[{"TitleName":"Xenon","Publisher":"Melbourne House","Author":"David Whittaker, Jason Cowling, Lee Cawley, Tiny Williams, Paul Kidby","YearOfRelease":"1989","ZxDbId":"0005790","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 62, Mar 1989","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1989-02-23","Editor":"Dominic Handy","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Dominic 'bye bye' Handy\r\nAssistant Editor: Stuart 'here I come' Wynne\r\nStaff Writers: Mark Caswell, Philip King, Lloyd Mangram, Nick Roberts\r\nContributors: Raffaele Cecco, Mel Croucher, Ian Cull, Mike Dunn, Paul Evans, Ian Lacey, Barnaby Page\r\nEditorial Assistants: Caroline Blake, Vivienne Vickress\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nSenior Designer: Wayne Allen\r\nDesigners: Melvin Fisher, Yvonne Priest\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nReprographics Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nProduction Team: Robert Hamilton, Robert Millichamp, Tim Morris\r\n\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nPublisher: Geoff Grimes\r\nAdvertisement Director: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nSales Executives: Sarah Chapman, Andrew Smales, Lee Watkins\r\nAssistants: Jackie Morris [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group. Distribution by COMAG, [redacted]\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 (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) 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 the Sticky Solutions Department a line at the [redacted] address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for either Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions. No 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 is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\nTo DW and DH, thanks for all the good times!\r\n\r\n©CRASH Ltd, 1989\r\n\r\nISSN 0954-8661\r\n\r\nCover Design & Illustration by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Get fresh with aliens...\r\n\r\nProducer: Melbourne House\r\nTrendy Blasting: £7.95\r\nAuthor: Jason Cowling (Lothlorien), music adapted by Tiny Williams from a ditty by David Whittaker\r\n\r\nLife is so strange at times. There I was watching Saturday morning TV - Get Stale or something, and suddenly this megagame called Xenon came on. Strange name for a game, I thought, sounds like a trendy disco (ie not Nick's).\r\n\r\nSo what's strange, you ask. Well, one moment I was sitting on the sofa, scoffing beans on toast. Then, before you could say 'Gaz Top needs a haircut' (or 'Wet Wet Wet video' -Ed), I was at the controls of a jet fighter.\r\n\r\nThe in-built radio crackled into life. 'You've been given a dangerous mission'said a familiar voice - it was Mike Smith! 'Okay Smiffy, what've I got to do, find out what a Production Manager does?' I anxiously enquired.\r\n\r\n'No, not quite that bad,' replied Smiffy. 'You'll have to fly through four vertically-scrolling, alien-infested levels.'\r\n\r\nSounds familiar, I thought.\r\n\r\n'There are many different types of enemy,' continued Smiffy, 'some in the air and some on the ground. To shoot ground-based aliens you can transform your fighter into a hover-ship. But whatever form you're in, getting hit by enemies or their bullets reduces your fuel - run out and you're dead. Then there are the really large aliens - two in each level - which must be shot dozens of times to be destroyed.'\r\n\r\n'But if this mission is so tough, why have I only got a poxy little gun?'\r\n\r\n'Luckily for you, when some aliens are shot, they leave behind extra weapons and fuel capsules. Easy peasy. See you fora drink later, and just one little tip - don't try landing near any trees.'\r\n\r\nSo, after saying a quick prayer to the PM (Production Manager), zoomed over the smooth-scrolling landscape. Well-drawn alien ships darted around the screen, and it took a lot of skill to reach the really large motherships. Unfortunately, these took a long time to destroy, and interrupted the otherwise enjoyable action. But most amazing was the 128K sound-much better than Radio 1. What a great, challenging shoot-'em-up.\r\n\r\nPHIL 85%\r\n\r\nTHE ESSENTIALS\r\nJoysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair\r\nGraphics: smooth-scrolling shaded landscape\r\nSound: superb in-game 128K tune and some good blasting effects\r\nOptions: definable keys","ReviewerComments":["Xenon is a jolly good blast if I was going to be an overcritical pain (some would say that's nothing new) then I could say lots of nasty things about unoriginality. Probably the single most impressive feature is the excellent 128K sound - there's a really thumping tune which isn't interrupted at all by gunfire FX. Graphics are almost as impressive, monochromatic, but really well-detailed and scrolling incredibly smoothly even with lots of onscreen action and the aforementioned mass of musical magnificence (phew!). All in all, a worthy buy; a tape containing several trillion years of alien killing fun.\r\nMike Dunn\r\n88%","There is no doubt that Xenon is a quality product, the graphics are very good and the 128K tune is amazingly close to the ST's. Gameplay isn't bad either, although the switching between aircraft and hover-ship doesn't add that much to the shoot-'em-up genre. So why isn't it a Smash? The main problem is the game's toughness, Level Three in particular is absolutely maddening, and killing the big aliens takes ages. All the levels look great, though, and once multiloaded in you can play a level as often as you want without going back to Level One. If you fancy a really hard challenge this is probably what you need.\r\nMark Caswell\r\n80%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: A very good conversion of the popular Arcadia coin-op.","Page":"17","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Phil King","Score":"85","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mike Dunn","Score":"88","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mark Caswell","Score":"80","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Be patient, keep moving and you'll soon be into the next level."},{"Text":"'Several trillion years of alien-killing fun'."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"FLY HIGH...\r\n\r\nOnly use the hover-ship to destroy groups of ladybirds for extra fuel.\r\n\r\nThe laser is the most useful weapon, as it can kill several enemies with one blast.\r\n\r\nThe large aliens all move in an identical pattern: down-left, up-right, down-right, up-left, down, up."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"78%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"83%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"92%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"84%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"86%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"84%","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":"Mastertronic Plus\r\n£2.99\r\n\r\nManic vertically-scrolling shoot-'em-up with loads of levels and billions of attackers. Collect power pills to improve your ship's capabilities. Great presentation but the gameplay's looking a bit old now.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"50","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"70","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"70%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 40, Apr 1989","Price":"£1.6","ReleaseDate":"1989-03-16","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":108,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Cleaner: Colin\r\nEditor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Catherine Higgs\r\nDeputy Editor: Matt Bielby\r\nProduction Editor: Jackie Ryan\r\nStaff Writer: Duncan MacDonald\r\nDesigner: Thor Goodall\r\nEditorial Assistant: David Wilson\r\nTechnical Consultant: David McCandless\r\nContributors: Marcus Berkmann, Ben Bracken, Ciaran Brennan, Jonathan Davies, Mike Gerrard, Sean Kelly, Catherine Peters, Rachael Smith, Phil South\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Stephen Bloy\r\nAdvertisement Director: Alistair Ramsay\r\nProduction Manager: Judith Middleton\r\nAdvertisement Production: Katherine Balchin\r\nMarketing Manager: Bryan Denyer\r\nPublisher: Terry Grimwood\r\nFinance Director: Colin Crawford\r\nManaging Director: Stephen England\r\nChairman: Felix Dennis\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 ©1989 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":"Melbourne House\r\n£7.95\r\nReviewer: David Wilson\r\n\r\nCoo! Xenon. This of course is a game about that spanky Richard Branson nightclub in London's glitzy West End, where we had the YS Xmas party. (No it's not idiot. It's Xenon the Melbourne House game, and unlike Xenon the Xmas party, it's a goodie! Now get on with it! Ed)\r\n\r\nOkay then Xenons a storming shoot 'em up, which involves you moving up a vertically rolling scrolling hi-tech landscape, blasting ground defences and aliens until you meet up with the inevitable Big Meanie. But Xenon's not your normal run of the mill shoot 'em up. Oh no missis, 'cos you can change your vehicle mode from jet fighter to armoured tank thing, the former being the safest and most manoeuverable means of transport, but the latter being the necessary mode for destroying batches of wibbly aliens. Also you get the special treat of taking on TWO big meanies per level! and they are well hard! (Ooer!) This is a dangerous chore, so why do it? I hear you cry. Well if you wipe out a whole caboodle of fat ladybird lookalikes for example, an icon appears, and if you don't, then, er, it doesn't. One icon boosts your energy, others alter your firepower. You can also get a brillo bubble, instead of an icon, on some screens, which will follow you about and fire simultaneously.\r\n\r\nXenon is a bit spooky in some ways, in that I actually got the impression that it became easier the further I got! I mean it s a lot easier to survive if your flying machine has super spanky fire power and the aforementioned brillo bubble, which you can put into use against the meanie! So persevere on the first levels... they are possible to get through even when you're in that crap tank thingy! Oh!... and while I'm having a moan, it is a little annoying that when you've finished the level, you take on the meanie with depleted energy, and if you get killed you have to go all the way back to the start! Ho-hum!\r\n\r\nStill this having been said, Xenon is a reet gradely (as they say up North) space shoot 'em up and a well tasty conversion that's worth the eight squidlies that those nice people at Melbourne House want you to shell out for it. It's addictive and pitched at a nice level of difficulty to keep you struggling. It boasts smooth graphics and nice sound especially on the 128K format It's a shame about the single colour screens, but with all the other excitement crammed into this little number, it's forgivable.\r\n\r\nIf this type of game is your space thermos of Rosie Lee then strap yourself to your Spectrum don your crash helmet, and prepare to blast your way through the alien hordes!!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"A very good conversion which, as space shoot 'em ups go, is a bit of a rip snorter! A mite tricky, but well playable and addictive to boot!","Page":"50,51","Denied":false,"Award":"Your Sinclair Megagame","Reviewers":[{"Name":"David Wilson","Score":"9","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"Alien Tie Fighters\r\nAlien Tie-Fighters have that annoying habit of zooming up behind you, so don't stay too near the bottom of the screen! Wiping out the first batch of these on sector two gives you an S icon which gives simultaneous sideways shooting - ever so handy for the mass of gun turrets lining this sector!\r\n\r\nBig Meanie\r\nBleareaaaarrrghgh!!!! It's one of those howwid big meanies. This big job requires excessive exercise of the trigger finger. It fires in batches, so when you see what looks like a string of cod's roe coming towards you, hoof it! Also, beware of being squashed when this beastie moves down the centre to the bottom of the screen!\r\n\r\nLadybirds\r\nWibble, wibble, wibble... Here comes one of those crap alien ladybird things (CALTs). You can only shoot these in tank mode, and though they don't do much, they do fire at you and when there's a bunch they can cause serious damage! Wipe out a whole group and they'll present you with an energy boosting icon! After facing the first big meanie you'll find two individual CALT's on either side of the screen. Kill both of these - by changing from tank to kill the first, plane to fly over the central reservation, and back to tank for the second - and you get your first brillo bubble!\r\n\r\nBubble\r\nOoooooooh! No missus, don't shoot this up 'cos it's your bubble chum. He effectively doubles your firepower, but beware he's lazy! If you stay at the bottom of the screen, he'll hide below you. Best idea is to zig-zag left and right, firing all the time."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"9/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 62, Feb 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-01-03","Editor":"Matt Bielby","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Matt Bielby\r\nArt Editor: Sal Meddings\r\nProduction Editor: Andy Ide\r\nStaff Writer: Linda Barker\r\nDesign Assistant: Andy Ounsted\r\nContributors: Marcus Berkmann, Jonathan Davies, Cathy Fryett, Mike Gerrard, Duncan MacDonald, Angela Neal, Jon North, Rich Pelley, John Pillar, David Wilson\r\nAdvertising Manager: Simon Moss\r\nPublisher: Greg Ingham\r\nAssistant Publisher: Jane Richardson\r\nPublishing Assistant: Michele Harris\r\nCirculation Director: Sue Hartley\r\nManaging Director: Chris Anderson\r\nProduction Manager: Ian Seager\r\nProduction Coordinator: Melissa Parkinson\r\nSubscriptions: Computer Posting [redacted]\r\nMail Order: The Old Barn [redacted]\r\nPrinters: Riverside Press [redacted]\r\nDistributors: MMC [redacted]\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair is published by Future Publishing Ltd [redacted]\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1991. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission."},"MainText":"XENON\r\nMelbourne House\r\n£7.95\r\nReviewer: Rich Pelley\r\n\r\nMmm, this is the second Mastertronic offering of the month and - spook! - it's just as much a corker as the first. (Actually, there's another couple of Virgin re-releases over the page as well, Gemini Wing and Double Dragon - you can either buy all four games separately under the Mastertronic label or in one big box as a barg pack. Well, I thought it was interesting anyway.)\r\n\r\nOkay, down to business. Captain Xod is in a bit of a pickle because his spaceship has just broken down right over the other end of the Federation sector. In other words, it's just another excuse for a vertically-scrolling multi-level action-packed shoot-'em-up. Huh!\r\n\r\nGraphic-wise things are excellent - detailed and, if a little monochrome, still pretty spanky. There are loads of different baddies to kill - they either move around on the surface or fly above it, so for this reason you can swop between two different ships. One goes along the floor and one flies - you have to work out which ship kills what. At the end of the level there's a mega-nasty which (naturally) you have to kill in order to carry on. Oh, and there're loads of add-ons including strange ball things which follow you about and fire for you.\r\n\r\nAnd that's just Level One - Level Two is completely different! Ifs grrrr-eeaaat!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"51","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Rich Pelley","Score":"92","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Spook! It's the bottom of a rather extra-terrestial swimming pool! (Although it's not actually because I'm right old cad and I'm telling complete porky-pies.)"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"92%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 83, Feb 1989","Price":"£1.6","ReleaseDate":"1989-01-18","Editor":"Graham Taylor","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Graham 'phew' Taylor\r\nDeputy Editor: Jim 'shiny shoes' Douglas\r\nProduction Editor: Alison 'get lunky' Skeat\r\nArt Editor: Tim 'diced carrots' Noonan\r\nAdventure: The Sorceress\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nTechnical: Andrew Hewson, Rupert Goodwins\r\nContributors: Tony 'ratty' Dillon, Chris 'snivel' Jenkins\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Martha 'eejit' Moloughney\r\nAd Production: Emma Ward\r\nPublisher's Assistant: Debbie Pearson\r\nPublisher: Terry 'serene' Pratt\r\nMarketing: Clive 'it's alright I'm here now' Pembridge\r\n\r\nPhone: [redacted]\r\nFax: [redacted]\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nThis Month's Cover: Jerry 'fluffy bunny' Parks\r\n\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1989 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries: [redacted]\r\n24 Hour Order Line: [redacted]\r\nBack Issues: Back Issues Department (SU), [redacted]"},"MainText":"Label: Melbourne House\r\nAuthor: Lothlorien\r\nPrice: £7.95\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Jim Douglas\r\n\r\nAnd as the four moons of Kiri eclipsed themselves, Commander Skybuckski of the 4th Space Commandos Platoon put on his oxy-helmet and boarded his X-tie-wingcruiser and set off to do battle with evil wherever it may be found.\r\n\r\nGot that? Well, that's the sort of atmosphere you need to imagine for playing Xenon: all high-tech gleaming superstructures and cold-blooded alien fighter-pilo's. A kind of Very Last Starfighter.\r\n\r\nIf you've got a mate with an ST, he's probably been boring you stupid with stories of how fab Xenon is on his machine. Well, now it's payback time 'cos the Spec version is every bit as good.\r\n\r\nIt's a top-bottom progressive shoot-out (like so many others) but you can alternate between a flying ship and a hover-craft thing, allowing you to combat airborne aliens and gun installations and ground-based trundley-aliens respectively.\r\n\r\nFor the most part, it's best to stay in the air, since you can move about more quickly and you won't be hampered by the bugs on the ground. As you make your way up through the level, the most common adversaries are rotating gun-turrets which continually fire in your direction. You have to blow these away pretty swiftly if you're going to get anywhere.\r\n\r\nWithout too much trouble you'll be able to make your way to the end of the level, only to face - ark? - the big beastie!\r\n\r\nYou can only combat BB in your hovercraft and so your movement speed is greatly restricted. He moves in a set pattern around the screen - to one side and down, to the other side and down, then back to the middle and down. He fires batches of four or five shots while descending upon you. You encounter this bad guy twice on each level, once at about half-way through and once at the end. He gets tougher and faster and fires more each time. By his visitation on Level Three, it's real terror-time.\r\n\r\nPersonally, and for the little it's worth. I think these boys are far too hard. After working your way through a tricky and frenetic level, to have your energy mercilessly sapped by an apparently invincible foe is more than a little disheartening. Since it's not possible to use any weapons you may have picked up along the way, I think these stages are simply too tough.\r\n\r\nExtra weapons? Yes indeed. After taking out a pack of aliens (either walkers or flyers) a bonus token usually appears. They'll give you extra fuel or a special invincibility weapon in the first stages. From sector two onwards there are more exciting things to collect. You can get multiple direction cannon, firing out in eight tangents and there's an armoured sphere which follows your ship, firing when you fire and demolishing the bad guys.\r\n\r\nOn top of all this you can exchange your rapid-fire machine-gun for a laser beam which continues to travel even after blowing away a bad guy.\r\n\r\nThe graphics are fantastic. Although there was no way you could have hoped the bas-relief landscapes could have been copied from the ST original, it still looks very high-tech and shiny. It's similar to the Uridium style. Although the aliens are actually quite small and maybe not that impressive at first, they're all animated and scuttle around in interesting movement patterns. The scroll is smooth, but not flawless. When an alien buys it, he blows up in a plume of nuke-smoke - great!\r\n\r\nFurther into the game you'll come across gun emplacements hidden in the walls and maze-like structures which you have to negotiate with a great deal of care.\r\n\r\nXenon just gels better and better. Apart from the end-of-level monsters which are too hard! (Shut up about that and tell them about the sound - GT) The 128K sound has to be heard to be believed. There's continual music playing, astoundingly growly sound effect and explosions and even a new tune when you come to the end of level monster - which is too hard (Aaaarh! - GT).\r\n\r\nEven if you're thoroughly hacked off with space shoot-outs, Xenon is a must-buy game. Not only is it a very faithful conversion, but all the factors still work well on the Spec. Marvellous.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Amazing shoot-out classic! Action! Music! Aliens! Kwoar!","Page":"26,27","Denied":false,"Award":"Sinclair User Classic","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jim Douglas","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Beating that Alien!\r\nThis is his movement pattern. Follow the position notes in order to stay safe. Go to each position in turn, and wait until the bad guy has fired his shots before moving to the next place - he can only fire one batch at a time.\r\n\r\n"}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"HINTS AND TIPS\r\n\r\nTake time to work out which aliens leave behind bonus tokens.\r\n\r\nAvoid changing to ground-based combat if you're not going to get a token at the end of it. It's unlikely that you'll get out with enough energy to complete the level.\r\n\r\nAnticipate the aliens' movements and shoot the last one from each set only if it's in the clear - if you try to get a token, you don't want to have to fly into a warzone to get it.\r\n\r\nStart in the middle of the screen - aliens come from the top and the bottom. Don't get caught unawares!"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"80%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 133, Mar 1993","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1993-02-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":36,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan Dykes\r\nArt Editor: Sarah Pruce\r\nDesign: Yvette 'Bye Bye' Nicholls\r\nSU Crew:\r\n Mr Hacking Squad: Garth Sumpter\r\n Mr Checkout: Steve Keen\r\n Mr Patrick Eggle and a few reviews: Philip Lindey\r\n Nigel Mansell's Best Mate: Tony Kaye\r\n Mr Historic Games: Mark Patterson\r\n Mr Reviews: Paul Davis\r\n Mr Pain In The Butt: Tom 'Call me Tom' Guise\r\n Mr Technical: Graham Mason\r\n Mr Adventure: Pete Gerrard\r\nAd Manager: Tina 'Absolutely wonderful and always part of the SU Crew' Zanelli\r\nAd Production: Tina Gynn\r\nMr Marketing: Mark Swallow\r\nMarketing: Fiona 'Doh!' Malloch\r\nPublisher: Mike Frey\r\nManaging Director: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\nPart of EMAP PLC\r\nTel: [redacted]\r\nFax: [redacted]\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Colourtech\r\nPrinted by Riverside Press Gillingham\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\nSubs [redacted]\r\nBack Issues [redacted]\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or copied without the express permission of the publisher. If Tom Guise doesn't stop telling Big Al' to 'just call him Tom' he's going to be in serious trouble! Signing off from another issue, stay cool folks."},"MainText":"XENON\r\nLabel: Virgin\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £3.99 Tape\r\nReviewer: Mark Patterson\r\n\r\nThe Bitmaps' first shoot 'em up is an awesome vertically scrolling affair. You control a rock-hard ground-attack tank which, at the flick of a button, turns into an even harder space-craft Unbelievable it may be but each vehicle has to be employed at certain times during the game, and it's down to you to work out when is best to change.\r\n\r\nThis game is tough, with fuel limits to keep track of. power-ups to collect and some stupendously powerful bosses to deal with. A classic game.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"18","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Patterson","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 107, Jan 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1990-12-18","Editor":"Garth Sumpter","TotalPages":84,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Garth Sumpter\r\nDesign Editor: Andrea 'Hotlips' Walker\r\nDesign: Amanda Young, Margaret Goldrick\r\nStaff Writer: Jason Nalk\r\nSU Crew: Chris 'Hateful' Jenkins, Matt Regan, John Cook, Pete Gerrard, Gary Liddon\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Jim Owens\r\nAd Production: Jo 'Titters' Gleissner\r\nMarketing Manager: Dean Barrett\r\nMarketing Assistants: Sarah Ewing, Sarah Hillard\r\nPublisher: Graham Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1990 EMAP IMAGES\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION; FRONTLINE\r\n\r\nTypesetting by Garthtype\r\nTypos by A.C.C. Ident\r\nColour work by Proprint. B&W filming by PRS. I'd just like to say a merry Christmas to all you SU Crewers and Squaddies out there. Have a great time and the all new Crew and I will see you in January.\r\n\r\nReproduction of any part of this magazine is illegal. However, as it's Christmas, we might not sue you this time. Also, the first person to write in with the last word of this sentence will win the Christmas number one game. Have a nice break - Garth."},"MainText":"Label: Virgin\r\nPrice: £2.99 Cass 48K\r\nReviewer: Chris Jenkins\r\n\r\nAn SU Classic on its first appearance, Xenon continues to hold its head, its tentacles and indeed its entire slimy body high in the air despite many efforts to outdo it by competitors. When Xenon appeared on 16-bit machines (and for that matter as a coin-op), it was widely assumed it wouldn't be possible to transfer its graphic polish and busy gameplay to 8-bit machines.\r\n\r\nWell, it was almost true - the Commodore 64 version was plop! But, to give you even more of a reason to jubilate, the Spectrum version was fab, and is still well worth seeking out. It's like this; vertical scroller, pick-up-weapons, multi-form ship, hit M to change from an eight-directional land-crawling tank to a high-flying aircraft. On the 16-bit versions you did this by wiggling the joystick, and it's a pity you can't do this on the Spectrum, because having to hit key M while you're fighting off deathtanks is a wee bit distracting. You wiggle your way between rotating gun placements, fly over metallic wails and fight off flights of alien ships, but at the middle and end of each level there's a stinking challenge in the form of a giant land-crawler which has to be hit in the mouth hundreds of times before you see it off. These nasties are so difficult that you may never get through Xenon without cheating, so depending on your persistence this could be a good investment or frustrating stinker. Extra weapons like armour, homing missiles, lasers, side lasers, wing weapons and rotating balls (pardon?), as well as extra fuel, can be picked up by collecting power puts from clobbered craft. With sixteen zones to complete, divided into four levels. Xenon should keep you occupied until at least Christmas 2016, so slither out and buy it at once.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Blinking Flip! We said it then, and we'll say it again; this is a classic. Buy it or die!","Page":"55","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Chris Jenkins","Score":"90","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"83%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"67%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"89%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"93%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"90%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 110, Apr 1991","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-03-18","Editor":"Garth Sumpter","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Garth 'Desert Rat' Sumpter\r\nDesign Editor: Andrea 'Frantz Klammer' Walker\r\nDesign: Evette 'Kiwi' Nicholls\r\nStaff Writers: Steve '60's' Keen\r\nSU Crew: Chris 'Hateful' Jenkins, John Cook, Pete Gerrard, Phillip 'Mein Gott' Fisch, Ian 'Indie' Watson\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Jim 'Trivia' Owens\r\nAd Production: Jo 'Titters' Gleissner\r\nMarketing Department: Sarah 'Blondie' Ewing, Sarah 'Helpful' Hillard\r\nPublisher: Graham 'Slasher' Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'Huggy' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1991 EMAP IMAGES\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION: BBC FRONTLINE\r\nSU SUBSCRIPTIONS: [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by Garthtype Laser hooked up to Richardson PR407 Iron Lung. Colour work by Proprint, B&W filming by PRS.\r\n\r\nNo part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or I'll make you wash your face in my sick (or sink).\r\n\r\nAndrea's going on holday next week and it's been unbearable. She's been strutting around in the office, dressed in her ski suit and making Whooosh! noises as she jumps down the stairs. I wouldn't mind so much, but she's only going off to Clacton with her mum and her strange cousin Claude who wears Coke bottle glasses and has a respiratory problem - he's still breathing!"},"MainText":"Label: Mastertronic Plus\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nPrice: £2.99\r\nProgram By: Bitmap Brothers\r\nReviewer: Chris Jenkins\r\n\r\nWe said it before and we'll say it again now - Xenon IS a classic shoot-'em-up, well worth its SU Classic status, and though it has now been compiled, cover-mounted and collated almost out of existence, if there's anyone left who doesn't have it, then they must have taken an overdose of penicillin 'cos it's the most contagious game in existence, and they should catch it this time around.\r\n\r\nGreat 128K music and sound effects accompany this vertically-scrolling fight-feast, as you steer a two-mode fighter over metallic landscapes. Switching from ground-attack to airborne modes using the space-bar, you shoot anything that moves as you flit freely around the smooth-scrolling screen.\r\n\r\nThere are four sectors, each divided into four zones, and each decked out with rotating gun turrets, ladybird-like ground craft, laser emplacements, and, at the end of each level, an enormous sentinel. These are not your everyday Mothercare bouncers - they're terrifically hard to kill, and you won't have the help of your special weapons such as wing-shooters, side-shooters, armour, lasers, homing missiles and revolving balls, which you collect along the way by picking up icons.\r\n\r\nBar displays show your fuel level, speed and energy status, but despite the claims that this is the 'thinking man shoot-'em-up', you can turn your brain off and just use your reflex shooting skills. Reach out with your feelings and blast em to bits.","ReviewerComments":["Blast, maim, splaa-booom! I even broke two fingernails in my first game and still thought it was worth the suffering. A classic blast from the past.\r\nAndrea Walker"],"OverallSummary":"Miss this and you might as well hand in your \"Junior Space Warrior\" badge. A shoot-'em-up classic.","Page":"34,35","Denied":false,"Award":"Sinclair User Best Budget","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Chris Jenkins","Score":"91","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Andrea Walker","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Here we are in aircraft mode, and just skimming along what looks like an oil pipeline. The two enemy craft look as if they may be on their way to Iran."},{"Text":"Meanwhile in ground attack mode, we're attacking a medal."},{"Text":"Wizz, bang, boom - those Bitmap boys like explosions."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"91%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"92%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"90%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"91%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 119, Jan 1992","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1991-12-18","Editor":"Garth Sumpter","TotalPages":60,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Commander Coloninabadway\r\nDesign: Captain Ooneneeky Cheeky\r\nSoftware Editor: Star Commander Angus Headrush\r\nAdditional Design: Earthling Jane Davies\r\nSU Crew: Garth 'Lost in Space' Sumpter, John 'Bad Boy' Cook, Alan 'Space Cruiser' Dykes, Pete 'Astro' Gerrard, Yvette 'Brightstar' Nichols, Phillip 'Black Hole' Fisch\r\nAd Manager: Jerry 'Astonomical' Hall\r\nAd Production: Jo 'Venus' Gleissner\r\nMarketing Man.: Mark 'Starman' Swallow\r\nMarketing Women: Sarah Ewing, Sarah Hillard\r\nPublisher: Graham Taylor\r\nManaging Director: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1991 EMAP IMAGES\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by Proprint\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\n\r\nIncidentally, just before Garth disappeared into a spaceship, he said that he would always believe in Santa and wished all the readers (including his mum and dad) merry Christmas and the rest of the Crew wished a merry Christmas to mum and dads everywhere, without whom, nothing would be possible! Would it?"},"MainText":"Label: Tronix\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nPrice: £3.99\r\nReviewer: Garth Sumpter\r\n\r\nKing of the crawling armoured thingies, Xenon has been popular for a long time and although it may have been put to one side at this stage in some people's collections, it will certainly never be forgotten.\r\n\r\nA true monster bash, Xenon involves devastating all comers in a large, vertically scrolling world with a powerful transformer tank capable of transmuting from hell on wheels to hell on wings, taking to the skies and picking off targets from above.\r\n\r\nPlayability is incredible but although it's Xenon's strongest point, it is also it's weakest 'cos it can actually be too difficult to finish the game without a cheat. However, it contains so much action that it doesn't really get frustrating... you can literally spend hours at the Xenon and not notice the time fly by.\r\n\r\nGraphics are detailed but not over stunning and the sound is really rather good but as you destroy the seemingly infinite string of gun emplacements, battle tanks and alien ships in the demon world of Xenon you'll wonder why you haven't already fallen for this superb shoot 'em up.","ReviewerComments":["What a blast! One of the first of the Bitmaps' new age games, Xenon promises to thrill.\r\nAlan Dykes"],"OverallSummary":"Xenon still captures my imagination every time I play it. The graphics look good if a little basic by today's standards but it's a game that demands every ounce of concentration.","Page":"40","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Garth Sumpter","Score":"88","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Alan Dykes","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"And through the rectangular window today children is Sector One, of Xenon."},{"Text":"Here I am again. Now, did I leave the car in Sector One or here?"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"88%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) Issue 19, Apr 1989","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1989-03-02","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":140,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Future Publishing [redacted]\r\nTelephone [redacted], Fax [redacted], Telecom Gold 84:TXT152\r\n\r\nEditor: Graeme Kidd\r\nReviews Editor: Bob Wade\r\nStaff Writers: Steve Jarratt, Andy Smith\r\nProduction Editor: Damien Noonan\r\nConsultant Editor: Brian Larkman (Graphics)\r\nAdventure Editor: Steve Cooke\r\nContributors: Simon N Goodwin, Tony Takoushi, Zog\r\nArt Editor: Trevor Gilham\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Angela Neale\r\nProduction: Diane Tavener, Claire Woodland, Vivien Dean, Naomi Steer, Louise Cockroft\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Simon Stansfield\r\nAdvertising Sales Executive: David Lilley\r\nPublisher: Kevin Cox\r\n\r\nCover by Simon Thorp\r\n\r\nSUBSCRIPTIONS\r\nAvon Direct Mail [redacted]\r\n\r\nSPECIAL OFFERS\r\n(Christine Stacey) [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOLOUR ORIGINATION\r\nWessex Reproduction [redacted]\r\n\r\nDISTRIBUTION\r\nSM Distribution [redacted]\r\n\r\nPRINTING\r\nChase Web Offset [redacted]\r\n\r\n© FUTURE PUBLISHING LTD 1989\r\n\r\nNo part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without our permission.\r\n\r\nWith thanks to Paranoid Clive for all the inside information."},"MainText":"Melbourne House, £9.99cs £14.99dk\r\nAmiga version reviewed Issue 7 - rating 869\r\n\r\nThe game that made the Bitmap Bros famous makes it onto the 8-bit machines. The graphics are as good as you could expect from a Spectrum, and though all the extra weapons aren't there, the gameplay is. A great conversion of a good shoot-em-up.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"85","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Ace Rating","Score":"819/1000","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 113, Apr 1991","Price":"£1.3","ReleaseDate":"1991-03-16","Editor":"Julian Rignall","TotalPages":108,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Managing Editor: Julian Rignall\r\nAssociate Editor: Paul Glancey\r\nArt Editor: Jon Billington\r\nStaff Writers: Richard Leadbetter, Robert Swan\r\nDebonair Advertisement Manager: Nigel Taylor\r\nTough-Talking Deputy Advertisement Manager: Martha Moloughney\r\nAmiable Sales Exec: Alan Dykes\r\nBeautiful Production Assistant: Emma Sadler\r\nWicked Publisher: Graham \"Nyee-hahaha!\" Taylor\r\nStunt Double For Miss Moloughney: Ruby Wax\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries: C+VG Subscriptions, [redacted]\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]. Look! No more calls asked for tips, OK?\r\n\r\nPrinted By: Kingfisher Web, [redacted]\r\nColour By: The lovely Proprint people of [redacted]\r\nTypeset By: Your knackered editor. I thank you.\r\nDistributed By: BBC Frontline\r\n\r\n©Computer And Video Games\r\n1991 ISSN No: 0261-3697"},"MainText":"Mastertronic\r\nSpectrum £2.99\r\n\r\nIt's you against the rest of the universe in this vertical scrolling blaster. The graphics and sound are quite neat, and the game is very playable indeed, if a tad tough. Overall, a very good blast, and well worth shelling out for.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"72","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"83%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"The Games Machine Issue 17, Apr 1989","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1989-03-23","Editor":"Jon Rose","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL AND HEAD OFFICE\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nEditor: Jon Rose\r\nFeatures Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Robin Hogg, Warren Lapworth, Robin Candy\r\nEditorial Assistants: Vivien Vickress, Caroline Blake\r\nResearcher: David Peters\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson (Assistant)\r\nContributors: Mel Croucher, Don Hughes, Marshal M Rosenthal, Jason Sheldon, John Woods\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION DEPARTMENT\r\n[redacted]\r\nProduction Manager: Jonathan Rignall\r\nSenior Designer: Wayne Allen\r\nReprographics Supervisor: Matthew Uffindell\r\nProduction Team: Ian Chubb, Yvonne Priest, Melvin Fisher, Robert Millichamp, Robert Hamilton, Tim Morris, Jenny Reddard\r\n\r\nADVERTISING AND ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENTS\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nPublisher: Geoff Grimes\r\nGroup Advertisement Director: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Neil Dyson\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executives: Sarah Chapman, Lee Watkins\r\nAssistant: Jackie Morris [redacted]\r\nGroup Promotions Executive: Richard Eddy\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts [redacted]\r\n\r\nTypeset by the Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow and on our Apple Macintosh II running Quark Xpress 2.0. Colour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]. Printed in England by Carlisle Web Offset [redacted] - a member of the BPCC Group. Distribution effected by COMAG, [redacted].\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 (like a game that has been offered as a prize being scrapped) 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 TGM. 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 Viv Vickress a line at the PO Box 10 address). No person who has any relationship, no matter how remote, to anyone who works for Newsfield or any of the companies offering prizes, may enter one of our competitions.\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return anything sent into TGM - including written and photographic material, hardware or software - unless it's accompanied by a suitably stamped, addressed envelope. We regret that readers' postal enquiries cannot always be answered. Unsolicited written or photographic material is welcome, and if used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates. Colour photographic material should be 35mm transparencies wherever possible. The views expressed in TGM are not necessarily those of the Editor. Other Newsfield publications are CRASH (Spectrum), ZZAP! (Commodore 64/Amiga), FEAR (fantasy and horror) and MOVIE - THE VIDEO MAGAZINE. Now that's quite interesting, but why are you reading all this when there 111 pages to go?\r\n\r\n©TGM Magazines Ltd, 1989\r\nA Newsfield Publication ISSN 0954-8092\r\n\r\nCover Design by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Spectrum 48/128 Cassette: £7.95\r\n\r\nRemember when Xenon came out on the ST? With a score of 85% we reckoned it was the most challenging shoot-'em-up to date and a near-perfect arcade conversion to boot. Now the Spectrum version has arrived and it's as well implemented as its predecessors, pushing the Speccy into territories hitherto the domain of 16-bit owners.\r\n\r\nThe gameplay remains exactly the same as before, with the player controlling a spacecraft which can transform into a hover-ship to take out groundbased aliens when required. Over a horizontally scrolling, beautifully designed landscape, the objective is to destroy as many of the irksome Xenite craft and ground installations, picking up icons left in their wake. There are 16 levels in all to complete, and at the end of each a massive mother-alien needs despatching before progressing to the next level.\r\n\r\nThis game just oozes addictivity and the combination of blasting and building your ship to near-awesome proportions as in Nemesis keeps you coming back time and time again. On the minus side the Spectrum version is if anything, a little too hard. On later levels proves a real pain.\r\n\r\n128K owners are in for a musical treat - you'll be hard pushed to tell the difference between it and that on the ST. But for everyone it's a remarkable conversion. Animation is smooth, the number of aliens awesome, the alien-blasting linger-breaking.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"54","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Entering territories hitherto the domain of 16-bit owners, Xenon takes the Spectrum to new arcade graphic heights."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"ST - Overall: 85% TGM 005\r\nAMIGA - Overall: 89% TGM 005"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"82%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]