[{"TitleName":"Winter Olympiad '88","Publisher":"Tynesoft","Author":"Derek Brewster, Philip Scott","YearOfRelease":"1987","ZxDbId":"0005699","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 49, Feb 1988","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1988-01-28","Editor":"Barnaby Page","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Managing Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Dominic Handy, Gordon Houghton, Lloyd Mangram, Ian Phillipson\r\nSubeditor: David Peters\r\nPhotographers: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nOffice: Frances Mable, Glenys Powell\r\nTechnical Writers: Simon N Goodwin, Jon Bates\r\nPBM Writer: Brendon Kavanagh\r\nStrategy Writer: Philippa Irving\r\nEducation Writer: Rosetta McLeod\r\nContributors: Robin Candy, Mike Dunn, Paul Evans, Dave Hawkes, Nathan Jones, Nick Roberts, Ben Stone, Paul Sumner, Bym Welthy\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nAssistant Director: Markie Kendrick\r\nDesign: Wayne Allen\r\nProcess and Planning: Jonathan Rignall (Supervisor), Matthew Uffindell, Nick Orchard\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Andrew Smales\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\nPlease address correspondence to the appropriate person!\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group.\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without 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. Competition entries and letters to the CRASH Forum, to other sections and to staff are always read with interest but cannot be acknowledged even if an SAE is included, and letters submitted for publication may be edited for length and style.\r\n\r\n©1988 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Tynesoft\r\nRetail Price: £7.95\r\nAuthor: Derek Brewster\r\n\r\nNext month, the Canadian city of Calgary hosts the 15th Winter Olympic Games. The competitor's environment is a world of snow and ice, in which danger and rivalry race hand in hand.\r\n\r\nIn Winter Olympiad 88, written by former CRASH adventure reviewer Derek Brewster, up to nine players can test their nerve and skill to compete in some of the star events of this international extravaganza.\r\n\r\nThe five events are downhill skiing, the biathlon, the bob run, the ski jump and the ski slalom. Different combinations of actual play and practice in events may be selected.\r\n\r\nIn downhill skiing, a trip down the sheer face of a mountain on skis must be completed as quickly as possible. Your speed is controllable, and you must steer yourself to avoid rocky outcrops and lines of trees and take corners. You'll have to jump right over other hazards to complete the course and stand a chance of a medal.\r\n\r\nThe biathlon has competitors pumping their legs backward and forward in a speedy cross-country ski walk. But the physical exhaustion generated by this activity must be balanced against the requirements of the shooting range, where the skier calms his nerves and steadies his arm to fire at six targets. A miss costs valuable time.\r\n\r\nOn the specially-built ice chute, you can clamber into a bob sled and head towards a distant finish line. A speedy start is the essence of success, for without that initial momentum the craft cannot hurtle quickly through the bends of the track. To enhance your time, what little steering you have must be smooth, to take you through the top of the bends where maximum velocity is achieved.\r\n\r\nGo too high, however, and the bob can be sent 1ff the track, and your chance of a medal goes with it.\r\n\r\nYou take to the air in the ski jump after making a death-defying descent down the elevated jump. Maximum points are awarded by the judges for distance and style: good style is keeping your skis snugly together while you're gliding through the air.\r\n\r\nOnce this event of nerve has been completed the ski slalom gets under way. With new strips of waxed wood strapped to your boots you can begin. Wend your way through a succession of poles to reach the finish in the fastest time and you're a winner. Remember, though, to keep red slalom flags to the right of you and blue flags to the left.\r\n\r\nOcean's Olympic innovation ...................................page 8\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nJoysticks: Kempston, Sinclair (though our copy reset back to keys after the first event!)\r\nGraphics: some jerky animation but some beautiful backgrounds\r\nSound: a poor attempt at title tunes: simple collision effects","ReviewerComments":["Winter Olympiad 88 is one of the best sports compilations I've seen since Epyx's Smashed Winter Games (reviewed in Issue 26). It's very well-presented, with a great opening sequence and a rather good tune. And the actual gameplay has a realistic feel - for instance, the slalom skier's whole body moves appropriately to each different manoeuvre, especially when cornering. The backdrops are nicely detailed, mostly featuring snow-capped mountain ranges and large pine forests. Not many winter-sports games come up to the standard of Winter Olympiad 88.\r\nNathan Jones\r\n64%","After Epyx's Winter Games, this is a great letdown. Graphically the two games are pretty similar, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty gameplay Winter Games beats Winter Olympiad 88 on every event. True, there's a nice opening sequence here, but when you have to go through loading every event separately (Winter Games needed only two loads, incidentally) things get tedious. And as if the dodgy animation, suspect collision-detection and simplistic sound weren't enough, you have to pray that the game won't crash - it's riddled with bugs. The Winter Olympics theme has great potential, but it's wasted on such a mediocre (perhaps rushed) product.\r\nPaul Sumner\r\n34%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: A dismal failure which loses skis down to Epyx's two-year-old Winter Games.","Page":"96,97","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Nathan Jones","Score":"64","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Paul Sumner","Score":"34","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"'Jerky animation but beautiful backgrounds' in Winter Olympiad 88."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"57%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"60%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"37%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"47%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"44%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 87, Apr 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-03-21","Editor":"Richard Eddy","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Richard Eddy\r\nSub Editor: Warren Lapworth\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Nick Roberts, Lloyd Mangram\r\nArt Editor: Mark Kendrick\r\nPhotography: Michael Parkinson\r\nProduction and Circulation Director: Jonathan Rignall\r\nSystems Operator: Paul (Charlie) Chubb\r\nReprographics: Matthew Uffindell (Supervisor), Robert Millichamp, Robb Hamilton, Tim Morris, Jenny Reddard\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Judith Bamford\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Christine Moore\r\nAdvertisement Production: Jackie Morris (Supervisor), Joanne Lewis\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Caroline Edwards [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting Apple Macintosh Computers using Quark Express and Bitstream Fonts.\r\n\r\nSystems Manager: Ian Chubb\r\n\r\nColour origination Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by BPCC Business Magazines (Carlisle) Ltd, [redacted].\r\n\r\nDistributor COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nYearly subscription rates: UK £17.20 Europe £24.00, Air Mail overseas £37. US/Canada subscriptions and back issues enquiries Barry Hatcher, British Magazine Distributors Ltd [redacted]. Yearly subscription rates US$47.00, Canada CAN$57.00 Back Issues US$5.20, Canada CAN$6.20 (inclusive of postage). \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 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 us a line). No person who is related, no matter how remotely, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo 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 on 35mm transparencies is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Copy published in CRASH will be edited as seen fit and payment will be calculated according to the current printed word rate. The views expressed in CRASH are not necessarily those of the publishers.\r\n\r\nCopyright CRASH Ltd 1991 A Newsfield Publication. ISSN 0954-8661. Cover design and illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Micro Value\r\n£2.99\r\n\r\nPut on your goggles, spend £100 on a pair of skis and set off to a snowy climate in Winter Olympiad. I've had enough of snow lately - you can't step out of the door at CRASH without falling on your bum! - but playing this was much safer.\r\n\r\nFive winter sports events are packed into this game: Downhill, biathlon, bob sled, ski jump and slalom. All are portrayed with well drawn and animated snowy graphics and test your fingers to the full. Yes folks, this is one of those games where waggling left and right on the joystick or prodding at the keys builds up your players speed.\r\n\r\nWinter Olympiad's presentation is excellent. It's a pity the gameplay doesn't follow suit. I couldn't stand the controls for very long. You prod away and it seems like nothing happens until you're about to explode with rage, then the skier starts moving!\r\n\r\nThe events have all been seen before in other winter sports simulations, and have been programmed at lot better before, too. The annoying controls put me off Winter Olympiad. A reasonable game but nothing to shout about.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"39","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"61","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Weeeeeee! The downhill skiing bit in Winter Olympiad (it goes really fast!)."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"61%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 26, Feb 1988","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1988-01-14","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Peter George, Darrell King\r\nDeputy Editor: Marcus Berkmann\r\nTechnical Editor: Phil South\r\nActing Production Editor: Fran Husband\r\nContributors: Richard Blaine, Audrey & Owen Bishop, Ciaran Brennan, Jonathan Davies, Mike Gerrard, Gwyn Hughes, David Jones, David McCandless, Duncan McDonald, John Minson, David Powell, Nat Pryce, Rick Robson, Peter Shaw, Rachael Smith, Mischa Welsh, Tony Worrall\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Simon Stansfield\r\nProduction Manager: Judith Middleton\r\nPublisher: Kevin Cox\r\nPublishing Director: Roger Munford\r\nManaging Director: Stephen England\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":"Tynesoft\r\n£7.95\r\nReviewer: Jonathan Davies\r\n\r\nIf you've always fancied yourself in a skin-tight ski suit racing down the slopes, but can't afford the airfare, this may well be the answer to all your dreams. Winter Olympiad is Tynesoft's attempt to jump onto next year's Winter Olympics bandwagon, so why not clamber aboard and join us?\r\n\r\nFirst of all, though, let's get one thing straight. Where originality's concerned, this game scores zilch. It's almost identical to the ageing Winter Olympics and Winter Games. The same multi-load technique and very similar events. The only thing that sets it apart is the introduction by David Vine. Great!\r\n\r\nTo kick off, howzabout a bit of downhill skiing? This is probably the best event on the tape. It's in a sort of 3D Deathchase style, with trees rushing towards you and things to jump over.\r\n\r\nNext is the biathlon, in which you must race to the end of the course and shoot a number of targets, and the bobsled, which isn't quite up to the standard of DI's simulation. Then there's the ski-jump, which is just like any other ski-jump you've ever seen.\r\n\r\nLast on the list is the slalom, which uses some quite effective diagonal scrolling and is actually pretty good fun. Then it's all over, and time to go down to the pub to get piste.\r\n\r\nThere's certainly nothing wrong with either the graphics or the programming on this one. It's been padded out with some unusual special FX at the beginning, and presentation throughout is well up to scratch. The trouble is that it's all been done many times before. It started with Horace Goes Skiing and they've been coming out regularly ever since.\r\n\r\nIf you haven't already got hundreds of winter sports games, this one's no worse than any of the others.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Do we really need another of these Winter Olympic games? if your answer's yes, this one's for you.","Page":"35","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jonathan Davies","Score":"6","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"6/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]