[{"TitleName":"3D Painter","Publisher":"CDS Microsystems","Author":"","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0003589","Reviews":[{"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":"THIS PAINTER IS NOT AN OLD MASTER\r\n\r\nYour task in this game is to steer the dashing dauber through a maze painting it as he goes. If the maze was drawn in anything like true 3D then the game could be very popular - unfortunately it's not.\r\n\r\nThe mazes themselves are drawn in two dimensions but have shadows behind them to resemble 3D. Unfortunately this idea does not work too well. There are some marvellous 3D paths produced by the method but the painter simply wanders round the outside.\r\n\r\nThere are four mazes in all to complete. I managed the first one after about five minutes but assumed that the other three would be harder. I was mistaken. I managed to clear all four mazes after about ten minutes play and the game then had no further appeal to me.\r\n\r\nThe game uses no high resolution graphics, the man is badly animated and drawn. You are pursued by a single ghost who appears to have absolutely no intelligence at all. He often comes speeding straight towards you and then goes off in a totally different direction.\r\n\r\nThis game from CDS Microsystems runs on a Spectrum in 16k. It's not a program which I would spend my hard-earned cash on but if you want to see for yourself then it'll cost you £5.95.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"146","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"4/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 2, Dec 1983","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1983-11-16","Editor":"Kathryn Custance","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Guest Editor: Kathryn Custance\r\nContributing Editor: Deidre Boyd\r\nConsulting Editor: Geof Wheelwright\r\nProduction Editor: Eric Robbie\r\nTechnical Editor: Stuart Cooke\r\nNews: Tony Takoushi\r\nFeatures: Steve Mann and David Janda\r\nAction Freeze: Oliver Tucker\r\nScreen Scroll: Wensley Dale, Edward Ferdinand, Tony Harrington, Steve Mann and Ian Ritchie\r\nChess: Tony Harrington\r\nControl Guardians: Jeff Riddle\r\nCartoons: Kipper Williams\r\nAction Freeze Illustration: Mark Watkinson\r\nArt Editor: Dolores Fairman\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nAdvertisement Manager: James Scoular\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Herbert Wright\r\nSales Executives: Jill Harrison, Louise Hedges, and Jerry Davies\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Karen Isaac\r\nAdvertisement Production: Laura Cade\r\nGroup Editor: Margaret Coffey\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nPublishing Director: George Littlejohn\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 1983."},"MainText":"MACHINE: Spectrum 16K\r\nFROM: CDS Micro Systems\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\n\r\nGetting a reliable decorator is difficult enough. Imagine how much worse it would be if he had to work with a berserk android on the loose.\r\n\r\nIn 3D Painter, this is exactly the problem. You are the painter, and the job is painting a maze. The maze is not 3D, but it's a nice, symmetrical shape floating in black space. As you move left, right, up, and down, you paint your path in a pretty colour.\r\n\r\nThe object is to paint the whole maze, and the danger is this android who moves randomly and jerkily around. If he bumps into you, you're dead. If you avoid contact, there's another three mazes to paint before you return to the first one.\r\n\r\nThere's a time bonus for quick completion of the maze, and when that's down to zero, you're out of a job.\r\n\r\nWith quick reactions, it's possible to give the android the slip - he's not too smart, and can brush right by you without picking up your scent. It's as if he's got a heavy cold and can't smell paint.\r\n\r\nYou'll find the game easy to grasp, but there are problems - not all of them intentional. The second maze is cyan until you paint it green, and it's easy to miss a bit of the maze because of the lack of contrast. And it's possible to get trapped in dead ends in the fourth maze, which spells the word 'painter'.\r\n\r\nIt's a shame there's no animation in the characters - they move around as flexibly as a couple of frozen fish fingers, but that shouldn't spoil enjoyment of the game. My main regret was that there weren't any more mazes to explore. 3D Painter is an uncomplicated game, and sometimes the simple pleasures of life are the best.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"86","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Wensley Dale","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]