[{"TitleName":"Quest Adventure","Publisher":"Hewson Consultants Ltd","Author":"Kim W. Topley","YearOfRelease":"1983","ZxDbId":"0006839","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: Hewson, 48K\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nFind a map hidden in a world inhabited by gruesome monsters guarding their territory and various pieces of treasure. To undertake the quest in question you can choose to be a wizard, a cleric, rogue, fighter or simpleton, each with his own characteristics and abilities. A split text/graphic game, it has a reasonably wide range of vocabulary. Generally a very good game and a traditional format adventure with plenty of scope. The only serious drawback is that you can't play another game. Once finished the program quits permanently.","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: Hewson, 48K\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nFind a map hidden in a world inhabited by gruesome monsters guarding their territory and various pieces of treasure. To undertake the quest in question you can choose to be a wizard, a cleric, rogue, fighter or simpleton, each with his own characteristics and abilities. A split text/graphic game, it has a reasonably wide range of vocabulary. Generally a very good game and a traditional format adventure with plenty of scope. The only serious drawback is that you can't play another game. Once finished the program quits permanently.","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: Hewson, 48K\r\n£6.95\r\n\r\nFind a map hidden in a world inhabited by gruesome monsters guarding their territory and various pieces of treasure. To undertake the quest in question you can choose to be a wizard, a cleric, rogue, fighter or simpleton, each with his own characteristics and abilities. A split text/graphic game, it has a reasonably wide range of vocabulary. Generally a very good game and a traditional format adventure with plenty of scope. The only serious drawback is that you can't play another game. Once finished the program quits permanently.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"76","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 20, Nov 1983","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1983-10-20","Editor":"Nigel Clark","TotalPages":164,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Nigel Clark\r\nDeputy Editor: Nicole Segre\r\nConsultant Editor: Mike Johnston\r\nManaging Production Editor: Harold Mayes MBE\r\nSoftware Editor: John Gilbert\r\nProgram Reviewer: Rebecca Ferguson\r\nIllustrator/Designer: Brian King\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: John Ross\r\nSales Executive: Annette Burrows\r\nProduction Assistant: Dezi Epaminondou\r\nManaging Director: Terry Cartwright\r\nChairman: Richard Hease\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by ECC Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\nTelephone\r\nAll departments\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to any of the Sinclair User group of publications please send programs, articles or ideas for hardware projects to:\r\nSinclair User and Programs\r\nECC Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nPrograms should be on cassette and articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included.\r\n\r\nWe will pay £10 for each program published and £50 per 1,000 words for each article used.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1983\r\nSinclair User\r\nISSN NO. 0262-5458\r\n\r\nPrinted and typeset by Cradley Print PLC, [redacted]\r\n\r\nDistributed by Spotlight Magazine Distribution Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nCover Photograph: Peter Dawney"},"MainText":"SEARCHING FOR THE FAMILIAR\r\n\r\nQuest for the 48K Spectrum follows a now fairly familiar adventure format featuring dwarfs, elves, swords, pieces of gold, black spiders, dragons, and a thick forest through which you might find yourself wandering interminably. The graphics, when you finally encounter them, are polished, and experienced adventure games players will probably enjoy trying to guess what answers and actions are required.\r\n\r\nVery few prompts are given in the course of the game but the insert gives detailed instructions.\r\n\r\nNovices may spend a good deal of time on a rough track choosing whether to go north south, cast or west - the game derives plenty of mileage from sending you back to where you started.\r\n\r\nYou may also be axed suddenly by an elf or killed by a rat, just as you thought you were doing the correct thing, but you can be resurrected. At least you can be sure that it will take time before you exhaust the possibilities, if you are not discouraged first. One hint we can give - it is no use trying to bribe the dwarfs.\r\n\r\nQuest is available from Hewson, [redacted]. It costs £5.95.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"41","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 61, May 1984","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1984-05-19","Editor":"Cyndy Miles","TotalPages":74,"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\nPeripherals Editor: Ken Garroch\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 Manger: Sue Clements\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nGroup Advertising Manager: Duncan Brown\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Bettina Williams\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Sarah Barron\r\nSales Executives: Christian McCarthy, John Bryan, Laura Cade, Paul Evans, Debbie Quinn, Yvonne Charatynowics\r\nProduction: 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":"NAME: Quest\r\nSYSTEM: 48K Spectrum\r\nPRICE: £5.95\r\nPUBLISHER: Hewson Consultants, [redacted]\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nLANGUAGE: Basic\r\nOUTLETS: Mail order, Menzies, Boots, other dealers\r\n\r\nBE MY QUEST\r\n\r\nAdventures like this hardly need any introduction, as you know what you're getting before you start: forests, castles, gold, swords, elves and dragons, wizards and rogues.\r\n\r\nOBJECTIVES\r\n\r\nYour task is to search the landscape for an ancient scroll which contains a clue before locating a map. What happens when you find it isn't stated, but perhaps the scroll tells you, instructions and hints are clear on the fold-out cassette cover, including a list of about 20 main commands that the program recognises.\r\n\r\nIN PLAY\r\n\r\nYou first must choose an identity from the list of wizard, cleric, rogue, fighter and simpleton; the computer distributes points randomly between various features of strength, luck, dexterity, constitution and charm. If any of the first four fall below zero that's the end of you; there are the usual commands to check your status, score and inventory as you go. Get stuck and you type 'Hint,' though the clues are frequently so cryptic as to be more of a hindrance.\r\n\r\nThis is not a text-only adventure - some locations come with graphics, but they tend towards the simple rather than The Hobbit standard, and the quality of text is uninspired.\r\n\r\nAlthough the adventure began to absorb me as I wandered around mapping out the locations and encountering the dwarves and elves, not to mention the golem who has strayed in from elsewhere, some responses were odd. They seem to indicate the program hadn't fully allowed for a wide enough variety of instructions. In one place I was told 'You can see: a gold piece; a short sword; a bread.' While uncertain what 'a bread' was, I decided to try and nibble it anyway: 'Eat bread.'' 'What bread?' came the reply. 'Get gold,' I tried. 'That's meaningless!' I was charmingly informed 'Get gold piece' was obviously what was wanted, and only after getting that and the sword was I allowed to eat the bread... perhaps it was an unsliced loaf.\r\n\r\nOther features include a range of 12 possible magic spells and combat with various characters.\r\n\r\nVERDICT\r\n\r\nWith The Hobbit and Valhalla setting the standard, (even though three times the normal price), average adventures like this begin to pale by comparison. It takes a Mad Martha or a Groucho to stand out from the crowd.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"47","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mike Gerrard","Score":"4","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":"4/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]