[{"TitleName":"Advanced Art Studio","Publisher":"Rainbird Software Ltd","Author":"Dimitri Koveos, James Hutchby","YearOfRelease":"1986","ZxDbId":"0007913","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 40, May 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-04-30","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nAssistant Editor: Ciaran Brennan\r\nStaff Writers: Lloyd Mangram, Richard Eddy, Ian Phillipson\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: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrator: Oliver Frey\r\nProduction: Tony Lorton, Mark Kendrick, Tim Croton, Seb Clare\r\nProcess and Planning: Matthew Uffindell, Jonathan Rignall, Nick Orchard\r\nPhotography: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\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 Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Our resident artechnist Franco Frey, takes pallette and mouse in hand to assess the potential for this update utility which will cost you £24.95.\r\n\r\nBack in 1985 Oxford Computer Publications Ltd brought the flair of Macintosh into the Spectrum world by releasing ArtStudio. Nobody really thought it possible to create an icon- and mouse-driven drawing utility sprouting pull down menus all over the screen, and yet programmer James Hutchby did just that, and brought the new working technique to the Spectrum.\r\n\r\nSadly, the program's success didn't save the terminally ill OCP, and Artstudio and its derivatives is marketed by RAINBIRD. They're doing a good job of too, and are now releasing an advanced version incongruously called The Advanced OCR Art Studio (TAOAS for short). Contrary to belief, this does not require a major house extension to accommodate it, but to savour all the advanced features, it is necessary to own an Interface One and Microdrive (cassette-based owners still get some benefits).\r\n\r\nThe original ArtStudio was reviewed donkeys years ago, but to refresh readers' memories, the Features Table should be indicative of the original's power.\r\n\r\nCramming more features into the advanced version didn't entail squeezing more memory out of the 48K but the asking of Spectrum owners to upgrade to the 128 machine. This can be either the old Sinclair black 128K or the new Alan Sugar grey Spectrum 128 +2. Having bought an extension lead to connect the Interface One to the Plus Two (talking of a tight squeeze...), the loading instructions read like a Tolstoi novel, and the sooner the program is transferred onto Microdrive the better.\r\n\r\nAll the facilities of ArtStudio are available on the advanced version with the addition of the ZX Microdrive controls, filing facilities for user-defined Fill Patterns and Paint Brushes, Ramdisk and Scrapbook plus an extra 'arc' shape in the SHAPES menu.\r\n\r\nTHE RAMDISK\r\n\r\nTAOAS uses part of the computer's extra memory as Ramdisk, which behaves just like a normal random access mass storage device. Files are saved in it by name and can be catalogued. loaded, saved, merged and erased in a fraction of the time compared to Microdrives. Its only problem is its volatility. Should the power be switched off, don't blame anyone but yourself. So for storage you have the choice of Ramdisk and cassette, or Ramdisk and a maximum of four Microdrives. The Ramdisk facility is available via the filing options of FILE, PAINT, FONT EDITOR and SCRAPBOOK by selecting the M-drive option.\r\n\r\nFILING\r\n\r\nTAOAS maintains a RAM-based catalogue of files that can be displayed and accessed without the need to read the cartridge each time. Selecting one of the above mentioned filing options, displays a storage command pulldown menu. Selecting the storage device (R,1,2,3,4) and Catalogue Cartridge, displays the available files. The required file can be highlighted and saved, loaded, merged (with the memory contents) or erased by selecting the correct function box.\r\n\r\nUp to 49 entries can be accommodated in the RAM catalogue. New files can be created by the ENTER FILENAME option. All files are verified after saving. Apart from the screen files TAOAS can handle files for User-created Textured Fill Patterns. This is accessed from the FILL menu. Pattem files are automatically saved with a .pat extension, although this can be overridden (these files however will not be displayed in the Fill RAM catalogue).\r\n\r\nSimilarly TAOAS caters for user-designed brushes under the PAINT menu. All files here receive a .bas extension unless overridden. This leaves the user-designed Text Fonts, which are accessed in the FONT EDITOR menu. Default extension here is .fnt.\r\n\r\nSCRAPBOOK\r\n\r\nTAOAS provides a facility to create a library of designs which can be saved to tape, Microdrive or Ramdisk for future use. Parts of pictures, logos or special symbols can be lifted from the main screen and stored in the Scrapbook to be later pasted onto any working screen. Up to 16K of material can be stored. Access to Scrapbook is through the MISC menu.\r\n\r\nThe file option enables loading and saving of Scrapbooks to and from the Microdrives or Ramdisk. The report box on the right-hand side of the screen displays the Scrapbook statistics (number of items, free memory and used memory). Scrolling through the Scrapbook is achieved by clicking the up and down arrow boxes, and enables selection of the correct design. In order to be able to lift a detail from the main screen it's necessary to define a window in the WINDOW menu before selecting the INSERT option. For paste-up it may be necessary to select one of four perimeter boxes, which provides access to any part of the main screen edges when dumping Scrapbook designs on the main screen. Delete can be accomplished on a single design or on the whole Scrapbook.\r\n\r\nSHAPES\r\n\r\nThe ARC function has been added to the SHAPES menu. This is a fractional part of a circle. The first two points define the extremities of the arc, and the third point defines the curvature, although the arc does not necessarily link up to the third pant for some obscure reason\r\n\r\nCONCLUSION\r\n\r\nThe Advanced OCP Art Studio is a positive extension to Artstudio. Ramdisk goes a long way to providing a disk-like environment to the Spectrum 128K and increases the working speed enormously. The addition of a Scrapbook enables designs to be transported without much fuss from one screen to another and makes this user-friendly package user-loving. Dimitri Koveos is responsible for the 128K extensions and has done a worthwhile addition to Mark Hutchby's original program. It makes a desirable program even more desirable...","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"108,109","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Franco Frey","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[{"Text":"FEATURES TABLE\r\n\r\nWindows - icons - pull-down menus-pointing devices.\r\n\r\nAll information on screen.\r\n\r\nWorks with keyboard and Kempston, cursor, Interface 2 joysticks.\r\n\r\nMouse option.\r\n\r\nDot matrix printer dumps - five sizes plus grayscale.\r\n\r\nSupports 17 Centronics and RS232 interfaces.\r\n\r\nSave and load pictures to cassette.\r\n\r\nFull control over attributes.\r\n\r\n16 pens, 8 random sprays, 16 user-definable brushes.\r\n\r\nUNDO facility.\r\n\r\nWindows can be cleared, inverted, cut & pasted, enlarged, reduced, squashed, stretched, flipped and rotated.\r\n\r\nTextured fill - 32 user-definable patterns include stipples, hatches, bricks, roof tiles, etc.\r\n\r\nWash texture facility.\r\n\r\nThree levels of magnification with pixel edit, pan and zoom.\r\n\r\nText - nine character sizes, two directions, sideways, bold.\r\n\r\nFont editor - clear, invert, flip, rotate characters or whole font, copy ROM, capture font from window.\r\n\r\nSave and load fonts to cassette.\r\n\r\nLines, rectangles, triangles, circles and rays.\r\n\r\nSnap and elastic."}],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"ZX Computing Issue 34, Feb 1987","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-01-22","Editor":"Bryan Ralph","TotalPages":92,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bryan Ralph\r\nAssistant Editor: Cliff Joseph\r\nConsultant Editor: Ray Elder\r\nAdvertising Manager: John McGarry\r\nDesign: Argus Design\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":"ADVANCED OCP ART STUDIO\r\nRainbird\r\n£24.95\r\n\r\nIt arrived too late for a Christmas review, but the new Advanced Art Studio should have gotten into the shops in time to make a nice little prezzie for anyone who was lucky enough to get a 128 from Santa.\r\n\r\nThis enhanced version of OCP's Art Studio (which is specifically for the 128 and won't run on any of the 48K versions of the Spectrum) uses the 128's additional memory mainly for storage purposes, giving you a 42K RAM Disc facility as well as a 16K 'Scrapbook' which, between them, allows you to store a number of screens, character sets, Fill patterns and so on. and to call them back from memory instantly - so saving you all the fuss of Saving and Loading to and from tape all the time.\r\n\r\nRAM WHAT?\r\n\r\nIn case you're not familiar with that bit of jargon, a RAM Disc is an area of memory that is set aside purely for storage of programs, data, or, in this case, screen pictures and patterns. Anything stored in this area simply sits there until you need it and can then be summoned up instantly with just the press of a button.\r\n\r\nThe new storage facilities are implemented by adding a new sub-menu to some of the existing command menus and treating the RAM Disc almost as if it were a microdrive. Suppose that you're halfway through designing the loading screen for the latest mega-game when you decide that you want to call up a new character set for printing the name of the game. You push the cursor over to the 'File' window as you normally would, but when the menu appears asking whether you want to save your picture to tape or microdrive you choose the microdrive option. This leads you to a new sub-menu which allows all the usual options for dealing with microdrives, but also has a new option for the RAM Disc, as well as a catalogue listing all the files on RAM Disc or microdrive.\r\n\r\nSo, you simply give your picture a name and instantly save it onto the RAM Disc. The saved picture is automatically verified at the same time, eliminating the business of saving and verifying onto tape. Next, you choose the 'Text' menu and select the new command, 'File Menu\", which leads once more to the cassette/microdrive choice. A quick look at the catalogue shows you that Rainbird have thoughtfully included a few alternative character sets which are tucked neatly away on the RAM Disc. You select whichever set you think is suitable (if you want to create a typeface of your own there's a 'blank' character set which can be edited, allowing you to do this), call back your picture and get back to work. This whole process takes just a few seconds whereas if could take minutes if you were relying purely on tape storage.\r\n\r\nAs well as these alternative character sets Rainbird have also included a couple of sets of 'Brush' and 'Fill' patterns to give you a bit of extra variety, or you can always create your own and file them away on RAM Disc. With over 40K of RAM Disc to play with there's plenty of room for all sorts of bits and pieces, and if you use that up you can always save the RAM onto tape and start on a new 'disc'.\r\n\r\nThe Scrapbook facility is a sort of souped up 'cut and paste' option in that it gives you 16K worth of memory to store small sections of larger pictures, so that you can use these same sections over and over, quickly transferring them from one picture to another.\r\n\r\nAs far as the business of drawing pictures is concerned there's hardly anything that could be created with the enhanced Art Studio that couldn't be created on the original 48K version (although the 128 version does include a new 'arc' command), however the new fast storage offered by this version is almost as good as fitting your Spectrum with a disc drive.\r\n\r\nI suppose it's a tribute to the quality of the original program that it can't be much improved upon even with an additional 80K to play with, and owners of mere 48K machines aren't going to be left too far behind (neither, I imagine, will they be too envious of the enhanced version's enhanced price). But at least it shows that some companies are finally starting to produce software that really makes use of the 128's full potential.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"86,87","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Carol Brooksbank","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 47, Dec 1987","Price":"£1.25","ReleaseDate":"1987-11-26","Editor":"Barnaby Page","TotalPages":148,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Managing Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Dominic Handy, Lloyd Mangram, Ian Phillipson\r\nSubeditor: David Peters\r\nPhotographers: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nOffice: Frances Mable, Glenys Powell\r\nTechnical Writers: Simon N Goodwin, Jon Bates\r\nAdventure Writer: Derek Brewster\r\nPBM Writer: Brendon Kavanagh\r\nStrategy Writer: Philippa Irving\r\nEducation Writer: Rosetta McLeod\r\nContributors: Robin Candy, Mike Dunn, Paul Evans, Ben Stone, Paul Sumner, Bym Welthy\r\nEditorial Director: Roger Kean\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrator: Oliver Frey\r\nDesign: Markie Kendrick, Wayne Allen\r\nProcess and Planning: Jonathan Rignall (Supervisor), Matthew Uffindell, Nick Orchard\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Andrew Smales\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\nPlease address correspondence to the appropriate person!\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow\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 - including written and photographic software and hardware - unless it is 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 Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"CHRISTMAS LISTE\r\n\r\nBen and Dom,\r\nCrash,\r\n[redacted].\r\n\r\nWhat's small and black and bursts the seams of a stocking? A Spectrum add-on, of course - there are hundreds of little black boxes for music, printing, screen art and program transfer.\r\n\r\nDominic Handy suggests some utilities and hardware for the Christmas list, and Ben Stone brings joysticks to the world - but don't fight over them, or they'll all be broken by little black Boxing Day.\r\n\r\nJOYSTICKES\r\n\r\nTERMINATOR\r\nSupersoft £19.9\r\nLike most pointless street cred - take Raybans, expensive earplugs on a Radio Shack personal stereo and the Beastie Boys - the Terminator does serve a purpose, but only just. And its wacky design takes a lot of getting used to.\r\n\r\nBeing so tiny the Danish stick has a lot of travel, so it's quite unresponsive. And the fire pin is difficult to use: you have to hold the grenade and fire with the same hand, but you can get it to work fairly quickly it you're prepared to go through hand-ache agony. The Terminator is all but indestructible, made of very thick plastic and durable electrical parts, but for nearly 20 quid I'd expect something a little more efficient than this.\r\n\r\nOMPETITION PRO 5000\r\nDynamics £14.95 (£15.95 with transparent case, Competition Pro Extra £16.49 with autofire and go-slow mode)\r\nThis is THE joystick. The fire action is brilliant and the stick performs like a dream. It looks much the same as the Euromax Professional, but for just a pound more you can get it with high-tech clear casing (as in the picture).\r\n\r\nIt's durable, because the shaft is made of steel and the microswitched mechanism inside is remarkably simple (and pretty much user-serviceable). The fire buttons work with reed switches, sometimes considered unreliable, but I've never had any trouble.\r\n\r\nSadly, there's no autofire on either model, though there's a souped-up version on the market (the Competition Pro Extra) with autofire option and a go-slow mode never before seen on any joystick.\r\n\r\nSPEEDKING\r\nKonix £11.99 (£12.99 with autofire)\r\nThe Speedking was a novelty when it appeared - the first truly hand-held joystick that worked well. It's easy to use, though it has the problem of the Euromax Professional in reverse: the diagonals are a pig to find and use quickly, which makes playing games like fighting sims very difficult.\r\n\r\nThe position of the fire button really makes your hand ache if you're pressing it a lot - shoot-'em-ups turn into a nightmare when you're doing well! - though it would be difficult to have it anywhere else on the compact little body of the Speedking. There is a Speedking with autofire available.\r\n\r\nEarlier this year Konix claimed one Speedking lasted for 17,604,000 waggles (that's 27 days of nonstop waggling, folks!), but the story is not now believed, Our Waggling Editor writes.\r\n\r\nPROFESSIONAL\r\nEuromax £15.95 (£18.95 with autofire)\r\nThe Euromax Professional has most of the features now becoming standard in the joystick world: posey design and microswitches, and an autofire option if you want to pay a bit extra. (It's the autofire version in the picture.)\r\n\r\nAt first it's a little difficult to get to grips with, literally, because it's biased slightly to the diagonals. Theoretically this means the joystick's eight directions are equally easy to use, but in practice the stick often slips out of the vertical/horizontal into a diagonal.\r\n\r\nBut the Euromax Professional has a brilliant fire action. And it's a great stick for games where deft, precise movements aren't needed; it feels rather flimsy, but the couple that were in the office had fairly long lives considering the hammering a CRASH joystick gets!\r\n\r\n125 SPECIAL\r\nCheetah £12.99\r\nThis new joystick, introduced in last issue's PCW Show report, has the usual eight directional controls as well as two independent fire buttons - and a special rotate function which allows the player to twist the joystick for extra-realistic movement. Of course a joystick of such complexity needs more than the usual five pin in/outputs; you'll have to have an extra joystick port, or use both ports on the +2 and +3/. There is an autofire function.\r\n\r\nIN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER\r\n\r\nMIDI INTERFACE\r\nCheetah Marketing £49.95\r\nWith this interface box and accompanying software you can control any MIDI instrument via the Spectrum. It's superb for people who can write music but can't play - just enter the notes and the computer plays the instrument. Or do it the other way round: you play the music and the computer puts it into musical notation. Including a MIDI lead for connecting the interface to your instrument, the MIDI interface was reviewed in issue 40.\r\n\r\nMK5II KEYBOARD\r\nCheetah Marketing £199.95\r\nThis 61-key fully polyphonic board with foot switch and MIDI output ports comes packed in a rugged steel case. It's an ideal accessory to Cheetah's MIDI interface.\r\n\r\nMUSIC MACHINE\r\nRam Electronics £49.95\r\n'One of the best all round music add-ons for the Spectrum' - Jon Bates, Issue 34. A sound sampler, sequencer, editor, drum machine and composer all in one little black interface, the popular Music Machine is supported by a wide range of software. Recent additions include Quasar Software's Sample Editor (reviewed last issue) and Tectrics's chord construction kit Compuchord (Issue 45).\r\n\r\nSPECDRUM\r\nCheetah Marketing £29.95\r\nNow the standard drum add-on for the Spectrum, the SpecDrum comes complete with eight samples of real drum sounds. Extra drum sounds can be loaded in from tape: the Electro Kit and Afro Kit both retail at £4.99 and the older Latin Kit at £3.99, and all come complete with their own editors. The SpecDrum plugs into most hi-fis via a connecting phone lead. Jon Bates enthused over it in Issue 27.\r\n\r\nMUSIC TYPEWRITER\r\nRomantic Robot £7.95\r\nComing complete with keyboard overlays (48/+), this clever piece of software is a sophisticated tool for music on the Spectrum. Music written on Music Typewriter is displayed onscreen using realistic graphics which can be dumped to most dot-matrix printers, so you can print your own music.\r\n\r\nAnd your compositions aren't limited to Music Typewriter - all your tunes can be converted to machine code for use in your own programs. Jon Bates went sharpening and flattening on Music Typewriter in Issue 16.\r\n\r\nPRINTING\r\n\r\nMULTIPRINT\r\nRomantic Robot £39.95\r\nA printer interface with all the options, the Multiprint can dump any Spectrum screen to an Epson-compatible printer in three different densities - it's handy for listings, too. There's more info in Issue 43.\r\n\r\nRAM PRINT\r\nRam Electronics £34.95\r\nNot only does this little black box drive your printer using a very easy menu-driven system (all stored on a ROM chip), it's also useful for those apres-Christmas 'thank you' letters because it comes with a built-in word processor, accessible from BASIC at any time and also on ROM.\r\n\r\nAnd if you ever get bored of all those line feeds and ESCape codes you can always plug your joystick in the built-in Kempston port and bash away at a game. See the details in issue 35.\r\n\r\nFOR THE ARTIST\r\n\r\nTHE OCP ART STUDIO\r\nTHE ADVANCED OCP ART STUDIO\r\nRainbird £14.95, £24.95\r\n'Probably the best art utility on the Spectrum' - Mike Dunn (On The Screen Editor). Need we say more? Several versions of the mouse- and joystick- compatible Art Studio utility are available for different Spectrum setups; The Advanced OCP Art Studio, which really needs an Interface One and microdrive to use its full potential, is much more powerful than the original. It has a Scrapbook library facility so you can combine and paste together pictures. Issues 24 and 40 have reviews of The OCP Art Studio and The Advanced OCP Art Studio respectively.\r\n\r\nVIDEO DIGITISER\r\nSunset £128.00\r\nEver wanted to change Prince Charles's ears, or rub out out that blot on Gorbachov's forehead? You can do this and more, provided you've a video recorder, with the Sunset Video Digitiser. This little black box has all the connections for grabbing TV pictures from the video and then using them anywhere you want - even in games. Sadly, there's no printer ribbon that will put them onto T-shirts. Franco Frey got frame-grabbing in issue 31.\r\n\r\nVIDEOFACE DIGITISER\r\nRomantic Robot £69.00 plus £1.00 postage and packing\r\nThe Videoface Digitiser is amazingly cheap and fast - it's all here. You can grab and scan three pictures a second, and then produce a very realistic animation sequence using up to six screens. At about hall the price of the Sunset Video Digitiser, this represents unbelievable value for money.\r\n\r\nNOT A CREATURE IS STIRRING, EXCEPT FOR A MOUSE\r\n\r\nKEMPSTON MOUSE\r\nKempston Data £49.95\r\nThere's no WIMPing out with Kempston's version of the yuppie controller, with button eyes and connecting tail. Don't forget to lock up your cheeseboard and keep the cats indoors. Kempston is still bundling Rainbird's OCP Art Studio with this rodent at £69.95. Or those with a Spectrum +3 you can get Kempston's new Desktop utility package for +3 DOS and the mouse for exactly the same price.\r\n\r\nCOMCON\r\nFrei £17.95 (single port), £19.95 (twin port)\r\nThis is guaranteed to work with any product that uses the Spectrum keyboard. By connecting the six plugs to the miniature keyboard add-on you can have eight directions and TWO independent fire buttons (provided you have the correct joystick - also available from Frei). A twin-port version is also available for complex games. Lloyd reviewed the single-port version way back in Issue Eight.\r\n\r\nAND...\r\n\r\nMULTIFACE ONE, MULTIFACE 128, MULTIFACE 3\r\nRomantic Robot £39.95, £44.95, £44.95\r\n'One of the most versatile and user-friendly units on the market' - CRASH Issue 29 - Romantic Robot's Multifaces are ideal for the serious gameplayer or utility user with a fast storage device: they can put cassette games on Beta, Opus and Kempston disks.\r\n\r\nThe Multiface 3 (pictured) can transfer cassette programs for the Spectrum and 128 to the - +3's Amstrad disks. It was welcomed in Issue 45 as a good reason to buy the +3, though Sixword's Swift Disc and Rockfort Product's Disciple are also worthwhile disk systems.\r\n\r\nThe Multifaces have other uses: most POKEs can be entered using the ROM-based toolkit. And printer-owners are also catered tor with a COPY command, ideal for dumping your greatest high scores! All these options are available at any time at the press of a little red button. CRASH first saw the Multiface One in Issue 26.\r\n\r\nPLUS D\r\nMiles Gordon Technology £49.95 (£129.95 with 3.5-inch 780K-capacity disk drive)\r\nThe Plus D is a new disk and printer interface from the designers of Rockfort Product's Disciple. Its Snapshot button will save all 48K and 128K cassette programs to disk, it's claimed, and the interface can make single and double-size screen dumps to a printer. The Plus D is also available in a package with a disk drive.\r\n\r\nGAMMA-STRIKE\r\nGamesware £24.95\r\nGamesware's Gamma-Strike target-shooting system is a novel combination of hardware and software - you plug a target into the Spectrum, shoot at it with a model gun and watch the computer monitor your score! It's all done with the latest signal-detection techniques, and Gamesware promises more 'plug-in games' including darts and snooker soon... look out for the CRASH review.\r\n\r\nThank you Santa, lots of luv Ben and Dom xxxxx","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"114,117,118","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Dominic Handy","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""},{"Name":"Ben Stone","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"C&VG (Computer & Video Games) Issue 65, Mar 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-02-16","Editor":"Tim Metcalfe","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tim Metcalfe\r\nDeputy Editor: Paul Boughton\r\nEditorial Assistant: Lesly Walker\r\nSub-Editor: Seamus St. John\r\nDesign: Craig Kennedy\r\nAdventure Writers: Keith Campbell, Steve Donoghue, Matthew Woodley\r\nAmerican Correspondent: Marshall M. Rosenthal\r\nArcades: Clare Edgeley\r\nSoftware Consultant: Tony Takoushi\r\nPublicity: Marcus Rich\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Garry Williams\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Katherine Lee\r\nAd Production: Debbie Pearson\r\nPublisher: Rita Lewis\r\nCover: Craig Kennedy\r\n\r\n© Jerry Paris\r\n\r\nEditorial and Advertisement Offices: [redacted]\r\n\r\nJuly-December 98,258"},"MainText":"EXTRA BITS\r\nBy Ian Duerden\r\n\r\nWelcome to C+VG's Extra Bits column which again will give you the low down, not only on any new hardware that's around but will keep you informed about any specialist software that's either on general release or seen to be released. Not only that, the column will sometimes include review of hardware or software items such as the The Artist 2 reviewed this month, which is out for the Spectrum, there is talk of producing a Commodore version.\r\n\r\nSo watch this space for any further news.\r\n\r\nTHE ARTIST 2\r\n\r\nJust released for the Spectrum are two new drawing packages. The first is The Artist 2 from Softechnics and is available for any Spectrum. There are four individual programs. Artist 2 is the first and allows the user to draw, design or create any type of picture using either a series of icons or menus or a mouse if you have one. The other programs include a Sprite and Font Designer, a Page Maker and a Screen Compressor, there is also a fairly comprehensive 30 page manual to go with it. I don't know how much it will retail at but for further information contact Softechnics [redacted].\r\n\r\nThe second of the two programs comes from Rainbird and is called The Advanced OCP Art Studio which is quite a mouthful.\r\n\r\nIt is available for the 128 and 128+2 machines and is basically an upgrade of the OCP Art Studio released for the Spectrum in 1985. It contains a few additional features such as multiple sets of fill patterns, define and save any window, define own brushes, paints and scrapbook and save them for future use, Ramdisk facility for superfast access to name but a few.\r\n\r\nThe original version received a number of awards so it has quite a good pedigree. It isn't cheap at £24.95, but what is these days, and is out now. Commodore 64/128, Amstrad 6128 and Atari ST versions will be released early in the new year. For further information contact Rainbird Software, [redacted].","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"96","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ian Duerden","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]