ZX Joystick
Game reviews
DEAD OR GLORY — VIZ DESIGN — arcade — 6/6
You are in space, somewhere in an unknown galaxy, and your task is to destroy the space stations—that is, the platforms scattered around (That’s what happens when people don’t pay their taxes). If your speed suddenly drops (the /THRUST/ gauge), there are two possibilities: either you have run out of fuel, or you are at the edge of the galaxy (which is impossible).
You fly around in your old wreck, and when you come across platforms, shoot them. They will explode, and after you destroy several platforms, you’ll be teleported to the next galaxy (the next level), which differs from the previous one only in colour.
Throughout the game, you are bothered by small remote-controlled missiles. You can’t get away from them, so destroy them.
This is another classic arcade game that quickly gets boring, which is why the score is only 6/6.
MOTO CROSS SIMULATOR — GREMLIN — simulation — 8/9
A long time passed before a motocross simulation appeared. Before the game there’s a short intro, which isn’t particularly special, and then the game loads. Choose one of the three available tracks and set off.
One note: the controls are a little mixed up, so here they are:
- Accelerate = left
- Brake = right
- Fire + up = shift up
- Fire + down = shift down
- Fire + left = lift the rear wheel
- Fire + right = lift the front wheel
Your bike has three gears.
Ride the course over the mountains, jumping across them, but land properly on the rear wheel. Don’t use third gear on a steep mountain, because your bike won’t manage it.
You’ll come across rocks, which you have to cross slowly. Climb onto crates carefully by lifting the front wheel and then the rear, and ride over them at a moderate speed. Then there are holes in the road (as if these were YUGO roads), which you must also jump over carefully. Some slopes are so steep that you’ll have to use first gear. Next, you’ll come to a trailer: climb onto it slowly, jump over the barrels on it, and then get down.
Once you’ve made it through everything and finished within the time limit, the computer will show your time and the best time for the track.
After successfully completing all three tracks, the next level loads. Now you must again tackle three tracks, jumping over cars, caravans and other obstacles.
After each completed run, the screen displays the fifteen best times, the top players, copyright information and more.
This is a very well-made game, though it could move a little faster. The main complaints are that there is no sound at all during the game and that the levels load separately. The game can be a little discouraging at first, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and that it will keep you at your Spectrum for a long time.
STREET GANG — AUDIOGENIC SOFTWARE — fighting — 8/8
The idea comes from the game RUNNING MAN, but this game itself is much better made. Just as in RUNNING MEN, you walk through the city when suddenly some tough guys appear in front of you, trying to teach you a lesson. Beat them and move on. Then some fat guy (who reminds me of SUPER-HIK) tries to shoot you. Either jump over the bullet—it isn’t difficult—or kill him before he fires. There are clubs on almost every level, and they’ll help you a lot. Later on you can also get a rifle, a pistol and then a machine gun, depending on how far you get.
Some enemies hide in garbage cans and occasionally come out to shoot at you. After each level there is a bonus round. You are offered four garbage cans and choose the one you think contains something. You might get a weapon, an extra life or points; choosing the wrong can makes you lose a weapon, a life or points. Usually the second can has something in it. You can blow up cans in the game with your rifle, but you have to replenish your ammunition quickly because there isn’t much of it.
There’s also a trick—or rather, a programming mistake—in this game. Just keep holding jump and you’ll bounce from one level to the next. I got from the first level to the ninth that way, so the game got boring very quickly.
The graphics are decent, with lots of colours, but there is very little sound and the animation is poor because the colours bleed into each other.
The characters are large and easy to make out. If you enjoy street fights, here’s your chance to take part in one yourself.
H.A.T.E. — WORTEX SOFTWARE — arcade — 9/8
One of the best arcade games around lately. You fly a plane around the world (in the future) and, driven by revenge and hatred—as the game’s title says—you kill enemies. They are mostly missiles and UFOs that emerge from openings in the platforms’ floors. The game is made in 3D graphics, and its action is in the style of ZAXXON, only much better done (and, of course, it isn’t in BASIC).
Each level has a different colour scheme. You must destroy stationary spheres surrounded by a magnetic field. When a sphere explodes, it leaves behind a tube (containing something) that you must collect.
There are four tubes for each level. You land at the airfield using the autopilot, get into a tank and set off on a new expedition on the second level. If you have collected several tubes and get hit, you won’t have to start all over again: only one tube will explode. The tubes give you extra lives, provided you reach the next level, and also help you assemble your weapons...
All in all, an excellent arcade game that will keep you at your DUGA for a long time and entertain you, too.
KOSMOS — arcade — 8/9
You play an alien, and your goal is to collect small space creatures called alfs (known in this game as SKWIBBLES). First level: You land on planet ALF, and your task is to rescue four alfs from a mined planet. The alfs are very timid creatures, so they have scattered all over the planet. As soon as the game begins, collect an alf and take the lift down. Then pick up the ZAPPAGUN using COLLECT and activate it with USE. Now you have a gun in your hands. Head left to the first lift and go up, where you’ll find another alf and a tomato. Go back down, head left to the first lift and go up to collect two more alfs. Go down, head left again, and collect MAINSTREAM, which reminds me of a TV. Now you’ve rescued all four alfs. Return to your ship and fly to the next space station (the next level). You’ll find shops in the game where you can buy things with the credits you earned by rescuing alfs.
When you encounter various space hazards—robots, UFOs and aircraft—you lose oxygen. When it runs out, your only life is gone. This is one of the classic games of this type, and I don’t think it will keep you at your DUGA for long.
WERE WOLVES OF LONDON — VIZ DESING — horror — 8/9
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a werewolf? If not, this game is just for you. You walk around the city, the nearby woods and the Underground, when suddenly the moon appears at the bottom of the screen. A strange change comes over you: you turn into a werewolf. You frighten and kill women, then a few children and even other people—but run away when you see a cross.
The police are nearby.
They’ll throw you in jail. In the morning, when you turn back into a human, your cell opens. You go into the prison yard, climb onto the roof and escape as if nothing had happened. The screen is divided into two parts: the game takes place in the larger upper section, while the lower section shows your energy in the shape of a Red Cross first-aid kit, the time of day (sun or moon), a flashing cross (if the police are nearby)—I didn’t know werewolves were afraid of crosses, either—as well as your state (human or werewolf) and the items you’ve collected (a hook, a first-aid kit and so on).
The game will quickly get boring because it doesn’t have any particular goal, and because the screens look so much alike.
STREET CRED' BOXING — PREMIER — boxing simulation — 7/8
Very few boxing games have been written for the Spectrum (ROCKY, BY FAIR and so on), but this program is something else. Both 128K and 48K owners get excellent music. Before the match, you warm up by punching a boxing bag.
You do this by rocking your joystick left and right. Once you qualify, you go to the match.
The programmers paid attention to everything in this game except the variety of punches. At the bottom of the screen you can see the number of lives, energy and points (yours and your opponent’s). The match time is also shown as a stopwatch, along with a warm-up gauge. The boxers are drawn in detail (you can clearly make out their trainers, trousers and boxing gloves), but their animation is poor. Have fun with this boxing simulation—and its fights.
The preceding reviews were prepared by:
Čanković Srdjan from Sombor
AAARGH!!! — arcade adventure — 6/7
For fans of King Kong and Godzilla films, and games like Rampage, here comes AAARGH!!!, a version for the magnificent Spectrum, ported from the Amiga.
Destroy, destroy and destroy some more—that’s the motto of this game. You control a giant who is very angry.
On the first level you’re in a village. First destroy the fence, then the houses, and finally a large stone statue. Once you’ve demolished everything, collect the pots left among the ruins. Then you fight a dragon, and once you’ve dealt with it, the next level loads.
The goal is the same on every level; only the scenery and the objects you destroy change: first a village, then a city, a fortress, a volcano and so on. You lose your one life when all your energy is gone.
The only complaint is that the levels load separately, so if you lose a life on a later level, you have to start again from the first one.
QUONDAM — labyrinth game — 6/6
Here’s a labyrinth-style arcade shooter. Once you’ve chosen the controls, press SPACE to start the game. First you see a map and the position of your ship. There’s a clock in the left corner, with your energy and score below it. On the right you can see your weapons, lives and compass. You view your ship from above, along with many enemies.
You can go faster or slower depending on the altitude at which you’re flying. The map shows numbered rooms containing parts that you must take to the main room and assemble to finish the game.
You can carry no more than six objects. Every collision with an enemy, or a crash into a wall, costs you precious energy, which you cannot replenish.
You have three lives, and if you’re careful, they should be enough to finish the game.
DRAGON SLAYER — CODE MASTERS
Arcade adventure — 7/8
After loading, press any key to see the main menu, accompanied by music. Press 0 to start the game. You play as a knight and must make your way all the way to the right, to the castle, where you have to defeat all the enemies to proceed to the next level. Killing enemies earns you upgrades, such as bombs or a higher jump. Use key 2 for bombs and key 3 to jump when you need to cross a chasm.
When you lose all three lives, if your score is good enough, you can enter it in the high-score table.
This game definitely deserves a place in your collection.
A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME
Among the flood of new and complicated games, this one comes as a breath of fresh air. Your task is to guide a ball so that it destroys all the white dots within the time limit. You can choose from five levels or make your own. The ball is guided using the tiles in the upper-left corner.
Move the cursor over the tile you want and press FIRE. Then place that tile where you want it on the screen. When the ball reaches it, it bounces off and changes direction. You play using the cursor and the three icons in the upper-left corner. After completing the first level, you move on to the second, and so on up to the fifth. If the supplied levels aren’t entertaining enough, choose the option to create your own. You have three lives. You lose one when time runs out or the ball is lost.
A game that’s sure to keep you entertained.
DARK FUSION
Arcade — 8/8
After loading, the first thing you see is an intro that continues until you interrupt it.
Then, accompanied by music, you choose the controls. Once the game starts, get ready to blast away.
You are an astronaut armed with a laser whose firing strength changes depending on how long you hold down the fire button, much like in R-TYPE. Make your way to the right, destroying everything you see to earn upgrades to your weapons or jump. There are three teleporters on each level, and you must enter each one and complete a task. In the first two, you have to destroy monsters; in the third, you must fly your craft to the end of a cave.
The monsters are hard to destroy because they shoot at you and send out some indestructible snakes.
Take them out by aiming accurately at the top of a monster and firing the laser at full strength just as it shoots at you.
The monster will flash, which means you’ve destroyed it. There are three levels, each loaded separately. When you lose your one life, you have to start all over again.
MIG 29 FIGHTER
Arcade — 7/8
If you’ve played AFTERBURNER, you already know what this game is like, except that everything fits into one program. After loading, you see a side view of a MIG-29 taking off and firing missiles—a really original opening. Start the game by pressing 0. You’re on the runway, but you don’t have to worry about taking off, because it happens automatically. You have a fixed sight in front of you and only ten bullets. The most dangerous enemies are a large helicopter that fires in every direction and anti-aircraft fire from the ground. There are also planes, which are easy to deal with: line them up in your sights and fire.
On the first level, you fly over trees and tanks. The helicopters are the only real problem. On the second level, you fly over a desert and see cacti and palm trees ahead.
Next comes a bonus stage where you collect points. On the third level, you fly over the ARCTIC and see Eskimos fishing and their igloos. On the last level, you fly over the ocean and see islands, ships and tanks. When you finish this level, you get a report that the mission was successful, and then everything starts over.
Here’s a trick that will help you finish the game.
Instead of fighting the planes, helicopters and so on, simply circle around the whole screen. When things get hectic, descend as low as you can, then go all the way to the right, up, and so on.
That way the enemies can’t do much to you—just watch out for the planes. As you fly around, you’ll occasionally pick up weapons, fuel (the letter F) and an atomic bomb (H). A good game that will keep you entertained.
The previous game reviews were prepared by Siniša Peša from Sombor.
LAST DUEL
Arcade — 6/6
Here’s another game in the style of XENON, one more in a long line of games that we switch off after two plays. The graphics are decent. The screen scrolls upwards from the bottom. It is divided into two parts; the smaller section on the right shows the number of lives, your score and so on. You start with five lives. Machine guns fire at you from the sides. I don’t know what the aim of the game is, because even after playing for a long time I couldn’t get past the first level. If you shoot something resembling one earpiece dropped onto another, you get an extra laser.
So, if you’re a masochist, play this game: in a fit of rage you’ll spit on your Spectrum, or follow my example and rip the joystick out by its roots, all out of desperation because you can’t manage even a minute or two of active play in one go. But if you’re a sadist, things look better for you—provided you don’t play it yourself. Give it to your (un)friends and watch them destroy their own property instead.
SPOOKED
7/7
Here’s a game that’s a little reminiscent of the old SPELLBOUND.
The game has several levels, and you run around them catching bees, moths and butterflies (something like jumping larvae?).
Once you’ve caught enough, jump into the cauldron—not to kill yourself because of your unfortunate fate, but to get some letters in exchange for the critters you’ve caught.
The more letters, the better for you. But it’s not all plain sailing.
There are obstacles, such as skulls and ghosts. There’s also a timer, shown as an hourglass. You can make up lost time by finding these clocks in certain places and standing on them.
Here’s a tip: when you jump into the cauldron, sacrifice two or three bees, or some other critter, and buy FIREROLL. Then you’ll have no trouble destroying ghosts and skulls, because whichever way you shoot, you’ll hit them. There are other ways to make things easier, too: teleporters take you from one level to another and save your precious time.
All in all, it’s a good game that will keep you occupied for a (relatively) long time with DUGA.
FREDDY HARPEST 2
Fighting game — 8/8
Here’s our old acquaintance Freddy again. The action takes place in SOUTH MANHATTAN, which offers plenty of (un)pleasant surprises. NEW YORK can be seen in the distance, with Freddy in the foreground. The moves the programmers gave him are:
- Down — a kick to the legs
- Up — flying maigeri kicks
- Fire — a punch to the head
I personally prefer maigeri, because it’s the most effective. His opponents include an ordinary fighter, a club-wielder, a kid, a Chinese fighter, a saw-wielder, an excavator…
I’m sure other opponents appear on higher levels, but I didn’t get that far. You’ll have to discover them for yourselves.
The sound is nothing special, just what we’ve come to expect from DUGA—mostly the sound of a club hitting your (Freddy’s) head. Still, that doesn’t spoil the impression made by this enjoyable game.
Reviews prepared by Toldi Bruno from Novi Beograd.
Share your thoughts about the article