Zaxxan

Crash

Overall 74%

Producer: Slarzone, 48K £5.50 (1) Author: N Mardon With a change of one letter, the game everyone has wanted to get their hands on has reached the Spectrum at last and caused a stir at the 9th ZX Microfair where it was to be seen on the Crash Micro stand for the first time. The compiled machine code graphics are surprisingly smooth, considering how much detail has to keep scrolling diagonally across the screen. The object is to take your attack fighter through the increasingly dense defences and destroy the Zaxxan fort. Features gun emplacements, fuel dumps, enemy aircraft, laser beams and walls with force fields - and of course the shadow of your fighter on the floor. Colour is well used and the sound is fairly good. Good control keys and Kempston joystick. Good value for money, addictive to play and a must for 'Zaxxon' fans. Overall CRASH rating 74% M/C.

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C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Getting Started 7/10

Graphics 4/10

Value 3/10

Playability 3/10

FLYING FORTRESS FAILS With the many hundreds of games now available for the Spectrum almost every arcade game that ever saw the light of day has been converted for use on the Sinclair machine. One exception to this though - is Sega's graphically superb game - Zaxxon. It is probably because of its exemplary 3D-style graphics that the software houses have, so far, shied away from trying to recreate the beautiful floating blue fortress. Now a new software house, Starzone, has been brave enough to make an attempt and they ought to be congratulated for taking on such an adventurous project. That is where the congratulations have to end as the final product is far from satisfactory. The ship is a crude graphics block and moves in jerks - none of the smooth scrolling graphics of the arcade game or other conversions for other home systems. The missiles are dreadfully slow taking several seconds to move across screen and connect with the target. The lack of speed also makes it too difficult to fly over obstacles - which is intentionally difficult in the real game - but annoyingly so in this version. The ground-to-air missiles - which were such an impressive feature of the arcade game are also crude - Pike pipes coming out of the ground. Sound effects are also poor an odd clicking sound as the missiles move at a snails pace across the screen, Anyone who has ever seen arcade Zazzon knows what a superb game it is - unfortunately this home version does not reproduce the feel of the game, or come close to its excellent graphics. Available at £5.50 from Starzone of Wantage.

Crash

Overall 74%

Producer: Slarzone, 48K £5.50 (1) Author: N Mardon With a change of one letter, the game everyone has wanted to get their hands on has reached the Spectrum at last and caused a stir at the 9th ZX Microfair where it was to be seen on the Crash Micro stand for the first time. The compiled machine code graphics are surprisingly smooth, considering how much detail has to keep scrolling diagonally across the screen. The object is to take your attack fighter through the increasingly dense defences and destroy the Zaxxan fort. Features gun emplacements, fuel dumps, enemy aircraft, laser beams and walls with force fields - and of course the shadow of your fighter on the floor. Colour is well used and the sound is fairly good. Good control keys and Kempston joystick. Good value for money, addictive to play and a must for 'Zaxxon' fans. Overall CRASH rating 74% M/C.

Crash

Use of Computer 80%

Graphics 77%

Playability 68%

Getting Started 68%

Addictive Qualities 70%

Value For Money 80%

Overall 74%

Unknown

Unknown

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Producer: Starzone Memory Required: 48K Recommended Retail Price: £5.50 Language: machine code Author: N Mardon Probably the most talked about arcade game of the year has been Zaxxon, the complex scramble type game with amazing 3D graphics. Its cult following has probably been helped along by its scarcity. Of course there are favourable versions available for Atari (very good in fact), but it has been a cherished dream of Spectrum software houses to have a go. So it's only fair to say at the outset that this version - the first of its kind for the Spectrum, is much simpler looking and moving than the arcade or Atari version. But it's pretty good anyway. For a start off Starzone haven't been frightened of reproducing the three quarter angle view in blocky 3D; the shadow is there, and so are the features of the arcade original. Your basic objective is to take your attack fighter through the formidable defences of the Zaxxan fort and destroy it. These include numerous gun emplacements, fighter aircraft, laser force fields and walls of varying heights. As the walls approach you must fire your guns - the explosions give you the best indication of your flying height. Fuel runs out rapidly and is replenished, as in scramble games, by shooting up fuel dumps. COMMENTS Keyboard positions: good Joystick options: Kempston Keyboard play: responsive, but character movement makes it a little hard to judge accurately Use of colour: very good Graphics: nicely drawn and detailed, but jerky movement Sound: fairly good Lives: 5

A first for the Spectrum, Star Zone's ZAXXAN.