The Pyramid

Sinclair User

An arcade adventure which introduces Ziggy, an alien intent on discovering the secret of life, the universe and everything. On his quest he investigates a pyramid which contains many alien creatures to be avoided or destroyed. Ziggy must go through a series of chambers and levels, starting at the apex, to get to the bottom level and the final exit. There are 120 chambers and 15 levels so a successful play can take several months to perfect. All players can enter the high score competition and have a chance of being credited in the Fantasy newsletter. Position 23/50

Sinclair Programs

June Mortimer

This month we focus on the exploits of hero Willy after his mining experience and on some of the best and worst new Spectrum games. The Pyramid, by Fantasy Software, sends its players searching through the 15-level pyramid in search of the Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Each chamber of the pyramid is occupied by a different type of alien. To escape from a chamber, crystals must be used to neutralise the energy fields around the exit and to obtain a crystal a certain number of aliens must be destroyed. Points are gained for the speed with which a chamber is negotiated, so the more quickly the player acts the better. Aliens must be avoided, which is not always an easy task, as each type of alien has a different flight path. Crystals must be caught at the appropriate time, guarded from destruction by aliens, and negotiated to an exit as quickly as possible. The Pyramid works with Fuller, Kempston, AGF/Protek and Mikrogen joysticks and contains four keyboard options. It is produced for the 48K Spectrum by Fantasy Software and can be bought at W H Smith for £5.50.

Personal Computer News

Lasting Appeal 5/5

Playability 5/5

Use Of Machine 5/5

Overall Value 5/5

Bill Davies

Bob Chappell

Geof Wheelwight

Jim Ballard

Mike Gerrard

Simon Williams

PCN MICROPAEDIA VOL 21 PART 2 GAMES GALORE PCN stacks up the best games on the block for Spectrum Dragon Atari BBC As promised in our last issue, here is the second part of the games Micropaedia. If you didn't find something to suit your taste last week you'll probably have more luck this time around. The featured micros are the Spectrum, BBC Micro B, Dragon 32 and Atari. On the following 2 pages we present a selection for the Sinclair Spectrum - both for 16K and 48K machines. NAME: The Pyramid SYSTEM: 48K Spectrum PRICE: £5.50 PUBLISHER: Fantasy Software, [redacted] FORMAT: Cassette LANGUAGE: Machine code OTHER VERSIONS: None Every few months a game comes along which you know instantly is something special. For me the last was Manic Miner, and now comes The Pyramid. You start in the chamber which represents the peak of the pyramid, and the aim is to get through all 120 chambers and reach the base. You are Ziggy in your little ship. To appeal to everyone, the cassette wallet includes both a silly scenario owing something to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and a detailed explanation of the controls and purpose of the game. The Pyramid thoughtfully provides three different keyboard layouts and it will accommodate Fuller, Kempston, AGF/Protek or Mikrogen joysticks. Each chamber is filled with floating aliens, which you must avoid, and at the foot of the screen the letter 'A' indicates how many of these you must shoot with your laser in order to release the energised crystal. You need the crystal in order to unlock one of the sealed gates that leads to the next chamber, and the crystals change colour to indicate what state they are in. If white it will destroy any aliens it touches, but then it changes to yellow and contact with an alien will destroy it. You must then start shooting and dodging in order to release another crystal. In its final cyan state you can collect the crystal in your craft and deposit it in one of the two exits - and just to complicate matters the exits also change colour. You must drop enough crystals in them to change them to their lowest (magenta) level before they will open to allow your escape. The Pyramid is colourful and quick, well packaged and cheap, and should be an essential addition to any collection. Micropaedia Editor: Geof Wheelwright Design: Paul Clarkson Contributors: Jim Ballard, Bob Chappell, Bill Davies, Mike Gerrard and Simon Williams NEXT WEEK We begin a five-part series of detailed graphics techniques for the BBC Micro, the Acorn Electron, the Oric Atmos, the Oric-1, the Atari series of home computers, the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair Spectrum.

Crash

Use of Computer 85%

Graphics 82%

Playability 81%

Getting Started 78%

Addictive Qualities 83%

Value For Money 91%

Overall 83%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Fantasy Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £5.50 Language: Machine code Author: Bob Hamilton In essence The Pyramid is a simple game, as all good games should be. Your hero is Ziggy, who sits in a little bubble capsule equipped with a 'highly effective phased plasmic laser' with which he can atomise any of the 60 weird aliens that live inside the Pyramid. This structure consists of 120 chambers on 15 levels, 1 chamber on the top level, 2 on the second, three on the third - and so on. The object of the game is to reach the exit on level 15 in as short a time as possible. Each time the capsule touches an alien its shield power is depleted. When the shield has evaporated, Ziggy is vulnerable and will die it he runs into an alien. There are two exits from each chamber, protected by a force field. These are neutralised by crystals which drop from the top of the chamber after a certain number of aliens have been atomised. The crystals have three states - white, they destroy anything touched and deplete the capsule shield - yellow, they become vulnerable to destruction by aliens but are still too hot to pick up - and when blue they can be collected and used to neutralise the exit force field, although if the capsule is hit by an alien a crystal will still be destroyed. With each level the force fields require an extra crystal to neutralise them, so on level 3 it takes 3 crystals, level 4 needs 4 crystals - and so on. And basically, that's it. Scoring is done by giving you 9999 points when you enter a chamber and awarding what's left when you exit. Points over 30,000 are coded and may be sent to Fantasy for publishing in their top 1000 scores every 6 months. COMMENTS Control keys: 3 options - Q/A up/down, O/P left/right, bottom row fire; or - top row up, 2nd row down, A-G left, H-L right, bottom row fire; or - Z/SYMBOL SHIFT left/right, X/M up/down, C N fire. Joystick: Fuller, AGF, Protek, Kempston, Mikrogen Keyboard play: very responsive Use of colour: very good Graphics: excellent Sound: good Lives: 1 Screens: 120

A mammoth undertaking - The Pyramid.

Personal Computer GamesPCG Hit

Graphics 8/10

Sound 6/10

Ease Of Use 7/10

Originality 8/10

Lasting Interest 10/10

Overall 9/10

Chris Anderson 9/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K JOYSTICK: Optional CATEGORY: Arcade SUPPLIER: Fantasy PRICE: £5.50 This is one of a growing number of games which offers you remarkable value for money. Your task is to move a manned space-capsule down through a pyramid, which has 15 different levels. At each level you come under attack from a different type of alien - so it's 15 games in one. Actually it's more than that The authors have arranged that each time you descend a level you have a choice of two rooms to enter, each containing a different species of nasty. So you can come across different creatures every time you play - up to a total of 60 types. Quite enough to maintain your interest for a month or two.Or six. The game works like this: in each chamber you shoot up as many aliens as you can. When you've zapped a certain number, a crystal appears which you have to collect, and drop through a force-field. After you've done this a few times, the force-field is neutralised and you can pass through it into the next level. The faster you manage to complete a room the more points you get. The game plays very well. It features smooth graphics and all the aliens are nicely animated. For example, the first wave consists of dustbins with banging lids. Fantasy Software have tried to add to the game's attraction by including a numerical puzzle to be solved. At each level you may be given a number. If you put these clues together you're supposed to be able to work out what number is at the bottom level and hence discover the Meaning of Life. Fantasy have also built codes into the program to enable them to verify high-score claims. Every six months they plan to publish a list of the top thousand highest scores. So it all adds up to a game you could spend a great deal of time playing. I thoroughly recommend it.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 8/10

ULTIMATELY ENDLESS Most games for the 48K Spectrum boast that they will show you the answer to all your prayers, the answer to the ultimate question, and Pyramid is no different. The difference is that during the game you must play a cosmonaut who is seeking the real answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything, which was formerly thought to be 42. To do this you have been zapped into a pyramid of many levels and chambers. As you gain entry to each chamber you are one step closer to knowing the answer. All that stands in your way is the many creatures and objects which inhabit the dark corner of the pyramid. You must clear each chamber before you pass to the next and the speed at which you do so will make points. The more points and experience you amass the bigger your code will become. The code is the manufacturer's way of checking how far you have advanced in the game. If you send it to Fantasy Software you could be entered into its Hall of Fame. The code is displayed on the screen. The scope of the game will ensure that you will be playing it for months, if not years. There are 120 chambers on 15 levels and there are 60 types of aliens in those chambers. Most of the beasts defy description. Pyramid costs £5.50 and can be obtained from Fantasy Software, [redacted].

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

BEWARE THE KAMIKAZE SPIDERS... Take the plunge and explore the mysterious chambers of an unknown pyramid. While taking an early morning ride in your space capsule you find yourself hovering over the top of a pyramid. Suddenly you notice an entrance and, in a fit of madness, you decide to explore! But aliens lurking in the chambers of the pyramid don't take kindly to intruders. You will be set-upon by baddies of every conceivable shape and form, in eluding monstrous flapping bats and horrible spiders. Watch out as they try a kamikaze leap, killing themselves as they fly and jump onto you! The aim of Pyramid is to reach the inner sanctum and find the nature of the treasure and the name of the long-dead queen buried there. This isn't as easy as it sounds with 15 levels to the pyramid, up to 60 types of aliens to zap and 120 chambers to get through. To make your journey even harder, the inner sanctum can only be reached by one of many different routes. Pyramid is available from Gloucester-based Fantasy Software Ltd, formerly Quest Microsoftware, for the 48K Spectrum at £5.50.