Hicksted

Your Computer

Overall 2/5

Spectrum 48K Games for Girls £5.95 CCS Hicksted is a game of computerised horsemanship based on the differently spelt show jumping ground Hickstead. It is one of three games under the somewhat dubious category of 'Games for Girls'. I thought it best if I got a little horse mad, computer crazed friend of mine to review it. She was to put it mildly disappointed. Conclusion: a great idea executed poorly.

Sinclair Programs

June Mortimer

WELL-WORN THEMES RE-APPEAR The trend in software production appears to be to take stock, build on successful ideas and await new developments. New games tend to be new variations on well-worn themes rather than startlingly original concepts. The number of games based on the premise that all computer owners love shooting as many things as possible is decreasing and giving way to games which need thought and strategy as well as fast reactions. Unfortunately for ZX-81 owners, although their computer has remained consistently among the top five bestselling computers, new software for the ZX-81 is almost non-existent and W H Smith is not intending to accept any new ZX-81 software for sale in its shops. Due to the shortage of new software, no ZX-81 programs have been received for review this month. THE SNOWMAN The Snowman - Quicksilva, 48K Spectrum - is based loosely on the book of the same name by Raymond Briggs. The aim is to collect snow and build a snowman. The wandering flames must be avoided, as they melt your snow and turn it to water. Falling off the ice structure of pathways and ladders will result in the player being sent back to bed, as will running out of energy. On the higher levels, sleep monsters must also be avoided or confronted with alarm clocks. The Snowman combines the best of many games already on the market and should become a best-seller. The latest sequel to Pimania, Pi-Eyed and other Automata productions is Pi-Balled - 48K Spectrum. Once again the Pi-man is the hero of the game, this time accompanied by two bouncing balls and Sid the Snake. It is a fairly straightforward arcade game. The mystical pyramid of Pi must be changed in colour by jumping from square to square. Sid the Snake must be avoided, as must the bouncing balls, which can also change the colour of the pyramid but not necessarily in a way which is helpful. Pi-balled has lively graphics; the bouncing balls and spinning discs are particularly convincing and the degree of difficulty is well-judged to suit beginners and experienced players. Shades of Manic Miner are apparent in Loony Zoo - Phipps Associates, 48K Spectrum. The storyline is that, while surveying another planet, you have been captured by its vastly superior inhabitants and placed in one of their zoos, together with various other alien specimens. It is possible to escape by jumping from ledge to ledge to reach the door pressure-pad at the top of the screen. Needless to say, you escape only into other cages from which it is more difficult to escape. Despite its simple graphics and slow pace, Loony Zoo is a difficult and addictive game. Killer Knight - Phipps Associates, 48K Spectrum - thinly disguises a Kong-type game with medieval trappings. The player must climb from platform to platform, using ladders and avoiding rolling objects. Beginners will find it difficult to progress very far, while experienced players will soon realise that a high score can be obtained simply by running back and forth along the bottom level. MONKEY BIZNESS In a very similar vein is Monkey Bizness - Artic, 48K Spectrum. The monkey mentioned in the title is King Kong and the object is to rush up the scaffolding, dodging or destroying the barrels which Kong rolls at you, to rescue the woman at the top of the scaffolding. Monkey Bizness is an amusing and colourful game, although many Spectrum owners will find they already possess similar games. Like Donkey Kong, Pac-man is a game which spawned a multitude of imitations. Dinky Digger - Postern, 48K Spectrum - has a distinctly Pac-man-like air to it. The object is to clear the screen of cherries and grab the cake in the middle, while avoiding the monsters which are trying to eat you. One monster is followed quickly by another and the game is so difficult that it should be attempted only by the experienced or very nimble-fingered user. 3D Star Wars - Addon Electronics, 48K Spectrum - is one of the less worthwhile pieces of software on the market. The graphics are lifeless and confusing, the three-dimensional effect is jumbled, and the number of keys to be used complicates the game still further. THE GUARDIAN The Guardian - PSS, 48K Spectrum - is the first version of the arcade game The Tempest to appear for the Spectrum. The site is a spaceship on the edge of a vortex to another universe. Aliens appear through the doorway and must be destroyed by the use of laser bolt gun or star smasher weapons. The game has had to be simplified for micro-computer use but it is easy and fun to play. CCS has begun its Games for Girls series with three games for the 48K Spectrum. Hicksted, a simulation of a show jumping event; Diamond Quest, which is a straightforward adventure; and Jungle Maze, in which prizes are won with a Mastermind-style guessing game which is fun, although unoriginal. Apart from a tenuous link with show jumping in one game and a heroine rather than a hero in another, it is difficult to see in what way CCS has changed its strategy to aim it at females rather than males. Computers are bound to affect everyone's future in some way, so encouraging more people to use and understand them is a worthwhile project. To attempt to increase a software company's market vastly by selling to women is unlikely to succeed unless the software market is changed substantially.