After an absence of over a year, CRASHBACK makes a comeback. Ben Stone takes a look back at yesterday’s hits — starting with the top games that appeared in CRASH early in 1985. Issues 12 and 13 come under the Stoney gaze this month, and Ben will be continuing his retrospective reviews throughout this year...

KNIGHT LORE

Producer: Ultimate

Screenshot

A game that needs little in the way of introduction. It was the first ever isometric 3D arcade adventure, and two years on, programmers are still producing clones.

Use of computer93%
Graphics97%
Playability97%
Getting started90%
Addictive qualities96%
Value for money93%
Overall94%

The player controls Sabreman, who has to collect charms and take them to a cauldron room. Each room contains traps and problems that require a combination of logical thinking and sharp reflexes to overcome. At night, Sabreman turns into a Werewolf, and if he doesn’t complete his quest in forty days and nights, he is doomed to remain a werewolf forever. Poor little lycanthrope!

THEN

“Any ULTIMATE game is a thrill to unpack and load, but with Knight Lore they have surpassed themselves. The 3D graphics are so exciting that the fingers are instantly itching to get at the keys. The 3D itself is excellent, with marvellous drawing of the walls and characters. The hidden view idea has been used very cruelly, so that a hint may be given of something nasty crouching behind a stairway — but you’re never sure until it’s too late. The animation is terrific, from the smallest detail right through to Sabreman himself. Knight Lore has that magical ingredient which makes it exciting to play and watch, and keeps you on the edge of your seat with anxiety. IT’S SIMPLY A GREAT GAME.”

NOW

Knight Lore was, and will probably always be, one of the most magnificent games on the Spectrum. It was the first 3D game to appear. Superior graphics are coupled with magnificent animation and a subtle sprinkling of humour. I remember when it first arrived in the office the whole place stopped dead while we crowded round the screen in awe. As for changing the ratings, I think most of them still stand today. In fact I would be inclined to put the use of computer rating up by a couple of percent, but we don’t have that rating any more!”

UNDERWURLDE

Screenshot

Producer: Ultimate

Sabreman is still battling with danger — this time he’s trapped in a huge underground labyrinth. The meanies aren’t deadly, but bash the little hero about nevertheless. Falling large distances is fatal, and there are a lot of huge drops which may be negotiated by riding bubbles of volcanic gas, or by using a rope to get down and across chasms. Weapons need to be collected in order to get past particularly big meanies, which block strategic parts of the maze.

Use of computer93%
Graphics97%
Playability97%
Getting started90%
Addictive qualities96%
Value for money93%
Overall94%

THEN

Underwurlde is certainly no Atic Atac Part Three — it’s a totally original game that will keep you enthralled for ages. ULTIMATE’s graphics need no explanation, but an obvious item missing is the Hall of Fame (but I’m sure the spare bytes from this went to a good cause). Ultimate have come up with another excellent game. I especially liked the volcanic bubbles on which you can stand and ride, and the eagles which carry you all over the place.”

NOW

“I must have been one of the first people to complete Underwurlde. I played it in all my spare time until I reached the end, and what an anti-climax it was too! The game didn’t really offer anything new in format but it was very compelling. At the time I think we all overlooked the fact that all in all it was just a big maze game with pretty graphics. There are a lot of games around today which are very similar to this, and many of them involve doing more than just getting out of a maze. The ratings should all be put down to the low eighties or high seventies as the game has dated considerably.”

BOULDER DASH

First Star/Monolith

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Cute hero Rockford tunnels around 16 different underground mazes collecting gems as he goes. Boulders lie around, and problems are caused when the earth that supports them is tunnelled away — they tumble on Rockford unless he’s quick. Nasties chase the hero, and they can only be killed by falling boulders.

Use of computer91%
Graphics90%
Playability98%
Getting started89%
Addictive qualities98%
Value for money90%
Overall93%

THEN

“This amazing game is so simple it’s ridiculous! Yet once started it’s impossible to leave it. Rockford is amusingly animated, tapping his foot in boredom if you keep him standing still for too long, eyes flicking nervously — as well they might, with all that weight of stone above his head! The movement of boulders and gems is so logical, when huge stacks of them fall it can be a joy to watch. With the five skill levels and 16 screens to play through, this game represents good value even for the slightly high price, and I can recommend it to anyone. It’s excellent and tremendously compelling to play.”

NOW

“When Boulder Dash first appeared in my games collection I couldn’t play it enough: solving the puzzles contained in each screen was sometimes infuriating but always great fun. Originality and humour were probably its main points — never before had a game as funny as this been seen on the Spectrum. Today it is still just as compelling and playable, but it seems to have lost a lot of its originality over the years. The ratings at the time were justified in being so high. Now, however, I think that they should be put down by ten or fifteen per cent.”

TECHNICIAN TED

Hewson Consultants

Use of computer93%
Graphics96%
Playability96%
Getting started92%
Addictive qualities97%
Value for money99%
Overall96%

Back in the days when Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy were riding high in the charts, everyone was bringing out platform games. This one had a few innovations which set it apart from the crowd. Technician Ted works in a microchip factory, and has to achieve a variety of tasks during one working day. The routes around the 50 screens that make up the factory are by no means as straightforward as those in Manic Miner. Plenty of hazards threaten to drain Ted’s energy.

Screenshot

THEN

“The music is the best since Manic Miner, with two tunes played with a ‘real’ synthesised sound (and equipped with on/off facility if you go mad). The graphics are really wonderful: loads of detail, animation and humour, and the timing routines throughout are perfect, and perfectly hard to beat too. There’s nothing new in Technician Ted, but the thought that has gone into it is quite something else. Addictive, delightful to play and a definite must.”

NOW

Technician Ted had the best loading screen of the year, in fact it was the only thing that really stuck in my mind about it. Looking at it today I can’t really see why it was a Smash. It wasn’t original at the time; the graphics are bad and the game is pretty dull to play. It shouldn’t really have had such high ratings. Ninety-six percent overall for a Jet Set Willy variant seems silly nowadays. I’d put all the ratings down into the mid to low sixties as there are still so many games around in a similar vein.”

AIRWOLF

Elite

Use of computer85%
Graphics92%
Playability91%
Getting started89%
Addictive qualities95%
Value for money90%
Overall90%

Stringfellow Hawke, helicopter ace and ’Nam veteran must pilot the airwolf through an underground labyrinth, deep below the scorched sands of the Arizona desert. Five scientists have been captured, and Airwolf must go in and rescue them.

The passages and tunnels are well protected, with defence fields, guns and electric barriers. The helicopter sinks under gravity, so the player must constantly dab the ‘up’ button to remain airborne.

Screenshot

THEN

Airwolf doesn’t need Jan Michael to sell it — the game can do it all by itself. This is one of the meanest arcade shoot ’em ups since they brought Scramble out on the big machines. The pace is violent, furiously fast and will totally destroy your index finger In the process. The game is hard and allows you no respite — you no sooner get through a defence ring and onto another screen with a sigh of relief and NO — it’s off again. Thrilling stuff!”

NOW

Airwolf was one of the first licensed games on the market, and certainly the best of its day on the Spectrum. It was very good on all counts: nice graphics, cute sound and immensely compelling and infuriating gameplay. I was very surprised at how hard it actually was — some people in the office took more than an hour of continuous play to get past the first two obstacles. Unfortunately after you had mastered all the screens (which didn’t take too long as there were only twelve of them) and got all the scientists, there wasn’t really any point in playing it again. Today I still think it is a good game, but not quite state of the art. All the ratings should go down into the seventies.”

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