Stormbringer

Sinclair User

Overall 9/10

Graham Taylor 9/10

Label: Mastertronic Author: David Jones Price: £2.99 Memory: 128K-only Joystick: various Reviewer: Graham Taylor This is the 128K version of the original Stormbringer, which completed David Jones' trilogy of Magic Knight Adventures. It retains all the features of the original including the Windimation option to select system (loads of menus, basically) and zillions of objects to collect some of which are completely useless. For full details of the game check out SU Feb page 88. This new 128K version has a slightly enhanced version of Windimation - which means flipping between all the different window options is made easier and quicker - and a really nifty sound track. In fact the soundtrack adds quite a lot to the game. We liked it well enough on 48K and the fact that this is the same price and includes extra features definitely ups it rating. A must for 128K owner.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)C+VG Hit

Graphics 9/10

Sound 8/10

Value 10/10

Playability 10/10

Paul Boughton

MACHINES: Spectrum/CBM 64/Amstrad/MSX SUPPLIER: Mastertronic PRICE: £2.99 This review originally consisted of just four words: "Go and buy Stormbringer." That's all there is to it really. But a large expanse of white space looks a bit odd. Stormbringer is the final game in David Jones' wonderful series of Magic Knight games. Remember Spellbound and Knight Tyme? At the end of Knight Tyme Magic Knight had encountered a problem or two with an unreliable time machine while trying to get back to his own era. He was split into two people. Now there's Magic Knight and the Off-White Knight, or as he is also known, Stormbringer. Stormbronger is the opposite of good. That means he's bad. Very bad. He gets his name from the very powerful storm cloud he can conjour up and with which he intends to destroy the good guy. You can't destroy Stormbringer because that would mean you would destroy yourself. Clever, eh? What you have to do is merge with him. Once again David has used what he calls Windimation as a means of giving the player command choices. That means a series of windows open on the screen, each with its own information, commands etc. It's the same system he used in the other two games to great effect. Magic Knight is controlled by joystick as usual. He moves back and forth against a series of backgrounds (great graphics). Picking up objects talking to characters and avoiding this annoying little cloud which zaps a harmful lightning bolt at you. There are 56 locations to explore on the 48K version and 64 on the 128K version. If you played any of the previous games you'll need no urging to go and buy Stormbringer. It's got great graphics, sound, fiendish problems and great game play. And at £2.99 you can afford not to miss out. This is how all budget games should be.

Crash

Presentation 82%

Graphics 82%

Playability 89%

Addictive Qualities 80%

Overall 86%

Mark Rothwell

Nick Roberts

Robin Candy

Producer: M.A.D. Retail Price: £2.99 Author: David Jones While the Magic Knight is using a time machine without a valid guarantee which he acquired in Knight Tyme, his bad alter ego - the Off White Knight, or Stormbringer - splits from him. And to return to normality the Magic Knight must merge again with his other half... In this flick-screen adventure-style game the Magic Knight moves through 56 locations in a world peopled by the hindering or helpful characters of Aramis, Robin, Reggie, Rachel, Barker, Organon and Grunter. Their characteristics and abilities - magic and strength levels, happiness and skills - can be called up to help the Magic Knight on his way. Old MK can also keep himself going by taking a drink or acquiring beneficial objects. He's a multitalented knight - he can pick up, drop, take, give, read, smell, drink and throw the objects he finds on his travels, and carry up to five at a time. These include an advert, gadget X, a bottle of liquid, silver and golden eggs, and disguises. Each object can be examined, with an onscreen display giving an item's weight, readability, wearability or blowability - but the Magic Knight loses them once he's used them. He can also cast spells to melt granite, or to allow him to travel quickly to other characters. And to get past hostile creatures he can don a disguise - from wizard to chambermaid - and command another character to sleep, go away, or be happy. But be warned - not all these commands are obeyed, and sometimes this fighting man doesn't have the spell-power or wisdom to achieve what he wants. And should our do-gooding hero run out of strength, or be hit by too many lightning bolts hurled down by Stormbringer (concealed in a cloud above), it's good night, good Knight. This is Magic Knight's fourth adventure; he first appeared in Finders Keepers (CRASH Issue 13, February 1985) and went on to earn CRASH Smashes for Spellbound (Issue 24, Christmas 1985) and Knight Tyme (the first ever 128 Smash - Issue 29, June 1986). COMMENTS Control keys: definable, or preset: A for up/Jump, N/M left/right, SPACE to fire Joystick: Kempston, Interface 2, Cursor Use of colour: as bright and jolly as ever Graphics: great visual imagination in the characters, and special treat for 128 owners - 'disguise' function allows you to alter the Magic Knight graphics Sound: good spot FX, great background tune by David Whittaker on 128 Skill levels: one Screens: 56 locations (48K), 64 locations (128K)

An example of the large and imaginative characters from David Jones's Stormbringer.

Windivision returns in Magic Knight's latest adventure, giving great flexibility in play.

Your SinclairYour Sinclair Megagame

Graphics 9/10

Playability 9/10

Value For Money 9/10

Addictiveness 9/10

Overall 9/10

Phil South 9/10

FAX BOX Game: Stormbringer Publisher: MAD Price: £2.99 Reviewer: Phil South MAD's Magic Knight completed his task in the future. Now he's on his way home to face his worst enemy... himself! Strombringer's the result - Phil South referees! Returning home from the Starship USS Pisces in the 25th Century, Magic Knight finds that his quiet village of Cornhamp-On-Marsh has been conquered by the Off-White Knight, also known as The Stormbringer. It may be a coincidence, but this evil knight bears a striking resemblance to Magic Knight... which is hardly surprising, 'cos they're two halves of the same person! Off-White is the evil side of Magic Knight's own personality. Somehow, these two guys have got to get together... This is the fourth 'Windimation' arcade adventure from M.A.D. Games (MAD), the previous three being Finders Keepers, Spellbound and Knight Tyme. The format in Stomtbringer is almost identical to its forerunners, but the punks are much more tricky - the game was specially mitten with the 128K/+2 machines in mind. The map is huge, with 64 rooms, 64 objects, 16 characters and a range of disguises for Magic Knight to wear to help him blag his way into Off-White's Castle. You begin the game by materialising beside a mighty sword embedded in a slab of concrete. Could this be a clue? Well, it could be, but I don't think it is. Nice graphic though. Innit? As in the previous games, you must wander through the adventure picking up objects and manipulating them to the best advantage, using the pull-down menus activated by pressing Fire. You must also convene with, and try to pinch objects from, the various non-player characters - the game can't be finished without their help, as they carry many crucial objects in their fluffy little pockets. For example, you have to find a newspaper advert so that you can find out which disguise you must use as you take on the appearance of the job applicant! To get this, you have to find some kind of currency, and buy the paper from the right character. This is the sort of problem you face in Stormbringer, and that one was just a minor one! Wait till you get around to the problem of killing the 20 foot tall Grunter The Bearwolf, who guards the case. Then the word complex takes on a whole new meaning. The way to merge with your other half is to first stun him with something. and then, provided you have enough magic power, cast a Dimension Merge spell. This is very tricky, mostly because at first its hard to move anywhere in the game before your energy runs out. But you'll soon work out how to stop this happening (the key lies with one of the characters you'll meet). But careful (spot the clue), you might not see the wood for the trees. (Ho ho). Stormbringer is a first class game, and far from being 'just another one' in the Magic Knight series. It could very possibly be the best one! The problems are quite hard, but then that only makes the solving of them all the more satisfying. The game features the same cheeky graphics as before, with a bit of 'tweaking' here and there - well, that's what David Jones tells me, anyway. So if you want a graphic arcade adventure with a bit of bite, then shell out three quid for Stormbringer... it's absolutely fabulous value for money!

Here's a close-up of the photo you'll find lying around in the forest. It gives you a super overview of the scene - Grunter the Bearwolf is visible in the bottom left, the Cloud's overhead, and the Castle has Off-White Knight's Time Machine anchored to its ramparts. (Ouch, that smarts!)

When you get the mirror, obtained from a character in the game (let's not spoil the fun, eh?) you can see everything you're carrying. More importantly, you can see how much strength you have left on the bar to the left. Buk, buk, buk, buk, buk - ARRK! Hey, it's a chicken. But this ain't any old chicken, my little armour plated friend. Nope, it's the chicken that laid the golden eggs... and bronze and silver too! What? It's a goose? Nah, can't be! Oh shoot! Look at all those bombs. You'd better complete your tasks before Off-White gets to that lever in the centre, or he'll send his lot of bombs showering over your peaceful little village! (The scoundrel!) Here's a Magic Talisman. THis is one of the things you can wear, and wear it you must in order to unleash its magic powers. The other benefit of wearing something is that it takes it out of your pocket, and since you only have room for five things, this can't help but be a Good Thing. Here's the bomb bay lever. Don't pull it at all costs, because if you do the bombs will rain down on your kingdom.. but more importantly, you'll fall out and plummet from a great height to your death. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh... These two items are the only things that Magic Knight has on him when he starts the game. Gadget X is a method of altering the game parameters such as define keys and loading and saving games. The other thing is an advert which, although it seems useless, is very good to stand on!

Read it at Your Sinclair Rock'n'Roll Years

Sinclair User

Overall 4/5

Jim Douglas 4/5

Label: Mastertronic Author: Dave Jones Price: £2.99 Joystick: various Memory: 48K/128K Reviewer: Jim Douglas Stormbringer concludes the extraordinarily successful Magic Knight series of games. Following in the footsteps of its fore-runners, Finders Keepers, Spellbound and Knight Tyme, this final part presents Magic Knight (you) with a decidedly ticklish situation. The Off-White Knight, a mysterious no-gooder from distant lands, is hell-bent on taking over any piece of real-estate that isn't staunchly defended. In the time when our hero was off being thoroughly heroic in other places, OWK beamed himself down to his castle and promptly took control. Your goal, then, is to oust this wretched imposter and reclaim your pad. Stormbringer is a splendid mish-mash of all the elements that have been employed in various arcade-adventures (horrible term) over the past year or so. The large figure of White Knight glides along the screens (there are 64) running and jumping in fine Manic Miner fashion. Objects and other commands are handled through the abundance of menus. High-lighting options with the joystick and cursor, and selecting them by hitting Fire. The first object that you'll come across (you're carrying it, in fact) is Gadget X. This is a utility item, allowing you to Save and Load games to/from tape. Attribute problems, while still present can be tailored - a bit - by using another option. Magic Knight will either carry around a little block of colour, thus changing the colour of the background or he will pick up colours from the background. It's just a matter of choosing which you prefer. Before you can get anywhere near ousting OWK from his position, you'll have to work out how to get back into your castle. Lots of things spring to mind. Of course, one solution is correct. Disguises are easily the most exciting objects around. They will instantly transform you into another character. Very convincing. Very useful. Objects, which number sixty-four are also very seldom what they appear to be. Many do things, become things or react with things in unexpected manner. Stormbringer has fast graphics, a large array of rooms and many things to do. Some of the monsters are completely enormous, and though there isn't a disproportionate degree of originality, it's quite good fun. And as you'd expect it's all very slickly done.