Bubble Trouble

Your Spectrum

Ian Simmonds 4/10

Jon Warner 3/10

Simon Cox 5/10

Sticks at the ready, the Chiltern Computer Club buckled down to some concentrated critique as they sifted through the latest bundle of software to give us their unbiased evaluations. Any club wishing to offer their reviewing services should contact Ron Smith, Spectrum Soft, [redacted]. This month, the reviewers in the YS jury hot-seat are all members of Chiltern Computer Club, Eaton Bray, near Dunstable. They are (in alphabetical order) Simon Cox, Ian Simmonds and Jon Warner. To be honest it wasn't an easy job for them, with many of the latest offerings falling short of an acceptable level - in fact, sheer crud in some cases. Read on to find out what (and what not) to buy. The Chiltern Computer Club was formed around two years ago, and usually it manages to attract about 35 members - ages ranging from 13 years to near senility. Membership is currently £4 per year, for which potential members can expect practical help with their computer problems, and guest speakers and lecturers from time to time. Club contacts can be made via Steve Betts, [redacted]. Finally thanks go to Steve for the ultra-fast speed at which he pulled the test together. BUBBLE TROUBLE Arcade Software £5.50 A maze game which involves stealing money, etc, while avoiding the pursuing bubbles whose sole aim is to suffocate you on contact.

Read it at Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive

Crash

Overall 63%

Producer: Arcade, 48K £5.50 (2) Author: Bruce Rutherford The mazes are quite simple but there are 50 of them. You must guide your burglar around each maze stealing the odd valuables dotted around, whilst avoiding the lovable attentions of giant bubbles which follow close on your heels. You may select any maze to commence the game, no one is really any harder than another but there are 3 skill levels which increase the number of bubbles, but also slow down the game. The hero, Basil, is a hat on legs and nicely animated and the maze graphics are varied and imaginative, but there was a feeling that the game lacked the vital quality that made it addictive. Rated above average. Overall CRASH rating 63% - cursor keys, joystick: AGF, Protek or Kempston, M/C.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Personal Computer Games

Graphics 4/10

Sound 3/10

Ease Of Use 5/10

Originality 1/10

Lasting Interest 4/10

Overall 4/10

Chris Anderson 4/10

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K JOYSTICK: Optional CATEGORY: Arcade SUPPLIER: Arcade PRICE: £5.50 A type of Pac-Man in which you collect treasure from a maze and avoid bubbles. Only novelty is that you can press a key to reverse direction of bubbles when cornered. But 50 screens offered.

Crash

Use of Computer 58%

Graphics 65%

Playability 70%

Getting Started 68%

Addictive Qualities 57%

Value For Money 60%

Overall 63%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Arcade Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £5.50 Language: Machine code Author: Bruce Rutherford Like the majority of Arcade's other games, Bubble Trouble is built on a massive scale, and consists of 50 screens. In effect these are all reasonably simple mazes made up from all sorts of symbols and having a vertical or horizontal wrap around 'tunnel'. The story is that you're a burglar and your aim in life, not unnaturally, is to steal anything you can lay your hands on. This usually consists on four valuables per maze, and the more you steal, the more the points you receive. Life could be so simple, but of course there is a serious problem, and it comes in the form of over-friendly bubbles who want to smother you with love. Perhaps the author got the idea from the recent re-showings of Patrick McGoohan's 60s TV series The Prisoner, where the unwilling victims of 'The Village' were kept in control by vast, white balloons that bounded after them. There is no start and no end to this game, since you may select any of the fifty screens for a beginning. Once you have collected the four valuables in a screen, bonus points pop up to be collected by moving over them. The screen finishes after an elapsed time limit and moves you inexorable onto whatever screen follows. Your only weapon is a dispersal key, but it only works once every 10 seconds and isn't terrible effective. COMMENTS Control keys: cursors with zero to fire, not the best arrangement Joystick: AGF, Protek, Kempston Keyboard play: slightly hesitant Colour: good Graphics: good Sound: average Skill levels: 3 Lives: 3 Screens: 50

The 'Prisoner' in the maze - Bubble Trouble.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

BASIL AND THE BUBBLE MONSTERS Bubble Trouble will have you foaming at the mouth as you battle against mutant bath bubbles in a new game for the ZX Spectrum. The game puts you in the striped shirt of Basil the Burglar, a small time crook who's taking his chances against the in - famous bubble monsters guarding an ancient, treasure-filled tomb. Basil has over fifty labyrinths to choose from, but he can only wander round a maze for one minute picking up valuable crowns, jewel-encrusted swords and precious stones before he has to leave the maze. Time isn't the only thing against Burglar Basil - bouncing bubble monsters attack Basil from all sides. You must help Basil to avoid being drowned in the suds and collect as much of the tomb's treasure as you can. The game has three different levels of difficulties, fifty different mazes, fine scrolling graphics and sound effects and is avail able from Arcade Software for the ZX Spectrum 48K for £5.50.