec all over the place giving the poor chap a very hard time and using up one of his three lives each time they catch him. Meltec's magic doesn't work on Zeldor (so why make him a magician?) so he has to resort to the five crystal balls which he can fire at the meanies and the four magic apples which are scattered about the play area. The only thing 'magic' about these is that they can be dropped on the meanies to squash them (score extra points for this) or used to block their path. The crystal balls are only effective at long range as Meltec has to face his attacker. Most of the time he's on the run with a meanie hot on his heels and no time to turn and fire. Graphics are good and speed can be varied over nine skill levels. Sound is good if you can bear the 'Can-Can' repeated endlessly. (My gratitude to the programmer for providing an on-off facility for the sound.) There's also a very good high-score table which can be copied to the printer for those who want to frame their achievements. A fun game, yes. Magic... not really.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"30","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Richard Burton","Score":"2","ScoreSuffix":"/3"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"2/3","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 4, Mar 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-02-16","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":184,"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\nGame-of-the-month poster: Mark Watkinson\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nCover Photography: Ko Kon Chung\r\nGroup Editor: Cyndy Miles\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Herbert Wright\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Jan Martin\r\nAdvertisement Production: Simon Carter\r\nSales Executives: Joey Davies, Marion O'Neill, Louise Hedges\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 16K\r\nJOYSTICK: Kempston\r\nCATEGORY: Arcade\r\nSUPPLIER: CDS Micro Systems\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\n\r\nThe wizard on the cover of Magic Meanies looks as if he belongs to an adventure game. In fact, he's yet another graduate of the Pac-Man Horace academy, in yet another variation of the maze game.\r\n\r\nAs Meltec the Wizard you're on a screen liberally sprinkled with lead, which you must collect, and Meanies, which you must avoid. A do-it-yourself maze emerges as your passage cuts a path through the brilliant green screen, and along such paths the Meanies wander.\r\n\r\nThe object is to collect all the lead and a roaming bunch of cherries. Apples are embedded in the screen, and will fall vertically down any paths cut. By passing beneath an apple with a Meanie on your tail, you can block his path as the apple drops down.\r\n\r\nAnother way of dealing with Meanies is to zap them with crystal balls, which are floated lugubriously, rather than fired, in the direction of motion.\r\n\r\nThe game has nine skill levels, each faster, and a succession of screens, all fairly similar but with successively more Meanies. If you don't have a Kempston joystick, a convenient choice of keyboard keys has been made, and all the action happens to the accompaniment of the can-can dance music.\r\n\r\nClearly, this engaging music is entirely irrelevant to the concept of the game, as is the mumbo jumbo about wizards, but it's not a bad brew that results.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"94,95","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Wensley Dale","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Ease Of Use","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 63, Jun 1984","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1984-06-02","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":58,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editorial\r\nEditor: Cyndy Miles\r\nManaging Editor: Peter Worlock\r\nSub-Editors: Harriet Arnold, Leah Batham\r\nNews Editor: David Guest\r\nNews Writer: Ralph Bancroft\r\nFeatures Editor: John Lettice\r\nSoftware Editor: Bryan Skinner\r\nPeripherals Editor: Ken Garroch\r\nPrograms Editor: Nickie Robinson\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nArt Editor: David Robinson\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Floyd Sayers\r\nPublisher: Mark Eisen\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nGroup Advertising Manager: Duncan Brown\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Bettina Williams\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Sarah Barron\r\nSales Executives: Christian McCarthy, John Bryan, Laura Cade, Paul Evans, Debbie Quinn, Yvonne Charatynowicz\r\nProduction: Nikki Payne\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Karen Isaac\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"},"MainText":"NAME: Magic Meanies\r\nSYSTEM: Any Spectrum\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\nPUBLISHER: CDS Microsystem, [redacted]\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nLANGUAGE: Basic\r\nOTHER VERSIONS: None\r\nOUTLETS: Mail order/retail.\r\n\r\nKEEP ON RUNNING\r\n\r\nMagic Meanies is one of those games that comes along once in a while and shows that a simple idea. If tackled with flair and a touch of humour, can be a winner.\r\n\r\nOBJECTIVES\r\n\r\nYou are the inevitable little man, and when the game begins you're on a screen in which a path has been partly cut out. You can move anywhere, but will automatically create a new path as you go, down which you are pursued by a number of meanies while you try to reach a number of goodies scattered about the screen. Your aim is simply to survive, collect the goodies and progress upwards through ever-harder screens.\r\n\r\nIN PLAY\r\n\r\nA lovely additional touch is the music, which is a jaunty plink-along version of the extract from Orpheus in the Underworld better know for accompanying the Can-Can. If this gets too much for you then you can switch it off at the start. The opening menu also gives you the chance to elect for keyboard or Kempston joystick control and to choose from the nine skill levels available. Of these, even the easiest is hard while the hardest is so fast it had me falling about laughing at its manic music and Formula One meanies.\r\n\r\nAs protection against these deadly creatures you are equipped with five crystal balls per screen which you can fire at them. The only other way of dealing with the deadlies is to drop something on their heads. In addition to the diamonds you're collecting there are also several bags of gold. If you clear a path underneath these they drop to the bottom of the screen, taking any meanies with them. The pleasure of a squashed meanie is short-lived as another one soon materialises to take its place.\r\n\r\nThe other use for the bags is to have them fall and block a path. If you're on one side and the meanies are on the other then you can gather up a few diamonds in peace, but the lay-out of the maze has been carefully designed so that this is only easy to do on the left-hand side of the screen, the right-hand side being a loop where you can only escape the meanies by using your two legs and your five balls.\r\n\r\nMy one complaint is that the man doesn't respond quite perfectly to the joystick, and there's sometimes a delay: you're pushing frantically upwards while he's still beating his head against a brick wall on the right. Other than that the game is excellent.\r\n\r\nVERDICT\r\n\r\nAnother winner from CDS, which recently did well with its version of Pool.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"39","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mike Gerrard","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Lasting Appeal","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Use Of Machine","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall Value","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]