[{"TitleName":"Push Off","Publisher":"Software Projects Ltd","Author":"Andrew Giles, Roger Tissyman","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0003943","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: Software Projects\r\nMemory Required: 16K\r\nRecommended Retail Price:\r\nLanguage: machine code\r\nAuthor: Andrew Giles\r\n\r\nPush Off is all about Bertha the Ladybird (who's no lady). She's in this garden being pursued by four somewhat unpleasant insects out to get her. The garden hardly resembles one though, looking more like a pile of that bubble packing they use today. In fact the screen is filled with square, green bricks which Bertha can manipulate. She can burn them out of her way, create them and also send them shooting along at her enemies, hopefully crushing them to death. But the insects can also burn away the bricks to get at her. Four little bells are dotted about and if Bertha touches one it rings, rendering the insects helpless for a few moments.\r\n\r\nIn fact his is a variation on a theme which Blaby brought out in the summer called Do Do & The Snow Bees.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nKeyboard positions: all our reviewers complained about the layout, CAPS SHIFT/Z left/right is fine but ENTER/SPACE for up/down with P for fire is very awkward.\r\nJoystick options: AGF, Protek or Kempston\r\nKeyboard play: very responsive\r\nUse of colour: very good\r\nGraphics: excellent\r\nSound: very good\r\nSkill levels: 8 (8 screens)\r\nLives: 5","ReviewerComments":["Push Off is rather an oddball game, quite original and very addictive. The graphics are extremely good with excellent movement of bricks and insects.\r\nUnknown","This is one of those games that's instantly attractive to look at and makes you want to play it. It's also very hard and fast with wonderful graphics and colours. The only pity is that the control keys are oddly placed, especially for firing.\r\nUnknown","A very addictive game to play, with just the right amount of difficulty as the screens increase. Why did they go and put the fire key on P? It's an awkward stretch with ENTER and SPACE for the up and down keys. Otherwise, excellent.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Very good to excellent.","Page":"82","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"A screen full of bubble pack and voracious insects in PUSH OFF."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"87%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"85%","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: Software Projects, 16K\r\n£5.95 (1)\r\nAuthor: Andrew Giles\r\n\r\nThere are now several Spectrum versions of the arcade original, 'Pengy' available - Blaby's 'Dodo' was one of the first. Software Projects' version is excellent. Bertha the ladybird is in a garden being pursued by four nasty insects our for her ichor (blood to you). The garden is full of green bricks which she can burn out of her way, or send shooting off in the direction in which she's travelling. By this method she can crush her enemies to death. The insects can also burn up the bricks to reach her. Four bells in each quarter of the screen, if rung by touching them, cause the insects to go into a temporary tizzy and make them vulnerable. The colours are bright, graphics fast and smooth, good sound, rather poor control key layout, joystick: AGF, Protek or Kempston, eight skill levels, CRASH rating, very good to excellent, overall 85%. M/C.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"59,60","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"85%","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: Software Projects, 16K\r\n£5.95 (1)\r\nAuthor: Andrew Giles\r\n\r\nThere are now several Spectrum versions of the arcade original, 'Pengy' available - Blaby's 'Dodo' was one of the first. Software Projects' version is excellent. Bertha the ladybird is in a garden being pursued by four nasty insects our for her ichor (blood to you). The garden is full of green bricks which she can burn out of her way, or send shooting off in the direction in which she's travelling. By this method she can crush her enemies to death. The insects can also burn up the bricks to reach her. Four bells in each quarter of the screen, if rung by touching them, cause the insects to go into a temporary tizzy and make them vulnerable. The colours are bright, graphics fast and smooth, good sound, rather poor control key layout, joystick: AGF, Protek or Kempston, eight skill levels, CRASH rating, very good to excellent, overall 85%. M/C.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"80","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"85%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 4, May 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-19","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":"PUSH OFF\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price In £5.95\r\n\r\nThis was by far the best game in my opinion. It was a little different too, with the ladybird trying to kill garden creepie crawlies (and they trying to get her, of course). Instead of being white, the blocks are a decent garden green. Other changes were bells which, when rung by touching them, meant you could eat the nasties Pacman-style for a while. The graphics are super smooth, easily the best. the creepies have nice detail too. But it can't beat Blaby's Dodo on sound! Key control is good and there are lots of joystick options available. The best of bunch for me.\r\nCP\r\n\r\nThis is the only one without a bit of ice in sight. Instead you push/throw garden bricks at four different insects, and you are a ladybird. Apart from these differences it plays very like the other Pengos. Instead of electrified fences there are bells which can be rung and turn the insects to jelly. When you eat a jellied bug a bonus score appears, but the bell only rings for a short time. The action is fast, graphics very smooth (unlike most of the others), characters are large and detailed and very colourful. The keys are good and responsive, and I found this to be an addictive Pengo-type game.\r\nMU\r\n\r\nPENGO-TYPE GAMES COMPARISON TABLE\r\n\r\nThe two reviewers' ratings have been averaged, but despite independent assessment of the games, they were very much in agreement.\r\n\r\nNB. Despite details printed on cassettes and in advertisements, due to an error Software Projects Push Off is not 16K but 48K. The same is true of Thrusta.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"106","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Chris Passey","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Matthew Uffindell","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 7, Aug 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-07-26","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":112,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\n\r\nTelephone numbers\r\nGeneral office [redacted]\r\nEditorial/studio [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\n\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\n\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nGeneral correspondence to: [redacted]\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Limited.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\n\r\nPhotosetting by SIOS [redacted]\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd (Member of the BPCC Group), [redacted].\r\nDistribution by COMAG, [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":"PUSH OFF\r\nSoftware Projects\r\n\r\nPush Off was among the first releases from the newly formed Software Projects, formed by Alan Manton after leaving Imagine, and the second Pengo type game from the Spectrum.\r\n\r\nWith many of these types of game on the market now, Push Off has stood the test of time and I still thing that it's highly playable. Content in Pengo games is never very good, this is one of the better versions. The addictive qualities have worn off as there are many more content-high games available (in a general sense). The graphics are good but with none of the latest great animation.\r\nMU\r\n\r\nPengo games were never my strength, so Push Off always a favourite because of its little frills. The bells to be rung (making the bugs dizzy so you can run them over) seemed a better answer than the electrified walls, and the fact that you can create blocks as well as destroy them made the game easier to control. Perhaps that indicates an arcade playing weakness, but I liked Push Off. Its graphics stand up well, bright and exceptionally smooth. The control keys were a bit awkward and, of course, they still are!\r\nLM\r\n\r\n(Matthew) I would drop the playability (90%) and the addictive qualities (85%) down to about 70% now, otherwise I would think the review still stands.\r\n\r\n(Lloyd) I would drop use of computer (78%) and playability if reviewing it today. The addictive qualities are a little over the top as well.\r\n\r\nORIGINAL REVIEW\r\n\r\nUse of Computer: 78%\r\nGraphics: 89%\r\nPlayability: 90%\r\nGetting Started: 80%\r\nAddictive Qualities: 85%\r\nValue for Money: 87%\r\nOverall: 85%","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"100","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Matthew Uffindell","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Lloyd Mangram","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Fresh, attractive graphics make Push Off a still playable game."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]