Smuggler's Cove

Crash

Producer: Quicksilva, 48K 6.95 It's 1753 and you are on a hunt for Blackbeard's famous treasure, hidden in a complex of caves on the north Cornish Coast. The program burbles away at you in piratese of the 'Argh, Jim lad, me scupper, there 'e be,' type. The top half of the screen contains well designed and instantly appearing location graphics, but the game gets nowhere. It seems impossible to get beyond the first few locations and then it ceases to be any fun.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Crash

Producer: Quicksilva, 48K 6.95 It's 1753 and you are on a hunt for Blackbeard's famous treasure, hidden in a complex of caves on the north Cornish Coast. The program burbles away at you in piratese of the 'Argh, Jim lad, me scupper, there 'e be,' type. The top half of the screen contains well designed and instantly appearing location graphics, but the game gets nowhere. It seems impossible to get beyond the first few locations and then it ceases to be any fun.

Crash

Producer: Quicksilva, 48K 6.95 It's 1753 and you are on a hunt for Blackbeard's famous treasure, hidden in a complex of caves on the north Cornish Coast. The program burbles away at you in piratese of the 'Argh, Jim lad, me scupper, there 'e be,' type. The top half of the screen contains well designed and instantly appearing location graphics, but the game gets nowhere. It seems impossible to get beyond the first few locations and then it ceases to be any fun.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Logic/Difficulty 3/5

Vocabulary 2/5

Plot/Theme 3/5

Keith Campbell

What do you do when you come across an Adventure which speaks in a strange country dialect? You delve into your Cornish tourist phrase book that's what! Smuggler's Cove has a nice turn of Cornish phraseology to entertain even the most jaded Adventurer. 'OK' is a common Adventure response to a command successfully obeyed. Smugglers Cove, set in a cave on the Cornish coast, replies 'Right me dear'. Other fairly standard replies get similar treatment. These replies made a welcome change, and persuaded me to explore the cave into which I'd fallen, and from which I was trying to escape complete with Blackbeard's treasure. Smuggler's Cove should not be confused with Pirate's Cove. It is an orthodox type of Adventure, complete with monochrome hi-res drawings of each location occupying the top lines of the display. Unlike most graphic Adventures, these pictures display quickly, and the overall time between commands is faster than a lot of games without graphics. Another thing about the pictures - they change in accordance with the state of play. For example, in a cave with a ledge both described and clearly visible, I threw a rope with such skill that it hooked onto the ledge and was left hanging to the ground. This change was reflected in the picture. On the minus side are disappointing omissions in vocabulary, and a barrel containing - no, not rum! - spiked shoes of all things! I kept slipping off the ledge, and being offered a chance of reincarnation. Unfortunately my stars were always in the wrong house! If you can stand the dialect, and the shocking pink border, not a bad, but fairly mediocre game for your Spectrum, me luvlies! It comes in a standard cassette box, with attractive inlay containing full instructions and background story. Smugglers Cove From Quicksilva for 48k Spectrum at £6.95

Your Spectrum

Ron Smith

SPECTRUM SOFT Ron Smith takes a slightly jaundiced look at all that's latest and greatest in games and leisure software for the Spectrum. Ever since the time home computing became big business, software producers have been writhing away in ever greater paroxisms of effort in their attempts to evolve games that are innovative, compulsive and exciting. Child geniuses have been dragged out of suburban housing estates and brutally hounded into the 20th Century equivalent of sweeping chimneys - all in pursuit of the computer game fast buck. The first waves to appear were, predictably, blatant copies of the great old arcade favourites - destroy the invading aliens, and probably your own brain cells in the process. This, of course, requires a keen eye and grand prix reactions. But for those without souped-up senses, the result is usually one of boredom and frustration. Fortunately, for those like me who would get more fun out of destroying the tape cassette than the alien invaders, other more pleasurable varieties of computer game are increasingly coming to hand. This issue we take a random stroll through a cross-section of all that's new and fantastic (it says in the press release) starting with... THEY CAME FROM OUTER SPACE The first title to fall into this category is Galactic Abductor from Anirog Software. It's not too hard to handle, and even I managed to put together a reasonable score while attempting to stem the relentless attack of invading armoured space hawks. I particularly like the fact that only three keys are used, so you don't have to keep glancing down to see where your fingers are. Unfortunately, one can't say the same for Missile Defence, also from Anirog. This uses no fewer than seven keys, four of which are the cursor control keys - which in my experience are the worst possible choice. Positioned as they arc (it's rather like the old chestnut of rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time) everything gets out of sync and the game's over before you can shout "Nukes away". However, after a good deal of practice (assuming you have the patience) the poor old aliens who've come to attack your cities gradually begin finding themselves in a weaker and weaker position as your skill increases. No fewer than three fire buttons are provided to wipe out the monster meanies, before they either destroy you or disappear off the edge of the screen. It's all familiar stuff. The last game doesn't fit in this section at all - but never mind. It comes from Timescape and is entitled Wild West Hero. Predictably, the hero's job is to rid the West of the gun-totin' bandits and this, with your help, he tries to do by hurtling around the screen blasting out in all directions as the gruesome gang closes in. Control, on the pre-production version, is via the keyboard, and uses four keys (two fingers per hand being the maximum for a reasonable response for most of us) - theoretically making for an easy-to-play game. However, the combatants are nothing if not fast moving - even though Timescape has already slowed down this (version 3) over the previous (version 2). Consequently, with bullets flying thicker than a hail storm and goodie and baddies moving at lunatic pace, this little number is certainly not one for those of slow or nervous disposition; even a rapidly plugged-in joystick did little to help me catch up with the action. For the record, by the way, the first two games mentioned were also joystick compatible. GRAPHIC ADVENTURES 'Ask a silly question, get a silly answer' - is a maxim that might well be seen as the basis for most adventure games with their thin plots, limited vocabulary and text-only approach. Interestingly though, the latest releases are beginning to move away from this. Two of the better new titles are Xadom and Smugglers Cove, both from Quicksilva. Xadom is a 3D hi-res arcade quality adventure where you, as SOL agent MM have to disappear off in search of some artefact that is stashed away in one of 20 rooms. Every time a room is entered, naturally, a new challenge awaits and each must be overcome before it is possible to move on to the next room. Differing slightly, and more like a traditional adventure, is Smugglers Cove. This offers text with the delights of hi-res graphics, while you visit 27 locations, somehow or other picking up 65 objects along the way (without so much as a sack). One point here is the game's lightning response to your directions, something which many previous adventure game incarnations have been less than famous for. Both of these are well worth a spin. CRL's Woods of Winter, however, is a new release that still suffers the perils of being text-only. It also has a slow response time - so much so that on several occasions I was left scratching myself and deliberating the state of the universe before - eventually - the program decided it was good manners to respond. To be fair, it does plot your progress (should you make any) through the cold woods of winter, which presumably can be quite useful at times. Should you ever manage to come in from the cold, you'll find sanctuary in a warm castle. Actually it's a good game for those with plenty of patience and an over-active imagination. Velnor's Lair, from Quicksilva, is yet another text-only adventure, but one with a faster response time that doesn't tax the patience to quite the same degree. As an adventurer you can choose to be a wizard, warrior or priest, depending on your inclination. For no particular reason I chose to be a wizard, despite my ineptitude at casting either spells or enemies into oblivion. Naturally I soon met an untimely end. But where this game triumphs over other text-only adventures is in its use of vocabulary. Often it can take aeons to get into the swing of adventure games - understanding the individual programmer's own peculiar logic and choice of words, etc. Here, for some reason not immediately apparent, I found the game responding easily to my instructions. Overall, the category contained an above average selection with one semi-adventure (Xadom), one text and graphics mixed (infinitely better in my opinion) and two giving text only. In truth, though, the big worry with all adventures is their great similarity and the obvious restriction on use of vocabulary. FUN & GAMES "Look at my wonderful new clothes!"" boasted the emperor. Everyone remained silent except the little boy who gave the straightforward opinion that the silly fool wasn't wearing any. This showed a certain degree of naivety and lack of cynicism - just the kind of qualities you might find ideal to survive the offerings ahead. Bugaboo (Quicksilva) features a likeable little flea (if that's not a contradiction in terms) which, due to some unfortunate time warp perhaps, has fallen through the inky spaces between worlds and ended up somewhere rather unpleasant. What will our micro nipper find there... will it ever survive? I had several goes at the game, reacting differently each time to it. Sometimes I felt sympathetic as the poor creature tried desperately to escape from its pursuers, sometimes an evil grin and a wicked heart triumphed as the poor fool smashed its head for the hundredth time. Love or loathing, there's always a strong feeling for the flea! Pathos, however, is unlikely to raise its tragic head in the case of Manic Miner from Bug-Byte; it's more a case of frustration and panic as you guide Willy the miner through the underground caverns to the surface, and riches. Starting off in the central cavern, he has to be helped past numerous obstacles on his way to the next. As ever, though, it's a case of one step forward, any number back, as you master the first hazard only to fail dismally at understanding the complexity of the second. LIFE'S LITTLE PLEASURES There's no real reason why computer games should always be difficult; sometimes it's fun to switch to something where success comes easily - if only to restore a damaged ego. Slap Dab from Anirog Software is just such a game, and it involves helping Sam the Painter splash around with his oversized brush so that he can get the job finished. Of course it's not quite that simple, because no sooner has he started slapping on the paint then he disturbs the woodworms - who don't fancy the idea of changing colour this week. They decide to seek revenge by chasing Sam as he works. But fortunately for him, our slimy friends can only travel on the part that's been painted, so one way of him avoiding capture is to leave by an unpainted escape route. Sounds like the stuff of which nightmares are made! Another conceptually simple game is Traxx, from Quicksilva. It opens with a large yellow grid consisting of 30 squares, and in essence it's similar to the hoary old children's pencil and paper game of 'dots', where the idea is to join the points up into squares. The game starts with one side of one square coloured red, and your spaceship (what else?) in the red sector. From then on you must move around, colouring as many squares as you can. But be warned, you are being pursued, although exactly how many enemies and at what speed they chase is entirely up to you. Choosing the fastest speed with the maximum number of pursuers (nine) makes for a near impossible task, although as usual it's easier with a joystick. Rabbit Software's Quackers is virtually identical to a shooting gallery at the fair. Ducks and rabbits glide across the screen so slowly that it's almost impossible to miss them, although it's almost more fun if you try. Slightly more difficult is the last part of the game where, having gunned down all the targets, you're given the chance to 'keep the turtle hopping' by shooting at it as it moves quickly across the screen. A few moments of gratuitous violence for all concerned. Slap Dab and Traxx are both joystick compatible, but surprisingly, Quackers isn't. It does, however, let you define your own keys. OTHER STUFF The three titles lumped together here have little in common, other than the fact that they are somewhat unremarkable - and also rather difficult. Quicksilva's 3D Strategy is a 3D noughts and crosses game that the maker claims is virtually unbeatable. Those into mind-bending puzzles will probably enjoy it. But away from strategy and on to games requiring fast reactions, there's Escape MCP from Rabbit Software and Gridrunner from Quicksilva. The first of these finds you de-atomized by a chip (Z80 in this case) and trapped in a maze. There's also something called the MCP (male chauvinist pig, perhaps?) that apparently knows your escape plan and, armed with this information, is not only going to prevent you from getting away, but is also hell bent on securing your prompt destruction. The usual, friendly, stuff. A little less strange may be Gridrunner, although it's hard to say when there's no instructions to tell you what's going on. However, it seemed safe to assume that I'd better start destroying something before it destroyed me. The screen is covered by a red grid, along the top of which moves a blue wormlike 'something' - presumably the enemy. It progresses across the screen, then down a line, and so on. But as each part of the 'something' is hit. It starts flapping about and moving much faster than before. Interesting - I can't wait to read the instructions! STIMULATING SIMULATIONS I must own up to a predilection for the kind of games that simulate 'real life' in some way. After all, how many of us get the chance to drive a racing car, fly an airliner, or practice being a brain surgeon? Well, courtesy of Psion, Rabbit Software and Protek Computing, we can indulge in renewed fantasy, over the first two at least. First of all from Psion comes Chequered Flag - a game that will find you lapping away on some of the world's most famous motor racing circuits - from the relative safety of your own living room. It also features a choice of three cars, and for those who feel a little uneasy about gear changing, an automatic has been included. Intrepid participants will have to watch the dashboard instruments carefully to make sure they're not going too fast, running out of fuel, overheating, or about to encounter any of the other hazards involved in grand prix racing. As well as watching out for mechanical failure you'll need to keep an eye out for oil, water and glass, any one of which is likely to lure you into untimely disaster. But the most impressive feature of Chequered Flag is the view from the car as you hurtle like a maniac around the track. Still behind the wheel, but not this time a simulation, is Race Fun from Rabbit Software. It's your chance to prove what a crazy driver you are, by speeding down a narrow country lane at 120mph. The faster you drive, the more points you'll make, but of course the more chance there is of crashing. Airliner, from Protek Computing, is a realistic simulation of what it's like flying a commercial aircraft. All the normal controls are present, enabling you to take off, manoeuvre, navigate and land; it's also compatible with Protek's joystick, which does add to the fun. Flying the plane successfully requires a good amount of practice - in fact I wouldn't be surprised if it was almost as complex as the real thing. A map is included to show the aircraft's position, and this can be turned on or off at the touch of a key. It's a well written and sophisticated program, but the lack of a view from the cockpit is disappointing, especially when you consider the popular Flight Simulation from Psion. However, Protek's program fits into 16K, while Psion's needs 48K. WE LOOKED AT... Galactic Abductor (16/48K), Anirog Software, £5.95 Missile Defence (16/48K), Anirog Software. £5.95 Wild West Hero (48K), Timescape, £5.90 Xadom (48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Smugglers Cove (48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Woods of Winter (48K), CRL, £5.95 Velnor's Lair (48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Bugaboo (48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Manic Miner (48K), Bug-Byte, £7.95 Ant Attack (48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Slap Dab (16/48K), Anirog Software, £5.95 Traxx (48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Quackers (16/48K), Rabbit Software, £5.95 3D Strategy (16/48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Escape MCP (16/48K), Rabbit Software, £5.99 Gridrunner (16/48K), Quicksilva, £6.95 Chequered Flag (48K), Psion, £6.95 Race Fun (48K), Rabbit Software, £5.99 Airliner (16/48K), Protek. £5.95

SMUGGLERS COVE from Quicksilva

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Personal Computer News

Lasting Appeal 3/5

Playability 2/5

Use Of Machine 3/5

Overall Value 3/5

Shirley Fawcett 3/5

NAME: Smugglers Cove SYSTEM: Spectrum, 48K PRICE: £6.95 PUBLISHER: Quicksilva, [redacted] FORMAT: Cassette OUTLETS: Mail order, Sinclair dealers. PIECES OF EIGHT The year is 1753. Two miles off the north Cornish coast, huge waves pound the latest victim of the notorious Doombar, the cutter captained by the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. You are of course well aware of the rumours of the hidden board of Blackbeard's treasure, and the terrible tales of those who have tried to find it... OBJECTIVES But as well as tracking down the treasure, you have to find your way out of the maze of caves where the hoard lies hidden. And no, you can't get out the way you got in, because you have just slipped and fallen twenty feet to the floor of a cave. IN PLAY Getting started with this game is virtually impossible. You can get as far as finding five or six rooms, but you can't do anything once you have found them, unless you have gone through a complicated and unlikely sequence of actions, and all in the right order. Without finding the whatshammycallit, as well as the otherthingy, you can't climb the wheresit. Unless you climb the wheresit, you won't find the doobrey. Without the doobrey, you can't cross the wheredidyousay to find the somethingorother. But to collect the somethingorother, you will need to have done something outlandish earlier with yetanotherobject in order to avoid being eaten by the whatsit. The whole game is couched in eighteenth century Cornishspeak. 'Argh, Jim lad. There be a barrel here!' it growls at you. And it addresses you as 'Scupper' and 'Me lovely' as it tells you that it 'Can't do that.' The graphics are nothing to write home about, but the pictures of the various locations are drawn fairly fast, and they're good enough to give you an idea of where you are. Reincarnations are random, courtesy of a routine that asks you for your date of birth after you have been eaten/flattened/zapped by magic or whatever. More often than not, the program decided to leave me dead, so do be sure to save the game if you manage to get beyond first base with it! VERDICT The first rule of adventure-writing has to be to lead the player on far enough to get him hooked before you start making things difficult for him. Getting anywhere at all with this game is just too hard, and there's only one solution to most of the problems. Sure, it will give you hours of happy fun - if you don't mind wandering round and round in circles. Just like life, in fact.