[{"TitleName":"Acro Jet","Publisher":"U.S. Gold Ltd","Author":"William F. Denman, Jr., Imre Kovats, Jr., Laszlo Szenttornyai, Simon Roberts","YearOfRelease":"1986","ZxDbId":"0000069","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 37, Feb 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-01-22","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":132,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Publishers: Roger Kean, Oliver Frey, Franco Frey\r\nPublishing Executive/Editor: Graeme Kidd\r\nSub Editor: Ciaran Brennan\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Lee Paddon, Hannah Smith\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStrategy Editor: Philippa Irving\r\nTech Tipster: Simon Goodwin\r\nContributing Writers: Jon Bates, Brendon Kavanagh, John Minson\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Dick Shiner\r\nAssistant Art Director: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrators: Ian Craig, Oliver Frey\r\nProduction: Seb Clare, Tim Croton, Mark Kendrick, Tony Lorton, Nick Orchard, Michael Parkinson, Cameron Pound, Jonathan Rignall, Matthew Uffindell\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Nick Wild\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nBookings [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group.\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH Magazine unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©1987 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nCover by Ian Craig\r\n\r\n101,483 Total\r\n92,992 UK and EIRE"},"MainText":"Producer: US Gold\r\nRetail Price: £9.95\r\nAuthor: Microprose\r\n\r\nEver wanted to be a stunt pilot? Well here's your chance, courtesy of MICROPROSE - the simulator specialists. Up 'til now, the company's efforts have been confined to the Commodore, but at last - starting with Acrojet - they've begun the process of converting their titles to the Spectrum.\r\n\r\nAcrojet contains ten events which can be played by one to four players, and these involve flying a BD5J Acrojet around, through, under and over a series of obstacles. There is also a design-it-yourself section, where two or more opponents can design courses and tasks for each other, and then judge each other's performances.\r\n\r\nThe first event, THE PYLON RACE, consists of racing around four pylons as quickly as possible, and then executing a successful landing. Event two is a SLALOM race which involves the same four pylons, this time flown in a 'figure eight'. The next event is the RIBBON CUT where you use the plane to break two ribbons suspended at 150 feet. After that comes the INVERTED RIBBON CUT - the same stunt flown with the plane inverted. Event five is the RIBBON ROLL: two ribbons are suspended in a row - the aim is to fly under one and then executes a complete roll before going under the next ribbon. That is followed by the UNDER RIBBON RACE: this is a slalom course where three ribbons have to be flown under in sequence. The seventh event is an UNDER RIBBON LOOP: the plane goes under the ribbon, performs a loop, passes over the ribbon inverted, and then descends the back half of the loop to pass under the ribbon again. The next event practices SPOT LANDINGS; the pilot flies up to 2000 feet, and then lands on the runway as close as possible to a marked spot. This is followed by FLAME-OUT LANDINGS, which is a similar stunt, performed without the use of engines. Finally there's the fancy CUBAN EIGHT: this consists of a half-loop over one ribbon, followed by a half-roll, and another half-loop to go under another ribbon before finally finishing with another half-roll to go under the first ribbon once more.\r\n\r\nAt the beginning, a pilot can decide on how severe the weather is going to be, and what performance he is likely to get from his jet. Sluggish performance is helpful to beginners, but for the experienced pilot, real-time performance helps with some of the trickier stunts.\r\n\r\nThe screen gives a 'behind the plane' view of the Acrojet. This shows the jet's bank and climb, as well as giving some indication of height by use of a shadow. The view can be switched to the sides or the rear - useful for lining up the jet with the runway, or for checking that an obstacle has been passed.\r\n\r\nAn instrument panel below the main view contains a series of read-outs. A compass gives your heading while an altimeter and vertical velocity indicator indicate height and show whether the jet is going up or down. A display shows the event which the jet is performing and reveals the obstacles to be negotiated and the jet's position. An artificial horizon gives the pilot an idea of his attitude, and indicators monitor the status of wheel brakes, air brakes and the undercarriage as well as revealing the amount of flaps in use.\r\n\r\nThe throttle has settings between 55 and 110 per cent thrust. Engine power above 95 per cent causes the engine to overheat. The engines fail if they run above 650 degrees for too long, or break down immediately if the temperature rises above 700 degrees.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl keys: 6 left, 7 right, 8 down, 9 up, 0 fire, Q decrease thrust, with a range of individual keys used to access other functions\r\nJoystick: Interface 2\r\nUse of colour: excellent\r\nGraphics: good\r\nSound: minimal\r\nSkill levels: four\r\nScreens: ten events","ReviewerComments":["I can't really say that Acrojet appeals to me; then again flight simulations usually don't unless there is a good bit of blasting involved. The game is technically quite good - the plane is very manoeuvrable, so it is quite easy to complete the first couple of events (once you've waded through the huge instruction page). The graphics are quite a step forward for a flight simulator - you can actually see your plane on screen. This is very good as simulators go, but I'd only recommend it if you are well into this sort of game.\r\nBen Stone","I loved Acrojet from the first time that I picked up the joystick. The graphics are fairly simple wireframe objects, but the way that they react to the realistic movements of your plane is very impressive. The BD5J Acrojet performs beautifully, and is very responsive to frantic joystick movements - as when trying to pull out of loops without hitting the ground. The menu options are easy to use and well presented. I loved Acrojet and found it very addictive, although as people seem to be wary of flight simulators I feel that it may not get the success it deserves.\r\nPaul Sumner","Acrojet is a very good simulator. Maybe it doesn't reek of accuracy, but it sure is playable! Some (indeed most!) of this type of game are very boring and unrealistic - or ridiculously accurate and very unplayable. Acrojet has 'a reasonable share of both type's problems and advantages. The graphics are quite good, and the rear view gives a nicer sense of flight than the normal cockpit view. It sounds daft, but there you are! The amount and variety of tasks makes this most addictive. Despite not being very original, Acrojet is one of the best flight simulators so far.\r\nMike Dunn"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: An entertaining flight simulator, competently produced.","Page":"36","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ben Stone","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Paul Sumner","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Mike Dunn","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Banking over the runway, it looks as if Ace Lensperson Cameron Pound is about to stall his plane."},{"Text":"In the ribbon-cut event, a crash is imminent."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Use of Computer","Score":"83%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"74%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"82%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"83%","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"79%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"83%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 16, Apr 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-03-12","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":114,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nSenior Art Editor: Hazel Bennington\r\nProduction Editor: Sara Biggs\r\nAssistant Editor: Phil South\r\nStaff Writer: Markus Berkmann\r\nDesigner: Darrell King\r\nContributors: Luke C, Chris Donald, Mike Gerrard, Tony Hetherington, Ian Hoare, Gwyn Hughes, ZZKJ, Tommy Nash, Rick Robson, Rachael Smith\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Julian Harriott\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nManaging Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nPublisher: Roger Munford\r\nPublishing Director: Stephen England\r\n\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press 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 ©1987 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":"Microprose\n£9.95\nReviewer: Tony Hetherington\n\nUnlike most flight simulations, where you take off, fly like a bird and then land, in Acrojet learning to fly a plane is just the beginning - then you've got to attempt ten death defying challenges that even Biggles would have trouble with.\n\nStill, all is not lost 'cos there's a series of levels that'll let you tune the controls so they are either realistically fast for the flying aces or completely catatonic for the Gary Numans among us. Added to which you can start each mission when you're already airborne so you don't need to be a whizz at lift off. So, release that throttle 'cos we're ready to take to the skies Dick Dastardly style...\n\nOnce you've gained some control over your flying machine it's time to compete in one, five or all the ten missions lined up for you. These challenge you to fly around courses marked out with pylons, cut ribbons with your wing tips, practice the loop the loop (wahay!) and land - dead easy you might think, but it's no mean feat when you've cut your engine at 2000 feet!\n\nI found flying a bit tricky to begin with but even I soon got the hang of it. The hardest part of the game is getting to grips with the instructions! Luckily, you do score points even if you don't complete an event and land up on the runway like a lump of strawberry jam! So, even hapless beginners can compete against two or three mates.\n\nThe graphics are quite natty too, though I did have problems keeping my eyes on the controls and the plane. A realistic simulation, Acrojet's a hell of a lot better than flying Dan Air!","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"41","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tony Hetherington","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"5/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 59, Feb 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-01-18","Editor":"David Kelly","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: David Kelly\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nSenior Staff Writer: Graham Taylor\r\nStaff Writer: Jim Douglas\r\nDesigner: Gareth Jones\r\nAdventure Help: Gordo Greatbelly\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nHelpline: Andrew Hewson\r\nContributors: Richard Price, Andy Moss, Gary Rook\r\nHardware Correspondent: Rupert Goodwins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nSenior Sales Executive: Jacqui Pope\r\nProduction Assistant: Alison Morton\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Linda Everest\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Stuart Hughes\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs or articles to:\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nOriginal programs should be on cassette and articles should be typed. Please write Program Printout on the envelopes of all cassettes submitted. We cannot undertake to return cassettes unless an SAE is enclosed. We pay £20 for each program printed and £50 for star programs.\r\n\r\nTypeset by PRS Ltd, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1987 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nABC 90,215 July-Dec 1985"},"MainText":"Label: US Gold\r\nAuthor: Microprose\r\nPrice: £7.95\r\nJoystick: Sinclair\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nReviewer: Graham Taylor\r\n\r\nAcrojet is one of those programs which was a big hit in America on the C64, which has now been converted across to the Spectrum, and which makes you wonder what the fuss was all about.\r\n\r\nWhat the fuss was all about was supposed to be the 'unique perspective' you get on the action and the ultra-realism of the simulation.\r\n\r\nThe new view of things turns out to be that you watch the flight action as though viewing it from a plane behind the one you are controlling. The realism is a little difficult for me to comment on but I can say there are a quite astounding number of play options and it was quite a while before I could get the damn machine off the ground. And there's another mark of a program that (maybe) takes itself a little too seriously - no shooting at all.\r\n\r\nIf you want variety though it's here. An acrojet is a special type of jet stunt plane and there are hundreds of permutations of event, event conditions, skill, beginning from airborne or ground and so on. Screens and screens of the stuff to wade through before you get to the actual playing screen. I found it deeply irritating (and, for what it's worth, ugly to look at - like double-entry accountancy. I'm sure there's another joke in there somewhere).\r\n\r\nThe name of this game is acrobatics. You select a particular manoeuvre - like flying a certain pattern between pylons for example - each of which is graded according to difficulty (just like gymnastics really) and with a time limit. Then you try to get the jet round the course.\r\n\r\nThe actual look of the program is reasonable though most of the time the plane you are flying lacks much recognisable detail (it depends on very much on its flight position) - so much so that I spent about fifteen minutes hurtling straight off the end of the runway having mistakenly turned the plane around because I thoughts it was the wrong way around (get the picture?)\r\n\r\nHaving flowing the plane around finally and even gone round the odd pylon (the easiest of the tricks to do) my view of the program improved a bit but really I still think I'd get bored fairly quickly. Acrojet may well be fairly realistic, certainly there are a fair number of controls to master, and it should be given some credit for being a different sort of flight simulation - both because of the cameras'-eye view and the Acrobatic theme.\r\n\r\nI'd say this though, the graphics aren't anything special and I think only those people who rate a flight simulation only in terms of the realism of the simulation will really enjoy it long term.\r\n\r\nIf your real taste is for a bit of airborne death and destruction you should avoid it.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Highly elaborate and accurate simulation of an acrobatic jet. Unspectacular though. Only for hard core simulation fans.","Page":"70,71","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Graham Taylor","Score":"3","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"3/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 36, Apr 1987","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-03-26","Editor":"Bryan Ralph","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bryan Ralph\r\nAssistant Editor: Cliff Joseph\r\nConsultant Editor: Ray Elder\r\nAdvertising Manager: Peter Chandler\r\n\r\nDesign: A.S.P. Design Studio\r\nA.S.P. Advertising and Editorial [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted by Chase Web, [redacted]\r\n\r\nAdvertisement Copy Controller: Andy Selwood\r\n\r\nDistributed by: Argus Press Sales and Distribution Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nZX Computing Monthly is published on the fourth Friday of each month. Subscription rates can be obtained from ZX Subscriptions, [redacted]\r\n\r\nThe contents of this publication, including all articles, designs plans, drawings and other intellectual property rights herein 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 company.\r\n\r\nArgus Specialist Publications Limited. ©1987"},"MainText":"ACROJET\r\nMicroprose\r\n£9.95\r\n\r\nMore high flying antics as man and machine are again driven to their limits, only this time it's a battle against the clock since you're competing in an airborne decathlon - ten events that require supreme control of your BD5-J 200mph jet aircraft if you are to take the championship and enter the hall of fame. Before you write your name into the record books you'll have to learn how to fly.\r\n\r\nThis is undoubtedly the most difficult of this month's simulators to keep off the ground let alone trying to compete in the acrobatic events. This isn't made any easier when you consider that the instructions were written for the Commodore 64 with a brief and extremely vague errata sheet to explain the Spectrum keys! \"Use joystick with Interface 2 or keys 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 for controlling plane\" guarantees initial disaster flights as you sort out the controls, and it also rules out the most popular joystick interfaces.\r\n\r\nThe screen display is custom built for sport flying and contains a bank of instruments and a 3D view that also includes your aircraft as it swoops and banks around the circuit. A plan of the course which also doubles as a radar combines with a compass to keep you on course as you navigate your way around the hazards.\r\n\r\nThe first event is a relatively simple task to circle four pylons before returning to the landing/take-off strip in the Slalom race things are a tittle trickier as you have to circle the same pylons but in a set order and in the correct direction.\r\n\r\nIf flying is still more luck than judgment then you should quit now and be grateful for the points you've already got because the next event involves cutting a 3\" ribbon strung between two poles. To show that wasn't a fluke you have to cut more ribbons while flying upside down, then in the ribbon roll you must cut one ribbon, roll over and cut another without catching your wings on the ground. If that was too easy why not try the under ribbon low level race, the loop and Cuban eight which contains everything you've risked so far and the insane spot landing in which you must deliberately stall your engine at 2000ft then land with pinpoint accuracy. If you turn on your engine you lose points but if you don't you might lose your plane.\r\n\r\nLuckily you're awarded points even if you don't finish the course so even beginners can compete with each other.\r\n\r\nUp to now I've perfected my own events including the crash-at-the-end-of-the-runway, the smash-into-the-pylon and freestyle-plummet. It'll take a lot more practice before I can take on Microprose's own Major Bill Stealey.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"56","Denied":false,"Award":"Globella","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Tony Hetherington","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":"Great"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"Great","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]