Scramble

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 6/10

Sound 6/10

Ease Of Use 6/10

Lasting Interest 6/10

Overall 6/10

Peter Connor 6/10

CAVERN CARNAGE Test-pilot Peter Connor dons flying jacket and goggles for high-adrenaline action for the Spectrum, Dragom, Commodore, Vic 20, Atari, ZX81 and BBC. It was one of those idyllic summer days in the heart of the English countryside. The sun shone brightly through the strong tall oaks casting a dappled light o the grass where Ginger, Pongo and I sat in deckchairs, calmly smoking our pipes and discussing the cricket season. Bliss. Suddenly the air was torn by the shrieking of sirens. Pongo dropped his pipe and burnt a hole in his new high-altitude trousers. Ginger's handlebar moustaches sprang to attention. I quickly drained the last of my tea-with-no-milk-thank-you-and-just-one-sugar. We all knew what it meant. 'SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE!' blared the tannoy as we raced to our ships. I leapt into the cockpit and ignited the rockets, my heart pounding. I was scared, I'll admit. Too many good men had never returned from missions like this. "Five stages.' they'd warned us in training. 'beginning with the mountains'. And there before me, rising almost vertically from the ground, was a huge mass of rock. I slammed on the retrorockets and pulled my joystick back, avoiding impalement on the peak by a hair's breadth. My sigh of relief was cut short as a flurry of missiles sped up at me from the valley. Instinctively I released bombs and fired my lasers, destroying some and dodging the others. DANGEROUSLY LOW A glance at the instrument panel told me I was running dangerously low on fuel. The only way to get more was to dive, hug the ground and bomb the fuel dumps scattered along my course. Swooping, climbing and firing like this I made good progress. keeping my fuel up and the missiles down. I felt good, almost confident. I was just reaching down for a fruit gum when I saw something that made my whole body stiffen with fear. Gaping in front of me were the jaws of a huge cavern, waiting to swallow me up like a hungry monster. In the belly of this beast were dozens of saucer-shaped UFOs bouncing up and down like madmen on trampolines. There was no time to think. I zoomed through the entrance and kept my finger on the trigger. Somehow I got through. Emerging from the cavern I found a massive swarm of meteorites flaming towards me. I fired the laser. Nothing. I dropped my bombs. Nothing. These meteorites were indestructible. Evasive action was the only way through. Then through the storm I saw a sheer wall rising in front of me and I threw the ship into a shuddering climb. Flashing clear of the skyscraper I found myself flying over missile silos embedded in roofs. Bombs away! At last - the maze. Skyscrapers below. Skyscrapers above. Just a narrow passage with 90 degree turns at dizzying speed. Mission completed. Proud, safe and tired I returned to base. Ginger and Pongo never came back. Why them? Why not me? Because I had spent hours training on simulations of this terrible mission on my large selection of home computers. Anyone, whether he owns a ZX81 or a BBC, can do the same. Trainee pilots with Spectrums face quite a choice, the outstanding version being Cavern Fighter from Bug-byte (see Screen Test). But Melbourne House's Penetrator is certainly a good buy for the 48K machine. The graphics are very clear and consist mainly of lines. except for the twirling purple radar bases which signal your approach to enemy missiles. The rugged, yellow terrain of the beginning changes to a blue cavern with very steep inclines. Then come a series of skyscraper-like blocks followed by another cavern. SHATTERING This one has the hazard of "enemy paratroopers' bouncing up and down. They may look more like doggies' faces but the effect is shattering all the same. Eventually you get through to the enemy's 'neutron bomb store' and must attempt the dangerous return journey. Penetrator moves fast but the ship's controls are sensitive enough to cope with firing and manoeuvring at the same time. The sound, too, is surprisingly good in this version. Two features which will appeal to less resolute novices are a training facility which allows you to skip from phase to phase and a landscape-customising facility which allows you to get rid of the difficult bits. GAS-GUZZLER In contrast to Penetrator's lines Mikro-Gen's Scramble has solid graphics. In the first stages you fly over a pink landscape trying to avoid the missiles and Defender-style aliens while bombing the fuel dumps. You must be accurate since your ship is a real gas-guzzler and you could find yourself dropping very quickly from fuel loss. In the cavern you encounter the UFOs - green ovoids with, for some strange reason, black eyes. These are by no means the most fearsome obstacles to be found in Scrambles, and should not hold up your progress very long. The meteors in stage three, though, are more of a problem. These big yellow blobs with long tails come thick and fast, forcing you to do some fancy flying. The last stage is the fortress, a large purple block riddled with missile silos. Get through this and the mission is over. Although this version has hardly any sound its graphics are good and it presents the player with a real challenge. Here again, though, there is the temptation to take the easy way out as you can enter the game at any stage. C-Tech's Rocket Raider is the weakest of the three Spectrum versions on offer. The graphics are too chunky and the same landscape features are repeated too often, The movement is very jerky and your ship has an unpleasant way of squirting its bombs from the rear. Should you want to play Scramble on a green background you will have to buy a Dragon. Despite the predominance of the colour the two versions available are both quite satisfying. Microdeal's Skramble has all the usual features in five stages. On the whole the graphics are very pleasant, although there are some strange points, such as the UFOs in the cave which look like blue and white hamburgers and are very easy to shoot. The asteroids after this look like yellow tadpoles but are very hard to avoid. Getting fuel is easy as the bombs spurt out of the rocket's nose before falling at right angles. They also make a strange warbling noise. FINE JUDGEMENT Whirlybird Run from Dragon Data is of a similar standard. Here, instead of a rocket, you have a chopper which makes a good chugging noise. The graphics are again good with blue missiles surging up from yellow hills. In this version the UFOs appear before the cavern and, due to what must be a bug, are very easily destroyed; stay at the top left of the screen and blast them as they bounce off the roof. When you do get to the cavern the game gets pretty difficult. The gaps in what seem to be stalactites are very narrow and require fine judgement to be successfully negotiated. Although the firing in Whirlybird Run is more satisfactory because of the bombs more sensible trajectory there is not much to choose between these two Dragon versions. Terminal Software's program Super Skramble! for the Commodore 64 is a disappointment. The graphics are exceptionally smooth but they are also exceptionally slow and lacking in imagination. Your ship may, or may not, be a helicopter - it's hard to tell. You must bomb about every fuel dump or run out of juice. All the usual Scramble features are there (except the UFOs in the cavern) but they are not very interesting. The program also wastes the 64's sound facilities; it lacks volume and variety. Anirog's Skramble, also for the 64, is the better game, even if its graphics are a little jerky. Here you must pilot the ship through six zones, each with its own colour. You begin in the red zone over the rocky terrain and proceed to the blue cavern, in which the UFOs are disappointingly easy to blast. However, in the brown zone the fizzling fireballs are a problem for even the most accomplished of Commodore Commanders. Further stages follow the normal pattern, increasing in difficulty. THUNDERBOLT To find a good Scramble for the Vic 20 would be surprising enough, but to get one for the unexpanded machine is a thunderbolt from heaven. Artic's Scram-20 has graphics whose quality is almost worthy of the 64; sharp, colourful and amazingly smooth. If you get through the first stage of blue mountains you enter a green cavern with deadly red UFOs. Success at this stage leads you to purple rocks where you are attacked by the Zoids - they're only squiggly lines, but nasty nonetheless. Further stages are as usual with the prize of the enemy base at the end. The only drawback to this game is its speed; it's so fast it could take hours to get anywhere. A stop-go technique seems best. It's heavy on the joystick, but effective. Sumlock's Skramble, also for the unexpanded Vic, isn't really in the same class. Its graphics are rudimentary and very jerky - on fast forward the ship has a habit of momentarily disappearing, while the missiles often go straight through you. The English Software Company's Airstrike II for Atari computers is an excellent Scramble game with some novel points. The game has five sectors, but you can congratulate yourself if you get through the first after less than two hours play. Very near the opening mountain is a cavern with meteorites coming at you vertically rather than horizontally. After these is a series of gates opening and closing at random; you must wait till they are aligned and then blast your way through. Many times you will find yourself pranged by the rockets lurking deep in their silos just after the gates. INTRIGUING Airstrike II's further stages are similar to the standard ones, but all have something intriguing to offer. The graphics are excellent and beautifully smooth. And for an extra £4.95, you can get yourself some extra landscapes. But we mustn't forget in our survey the humble, the homely ZX81. It might seem ridiculous but Mikro-Gen produce a Scramble for the old favourite; and, given the limitations of the machine, it's very good. No sound, no colour, extremely limited graphics but it is recognizably Scramble. It's all there - the rugged terrain, the missiles, even the bonus of a smart bomb. For the ZX81, it's very good value. And so to the definitive micro Scramble - Acornsoft's Rocket Raid for the BBC. This is without doubt the best available version for the trainee pilot. Each of its five stages is the one other games have to be measured against. There can be few more nerve-racking experiences in computer games - no. In life! than a trip through Rocket Raid's cavern. Shrieking and oscillating wildly the green Phizzers seem to occupy all the available space between the cavern's red walls. You slam on the brakes, you climb, you dive, you blast away frantically. But it's no good; either the Phizzers get you or the walls smash you to pieces. Thank God this is only training, and you've got as many ships as you need, however many end as scrap. Eventually you learn the secret; you have to find the rhythm of the Cavern. Ride with Phizzers, relax, kill only when necessary and you'll get through. Remember - it's not about points, it's about getting through. Rocket Raid's superb vivid graphics, its high-decibel sound and its speed all make it, despite its age, still the best version of Scramble on a home computer. Prove you've beaten the odds on this one and you might get to be the first Briton on the moon. Game: Rocket Raid Price: £9.95 Machine: BBC Joystick: Optional Supplier: Acornsoft Graphics: 9/10 Sound: 9/10 Ease Of Use: 8/10 Lasting Interest: 9/10 Overall: 9/10 Game: Airstrike 2 Price: £9.95 Machine: Atari 400, 800, XL Joystick: Necessary Supplier: English Software Co Graphics: 8/10 Sound: 7/10 Ease Of Use: 7/10 Lasting Interest: 8/10 Overall: 8/10 Game: Scram-20 Price: £5.95 Machine: Vic 20 Joystick: Optional Supplier: Artic Graphics: 8/10 Sound: 6/10 Ease Of Use: 5/10 Lasting Interest: 7/10 Overall: 7/10 Game: Whirlybird Run Price: £12.95 Machine: Dragon 32 Joystick: Necessary Supplier: Dragon Data Graphics: 6/10 Sound: 6/10 Ease Of Use: 6/10 Lasting Interest: 6/10 Overall: 6/10 Game: Penetrator Price: £5.95 Machine: Spectrum 48K Joystick: No Supplier: Melbourne House Graphics: 8/10 Sound: 6/10 Ease Of Use: 7/10 Lasting Interest: 7/10 Overall: 7/10 Game: Skramble Price: £7.95 Machine: Vic 20 Joystick: Optional Supplier: Sumlock Graphics: 4/10 Sound: 4/10 Ease Of Use: 5/10 Lasting Interest: 5/10 Overall: 5/10 Game: Skramble Price: £7.95 Machine: Commodore 64 Joystick: Necessary Supplier: Anirog Graphics: 7/10 Sound: 6/10 Ease Of Use: 6/10 Lasting Interest: 6/10 Overall: 6/10 Game: Scramble Price: £3.95 Machine: ZX81 Joystick: No Supplier: Mikro-Gen Graphics: 6/10 Sound: None Ease Of Use: 6/10 Lasting Interest: 6/10 Overall: 6/10 Game: Skramble Price: £8.00 Machine: Dragon 32 Joystick: Optional Supplier: Microdeal Graphics: 6/10 Sound: 5/10 Ease Of Use: 5/10 Lasting Interest: 6/10 Overall: 5/10 Game: Super Skramble! Price: £9.95 Machine: Commodore 64 Joystick: Optional Supplier: Terminal Graphics: 5/10 Sound: 5/10 Ease Of Use: 5/10 Lasting Interest: 5/10 Overall: 5/10 Game: Scramble Price: £5.95 Machine: Spectrum 16/48K Joystick: No Supplier: Mikro-Gen Graphics: 6/10 Sound: 6/10 Ease Of Use: 6/10 Lasting Interest: 6/10 Overall: 6/10 Game: Rocket Raider Price: £5.95 Machine: Spectrum 16/48K Joystick: No Supplier: C-Tech Graphics: 4/10 Sound: 4/10 Ease Of Use: 4/10 Lasting Interest: 4/10 Overall: 4/10

Crash

Producer: Mikrogen, 16K £5.50 This is an enjoyable copy of the arcade original and a flexible program as you're given a 4-option menu (1 = missiles, 2 = UFOs, 3 = Meteors, 4= Fortress) which means you can leap from part to part as you choose, or fight your way through the correct sequence if you're a showoff. Three speeds with the graphics a bit shaky on fast. Usual lasers, bombs, fuel dumps, missiles with a neat 2-option on returning to the next life where you left off, or changing landscape each time. The meteors are too difficult to be enjoyable, and the sound isn't amazing. No joystick option and the keys are a bit of a handful (2 = down, 4 = up, 6 = brake, 7 = thrust, 0 = laser) and all lower row are bombs. All in all fun to play and good value.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Crash

Producer: Mikrogen, 16K £5.50 This is an enjoyable copy of the arcade original and a flexible program as you're given a 4-option menu (1 = missiles, 2 = UFOs, 3 = Meteors, 4= Fortress) which means you can leap from part to part as you choose, or fight your way through the correct sequence if you're a showoff. Three speeds with the graphics a bit shaky on fast. Usual lasers, bombs, fuel dumps, missiles with a neat 2-option on returning to the next life where you left off, or changing landscape each time. The meteors are too difficult to be enjoyable, and the sound isn't amazing. No joystick option and the keys are a bit of a handful (2 = down, 4 = up, 6 = brake, 7 = thrust, 0 = laser) and all lower row are bombs. All in all fun to play and good value.

Crash

Producer: Mikrogen, 16K £5.50 This is an enjoyable copy of the arcade original and a flexible program as you're given a 4-option menu (1 = missiles, 2 = UFOs, 3 = Meteors, 4= Fortress) which means you can leap from part to part as you choose, or fight your way through the correct sequence if you're a showoff. Three speeds with the graphics a bit shaky on fast. Usual lasers, bombs, fuel dumps, missiles with a neat 2-option on returning to the next life where you left off, or changing landscape each time. The meteors are too difficult to be enjoyable, and the sound isn't amazing. No joystick option and the keys are a bit of a handful (2 = down, 4 = up, 6 = brake, 7 = thrust, 0 = laser) and all lower row are bombs. All in all fun to play and good value.

Sinclair User

John Gilbert

ARCADES BROUGHT INTO THE HOME John Gilbert reviews more complex games. Almost every major type of arcade game has been simulated on Sinclair computers. There are also new games which have an arcade format but have evolved on a microcomputer. The Spectrum is an ideal machine on which to play arcade games. The quality of them has improved substantially since the launch of the machine. Some of the first arcade games to be produced for the Spectrum were versions of Space Invaders, the game which started the arcade craze. Spectral Invaders was the first to be announced by Bug-Byte, which was already renowned for its arcade and adventure games on the ZX-81. So far it is the game which most closely resembles the original arcade version. Although it is slow it is difficult to score points, as you can fire only one laser blast at a time. Another invaders game, Space Intruders, was launched at about the same time as Spectral Invaders. The game is much faster and is recommended for those who like to keep their fingers on the fire button and amass a big score. The only criticism is that the aliens and mothercraft are very small and the mothership is blue on a black background and so is very difficult to hit. Apart from that Space Intruders from Quicksilva is good value at £5.95. Namtir Raiders, for the ZX-81, is a space invaders game with a difference from Artic Computing. The player still has to face the hordes of aliens which come down the screen but the laser base can be moved up and down as well as left and right. The player has five laser bases during the game and they can take only five hits from alien bombs. There are three levels of difficulty-easy to impossible. The game, costing £3.95, is addictive and the graphics are neither awkward in design nor jerky in movement. The game which is gaining popularity with 48K Spectrum owners is Time Gate, from Quicksilva. The authors claim that it is the ultimate in 3D arcade space action. The game is loaded in two parts, the first being a lengthy instruction manual. After the manual has finished you can load the game. The object is to destroy a race of aliens called the Squarm who are trying to colonise Earth. The enemy fighters are also seen in 3D and so are the planets on which the player can land to refuel and repair the ship. It is by far the best arcade action game so far for the Spectrum and costs only £6.95. Asteroids is also becoming popular on Sinclair machines. One of the first companies to launch a version for the ZX-81 was Quicksilva. It was a good version on such a small machine and is still proving popular. Quicksilva has also introduced a Spectrum version called Meteor Storm. It has the added attraction of speech before play. It is difficult to hear the words but we are informed by the authors that it says "Meteor Alert... Meteor Alert...". Meteor Storm is a novel version of Asteroids and costs £5.95. Sinclair Research has a good game of asteroids, called Planetoids, in its new Spectrum Software library. The asteroids are in 3D and much careful design work on both the asteroids and the player's ship seems to have gone into the game. Planetoids costs £5.95. Artic Computing seems to be the only company to have produced a version of Galaxians for the ZX-81. ZX-Galaxians looks like Space Invaders but the invaders are 'V'-shaped and are supposed to be inter-galactic birds. The birds swoop from formation and bomb the player's laser base. ZX-Galaxian is slow in action but can still be a very addictive game. It costs £4.95. Defender is still a much-sought-after game in the arcades and Artic Computing took advantage of that early by producing a version for the ZX-81. The graphics are not particularly interesting and the spaceship which the player flies across the landscape is made up of a series of blocks which look only slightly like a ship. Despite those criticisms, the original idea behind the game is still there and the Artic version can be exciting, as you see the enemy ships rushing at you from the other side of the screen. With the arrival of the Spectrum, many manufacturers found an interest in the arcade game Scramble. The best and fastest version so far is from Mikro-Gen. In the game you have to go through caves which become smaller and smaller as it progresses. The game becomes progressively more difficult and can be run in slow, normal and fast modes. It costs £3.95. Silversoft has a Scramble-type game called Ground Attack. It works on the same principles as the Mikro-Gen game but is much slower. There is a good deal of blank screen between game rounds and the average waiting time between rounds is 15 seconds. Ground Attack costs £5.95. The range of arcade-type games on Sinclair machines is always increasing. Manufacturers seem to feel safe in producing standard arcade games such as Space Invaders and Scramble. Those games, especially for the Spectrum, are becoming more imaginative and the graphics and sound more impressive. Manufacturers have to be careful about copying ideas from other games but with the imagination of some of the firms in the Sinclair market, children and many adults will be kept happy with arcade-type games on the ZX-81 and Spectrum for a long time. Space Invaders games have now been overtaken by Pacman in popularity. Bug-Byte, [redacted]. Quicksilva, [redacted]. Artic Computing, [redacted]. Sinclair Research, [redacted]. Mikro-Gen, [redacted] RG12 2BK. Silversoft, [redacted].

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

BLAST THOSE TOUGH LITTLE INVADERS Two new shoot 'em up games are on offer from Mikro-Gen. Scramble is a version of the now famous scrolling arcade game where you have to fly over an uneven landscape, bombing fuel dumps and shooting down aliens, whilst dodging fireballs and ground to air missiles. Cosmic Raiders is a version of Defender, the toughest of all arcade games. You fly a ship over a planet's uneven terrain, protecting humanoids from the Landers and the Grabbers. Scramble and Cosmic Raiders run on the Spectrum in 16 or 48K and are available from the Bracknell firm at £5.50 plus 40p postage and packing.

Sinclair User

John Gilbert

SINCLAIR BRINGS THE THRILL OF THE ARCADE INTO YOUR HOME With the Spectrum, program writers have been able to write more complex games. John Gilbert investigates this new move. Almost every major type of arcade game has been simulated on Sinclair computers. There are also new games which have an arcade format but have evolved on a microcomputer. The Spectrum is an ideal machine on which to play arcade games. The quality of them has improved substantially since the launch of the machine. Some of the first arcade games to be produced for the Spectrum were versions of Space Invaders, the game which started the arcade craze. Spectral Invaders was the first to be announced by Bug-Byte, which was already renowned for its arcade and adventure games on the ZX-81. So far it is the game which most closely resembles the original arcade version. Although it is slow it is difficult to score points, as you can fire only one laser blast at a time. By the time the laser bolt has reached the place where you wanted it to go, the target invader has moved on. That means that a great deal of anticipation and skill is required. Graphically, the Bug Byte Invaders is the best, with rows of different-colour aliens crossing the screen and large motherships moving from one side of the screen to the other at random intervals. Spectral Invaders is well-presented and costs £5.95. Another invaders game, Space Intruders, was launched at about the same time as Spectral Invaders. The game is much faster and is recommended for those who like to keep their fingers on the fire button and amass a big score. The only criticism is that the aliens and mothercraft are very small and the mothership is blue on a black background and so is very difficult to hit. Apart from that Space Intruders from Quicksilva is good value at £5.95. Namtir Raiders, for the ZX-81, is a space invaders game from Artic Computing with a difference. The player still has to face the hordes of aliens which come down the screen but the laser base can be moved up and down as well as left and right. The greater movement permitted to the player is compensated by the hail of bombs dropped by the aliens and the size and power of alien ships. There are four waves of aliens and as the game progresses the ships get bigger until the giant mothership arrives. The player has five laser bases during the game and they can take only five hits from alien bombs. There are three levels of difficulty - easy to impossible. The game, costing £3.95, is addictive and the graphics are neither awkward in design nor jerky in movement. The game which is gaining popularity with 48K Spectrum owners is Time Gate, from Quicksilva. The authors claim that it is the ultimate in 3D arcade space action. The game is loaded in two parts, the first being a lengthy instruction manual. After the manual has finished you can load the game. The object is to destroy a race of aliens called the Squarm who are trying to colonise Earth. To do that the player must fight the enemy in space and go through time by locating a series of Time Gates to find the Squarm's base. The pleasant thing about the game is its graphics. The player is at the controls of a space fighter and look out into a 3D representation of space. The enemy fighters are also seen in 3D and so are the planets on which the player can land to refuel and repair the ship. It is by far the best arcade action game so far for the Spectrum and costs only £6.95. Asteroids is also becoming popular on Sinclair machines. One of the first companies to launch a version for the ZX-81 was Quicksilva. It was a good version on such a small machine and is still proving popular. Quicksilva has also introduced a Spectrum version called Meteor Storm. It has the added attraction of speech before play. It is difficult to hear the words but we are informed by the authors that it says "Meteor Alert... Meteor Alert...". Meteor Storm is a novel version of Asteroids and costs £5.95. Sinclair Research has a good game of asteroids, called Planetoids, in its new Spectrum Software library. The asteroids are in 3D and much careful design work on both the asteroids and the player's ship seems to have gone into the game. Planetoids costs £5.95. Artic Computing seems to be the only company to have produced a version of Galaxians for the ZX-81. ZX-Galaxians looks like Space Invaders but the invaders are 'V'-shaped and are supposed to be inter-galactic birds. The birds swoop from formation and bomb the player's laser base. ZX-Galaxian is slow in action but can still be a very addictive game. It costs £4.95. Defender is still a much-sought-after game in the arcades and Artic Computing took advantage of that early by producing a version for the ZX-81. The graphics are not particularly interesting and the spaceship which the player flies across the landscape is made up of a series of blocks which look only slightly like a ship. Despite those criticisms, the original idea behind the game is still there and the Artic version can be exciting, as you see the enemy ships rushing at you from the other side of the screen. Now that the Spectrum has arrived, many manufacturers have found an interest in the arcade game Scramble. The best and fastest version so far is from Mikro-Gen. In the game you have to go through caves which become smaller and smaller as it progresses. There are four sectors to the game, including Missiles, UFOs and Meteors. The player has to destroy the missiles which are fired from the ground at the players' ship, destroy UFOs with a laser blaster, and dodge the meteors. The game becomes progressively more difficult and can be run in slow, normal and fast modes. It costs £3.95. Silversoft has a Scramble-type game called Ground Attack. It works on the same principles as the Mikro-Gen game but is much slower. There is a good deal of blank screen between game rounds and the average waiting time between rounds is 15 seconds. Ground Attack costs £5.95. The range of arcade-type games on Sinclair machines is always increasing. Manufacturers seem to feel safe in producing standard arcade games such as Space Invaders and Scramble. Those games, especially for the Spectrum, are becoming more imaginative and the graphics and sound more impressive. Manufacturers have to be careful about copying ideas from other games but with the imagination of some of the firms in the Sinclair market, children and many adults will be kept happy with arcade-type games on the ZX-81 and Spectrum for a long time. Space Invaders games have now been overtaken by Pacman in popularity. A number of them have been produced for the ZX-81 and several companies are producing them for the Spectrum. It looks as if Pacman may provide the next boom in Sinclair software - but that is another story. Bug-Byte, [redacted]. Quicksilva, [redacted]. Artic Computing, [redacted]. Sinclair Research, [redacted]. Mikro-Gen, [redacted]. Silversoft, [redacted].

'With the imagination of some of the firms in the market, users will be kept happy with arcade games for a long time'

Sinclair User

SCRAMBLING FOR POINTS A fast and furious fight through the air is promised with the Mikro Gen Scramble, a better-than-average version of the popular arcade game. The game can be played in fast, normal or slow modes but it is better to play it in slow mode if you are a beginner with this kind of game. The game goes through four sectors in which missiles, UFOs, meteors and fortresses provide obstacles for your fighter aircraft as it shoots across the sky. The player is provided with weaponry of laser and smart bombs. Even they are not sufficient to deal with the missiles and UFOs. Scramble is available from Mikro Gen, [redacted] and costs £5.50 plus 50 pence p&p.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

BATTLE TO REACH THE FORTRESS Hover above the missiles and bomb the fuel dumps Sounds familiar - yes, you guessed it, its another version of the arcade winner - Scramble. This latest version on the Sinclair Spectrum in 16K or 48K and features four levels of play. First there are the ground-to-air missiles, followed by the spiraling UFOs, and then the fast and furious meteorites. If you survive this onslaught you can go on to attack the Fortress. If you successfully destroy the enemy fortress the game starts again at a new more difficult skill level. Scramble is the first Spectrum game from the Berkshire-based software house - Mikro-Gen. It costs £5.50 plus 40p postage and packing.