Zolyx

Your Sinclair

Graphics 2/10

Playability 4/10

Value For Money 6/10

Addictiveness 6/10

Overall 5/10

Tony Worrall 5/10

BUDGET BONANZA What we got? Loadsacheapies! And we got Tony Worrall to review 'em. Take it away, Wozza! ZOLYX Firebird £1.99 Reviewer: Tony Worrall What does Pete Cooke do in between coding classics such as Academy and Micronaught One? Well, for one thing he releases programs like Zolyx. As would be expected, Zolyx is perfectly presented and programmed. It even comes with a freebie 'cell generator' program contained in the game itself. But what is the game actually like? Well, it's something of a let down. Zolyx is basically a simple Qix clone, simple with a Capital 'S'. The object of the game is to fill at least 75 percent of the screen by creating sectioned off areas. You do this by moving your character along the edge of the screen, connecting the side walls of the play area as you go. Simple eh? Avoiding killer balls along the way. It's mildly addictive for a while, but oh, so boring to look at, so I would say playability is sadly limited. Still, not a disgrace for the dosh.

Sinclair User

Overall 8/10

Christina Erskine 8/10

Label: Firebird Author: Pete Cooke Price: £1.99 Memory: 48K/128K Joystick: various Reviewer: Christina Erskine Zolyx is a new version of an ancient game whose name I forget. On the screen is a rectangular grid. You control a ball, with which you must traverse the grid making shapes and filling up as much of the screen as possible. You'll be hampered by an increasing number of smaller balls which bounce inside the rectangle and kill you and your connecting lines if they hit an incomplete crossing; and a larger blob which chases you round the perimeter. In addition, if you try to make your connecting lines too long, a third ball comes up behind you to zap you. Claim over 75 per cent of the screen as 'yours' by boxing it in and you go to the next level exactly the same, but with an extra small ball boinging inside the grid. It's dead simple to get the hang of, not easy to become consistently good at, and is presented with utterly basic screen displays and a few buzzy sound effects. The astonishing thing is it's astoundingly addictive strange... but true.

Crash

Presentation 30%

Graphics 18%

Playability 13%

Addictive Qualities 10%

Overall 14%

Kati Hamza

Mark Caswell

Nick Roberts

Producer: Firebird Retail Price: £1.99 Author: Peter Cooke The objective of Zolyx is to fill in an empty screen by enclosing areas with straight lines, which then automatically fill with colour. Lines are drawn by a cursor which is directed around the screen, and constantly moving balls are avoided since contact with the cursor, or any part of an incomplete line, signals the loss of a life. Continuous line length is limited by a glowing ball which chases the cursor after a set time. Again, a life is lost should the ball and cursor touch. At least 75% of the area must be filled in within the time limit to allow progress to the next level. For every percentage above 75 bonus points are awarded. Each level successfully completed sees an extra ball is added to the screen. COMMENTS Joysticks: Cursor. Kempston, Sinclair Graphics: serve their purpose Sound: simpler than simple Options: definable keys

A major disappointment on the Spectrum.