Aural Quest

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Keith Campbell

THE STRANGLERS... THE ADVENTURE At last, all can be revealed! For several months now we've been sitting on a story which our ace Adventurer, Keith Campbell, has been itching to tell you. It concerns The Stranglers' keyboard player, Dave Greenfield, and a brand new Adventure game... GET AN EARFUL OF THIS! Adventure games are increasingly becoming linked with books and the affinity is easy to see, since both contain a blend of words, plot, excitement and humour. Computer games in general are also moving closer to the world of pop music. For some time there have been computer games charts - just like the pop top 20 charts. Earlier this year, C&VG started printing the only authoritative games chart in the country, by commissioning NOP, jointly with the Daily Mirror. But it is easier to see this link in the area of the current arcade-game scene. Adventures and pop-music?? Some time ago Shakin' Stevens produced an album with an arcade game program on it. This idea has now been taken a step further with the release of a new album by The Stranglers, along with - yes - an Adventure game! What have The Stranglers, that ex-punk band, in common with computers, and especially Adventure games, you might well ask. Somehow one doesn't imagine your average pop star being an Adventure addict, poring over a map, scratching his head and typing "SAY TO THORIN. " Yet speak to Dave Greenfield, Strangler extraordinaire, and those preconceived ideas will rapidly fade. I recently met Dave at the home of Mike Turner, games designer for Star Dreams, and asked him about his interest in computers. "Mike started it all," Dave revealed, "I've known him for years and he got me into this." Dave has an Atari, and his girlfriend Pam, a Spectrum. "Do you actually play Adventure games?" I asked. "Nothing else," replied Dave. "I wouldn't touch an arcade game!" He was very definite about that and proudly showed me his collection of games software. A large cassette case revealed the Artic series: The Hobbit - of course - The Oracle's Cave, Mountains of Ket and many more. Having recently returned from Belgium, where he and the rest of the band had been recording their new album Aural Sculpture, he had just been on a shopping spree and produced a pile of new cassettes, including Transylvanian Tower, Urban Upstart and Classic Adventure. I pointed out that Transylvanian was not a true Adventure, but mentioned that I'd be interested to hear his views on Upstart. So we got talking Adventure and, having nearly completed Hobbit, Dave asked the inevitable Helpline question. "How do you get past the bulbous eyes?" "Wait, wait," I suggested and, triumphantly, he and Pam announced their intention to complete the game at the next sitting! Any help I might have offered with Espionage Island and Ship of Doom, however, would have been redundant, as they had long since completed both of those. Dave was looking forward to a good session following his prolonged absence in the studio. He added that he intended to rid the planet Ithica of a sinister dark column, when he played The Pen and The Dark. (Well, I can't very well review it, so I might as well include the plug!) At this point, Dave handed Mike a cassette and nearly exploded when Mike tried to load in into his Spectrum. "Not all tapes are for computers," he spluttered, "that's Aural Sculpture and happens to be the results of our recent recording sessions - stick in on the hi-fi!" While it was playing, Dave pointed out that it was not a finished album, as the mixing still had to be done, probably in the Bahamas. But it sounded great to me. "Tell me about the Adventure game then," I asked. Entitled Aural Quest, the game was the group's idea and the plot was devised by Dave and Pam. Mike Turner wrote it using The Quill. That doesn't mean that Mike and Star Dreams don't actually write programs. Far from it, as I had seen when he showed me a sneak preview of Star Dream's The Sandman Cometh, at that time not quite complete. Aural Quest will be found at the end of the cassette version of Aural Sculpture. "Why not on the disc version as well?" I wondered. Dave chipped in, " An invitation to pirate. People would have to get set up to record the game on tape, so as to be able to load it into their micros. It would be almost encouraging copying of both the album and game." "Will the Adventure appeal to Stranglers' fans?" was my next question. "Let's put it this way ," suggested Mike, grinning broadly, "For Shakin' Stevens fans, an arcade game was right. Stranglers' fans are thinking people - they wouldn't touch an arcade game!" As you will see in the review, much of the game, as the title suggests, centres around a giant ear. Dave told me an amusing story. The album cover is a photo of The Stranglers at Trafalgar Square, dressed variously as Nelson, a Catholic priest and Biggles. Dave, being Biggles, was approached by a passer-by amid all the photographic equipment and asked quite seriously, "Are you really an aviator?" Dave answered no, he always walked around London dressed that way. But it may not be so far from the truth, as by the time you read this, he will, he hopes, have his own pilot's licence! The Stranglers have had a chequered career and I had wondered what to expect on my way to meet Dave. I found him to be intelligent, considerate and articulate. Only to be expected of an Adventurer, of course! We at C&VG wish The Stranglers luck with their album and game. AURAL QUEST The Strangler's new album, Aural Sculpture, features a large statue of an ear which is to be displayed on stage when the band goes on tour. Aural Quest is the Adventure game that is to be found on the cassette version of the album. Not being a music critic, I will not dwell on the album, save to say that I found it enjoyable listening. The game, however, is for the 48K Spectrum and written using The Quill system. In Aural Quest, you play the part of The Stranglers' tour manager, your task being to visit various cities around the world where The Stranglers have played and collect the promoters' payments. These you must return to their accountant but, in addition, you must find the parts of the giant ear and bring them back to London to make up the whole statue. This is a novel approach, for it involves a double search and links in with some real events from Stranglers tours. Remember they got jailed in France? You will have to bail them out! Other places you will visit are New York, watch out for the muggers in Central Park, Tokyo and its student riots, Stockholm and Brisbane. But before you can start all this, you have a nasty problem from which to extricate yourself back home. There you are, up the top of a ladder, decorating your flat, a dripping paint brush in your hand and the phone rings. If only you could find the thing with all the mess around! The game is text only, with a quick response, and is interspersed with snatches of music from Stranglers' past hits. There are some laughs, too! Just don't put your paint brush down and you will see what I mean! For Stranglers' fans who have followed their exploits and who own a Spectrum, this game is a must. It is not terribly difficult, but has a few devious traps typical of Adventure, so it will not all be plain sailing. Considering that it is not to be sold solely as software, then the difficulty level is just about right. This could well be the introduction of Adventure games to many who have never played one before. On the other hand, of course, it could be the introduction of Stranglers' music to Adventurers. Either way, it has to be a good buy, for any Adventure for the Spectrum will cost at least £5 alone. Aural Quest for the 48K Spectrum is on the cassette version of Aural Sculpture from CBS records. Available at all good record stores.

Dave Greenfield, centre, the Strangler who loves adventures, with Jean-Jaques Burnel, Hugh Cornwell and Jet Black.