Micro Mouse Goes Debugging

ZX Computing

Nick Pearce

THE ZX81 SOFT SELECTION ZX81 software reviewed by Nick Pearce. MICROMOUSE GOES DE-BUGGING MC Lothlorien Micromouse is an excellent fast moving arcade game for the ZX81. It is written entirely in machine code, and the display is in hi-resolution graphics without the need for any additional hardware. The hi-res graphics give a screen display which is more effective than can be achieved using the graphics characters in the ZX81 ROM, and the machine code programming enables a fast responsive game. High resolution programming is becoming quite common now and can be used to particularly good effect in arcade type games, it is certainly breathing new life into many a trusty ZX81. Indeed one wonders whether the limit of the machine potential has been reached, or whether further innovative programming might lead to still better software. The ZX81 seems far from being on the shelf. When the program is complete it will run and you progress to the next level. To make things difficult there are bugs which move around the program stealing letters, but which you can destroy using "data kill", (but Micromouse cannot carry both letters and data-kill). If more than a certain percentage of the program's letters are stolen, there is a system crash and you have to start again - this usually happened to me. It is not an easy game, but perseverance can lead to a long game and a high score. Micromouse is a first-class high-resolution arcade game. MC Lothlorien is at [redacted].

Sinclair Programs

AS THE CHRISTMAS SOFTWARE GOES ON SALE SPECTRUM OWNERS ARE SPOILED FOR CHOICE. A fast-paced new ZX-81 game produced by Lothlorien is Micro Mouse goes Debugging. The game begins with a short program displayed on screen. Software bugs have already been at work at this program, and some of the characters have been stolen and placed in cages at the corners of the screen. Micro mouse must return these, and any other stolen characters to their rightful places, killing the software bugs with Datakill if necessary. The game moves very fast, for the bugs are always on the move and, at first, it is difficult to spot where in the program a character should go. Micro mouse rushes around, and there is scarcely time to grab the Datakill and kill the bugs. This is an excellent game, with clear graphics, calling for skill and tactics as well as speed and quick reactions. It is produced by Lothlorien, [redacted] and costs £5.95.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 7/10

Chris Bourne 7/10

LASER FARE Memory: 16K Price: £2.99 Some cosmic disaster has resulted in numbers of spacemen being marooned in the inhospitable wastes of the asteroid belt. It is your task in Space Rescue to collect them and ferry them to their home planet. Of course, life and arcade games are never so simple, and a meteor storm is in full progress at the time, so you must dodge or destroy the deep-space debris while locating the astronauts. The graphics are impressively drawn, partly in high resolution, and machine-code programming ensures that the action is fast. You pilot a small craft with UFO written upon it, which must leave the mothership in search of the lost astronauts. The playing area is several times the area of the screen, so you will have to search to find the spacemen. Once found, they must be ferried back to the mothership. Be careful as you dock, or you will crash, and lose a life. Then the scene changes to a region of space populated with space stations, where you must deposit the man, and then return to head out again for the asteroids to make another rescue. The craft is equipped with a laser gun, which can fire in eight directions. That, coupled with the movement of the craft itself, gives six different commands, and it is a little difficult to control the ship at first on the ZX-81 keyboard. Fortunately, D Pinch has provided a wide range of keys which can be used, and it should be possible to find a configuration to suit your own personal taste. Although the game is repetitive, it is fun to play and has four levels of skill, so if the easier levels become boring, you can increase the number of meteors in the storm to provide a new challenge. Space Rescue can be obtained from D Pinch, [redacted].