[{"TitleName":"Prohibition","Publisher":"Infogrames","Author":"Pennsoft, Peter Austin","YearOfRelease":"1987","ZxDbId":"0003898","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 43, Aug 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-07-30","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nAssistant Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Richard Eddy, Ian Phillipson, Ben Stone\r\nPhotographers: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nOffice: Sally Newman\r\nTechnical Editor: Simon N Goodwin\r\nAdventure: Derek Brewster\r\nPBM: Brendon Kavanagh\r\nStrategy: Philippa Irving\r\nLondon: John Minson\r\nContributors: Gareth Adams, Jon Bates, Robin Candy, Mel Croucher, Mike Dunn, Franco Frey, Dominic Handy, Nick Roberts, Mark Rothwell, Paul Sumner\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\n\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrator: Oliver Frey\r\nLayout: Tony Lorton, Mark Kendrick, Tim Croton, Seb Clare\r\nProcess and Planning: Matthew Uffindell, Jonathan Rignall, Nick Orchard\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Nick Wild\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow\r\n\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group.\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©1987 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Infogrames\r\nRetail Price: £9.95\r\n\r\nSwamped by gangland crime, the New York Police Department hires a mercenary to rub out the city's contract killers. But they won't be no pushover.\r\n\r\nKillers appear on the streets, at windows and on the apartment block roofs of a decaying downtown zone. An arrow at the bottom of the screen shows which way the mercenary you control must move to find your next target, but doesn't give the killer's vertical position.\r\n\r\nOnce the hoodlum has been found, you can get him in your sights. A killer must be hit within three seconds after an onscreen countdown begins. And when killers lurk in difficult positions extra time is given to blast them.\r\n\r\nBut if the baddie isn't shot before the deadline, you get it instead and lose one of your three fives. At higher levels the hoodlums become faster in their reactions.\r\n\r\nAnd killers never come quietly - they return fire if given half a chance. Enemy bullets can be dodged, giving you an extra three seconds of grace - but such evasive action can't be kept up forever. A bar indicator shows remaining dodge time.\r\n\r\nStill, you're paid good greenbacks for each contract successfully completed.\r\n\r\nSome despicable killers hold hostages, so great accuracy is essential if you're not to plug an innocent victim.\r\n\r\nNow get out on those mean streets...\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: Q up, S down, O left, P right. SPACE to fire, ENTER to dodge, number keys to pause\r\nJoysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair\r\nUse of colour: monochromatic\r\nGraphics: excellent, despite slightly jerky scrolling\r\nSound: limited to gunshots\r\nSkill levels: progressive\r\nScreens: scrolling play area","ReviewerComments":["Infuriating and slow it may be, but Prohibition isn't bad; I was absorbed by my first play. But when things begin to get a little hot under the collar, the gameplay falls apart - your cross hairs jump when a shot is fired, so accurate shooting (not easy to begin with) becomes impossible. Graphically it could have been much better: the background is nicely drawn but it's spoiled by the horrible scrolling and badly-defined mobsters. And the sound is another major letdown. Prohibition is disappointing - implemented properly it could have been brilliant.\r\r\nBen Stone","The police failed so it's -all down to you. Good luck - you'll need it! Prohibition has some of the best graphics I've seen on the Spectrum for a long, long time, but the lack of colour and sound are a pity. Infogrames have a real winner here - if only there were a little tune at the start...\r\r\nNick Roberts","Other than the gangster theme, there's no tie-in between this game and real Prohibition (the US ban on alcohol in the Twenties), which is slightly misleading. The title suggests images of fast shoot-outs and smuggling operations but the real thing is tedious. It consists only of shooting and dodging - and though it's very easy to get into, there's no challenge or depth to Prohibition. And the monochromatic graphics aren't as highly detailed as in other games that use this technique.\r\nRobin Candy"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: A straightforward shoot-'em-up with an original scenario which could have led to a great game.","Page":"31","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ben Stone","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Robin Candy","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Now the hunters are the hunted..."},{"Text":"Ruthless gangsters lurk in the alleys of New York."},{"Text":"You've got the concrete jungle in your sights in Prohibition."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"58%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"71%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"58%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"54%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"59%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 21, Sep 1987","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-08-13","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Peter George\r\nProduction Editor: Sara Biggs\r\nTechnical Editor: Phil South\r\nSoftware Editor: Marcus Berkmann\r\nDesigner: Darrell King\r\nEditorial Assistant: Angela Eager\r\nContributors: Richard Blaine, Chris Donald, Mike Gerrard, Ian Hoare, Gwyn Hughes, ZZKJ, Cliff Joseph, Tony Lee, Rick Robson, Rachael Smith, Tony Worrall\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Julian Harriott\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nManaging Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nPublisher: Roger Munford\r\nPublishing Director: Stephen England\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 ©1987 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":"Infogrames\n£9.95\nReviewer: Tony Worrall\n\nHi there. You may know me. The name's Sprog, Sam Sprog. Okay, so you don't know me, but that's not important right now. What's important is that they are after me. No, not the inland Revenue, but - the Mob. They're everywhere, and - wait a minute, who's that at the window?... BANG!... Aaargh! Caught in my prime by an... uhhrrr.\n\nPoor guy, caught in his prime by an uhhrrr, and just as he was about to tell you all about Infogrames' new shoot 'em up, Prohibition. The idea's this - you control a gunsight which has to be manoeuvred across several run-down Chicago tenements to pick up and despatch a gangland killer who's trying to do the same to you. It's hard - first you have to find the critter, and you only get a few seconds to do it. But all is not lost, as you can reach the required block (usually made up of two columns of five or six windows) before the clock starts. If you don't find him in time, rest assured that he'll find you. And it's not just a case of find the window and blast the bad guy, oh no. They don't just fire out of windows - they fire from the rooftops, the fire escapes, the attics, the basement grills, from the street and even from under manhole covers!\n\nThe graphics are black on white, although the pavement is pink(?) Everything's very well defined, and if the scrolling's a little jerky, it doesn't detract much from the gameplay. I also like the way that the baddies, when killed, either slump forward or get blown backwards. And whenever you fire a shot, the sights move slightly off target, as they would in real life. One gripe is that there's barely any sound, and the music's nonexistent. And the gameplay definitely reminds me of an arcade game that did the rounds a while back. In all, though, it's an entertaining enough reaction test from those clever chappies across the channel. Hang on, who's that in the window? it's our Ed! What's she doing up... BANG!... oh, that's what she was doing. Caught in my prime by an... uhhrrr!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"A good fast shoot 'em up in the Cop Out format. If you like target games, this one's a must for your collection.","Page":"73","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tony Worrall","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 65, Aug 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-07-18","Editor":"David Kelly","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: David Kelly\r\nDeputy Editor: Graham Taylor\r\nStaff Writer: Jim Douglas\r\nStaff Writer: Tamara Howard\r\nArt Editor: Gareth Jones\r\nAdventure Help: Gordo Greatbelly\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nHelpline: Andrew Hewson\r\nContributors: Richard Price, Andy Moss, Gary Rook\r\nHardware Correspondent: Rupert Goodwins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Mike Corr\r\nProduction Assistant: Alison Morton\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Linda Everest\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Jerry Paris\r\n\r\nTypeset by PRS Ltd, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1986 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nABC 84,699 July-Dec 1986"},"MainText":"Label: Infogrames\r\nAuthor: In-house\r\nPrice: £9.95\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Jim Douglas\r\n\r\nAh, the virtues of simplicity. The first thing that is great about Prohibition is that the plot is utterly simple. You move a gunsight around and try to take out as many members of a rival criminal gang as possible.\r\n\r\nAnd as an added consideration you have to try to off any members of the general public who might be held hostage.\r\n\r\nThat's it. Total game plot.\r\n\r\nSounds a bit dull? Wrong wrong wrong. Prohibition is a classic example of an utterly simple game idea which has been perfectly executed.\r\n\r\nIt works like this. Over a backdrop of a dingy New York street of tenements several Spectrum screens wide you move your gunsight. Suddenly, seemingly (but not actually) at random, a face appears at a window - find the face, move your gunsight over it and Fire. Kill as many of the bad guys as possible.\r\n\r\nThe basic problem is where is the next killer going to appear? You get a clue by some arrows flashed up at the bottom of the screen - they tell you vaguely the right area to look in but mostly it's up to you. Your time to find that face is limited - numbers tick away the moments until the killer has got you lined up in his sights and... well you can guess the rest.\r\n\r\nThe reason Prohibition works so well is the dodge factor. It has the same sort of nervous appeal that hide and seek used to have when you were young. Dodge is the hide bit - in Dodge Mode you won't be hit by anybody but it uses up bullets and, more importantly you can't Fire at anybody in this mode. This means you have to watch the timer constantly and make a judgement about whether you have enough time to find and kill the bad guy before it gets too late and you should have dodged instead. Usually you get it wrong - but it's that constant 'Shall I risk it?' that makes the game thrilling.\r\n\r\nTechnically there is some clever stuff going on in the game - incredibly detailed backgrounds have to be scrolled yet the effect is achieved pretty smoothly. The sheer excellence of the graphics means that after a few moments you automatically ignore the fact that they are only in black and white. It could almost be a digitised photograph of a real New York street scene, so realistic is the detail and so authentic is the atmosphere of crime and decay.\r\n\r\nThere is, you begin to realise a pattern to the appearances of the bad guys - obviously you can learn it and move your gunsight cursor into the correct position ever more quickly. The snag is as you get better so do the enemy - not only do you get more and more of them at ever faster intervals but hostages start to appear (mainly distinguishable by their lack of nifty hats). This means you have to waste precious extra microseconds figuring out - having found a face a window - whether to shoot or not. It's time you don't have.\r\n\r\nYes, it's a pity the game is only black and white, yes the sound could have been better, yes it's a very simple idea but yes I really liked it.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"A simple idea brilliantly realised with excellent hi-res graphics and a pace of play that'll keep you interested for ages.","Page":"28,29","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jim Douglas","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]