[{"TitleName":"Jericho Road","Publisher":"Shards Software Ltd","Author":"Peter M. Goodlad","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0006506","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 31, May 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-16","Editor":"Tim Metcalfe","TotalPages":172,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"CREDITS\r\n\r\nEditor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nAssistant Editor: Eugene Lacey\r\nEditorial Assistant: Clare Edgeley\r\nStaff Writers/Reader Services: Robert Schifreen, Seamus St. John\r\nArt Editor: Linda Freeman\r\nDesigner: Lynda Skerry\r\nProduction Editor: Mary Morton\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Rob Cameron\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Louise Matthews\r\nAdvertising Executives: Bernard Dugdale, Sean Brennan\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Melanie Paulo\r\nProduction Assistant: Roy Stephens\r\nPublisher: Rita Lewis\r\n\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nCOMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES POSTAL SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE. By using the special Postal Subscription Service, copies of COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES can be mailed direct from our offices each month to any address throughout the world. All subscription applications should be sent for processing to COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES (Subscription Department), [redacted]. All orders should include the appropriate remittance made payable to COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES. Annual subscription rates (12 issues): UK and Eire: £14. Additional service information including individual overseas airmail rates available upon request. Circulation Department: EMAP National Publications. Published and distributed by EMAP National Publications Ltd. Printed by Eden Fisher (Southend) Ltd.\r\n\r\nSpiderman TM and The Hulk TM copyright ©1984 by Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation.\r\n\r\nCover Illustration and Lettering: Jerry Paris"},"MainText":"Described as an educational adventure, Jericho Road was written by a church minister. It is set in biblical times, in the middle of the first century AD, in and around Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Jericho.\r\n\r\nThe game has two levels of play - junior and full. I tried the junior version first, in which the aim is to get to Jericho. Wandering around in the hot sun nearly sent me to sleep, as there seemed nothing to do, the only light relief being when I got stripped, beaten and robbed. Along came a priest (trot trot trot), a lawyer (trip trip trip), and of course - you've guessed it!\r\n\r\nChild's play, and I learnt little. But then, of course, this WAS the junior version, and I'm sure children will enjoy the sound effects as these various visitors arrive and depart.\r\n\r\nNot expecting much better, I tried the full game option - easy enough as it's all there in memory, and doesn't require a separate load.\r\n\r\nThis version was in the same setting, but I was immediately impressed about how cleverly the full plot had been abridged in the version I had just finished. For the mission was quite different this time, and not nearly so easy.\r\n\r\nThus I was forced to type HELP on a number of occasions and, when there was help on offer, it came in the form of referring me to a chapter and verse in the Bible. This, I found, added a completely new dimension to the game, and suddenly made Bible reading quite interesting. Reading the text gave information vital to the game, both in terms of knowing what actions to take, and getting the answers right when asked questions.\r\n\r\nThe plot being inextricably tied up with the biblical narration relating to the scenario proved to be a winning formula as far as I was concerned. One thing to watch, though, is your typing, should you get frustrated. This game doesn't understand bad language!\r\n\r\nJericho Road is from Shards Software for 48k Spectrum, priced £5.75.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"125","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"John Molloy","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 56, Apr 1984","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-12","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":82,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editorial\r\nEditor: Cyndy Miles\r\nDeputy Editor: Geof Wheelwright\r\nManaging Editor: Peter Worlock\r\nSub-Editors: Harriet Arnold, Leah Batham\r\nNews Editor: David Guest\r\nNews Writer: Ralph Bancroft\r\nHardware Editor: Ian Scales\r\nFeatures Editor: John Lettice\r\nSoftware Editor: Bryan Skinner\r\nPrograms Editor: Ken Garroch\r\nPeripherals Editor: Piers Letcher\r\nListings Editor: Wendie Pearson\r\nEditor's Assistant: Nickie Robinson\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nArt Editor: David Robinson\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Floyd Sayers\r\nLayout Artist: Nigel Wingrove\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Sarion Gravelle\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Mark Satchell\r\nSales Executives: Christian McCarthy, Marie-Therese Bolger, John Bryan, Laura Cade, Paul Evans, Deborah Quinn\r\nProduction Manager: Nikki Payne\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Karen Isaac\r\nSubscription Enquiries: Gill Stevens\r\nSubscription Address: [redacted]\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nAdvertising Address: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]\r\n© VNU 1983. No material maybe reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\nPhotoset by Quickset, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Chase Web Offset, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Seymour Press, [redacted]\r\nRegistered at the PO as a newspaper"},"MainText":"HIT THE ROAD, JOSHUA\r\n\r\nGo back to biblical times with Mike Gerrard for the first adventure in our special feature section.\r\n\r\nThe adventure is possibly the most creative form of program available on a home micro; arcade games come and go but adventures maintain their popularity. Over the next few months PCN will publish an occasional column on what's new, interesting and puzzling on the adventure scene.\r\n\r\nWe start with Jericho Road from Shards. This is possibly the first adventure from a Baptist Minister (with the appropriate name of Peter Goodlad.) Many adventures have you praying for guidance, but this must be the first where, when you type Help you are told 'See Mark Chapter II, Verse 15.'\r\n\r\nThe adventure is based on the New Testament. A time capsule transports you to the first century AD, where your task is to make your way from Jerusalem to Jericho, locate a sign, discover its four meanings and bring it back to Jerusalem. The problems may not be on the Scott Adams difficulty level, but the program is enjoyable and interesting because of its historical accuracy.\r\n\r\nSteve Maltz of Shards ([redacted]) saw the author on TV last April, when he was interviewed about the Spectrum games he was writing. One of these was an early version of Jericho Road. Steve Maltz said 'we spent three months testing and debugging before releasing it. Mr Goodlad is doing a sequel but he's moving north to Galilee. You can't guarantee it'll be accurate - Jericho Road has been seen by fellow ministers, so if there'd been a single fact wrong he'd never hear the end of it.'\r\n\r\nMr Goodlad explained that the new program will probably be set 20 years earlier. 'Doing that enables the player to witness some of the events from the Gospels, it's very challenging - it has to be accurate without allowing the player to drastically alter the outcome.'\r\n\r\nThe Jericho Road program accepts two-word commands and directions by their initial letters. Help sends you sent, scuttling for a Bible, though one unfortunate omission is a save routine - perhaps it should be called a Lazarus routine. However, with the information from solving earlier riddles there's no need to cover everything again, though it can be a nuisance when you lose your life beyond Jericho, and have to start back in Jerusalem.\r\n\r\nOnce you have begun to sketch out a map, you're told this will be a reasonably accurate plan of the ancient city of Jerusalem.\r\n\r\nApparently, one of the exits was known as the Dung Gate - a good indication that you need to proceed with caution. Stand at the Dung Gate and look, and behold, a smelly, burning rubbish tip. You should always check out exits other than the visible ones. The Reverend Goodlad does prove rather devious in places for a man of the cloth. Can you trust no-one these days?\r\n\r\nAnother problem is changing your denarii (Roman coins) into the shekels (Jewish) you need in the market. Heathens will probably need help. One of several amusing features is the opportunity to haggle in the market. If you don't like the first price you're given, don't accept it... it may well come down. At another point you're asked for someone's name, which is one I'm sure most people won't know without looking it up in the Bible.\r\n\r\nWhen you've explored Jerusalem and set out for Jericho, you pass through or near famous Biblical places: the Kidron Valley by the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea. It's important to befriend people and find somewhere to eat and shelter in the wilderness - you know what lions think of Christians. At one point you witness the re-enactment of a well-known parable, complete with sound effects.\r\n\r\nJericho Road is text-only, though a few milestones are depicted, and to be honest it's not an adventure which will keep seasoned players puzzling for more than a few sessions. However, it is entertaining with appeal for anyone interested in biblical history.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"27","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mike Gerrard","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]