[{"TitleName":"World Series Basketball","Publisher":"Imagine Software Ltd","Author":"David J. Anderson, F. David Thorpe, Ian Morrison, Bob Wakelin","YearOfRelease":"1985","ZxDbId":"0005749","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 23, Dec 1985","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-11-21","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":172,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Publishing Executive: Roger Kean\r\nEditor: Graeme Kidd\r\nTechnical Editor: Franco Frey\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nProduction Assistants: Gordon Druce, Matthew Uffindell\r\nSoftware Editor: Jeremy Spencer\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nSub Editor: Sean Masterson\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Chris Passey, Robin Candy, Ben Stone, John Minson, Mark Hamer, Gary Liddon, Julian Rignall, Gary Penn\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\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\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\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £14.50 post included (UK Mainland); Europe: 12 issues £21.50 post included. 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\nMICRONET:\r\nYou can talk to CRASH via Micronet. Our MBX is 105845851\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Imagine\r\nRetail Price: £7.95\r\nLanguage: Machine code\r\n\r\nWhen you load the game you are presented with plenty of options. You can select six levels of play against the computer or play against another human player. If the action is all too intimidating at first, there's always the practice mode if you're new to the game. This allows you to try scoring goals solo against three players and gives you the chance to practice ball control and dribbling skills. You start off in your own half and have to dribble your way up to the basket, evade the opposition, and plonk it in. You can also change the colours of the team and ground - useful if you've only got a black and white telly.\r\n\r\nOnce you've set all the options and want to play press the start button! The teams run out of the changing rooms and take their positions for the tip-off. A peep of the ref's whistle sounds and the game starts with the ball being thrown into the air between two players from opposing teams. You have to jump up into the air and knock it down to one of your team-mates before your opponent does in order to gain possession.\r\n\r\nAs the ball travels around the pitch the playing area scrolls from left to right. In all the play ing area is between two and three screens long and is viewed panoramically like Match Day. Indeed, World Series Baseball works very much in the same game Match Day, and those who have played the football game won't have any difficulty with getting into basketball. Playing a whole computer basketball team is fairly straightforward - the nearest player to the ball is chosen by the computer and put under your control. You'll know which player it is because his shirt will mysteriously change colour. If you pass the ball the the player receiving is automatically selected for you to control.\r\n\r\nThe general aim of the game is to retain possession of the ball as much as possible and to take as many shots as you can at your opponent's basket. A scoreboard keeps track of the game and tells you the time remaining and, of course, the score. It also acts as a message board - when a team scores 'GOAL' scrolls across it.\r\n\r\nA game is divided into two halves, each half being three minutes long.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: Definable.\r\nJoystick:\r\nKeyboard play: confusing with two players\r\nUse of colour: bland\r\nGraphics: no shortage of attribute problems\r\nSound: Peep!\r\nSkill levels: Six\r\nScreens: N/A","ReviewerComments":["First it was baseball, a relatively unheard of game over here which Imagine made into a big hit. I hope they have similar success with basketball, as it's a great game. As a rule I'm not a sport simulation person, but I've been playing this one for hours and I can't see myself putting it down until I get a decent score. The only niggle I have with this game is that it's hard to tell which of your four players you are controlling -and you can only change the player you control when you are in possession. Generally, though, I thought the game was exceptionally playable and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sports simulations.\r\r\nUnknown","The only other Basketball game presently on the Spectrum is One on One and that wasn't too hot. Luckily, if you like this type of game, World Series Basketball is very good. The graphics allow you to change the colours of the teams and reminded me of Matchday. The game follows the rules of basketball, but they aren't too tough - you should be able to get into the game easily. Overall this is a good simulation, well presented (although it does crash now and again), but only worth getting if you know you like games of this sort.\r\r\nUnknown","What a funny game this is: only four players per side and no referees. I was really looking forward to this after the brilliant World Series Baseball, but I suppose it couldn't be matched. The options page isn't as good as the other Imagine 84 games and the sound is a real let down, but the graphics make up for some of this. I'm not sure that all basketball fans will go for WSB (I didn't to begin with). There's quite a few niggly shortcomings with it which might annoy basketball fans. My advice would be to hang on for a while until Elite release their basketball game and compare the two rather than rushing out and buying this one now.\r\nUnknown"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Bound to impress simulation fans.","Page":"35,36","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Unknown","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"The Spectrum version seems mto be beating the CRASH basketball-playing minion in this game. WORLD SERIES BASKETBALL from Imagine takes a 28 point lead."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"76%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"82%","Text":""},{"Header":"Getting Started","Score":"77%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"81%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 21, Dec 1985","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-11-21","Editor":"Kevin Cox","TotalPages":82,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nArt Editor: Martin Dixon\r\nDeputy Editor: Peter Shaw\r\nProduction Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nContributors: Stephen Adams, Dougie Bern, Nick Davies, Peter Freebrey, Ross Holman, Dave Janda, Max Phillips, Rick Robson, Tony Samuels, Chris Wood, Phil South\r\nAdvertisement Manager: David Baskerville\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Neil Dyson\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Chris Talbot\r\nManaging Editor: Roger Munford\r\nArt Director: Jimmy Egerton\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":"WORLD SERIES BASKETBALL\r\nImagine\r\n£7.95\r\n\r\nDougie: Watch out, the Globe Trotters are about. Keep your feet on the beat and the ball on the bounce!\r\n\r\nWe can all name sports that haven't translated at all well into computer games, but Basketball's one of the exceptions. As soon as the players come bounding out onto the court you can tell that this game's better than your average offering. All the men are well animated and move smoothly around the screen at a speed that must have the sprite routine working overtime.\r\n\r\nYou can play Basketball against one of your buddies or against the computer. Bach game lasts six minutes and is divided into two halves of three minutes each (Cor and how else might they be divided? Ed). If the outcome's a draw, you're given another thirty seconds to battle for those baskets.\r\n\r\nYou'll find controlling the players is a touch tricky at first so it's just as well there's a practice mode for improving your dribbling skills and passing techniques. Once you've got the hang of that, you're in with a good chance of taking the computer to the cleaners. But you'll have to maintain very accurate passing and shooting before you win.\r\n\r\nBasketball is not only fun but it's also one of those games you keep coming back to. Net yourself a copy!","ReviewerComments":["Imagine's certainly making a name for itself with this series of sport simulations. What d'you mean it made a name for itself once before! Still, a goodie.\r\nRoss Holman\r\n8/10","Done 'emself proud, has Imagine! This is a worthy follow-up to World Series Baseball.\r\nRick Robson\r\n9/10"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"51","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ross Holman","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Rick Robson","Score":"9","ScoreSuffix":"/10"},{"Name":"Dougie Bern","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 45, Dec 1985","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-11-18","Editor":"Bill Scolding","TotalPages":156,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\nEditor: Bill Scolding\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nStaff Writers: Chris Bourne, Clare Edgeley\r\nDesigner: Gareth Jones\r\nEditorial Secretary: Norisah Fenn\r\nPublisher: Neil Wood\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nAdvertising Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Shahid Nizam\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Kathy McLennan\r\nProduction Assistant: Jim McClure\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Linda Everest\r\n\r\nMAGAZINE SERVICES\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\n\r\nTELEPHONE\r\nAll departments [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Photograph: Spitting Image Productions Ltd.\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs or articles to:\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. Please write 'Program Printout' on the envelopes of all cassettes submitted.\r\n\r\nWe pay £20 for each program printed and £50 for star programs.\r\n\r\nTypeset by Saffron Graphics Ltd, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Peterboro' Web, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1985 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\n102,023 Jan-Jun 1985"},"MainText":"Publisher: Imagine\r\nPrice: £7.95\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nJoystick: Kempston, Sinclair\r\n\r\nImagine's seemingly endless trek through the backlist of Konami's coin-op games has finally reached the basketball court.\r\n\r\nFirst impression of World Series Basketball weren't great - small featureless players chasing an equally small ball round a scrolling court. But those were instantly revised once play started - it's a hard game to beat. No matter that you have only four players, the opposing team has the same.\r\n\r\nPlay starts on the centre line when the ball is tossed into the air. The computer team must have been practising with the Harlem Globetrotters, expertly catching and passing the ball, shooting and tackling with skill. It's hard enough keeping up with them, let alone trying to take the ball away.\r\n\r\nBasketball is played according to the rules and the game is as accurate as possible on the Spectrum. Watch out for time penalties. If you hang onto the ball for too long it will be given to the other side. Tackling is difficult, retaining the ball harder still and it takes a while to be able to judge distances and angles when passing. Half time takes place after three minutes when the teams swap ends.\r\n\r\nThe player handling the ball takes on a different colour from his team mates for recognition purposes. However, that can be confusing, especially with the attribute clash as the colour leaks onto any other players in proximity.\r\n\r\nIt is also possible to lose your player. If the opposing team takes the ball down to their end of the court, only that half of the court is shown on the screen. If you are not quick enough you will be left behind - literally out of the picture. While you are trying to locate your player the opposing team are scoring several goals. You just can't win.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"34","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Clare Edgeley","Score":"4","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 23, Feb 1986","Price":"£1.95","ReleaseDate":"1986-01-30","Editor":"Ray Elder","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Ray Elder\r\nEditorial Assistant: Cliff Joseph\r\nGroup Editor: Dave Bradshaw\r\nGroup Managing Editor: Wendy J Palmer\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Barry Bingham\r\nAdvertisement Copy Controller: Lynn Collis\r\nProduction Controller: Sue Couchman\r\nSoftware Assistant: John Gerard Donovan\r\nPublishing Director: Peter Welham\r\n\r\nOrigination and design by MM Design & Print, [redacted]\r\nPublished by Argus Specialist Publications Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nZX Computing is published bi-monthly on the fourth Friday of the month. Distributed by: Argus Press Sales & Distribution Ltd. [redacted]. Printed by: Garnett Print, Rotherham and London.\r\n\r\nThe contents of this publication including all articles, designs, plans, drawings and programs and all copyright and other intellectual property rights therein belong to Argus Specialist Publications Limited. All rights conferred by the Law of Copyright and other intellectual property rights and by virtue of international copyright conventions are specifically reserved to Argus Specialist Publications Limited and any reproduction requires the prior written consent of Argus Specialist Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Argus Specialist Publications Limited 1986"},"MainText":"Imagine\r\n£7.95\r\n\r\nThis company seems to be specialising in sports simulations at the moment, and seems to prove that specialisation is no bad thing. I used to enjoy playing the old arcade game of Basketball with the roller ball and two players, but this game relegates it to the realms of antiquity.\r\n\r\nYou can either play against another opponent or against the computer and control a team of four players. The action is fast and you need plenty of practice to win, especially against the computer, even at the lowest of the six skill levels. Luckily a practice mode is provided.\r\n\r\nTo do well in this game it is not enough to just run with the ball and shoot for the basket, you need to develop the technique of passing to your other players. Control of the players is cleverly done in that the member of your team nearest or actually with the ball is highlighted and under your control. Pressing fire causes him to jump, holding fire causes each player in the team to jump in turn, so when the player you want to control jumps, you release the fire button and control has passed to him.\r\n\r\nWhile the player(s) under control move the computer takes charge of the remainder of the team and tries to move them m an appropriate manner, usually this is very effective although I have seen players imitating headless chickens on occasion.\r\n\r\nA challenging, fast, and fairly realistic game.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"42","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"5/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"5/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]