Atlantis Adventure

Crash

Atmosphere 6/10

Vocabulary 6/10

Logic 5/10

Debugging 7/10

Overall Value 6/10

Derek Brewster 6/10

DEREK BREWSTER'S ADVENTURE TRAIL IMAGINE.... When it comes to adventures, memory is the limiting factor but, if you think that if extra memory should become available it should be used in creating even more locations to visit, then you clearly haven't played as many lifeless, unimaginative adventures as I have. Graphics adventures have proven the more commercial yet too many are burdened by mediocre or downright useless pictures that add little to what would otherwise be another lacklustre text game. Graphics should not replace vivid, imaginative text. Many text-only adventures concentrate on getting as many locations as possible into the 48K of the Spectrum and some even brag of such efforts as if this alone were any indication of the quality of a game. Inevitably, there results a loss in quality of location descriptions or even the problems themselves. The microdrive seemed at first a good opportunity to provide the memory for both the imaginative text and good graphics. Strange that no one has produced a microdrive adventure and I know of none being developed, it is true that such an adventure would be more expensive but perhaps adventures, some of which are a bit pricey in any case, might accommodate the extra cost. If and when the microdrive adventure does arrive I hope the extra room is used, not to double the length of the adventure, but to improve the vocabulary, descriptions, graphics and friendliness. Now let's think, you might combine the graphic quality of The Hulk with the rich text of Level 9-some adventure! ATLANTIS Producer: M&J Software Retail Price: £ Author: M & J Gamble You play James Parker who, after a 30-year search, discovers a map showing the location of the fabled island of Atlantis. You lead an expedition to the island but the long journey has soured relations among the crew and in the fight that ensues you are knocked unconscious. You awake alone but decide to carry on with your quest to find the lost city and, eventually, your way off the island. You immediate worry is to find enough food and water to sustain you on your journey. The game has 150 locations, 30 of which carry a small graphic representation of the scene. 90 objects are strewn liberally throughout and the game features a vocabulary of some 200 yards. On loading you are presented with a choice of three levels - easy, moderate and hard. The easy level allows the player 40 commands before he is overcome with hunger, and the hard level 20. Although at first your overriding concern is to survive, collecting treasure along the way will add to your score. With an open mind and nimble fingers I set off. After what must be 40 commands (chose the easy level of course) my belly starts to rumble and I'm told to yet something to eat. Since I find myself beside a gurgling stream I decide to drink some water. On filling my flask and drinking I'm led to believe all is well again but I met with the curious report THATS' A NICE HAT YOU ARE WEARING. Either this is a bug or someone's got a peculiar sense of humour. It's true I did pick up a hat earlier and who knows, it may well be a nice one. Being a shrewd explorer I decide to refill my flask and perhaps take another drink as well but, alas, food and drink cannot be accumulated in this way and I must wait until my next 40 commands are running out. Once nourished I settled down to a jolly jaunt through sand dunes and forests, collecting treasure and many items for which I just couldn't find a use. Some of the situations you meet are a little incredible. You find the master key inside a coconut of all places, and how on earth do you get into a forest by digging through the bottom of a pit? To my knowledge this is the first Quilled adventure with graphics. A competent game, Atlantis provides many difficult and sometimes peculiar problems which will take weeks to solve. COMMENTS Difficulty: Quite difficult Graphics: Some, primitive Presentation: Average Input facility Verb/noun Response: Very fast