[{"TitleName":"Spectrum Safari","Publisher":"A.J. Rushton","Author":"A.J. Rushton","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0004730","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 5, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-24","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":126,"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\nTelephone numbers\r\nEditorial/office [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\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\nPhotosetting by SIOS [redacted]\r\nColour origination by Scan Studio, [redacted]\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd, [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":"Producer: C.D.S. Microsystems\r\nMemory Required: 48K\r\nRetail Price: £5.95\r\nLanguage: BASIC\r\nAuthor: A.J. Rushton\r\n\r\nSpectrum Safari isn't exactly a new game. Its author, A.J. Rushton, originally marketed it under his own name when it was released last summer, but now it has been repackaged by CDS and given a new lease of life and better marketing, which is good, because this original and entertaining game deserves it.\r\n\r\nThe basic aim is to escape from a tropical island with as many of your exploring party alive as possible. Besides yourself, there are two others in the party. The centre of the island is a large swamp surrounded by six native villages. Your party starts off in the north-west, and the only boat to use for your escape is in the south-east. Movement is accomplished by entering in the direction you wish to travel. You need plenty of food as each man eats one pack per move. To get more food the villages may be visited where the villagers will offer to bargain for food (watch your money supply) and you can add to your team or replace lost members by bartering for one of the villagers. Pitching a bid too low may upset them and they won't deal with you. This is sad because, once visited, a village can't be returned to again.\r\n\r\nThe major problem to be encountered on your safari is the island's wildlife. Almost every move made will result in your party stumbling upon some creature or other. Some of these are virtually university educated and ask mathematical quizzes of you. Some demand that you tell them their name. Others ask memory questions, but some are downright mean and force you into an arcade sequence. Should you fail the test, one of your party is killed off (hence the value of buying more men from the villages as these represent your lives!). On the other hand, a correctly answered test will give you 500 more 'Rubloons' of money for bartering with. Running out of food will also kill off a member of your team, the boat may only be bought at one village, which you must reach, and to succeed in escaping you must have sufficient food with you.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: vary from sequence to sequence but prompted on screen\r\nUse of colour: good\r\nGraphics: varied, amusing although a bit small. The hi-res drawings work well\r\nSound: mostly beeps\r\nSkill levels: 3\r\nLives: three to start, then depends on your bartering skills","ReviewerComments":["I played Spectrum Safari some time back and remembered enjoying it. So it was nice to get to review it again. Time hasn't dimmed its appeal either. What's nice about this madcap game is that it keeps you on your toes and it's very playable by a family along the lines of those TV family quiz games. To avoid being mangled by a mad marmoset, for instance, you must add up three blocks of them and give the correct answer in a few seconds. It's not easy, and a quick eye is needed. The little arcade sequences, like getting through the maze of cruel crocodiles, are nicely done, although naturally the graphics are quite simple. Original, enjoyable and quite addictive as well.\r\r\nUnknown","This game is totally original and combines some strategy elements with quizzes and arcade pieces. I would call it a lighthearted rather than deadly serious game, but there's enough in it to keep you going for some time, and it gets to be pretty maddening! Some things first time round are literally killing. The lion who wants you to repeat his name after flashing it on the screen for what looks like a quarter of a second just makes you laugh. You do get better though. \r\r\nUnknown","A graphics adventure that combines \"soft\" arcade with adventure elements and is very interactive with the player. It's fun.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Unusual, entertaining and good value.","Page":"90","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"65%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"50%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"68%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"69%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"69%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"65%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 2, Mar 1984","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1984-02-16","Editor":"Roger Munford","TotalPages":98,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Munford\r\nContributing Editor: Bruce Sawford\r\nTechnical Editor: Ron Smith\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSub Editor: Nik Lumsden\r\nContributors: Toni Baker, Simon Goodwin, Mike Lord, Ian Beardsmore, Max Philips, Guy Kewney, Henry Budgett, Gary Marshall, Dilwyn Jones, Phil Manchester\r\nArt Editor: Jimmy Egerton\r\nArt Assistants: Steve Broadhurst, Mike Wilkes\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Jeff Raggett\r\nAdvertisement Managers: Shane Campbell, Gill Harris\r\nProduction Editor: Derek Cohen\r\nTypesetters: Anne Ashby, Maggie Kayley, Velma Miller\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Art Director: Perry Neville\r\nPublisher: Stephen England\r\nDistribution Manager: Colin James\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England. Telephone (all departments): [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Spectrum ©1984 Felden productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Spectrum is a bi-monthly publication and the third issue will be available during the second week of April 1984."},"MainText":"SPECTRUM SAFARI\r\nCDS Microsystems\r\n£5.95\r\n\r\nA semi-adventure where you wander round the screen coming across various animals which all ask you to play games, or solve riddles. Really, a sort of compendium of games rolled into one.","ReviewerComments":["This is a sort of adventure, but the player need not be too skilful at arcade games to succeed.\r\nStephen Cathrall","There's an overall strategy theme, with varying speeds for each section - although it's never dazzlingly fast. You'll find such items as gorilla-gambling, snake-shooting and guessing games.\r\nStewart McPherson","This is a collection of bad 'magazine type' programs thrown together, with less than spectacular graphics and an average choice of colours. And because it's written in Basic, it's not particularly fast.\r\nPeter Shaw"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"56","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Stephen Cathrall","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Stewart McPherson","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Peter Shaw","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"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: A J Rushton, 48K\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nI've been told that this game is now marketed by CDS Micro Systems. In any event it is a jolly and original mixture of arcade bits with text/graphics adventure which should keep you on your toes unless you're a D&D purist. The idea is to take your party of stranded explorers across an island infested with highly intelligent wildlife with university degrees, and beset with natives who want to barter away their food and men to replace that eaten by the men or the intelligent wildlife. Once you have visited a village it disappears forever, presumably wiped out through lack of resistance to some vile white man's disease, but it teaches you caution in your bargaining, if you're getting short of explorers (lives) in your party. Losing them all means death to the player. The main object is to find the only boat, buy it and sail away from this Magnus Magnusson madhouse. Every animal encountered has some problem for you; sometimes its an arcade style situation, sometimes they want to know the answer to a difficult mathematical problem. If you fail a member of your party gets eaten. Nice clear graphics and a veritable MGM musical score makes this a very enjoyable game. Recommended.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"64","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"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: A J Rushto, 48K\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nI've been told that this game is now marketed by CDS Micro Systems. In any event it is a jolly and original mixture of arcade bits with text/graphics adventure which should keep you on your toes unless you're a D&D purist. The idea is to take your party of stranded explorers across an island infested with highly intelligent wildlife with university degrees, and beset with natives who want to barter away their food and men to replace that eaten by the men or the intelligent wildlife. Once you have visited a village it disappears forever, presumably wiped out through lack of resistance to some vile white man's disease, but it teaches you caution in your bargaining, if you're getting short of explorers (lives) in your party. Losing them all means death to the player. The main object is to find the only boat, buy it and sail away from this Magnus Magnusson madhouse. Every animal encountered has some problem for you; sometimes its an arcade style situation, sometimes they want to know the answer to a difficult mathematical problem. If you fail a member of your party gets eaten. Nice clear graphics and a veritable MGM musical score makes this a very enjoyable game. Recommended.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"65","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"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":"Producer: A J Rushto, 48K\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nI've been told that this game is now marketed by CDS Micro Systems. In any event it is a jolly and original mixture of arcade bits with text/graphics adventure which should keep you on your toes unless you're a D&D purist. The idea is to take your party of stranded explorers across an island infested with highly intelligent wildlife with university degrees, and beset with natives who want to barter away their food and men to replace that eaten by the men or the intelligent wildlife. Once you have visited a village it disappears forever, presumably wiped out through lack of resistance to some vile white man's disease, but it teaches you caution in your bargaining, if you're getting short of explorers (lives) in your party. Losing them all means death to the player. The main object is to find the only boat, buy it and sail away from this Magnus Magnusson madhouse. Every animal encountered has some problem for you; sometimes its an arcade style situation, sometimes they want to know the answer to a difficult mathematical problem. If you fail a member of your party gets eaten. Nice clear graphics and a veritable MGM musical score makes this a very enjoyable game. Recommended.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"71,72","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 18, Jul 1983","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1983-07-14","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":90,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"CHARACTER SET\r\n\r\nEditorial\r\nEditor: Cyndy Miles\r\nAssistant Editor: Geof Wheelwright\r\nProduction Editor: Keith Parish\r\nSub-Editor: John Lettice\r\nNews Editor: David Guest\r\nNews Writers: Ralph Bancroft, Wendie Pearson\r\nSoftware Editor: Shirley Fawcett\r\nSystems Editor: Max Phillips\r\nHardware Editor: Richard King\r\nPeripherals Editor: Ian Scales\r\nListings Editor: Sandra Grandison\r\nEditor's Assistant: Harriet Arnold\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nArt Editor: David Robinson\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Floyd Sayers\r\nArt Assistant: Dolores Fairman\r\nPublisher: Fiona Collier\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nPublishing Assistant: Jane Green\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nAdvertisement Director: John Cade\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Nic Jones\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Sue Hunter\r\nSales Executives: Robert Stallibrass, Matthew Parrot, Bettina Williams, Ian Whorley, Sarah Barron, Roxanna Johnston, Christian McCarthy\r\nProduction Manager: Eva Wroblewska\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Jenny Dunne\r\nSubscription Enquiries: Gill Stevens\r\nSubscription Address: [redacted]\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nAdvertising Address: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n© VNU 1983. No material maybe reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\nPhotoset by Quickset, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Chase Web Offset, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Seymour Press, [redacted]\r\nRegistered at the PO as a newspaper\r\n\r\nCover photography by Victor Watts"},"MainText":"NAME: Spectrum Safari\r\nSYSTEM: Spectrum 48K\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\nPUBLISHER: AJ Rushton, [redacted]\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nOUTLETS: Mail order\r\n\r\nSUFFERING SAFARIS!\r\n\r\nSafaris are dangerous enterprises, and A J Rushton's Spectrum Safari is no exception.\r\n\r\nThe game's appeal lies mainly in its perverse (and sometimes irritating) wit. While many other computer games revel in violence and death, there's enough of an element of black humour in Safari to make it a healthy exercise in pure fun.\r\n\r\nOBJECTIVES\r\n\r\nThe objective of Safari sounds simple enough. You and two other intrepid explorers must reach the southeast corner of an island on which you are trapped, starting at the northwest corner of said island. On the way you and your fellow worthies must trade with members of various native villages for food and the boat you need to leave the place. Only one of the villages has the boat, however.\r\n\r\nSounds easy, right? Wrong. This island has more tricks up its figurative sleeve than Mandrake the Magician.\r\n\r\nThe game's real challenge lies in trying to outwit a variety of nasty creatures that pop up on screen with alarming regularity. Unless you perform the tasks outlined by those beasties you're dead meat.\r\n\r\nYou must also be able to make canny deals with the natives for food. Otherwise you can lose members of your party through starvation.\r\n\r\nFIRST IMPRESSIONS\r\n\r\nThis is a game with any number of possible courses of action. But at the same time Safari's opening set of instructions are clear, concise and relatively free of mumbo-jumbo - a pleasant relief.\r\n\r\nThe game's witty style is apparent from the beginning as the instructions flash on to a decidedly off-beat musical accompaniment.\r\n\r\nThe cassette sleeve gives no indication of Safari's high quality. Rushton and friends should have been a little more market conscious, perhaps, and designed a more visually appealing package.\r\n\r\nIN PLAY\r\n\r\nYou move your exploration party north, south, east, or west by hitting, logically enough, one of the N, S, E or W keys. But there's not a lot of moving about in Safari. Before you've moved more than two or three steps in any direction you're likely to meet one of the animal challengers.\r\n\r\nBefore moving anywhere it's important to remember that each time you move, each man uses up one food pack. So it's best to try to walk in a straight line towards your goal, the southeast corner of the island.\r\n\r\nThe island is divided into open country, with a lake surrounded by a swamp in the centre. As the game's instructions make clear, it's wise to avoid the swamp as much as possible, despite the fact that native villages are located just inside its boundaries. It was my bad luck to fall victim to the dreaded swamp, and I found my party had been reduced by one man even without the intervention of an animal.\r\n\r\nAbout those animals. The difficulties posed by these critters vary widely. For example there's a lion whose purpose if, life is to try to get you to remember his name.\r\n\r\nThis he does by flashing his name on the screen ever so briefly. If you type his correct name into the computer good for you. If not, you become Leo's (or Herbert's or Chris's) dinner.\r\n\r\nIt should be mentioned that the lion announces his presence with a tasteful electronic version of the opening bars of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.\r\n\r\nSimilarly, animal challenger Bruce the Koala's arrival on the scene is heralded by a brief rendition of Waltzing Matilda.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately cute little Brucie is quite likely to bring tears to the eyes of the unsuspecting Safari player who must guess which of 100 eucalyptus trees Bruce is hiding behind. You've six chances, and should you fail, another explorer bites the dust.\r\n\r\nBruce is rather sporting, though, and gives you clues like 'Pretty Good For A Pommy' when you're hot on his trail.\r\n\r\nLess wonderful is the arcade-style Maze of Crocodiles,which is much more a test of skill than friendly Bruce amid the trees. Negotiating this takes some quick thinking and a fair degree of manual dexterity. Should you fail, that awful Funeral March comes on again.\r\n\r\nOther animals the intrepid Safari player will encounter include the Mathematical Marmosets, who are displayed in alarming profusion on screen in just a few brief seconds. If your estimate of their number is off, then it's goodbye to you.\r\n\r\nThere is also the snake shoot, in which you have a set amount of time to shoot off a series of arrows at the dreaded snakes, who will reduce you to so much adder fodder should you fail to kill enough.\r\n\r\nBut the award for Safari's most frustrating foe goes to the Kicking Sheep. Here you've got to guess which of the sheep's legs will kick next. If you don't obtain a score of at least five correct guesses in the ten chances you have you're out. This is one of the few weak areas of the game, as it's well-nigh impossible to guess correctly.\r\n\r\nShould you be skillful - and lucky - enough to get past all the other animal menaces you'll eventually reach the edge of the sea and make your escape.\r\n\r\nBut since that's rather hard to do, Rushton has thoughtfully provided a practice mode that enables you to hone your skills against any of the various animal challengers.\r\n\r\nVERDICT\r\n\r\nAn excellent game, well thought out and beautifully executed. Safari has great sound effects and graphics that are neither gimmicky nor confusing.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve McClure","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Lasting Appeal","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Use Of Machine","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall Value","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]