Problems in Ludlow, folks. Not only has the bottom half of the town been submerged due to the river bursting its banks, but
the town bell is back after repairs. No-one remembered how loudly it chimed every hour, on the hour throughout the
night! Surprise....! Too much of a good thing? But there’s something I just can’t get enough of — your letters! Keep sending
them in, and remember there’s £40 worth of software for the writer who pens the Letter of the Month!
OUR PRICE
Dear Lloyd
I was thumbing through issue 72 of CRASH, and it came to my attention
that all games reviewed regardless of quality, all retailed at £9.99 for
cassette or £14.99 for disk. How some software houses have the audacity to
publish such atrocious games and sell them at the same price as all the top
titles is completely beyond me.
Imagine the disappointment of a poor little Speccy owner (all together now,
ahh), who has just received a new +2 from Santa. Naturally, at the
first opportunity he gets, he dashes out to his local computer shop with his
last 10 weeks pocket money only to buy a game that when loaded up is about as
addictive as a four week old fermented sock in your christmas pud! (You
decide).
The point is this, you can’t go into a computer shop and select what
you can be sure is a good game without either having played the game before or
reading a magazine review about the game. If you have done neither of these,
then you will just have to take a gamble and an expensive gamble at up to
£14.99 a time!
Wouldn’t it be both a logical solution to this problem and an extra
incentive for software houses to produce better quality software, to introduce
a system by which every game due to be released undergoes a period of testing
where the game is assessed for quality and is then priced subject to the
results of the assessment.
If this system was initiated I am sure that you would immediately see a fall
in the amount of poor quality software being published and a rise in the amount
of high quality software being published, because software houses would
recognise that a poor quality game is not worth publishing from a financial
point of view.
As a result of this, you would see a large fall in the amount of new Speccys
flying through windows on boxing day! David Black
Nice idea — but it would never happen, would it? And
software houses do test their games! But once they’ve spent the money
producing it, they will try and get their loot back on even dud product —
after all, they’ll have to finance the next game. The answer to your
problem is simple enough — don’t buy a game until CRASH has
reviewed it. Then, you’ll know exactly what you’re buying. And if
we can’t get hold of a game you’ll know that the software house is
obviously far too ashamed to send it to us — don’t touch!
LM
BUGS!
Dear Lloyd
I’m writing this letter for the sake of the Olibugs as Oli
so created them. And for the sake of Robert Western. I think that Robert
is right. I don’t think the little, sweet, cute but peculiar Olibugs like
bashing each other around. And how do you know they like bashing each other? I
think somebody should create an Olibug fan club. Nichola Martin
Olibug fan club, eh? Jumped up little furry pests are too much
trouble as it is without giving them too much support! (Get down!)
LM
BRAIN WAVE!
Dear Lloyd
What I would like to know is if my solution to using a multiface is correct, as
well as understanding a Poke.
Last year I bought a Multiface 128. But I could not figure out how to
use it, so I swapped it through an ad. Then, reading a Crash Christmas
back issue I had a brainwave to where I was going wrong.
Load game in 48K Basic or Tapeloader
When game has loaded, press red button on multiface to freeze the program.
Press T for toll to get menu to insert POKE
Press space and enter address and amount of lifes wanted
Finally press ENTER
The main thing that confuses me is the poke itself.
For example: Bionic Commando — Lives: 34690, 0
Is this the address. Do you put how many lives you want after this
number?
Finally is this POKE the same as above or are amount of lives already
there?
Example. Ghosts ’n’ Goblins: Lives — 33352,01
Extra Speed — 33433,201
and can you explain this POKE — Dan Dare 2 — 53622,N Mark Stevens
Right. Normally when DJ Nicko says LIVES he means infinite
lives, so just enter the POKE as it is and you’ll have an endless supply!
In the case of Dan Dare 2, where the letter N is insert as many lives
as you need, up to 255. Okey dokey?
LM
SAM COUPE CRAZY!
Dear Lloyd
Along time ago in a galaxy far, far away (well early 1989 in a computer mag) I
read about a Spectrum Mega computer, called the Sam Coupé, it
sounded cool.
It ran on a Z80B micro processor running at a stunning 6Mz. It had 128
colours and a magnificent Philips sound chip which had 6 channel stereo sound
and 8 octaves and things, and at the back of the machine there were in- and
outputs for everybody, and it had a massive 256K which could easily be graded
up to 512K, the keys were soft, it had a brilliant typewriter keyboard, there
were 4 graphics modes, and what I thought was the best of all, two slots at the
front for disk drives, a bit like two letter boxes really! And the price for
all this... around £150.
It was the best 8 bit computer ever, it even ran Speccy software! It
was said to be out in April 89. So I waited and waited, but still no computer
mags had put any articles about it in their magazines. I thought it must have
been a joke until September. When all the magazines went Sam Coupé
potty.
Now the price is £169.95. So, then I was Sam Coupé all the way!
I asked my dad if I could have one for Xmas, and he said ‘Yes!’. So
in late November I sent away my cheque and the Coupé arrived just in
time for Christmas. I’ve been playing on the graphics program,
Flash! by Bo Jangeborg ever since, and have managed to draw a
picture of Sam (the cartoon character in the manual). The Coupé
is great and I would advise every Spectrum and any other computer user to get
one. Kevin Millington
Dear Lloyd
I have just purchased a Sam Coupé, and I am delighted to tell you
that it is a wonderful machine. The art package by Bo Jangeborg is
particularly impressive, I couldn’t tell the difference in graphical
capabilities between the Sam Coupé and my mate’s ST!
When I first got the computer, I loaded up one of my favourite Speccy
games, Batman the Movie — and it worked! No 128K music of
course, but still I was amazed. The game seemed to play with a slightly wider
screen than on the Speccy, but it made no difference whatsoever to the
playability of the game. I first became interested in the Coupé back in
March ’88 when Crash did a special feature on this machine.
It sounded impressive then, and it’s even more so now. At
£169.95, it is a steal, and I am sure it can compete successfully with the
16 bit machines on the market. I would like to see decent software support from
all the major software houses, because without a massive software backing, this
machine will be a failure.
But the Coupé does not deserve to become a failure. It is a technical
phenomenon, and has so much potential, it could even become a modern day
‘Spectrum’, but more successful (if that could ever happen) if it
has creditable support. So come on Ocean, US Gold, Gremlin, lets see
some decent Sam Coupé — dedicated software on the market.
Yours sincerely Kathryn Waidock
Dear Lloyd
I recently received the Sam Coupé and so far I am amazed with the
performance.
Doing 0–60 in 1.5 seconds this little number is magnificent. The demo
for this fantabulous computer is great and so is Flash! (the art programme),
but of course you know that, you’ve reviewed it. (Sort of, well
nearly).
TO NON COUPÉ OWNERS, USERS etc:Flash! brings together not only fantastic options and controls, but
mega colour as well. The colour cycle feature and animation routines are just
one example. However most of all the graphics and pictures you make on
Flash! are the best.
My favourite drawn on the Coupé have got to be the
‘ASTRONAUT’ and ‘KING TUT’ pictures. King Tut is superb
and the astronaut is out of this world. The arty way I can sum up the
Coupé, Flash, King Tut and the Astronaut picture is by saying ‘the
Coupé has landed and is here to stay’. James Taylor
GAMEMAKER
Dear Lloyd
I have read CRASH for ages now and I wonder if you can answer me one
question:
On the latest mega Powertape there is a brill, trill, mega cool 3D game
called Stars and Stripes.
On the info it says it was created using 3D Gamemaker.
Could you tell me who makes it (which company?), how much it is and where I
can get it from. Mark McCormack
3D Gamemaker is available from CRL.
LM
Well — there you go. They like it! If you get hold of a
SAM lets hear your views. The address as always is LLOYD MANGRAM’S FORUM,
LIVE CIRCUIT, CRASH. And remember — there’s £40 of software
for the best letter every month!
OCEAN GO HQ II
Arcade news abounds this month with Ocean not only
picking up Shadow Warriors but also Data East’s
Midnight Resistance and Taito’s Special Criminal
Investigations (Chase HQ II). In Midnight Resistance you play one
of the two stubble jawed heroes fighting their way through an enemy fortress
picking up increasingly powerful weapons along the way. Special Criminal
Investigations needs no introduction to Chase HQ fans: Tony and
Ray are back on the streets, but this time Ray can shoot at underworld members
from the car — and more!! Next Christmas, here we come, no doubt...
JOYSTICK AVALANCHE!
Just for you ’orrible little monsters who mangle more
joysticks than we in the CRASH office have had hot dinners, Spectravideo
announce a new range of sticks for 1990. Quickjoy’s are on the way and
the plan is to release 15 sticks throughout the year, and with prices ranging
between £10 and £40 there’s something for everyone’s
pocket.
AXE FOR VIRGIN!
Virgin/Mastertronic recently revealed that they have
picked up the licence for the Sega slash-’em-up Golden Axe. Set
in a mythological land it’s three brave heroes’ quest to kill Death
Adder who has kidnapped the King and his daughter. Our heroes have lost loved
ones at his hands too, so this provides the perfect reason for hunting him down
and killing him. Sounds hackingly novel...
WHO’S GOT WHAT UP THEIR SLEEVE, AND ALL THAT!!
Accolade don’t unfortunately have any arcade
conversions up their sleeves, but they do have the Spectrum versions of two
great racing games: The Cycles and Grand Prix Circuit should
be zooming past the finishing line soon! While Activision, determined to
make a noise, announce another excellent Sega product: Sonic
Boom! Boom indeed — you and the world’s most advanced jet
fighter defeat wave after wave of vertically scrolling enemy technology. And,
hold the presses, yes, it would appear they’ve grabbed the licences for
both R-Type II and Dragon Breed where you get to ride around
on a dragon. A fiery feast indeed...
SORRY, MRS SCOGGINS
Oops, it’s B-I-G cock-up time! History is indeed in the
making: apparently the kind souls at System 3 thought their latest
blockbuster Myth — History In The Making was such a toughie,
they included a helpline number in the packaging. But due to a misprint a Mrs
Scoggins in Bognor Regis has been pestered by an army of little monsters
ringing up saying ’ere missus, ’ow do you kill the dragon (etc).
System 3 extend their most grovelling apologies...
WHOOOPS! CORKY CASWELL APOLOGISES!
Cock-ups are rife this month: Mark Caswell, and by
default CRASH, is responsible for quite a biggie! Last issue he/we
claimed that X-Out from Rainbow Arts was written by
Probe. WRONG!!! Arc Developments are the gents responsible.
Corky is now dangling from the Ludlow gibbet (what’s left of him).
CHEETAH SPOTS POSSIBLE SLUR
Last issue, reader John Pallister moaned about the
lightgun he got with his Xmas Speccy — it was no good. This was the
Sinclair lightgun. Cheetah, who produce the Defender
lightgun, asked us to make it clear that their product is not bundled with any
Spectrum and that theirs works to a T — their faulty return rate being
less than .0003!!! That should knock the spots off anything, eh?
COMIX
It’s Mark (Corky) Caswell with a look at two old
favourites...
Star Trek
DC Comics 70p Monthly
After mentioning the Next Generation comic a couple of
issues back, a new Star Trek publication has come to my notice: new,
but charting the continuing voyages of the original crew.
The beautiful planet Chronian III may look peaceful, but it’s
taking all of Kirk’s skill to stop two warring factions
annihilating each other. The Chronians aren’t Kirk’s only problem: a
Klingon Bird Of Prey has just decloaked in front of the
Enterprise. Onboard is Kirk’s old enemy Captain Klaa, on a
seemingly suicidal attack, concentrating all his shield power onto the front of
his ship. Kirk’s problem now is to find a way to attack from the rear.
Rest assured that the crew of the Enterprise survive, but it will take all of
their experience to do so.
Coloured, reasonable US style talk and action for aficionados.
Conan The Barbarian
Marvel 70p Monthly
The character created in the 30s by Robert E Howard has
been given the Stan ‘The Man’ Lee treatment in this latest
comic for true believers.
Conan meets up with Rasu, officer in the Turanian royal
guard, with a tale to tell: a strange man called Mustafa upon becoming
third-in-command of the army required undying loyalty from his officers. Rasu
and friends refused, and now he’s the only one left alive. But it seems
he won’t live to see the dawn — he and Conan are attacked by
strange subterranean creatures...
Not as good as the early mono versions from the States. Colour is too
insipid for the action muscleman.
