Review: Eyeache II by Codebusters

Positive news from the land of Pentagons: according to a postal clerk, it is indeed possible to send US dollars to Lithuania via a completely normal postal money order, so no more of that somewhat sketchy "cash on disc" shipping. Today, I'm testing the sequel to last month's Eyeache:

EYEACHE II

Once the Codebusters logo fades out, things start getting interesting. The credits appear in interlace mode (see issue 26), with a 3D cloud of rotating pixels behind them, presumably meant to depict a very flat galaxy; later it turns into a so-called starscroll. The next part is a sine multicolor plasma, followed by something really neat: triangle polygons made of 4×4 pixels using the three primary colors: red, green, and blue. Where the polygons overlap, the colors blend together according to optical and physical laws. Later, the three polygons morph into three overlapping sine waves and plasma.

Now comes arguably the most impressive part: in interlace mode, a 3D figure composed of 24 polygons rotates on screen. The faces have four different colors that don't match the background; although the resolution is a bit coarse at 2×2 pixels, the whole effect is still very impressive. Next is a flight through a voxel landscape, comparable to the flight in Insane, though it lacks the complexity of Insane's scenery with its bridges and cities; on the plus side, the color resolution here is slightly better.

Then comes a greetings part featuring zooming text banners that also blend colors upon overlapping, just like in part 2. The next section is no less interesting: in interlace mode, numerous RGB rectangles rotate and transform into rhombuses. It’s hard to describe, but looks absolutely mega — and I say that as someone who has seen quite a lot of Pentagon demos. Next up is something familiar: a Mandelbrot zoomer, but the interesting twist is that it runs in a 4×4 pixel multicolor mode.

After that, you get to view a clipping from Pravda (Pravda is a Russian newspaper; the title translates to "Truth"), which reads: "Codebusters Double Sensation: Win E97 in ZX Spectrum and Amiga Democompos". Finally, a standard part: a 3D circle tunnel, which we know from other demos, and in some it’s actually done better. The next part I'll simply call the checkerboard distorter, followed by pixel fire made of 4×4 dithered pixels, yielding 17 gradations. The coders' addresses are once again displayed in interlace — handy for anyone looking to write to them.

Very pretty, though unfortunately somewhat poorly coded, is the next part: 9 pictures in 64 colors with a 4×4 color resolution that are also scrolled (has an interlace-like look to it). These are manga pictures (Japanese comics, awesome!), and they look outstanding. The final and tenth picture doesn't scroll, but boasts an even better color resolution. The text "Mission Completed" signals that the demo is nearing its end.

Now it's time for the credits, set to Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" playing in the background (hopefully I spelled the title right!). And so, I’ve checked off yet another Pentagon Beta Disk demo. If you own a Pentagon, you can get the demo from me. A regular Spectrum with a Beta Disc interface might also work, though the demo could crash or run slower. Oh, by the way: don't go asking for a Pentagon in a computer shop — you'll definitely get a Pentium instead!

Yours,
L. C. D