Gorgon

Personal Computer News

Lasting Appeal 2/5

Playability 2/5

Use Of Machine 3/5

Overall Value 3/5

Mike Gerrard 3/5

NAME: Gorgon SYSTEM: 48K Spectrum PRICE: £4.95 PUBLISHER: Phipps Associates, [redacted] FORMAT: Cassette LANGUAGE: Machine code, some Basic OTHER VERSIONS: None OUTLETS: Mail order. BACK TO THE GREEK After space travel, the Greek legends are proving a fruitful plundering ground for software writers, and this graphics game incorporating two different combat sections casts you in the role of Speetrasses - not the local Optician but the village hero. OBJECTIVES A chalice has been stolen by Grang, an ancient Greek mugger, and you must recover this and placate the angry gods, who are threatening to flood your village. One side of the tape has the scenario and instructions, and when you've digested these you load the game side - but don't forget to write down which keys perform which functions in both sections as this information is not on the cassette insert. IN PLAY Three levels of play from Super-Hero to Doddle, and you allegedly have three lives, though this is none too sure. The first section has you challenging Grang's pal Gorgon, who is guarding the entrance to the cave where his mate is hiding. He will pop up behind one of six pillars and stare at you. This is not merely jolly rude of him; it will also turn you to stone, unless you can lift your mirror and reflect then stare back at him. Two keys move you left and right, and three control the mirror's positions, though don't lift it too soon as it's heavy and soon falls again. Quite amusing graphics, and quick reflexes are called for, though don't press the Break key to try to see how the program works as your keyboard will get turned to stone and you'll have to reload. Defeat Gorgon and you'll walk into the cave, where a nice effect has your eyes slowly getting used to the light. Then Grang will approach you, his sword at the ready. You must engage him in combat, matching his strokes and trying to land the occasional thrust. You each have to be hit several times before you're killed, your respective strengths being shown at the top of the screen. The controls allow you to step back and forward, to move your sword up, down or forward, and to thrust. After a few attempts I did manage to save my village, even if it was the Doddle level. VERDICT While the game is fairly entertaining and deserves at least two cheers for originality, I can't say it exactly bowled me over or had me yelling for more.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

THIS GAME IS ALL GREEK TO US! The scene is Ancient Greece. You are Spectrasses, a local hero of the time. Grang, an ugly ruffian, has stolen a golden chalice from the sacred temple belonging to your home town. This chalice was entrusted to the people by the Gods for safe keeping, but because the townsfolk got lazy, Grang was able to steal the chalice. The Gods have, of course, become very angry and have commanded the sea to rise until the town is flooded - unless the chalice is returned to the temple. You know that Grang has gone to his secret cave underneath a ruined temple. This temple is guarded by Grang's friend the Gorgon, whose stare will turn you to stone. There are two parts to this game, written by Barry Cornhill, a new author. The first is the contest in the arena with Gorgon, where you manipulate your shield to reflect back the Gorgon's deadly stare. The shield is heavy and has to be put down at intervals, thus giving Gorgon his chance to zap you. There are three skill levels to the game - (Doddle!, Heroic, and Super-heroic - and the difficulty increases accordingly. All the while the sea keeps on rising, so that it is also a race against time. The second part of the game is the sword fight with Grang, assuming that you get this far. You can parry, thrust, advance or retreat and the hits scored for either side are registered with signal lights as are the number of hits still required to win. The game comes from Phipps Associates of Ewell, Surrey and runs on the 48K Spectrum. It is priced at £4.95.