Glooper

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 7/10

PICK OF THE PAC Space and maze madness on the ZX-81 High Resolution Graphics Memory: 16K Price: £5.95 Galaxians Memory: 16K Price: £3.95 Gloops Memory: 16K Price: £3.95 Damper Memory: 16K Price: £3.95 Glooper Memory: 16K Price: £3.95 Gilbert Factor: 7 One of the major disadvantages of the ZX-81 is that the graphics, if you can call them that, are very low in resolution, being made up of black blocks which can be PRINTed or POKEd on to the screen. Computer Rentals Ltd has circumvented the problem by producing a 16K high-resolution package which will give a screen display on a grid of 192 X 256 pixels. It can be POKEd into action from a Basic program. All the usual Spectrum graphics are available, in black-and-white format, including circles, line and arcs. It is also possible to make your own user-defined graphics of objeCts such as space invaders, pac-men, or even foreign alphabets. Although the utility can produce some incredible pictures, there are disadvantages. If you intend to draw complex designs using mathematical formulae which include sine and cosine, you will find that the computer takes about 20 minutes to complete the graphics in FAST mode. You will have to tolerate the grey screen for a considerable time. It does not take quite so long to draw a few lines and circles but it certainly takes longer than its big brother, the Spectrum. One of the major shortcomings of the package is the pocket-sized manual which attempts to explain all the features of the utility in a short space. The booklet seems to have been written by a programmer, or by a person who has taken for granted that the user will know about the computer and its memory map. Such an assumption is dangerous and leaves new users rushing for books on machine code or, at least, a book on POKEing. High-Resolution Graphics can be obtained from most branches of John Menzies and W H Smith. Although Quicksilva is not producing new ZX-81 arcade games, the company still has some top-ranking games in its range. Galaxians and Gloops are two games on one cassette, one of them an old arcade favourite and the other an old favourite under a new name. Galaxians involves a flock of alien birds which take turns to swoop down the screen at your laser base and fire death-dealing energy bolts. The screen display is not so awe-inspiring as other versions of the game. For inStance, the birds do not swoop with wings at an angle - they just drop down, like Vs, from their positions in the flock. The game is difficult to play, even though you can alter the way in which the aliens attack. It is possible to change the number of Galaxians which swoop at you and also the number of aliens. You can also change the number of salvos which are fired at you. Even at the lowest settings the game can become irritatingly difficult and addictive. At the highest level only the best arcade player will survive for any length of time. The other game on the cassette is Gloops. It is difficult to know why Quicksilva decided to use that name but the program is an average version of Pac-man. The only differences between Gloops and the original Pac-man is that the maze layout can be changed by the player and the speed of the ghosts can also be set. Unfortunately the instructions are vague as to the scale at which the speed is set, so if you type zero the ghosts will react quickly and if you type nine the ghosts will be slow. Gloops is one of the fastest versions of Pac-man on the ZX-81, even if it is not the best graphically. It can be obtained from Quicksilva or from W H Smith. Another Quicksilva double-game cassette is Damper and Glooper, both for the 16K machine. Damper is a game in which you take the part of a droid who must turn off the power on a grid before the leeches damage the power cables. Your character travels round the power lines and when you have been around the square, that square is filled and the power will be turned off. To reach the next level you must turn off the power in all the squares. By chasing round the squares you can attack the leeches. If, on the other hand, you are touched by one of them they will electrocute you and a life will be lost. The game does not need high-resolution graphics to be effective as it uses thick lines on the screen. The special effects when your damper is electrocuted give the game a professional finish. Glooper is another version of Pac-man which looks like a car, and the ghosts, which look like little racing cars, chase after it. As usual, the aim is to evade the ghosts and eat the power pills. Glooper is more innovative and attractive as a version of Pac-man than Gloops. It uses the whole screen to display the maze, rather than just a portion in the middle. The two games look sufficiently different from each other to justify a company putting both in its range but the concepts are too close for comfort. All Quicksilva ZX-81 games are worth buying, although they lack features which would have been helpful. For instance, it might have been a good idea to put in an option to redefine what can be used during play on all the games. If that had been the case the games would have been easier to play, by left- and right-handed people, and also much more user-friendly.

Sinclair User

DAMPING-DOWN LIVELY CABLES Few new games for the ZX-81 have been released recently. Only two of the major software companies have continued their range of cassettes for the machine. The first is Quicksilva, which has launched a new batch of games for the 16K ZX-81. They include a cassette containing two arcade-type games and two adventures. The first game on the arcade tape is Damper. The player takes the part of a grid damper who must turn off the power on a grid before some evil leeches do permanent damage to the power cables. To attack the leeches you must trace round the squares which make up the grid. When you have completed a track round a square it will turn black as the power runs down in that sector of the grid. If the leeches catch your player you will have an electrifying experience. The game includes a hall of fame. The only problem is that you are usually dead before your name is entered with the others of the elite of grid runners. Damper is an original and excellent game and includes some stunning graphics. Also included on the tape is a Pac-man-type game, Glooper. There are seven levels of play and the seventh is very fast. The ghosts which inhabit the maze are intelligent, for a change, and they will always get the Pac-man on the most difficult level. Both games are available on cassette for £4.95. The first of the adventures from Quicksilva is Pioneer Trail. The year is 1842 and you and your family join the pioneer trail to Oregon from Westport Landing, Missouri. You have 40 weeks to cover 2,000 miles and all you have for support is two tired horses and a wagon. At the start of the game you have $700 which you can spend on oxen, food, bullets, clothes and supplies. You can use the bullets to hunt or you can drop into the local fort for extra supplies on the journey. Along the way you will meet Indians and have to fight your way through thick fog and blizzards. Pioneer Trail costs £3.95 and includes both adventure and arcade graphics. The other adventure is Ocean Trader. The game is again set in the 19th century. You are the captain of a 130-ton sailing barque who must gain £500,000 before the game is completed. You can hold 50 units of cargo aboard the vessel, including arms, coal, whisky and bullion. The arms and bullion are, of course, illegal and will have to be jettisoned if you encounter trouble and have to return to port. The dangers of your voyages between the ports of Liverpool, London, Newcastle and Southampton include sea mists, pirates and freak storms. There is also the danger of having to pay the loan for your ship when you have no money. If that happens you could lose your ship. Ocean Trader costs £3.95. All these games are available from Quicksilva Ltd, [redacted].