3D Bat Attack

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 6/10

Richard Price 6/10

Memory: 48K Spectrum Price: £6.95 Joystick: Sinclair Welcome to Transylvania. The dubious delights of the vampire's tower await you in 3D Bat Attack, by Cheetahsoft. The tower is built in four levels, each connected to the others by a lift. Play begins on the lowest level and the foolhardy explorer must collect the gold blocks on the passage floors. Heads of garlic are also scattered round the place and must be eaten to provide some protection against the four vampire bats which squeak about the maze seeking a quick snack of your Type O. A map and radar are provided to show the position of both adventurer and bats, and there are ten levels of difficulty available. The keyboard movement takes a Little getting used to as the cursor keys are doubled up - using Capshift - to enable the player to rotate as well as move. The rotate facility can be confusing but the map shows the whole floor, including the location of the garlic. The graphics are competent and clear and there are comprehensive instructions.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 4/10

Sound 2/10

Originality 3/10

Lasting Interest 2/10

Overall 3/10

Chris Anderson 3/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K CONTROL: Keys, Sinc FROM: Cheetah Soft, £6.95 The cassette inlay says Bat Attack is 'the first of a series of tapes which are more realistic and more challenging than the games you've been playing so far.' You'd be batty to believe it. Admittedly, the first few seconds are impressive, as the title looms toward you and tilts itself upright. But what follows is simply another rendering of a well-tried theme: the 3D maze game. The scenario is that you're inside Dracula's castle to collect the gold bars which litter the floor. But your attempts at burglary are put in jeopardy by a collection of bats, against whom you can only protect yourself by means of cloves of garlic. What actually happens is that you are given a simple 3D view of the corridor in which you are standing, revealing exits to right and left, and any gold or garlic which may be lying on the floor. You can move in any direction, or rotate to see what lies to your left, right and rear. You can also get an overview of the entire maze to see how many gold bars you've collected. A separate 'radar' continually indicates the position of the bats as they close in on you. But although this is all competently done, you may be disappointed by the complete lack of animation. When you move, the screen simply switches directly to the new position. And the bats themselves - when you see them, just get larger as they approach - no flapping wings or drooling mouths. Those who lack Sinclair's Interface 2 may also take exception to having to use the cursor keys for control - plus Caps Shift when you want to rotate. There are a total of four mazes, linked by a lift. The bats become increasingly aggressive as you progress through each successive maze. But you, I fear, may become increasingly bored.

Your Spectrum

Frank Pelling MISS

Ian Hemmingway HIT

Phil Morse MISS

JOYSTICK JURY Your Spectrum is on the lookout for clubs to take part in Joystick Jury. Interested??? Just drop a line to Ron Smith, Joystick Jury, Your Spectrum, [redacted]. This month's joystick jurors are all members of the Stevenage Computer Club, [redacted]. They are: Ian Hemmingway, Phil Morse, Frank Pelling, Owen Pugh and Monty Trent. The club was formed about 18 months ago and currently has a membership of about 45, with members' ages ranging from eight to 70 years. It meets twice a month - at the Stevenage Library and the Leisure Centre. Membership costs £6 per year... half price for children and OAPs. For more details, phone Frank Pelling on [redacted] (evenings and weekends). 3D BAT ATTACK Cheetah Soft £6.95 Trapped inside a 3D maze, trying to gather up gold blocks, your task is to fight your way along to the next level.

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Crash

Use of Computer 54%

Graphics 55%

Playability 43%

Getting Started 63%

Addictive Qualities 45%

Originality 48%

Value For Money 48%

Overall 51%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Cheetah Soft Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £6.95 Language: BASIC and Machine code Author: Mark Jones To emphasise its 3Deeness. Bat Attack has the '3D' at the end of loading, seen lying flat on the 'ground' some way off in full perspective. The characters then come closer as you 'walk' towards them, rearing upright when you get close. This is a three-dimensional game in which you are incarcerated in a tower with four floors. There is a lift between the floors and you can go to any one you wish, although each time you use the lift the bats which inhabit the floors of the tower will become more vicious. The floors of the tower maze are lined with gold blocks which you must collect. You have no armament against the bat attacks, but at intervals on each floor there are cloves of garlic which may be eaten by running over them. This will give you immunity for 20 seconds only. It a bat attacks you after garlic has been eaten, it will stun but not kill the bat. The corridors of the maze are drawn in perspective with green lines, uprights indicating the length of one step. The gold blocks on the floor are solid yellow rectangles, and the resulting scene resembles a modern open plan office with desks in straight lines and dividing partitions. Below the visual display there is a radar showing your position and that of the four bats. A map display of the maze, gold blocks and lift is also available at a key press. On this large map you can see the bats flitting about quite well. Below the display there is a direction indication arrow. If you are hit by a blood sucking bat, a large crack appears over the screen and may take you by surprise if it came from behind. If it attacks from in front, you will see it approaching. COMMENTS Control keys: cursors, CAPS and 0 to view maze Joystick: ZX 2, Protek, AGF Keyboard play: a little confusing at times, and no immediate response from the keys Use of colour: fair to average Graphics: average, reasonable 3D effects Sound: poor Skill levels: 11 with between 1 and 4 bats selectable Lives: 3 Screens: 4 Originality: 3D maze games are hardly new - depends on how much one has to offer in new ideas...

Gold blocks and garlic in Bat Attack. Remember - a clove a day keeps the bats away.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

THIS WILL DRIVE YOU BATTY! A brand new company, Cheetahsoft, has launched two new titles for the ZX Spectrum. The first is a rather novel three dimensional maze game called 3D Bat Attack. The program places you inside a maze where you must gather up the blocks of gold that have been littered around the passageways. The whole time a pack of vicious and bloodthirsty vampires are trying to track you down in a corner of the maze. The second is a strategy war game set in Europe. In Conquest you play the part of a power-hungry emperor of a small Mediterranean country, hell bent on ruling the entire continent. Your aim is to gain a hundred squares of territory as quickly as possible. Other rulers and underground guerrillas battle relentlessly to murder you and bring your empire to its knees. Plagues and civil wars occur with frightening regularity. Only the toughest and most ruthless player can hope to win. 3D Bat Attack and Conquest are available from Cheetahsoft for the 48K Spectrum in early June and cost £6.95 each.