[{"TitleName":"Savage","Publisher":"Firebird Software Ltd","Author":"Alan Tomkins, David Perry, David Shea, David Whittaker, Jas C. Brooke, Nick Bruty","YearOfRelease":"1988","ZxDbId":"0004353","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 59, Dec 1988","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1988-11-17","Editor":"Dominic Handy","TotalPages":213,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Dominic Handy\r\nAssistant Editor: Stuart Wynne\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Philip King, Lloyd Mangram, Nick Roberts\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nContributors: Jon Bates, Graham Callum, Raffaele Cecco, Mel Croucher, Ian Cull, Paul Evans, Philippa Irving, Ian Lacey, Barnaby Page, Ian Philipson, Paul Sumner\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nArt Director: Mark Kendrick\r\nAssistant Art Director: Wayne Allen\r\nReprographics Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nProduction Team: Ian Chubb, Melvin Fisher, Robert Hamilton, Robert Millichamp, Tim Morris, Yvonne Priest\r\n\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nPublisher: Geoff Grimes\r\nAdvertisement Director: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nSales Executives: Sarah Chapman, Andrew Smales\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris, Lee Watkins [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 the Sticky Solutions Department 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. No 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\nHAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL CRASH READERS\r\n\r\nTotal: 96,590\r\nUK/EIRE: 90,822\r\n\r\n©CRASH Ltd, 1988\r\n\r\nISSN 0954-8661\r\n\r\nCover Design & Illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Ludlow on a wednesday night?\r\n\r\nProducer: Firebird\r\nAxed Price: £8.99 cass\r\nAuthor: Probe Software\r\n\r\nYour true love has been kidnapped by demons, so straightening your Proclaimers-type glasses and fastening your loin cloth you set off for the local disco to chat someone else up. Unfortunately it's Ludlow, it's a Wednesday, so it's closed. Faced with the prospect of another castle tour you decide to see where the old girl's got to.\r\n\r\nLevel One sees you strolling through a rather a bigger castle than Ludlow's, populated not by Nick-type college students but huge monsters. At first all you've got to fight with is an axe, but after destroying several monsters, glowing blocks are deposited which give extra weapons. These are especially useful against massive Guardians.\r\n\r\nNaturally, when you've fought through them you find your sweetheart's gone for a stroll down Death Valley. After a long multiload you set off in pursuit only to find yourself in a battle with skulls. Zooming along at top speed, trying to shoot these while avoiding stationary monsters is no easy task. But guess what? Your girlfriend never left the castle after all! So halfway through Death Valley you have to turn and go back.\r\n\r\nArrive at the castle and you're pretty knac... tired. And there's no way you're leaping about the castle again, but an old friend is only a phone call away and he's defter than you, being an eagle. You tell him to find your beloved and let her know if she doesn't leave now you're never going to the movies with her again. In the final load, you control the eagle in his search of the lowest levels of the dungeon. But those demons that you savaged (well, you're called Savage after all) on your entrance are still around. Things are not going to be easy...\r\n\r\nThe first thing you notice about Savage is the large and spectacular graphics with minimal colour clash. All three sections look very good indeed and while playability's not bad either, especially on the second section. Yet while technically first class I found the unoriginality disappointing. With so much potential the gameplay is strangely weak. Very similar to Trantor - nice graphics, shame about the game.\r\n\r\nMARK 71%\r\n\r\nTHE ESSENTIALS\r\nJoysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair\r\nGraphics: massive sprites and mildly impressive 3-D perspective on Level Two\r\nSound: buzzy, but effective, 48K title tunes with crunching effects","ReviewerComments":["Huge guardians seem all the rage at the moment and Savage certainly has them on Level One. The next level's like the superb 3-D Deathchase but nowhere near as good, while Level Three brings back memories of the Alchemist with huge sprites (and colour clash). While well presented (apart from the rather jerky scrolling on Level Three), with good tunes and FX, there's nothing that really grabs you and keeps you playing.\r\nPhil King\r\n69%","Three games in one with a linking storyline and decent presentation. In fact, I'd go as far to say this is a pleasure to the old eyes, with excellently defined graphics, smooth animation and lots of colour with minimal clash. While none of the games are particularly original they're all fun to play and mildly addictive.\r\nNick Roberts\r\n84%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: An odd bundle of games which, although playable, doesn't offer much in the originality stakes.","Page":"190","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Phil King","Score":"69","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"84","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"71","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Not in Ludlow castle on Savage's Level One."},{"Text":"Skulls racing towards you in Level Two's Death Valley."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"SAVAGE SAVERS\r\n\r\nDon't fly too close to the water on Level Three - it's lethal.\r\n\r\nLevel Two has targets that move up and down, mirror their movements and they're easier to hit.\r\n\r\nNever stop firing on any level, unless you want to be buried under a swarm of enemies.\r\n\r\nKeep quickly weaving left and right on the second level to avoid the nasties."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"74%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"72%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"73%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"74%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 36, Dec 1988","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1988-11-10","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":132,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Catherine Higgs\r\nDeputy Editor: Ciaran Brennan\r\nStaff Writer: Duncan MacDonald\r\nProduction Editor: Jackie Ryan\r\nTechnical Consultant: David McCandless\r\nContributors: Marcus Berkmann, Richard Blaine, Mike Clowes, Mike 'Skippy' Dunn, Mike Gerrard, Gwyn Hughes, Sean Kelly, Gary Liddon, Peter Shaw, Rachael Smith, Phil South, Ben Stone\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Simon Stansfield\r\nAdvertisement Director: Alistair Ramsay\r\nProduction Manager: Judith Middleton\r\nAdvertisement Production: Kathryn Balchin\r\nMarketing Manager: Bryan Denyer\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":"Firebird\r\n£8.99\r\nReviewer: Duncan MacDonald\r\n\r\nI'm afraid this intro is really more of an appeal than a 'clever' 'link' into the review: so if appeals bore you then skip to the next paragraph, if not then read on chum. In Roger's Thesaurus (yes yes, I know it's Roget's, but this particular copy belongs to a friend of mine called Roger) I was looking under 'savage' when the alternative word 'wild' caught my eye, causing a question I've been mulling over for some years now to come flooding back into my consciousness. Whatever happened to Jack Wild? Remember Jack Wild? You're lucky if you don't - for reasons too numerous to go into - but he was in a series called H.R. Pufnstuf, and then he mysteriously disappeared off the face of the planet. Where is he now? Someone must know! Anyroad, back to the game.\r\n\r\nSavage's a game of three separately loaded parts linked together by a main theme: playing Savage, you have to escape from a dungeon by killing everything that moves, then when you've escaped realise that you've got to steam back in again 'cos you've gorn and left your 'chick' behind. Silly sausage.\r\n\r\nLet's have a butchers at the respective loads, shall we?\r\n\r\nLoad one Blurb. \"Fired by rage, Savage plunges into an orgy of violence, dispatching all who stand in his way. Ahead of him awaits a labyrinth of dank and gloomy dungeons concealing a myriad demons and ghouls.\" The facts. You control a large, brilliantly animated and brightly-coloured axe-wielding warrior sprite in a nicely detailed left/right right/left scrolling dungeon environment. Coming at you thick and fast are countless varied nasties (also brightly coloured), some of which are easy to kill and, and others which aren't. Some of these nasties, when killed, release a sort of jewelled box onto the ground. These can be picked up by crouching on them, and either add to your treasure-count of bestow you with extra killing power. If you survive for any length of time (and you've only three lives) you'll reach the meganasty. Dispatch him and it's down the hole into another level of the cavern, and so on until, if you manage to escape, you'll be given an access code for load two.\r\n\r\nLoad two. Blurb. \"Savage has escaped from the castle and will have to fight the defenders of Death Valley whose aim is to stop all who seek to escape from the area.\" The facts. The view changes from side-on to 3D 'viewed through your own eyes'. Thousands of large green monoliths come flying towards you as you speed across the ground, starting as specks on the horizon and rapidly growing into impassable blocks with scarey faces as you near. These, quite simply, have to be avoided, while appearaing from out of nowhere and keeping a set distance from you are faces of ghosts and skulls. These have to be shot. For comparison purposes here you should visualise the 'approaching tower sequence' from either Space Harrier or Glass - i.e. it's all very slick and fast, but in this one there's loads of colour. Avoiding the monoliths at the same time as shooting the nasties is a tricky business indeed, but should you clear the round without losing your (again) three lives, you'll get an access code for load three.\r\n\r\nLoad three Blurb. \"Halfway through the attacks, Savage discovers his 'escape' from the castle was a trick to keep his maiden love (i.e his 'chick') imprisoned foreover, so he returns to the castle and calls upon his trusty eagle to fly into the labyrinth to rescue her for him!\" The facts. Back to the side on, left/right, right/left, up/down scrolling format. This time, however, you're in control of the eagle as you negotiate the crowded colourful caverns, killing (with laser bolts) the assorted enemy (bats, other birds, gargoyles, hopping mega-nasty), and avoiding the obstacles (falling weights, spiked platforms and much more). Colour, again is used in abundance - to good affect - the sprites are all chunky, and the animation on the eagle is absolutely splendid.\r\n\r\nSavage, as a whole, is an absolute corker of a romp. Each of the three parts is equally playable and equally varied. As I've said about nine times already, colour is used to brilliant effect inducing the kind of attribute-clash that doesn't really matter too much - i.e. there's a bit of it, but the action is so fast you never get to point at the screen and say \"Oh look, there's a character square\". In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I'm surprised the Speccy can handle the amount of colour used so successfully - especially on the first level. The sounds okay too, as is the control response, difficulty, addictiveness and all the other things that go to make a game perch that little but higher than all the rest and achieve megagame status. Oh, and by the way, you can see levels two and three without the access-codes from levels one and two - but you only get one life, so if you want to stand a chance of completing Savage... get those codes.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"A highly colourful 'three games in one' package in which each of the sub games would merit a release on their own.","Page":"92,93","Denied":false,"Award":"Your Sinclair Megagame","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Duncan MacDonald","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":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"9/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 80, Nov 1988","Price":"£1.6","ReleaseDate":"1988-10-18","Editor":"Graham Taylor","TotalPages":108,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Graham 'No Compromise' Taylor\r\nDeputy Editor: Jim 'Accelerate Out of Trouble' Douglas\r\nProduction Editor: Alison 'I'm Just Popping Out for a Massage' Skeat\r\nArt Editor: Tim 'High Tackle' Noonan\r\nAdventure: The Sorceress\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nTechnical: Andrew Hewson, Rupert Goodwins\r\nContributors: Tony 'I've Lost My Glasses. Wah!' Dillon, Chris 'They Should Be Shot' Jenkins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Katherine Lee\r\nSenior Sales: Shane Hussien\r\nAd Production: Emma Ward\r\nPublisher's Assistant: Debbie Pearson\r\nPublisher: Terry 'I'm Not Leaving Until You Agree With Me' Pratt\r\nMarketing: Clive 'Zxxx' Pembridge\r\n\r\nPhone: [redacted]\r\nFax: [redacted]\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nThis Month's Cover: Jerry 'Mad Dog' Parks\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\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries: [redacted]\r\n24 Hour Order Line: [redacted]\r\nBack Issues: Back Issues Department (SU), [redacted]"},"MainText":"Label: Firebird\r\nAuthor: Probe\r\nPrice: £8.99\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Tony Dillon\r\n\r\nWow! Savage is berriiillliiiaaannnttt!! This is what Spectrum gaming is all about! Large, colourful, well animated graphics, incredibly addictive gameplay and incredible graphics. Yes, I know I've mentioned the graphics before, but just take a look at them! They're wicked! (Sound of body falling to the floor. (Tony, are you all right? - Worried GT)).\r\n\r\nThe basic idea behind the game is that Dirk, the hero, has to rescue his scantily clad nympho girlfriend. To do this, he has to get through three sections of hair raising, fast moving, pure arcade action.\r\n\r\nThe first is a left to right (with a bit of down here and there) scroller featuring our hero in full battle pose. As he runs down the long colourful corridors, he gets attacked by oversized houseflies and spiders, which he destroys by throwing axe after axe, each hit commiting pesticide. Now I don't know if you've noticed the three odd things in that last sentence. 1) I don't know about you, but I have yet to meet someone who carries an infinite supply of axes. How does he carry them all, and where? 2) How many explosive axes have you seen? 3) It can't be the easiest pastime in the world, killing flies with axes. Still, that's nitpicking.\r\n\r\nAs with any arcade game, you always have to have the big nasty, and in the case of the first level, it's a big pot-bellied demon who jumps around and looks very menacing. As usual, he takes hundreds of shots before he finally explodes in a mess of colour that puts even the mightly Exolon to shame.\r\n\r\nAs with all the sections, the graphics go far beyond what I thought the Spectrum was capable of. True, there is colour clash, but not anything worth complaining about. Plus, this level features bouncy message-o-vision. Huge messages like 'get going', 'shoot' and 'nice one' fall from the top of the screen, bounce, and then disappear. Once you reach the end of the level, you are presented with a password with which you gain access to part 2 (which has to be loaded in separately).\r\n\r\nPart 2 is a 3D jetbike romp through a surreal world of strange colours and weird statues. As usual, the graphics are huge and very very fast. The 3D works really well, due to the smooth, fast update and the scrolling floor pattern. Tall green totem-like monoliths fly toward you, poking their tongues out before colliding into you, whilst headlike things swivel in panic as you blast them with your cannon.\r\n\r\nOn later parts of the level, large bouncing nasties fly around and launch missiles at you. The incredible thing about this level is that, while there's all this fast smooth colourful action going on, there isn't a hint of colour clash anywhere. Wow!\r\n\r\nYou've finally made it, the final level. For this one you abandon control of our hero and take to the skies in the guise of an eagle. You have to fly the eagle around the large multidirectional scrolling gaze in search of Dirk's woman. The best bit on this level, apart from the incredible animation of the main sprite, and yet again the stunning use of colour, is the amazing amount of ways to die, each shown in a visually different and exciting manner. For example, fly under a press at the wrong time, and you see your bird squashed in a glorious (or should that be gorious) way. Get attacked by a certain kind of nastie, and you fall to the ground, minus your head. Great stuff.\r\n\r\nSavage is the perfect game (at least so far) as far as original arcade names are concerned. Can anyone go much better? We can't wait to xxxxx out.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"The closest thing yet to the perfect arcade game. What more could anybody want?","Page":"10,11","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tony Dillon","Score":"96","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"98%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"96%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"92%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"96%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 86, Dec 1988","Price":"£1.2","ReleaseDate":"1988-11-16","Editor":"Eugene Lacey","TotalPages":180,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Eugene Lacey\r\nDeputy Editor: Julian Rignall\r\nSub-Editor: Seamus St. John\r\nStaff Writer: Matt Bielby\r\nArt Editor: Andrea Walker\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Garry Williams\r\nSales Executive: Joanne Cook\r\nAdvertisement Production: Lora Clark\r\nGerman Correspondent: Carsten Borgmeier\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]"},"MainText":"MACHINES: Spectrum, C64, Amstrad, Amiga, ST\r\nSUPPLIER: Firebird\r\nPRICE: Spec £8.99 cass, Ams/C64 £9.99 cass, ST/Amiga £19.99\r\nVERSION TESTED: Spectrum, 64\r\n\r\nIf I was to walk up to you in the street and tell you that a Spectrum was capable of an almost arcade quality game with huge, colourful graphics and immense playability, what are the odds you'd have me locked away. That's why I'm not going to tell you in the street, I'm going to write it here. The Spectrum is capable of an arcade quality game. You still don't believe me? Then feast your eyes on Savage.\r\n\r\nSavage is, if you didn't already know, the hottest game from Telecomsoft yet, who seem to be having a bit of a ball at the moment, what with Carrier Command and StarGlider and these still screenshots can't even begin to convey the wonderfulness of this game. It's the only game that makes a colour monitor worthwhile for the Spectrum, it's amazing!\r\n\r\nSavage is a 6'4\" blond haired, macho Danish programmer-type person, whose girlfriend has been kidnapped. His job is to rescue her, through fire and ice, come hell or high water. Savage's woman has been woman-napped by some vicious fiend (probably) and so, as lovers do, he's set off to rescue her through three levels of glorious technicolour, non-clashing, brilliant, 100% pure arcade action.\r\n\r\nThe first features our hero, Trantor-like, in all his macho glory, and what a stud he is. He even walks muscly. He make Eugene Lacey looks like Arnold Swarcheneet, er, swodgernagger, um, Sylvester Stallone. He has to run from left to right, hurling magic axes from his infinite magic axe supply at the attacking flies, spiders, and Ad Managers. Yes, even in a game as wonderful as this, our own Garry Williams makes on entrance as a huge, pot-bellied, lager swilling ad-selling demon, who bounces around hurling lightning bolts, which is only slightly different to what he normally does. He bounces around hurling abuse. The graphics ore huge, well animated, colourful, non-clashing and simply amazing. Definitely a must see.\r\n\r\nPass that lot and it's onto the second level, which is a 3D jaunt, Space Harrier-like, through a nightmare world of rotating head-shaped monoliths and totem poles that stick their tongues our rudely when they get close. As usual fast, colourful graphics abound, and the 3D movement works really well. Funnily enough, the programmer has quite cleverly managed to get brown as one of the colours on the scrolling floor. Quite clever considering the Spectrum doesn't have brown as a base colour.\r\n\r\nThat is the beauty of Savage - it pushes the Spectrum even further than anyone believed it could be pushed right at the end of 1988. The 16 bit version promise some surprises as well from what I've heard - liked the digitised roar of our hero who shouts \"Savage\" every so often on the Amiga version.\r\n\r\nNext it's onto the third and final level. The girl is hidden somewhere in a maze far too difficult for Savage to negotiate, so he sends his pet bird in. For most people, a pet bird is a budgie or a canary. For Savage, it's an eagle. What you have to do on this level is fly the eagle around the maze until it finds the girl. Simple! The only difficulty is that the enemy normally have some sort of say in it, and it's this level that features the best of the graphics, the eagle's death. Yes, there is more than one way to die. He can get squashed under a falling pole, he can get impaled on spikes, he can merely get his head bitten off and fall to the floor all portrayed in similarly gory ways.\r\n\r\nSavage is definitely one of the best arcade games yet seen on the Spectrum. If you don't buy it, it's not worth your while having a Spectrum.\r\n\r\nSavage could be the game that puts development house Probe well and truly on the map. Congratulations are due all round.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"66,67","Denied":false,"Award":"C+VG Hit","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tony Dillon","Score":"87","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"A nice view from the castle battlements."},{"Text":"Better do as the man says."},{"Text":"Hula that hoop."},{"Text":"I wonder if it's friendly."},{"Text":"Savage, standing proud!"},{"Text":"The Gene Simmons of the statue world."},{"Text":"Things are a bit too quiet..."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"C64 SCORES\r\n\r\nGraphics: Not Rated\r\nSound: Not Rated\r\nValue: Not Rated\r\nPlayability: Not Rated\r\nOverall: 78%"},{"Text":"UPDATE...\r\n\r\nThe Amstrad version looks and feels pretty similar to the Spectrum version, the only main difference being that there's considerably more blood when you die on the third level. The C64 version, funnily enough, is also looking pretty similar to the Spectrum version. How it plays remains to be seen. ST and Amiga versions will be available soon, boasting even better graphics, and an amazing soundtrack on the latter. Gameplay will be the same - but is three levels enough to justify the price tag?"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"87%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"The Games Machine Issue 14, Jan 1989","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1988-12-15","Editor":"Jon Rose","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Jon Rose\r\nReviews Editor: Nik Wild\r\nFeatures Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Robin Hogg, Warren Lapworth, Robin Candy\r\nEditorial Assistants: Vivien Vickress, Caroline Blake\r\nResearcher: David Peters\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson (Assistant)\r\nContributors: Jon Bates, Mel Croucher, Robin Evans, John Woods\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION DEPARTMENT\r\n[redacted]\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nArt Director: Mark Kendrick\r\nAssistant: Wayne Allen\r\nReprographics Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nProduction Team: Ian Chubb, Yvonne Priest, Melvin Fisher, Robert Millichamp, Robert Hamilton, Tim Morris, Jenny Reddard\r\n\r\nADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENTS\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nPublisher: Geoff Grimes\r\nGroup Advertisement Director: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executives: Andrew Smales, Sarah Chapman\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris, Lee Watkins [redacted]\r\nGroup Promotions Executive: Richard Eddy\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by the Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow and on our Apple Macintosh II running Quark Xpress 2.0. 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 TGM. 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 Viv Vickress 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 TGM - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it's accompanied by a suitably stamped, addressed envelope. We regret that readers' postal enquiries cannot always be answered. Unsolicited written or photographic material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Occasional material from Electronic Game Player reproduced by kind permission of Sorjana Publications, California. Other Newsfield publications are CRASH (Spectrum), ZZAP! (Commodore 64/Amiga), FEAR (fantasy and horror) and MOVIE - THE VIDEO MAGAZINE. Now that's interesting, but why are you reading all this when there 143 pages to go?\r\n\r\n©TGM Magazines Ltd, 1988\r\nA Newsfield Publication ISSN 0954-8092\r\n\r\nCover Design by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £8.99\r\nAmstrad CPC Cassette: £8.99, Diskette: £14.99\r\nCommodore 64/128 Cassette: £9.99, Diskette: £12.99\r\n\r\nONE AXE STREAM TO ANOTHER\r\n\r\nAdvertisements for this game use a Firebird in-house hero: a youthful Proclaimer lookalike transformed into an Arnold Schwarzenegger hunk in the space of two pages. It wasn't a can of spinach which made this magical muscle metamorphosis possible, but a hefty joystick workout with Savage.\r\n\r\nSavage certainly lives up to his name and the title of 'supreme fighting machine'. He has long flowing hair, wears little clothing, and wields a razor-sharp axe with wild fury. And in this case, who can blame him, for his beloved maiden has been captured by monstrous Guardians.\r\n\r\nThe fight for freedom is spread through three distinct, individually-loaded stages. The first takes place in a left/right-scrolling castle infested with demons, bats, giant spiders and many other vile creatures.\r\n\r\nA stream of axes is fired to despatch them, whereupon icons are often left behind. These give bonus points, extra weapons, and replace energy lost. Large enemies, requiring several hits to be killed, appear at regular intervals through the stage.\r\n\r\nHOW MEAN WAS MY VALLEY\r\n\r\nOnce outside the castle, Savage has to escape the surrounding area of death valley - a place filled with ghosts, skulls and monoliths whose only purpose in death is to thwart his mission. As Savage speeds along. enemies approach in first-person 3-D perspective. Spinning stars are thrown to eliminate vulnerable enemies but monoliths should be avoided.\r\n\r\nPartway across the valley, Savage realises he was tricked and his maiden is actually back in the castle. Returning there, his way is barred by a locked entrance. In his stead, an eagle is sent forth to explore the multi-direction scrolling castle in search of the girl. Not only are there foul monsters within but also booby-traps, poisonous water and sharp spikes. Spotting fireballs as it goes, magical energy for Savage is collected by the great bird of prey.\r\n\r\nFirebird have aimed for a piece of software as substantial as the heavily muscled schoolboy of the ads - separate loads for each distinctive stage allow large, detailed playing areas.\r\n\r\nThe three stages are based on tried and tested designs, with gameplay nicely balanced between playability and difficulty. Stages two and three may be played without entering a password, leaving you to battle with only a single life, but ensuring you see the whole lively package.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"There is a tremendous amount of colour, for the Spectrum - Savage himself features four. Clash is predictably present and the action is made sometimes indistinct due to the many detailed enemies. A single touch from a large enemy in stage one loses a life, and all assailants resist energy better than in the C64 game, making it more difficult to complete.","Page":"68,69","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"A fat bouncing demon makes the very walls of the castle shudder - Amstrad screen."},{"Text":"Remarkably colourful combat in part one of Savage - Spectrum."},{"Text":"Sparks fly as the man-in-the-moon takes on the long-haired Savage - C64 screen."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"\"Separate loads for each distinctive stage allow large, detailed playing areas\""},{"Text":"AMSTRAD CPC\r\n\r\nOverall: 75%\r\n\r\nClose to the C64 in stages two and three, this features the best looking first section. Colourfully shaded characters lend an almost cartoon-like feel to gameplay. A nice touch is the violent tremors of the castle floor when large monsters jump up and down. The 3-D section is very colourful and slick - marginally the best 8-bit version."},{"Text":"COMMODORE 64/128\r\n\r\nOverall: 74%\r\n\r\nThe introduction screen has some fantastic music, strewn with samples sequenced to produce a suitably energetic piece. In-game music spurs you on through atmospherically shaded backgrounds to worryingly fast 3-D. Sprites are colourful, if indistinct at times, and the smoothly animated Savage is a little dull and blocky."},{"Text":"OTHER FORMATS\r\n\r\nAtari ST, Amiga and PC versions (all £19.99) should be ready before Christmas (1988)."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"72%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]