[{"TitleName":"Bonanza Bros.","Publisher":"U.S. Gold Ltd","Author":"Andrew Holroyd, Ian Porter, Simon Justin Street","YearOfRelease":"1992","ZxDbId":"0000629","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 80, Aug 1992","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1992-07-16","Editor":"Linda Barker","TotalPages":68,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"YOUR SINCLAIR\r\nABC 59,059\r\n\r\nEditor: Linda Barker\r\nArt Editor: Andy Ounsted\r\nStaff Writer: Jon Pillar\r\nArt Assistant: Maryanne Booth\r\nEditorial Contributors: Craig Broadbent, Stuart Campbell, Dave Golder, Tim Kemp, Adam Waring\r\nArt Contributors: Phil McCardle, Anthony Colbert\r\nExecutive Bat Consultant: Ollie Alderton\r\nAdvertising Manager: Alison Morton\r\nSenior Sales Executive: Jackie Garford\r\nProduction Co-ordinator: Lisa Read\r\nProduction Technicians: Chris Stocker, Jerome Clough\r\nScanning: Simon Windsor, Simon Chittenden\r\nPublisher: Jane Richardson\r\nPromotions Manager: Michelle Harris\r\nPromotions Assistant: Tamara Ward\r\nGroup Publisher: Greg Ingham\r\nCirculation Director: Sue Hartley\r\nAssistant Publisher: Julie Stuckes\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair. Future Publishing [redacted]\r\n\r\nManaging Director Chris Anderson\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: Future Publishing Ltd. [redacted] (Go on, you know you want to!)\r\n\r\n©Future Publishing 1992. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of Slash out of Guns And Roses. He can usually be found in the cuddly toy department of Hamley's.\r\n\r\nISSN 0269 6983\r\n\r\nYour Sinclair smiles happily across the Shed at Commodore Format, Amstrad Action, Amiga Format, PCW Plus, PC Answers, PC Plus, Sega Power, Amiga Power, Amiga Shopper, Classic CD, Needlecraft, Cycling Plus, Photo Plus, Mountain Biking UK, PC Format, Public Domain, ST Format, Total! and Today's Vegetarian\r\n\r\nThought for the issue... What's a smile but a frown turned upside down?"},"MainText":"US Gold\r\n£11.99 cassette\r\n[redacted]\r\nReviewer: Jon Pillar\r\n\r\nThe rich have a long tradition of being slightly eccentric. Take Jean Paul Getty, for example. More money than a giant redwood has atoms, and rumoured to like sleeping in a barrel. Or something. Anyway, the millionaire in Bonanza Bros is a case in point. He wants a couple of crims to rob his places of business just to prove it can be done. What a loony, eh? Probably spends his free time wearing pyjamas and ruing the loss of his sledge.\r\n\r\nAs befits a Japanese coin-op conversion, Bonanza Bros is replete with preposterous names. The screen glows with such luminaries as 'Mobo,' 'Robo,' er, 'Bonanza,' 'Sega,' 'US Gold,' and 'Program: Bonanza.' Actually. the game doesn't feature many stupid names at all. Only two in fact. Blimey, I seem to have exhausted the review already. Oh hang on, I could mention the game I suppose. It's a split-screen dash-about affair. with you (and a pal) playing Mobo (and Robo). You have to penetrate ten swish and snazzy buildings, and clear them out under the noses of the security guards. In your favour you've got paint guns that stun the guards for a few seconds, and a fleet pair of pegs. On the downside, there are oodles of guards, a load of booby traps and the lawyers from Twentieth Century Fox to contend with (This is a mightily obscure reference to the Bonanzas' catchphrase. 'I'm Mobo/Robo, who the hell are you?' which just happens to be exactly the same as Bart Simpson's. Not that I ever watch The Simpsons of course, my house remains satellite-free. Although they were good when they were on The Tracy Ullman Show. Um, or at least someone who watched The Tracy Ullman Show tells me. Erm, I think I'll close this bracket now.)\r\n\r\nMEANWHILE, BACK WITH THE GAME\r\n\r\nBonanza Bros is one of those games that sound far more fun than they really are. It is a good laff jogging around the place, zapping guards and blagging swag. It's best with two players, because then you can divide up the workload and send your pal off to do the hard bits while you head straight for the exit. (Heh heh heh.) Um, and that's all there is to it - run around, shoot robots and pick up objects. Variety comes in the shape of extra baddies, more cluttered buildings and the occasional special effect (like the rope slides on Level Two). Apart from that, gameplay is pretty much of a muchness.\r\n\r\nIn its favour, it is rather playable in a five-minute wonder sort of way. The prob is, it's an exceedingly pernickety game. For a start, the controls are awful - pressing fire shoots your paint gun, but to jump you have to hold the button down, then release it and jiggle the joystick. Very annoying, and more than a little frustrating when you're trying to leg it away from the bad guys (Or should that be good guys? But I digress.) Secondly, getting onto the raised platforms that litter the floors is a task in itself. Thirdly although the screen scrolls smoothly and quickly in one-player mode, two-player mode causes Mobo's bit to go horribly jerky. Fourthly... well, it'd take ages to go through the lot. Suffice it to say that the game is really fiddly to play, which is in shame.\r\n\r\nSo. Overall, a fun little Spy vs Spy-ish game that falls down in two important areas. long-term appeal (there isn't any) and gameplay (you end up throwing a wobbly 'cos of the exacting controls.) Apart from that, it's pretty darn spanky.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Far too fiddly to make the grade, but a quick blag now and then is good fun.","Page":"12,13","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Jon Pillar","Score":"66","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"\"Go to exit!\" spat the angry shopkeeper. \"Hurry up!\" He was like that, was old Mr Semblance."},{"Text":"Humble Jack Smoo outwitted the guards by jumping on a plinth and impersonating a vase."},{"Text":"While Sneezy O'Toole went toe-to-toe with a closed door, Sneaky Jim sat on the stairs."}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"BAT BLIM!\r\n\r\nBefore he settled on the name Robin, Bob Kane considered the names Bat Lad, Mighty Michael and Kevin for the Caped Crusaders sidekick."},{"Text":"BURGLARY MASTERCLASS WITH PROFESSOR FINGERS\r\n\r\n'Ello. This week, how to break into a mansion with the aid of Mobo, Robo and this handy-dandy map.\r\n\r\nRight. Here we are on Level One. The first thing to do is take a squint at where you are. You're on the bottom screen of the two, which is where the interesting things will happen. And here we go. (Cough.) Straight ahead as you enter the place is a guard with a paintproof shield. Nip along the back wall to let him pass, grabbing the goodies as you go. A hop, skip and a jump away you'll come across one of the guards in the peaked caps. These little blighters move along like billy-o, so leap up onto the furniture to avoid them.\r\n\r\nUp some steps, jink through the doors (be sure to jump over the raised platform in the floor) and zap the guards when their backs are turned. Unsporting I know, but all's fair in love and housebreaking. That's what my Uncle Ab used to say, before they shot him.\r\n\r\nOne quick shufti round the building later and you're ready to make your getaway. Bolt for the roof and hang around anxiously for your airship. There - easy, wasn't it? One security force thoroughly tested, nine to go."},{"Text":"TOP CRIMS THROUGH HISTORY\r\n\r\nThe Black Phantom\r\nThe Black Phantom struck over twenty times from 1930 to 1936. His target each time was Mrs Libbo's Laundry on East 15th Street, New York. At the dead of night he would sneak into the building and make off with any laundry that was lime green.\r\n\r\nSandy Ebbulence\r\nSandy was the criminal mastermind behind The Other Great Train Robbery of 1963. While the attention of the police was diverted by the original heist, Sandy and her crew nipped in and made off with a 40962a/C Little Smokey diesel engine.\r\n\r\nRobert Maxwell\r\n(Hold it right there! Jane the Publisher)"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Life Expectancy","Score":"52%","Text":""},{"Header":"Instant Appeal","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"70%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"50%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"66%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 134, Apr 1993","Price":"£2.5","ReleaseDate":"1993-03-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":36,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan Dykes\r\nArt Editor: Sarah Pruce\r\nCoin Ops Editor: Ed Laurence\r\nSU Crew:\r\n Mr Hacking Squad: Garth Sumpter\r\n Mr Checkout: Steve Keen\r\n Reviews: Tony Kaye\r\n Mr Patrick Eggle and a few reviews: Philip Lindey\r\n Nigel Mansell's Best Mate: Tony Kaye\r\n Historic Games: Mark Patterson\r\n Reviews: Paul Davis\r\n Smart Comments: Tom Guise\r\n Mr Technical: Graham Mason aka Specman, Turbo etc\r\n Adventure: Pete Gerrard & The Sorceress\r\nAd Manager: Tina Zanelli\r\nMarketing:\r\n Product Manager: Sarah Ewing\r\n Marketing Assistant: Fiona 'Doh!' Malloch\r\n Publisher: Mike Frey\r\n Managing 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\nBack Issues [redacted]\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no pert of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or copied without the express written permission of the publisher. Sorry folks but this is it. Thanks for all your letters, all your support and all your compliments and complaints. Many, many thanks to Freda, without whom SU would have been frightfully boring. Well done Paul, Jim, Ken and the boys at Colourtech and all the people who have helped with this last issue. A final goodbye to Mark D. Richards who will, no doubt, be glad to see the back of us (NOT!) and Roland Richardson who has broken the record for writing to a magazine. Au Revoir!"},"MainText":"BONANZA BROTHERS\r\nLabel: US Gold\r\nMemory: 48/128K\r\nPrice: Tape £11.99 Disk £14.99\r\nReviewer: Mike Patterson\r\n\r\nThe rich folk of Badville have too much cash for their own good, so its time for the Bonanza Brothers, Robo and Mobo to make an appearence and clean them out.\r\n\r\nThis is a novel two-player platform and puzzles game which is marred only by an awkward control system. The split- screen mode makes the game far more playable providing you can get hold of a mate to take the other joystick.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"18","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mark Patterson","Score":"82","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"82%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 125, Jul 1992","Price":"£2.2","ReleaseDate":"1992-06-18","Editor":"Alan Dykes","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Alan 'Excellent!' Dykes\r\nDesign: Yvette 'Babe!' Nicholls\r\nSU Crew: Garth 'Bogus' Sumpter, Steve 'Party On' Keen, Ed 'Head' Laurence, Pete 'Source of all knowledege' Gerrard, Graham 'Hate Mail' Mason, Phillip 'Missing in action' Fisch, Jason 'Good game' Baptiste\r\nAd Manager: Tina 'Foxy lady' Zanelli\r\nAd Production: Matthew 'Yin-Yang' Walker\r\nMarketing Man.: Mark '?' Swallow\r\nMarketing Persons: Sarah 'Hello dearie' Ewing, Sarah 'TNT' Hilliard\r\nPublisher: Mike 'Malibu' Frey\r\nManaging Director: Terry 'The professionals' Pratt\r\n\r\n(c)1992 EMAP IMAGES\r\nPhone: [redacted] (is there anyone out there?)\r\nFax: [redacted] (Information at the end of your eyelids)\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nColour by those wonderful Colourtech people\r\nPrinted by Kingfisher\r\nTypeset by Altyp Inc\r\n\r\nAbsolutely no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system or copied, resold etc with the prior permission of the publisher. However, if anyone feels like putting a copy of SU in a deep space probe, sent out to seek other worlds and communicate examples of earth's wonderful things, of which SU is probably the best example (along with a well known brand of lager) to alien races in space, I don't think Mike will mind too much! Y'all have a nice day now."},"MainText":"Label: US Gold\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nPrice: £11.99 Tape, £14.99 Disk\r\nReviewer: Ed Laurence\r\n\r\nThey got it wrong right from the start. Anyone naming their town 'Badville' was bound to invite a nasty criminal set to their locality and, well, it serves them right. SU's Ed The Bill' Laurence investigates the case file...\r\n\r\nThe good citizens of Badville are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Two of the city's most notorious criminals, the Bonanza Brothers, have taken their final bow and retired. Sadly for the Bros, however, their poor knowledge of investment trusts has lost them most of their dubiously-acquired fortune. Still, the rich people of Badville have never had it so good. Not only have the main threats to their wealth vowed never to steal again, but a top security type has come up with an amazing new security device to keep out any burglars who wish make an attempt at the empty Bonanza throne.\r\n\r\nThe system consists of a number of android guards, all of whom are equipped with anti-burglar devices and super-sensitive sensors to sniff out intruders. Being a generous sort of chap, the inventor of this system has arranged a free home trial period for six of the highest-risk buildings in Badville, just to show how effective it is.\r\n\r\nInstead of playing it safe and hoping none of the buildings are robbed however, Mr X (for it is he) is heading for all-out publicity value. To this end he is tempting the Bonanza Bros out the bed and breakfast which they have set up to support themselves throughout their dotage, with the following deal: The duo are to break into each of the buildings and steal a specified number of items from each, avoiding the security robots.\r\n\r\nWhatever they steal, they can keep. However, if they are caught they face the consequences. Mr X will deny any knowledge of this deal and the effectiveness of his security will be proven, having caught the two most notorious thieves around.\r\n\r\nUnable to resist a challenge like that, and looking to recoup their financial losses and live the high life for the rest of their existence, Mobo and Robo Bonanza are promptly set about robbing the six protected buildings of their riches. It's now your task to guide one of the two tin twins around the banks, casinos and houses on their list in search of booty in the guise of a number of items, all highlighted with a flashing border. Roaming around these buildings are lots android security guards with the intention of catching the brothers and having them put in prison.\r\n\r\nBonanza Bros is the long-awaited conversion of the popular Sega coin-op of a couple of years back. It is best described as a three dimensional platform game, with the screen having \"depth\" into which the characters can move. Each of the two cat-purses can run (well, waddle), jump and shoot with their paintball stun guns. Sadly, the ammunition on their guns is limited, so often other means must out, such as slamming doors open into the faces of guards (thus squashing them against the wall), or luring them underneath a piledriver before switching it on (you can probably guess what this does).\r\n\r\nTwo players can simultaneously participate in Bonanza Bros, by means of the split screen configuration. In one player mode, still only half of the screen is used, but the second half comes into play should Mobo wish to join the action. This allows the pair to stick together and work as a team or split up and hopefully accomplish each screen in half the time.\r\n\r\nBonanza Brothers is certainly an ambitious conversion. The original was famous for its fabulous, colourful ray-traced graphics, something which the Spectrum isn't exactly well versed in. However, the team behind the game have done an admirable job.\r\n\r\nAlthough lacking in colour, the definition and animation on the sprites of the original is still there, giving it the same graphical flavour. The levels contained in Speccy BB are layed out the same as those in the arcade, although the 8-BIT version is somewhat scaled down in number of levels. Sadly sound, which consists of a poor tune on the title screen and a few sparse effects throughout the game, is somewhat neglected.\r\n\r\nThe main fault with the game is a lack of responsiveness to control. It takes ages to get your Brother to do what you want him to, especially when it comes to jumping. Once you've finally initiated a jump (by holding down fire for a while and then releasing it), it is sooo hard to control the direction your leap takes that you usually end up in the nightstick-equipped arms of the law. Shooting suffers from the same difficulties, by the time you get a shot off your target is out of range or sheltering behind an object.\r\n\r\nThe computer often puts you in impossible situations too, especially by allowing opponents to attack in mid air whilst you are defenceless when jumping. These faults all too often lead to frustration and very sore wrists from wrenching the joystick around in all directions.\r\n\r\nApart from that really annoying factor everything else runs really smoothly. The two main sprites can move quickly (unfortunately so can the guards) and the overall game is fast paced, action packed and contains enough levels, each with moderate increases in difficulty to keep you happy. It's best played in two player mode where both halves of the screen can operate independently of each other. It's a pity about the sloppy control, but Bonanza Bros, still manages to make the grade.","ReviewerComments":["Bonanza Bros is fine in concept, the only real flaw with the game is its clumsy controls. If this were ironed out it would be a classic. As it stands it's still a bit of a steal.\r\nAlan Dykes"],"OverallSummary":"A potentially excellent licence somewhat spoiled by difficult control. Mobo and Robo are great fun in two player mode which also has the advantage of doubling the duration of play for a single player. Good coin-op conversion.","Page":"36,37","Denied":false,"Award":"Sinclair User Silver","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ed Lawrence","Score":"86","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Alan Dykes","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Aggh, it's one of the sentries."},{"Text":"And it's on to level two."},{"Text":"Hey look, it's us! On Speccy!"},{"Text":"Hey Mobo, see that vase on the shelf behind the guard? Get it!"},{"Text":"Robo knocks out a guard and hides behind the door."},{"Text":"Use it! Use that paintball gun."},{"Text":"What a shot. Robo's about to be severely coshed, ouch!"}],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"SECURITY MEN\r\n\r\nThe Brothers will need to know their enemies if they are to succeed in their thieving endeavours. So here, for prospective tea leaves is a rundown of the robot defences.\r\n\r\nSENTRY\r\nThese sharp-eyed fellows patrol the corridors with their coshes waiting for tube-shaped intruders to pass by, before hitting them violently over the head. They're generally pretty stupid, though and quite easily avoided.\r\n\r\nWHISTLE-BLOWER\r\nMuch the same as Sentries, these chaps are in possession of fearsome whistles which they use to summon aid in the form of extra guards. Luckily, they have a habit of falling asleep allowing dainty crims to sneak past.\r\n\r\nARMOURED SENTRY\r\nThese fearsome security types are clad in armour and have stun-gunstopping shields to protect themselves. Luckily, they are still vulnerable from behind, so merely wait until they turn around before unleashing your weapon. Piledrivers are also effective against these guards, although doors have no effecL"}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"87%","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"57%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"73%","Text":""},{"Header":"Lastability","Score":"85%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"86%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]