Jack Charlton's Match Fishing

Sinclair User

Overall 3/5

Chris Bourne 3/5

Publisher: Alligata Price: £7.95 Memory: 48K It had to happen. It was about the only sport hitherto unsullied by the attentions of computer programmers. We refer, of course, to the noble art of the angler, or, to give its title in full spin-off rent-a-celebrity glory, Jack Charlton's Match Fishing. Any computer version should reflect the numbing boredom so beloved by anglers, and to an extent Match Fishing succeeds. You play with up to eight fishermen, or on your own. You are allocated a 'peg' - a section of water to fish - and must choose the appropriate tackle, rod and bait for the spot and the species you reckon might live there. You also choose how far to cast. Having chosen your tackle you watch an idyllic screen of lake, mountains and green banks. When a bite is registered, you lunge forward to press the number of your peg, to 'strike' the fish. If in time, a cartoon-like sequence involves a fish swimming towards the line. As a solitaire game, only the dedicated angler is likely to enjoy Match Fishing. With several players, and the inevitable scramble for keys if fish are biting, the game becomes more fun. The problem is that if you don't know anything about fishing you won't get much out of the game. And the dedicated angler, who might enjoy the game greatly, is going to be spending his spare time out there with the midges and the stinky maggots and the dead swans and the crate of Newcastle Brown.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Your SpectrumYour Spectrum Dave's Rave Of The Month

Dave Nicholls 2/5 MISS

Roger Willis 1/5 MISS

Ross Holman 1/5 MISS

JOYSTICK JURY Our three-ring circus of Roger Willis, Ross Holman and Dave Nicholls is back in town. Watch 'em put all the latest arcade games through the hoops - and have a laugh at the clowning around. What's the score? Well, the marks out of five at the end of each review is a shorthand way of summing up what each reviewer thought of the game. But will it be a commercial success? For that you'll have to check out the HIT and MISS system. Simple, eh? MATCH FISHING Alligata £6.95 The only time I remember doing anything that could be classed as 'fishing' was a rather wet couple of days on the South coast wondering if the bait on one end of the line was as bored as I was on the other! But based on my rather limited experiences, I'd have to say Match Fishing was a fairly faithful simulation... unfortunately. You can have up to eight players, each fishing a specific section of the river - each player is provided with information about the depth and state of the water and is asked to choose equipment. Now comes the exciting part... Just joking! The display changes, showing you all the players on-screen for the fish to turn up. If a fish happens along, a number flashes on the shore and you have to press the equivalent number on the keyboard. All exciting stuff... Alligata recommends that players should gather round the Speccy at a distance of one metre. I'd recommend a longer distance - perhaps a mile and a half. Check it out if fish are your things.

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Crash

Use of Computer 66%

Graphics 75%

Playability 60%

Getting Started 70%

Addictive Qualities 60%

Value For Money 65%

Overall 74%

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Alligata Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £6.95 Language: Machine code Author: Elliot Gay and David Thorpe This is a pretty unconventional game by any standards, the player does not play against the computer but against fellow beings, the more the better. The program simulates a day out match fishing beside a very attractive lake. (Drawn by David Thorpe see issue 17). The game caters for up to eight fisherpersons all of whom must enter their names at the start. The computer will ask how for long you want the match to last and you can select any period between 1 and 90 minutes. The program next allocates each player a peg number and describes in detail the conditions of the bank and surrounding waters. For example, the player who draws peg 7 is told that his section has two large trees adjacent to him and the water, which is only between seven and twenty feet deep, has a lot of leaves and twigs on the surface. To a fisherperson I suppose that this would suggest the use of a luminous hook and a torch but whatever tackle you decide on you must choose the most appropriate from the tackle section. You are offered a choice of rods, floats, reels, lines, baits and hooks. At this stage you must specify the type of cast strong, medium or weak. When all of the players have selected what they assume to be the most appropriate tackle we can move onto the actual fishing. A page of instructions explains that all of the contestants must gather round the computer. They will be shown a picture of the lake with the eight pegs around it. When a player's peg flashes it means that a fish has taken the bait and the player whose peg it is must dash to the computer and press the appropriate number to strike. The picture changes to show a little chap sitting on the bank with a fish moving towards the line, when it reaches it you press SPACE and hope that the tackle you selected is up to the fish you are trying to catch. At any stage during the wait you can ask to see your peg description and change tackle if required. At the end of the time period the results are displayed. Each player's name is printed to the screen in an order dependent on the total weight of fish caught. Displaying the total weight of fish caught neatly avoids those traditional, arms outstretched arguments about the ones that got away. SILLY WARNING Please don't take Your Spectrum near the water's edge, it could prove harmful and may be dangerous. COMMENTS Control keys: 1 to 8 and space Joystick: N/A Keyboard play: N/A Use of colour: very good Graphics: superb view of the lake, others indifferent Sound: very little Skill levels: 1 Lives: N/A Screens: 2 effectively