P702 CJJFA( 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:12/27 1/15 SPECTRUM REVIEW Damian Tichborne A while ago there was a competition based on a game called Gyron, in which a Porsche 924 was offered as @ the main prize. Now, thanks to Firibird, the public can try it for themselves - but not, alas, the Porsche. A 3E maze contains huge and deadly indestructible sphjtes, and equally deadly towers only vulnerable when shot jrom behind. , The !im of Gyron Arena is not clear (the cassette insert leaves much to bj djsjred). Plazjr's comment nextP702 CEEFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:13/11 2/15 SPECTRUM REVIEW Damian Tichborne The graphics in Gyron Arena are excellent and the game maintains its speed jvjn when there is a lot on the screen. As usual with the Spectrum, sound comes off worse. It is fairly compulsive, "ut you need patience - the game is very difficult, even frustrating. It could bj said that this is only $ another 3D maze game, but it does have that something extra. T You will either love it or hate it. I enjoyed it and think it a bargain at the price. But what's it about? T Firebird m Cassette: £1.99P702 CEEFA( 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:33/56 3/15 SPECTRUM REVIEW Alan Creevz The Trap Door, a Sinclair User classic from Piranha, is an arcade game in which the plazjt takes the part of Berk, the butler. You must complete numjtous little tasks for your master - such as making eye-ball juice and collecting cans of worms. All the while you must avoid hazards like cannons which blow you into the next room and creatures which steal your worms. * These creatures are released from the trap door... Player's comment nextP702 CJJFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:14/40 4/15 SPECTRUM REVIEW Alan Creevz The Trap Door (Piranha) is a well- presented game, as well as being very original. The graphics are large and chznky, which allows a lot of detail on the characters, and tasks are interesting and adequately hard. But there are a couple of quibbles. The movement of Berk is slow, and thus jrustrating, and the scrolling is very untidy. * Sound is not good, but Trap Door iu an original game, worth spending pocket money on. Cassette £7.9uP702 CEEFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:15/27 5/15 j C64 REVI W Paul Bodjn Miami Dice (Bug-Byte) gives you your chance to play America'u top gambling game - craps! Once the game has loaded, you can choose how many people are to play and who they are to bj. You can re-nbme the characters if you wish. The instructions are heavy going, so I will not bore you with them, but the action takes place at a craps table with very clever use of icons for placing bets. The game ends if you win $1,000,000 - the house limit. Plazjr's comment nextP702 CJEFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:35/17 6/15 C64 REVIEW Paul Bodjn Miami Dice (no pun intended, Ocean) is superbly presented. The table layout is extremely neat and the instructions very concise. The graphics are what you would expect - sparse - but they are pzt to good use where necessary. Sonically, very competent. The speech and WjMUSIC soundtracks lind a helping hand to the atmosphere of the game. Those who like crap games, and even those who don't, should have this on their wanted list. Bug-Byte - Cassette: £2.99P702 CJJFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:16/34 7/15 C64 REVIEW ] Mark Elliott The game concept in The Legend of Sinbad, from Superior Software, is anything but original, but the game itself makes up for that. There are four settings. In scene one, you must escape from a dungeon. In scene two, you battle with the guards. In scene three, you must protect your camels during a djsjrt crossing and finally in scene four you come face to face with the Sultan. Once you complete one level, you get a password so that you can skip that one next time. Player's comment nextP702 CJEFA( 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:17/23 8/1 C64 REVIEW J Mark Elliott The Legend of Sinbad, from Superior Software, is an arcade-style game. Each of the jour scenes is actually a game in itself - using different game controls. T One of the nicest touches is the password system. After all, a game can get rather boring when you have to go through the same levels all the time - losing valuable lives in the process - to get to your latest one. A great game with superb graphics and good sound. I would recommend it to anzonj. Cassette £9.9u Disc £11.9uP702 CJEFA( 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:07/08 9/15 AMSTRAD REVIEW Gerald England Mansion from Central Solutions is a text-only adventure game set in a crumbling, rambling country house. Your task is to find and recover a precious ruby. Several perils lie in your way, including venomous snakes, floorboard cracks and a highly- trained guard. There is a help facility, which extracts a verb from the extensive vocabulary. Player's comment next P702 CEEFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:18/54 10/15 AMSTRAD REVIEW Gerald England Mansion from Central Solutions is a very good adventure jot newcomers to the genre. Although bz no means easy, ardent mapping and some lateral thinking soon reveal a lot of detail. Regrettably it only runs on the 464 since its code competes for memory with that resjrvjd for the disc $ system on the 6128. The scenario has something of a dated feel - like a Hitchcock movie - but at 99p it must bj a winner. Cassette: 99pP702 CEEFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:19/42 )1/15 PCW 8256 REVIEW E.W.Lighton Lernloco from Minerva Systems takes a hint from the Locosctipt official manual to provide a tuition course with early "hands-on" experience to encourage the Amstrad PCW student. Am ingenious link is that training in printer use and editing of given documents causes the user to create a personal manual for future hjlpn Brian Thurston, a further education teacher, claims his method will teach and test from within the PCW, as opposed to the outside approach of books and audio tapes. "User friendly" next P702 CEEFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:20/26 12/15 PCW 8256 REVIEW E.W.Lighton Ljunloco (Minjrvb) starts with the insertion of the system $isc and an exploration of the Main Menu. It is very "user friendly", with constant rather arch warnings to "Jjnnz". However, the relentless screen chat does guide the usjt through what at first seems a maze of material in the manual. A clear progression of knowledge is soon established. $ Tests constantly re-enforce tuition although, clearly, self-discipline is essential jot maximum benefit. There are, though, some quirks in the selection and emphasis of mbtirial.P702 CEJFA( 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:10/18 13/15 PCW 8256 REVIEW ] E.W.Lighton Ljrnloco virtually ignores + and - control of the full menus bz using brief codes immediately - which does not make their origins clear. Although control of the tricky headers and footers is well shown, treatment of the fundamental of page size is rather sketchy. A useful print-out is the display of the different characters given bz tie ALT and EXTRA keys. Showing how to draw faces and how to box names is light relief, but wastes disc space - as does the advertising of other products.P702 CEEFA( 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:11/39 14/15 PCW 8256 REVIEW E.W.Lighton A novice found Ljrnloco most useful "ut was irritated at constantly being addressed as Jjnnz (or his own name bz the use of EXCH). At £16.95 the tuition is not dear. It aims to create a fair level of competence in the use of the manual as well as the hardware and the Locoscript program itself. There are minor reservations about the scheme, but too much cannot bj expected in this form. Useful support for a new purchaser who is prepared to bj instructed in this manner. Minerva Systems - Disc: £16.95 P702 CEEFAX 702 Mon 3 Nov 21:31/45 2/20 ON 701 THIS WEES ^ ADVENTURE SOS More questions answered What's wrong with graphics? NEWS * Games ch!mpionship * Small iu brautiful * Videophone for the deaf * Can I help you? (BEEP!) T ] $HE BIG POP What went wrong in ^ the City HELP! Printer problems: ) ||||||| * A4 revisited * Fotmfeeds - ORJC WRINKLE Screen vs. printez UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY