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THE TYRANT of Athens and Peloponnesian War are two games which take the player into ancient history. Both provide simulations of the Greek way of life.
Tyrant of Athens gives the player the chance to rule the capital of Greece for as many years as the populace allows. Every year the computer asks the player how many troops and ships, allies and food units are required for the year. The money for those items is deducted from the state treasury. Some money should be retained in the royal coffers to pay any invading army you do not want to fight.
There may be many battles during a year and disasters such as lack of money and starvation may occur. The ruler is allowed only three disasters before being deposed. Victory can be achieved within 10 years if you have achieved two-and-a-half times as many victories as defeats and are in a fairly strong position.
Peloponnesian War is similar but is a game of military strategy. The player takes the side of the Athenians, who must beat the Spartan forces. The number of generals and other officers are chosen, the number of warships and the number of ordinary infantry.
Other states may become involved in the war at various times and they would provide extra ships and men. At the beginning of the game none of those states is an ally of either side. The game may develop into a fight to gain the most allies.
The battles may take several years to fight but in the end one decisive battle with Sparta must be fought before 429 BC. If they feel sufficiently confident, the Spartans may enter the final phase after 425 BC but if neither side has committed itself before 404 BC, the final battle phase will be entered automatically.
Both games are available for the 16K ZX-81 and Spectrum from MC Associates, Cheshire. Tyrant of Athens costs £6.50 and Peloponnesian War £5.95.
A NEW VERSION of Hangman has been produced by Bridge Software. Lynchmob was written for both the ZX-81 and Spectrum. The game is for two to six players and the computer takes the role of referee.
The hanging sequence is animated and the large scaffold takes up much of the screen. The graphics quality of the game is good but it is disappointing that one player cannot challenge the computer.
Bridge Software has also introduced a program for which many serious astrologers may have been waiting. Ephemeris provides local sidereal times, rising and setting times of the planets and Moon, and distances from Earth.
All the displays can be output to the printer, which is a necessity for this kind of work. Because of that factor and because the program is very user-friendly, it should be of great help to astrologers.
Both programs are produced by Bridge Software, Cheshire. Ephemeris costs £6.95 and can be used on the 16K ZX-81. Lynchmob can be obtained for both ZX-81 and Spectrum for £4.95.
NIGHTFLITE is one of the first flight simulation programs for the Spectrum. At the beginning of the program a series of options is given, including a demonstration flight, takeoff, final approach, auto-pilot and a map of the flight area.
The screen display is split into two, with the aircraft instruments at the bottom and a view through the cockpit window at the top.
The navigational instruments include instrument landing system, artificial horizon, non-directional beacon and VHF omni-directional range.
The program is an accurate simulation, since Hewson Consultants, the company behind the simulation, employed a qualified pilot to provide the technical details.
Nightflite costs £5.95 and is available from Hewson Consultants, Oxon.
SID the Space Invader grew tired of racing around the screen being zapped by lasers. He decided to leave and join a new game from Llamasoft called Super Deflex. That is the way a new game for the 48K Spectrum starts. It may sound silly - but the whole game is silly.
The idea is to bounce Sid around the screen using launch pads so that he hits the number target without being destroyed by laser streaks.
All that may seem simple but this game is not like a simple game of Breakout. The launch pads which are set using the m and n keys on the keyboard will hamper you in the object of hitting the target. They will send Sid in different directions if he hits them.
Any invader who is hit by a laser streak will be buried on the spot and a headstone raised to commemorate the deceased. That causes further problems for other invaders who have to bounce around the screen. If they hit a headstone they will be fried to death and a new invader will appear on the screen.
There are nine levels of difficulty. The first level is easy and the ninth is impossibly difficult. It is difficult to develop much skill in the game but to play it efficiently some kind of skill must be gained.
Super Deflex for the 48K Spectrum can be obtained from Llamasoft Software, Hampshire for £4.95.
GAMES CASSETTES with a series of games have become more and more popular since Michael Orwin had such a success with his cassettes One to Four. Now JRS has produced a selection of games for the Spectrum on one cassette.
The first game is called Airport and is loaded in two parts. Part one is the instructions and part two can be loaded after them. The player is a grounds man at an airport and has to contend with moles digging holes in the runway and trees growing all over the place. The game is hectic and can be confusing at times but it is enjoyable to play and original.
Crabs is like Pacman but much more complicated. It is crabs and not ghosts which chase the player around the maze but the power pills are still the same and so is their effect on the crabs. If you eat a power pill the crabs will run from you. If you manage to catch one your points score is boosted.
Alien takes its plot from the film of the same name. The player has to crawl through the air ducts of the Nostromo spaceship in search of the alien. The only aid the player has is a direction meter. The game quickens in tempo as the alien disappears at any time and can re-appear anywhere. If the monster gets the player the game is finished.
The cassette is well produced, although Airport is confusing for the player who is also a beginner. ZX Spectrum Games is available from JRS Software, Sussex. It costs £4.95.
NUMEROLOGY has gained as much popularity as Sun sign astrology in the last few years. Several programs calculate the significant numbers of the user's character but the Carnell Software version is one of the best.
The program was written for the ZX-81 and is appealing because of its simplicity of use and the complexity of the answers it gives. The fact that the answers are maddeningly vague and could refer to anyone cannot be blamed on the program.
The instructions with the cassette provide an easy introduction to the 'science' of numbers. After loading the program, the subject types in name and birth date. They are then analysed quickly and the results are printed.
The program will appeal to believers and sceptics alike although, while using the game, there was a feeling that it was written tongue in cheek.
Numerology costs £3.50 and can be obtained from Carnell Software, Berkshire.
A NEW cassette from Firefly provides a series of 16K games for the Spectrum within one program. The games are selected using a menu which appears at the beginning of the program. All the games on the cassette use the arcade format. They need skill to play but after a few turns the player should develop sufficient expertise to obtain a good score.
There are three games in the program. The first is called Traft. The player has to control a little man in a large square. Points are scored every time the player moves as an obstacle is put into a part of the square after every move. If the obstacle hits the player or the player smashes into the obstacle the little man dies. The game is a simple but neat - an original idea.
Star Storm is the second game. It is rather like a poor man's version of Asteroids, where the player's space ship must avoid the stars.
Astro-Run is like Star Storm but with better graphics. The spaceship moves across the screen, trying to dodge the asteroids which seem to appear out of thin air. Again, the idea of the game is good but the presentation could be improved.
On the whole, Game Tape One is good but the graphics could be better. The graphics characters are too small for the arcade game effect which Firefly is trying to create.
Games Tape One is available from Firefly, London W1. It costs £4.50.
ANOTHER version of Star Trek would have seemed more like a threat than a promise before R and R Software produced its new version of the game for the 48K Spectrum. The company made a great impression with its Spectrum Golf, which has good graphics. This version of Star Trek also has good graphics and transforms the game from a mainframe mediocrity into another great success.
As with Spectrum Golf, the Star Trek game is one of skill. It is more complex than most other versions which have so far been produced.
The computer builds a scenario of Klingons, star bases and stars. It then asks if the player agrees with the scenario. If not, the player can create one.
The star map occupies half the screen and the commands for manoeuvring and scanning are listed. The player can lock into the ship's computer to do navigational calculations, go into hyper-drive, or launch a galaxy-destroying smart bomb. To manoeuvre, operate shields, or fire phasers the player must lock into the control room.
The player can operate a colourful self-destruct sequence if things start to go wrong. That sequence is well-presented and players may blow themselves up deliberately just to watch it.
With the on-screen instructions, the game is easy to play and difficult to beat. It is available from R and R Software, Gloucester and is well worth £4.95.