[{"TitleName":"Volcanic Planet","Publisher":"Thorn EMI Video Ltd","Author":"Nick Burroughs","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0005601","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: Thorn EMI\r\nMemory Required: 16K\r\nRecommended Retail Price: £6.95\r\nLanguage: machine code\r\nAuthor: Nick Burroughs\r\n\r\nIt is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans, who live on the volcanic planet of Zeras. To do this you must make your way through an underground metropolis to the depths of the city, where you will find a volcanic plug. If you can plant your plasma bomb there, you will blow up the planet. But you must make your escape before the city fills up with lava. Okay?\r\n\r\nThe Zerans resemble purplish coloured amoebas and they scutter round the city complex in company with their much bigger slaves. Often the Zerans will ignore you, but they may try to crush you. 'You' resemble a little black spider.\r\n\r\nThere are five skill levels and depending on which one you select there are between 3 and 15 levels to the city. The display shows you only a tiny part of the whole complex (of one floor). There is a map at the top right hand corner of the entire floor you are on and looking at it gives you a headache! It's huge.\r\n\r\nYour protection is a suit or armour which wears down as the Zerans fire at you. When it's gone the two other systems, power and bio system, become vulnerable and you die if they fail. Your blaster has plenty of charge, but that too runs down with use. These four are shown as falling bar codes at the bottom of the screen. Here and there in the maze you will come across various objects like tool repair kits and spare oxygen, but you must be quick because a Zeran will take them if he gets there first.\r\n\r\nTo go to another floor you must find the lifts, which are going up and down all the while. When you enter one (wait for it to arrive at your floor) you can activate it but you won't know whether it's going up or down, only the indicator at the left of screen tells you this. Entering an up lift on the top floor replenishes all your armour and power. Lifts only connect between 2 floors, otherwise it would be too easy.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nKeyboard positions: a lot of keys to use. Direction is a bit odd; 6/7 left/right, 8/9 up down. Zero fires blaster, 5 operates a lift, 4 plants the plasma bomb.\r\nJoystick options: Kempston, Sinclair\r\nKeyboard play: very responsive in 8 directions\r\nUse of colour: good\r\nSound: none\r\nSkill levels: 5\r\nLives: 1\r\nScreens: 15","ReviewerComments":["This is a very complex and complicated game to play. The graphics really are very good, colourful and very smooth, with 8-directional movement and continuous fire. The effect of the blaster is wonderful, great bolts of yellow mingled with red. It all has a satisfyingly violent feeling to it. My only complaint is with the keyboard layout, directional keys all in a line are awkward to use instinctively.\r\nUnknown","If you enjoy large mazes then this is bound to be a winner! The complex is massive and it's crawling with the enemy. Skill in moving and firing take a while to get together. The damned lifts don't help either with your never knowing where they're going. On the whole a playable and fairly addictive game with original looking graphics. But what happened to the sound?\r\nUnknown","I never find maze games enjoyable to play, but this game offers load of enemies to go round zapping (good blaster effect). What is good is the way the aliens get excited if you shoot one of their number. All the others visible on the screen start dancing round as though they were actually hopping mad! I never got anywhere near planting my plasma bomb, even on the lowest skill level - it's a game with plenty of playing scope. I'm sure it would be even better if there was some sound.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Very good, pity about the lack of sound.","Page":"34","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":"45%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"75%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"77%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"65%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"73%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"69%","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: Thorn EMI, 16K\r\n£6.95 (1)\r\nAuthor: Nick Burroughs\r\n\r\nIt is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans, who live on a volcanic planet. To do this you must make your way through an underground complex to the depths of the city and place a bomb on the volcanic plug and then make your escape before it goes off. 5 skill levels provide a city with between 3 and 15 floors. The screen only shows a tiny part of the whole with a small map of the entire floor you are on. Floors are connected by lifts which only travel between 2 floors. The Zerans are equipped with blasters and huge crushing slaves. Dotted about are tool repair kits and spare oxygen bottles, but the Zerans will take them first if you're not quick. Your armour and life support is eroded by Zeran attack. The graphics are very good, especially the wonderful blaster effect and all in all this is an excellent maze game with plenty of potential. Lots of control keys, joystick Sinclair and Kempston. One drawback - poor sound. Apart from that, a very good game, overall CRASH rating 69% M/C.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"53","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"69%","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: Thorn EMI, 16K\r\n£6.95 (1)\r\nAuthor: Nick Burroughs\r\n\r\nIt is your task to destroy the evil race of Zerans, who live on a volcanic planet. To do this you must make your way through an underground complex to the depths of the city and place a bomb on the volcanic plug and then make your escape before it goes off. 5 skill levels provide a city with between 3 and 15 floors. The screen only shows a tiny part of the whole with a small map of the entire floor you are on. Floors are connected by lifts which only travel between 2 floors. The Zerans are equipped with blasters and huge crushing slaves. Dotted about are tool repair kits and spare oxygen bottles, but the Zerans will take them first if you're not quick. Your armour and life support is eroded by Zeran attack. The graphics are very good, especially the wonderful blaster effect and all in all this is an excellent maze game with plenty of potential. Lots of control keys, joystick Sinclair and Kempston. One drawback - poor sound. Apart from that, a very good game, overall CRASH rating 69% M/C.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"69","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"69%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 4, Mar 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-02-16","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":184,"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\nGame-of-the-month poster: Mark Watkinson\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nCover Photography: Ko Kon Chung\r\nGroup Editor: Cyndy Miles\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Herbert Wright\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Jan Martin\r\nAdvertisement Production: Simon Carter\r\nSales Executives: Joey Davies, Marion O'Neill, Louise Hedges\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\nJOYSTICK: Optional\r\nCATEGORY: Arcade\r\nSUPPLIER: EMI\r\nPRICE:\r\n\r\nEver seen a robot get the jitters? Volcanic Planet is android-infested and boy, do they get panicky when you blast them into little bits and send them to that Great Workshop in the sky.\r\n\r\nYou control a good-guy android as he explores a multi-level maze, moving between levels via lifts that you locate using a small-scale diagram in the top right-hand corner of the screen.\r\n\r\nThe main display shows your location and features scrolling graphics as you move about blasting enemy androids and hunting for such useful things as oxygen supplies and armour repair packs.\r\n\r\nThere are five levels of play, and the higher the level the more layers there are to be penetrated.\r\n\r\nOnce you've reached the bottom of the maze you have to find a 'volcanic plug' and deposit a plasma-bomb beside it. Then it's a race against time to find the lifts and escape before the bomb explodes and floods the maze with molten lava.\r\n\r\nThe program has no sound, and uses the number keys '3' to '0' which makes things a bit cramped if you don't have a joystick.\r\n\r\nThe only reward for success is the message 'Mission Completed that flashes across the screen at the end. The action is fast and smooth however and should afford a few hours amusement.\r\n\r\nThe program doesn't have a recommended retail price so it may be worth shopping around for the best offer.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"79","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Cooke","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"None","Text":""},{"Header":"Ease Of Use","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 56, Apr 1984","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-12","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":82,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editorial\r\nEditor: Cyndy Miles\r\nDeputy Editor: Geof Wheelwright\r\nManaging Editor: Peter Worlock\r\nSub-Editors: Harriet Arnold, Leah Batham\r\nNews Editor: David Guest\r\nNews Writer: Ralph Bancroft\r\nHardware Editor: Ian Scales\r\nFeatures Editor: John Lettice\r\nSoftware Editor: Bryan Skinner\r\nPrograms Editor: Ken Garroch\r\nPeripherals Editor: Piers Letcher\r\nListings Editor: Wendie Pearson\r\nEditor's Assistant: Nickie Robinson\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nArt Editor: David Robinson\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Floyd Sayers\r\nLayout Artist: Nigel Wingrove\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Sarion Gravelle\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Mark Satchell\r\nSales Executives: Christian McCarthy, Marie-Therese Bolger, John Bryan, Laura Cade, Paul Evans, Deborah Quinn\r\nProduction Manager: Nikki Payne\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Karen Isaac\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, [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"},"MainText":"NAME: Volcanic Planet\r\nSYSTEM: 16K/48K Spectrum\r\nPRICE: £6.95\r\nPUBLISHER: Thorn-EMI, [redacted]\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nLANGUAGE: Machine code\r\nOTHER VERSIONS: None\r\nOUTLETS: Spectrum retailers\r\n\r\nWORKING UP A LAVA\r\n\r\nThorn-EMI have spread their wings and extended their activities into the Spectrum market with the release of a game of maze-running and bug-bashing.\r\n\r\nOBJECTIVES\r\n\r\nYou must plant a Plasma bomb deep in the bowels of the underground metropolis on the Planet Zeron. The bomb, when detonated, causes a volcanic eruption which will destroy the city - you, too, if you're still in the vicinity.\r\n\r\nIN PLAY\r\n\r\nThe game can he played with joysticks or keyboard and any of five skill levels may be selected. Most of the screen is taken up with an aerial view of part of the first level of a red-bricked city.\r\n\r\nOn the right-hand side of the screen are a number of aids. One is a small hi-res map of the whole level - a magenta marker shows your current position. When you are getting close to a lift (which will transport you to another level) the marker turns blue.\r\n\r\nAs well as Plasma bomb and weapon status indicators, there are {our bars giving the state of your life-support systems.\r\n\r\nMoving off the edge of the display causes the screen to scroll, revealing more of the metropolis. You are represented, unexpectedly, by a black tarantula-like creature while the Zerons are scuttling, purple crabs, they are more numerous than ants on a picnic and will immediately start firing. You can fire back but only in the direction you are facing.\r\n\r\nHunting for a lift is aided by the hi-res map but takes time. Power and oxygen can be replenished by moving over one of the power packs and oxygen bottles lying around the city.\r\n\r\nOn the lowest level, you've got to find the volcanic plug, a black shape with a glowing centre. Prime this and get the heck out of there - the bomb has a short fuse! When it explodes each floor fills with lava - you've got to make it to the top before it catches up with you.\r\n\r\nVERDICT\r\n\r\nThe plot is original and while the graphics are not stunning, they are good enough. There are no sound effects. Being set a finite mission gives the game an added Zing.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"49","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Bob Chappell","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Lasting Appeal","Score":"3/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Use Of Machine","Score":"3/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall Value","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]