Ever since the Movie TRON, grid games have been popular, almost a cult because they exemplify the computer game — simplicity, high speed, action on a strict grid as defined by the computer.
BLIND ALLEY
Producer: Sunshine Books, 16K £4.95
Author: Simon Lane
Blind Alley is what passed for sport in the year 3017, you are told in the
inlay. In fact the game looks confusing at first, but that’s because it is fast
and there’s no time to think. This really is a game where those with quick and
sure instincts win. You must steer your ship round the grid in such a way that
you block off other ships, forcing them into a blind alley where they are
forced against your trail, their own trails, or the edge of the screen. Of
course it usually happens the other way round... You start off against two
ships, then four, then 6 and soon. It gets very hard! Works with Kempston
joystick. Avoid hitting reverse of the direction in which you’re travelling —
it’s instant death. Recommended.
CRUISING ON BROADWAY
Producer: Sunshine Books, 16K £4.95
Author: Jeff Naylor
The graphics don’t portray the famous streets around Times Square in New York
as the title suggests, they could be any streets that the grid represents.
You’re in your car when a cop pulls in behind, you decide to make a getaway. If
he catches you then the game starts from scratch. You score points by the
length of line travelled before capture. Your only weapon is the facility to
create a temporary block in the road and hold up the cop. Clear the frame and
more chasers join in or you get a more complex grid to traverse. A simple,
effective and highly addictive no win game. Joystick: Kempston (and Softlink
II).
GRIDRUN
Producer: Arcade, 48K £5.50
Robot security picks up your trail just when you thought you had given them the
slip (trust robots to be bloody minded). Now they’re catching up with you — and
no one’s ever survived the grid before. Actually the grid resembles a pac man
type maze in this fast game. You drive around the rectangular, concentric
rings, switching lanes at the compass point junctions. Driving in the opposite
direction is the robot security car. Never the twain should meet! You need good
reactions, but it might have been a more skilful game if there were more
crossover points. No joystick option.
GRIDRUNNER
Producer: Quicksilva, 16K £8.95 (1)
More of an electronic grid meets centipede than a true grid game. See main
review section.
LIGHT CYCLE
Producer: PSS, 16K £5.95
Light Cycle is similar in concept to Blind Alley where you fight it out on the
grid with an opponent. In this case only two trails however, either against the
computer or a second player. The graphics are simpler but more effective,
representing the laser light trails left behind your craft. Seven speed levels,
no joystick option. A very fast game to play for hours.
SUPERSNAILS
Producer: Games Machine, 16K £5.95 (2)
Author: David Hay
There’s a crazy story about a Doctor Winkelhoff who is keeping giant
supersnails in his lab, which want to get out, and they leave superglue trails
behind them, but what we have here is a TRON-style grid game. Therefore the
graphics are extremely simple, although extremely fast. The idea is to trap
your opponent against the wall, his trail or your trail. If you succeed a door
in the wall opens up and lets you escape. The two features in this game which
make it a worthwhile addition to the grid collection (of what are now rather
old games in themselves) is that it allows the use of 8 directions instead of
the usual 4, which opens the potential of the game up enormously; and the game
allows 1 or 2 players to play against the computer as well as against each
other. Sensible control keys, joystick: Kempston, 9 speeds, addictive. Overall
CRASH rating 63% m/c.
TRANSVERSION
Producer: Ocean, 16K £5.90(1)
Author: C Urquhart & N Pierpoint
Undoubtedly Ocean’s best and most addictive game to date. It combines
simplicity of idea with speed and killer frustration. You are captain of the
Elimax. Your task: to clear the galactic grid of alien spawn. There’s no
shooting since the Elimax simply destroys the spawn by moving over it. But
there are 4 alien ships situated on each edge of the grid firing at you. Each
one, operating and firing independently, moves along its edge, homing in on
you, and aims its missiles along a line of the grid. You can be facing up to
four missiles at one time and it’s death to remain stationary, or operate on a
single line, for more than a second. With each screen cleared you are faced
with a different and more difficult arrangement of spawn to clear. There is
also a ‘between frame screen’ of spiral shaped spawn for bonus points. Only one
life so frustration levels can be dangerous. Excellent packaging, well used
sound, very smooth graphics and good control keys. Joystick: Kempston, AGF and
Protek. CRASH rating: Highly recommended, overall 83% M/C.