The King

Your Sinclair

Max Phillips

Max Phillips tangles with TechniQL from Talent, takes on two new games and puts in for a transfer with Archive... FAX BOX Title: The King Publisher: Microdeal Phone: [redacted] Price: £19.95 Reviewer: Max Phillips Trapped in a time-warp, Microdeal has launched an arcade-clone so old I'm not sure I can remember what it used to be called. Donkey Kong rings a bell but I'm sure there were no donkeys in it. Anyway, it's barrels of fun (as they always say on the inlay cards of these games). You get a pixel-for-pixel reproduction with four screens of cheerful and chunky graphics. The animation's okay, the sound a bit indifferent, the keyboard controls are horribly sticky and the going is definitely hard. In its favour is a practice mode with 12 lives so you get a good chance to work out each screen before playing the real thing with a meager three. Okay if you're hooked with a capital H. Otherwise you'll be left making an ass of yourself, going ape-fit and stamping your feet three times every so often...

Sinclair User

Overall 2/5

John Gilbert 2/5

Beauty and the Beast is always a good bet for a storyline, but I fail to see why Microdeal has resurrected that Metazoic megalith, Donkey Kong. It involves a lot of scaffolding. The monkey's at the top with the girl, and you're at the bottom - not an ideal situation. Climb up the ladders while Kong throws barrels at you. If you reach the first level snatch the hammer and start to smash the barrels. Eventually the hammer disappears and you'll have to resort to jumping again. Some of the barrels you leap over reach the ground where a furnace turns them into fiery things which creep back up to get you. Climb up the half ladders to avoid them and, when you reach the halfway mark, jump for another hammer. There are four levels in the game. The second involves conveyor belts and barrels, the third adds mysterious looking objects called Jacks - balls to you - and pins. Not much more to say really, except the game is extremely boring, graphically inept for a QL game, and a cop-out for the software house concerned. Microdeal has never come up with anything spectacular or innovative, so perhaps we shouldn't expect too much of them.

ZX Computing

David Nowotnik

QL SOFTWARE David Nowotnik takes a look at what's new on the QL software scene including two new graphic packages. MONKEY BUSINESS Despite all the uncertainty over the future of the QL, it is reassuring to see new good quality software still appearing for this micro. The Cornwall firm of Microdeal have recently launched two new titles, 'The King' and 'Aquanaut 471' for the QL. Both are priced £19.95, and both will appeal to quite different sections of the games market. The King is simply another version (although the first for the QL) of the game otherwise known as Donkey Kong. This good reproduction of the arcade classic has the player trying to rescue the fair maiden from that evil giant gorilla, King Kong. On screen one, the King is rolling barrels from the top of the screen, down ramps at our hero, who has to avoid these hazards (and fire) in making his way to the top to release the damsel in distress. For extra points, the hero can smash the barrels as they fall with hammers, but must otherwise avoid death by dodging or jumping over the barrels as they tumble to the ground. The reward for success is a further three screens, with variations on the same theme, and other deadly hazards to be overcome by our hero. As always, the object is to score as much-as possible within three lives. There is a 12 life option to practice the game, and a 1/2 player option if two heroes are competing to save the girl. At any other time, one might question why a past favourite should be resurrected for a quality micro like the QL. The quality of graphics are well below the QL's capabilities. But arcade game enthusiasts, starved of material for the QL and, no doubt, worried about the future, will certainly welcome the arrival of 'The King'. UNDERWATER ADVENTURE Adventurers, also short of QL material, will be warmed by the arrival of Aquanaut 471. This offering is a mixture of fairly standard text adventure injected with a little arcade action. Based in the 21st century, the object is to guide Aquanaut 471 of the Oceanic Federation to the undersea research station of Trident Dome, which is in trouble. Why this senior officer hasn't got a map explaining how to get there, goodness only knows, but you have to guide him by trial and error with the usual north, south, east and west directions. The journey can take place on the surface of the sea, or underwater. Despite being the 21st century, the submarine appears incapable of detecting anything under the surface while travelling on the surface. So, underwater travel is essential to find where you are going, but beware of getting trapped, and running out of air! For light relief, the game incorporates three arcade action situations. Sound and graphics quality are reasonably good in these sections, and the games are fun to play. The manual recommends that you make a map to help you as you go along, as some mazes are rather complex. For those who get really stuck (like the reviewer!) Microdeal offer two help sheets for an extra £1 each.