[{"TitleName":"Magic Mountain","Publisher":"Phipps Associates","Author":"Mike Farley","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0006631","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 1, Feb 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-01-19","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":112,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nDesigner: Oliver Frey\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Rod Bellamy\r\nAdvertisement Manager: John Edwards\r\nProduction Designer: Michael Arienti\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\n\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\n\r\nMono printing, typesetting & finishing by Feb Edge Litho Ltd. [redacted]\r\nColour printing by Allan-Denver Web Offset Ltd. [redacted].\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £9.00 UK Mainland (post included)\r\nEurope: 12 issues £15 (post included).\r\nSingle copy: 75p\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to CRASH please send articles or ideas for projects to the above address. Articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope\r\n\r\nCover Illustration:Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Phipps Associates, 48K\r\n£4.95\r\n\r\nSeek out the Scroll of Wisdom in this text adventure with location graphics. There is the usual assortment of items and monsters, battling puzzles and sudden deaths through inexperience. Reasonable graphics and medium fast response times. An average effort.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"64","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 2, Mar 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-02-23","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":112,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nDesigner: Oliver Frey\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Rod Bellamy\r\nAdvertisement Manager: John Edwards\r\nProduction Designer: Michael Arienti\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\n\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\n\r\nMono printing, typesetting & finishing by Feb Edge Litho Ltd. [redacted]\r\nColour printing by Allan-Denver Web Offset Ltd. [redacted].\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Wells Gardner, Darton & Co. [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £9.00 UK Mainland (post included)\r\nEurope: 12 issues £15 (post included).\r\nSingle copy: 75p\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to CRASH please send articles or ideas for projects to the above address. Articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope\r\n\r\nCover Illustration:Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Phipps Associates, 48K\r\n£4.95\r\n\r\nSeek out the Scroll of Wisdom in this text adventure with location graphics. There is the usual assortment of items and monsters, battling puzzles and sudden deaths through inexperience. Reasonable graphics and medium fast response times. An average effort.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"67","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 4, May 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-19","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":128,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Ltd.\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nTelephone numbers\r\nEditorial [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\nNo material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\n\r\nColour origination by Scan Studio, [redacted]\r\nPrinted in England by Plymouth Web Offset Ltd, [redacted].\r\nDistribution by Comag, [redacted]\r\nAdditional setting and process work by The Tortoise Shell Press, [redacted].\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £9.00 UK Mainland (post free)\r\nEurope: 12 issues £15 (post free).\r\n\r\nWe cannot undertake to return any written or photographic material sent to CRASH MICRO unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Phipps Associates, 48K\r\n£4.95\r\n\r\nSeek out the Scroll of Wisdom in this text adventure with location graphics. There is the usual assortment of items and monsters, battling puzzles and sudden deaths through inexperience. Reasonable graphics and medium fast response times. An average effort.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"75","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Computer Issue 8, Aug 1983","Price":"£0.7","ReleaseDate":"1983-07-21","Editor":"Toby Wolpe","TotalPages":204,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Toby Wolpe\r\nAssistant Editor: Meirion Jones\r\nStaff Writer: Simon Beesley\r\nSub-Editor: Paul Bond\r\nEditorial Secretary: Lynn Cowling\r\nEditorial: [redacted]\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Philip Kirby\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Peter Rice\r\nAdvertisement Executives: Bill Ardley, Nigel Borrell\r\nMidlands Office: Vic Sheret\r\nNorthern Office: Ron Southall\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Jeanette Mackrell\r\nClassified: Claire Notley\r\nPublishing Director: Chris Hipwell\r\n\r\n©Business Press International Ltd 1983\r\n\r\nYour Computer, [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions: U.K. £9 for 12 issues.\r\n\r\nPrinted in Great Britain for the proprietors of Business Press International Ltd, [redacted].\r\nISSN 0263-0885\r\nPrinted by Riverside Press Ltd, [redacted], and typeset by Instep Ltd, [redacted]"},"MainText":"48K Spectrum\r\nAdventure\r\n£4.95\r\nPhipps Associates\r\n\r\nGraphic adventure game along the lines of Hobbit. Familiar landscape of mountains, caves, tunnels, dungeons, rivers peopled with dwarves, lizards and spiders. Not as good as Hobbit but engrossing enough.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"51","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 9, Oct 1983","Price":"£1.85","ReleaseDate":"1983-09-23","Editor":"Roger Munford","TotalPages":156,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"ZX Computing\r\nVol. One\r\nNumber Nine\r\nOct/Nov 1983\r\n\r\nEditor: Roger Munford\r\nAdvertising Manager: Barry Bingham\r\nManaging Editor: Ron Harris\r\nManaging Director: T J Connell\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: Henry Garnett Ltd., Rotherham.\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 the Argus Specialist Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Argus Specialist Publications Limited 1983"},"MainText":"PRICE: £4.95\r\nMEMORY REQUIRED: 48K\r\n\r\nMagic Mountain is the first of three adventure games reviewed this month. Phipps Associates have a tradition of producing good adventures, and this seems to be no exception.\r\n\r\nThe Magic Mountain holds the ancient Scroll of Wisdom - a powerful document, much prized by the sorcerers. You must find it and survive to tell the tale!\r\n\r\nI have been fortunate to see the solution to this adventure, which reveals the relative complexity and intrigue which surrounds the game. Phipps Associates have incorporated a split screen display with graphics in the upper half, and text in the lower. This improves the enjoyment of the game no end, and should be a minimum requirement of an adventure. Out of the four adventures reviewed here, this is the most professionally written and produced, and by far the most interesting.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"18","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"James Walsh","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Documentation","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Quality","Score":"3.5/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"3/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Programming Achievement","Score":"3.5/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Appeal","Score":"3.5/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Value","Score":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 26, Sep 1983","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1983-09-08","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":90,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"CHARACTER SET\r\n\r\nEditorial\r\nEditor: Cyndy Miles\r\nAssistant Editor: Geof Wheelwright\r\nProduction Editor: Keith Parish\r\nManaging Editor: Peter Worlock\r\nSub-Editor: John Lettice\r\nNews Editor: David Guest\r\nNews Writers: Ralph Bancroft, Sandra Grandison\r\nHardware Editor: Max Phillips\r\nPeripherals Editor: Ian Scales\r\nFeatures Editor: Richard King\r\nPrograms Editor: Ken Garroch\r\nListings Editor: Wendie Pearson\r\nEditor's Assistant: Harriet Arnold\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nArt Editor: David Robinson\r\nAssistant Art Editor: Floyd Sayers\r\nPublishing Manager: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nAdvertisement Director: John Cade\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Duncan Brown\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Nic Jones\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Mark Satchell\r\nSales Executives: Ian Whorley, Christian McCarthy, Marie-Therese Bolger, Jan Martin, Julia Dale, Dik Veenman\r\nProduction Manager: Eva Wroblewska\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Jenny Dunne\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\r\n\r\nCover illustration by Paul Tupling"},"MainText":"NAME: Magic Mountain\r\nSYSTEM: Spectrum 48K\r\nPRICE: £4.95\r\nPUBLISHER: Phipps Associates, [redacted]\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nOUTLETS: Mail order, computer shops\r\n\r\nUNDER THE HILL\r\n\r\nMagic Mountain has been played on the ZX81 for two years and has been restyled with new graphics for the Spectrum.\r\n\r\nOBJECTIVES\r\n\r\nA sort of alter-ego introduces himself as your eyes and limbs, but you've got all the initiative. Your task is to direct your nameless chum to the Scroll of Wisdom secreted in the mountain. This journey is fraught, of course, with hidden traps and perils and your progress in overcoming these challenges scores you points out of 1,600.\r\n\r\nWhile the program finishes loading, an impressively impregnable-looking mountain looms on the screen. During the game the colour graphics are, very neat, with split-screen pictures used for many locations.\r\n\r\nThe first screen draws you a tunnel at the foot of the mountain in one half, while the other is used for you to conduct fast and fulsome conversations with the nameless chum. A wealth of caves of the hidden, musty and cold variety await you, along with all the other trappings of magic.\r\n\r\nIN PLAY\r\n\r\nA couple of pages of instructions and then you set off along what can become a weary, frustrating, baffling and very enjoyable trail.\r\n\r\nThe exasperation was exacerbated when I'd got him through a door and was trying very, very hard to cut a bamboo cane. Whereupon, after much fruitless effort, be inquired kindly, but thoughtlessly. If I were trying to open the door!\r\n\r\nBut then my short temper did get him killed by a dwarf. And my incorrect command to a genie saw the genie disappear, leaving behind a familiar and unpleasant smell. Death lies around many corners, and not usually as well deserved as in the dwarf incident.\r\n\r\nThe red and black maze took much patience and ingenuity, while the nameless chum stayed cool as a cucumber and refused to understand 'panic'.\r\n\r\nVERDICT\r\n\r\nAfter much more of this sort of thing you'll find the way around and you'll learn what to collect when, and when to wear it. You'll find some clues obvious and others non-existent.\r\n\r\nThe graphics are neat and distinct, the responses reasonably fast and the challenge is well, but not too well, within the bounds of possibility. Baffled from early on you may be, but not bored.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"48","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Harriet Arnold","Score":"5","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Lasting Appeal","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Use Of Machine","Score":"4/5","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall Value","Score":"5/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]