[{"TitleName":"Mickey Mouse","Publisher":"Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd","Author":"Ben Daglish, Gary Priest, Jon Harrison, Kevin Bulmer","YearOfRelease":"1988","ZxDbId":"0003170","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 54, Jul 1988","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1988-06-30","Editor":"Steve Jarratt","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Steven Jarratt\r\nDeputy Editor: Dominic Handy\r\nAssistant Editor: Katharina Hamza\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Philip King, Lloyd Mangram, Nick Roberts\r\nTechnical Writers: Jon Bates, Simon N Goodwin\r\nEditorial Assistant: Frances Mable\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson (Assistant)\r\nContributors: Robin Candy, Raffaele Cecco, Mel Croucher, Paul Evans, Philippa Irving, Brendon Kavanagh, Paul Sumner\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nArt Director: Mark Kendrick\r\nAssistant Art Director: Wayne Allen\r\nDesign & Layout: Yvonne Priest, Melvyn Fisher\r\nPre-Print Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nReprographics/Film Planning: Matthew Uffindell, Nick Orchard, Ian Chubb, Robert Millichamp\r\n\r\nPublishing Controller: David Western\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nSales Executive: Andrew Smales, Sarah Chapman\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group. Distribution by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available, if something untoward happens (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of CRASH. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case drop Frances Mable a line at the [redacted] address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into CRASH including written and photographic material, software and hardware - unless it is accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\nTotal: 96,590\r\nUK/EIRE: 90,822\r\n\r\n©CRASH Ltd, 1988\r\n\r\nCover Design & Illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Gremlin Graphics\r\nRetail Price: £7.99 cassette, £12.95 disk\r\nAuthor: Coding by Gaz, graphics by Jon and Kev\r\n\r\nFamous the world over for more than 50 years, Mickey Mouse has once again got star billing - but this time in his own computer game. The little rodent with the squeaky voice has got quite a job on his hands: Disney Castle has been taken over by the Ogre King and all his nasty little cohorts.\r\n\r\nThe castle consists of five towers, each of which is viewed from the side and which scroll past vertically as Mickey climbs ladders from floor to floor.\r\n\r\nAll five towers are completed to save the castle - a mammoth task for such a little mouse you might think, but Mickey is not unarmed in his brave quest: he carries with him a water pistol and a hammer. Ghosts are killed by shooting with the pistol; ogres by hitting with the hammer. If the water runs out Mickey dies.\r\n\r\nWhen our hero kills a nasty it leaves an object behind: a bottle of water to refill his water pistol, one of various magic spells, or a black bubble which stuns Mickey if it hits him. Occasionally a key is left with which Mickey can open one of the doors in the tower.\r\n\r\nEach door leads to one of five types of room, containing a further sub-game. One of these is in the shape of a Pac-Man room where Mickey must collect hammer, nails and wood and find the exit to complete the room. Another involves running along a balcony throwing down hammers to burst the rising bubbles while avoiding or bashing approaching ghosts. The remaining rooms include the Donkey Kong room, the Tap and Platform room and the Ogre King's room.\r\n\r\nHaving completed a room, Mickey returns to the central tower. When he has completed all the rooms, he can pass through the highest doorway to complete the tower; another tower is then loaded from tape.\r\n\r\nIn the highest room of the fifth tower lies the Ogre King who throws fireballs at Mickey; only once this demon is defeated can Disney Castle be saved.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nJoysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair\r\nGraphics: superbly drawn and full of character. Colourful sub-stages\r\nSound: buzzy title tune plus spot effects","ReviewerComments":["Gremlin have managed to make a decent game out of a rather strange licence. The vertical scrolling in the tower is very unusual but is very smooth and effective. Mickey moves well, as do the ghosts and ogres; I particularly like the way a large ogre turns into two small ones when hit with the hammer! The idea of having two different types of weapon to kill either ghosts or ogres is interesting and helps to improve the action in the main tower scene. However, this would soon get tedious if it were not for the five sub-games, which make for huge variety in gameplay. Sound is quite sparse but there's the odd tunelet between screens. The only problem is that the game is just that bit too easy and the first tower is soon completed. However it's very playable; one of the best cartoon licences yet.\r\nPhil King\r\n87%","That cute little figure with big round ears, shiny nose and spindly tail is unmistakably Mickey. Having survived the transformation into machine code with a flourish, everyone's favourite mouse is charging around the towers and turrets of Disney castle in characteristic cartoon style. Whether he's bashing ugly monsters with a mallet or squirting them into a liquid pulp, bursting bubbles or collecting glue, he never loses his Hollywood cool. For a mouse, Mickey has plenty to do: with 'upside down' space invaders to pin to the floor, spells to cast, ogres to bash and complex mazes to explore (at breathtaking speed), it's extremely unlikely that he'll ever get bored. All this against a detailed, smoothly scrolling, castle background complete with flickering candles and heavy oak doors. The only elements missing are a few of Mickey's friends. With a guest appearance from Minnie, dopey Goofy or Pluto a great game might have been even better. Apart from that, there's little more a movie star mouse could desire.\r\nKati Hamza\r\n91%","Mickey Mouse, that legendary cartoon hero, has come to the Spectrum with a hammer in one hand and a water pistol in the other. Gremlin have excellently converted him and all his ghostly enemies and surrounded them with a Disney castle fit for a king. All the characters and backgrounds are detailed and animated well, colour has been used tastefully and the sound is great with a tune at the beginning and spot effects and ditties all through the game. Behind the doors in the castle are little sub-games which range from Donkey Kong to Pac-Man and upside-down Space Invaders so Mickey Mouse is in fact many games packed into one! This game definitely has plenty of lastability and the cute graphics will make it a favourite with young and old alike. Gremlin are on to a real winner with Mickey Mouse.\r\nNick Roberts\r\n91%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Mickey Mouse, star and stage and screen, proves that there can be more behind a cartoon licence than cutesy graphics...","Page":"80,81","Denied":false,"Award":"Crash Smash","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Phil King","Score":"87","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Kati Hamza","Score":"91","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"91","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"One of the many sub-stages of Gremlin's Mickey Mouse."},{"Text":"Watch out behind you Mickey!"},{"Text":"Water pistol in hand, Mickey heads upwards ever onwards."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"91%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"91%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 32, Aug 1988","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1988-07-12","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Darrell King\r\nDeputy Editor: Marcus Berkmann\r\nTechnical Editor: Phil South\r\nProduction Editors: Jackie Ryan, Sophie Moorcock\r\nDesigner: Catherine Higgs\r\nContributors: Richard Blaine, Owen & Audrey Bishop, Ciaran Brennan, Jonathan Davies, Mike 'Skippy' Dunn, Mike Gerrard, Sean Kelly, Graeme Kidd, David McCandless, Duncan McDonald, John Minson, Nat Pryce, Peter Shaw, Ben Stone\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Simon Stansfield\r\nAdvertisement Director: Alistair Ramsay\r\nProduction Manager: Judith Middleton\r\nMarketing Manager: Bryan Denyer\r\nArt Director: Hazel Bennington\r\nPublisher: Kevin Cox\r\nPublishing Director: Roger Munford\r\nFinance Director: Colin Crawford\r\nManaging Director: Stephen England\r\nChairman: Felix Dennis\r\n\r\nPublished by Dennis Publishing Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England.\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Sinclair ©1988 Felden Productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Sinclair is a monthly publication."},"MainText":"Gremlin\r\n£7.99\r\nReviewer: Ben Stone, Mike Dunn\r\n\r\nAt over 50, Mickey Mouse is still performing better than most superhero types. Imagine the lifestyle of this world famous rodent; girls, money and copious amounts of ripe cheese; he's got it all, except the wrinkles (bah)!\r\n\r\nThis is Gremlin's second release based around the wonderful characters of Walt Disney, the first being the somewhat childish Basil The Great Mouse Detective. Gremlin has the licence to all Disney's characters so there's bound to be more on the way - and if they're all as good as this the world will be a better place to live.\r\n\r\nFour nasty witches in the pay of the evil Ogre King have swiped Merlin the Magician's magic wand and cast a hugely evil spell of Poll Tax over Disneyland, leaving the peasants with no money (heard that somewhere before?). Just to make things seem even more bleak the witches have broken the Wand into four pieces and hidden them at the top of each tower in Disney Castle, where they're currently holed up. A birrova problem I think you'll agree.\r\n\r\nWith a cry of 'Never fear, Mickey's here!,' in walks our unlikely hero, volunteering to get back the four pieces of wand and so restore at least some normality to the land. He bounds into the game with vigour, determination, a hammer and a water pistol only to be killed immediately because he hadn't waited for us to explain the game properly (ha!)\r\n\r\nWithin each of the castle's towers there are platforms which are connected by ladders. The platforms are patrolled by minions of the Ogre King. There are two types of these; ogres which can be beaten to death with Mickey's hammer, and ghouls and spirits which can be squirted back to the grave with the water pistol. Pressing the space-bar toggles the weapons. Bashing ogres is easy enough; squirting the bad guys is more of a problem, as the water pistol occasionally runs out of ammo (touching Ogres and ghoulies also results in a loss of water), and when it does, it means instant death!\r\n\r\nLuckily, when you squirt/beat the living daylights out of one of the meanies, their earthly remains mutate into some surprisingly useful gadget or other. This can be a smart bomb (which looks like a rocket), a sort of levitation spell which stops you falling off platforms (an eagle), a speed-up spell (a flash of lightning), a slow spell (which, oddly enough, slows down the monsters), and a snarly grarrrrrr face (which scares all the meanies so badly that they all run away from you!) to name but a lot. However, nine times out ten (well, probably), you'll be presented with lil' bottle of wickedly powerful enchanted water which can be stuffed in your pistol (fnar!) and squirted all over the place (fnar, fnar!). Alternatively you can just bonk the ogres (fnar, fnar) with your hammer. Occasionally you meet a super-'ard ogre who's twice the size of Mickey- bash 'im once, and he splits into two normal size meanies who can be disposed of in the usual way (bof, pow!).\r\n\r\nOn most of the platforms there is a door which acts as a passageway into the unknown realm of the sub-game. To complete each tower, all of its sub-games must be completed. Once a sub-game is finished the door boards itself up and you can't get back in. (The monsters can't get back out either so that's not altogether a bad thing). Keys are naturally a vital pre-requisite to getting through the door in the first place: you start with two and can collect more should any of the monsters happen to leave them behind.\r\n\r\nThe first of the four sub-games likely to be discovered is a pac-man type flip-screen maze game in which Mickey has to pick up a hammer, some nails and some wood. Dotted about are one or two black balls which guard each screen, hearts which give you extra lives (you have three lives on each sub-game - when all are lost you return to the platform) and power pills which give a few seconds invulnerability. Once all the bits are collected then it's out through the exit and off to find the next challenge.\r\n\r\nMickeys graphics are excellent. Obviously they're not quite Disney standard. but they're as good as you're going to see on a Spectrum screen. The sound is jolly: loads of bright breezy tunes help you through the 48K version and though the colour isn't used too liberally it certainly adds flavour. Gameplay is only marred by the maze sub-game which gets incredibly tedious after a few goes - the others make up for it heartily, though. There is plenty of variation and challenge in this game, which could have been as boring as a George Michael L.P. (well, maybe not that bad, but you get the idea...). We reckon it's well worth forking out for.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Violence, waterpistols and cute lickle rodents. What better night's entertainment could you ask for (fnar)?","Page":"28","Denied":false,"Award":"Your Sinclair Megagame","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ben Stone","Score":"9","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Mike Dunn","Score":"9","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"9/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 76, Jul 1988","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1988-06-18","Editor":"Graham Taylor","TotalPages":108,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Graham 'El Presidente' Taylor\r\nStaff Writer: Jim Douglas\r\nProduction Editor: Tamara Howard\r\nArt Editor: Gareth Jones\r\nDesigner: Andrea Walker\r\nAdventure: The Sorceress\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nTechnical: Andrew Hewson, Rupert Goodwins\r\nContributors: Tony 'I'm a headbanger' Dillon, Chris 'Leave off my jelly babies' Jenkins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Katherine Lee\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Margaret 'I'll spell that for you' Caddick-Adams\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Alison Morton\r\nAd Production: Emma Ward\r\nPublisher's Assistant: Debbie Pearson\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\nMarketing: Clive Pembridge\r\n\r\nPhone: [redacted]\r\nFax: [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions: [redacted]\r\nBack Issues: [redacted]\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nThis Month's Cover: Bryan Talbot\r\n\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1988 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458"},"MainText":"Label: Gremlin\r\nAuthor: Gary Priest\r\nPrice: £7.99 cassette, £12.99 disc\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Tony Dillon\r\n\r\nNot all of us are overjoyed at the idea of a Mickey Mouse game. For some of us the whole thing is just too cutesy. But Mickey is now starring in a game of his own, and I, despite being chief member of the Mickey Mouse Haters Society, have been given the task of reviewing it. So, here goes. First the plot.\r\n\r\nIt's a bit twee, but I guess Disney would turn in his cryogenic chamber if Mickey had actually been found doing serious killing. Here goes, are you sitting comfortably? As you might remember, Mickey lives in Disneyland. Unfortunately, a nasty band of ogres have invaded Disneyland (Tourists?) and it's up to Mickey to save his hometown. OK I wasn't enthralled at first but wait...\r\n\r\nYou play Mickey (so no swearing) and you have to climb a tower using various ladders and platforms. Most of the platforms contain large holes, if Mickey falls through, he tumbles down a few levels, which means he has to climb all the way up again. This makes Mickey very depressed. It's not just a matter of going up and up, though. As you can see from the assorted screens, Mickey is not the only sprite in the tower. Ghosts roam the various platforms (pretty wimpy) but so do giant ogres (more ooerish). To fight them you have to shoot them with, get this, a water pistol. Ogres find this considerably more threatening than you and I seemingly. The large ogres, though, take something a little stronger. What you say, a Kalishnikov, acid in the water pistol? No a little hammer, which, when activated, the mouse uses to hit himself very hard in the face (Is this right? G.T.) And they call me headbanger. I don't know...\r\n\r\nOn each platform there are doors which lead into the various subgames - there are 5 in all. Graphically, I should stress, the game is very good. The sprites are clear, well animated and amazingly like the original.\r\n\r\nThe screen scrolls very smoothly and the display is well laid out. The subgames, though nicely presented, are essentially pretty simple and anyway I always think subgames are an excuse for not having a good idea. Good for younger kids perhaps.\r\n\r\nThe sound I must say is a-p-p-a-l-l-i-n-g. Generally dull and twee, it is also simple and, horror of horrors, it actually plays the death march when you die! This hasn't happened in a computer game since 1948 and is very unwelcome. Sound and maybe simplicity aside (sophisticated kids) this is a pretty strong game with very high quality graphics - Gremlin has tried hard on this one.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Good game that could have been naff. I still can't stand Mickey Mouse though.","Page":"96,97","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tony Dillon","Score":"78","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"THE SUBGAMES\r\n\r\nTHE DONKEY KONG ROOM: Stop the bottles dripping by hammering in the corks and beat up the big ogre as soon as his door opens.\r\n\r\nTHE UPSIDE DOWN SPACE INVADERS ROOM: Run along the revolving platform and drop hammers to destroy all the bubbles.\r\n\r\nTHE TAP AND PLATFORM ROOM: Turn off the taps by jumping from platform to platform.\r\n\r\nTHE PAC MAN ROOM: More of a maze exploration game than a Pac man game as you try to find wood and nails, plus the exit of course.\r\n\r\nTHE OGRE KING: Avoid his fireballs and hit him with your water pistol. Hit him enough times to destroy him and you've won the game."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"83%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"35%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"75%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"78%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) Issue 11, Aug 1988","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1988-07-07","Editor":"Peter Connor, Steve Cooke","TotalPages":132,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Future Publishing [redacted]\r\nTelephone [redacted], Fax [redacted], Telecom Gold 84:TXT152, Prestel/Micronet [redacted]\r\n\r\nCo-editors: Peter Connor, Steve Cooke\r\nReviews Editor: Bob Wade\r\nFeatures Editor: Andy Wilton\r\nProduction Editor: Rod Lawton\r\nStaff Writer: Andy Smith\r\nArt Editor: Trevor Gilham\r\nAdditional Design: Angela Neale\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Jonathan Beales\r\nAdvertising Sales Executive: Jennie Evans\r\nPublisher: Chris Anderson\r\n\r\nSUBSCRIPTIONS\r\nAvon Direct Mail [redacted]\r\n\r\nSPECIAL OFFERS\r\n(Christine Stacey) [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOLOUR ORIGINATION\r\nWessex Reproduction [redacted]\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION\r\nSM Distribution [redacted]\r\n\r\nPRINTING\r\nChase Web Offset [redacted]\r\n\r\nCopyright - FUTURE PUBLISHING LTD 1988 - No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without our permission."},"MainText":"Gremlin come to Disney's rescue.\r\n\r\nHey Pluto, licences don't come much bigger than Mickey Mouse. He's about to celebrate his 60th birthday, and far from thinking about his pension, he's getting even more active in his old age.\r\n\r\nTrue to his squeaky-clean image Mickey is playing the good guy, trying to save Disney castle from the ogre king who has taken up residence. To evict the evil wretch he has to complete a lot of sub-games and beat off the hordes of nasties sent to stop him. All this while armed only with a water pistol and hammer - what a mouse.\r\n\r\nThe towers in which the game takes place are circular. You have a cutaway view through one side, revealing wooden floors connected by ladders. On the far wall are doors leading to the various sub-games, and from which the nasties come scuttling out.\r\n\r\nThe bad guys come in two sizes - little and large - and lots of different shapes. The little monsters are more plentiful and are no match for a medium sized mouse. Some types can be dispatched with the water pistol, others with the hammer. The big monsters split into two little ones when hit with the hammer, so you'll have to go after them as well.\r\n\r\nWhen the monsters are zapped they leave behind an object. These are generally useful, but are sometimes bad for you. Mostly you'll be left water bottles to refill your supply which is drained by the monsters. The other spells that appear will, for a short time anyway, slow the monsters down, speed Mickey up, give you a shield, allow you to walk on thin air, freeze the monsters, and repel them. There's also a black ball which will stun you in the same way as falling through holes in the floor does.\r\n\r\nBefore being able to enter a room you'll need to pick up keys left behind by zapped monsters. Inside each room is one of four sub-games. The sub-game has to be successfully completed in order to block up the doorway. Once all the doorways are blocked you can exit to the next tower.\r\n\r\nInitially you'll encounter the maze room. Here you have to make your way round a series of flick screens trying to collect a hammer, nails and wood. A black ball tries to stop you - you have three lives in each sub-game. There are also hearts for bonus lives, springs to give you reflective shots, a capsule which gives you immunity and skulls which lose you a life. As you complete more of these rooms the number of balls that appears on each screen increases.\r\n\r\nThe inverted space invaders room puts Mickey on a revolving balcony. Below him bubbles emerge from nozzles and float upwards, eroding the balcony beneath your feet. You have to throw hammers down to burst the bubbles and also hammer the ghosts who float along the balcony with you.\r\n\r\nThe other two rooms are a bit wet, because in one you've got to stop a pipe dripping and in the other you've got to turn off taps. To stop the pipe leaking you have to hammer corks into it, while avoiding the monsters, and hit the ogre at the top of the screen when his barrier goes down. The tap room has moving platforms which you have to leap around trying to turn four taps off. Once again the ghosts are doing their best to foil your efforts.\r\n\r\nThe towers get higher and harder as you progress, but initially it's easy to complete a few rooms. It's got a simple addictiveness which will appeal to most players. For those of you who have grown out of watching big-eared, clog-footed, red-shorted mice there's still plenty of action to cope with. The sub-games lack enough variety to make it interesting for long, but it's enjoyable while it lasts.\r\n\r\nReviewer: Bob Wade\r\n\r\nRELEASE BOX\r\nSpec, £7.99cs, £12.99dk, Out Now\r\nC64/128, £9.99cs, £14.99dk, Imminent\r\nAtari ST, £19.99dk, Imminent\r\nAms, £9.99cs, £14.99dk, Imminent\r\n\r\nPredicted Interest Curve\r\n\r\n1 min: 75/100\r\n1 hour: 80/100\r\n1 day: 75/100\r\n1 week: 65/100\r\n1 month: 45/100\r\n1 year: 20/100","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Lots of rooms and difficulty, but the sub-games lack variety.","Page":"47","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Bob Wade","Score":"743","ScoreSuffix":"/1000"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Spec - Mickey encounters a nasty ogre. Bash him with the hammer and he will turn into two little ogres."},{"Text":"ST - never has a mouse looked so good. Lovely animation and humorous touches too."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"ATARI ST PREVIEW\r\n\r\nThe graphics took superb on this preview version. The animation is excellent and humorous too. Gameplay again seems very similar to the Spectrum, but watch Updates for a definitive view."},{"Text":"C64 PREVIEW\r\n\r\nGreat big colourful, cuddly sprites are much in evidence, although the towers aren't as detailed. From the preview version, the gameplay is very similar, but obviously neither the graphics nor gameplay is finalised"},{"Text":"SPECTRUM VERSION\r\n\r\nThe sprites are big, bold and delightfully animated. Mickey himself has been nicely reproduced. The towers look stylish, but the sub-games don't look half as pretty. The introductory music is excellent and sound effects during the game are minimal but adequate."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Audio","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"IQ Factor","Score":"3/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Fun Factor","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Ace Rating","Score":"743/1000","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"The Games Machine Issue 9, Aug 1988","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1988-07-21","Editor":"Oliver Frey","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Oliver Frey\r\nAssistant Editor: Nik Wild\r\nProduction Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nSoftware Co-ordinator: Richard Eddy\r\nStaff Writer: Robin Hogg, Stewart Wynne\r\nEditorial Assistant: Frances Mable\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson (Assistant)\r\nContributors: Jon Bates, Robin Candy, Mark Caswell, Mel Croucher, Robin Evans, Roger Kean, John Woods, MC Wynne\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\n[redacted]\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nArt Director: Markie Kendrick\r\nAssistant Art Director: Wayne Allen\r\nProduction Team: Matthew Uffindell, Ian Chubb, Yvonne Priest, Melvin Fisher, Robert Millichamp\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nPublisher: Geoff Grimes\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Andrew Smales, Sarah Chapman\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris [redacted]\r\n\r\nMAIL ORDER\r\nCarol Kinsey\r\n\r\nSUBSCRIPTIONS\r\nDenise Roberts\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by the Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset [redacted] - a member of the BPCC Group. Distribution effected by COMAG, [redacted].\r\n\r\nCOMPETITION RULES\r\nThe Editor's decision is final in all matters relating to adjudication and while we offer prizes in good faith, believing them to be available, if something untoward happens (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) we reserve the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. We'll do our very best to despatch prizes as soon as possible after the published closing date. Winners names will appear in a later issue of THE GAMES MACHINE. No correspondence can be entered into regarding the competitions (unless we've written to you stating that you have won a prize and it doesn't turn up, in which case drop Fran Mable a line at the PO Box 10 address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into THE GAMES MACHINE - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it's accompanied by a suitably stamped, addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photographic material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©Newsfield Ltd, 1988\r\n\r\nCover Design & Illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £7.99, Diskette: £12.99\r\n\r\nRODENT CONTROL\r\n\r\nWith Basil The Great Mouse Detective under their belts, this makes Gremlin's second Disney game. Both licences have been programmed by Gaz Priest.\r\n\r\nMickey's binary adventure takes place in the famous Disney castle which has been taken over by four witches. Serving the evil whims of the Ogre King, the witches have used Merlin's wand to cast a foul spell - enslaving the surrounding lands - then broken the wand to make the spell indestructible. Each of the witches holds a piece of the wand and resides in one of the castle's four towers. To defend themselves from attack the witches have stolen all but one flagon of enchanted water and with it created a horde of evil ghosts.\r\n\r\nThe only thing that can destroy these monsters is a spray of enchanted water, reducing to the vial of liquid they once were. Merlin has given our hero mouse the last of his water and after loading his water pistol, Mickey sets off to defeat the Ogre King. Ghostly guardians can materialise from anywhere, so Mickey must be quick with his gun, and watch out for the King's ogres as well. Ogres are invulnerable to water, but the hammer Mickey carries with him can defeat the normal ones with a single blow, or smash big ogres into two smaller ones. Some of these monsters leave spells for Mickey to collect such as a mask (makes monsters run away) and glue (sticks the monsters to the floor.)\r\n\r\nOccasionally however a hostile spell is released which chases Mickey. If spells or monsters catch Mickey they drain his water pistol - once it's empty he must abandon his quest. Collecting the water vials left by some creatures, however, can refill the gun.\r\n\r\nMOUSE CONTROL\r\n\r\nTo finish a tower Mickey completes the subgames hidden behind the tower's doors. On the first tower these include an overhead-view-maze-game with Mickey searching for a hammer, nails and wood, avoiding bubble meanies, before escaping to seal the door. The second subgame has Mickey running around a wraparound rotating balcony, dodging monsters and trying to burst a certain number of bubbles by dropping hammers on them. Should a bubble be missed, part of the balcony is eroded. On both these subgames Mickey has three lives to lose before being kicked out. To retry the subgame Mickey must find another key by killing numerous evil guardians.\r\n\r\nOn later, multiloaded towers, more monsters and different subgames are added. One subgame involves jumping from platform to platform, evading monsters while trying to turn off four taps. Another is a Donkey Kong variant with Mickey hammering in corks to prevent them dripping while watching out for monsters. Finishing is achieved by bashing the big ogre when his shield disappears.\r\n\r\nOnce all four towers have been completed, Mickey crosses the Devil's bridge to face the Ogre King. While avoiding the King's fireballs Mickey must shoot him with the water pistol to finally end his horrible reign.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"While neither the tower section or any of the subgames set new standards for the Spectrum, they're well-integrated and produce a surprisingly addictive game overall. The urge to see later subgames provides a strong incentive to complete the first tower, which is tough enough that multiload doesn't rear its head until well into the game. Sound FX are functional with some nice tunes, but there's no 128 option to load in all the levels at once.","Page":"64","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"(C) The Walt Disney Company"}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"\"A surprisingly addictive game\""},{"Text":"OTHER FORMATS\r\n\r\nConversions are planned for Commodore 64/128 and Amstrad CPC, both £9.99 cass, £14.99 disk, with an imminent ST verion at £19.99."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"87%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]