Arcturus

Your Spectrum

Ian Simmonds 4/10

Jon Warner 3/10

Simon Cox 4/10

Sticks at the ready, the Chiltern Computer Club buckled down to some concentrated critique as they sifted through the latest bundle of software to give us their unbiased evaluations. Any club wishing to offer their reviewing services should contact Ron Smith, Spectrum Soft, [redacted]. This month, the reviewers in the YS jury hot-seat are all members of Chiltern Computer Club, Eaton Bray, near Dunstable. They are (in alphabetical order) Simon Cox, Ian Simmonds and Jon Warner. To be honest it wasn't an easy job for them, with many of the latest offerings falling short of an acceptable level - in fact, sheer crud in some cases. Read on to find out what (and what not) to buy. The Chiltern Computer Club was formed around two years ago, and usually it manages to attract about 35 members - ages ranging from 13 years to near senility. Membership is currently £4 per year, for which potential members can expect practical help with their computer problems, and guest speakers and lecturers from time to time. Club contacts can be made via Steve Betts, [redacted]. Finally thanks go to Steve for the ultra-fast speed at which he pulled the test together. ARCTURUS Visions £6.95 A 3D noughts and crosses game, where the plot is to enslave the free world by making us devote all our incredible mental resources to solving Arcturun's ultimate mental challenge.

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 7/10

ARCTURAN MIND MATCH Memory: 48K Price: 6.95 Mind game enthusiasts should find Arcturus from Visions Software Factory just the thing to occupy a few spare hours - or days. At the start of the tape are about 20 screens recounting the saga of how the Arcturans' ultimate mental challenge formed part of a plot to take over the free world and, although there seems to be no harm in it, it is not clear why it was included since it has no bearing on the game. So, unless you have nothing better to do, skip the saga and start with the demonstration of the game, which could be described as a complex form of noughts and crosses. Each player attempts to place noughts or crosses in a line of four on either one single squared board or across the four which are shown in perspective, superimposed one above the other on the screen. What constitutes a line, difficult to grasp at first, becomes clear after a few bouts against the computer, which can operate on 10 levels of skill. Apart from that, the game incorporates a number of other choices and refinements. You can play against another player instead of the computer, with or without sound effects, and with the clock switched on or off. You can also replay a game, load and save one, or consult the computer for help. The screen display is clear and the method of making moves is simple and convenient; you use the cursor keys to move round the squares and press ENTER for the square you warn. For those who like to pit their wits against a computer rather than human opponents, it is a well-presented version of an unusual and interesting game.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 3/10

Sound 3/10

Originality 2/10

Lasting Interest 2/10

Overall 2/10

Steve Cooke 2/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K JOYSTICK: No SUPPLIER: Visions PRICE: £6.95 Futuristic title screen followed by a staggering 25 screens of blurb introduce the intrepid player to a game of... 3D noughts and crosses. The program claims to be difficult to beat, but the PCG editor won at the highest level first time off. Either he's a genius, or this is a duff game.

Crash

Overall 57%

Producer: Visions, 48K £6.95 (3) An awful lot of memory and effort go into the long-winded and entirely irrelevant history of this games name, but it turns out to be none other than a 3D noughts and crosses played on 4 x 4 grids, four of which are stacked one on top of the other. A winning line is a straight one up or across a grid or vertically through the grids, diagonals included. Two players may oppose each other, one player play the computer, or you can have the computer play against itself. The program is a slick one, but it's main drawback is the complexity of the option menu that poses a major task in logistics to get to play a game. Cursor keys are used to place your move, so AGF or Protek joysticks may be used. General rating: very good for puzzle enthusiasts, especially with its 9 skill levels. Overall CRASH rating 57%, machine code.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Crash

Use of Computer 50%

Graphics 68%

Playability 65%

Getting Started 45%

Addictive Qualities 57%

Value For Money 58%

Overall 57%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Visions Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £6.95 Language: Machine code There have been a number of 3D Noughts and Crosses games for the Spectrum and now Visions have theirs out. The name of the program is justified by an extraordinarily long scenario, all about how super snails (well it is a sort of grid game) grew up aeons ago in a galaxy far, far away and mutated into super-thinkers who hated war. Then they had a bit of bother with those war-like Vigans (you know the type, all mouth and nuclear weapons) and they ended up settling the business by making the Vigans do this puzzle thing and somehow that got handed down to earth. Hence the name of the super snails were from Arcturus, hence the name of the game). There is a very complex menu which must be used to play the game. This is displayed at the top and bottom right hand corners. A skill level from 0 to 9 may be selected, Mode allows you to select between defensive, attacking or neutral play, the sound may be on or off, printer on or off and the Evaluation on or off. The game itself is played on four boards of 4 x 4 squares stacked one above the other in perspective with a number axis horizontally and a lettered axis vertically. Players may move a flashing cursor onto any unoccupied square and ENTER the move. It is possible to play one player versus the computer, player versus player or the computer versus the computer. A timer can be set to limit time on moves or games. COMMENTS Control keys: numerous for setting up options, cursors and ENTER for playing Joystick: AGF, Protek, cursor clip on Keyboard play: responsive Colour: good Graphics: good Sound: useful Skill levels: 9

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

VIOLENT VISIONS OF ARMAGEDDON The Visions Software Factory has really got their production line working overtime, churning out games at an incredible rate. Another six games have been added to their range of Spectrum and Commodore 64 titles. Armageddon 'a game of gratuitous violence' is a jolly little game which lets you and a friend or two blow the world to pieces as many times as you like before breakfast. Global genocide is now possible on a CBM 64 plus breaks for coffee, of course! 1994 is a multi-level game for the 48K Spectrum. You must guide Smithy (I suppose they mean Winston Smith from 1984) through eight levels inhabited by droids, robot eagles and plasma bolts to find the key that unlocks the gate to the next screen. WILLY get to the top or fall to the bottom of the mine? ...oops different game - isn't it? There aren't any speed limits on the moon so why not go for a spin across the lunar landscape with a little help from Moon Buggy. It's not all smiles though. The local aliens have got a little narked with all the noise you've been making and are trying to shoot your brains out. Sounds like a rough neighbourhood. Moon Buggy, 1994 and Articus run on the 48K Spectrum. Two other releases - Banana Drama and Gusher - run on the '64. Banana Drama is a kingdom-type game where you play the part of a dictator of a small banana republic. Taxes have to be collected, crops sown, exports sold and the population fed, otherwise you could be on the end of a very nasty revolution. All the games are available from the Visions' Software Factory or from most High Street retailers.