[{"TitleName":"Viking Raiders","Publisher":"Firebird Software Ltd","Author":"Mark Lucas","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0005573","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 14, May 1985","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-04-18","Editor":"Kevin Cox","TotalPages":74,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nArt Editor: Hazel Bennington\r\nDeputy Editor: Peter Shaw\r\nProduction Editor: Louise Cook\r\nArt Assistant: Martin Dixon\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nContributors: Stephen Adams, Dave Nicholls, Roger Willis, Ross Holman, Terry Bulfib, Chris Wood, Sue Denham, SQ Factor, Tony Samuels, AM Grant, B Hobson\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Joe Harrower\r\nAdvertisement Executive: David Baskerville\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Jill Harris\r\nGroup Art Director: Jimmy Egerton\r\nManaging Editor: Roger Munford\r\nPublisher: Stephen England\r\n\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England. Telephone (all departments): [redacted]\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 Spectrum ©1985 Felden productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Spectrum is a monthly publication."},"MainText":"VIKING RAIDERS\r\nFirebird\r\n£2.50\r\n\r\nRoger: This knockabout Nordic wargame features up to four armies slapping each other around a map showing angular fjords and the various battle formations. Swordplay, siege catapults and searfaring sorties are only a part of the potential conflict.\r\n\r\nThe hordes of Wotan The Wicked, Odin The Odious, Brunhilda The Bold and Egbert The Exccrable, swarm across the northern tundra to battle it out under human control or computer substitution. But it's nothing to go berserk about!\r\n\r\nTo enjoy such uncivilised and aggressive behaviour demands a special penchant for this type of action, because the graphics are seriously underwhelming. The kick must be on a cerebral strategy scale but, if it is, I failed to find the fun and my concentration swiftly withered into plug-pulling boredom. If it's supposed to be about Scandinavian rape, pillage and loot tendencies, I think I'll stick to the crispbread...","ReviewerComments":["I've always found something lacking in Speccy strategy games. For the price though Viking Raiders is pretty good value if you're a strategist.\r\nDave Nicholls\r\n2/5 MISS","This war game is slow and basic (in both senses). Still, I like the bit when your army stumbles on some booze and gets rapidly drunk. I knowhow they feel.\r\nRoss Holman\r\n1/5 MISS"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"50","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Dave Nicholls","Score":"2","ScoreSuffix":"/5 MISS"},{"Name":"Ross Holman","Score":"1","ScoreSuffix":"/5 MISS"},{"Name":"Roger Willis","Score":"1","ScoreSuffix":"/5 MISS"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 34, Jan 1985","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-12-13","Editor":"Bill Scolding","TotalPages":212,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bill Scolding\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nConsultant Editor: Mike Johnston\r\nStaff Writer: Chris Bourne, Clare Edgeley\r\nIllustrator/Designer: Craig Kennedy\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Rob Cameron\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Kathy McLennan\r\nProduction Assistant: James McClure\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Claudia Viertel\r\nEditorial Assistant: Colette McDermott\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nAssistant Publisher: Neil Wood\r\nPublisher: Gerry Murray\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\n96,271 Jan-June 1984\r\n\r\nTelephone\r\nEditorial and advertising departments\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs or articles:\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nOriginal programs should be on cassette and articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included.\r\n\r\nWe pay £20 for the copyright of each program published and £50 for star programs.\r\n\r\nAll subscription enquiries to\r\nMagazine Services,\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1985\r\nSinclair User\r\nISSN NO. 0262-5458\r\n\r\nPrinted and typeset by Cradley Print PLC, [redacted]\r\n\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd."},"MainText":"BARGAINS ARE BOOTYFUL\r\n\r\nBOOTY\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £2.50\r\nJoystick: Kempston, Sinclair, Programmable\r\n\r\nVIKING RAIDERS\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £2.50\r\n\r\nTHE WILD BUNCH\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £2.50\r\n\r\nEXODUS\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £2.50\r\nJoystick: Cursor, Kempston\r\n\r\nIn a bid to capitalise on the computer gaming scene, British Telecom has recently entered the market with their Silver range of games - priced at £2.50.\r\n\r\nThey are a mixed bag. BT's claim that the games are worthy of a five pound price tag seems to be applicable to only two of the games reviewed here. The remaining two would be expensive at any price over £2.50.\r\n\r\nIn Booty, you play the pan of Jim the Cabin Boy who finds himself aboard the infamous pirate ship - the Black Galleon. One night while most of the pirates are sitting down to a steady drinking spree Jim creeps round the levels of the ship to steal their loot.\r\n\r\nHowever, life is not always a game and Jim finds himself in the suds when he realises that not all the pirates are drunk - some have been left on guard. To get into their cabins, he has to steal the keys from under their noses.\r\n\r\nThe graphics are excellent with half the game portrayed in the increasingly popular style reminiscent of Sabre Wulf and Pyjamarama.\r\n\r\nViking Raiders is a different kettle of fish. It is a strategy game set amongst warfaring vikings back in the days of King Canute.\r\n\r\nThere are four armies, each headed by a Viking chief. The aim is to defeat the other three armies and become victor and ruler of the area. Dirty tricks abound and your catapults can be used to devastating effect.\r\n\r\nThe graphics are sparse and basic. Each army takes a different colour which is hard on the eyes. Bright blues, pinks and greens may look nice in the programmer's imagination but they look terrible to the player who has to squint to see what is going on. However, there is enough appeal in the game to detract from these basic graphics.\r\n\r\nThe remaining two games are The Wild Bunch and Exodus. The Wild Bunch is an adventure set in the wild west. Framed for a murder you didn't commit, you are out to nail the Wild Bunch. The game resembles a superior multiple choice with a selection of options given to you at every move.\r\n\r\nAdventures written in that style are rarely as exciting as those written in the more conventional mode - they rapidly become tedious. Billed as a graphical adventure, The Wild Bunch has a few scenes dotted around the adventure which are well depicted. For the most part though it appears to be mostly text.\r\n\r\nExodus is your average arcade game packed with characters cloned from other games. Mutant llamas abound, hovver mowers, galleons and TV sets lurk and assorted aliens merely wait to get you. The game lacks excitement, the graphics flicker and the sound is fairly average.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"39","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Clare Edgeley","Score":"6","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Gilbert Factor","Score":"6/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 41, Mar 1985","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-02-16","Editor":"Tim Metcalfe","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nDeputy Editor: Wendie Pearson\r\nEditorial Assistant: Lesley Walker\r\nStaff Writer/Reader Services: Seamus St. John\r\nArt Editor: Linda Freeman\r\nDesigner: Sylvia Wells\r\nProduction Editor: Mary Morton\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Louise Matthews\r\nAdvertising Executives: Bernard Dugdale, Sean Brennan, Phil Godsell\r\nProduction Assistant: Melanie Paulo\r\nPublisher: Rita Lewis\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: £15. Additional service information including individual overseas airmail rates available upon request. Circulation Department: EMAP National Publications. Published and distributed by EMAP National Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\nPrinted by Severn Valley Press. Typeset by In-Step Ltd.\r\n\r\nCover: Jef Riddle"},"MainText":"MACHINE: Spectrum\r\nSUPPLIER: Firebird\r\nPRICE: £2.50\r\n\r\nViking Raiders is just one of the flood games from Firebird - British Telecom's software spinoff who have entered the budget price game market. And a nice little game it is too. You take part in a battle between four Viking overlords. Four human players can fight it out - or any combination human and computer players.\r\n\r\nThe battlefield features fjords which freeze over as the game progresses making the movement of armies easier, although you can use all the gold you have in the VSB Viking Savings Bank stupid! - to buy longboats, armies and catapults.\r\n\r\nThe aim of the game is to move your forces around the battlefield and conquer your opponents' castles - before they do the same to you.\r\n\r\nThe characters - like Odin the Odious and Wotan the Wicked - have their own specific characteristics, and are amusing too! There is even a wicked lady Viking warrior - just as tricky as the men.\r\n\r\nThe program is well presented, with lots useful prompts which flash up at the bottom of the screen during loading and play. The documentation is good - backed up by good instruction screens within the gameitself.\r\n\r\nThe graphics are not much to write home about - but who cares when you can get an entertaining game for just £2.50. Good value, Firebird!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"25","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]