[{"TitleName":"Blade Alley","Publisher":"PSS","Author":"Roger Pearse","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0000560","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: PSS\r\nRetail Price: £5.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code\r\n\r\nBlade Alley is a 3D shoot 'em up with six screens which uses quite simple graphic devices to create the sense of high-speed movement through trenches, over desert plains and so on. The object of the game is to climb aboard your ion driven interceptor and then shoot out of the sky a variety of enemy craft, saucers, tie fighters and space hoppers as well as asteroids.\r\n\r\nThe 3D effect is created in three different ways. First of all, enemy craft grow bigger as they approach going through what looks like six frames of increasing size, the second device is that everything casts a shadow on the ground, which also grows bigger with approach, as well as defining the apparent height of the craft above the ground. The third method is that the landscape is created with alternate bars of flashing red and mauve, which give the impression of movement.\r\n\r\nIn all the screens, your craft is seen at the foreground, facing out into the screen. Movement is in eight directions with fire possible while moving. In the first screen you plunge into the trench and are assaulted by tie fighters and saucers. The second is fought out over a plain with hoppers and saucers. The third represents your craft flying between two layers of some giant space station. In the fourth you are over a plain with mountains in the background with all four hazards. The fifth screen takes place in outer space without shadows to help you judge height, and the sixth is in a bottomless trench, again without the help of shadows. Moving from screen to screen is accomplished by shooting down the indicated number of saucers, the indication appearing at the bottom of the screen.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: top row=up, third row=down, Q to T=left, Y to P= right, bottom row=fire\r\nJoystick: Kempston\r\nKeyboard play: responsive, and reasonably laid out\r\nUse of colour: good\r\nGraphics: very good, with effective 3D on several levels\r\nSound: continuous, good\r\nSkill levels: 1\r\nLives: 4\r\nScreens: 6\r\nFeatures: Currah Microspeech compatible","ReviewerComments":["Blade Alley is a convincing 3D action game which takes some of the themes of Zaxxon like the shadow on the ground which gives you an idea of height. Depth is also enhanced by you seemingly being placed on a hill over which the approaching enemy craft appear as they hurtle towards you. The aliens are varied and with a fair amount of detail. The game is playable, quite hard, especially as being a realistic 3D it's difficult to judge the height of enemy craft. The explosions are fairly realistic although not very detailed and they are short lived. The hoppers cope with their bouncing action exceptionally well, and I like the way they are animated. Blade Alley is fun to play - I think the scenery could be improved upon instead of just having the changing colours of the ground, and this would add to the fun. Otherwise it's quite an addictive game with a fair amount of action.\r\r\nUnknown","Blade Alley is a fantastic 3D arcade type game. In my opinion, this is the best ever game from P.S.S., and definitely one of the best arcade games I have seen over the past few months. Shooting down the attackers involves getting your ship at the same height as them, and this is achieved by gauging the distance between yourself and your shadow on the ground, relative to the attackers. The space hoppers are excellent and the graphics generally are very clever with just the right amount of colour usage to create pseudo scenery like the walls and plains. Very addictive and fun to play.\r\r\nUnknown","The title screen during loading is a very accurate representation of the inlay cover and in many respects the actual game doesn't disappoint either. I thought the effect of 'your' forward movement was only half successful, and the main feeling is that you are stationary in a trench with the enemy dashing up on you. My other niggle is that once into the demo, you can't break out, and each screen is demoed until the fighter is hit by an enemy or an asteroid, which can sometimes take quite a while. But in playing, Blade Alley is action packed and fun. A lot of its involvement is due to the difficulty of learning the knack in judging correct height to hit the enemy, and I think most players are going to find it very addictive.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: A good to excellent game with plenty of arcade appeal, and a game which should prove addictive.","Page":"33","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"The first screen of Blade Alley."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"82%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"87%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"81%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"85%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 15, Apr 1985","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1985-03-28","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":132,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nAssistant Editor: Graeme Kidd\r\nTechnical Editor: Franco Frey\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nSoftware Editor: Jeremy Spencer\r\nAdventure Reviewer: Derek Brewster\r\nStrategy Reviewer: Angus Ryall\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey, Robin Candy, Ben Stone\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\n\r\n©1985 Newsfield Limited.\r\nCrash Magazine is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions [redacted]\r\nEditorial/studio [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\n\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]; Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd (Member of the BPCC Group), [redacted].\r\nDistribution by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCirculation Manager: Tom Hamilton\r\nAll circulation enquiries should ring [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £10.50 (UK Mainland post free), Europe: 12 issues £17.50 post free. Outside Europe by arrangement in writing.\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 Magazine 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. The opinions and views of correspondents are their own and not necessarily in accord with those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Use of Computer: 82%\r\nGraphics: 87%\r\nPlayability: 86%\r\nGetting Started: 81%\r\nAddictive Qualities: 89%\r\nValue for Money: 86%\r\nOverall: 85%\r\n\r\nBlade Alley is a 3D shoot em up a sort of 'Buck Rogers' game. The object of the game is basically to shoot anything that moves and if it doesn't move shoot it anyway. Strangely enough, though, despite it getting a good rating in the review it has never been very popular on the hotline which is normally a reflection of how good a game is\r\n\r\nI didn't see Blade Alley when it was first released (we weren't CRASH reviewers at that time) but looking at it now I've decided that I don't really like it. I think it's got something to do with the annoying tune and the keyboard layout that seems to have your hands tied up in knots. The 3D effect is quite good but it's not a patch on the newer 3D games like Starstrike, Darkstar etc.\r\nBS\r\n\r\nOf all the early 3D games think that Blade Alley was the best. Though I don't think it would rate highly nowadays for its time it was marvellous. The graphics while good are a trifle boring when compared with the likes of Knightlore and Starstrike but they worked; better to have simple 3D graphics with few attribute problems than pretty things which just end up as a flashing blob at one end of the screen. The sound was quite good and with the addition of the Currah Micro-speech the sound was even better. The hardest thing to do on Blade Alley was lining your ship up with the enemies to shoot them but after you mastered this there wasn't a lot to the game. I quite liked Blade Alley but it's very dated now.\r\nRC\r\n\r\n(Ben) I would lower 'Use of computer' down to 70 because the keys are so hard to use. 'Graphics' down to about 77 and 'Playability' down 6% to 80. All the other ratings I would take down about 10 to the early seventies or late sixties.\r\n\r\n(Rob) As I've said the game is a bit dated now so all the ratings except maybe 'Playability' should go down by 10 to 20%. 'Playability' I would probably push up by a couple of percent to somewhere around the 89 region because it is very playable for a while.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"50,51","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ben Stone","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Robin Candy","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Big K Issue 7, Oct 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-09-20","Editor":"Tony Tyler","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tony Tyler\r\nAssisted By: Richard Burton\r\nArt Editor: Ian Stead\r\nFeatures: Nicky Xikluna\r\nContributors: Andy Green; Kim Aldis (Features); Steve Keaton; Richard Cook; Richard Taylor; Bernard Turner; David Rimmer; John Conquest; Nigel Farrier, Paul Walton; Tony Benyon; Trevor Spall\r\nPublisher: Barry Leverett\r\nPublishing Director: John Purdie\r\nGroup Advertising Controller: Luis Bartlett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Robin Johnson [redacted]\r\n\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nTelephone: [redacted]\r\nAdvertising: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished approximately on the 20th of each month by IPC Magazines Ltd. [redacted]. Monotone and colour origination by G.M. Litho Ltd [redacted]. Printed in England by Chase Web Offset, Cornwall. Sole Agents: Australia and New Zealand, Gordon& Gotch (A/sia) Ltd.; South Africa, Central News Agency Ltd. BIG K is sold subject to the following conditions, namely that it shall not, without the written consent of the Publishers first given, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended selling price shown on the cover, and that it shall not be lent, resold or hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated constitute or any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. IPC MAGAZINES 1984."},"MainText":"BLADERS OF THE LOST TRENCH\r\n\r\nMAKER: PSS\r\nFORMAT: cassette\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\n\r\nAnother day, another trench. Settling into the Interceptor's cockpit you glance confidently around. The Kempston looks somewhat incongruous sellotaped to the flight deck but you clasp it anyway. Suddenly a roar of anger fills the launch bay and your Ion Drives begin to bleed. Ahead in the valley wait the Ties and the Saucers...\r\n\r\nSo begins a commendable but flawed attempt to rewrite Buck Rogers and the Planet of Doom. Flawed? 'Fraid so. There's a couple of niggling game details which persistently spoil the action. F'rinstance, while you and the enemy scud smoothly across the screen blasting away at each other the scrolling backdrop looks decidedly hesitant. It doesn't seem to know where it's going. The Photon Disruptors are also suspect - a successful shot seems to depend more on the relative size of the two conflicting ships rather than any real space-jock accuracy. Try as you might, nothing is ever picked off on the horizon. Killer Kane, Buck Rogers' nemesis, best summed it all up with that celebrated line: \"There's nowt in them pants save radishes!\" The media clearly owe him great debt.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"16","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Keaton","Score":"2","ScoreSuffix":"/3"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"2/3","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"2/3","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"2/3","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"2/3","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 7, Jun 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-17","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":132,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Chris Anderson\r\nProduction Editor: Roderick George\r\nArt Editor: Ian Findlay\r\nTechnical Editor: Stuart Cooke\r\nStaff Writers: Steve Cooke, Peter Connor\r\nEditorial Assistant: Samantha Hemens\r\nSoftware Consultant: Tony Takoushi\r\nCartoons: Kipper Williams\r\nProgram Control Guardians: Jeff Riddle\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nCover Illustration: Pat Weedon\r\nGroup Editor: Cyndy Miles\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\nPublisher: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\nAdvertising Manager: Herbert Wright\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Jan Martin\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Mike Caroll\r\nAdvertisement Production: Simon Carter\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Coraline Turner\r\nSales Executives: Joey Davies, Marion O'Neill\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]. Typesetting by Spectrum Typesetting, [redacted] Origination by Fourmost Colour [redacted]. Printed and bound by Chase Web Offset [redacted]. © VNU Business Publications 1984."},"MainText":"MACHINE: Spectrum 48K\r\nCONTROL: Keys, Kemp\r\nFROM: PSS, £5.95\r\n\r\nAt last! Buck Rogers hits the Spectrum. This is a version of the game in which you guide a spacecraft as it hurtles through a corridor battling a succession of alien attackers.\r\n\r\nThe game's interest stems from the 3D view you are given, with the enemy looming larger as they approach. Considering the Spectrum's limitations, this is done pretty impressively. Your craft moves smoothly as it swerves from side to side, and its height along with those of the alien ships is shown convincingly by the use of shadows.\r\n\r\nBut the depiction of the corridor walls is not nearly so impressive as in versions on more powerful machines. The bands which make up the walls simply flash alternately blue and magenta and it takes some effort to imagine that you really are rushing forward.\r\n\r\nThat aside, the 3D effect is among the best going on the Spectrum. The perspective has been worked out well - for example, to destroy aliens you must not only get in line with them but also move your craft to the same height, using the shadows as a guide. You then take a quick shot before swooping away to avoid a fatal collision.\r\n\r\nThis takes considerable practice, and it's just as well, because that's about all there is to the game. The enemy attack one at a time and it's merely a question of shooting as many as possible.\r\n\r\nEventually, this takes you on to a new screen, but although the background changes in each of the six different screens of action, the actual game and tactics remain much the same. You may find that it will not retain your interest for very long.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54,55","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Chris Anderson","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]