Pioneer Trail

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 7/10

BLAST FROM THE PAST We continue our look back at classic ZX-81 programs. ZX Compendium Memory: 16K Price: £6.90 Lynchmob Memory: 16K Price: £4.95 Ephemeris Memory: 16K Price: £6.90 Airline Memory: 16K Price: £5 Autochef Memory: 16K Price: £5 Pioneer Trail Memory: 16K Price: £3.95 Ocean Trader Memory: 16K Price: £3.95 Galaxy Conflict Memory: 16K Price: £11.95 If you own a new ZX-81 and are wondering what you can do with it, Carnell Software might have the answer, a ZX Compendium of games ranging from the traditional to the completely alien. The two-cassette package contains six programs, two of which are adventures. The first, Alien intruder, displays graphically the advance of the spaceman-eating lifeform through the various levels of your starship as you load supplies frantically on to the shuttle craft which is your only means of escape. In Wumpus Adventure you track the fearsome and smelly Wumpus through a maze of caverns, swamps and pits. The game can be played by one to four players. The other programs on the cassettes are Numerology, Movie Mogul, Hieroglyphics and the ubiquitous Hangman. Of those, Hieroglyphics is the most interesting, a word game depicting a hieroglyphic message which must be deciphered before the intrepid explorer, Wullie Makeit, is buried alive. Another version of Hangman, gruesomely titled Lynchmob, is produced by Bridge Software and provides a graphic animated hanging sequence. The game can be played by up to six people while the computer acts as referee. Bridge Software still produces a number of 16K and 1K cassettes and one of the most popular is Ephemeris, an astrology program which provides comprehensive information on the sun, moon and planets, including local sidereal times, rising and setting times, distances from Earth and much more. There is a COPY option for the ZX printer, a necessity for astrologers. Bridge Software can be contacted at [redacted]. CCS has quietly been producing excellent strategy games for some time. Two of the earlier ones for the 16K ZX-81 are Airline and Autochef. In the former the aim is to take over British Airways - if the Government has not sold it in the meantime - while coping with a series of hazards such as staff disputes and PLO hijackings. Autochef simulates the business of managing a chain of fast food outlets and in the limited time available you must increase your £1 million pound capital to £25 million, overcoming setbacks and dealing with annual inflation. The distinctions between adventure, strategy and simulation games are often vague and open to publishers' interpretations. Occasionally software falls into all three categories. That is true of both Pioneer Trail and Ocean Trader from Quicksilva, though both are advertised as adventure games. In Pioneer Trail you set out with your family to conquer the untamed west in a covered wagon drawn by two decrepit horses, and with only $700 with which to buy supplies. The program combines adventure and arcade graphics and the hazards to be faced range from patchy fog to Apache Indians. Contemporary with that is Ocean Trader, set on the high seas in the 19th century and featuring pirates, sea mists and freak storms. An interesting development in software is that of computer-moderated board games and it is surprising that few publishers have recognised the potential in that market. Martech has produced Galaxy Conflict for the 16K ZX-81, which comprises game board, counters, markers and program. The two players build and maintain battle fleets of Eoncruisers and fight for the supremacy of the galaxy. Galaxy Conflict can be obtained from Martech Games, [redacted]. Another war strategy game, Conflict, is also available.

ZX Computing

Nick Pearce

THE '81 SOFT SELECTION Nick Pearce casts his eyes over the latest software packages for the ZX81. OCEAN TRADER AND PIONEER TRAIL Ocean Trader is a role playing adventure game set in the nineteenth century in which as captain and owner of a 130 ton sailing barque, your aim is to make a profit of £0.5m and retire. To do this you buy and sell coal, whisky and other cargos, sailing from port to port looking for a good price for them. Hazards abound and during the voyages you will encounter pirates, severe storms and overzealous insurance agents, to name a few. You make money by virtue of the varying prices in each of the five ports, but it is a slow and frustrating process just breaking even - never mind that elusive £500,000 profit you are after. You can lose half a valuable cargo in a severe storm, and if you cannot meet your insurance bills your ship can be impounded! Your home port is Swansea. A finance company here will loan you money if you require (you certainly will!) but beware, interest increases by 12.5% each time you sail from port and there is a limit of £25,000. The game is in two parts. The first comprises comprehensive on screen instructions; the main game is loaded separately. This format enables the full 16K to be used for the game itself, but does have the penalty of extended LOADing times. The graphics accompanying the on-screen instructions are particularly impressive. Ocean Trader is a well thought out and enjoyable game. You will need to be a quick witted trader, and have luck on your side, to earn a rich retirement. Pioneer Trail is set in 1847 when your family joins the trail to Oregon. You have 40 weeks to travel the 2,000 miles. Your assets consist of two tired old horses and $700 to spend on supplies; not a very auspicious beginning. You test your rifles before embarking on the trail, this is done by typing the changing letter or number on a moving target. You will need to be a good, and lucky, shot if you are to overcome the dangers of the trek. From then on you move along the trail towards your destination. You have the opportunity to stock up at forts along the way (finances permitting), and hunt for food. Dangers are encountered frequently and include hostile travellers, outlaws, rattlesnakes, severe weather and more. You can select one of 20 levels of play from beginner to experienced pioneer. Limited use is made of graphics during the game. Instructions are displayed onscreen at the start. The incorporation of an interactive element can add a touch of excitement to adventures, but I must admit that I found 'shooting' the target on Pioneer Trail rather uninspiring; success appeared to depend more on chance than reaction time or skill. Nevertheless, an entertaining game. Ocean Trader and Pioneer Trait cost £3.95 each from Quicksilva, [redacted].

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].