Wizard's Lair

Producer: Bubble Bus
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £6.99
Language: 48K
Author: Steven Crow

The author of this game may sound familiar to CRASH readers because he also wrote a previous CRASH SMASH, Poppysoft's Factory Breakout. This new game is nothing like the previous one - what it is inescapably like however, is Atic Atac and graphically at times like Sabre Wulf. So similar is the basic theme and graphic appearance, that accusations of copying are bound to fly, but there's nothing wrong with taking a good idea and developing it, if the result is as good or better - and it remains to be seen what readers think of this.

Wizard's Lair is an arcade adventure with 256 locations on seven levels which are interconnected by trapdoors and lifts. The story involves Pot Hole Pete who, while on a subterranean ramble, stumbles across the Wizard's Lair, a place inhabited by numerous and various monsters of appalling speed and determination to kill. The overall object is to collect all the pieces of the Golden Lion. The screen view is that of Atic Atac, i.e. an overhead perspective view of each location with all its four walls visible. In a similar vein doors open and shut according to their own whim, although Pete may pass through some without hindrance. Some locations are described by Sabre Wulf-like vegetation, while others are drawn as caverns.

Game features include the collection of food for energy, weapons, gold, gems, keys and the bits of the Golden Lion. Now and again Pete comes across a spell scroll, but the spell can only be used if he possesses enough gold. The spell allows you to gain either more weapons, more energy, convert to gems, have more keys or magic rings. Each of the objects serves a function, and one of the game objectives is to discover what everything does. Across the top of the screen there is a score line and bar codes for energy, weapons and gold, while down the right side legends tell you how many lives you have left, and how many keys, rings and gems you have collected. Scoring is done as a percentage of the adventure completed, time taken, objects collected and, of course, pieces of the Golden Lion found.

COMMENTS

Control keys: 3 options are selectable being: O/P,Q/A,M or QWERT or 67890, and if you prefer, you can define the keys yourself
Joystick: Kempston, Protek, AGF, Sinclair 2
Keyboard play: very responsive, nice to have so many selections
Use of colour: excellent
Graphics: excellent, fast and ultra-smooth
Sound: excellent
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 5
Screens: 256

There is no doubt that this an Atic Atac-like game, but saying that, it is distinctly different in many ways. The graphics seem to me to be somewhat better than those in the Ultimate game, they are much more varied, colourful and characteristic. Each of your enemies has its own character which allows you to build up tactics against them to defeat them. I like the way you can run out of weapons as well as energy and have to search for them as well as the Golden Lion. The game seemed to me to be a much faster playing game than Atic Atac with much more going on and gets very frantic at times. There are many doors for which you must have keys, while others are opened on touch. The main reason why I enjoyed it, is that there is so much activity going on all the while. Overall, a really professionally put together game that could be called an up-date on Atic Atac with more locations, more to do with smashing graphics - a brilliant piece of programming - a winner. Buy it!

Yes, this is definitely like Atic Atac, but it is also different. It's actually much faster for one thing, and there are other differences. Monsters often appear by coming through the doors and taking you by surprise. Your character is not drawn from the side but in overhead perspective too. He can run out of weaponry, which is alarming! The addition of spells enabling you to convert your gold to other things is a useful addition. There are many more locations and some of these have rivers running through them which turns the greater maze into a smaller, dissected one as well. The locations held in memory appear as fast as those in Atic Atac, but the line drawn caverns are redrawn each time. This is done very fast, and if it looks a bit more ragged than in the Ultimate game, it does, however, give you a valuable second's breathing space - it also allows for the extra locations. In all, the graphics are of an excellent standard, extremely fast and flicker-free, imaginative and well drawn as well as colourful. Sound, too, is excellent with a good synthesised sounding tune and loads of noisy spot effects. Wizard's Lair is bound to keep players at it for ages, just surviving as well as mapping! I enjoyed it immensely.

Wizard's Lair has an unusual fast loader, which makes the border flash in wide bands rather like some of the recent Commodore 64 loaders. It also draws the title page very quickly. There is a super key and joystick option menu, and the user definable key menu uses a large graphic of the Spectrum, colouring selected keys in red when you press them. This quality of design goes on into the high-energy game with its Ultimate-standard graphics and sound. It is, of course very similar to Atic Atac but does not suffer by the comparison at all in my opinion. There are still many things to discover - I don't know what happens when you turn purple yet! It's fast, playable and highly addictive and I'm sure Bubble Bus, who have done almost nothing before for the Spectrum, must be very pleased with it. I know I am.

OLDIES UNLIMITED

This month see the inimitable PHIL KING scouring through the CRASH back issues for that crucial information on all the rereleases between now and mid-November. Take it away Phil...

Wizards Lair
Producer: Bubble Bus
Out of Pocket: £1.99
Original Rating: 94%

Written by Steve Crow of Starquake fame, this was one of his earliest efforts and came in for quite a bit of stick from some quarters due to its resemblance to the classic Atic Atac. Undoubtedly, its appearance is uncannily similar to Ultimate's arcade adventure as Pothole Pete scurries around rooms and caverns, searching for the four pieces of The Golden Lion.

Initially striking is the amount of colour used - it's absolutely psychedelic (wow, man!). Within this attractive environment, the rather mis-shapen, Morph-like hero attracts the distinctly hostile attention of a number of different nasties aiming to sap his energy. Axe-wielding executioners and sword-swinging knights are especially dangerous, contact with them means the instantaneous loss of a life. To despatch these terrible demons back to their graves, Pete is equipped with a limited number of axes which, when thrown, bounce around the room killing off enemies Atic Atac-style.

However Wizard's Lair does contain quite a few extra features, such as the spell scrolls which can be bought with collected gold. These allow the player to choose between a number of various items, including gems, gold, weapons and extra energy.

Although the action is very fast, and the playability good (partly due to its similarity to Atic Atac), Wizard's Lair is beginning to show its age. After over three years of arcade adventures such an old game doesn't hold the attention as well as it did originally. But it's still playable enough in the short term.

BARGAIN BASEMENT

Cheaper than a speeding bullet. Leaps small molehills at a single bound! Is it a bird? Is it a Wankel rotary engine? No, it's 'budget king' Marcus Berkmann with the latest in budget software.

Blue Ribbon
£1.99
Reviewer: Marcus Berkmann

Ah yes, the most re-released game in Spectrum history. When I used to do the occasional round-up of Speccy compilations (in the days before every game appeared on a compilation about ten minutes after its initial release). I'd usually give 100 to 30 that one of them would include Wizard's Lair, the only Bubble Bus game that ever made much of an impression. In fact it's a dead spit of Atic Atac, the olde worlde arcade adventure that Ultimate put out in about the Jurassic age. Great stuff in 1984, but dull beyond belief in these more demanding times. Essentially you just wander about collecting things, making maps, and wondering why you didn't buy a rip-off of Knight Lore instead. Snore city.

Roger: Having finally overcome Pothole Pete's frustrating reluctance to LOAD, let alone summon up the necessary bottle for tackling many rooms of the wicked Wiz's extensive and well-appointed Lair, I was somewhat less than enthralled by this Bubblebus offering. Apart from being as bored with a predictable ragbag of Sword'n'Sorcery imagery, I found the graphics rather lurid, the rooms unmemorable and the action mentally untaxing.

Pete's quest involves hunting pieces of the 'Golden Lion' - which I always thought was a public house but apparently in this game it ain't. Shame. Along the way he must collect the necessary mystic Weetabix to sustain his battle against nasties and keep the jolly old doors opening when required. Energy, ammunition and objects in stock are recorded on-screen, as are remaining lives. Probably the most entertaining facet of Wizard's Lair is guessing how many other mediocre games it reminds you of. Pass me the dungeon key, mum, cos I want to go home... 1/5 MISS

Dave: If this had come out at the same time as Atic Atac, Ultimate would've looked very silly. Now the idea's rather old hat and even the superior graphics don't make up for that 2.5/5 HIT

Ross: Take a dash of Atic Atac ideas, mix in more than a smattering of Sabre Wulf graphics and what've you got? - not a lot. 2/5 HIT

BUBBLING UNDER...

And if you weren't stunned by the four previous YS Megagames I chose, here's six more worth looking at!

Blue Ribbon
£1.99
Reviewer: David McCandless

An Atic-Atac clone that drew parallel with its idol. Polished, fast and colourful - brilliant. First released: November '85.

Publisher: Bubble Bus
Price: £6.99
Memory: 48K
Joystick: Sinclair, Kempston

A first reaction to Wizard's Lair, from Bubble Bus, is to check that Atic Atac has not been loaded by mistake, as the game is so obviously similar.

You play Pothole Pete who by accident stumbles across the wizard's lair and seems doomed to remain in the underground maze. Fortunately, he remembers a dreadful little rhyme he once saw on a cassette inlay which offers a clue to his escape: "If this lair thou doest uncover, four pieces of lion thou must discover. Only then may you escape past the lion that guards the gate." Sounds familiar?

Like Atic Atac, each room is viewed from above giving an impression of playing from the game's blueprint. There are many hostile guardians to overcome - easy enough as Pete occasionally stumbles across abandoned weapons. He also needs to keep up his energy and to that end must eat any food he discovers. Gold, diamonds and other valuable objects should also be collected as they will be needed later on.

There are several levels and those can be reached via magic lifts and wardrobe lifts. Wardrobe lifts take you straight to the next level and it is wise to note the names of those as the magic lift will ask for the name of the level you want.

A number of original features included in Wizard's Lair make the game more enjoyable. There is a variation in the scenery of each cavern and in some screens the vegetation border has been taken straight from Sabre Wulf with the same colourful jungle foliage. The speed of play is the same though certain screens in Wizard's Lair do take longer to draw.

Each room has between one and four exits which open and close at random. However, in many rooms there are well hidden secret exits. One sure sign that there is such an exit is to watch from where the guardians enter.

The status display around the edge of the screen is clearly laid out. At a glance you can tell how much in the way of weapons, energy and gold you have left and objects collected.

Although the game is plagiaristic in the extreme, it is well programmed and enjoyable. The colour and graphics are as sharp and defined as Atic Atac and the few extra features, including a river which meanders through many screens, effectively dividing them, make the game more challenging.

MACHINE: Spectrum
SUPPLIER: Bubble Bus
PRICE: £6.99

This must be the best game yet from Bubble Bus! Programmer Stephen Crow readily admits that he was inspired by Ultimate's Atic Atac when writing the game - but what's wrong with taking an idea and developing it? Just look at all the JSW clones around.

Anyway, on to the game which revolves around the adventures of a character called Pothole Pete who has accidentally discovered the Wizard's Lair while on a pot-holing expedition.

Pete has heard rumours about this place and knows that scattered around are bits of a magical golden lion - and sets out to discover them. But the Lair is inhabited by some really horrible monsters who guard the golden lion.

Pete can collect weapons, food, spells, keys and gold during his quest - in true arcade adventure style. He'll need them all before completing this challenge.

The graphics are terrific - similar in style to Atic Atic and Sabre Wulf. Animation is smooth and flicker free and the sound is good too. Some screens have Sabre Wulf-style jungle while others have rocks or Atic Atac rooms.

Each of the nasties has its own particular characteristics which you must learn before engaging in battle, which adds to the challenge of the game.

A worthy sequel to Atic Atac. Wizards Lair is extremely well presented, great fun to play and terrific value for money.

PRICE: £6.99
GAME TYPE: Arcade

Once upon a time, well over a year ago, a company called Ultimate brought out two games called Atic Atac and Sabre Wulf for the Spectrum. Now Bubble Bus have produced Wizard's Lair, which bears a very very strong resemblance to both games. Atic Atac meets Sabre Wulf.

It is great fun. The graphics are excellent. Move from room to room on a variety of levels, cross the river which flows through the rooms and caverns, avoid the knight and the grim reaper, avoid or zap the energy sapping baddies, collect all objects you find, collect the four parts of the Great Lion, find the exit, and escape. Phew.

Bubble Bus cannot claim originality. What they can claim is that they have produced a very good game. It is fast-moving, it is difficult, there is lots to see and lots to do.

Produced for the 48K Spectrum by Bubble Bus.

ZX Spectrum
Bubble Bus
Arcade Adventure
£6.99

Wizard's Lair by Stephen Crow is a turn-up for the books as far as Bubble Bus is concerned. It should appeal to fans of Atic Atac, which is a roundabout way of saying that what it lacks in originality or inspiration, it makes up for in excellence of implementation.

The situation is certainly pretty hopeless inside, beset as you are by the usual nauseating bunch of dragons and strange blobs and if you're really unlucky a huge purple or occasionally green cutout serpent.

Objects to be collected include treasure chests, but what you are really trying to accumulate is pieces of the golden lion. There are five of these just lion around all over the place. There are also keys, diamonds and rings.

ARCADE

Clare Edgeley blasts her way through a wealth of challenging software.

Get fit quick just about sums up the last 12 months. 1985 has seen enough sports games to put you off doing anything more strenuous than lifting a pint glass, at least for the next year.

Since the 1984 Olympics, we have competed in every imaginable sport: played footie with Bobby Charlton, run rings round Daley Thompson and been KO'd by big Frank... There is hardly an action sport left which has not been turned into a money spinner, with a Sportsman's name attached. What is wrong with Tessa Sanderson's Javelin anyway?

Daley Thompson's Decathlon was first to the tape back in November '84 and notched up a gold for Ocean when it jumped to number one in the charts for a few weeks. You have to compete in all ten events of the decathlon, taking part in the high jump, long jump and pole vault as well as track events. The 400m is the most gruelling and to keep up speed you must pump the joystick back and forth, which may result in a touch of cramp. The graphics are colourful and the game does give a taste of the real thing.

Melbourne House also attempted a compilation of events with Sports Hero, although it was nowhere near as successful as Daley Thompson. Sports Hero has you competing in four events - 100m sprint, long jump, 110m hurdles and the pole vault, over three difficulty levels. To gain speed you must pummel the run button and press the jump button before takeoff. Aching fingers seem to be the norm in that type of game and in many cases you will end up with a sick keyboard as well. There is no sound and the graphics are not fantastic, although the scrolling background is interesting. A few more events should have been possible.

More recently, Brian Jacks' Superstar Challenge from Martech reached the top ten, although it came a poor second to Imagine's Hypersports. Both contain a weird hotch-potch of events - some interesting, others boring. Brian Jacks gives you a pretty raw deal. For £7.95 you can immerse yourself in such exciting events as squat thrusts and arm dips. Those may be thrilling to watch on TV but on computer they are about as much fun as a wet blanket.

Hypersports is a different ball game altogether. Licensed from the arcade game of the same name, the computer version is very like the original, although some events lack imagination. When swimming - or floundering, if you forget to breathe - instead of tearing down to the end of the pool, the end moves towards you. Clay pigeon shooting is certainly one of the better events, in which you must shoot the skeets through automatically moving sights. The vault is tricky and rather than vaulting as far as possible from the horse, you are likely to end up on your head beside it. The graphics are generally thought to be more professional than Daley Thompson's Decathlon, though whether the game is better is a moot point.

Jonah Barrington's Squash from New Generation is an interesting concept which seems to have fallen flat. Knock a miniscule black ball round the 3D court and try to beat Jonah at his own game. Jonah is one of Britain's leading squash players. Much was made of the fact that a taped recording of Jonah's voice calls out the scores. Unfortunately, all you get is an unintelligible gabble and it is easier to read them on the score board anyway.

We awarded imagine's World Series Baseball three stars in the June issue, which just goes to show that our forecasts are not always spot on. In June, July and August it remained at number three in the charts, only dropping to eleventh place in September.

The game opens with a traditional rendering of the tAmerican National Anthem. Then play starts, with one team pitching and the other batting. You can play with a friend or against the computer, adjusting the speed and direction of the ball when pitching and the strength and lift of your swing when batting. Loving attention has been paid to detail with a large scoreboard displaying genuine adverts between innings.

Last, but not least, boxing - the sport for ugly mugs. Cauliflower ears and battered brains are only half the fun - just think what you can do to your opponent. A few months ago three games were released simultaneously on the back of Punch Out!!, a highly successful arcade game.

Elite's Frank Bruno's Boxing knocks Rocco and Knockout for six, and is easily the most playable and realistic, offering more possible moves and a greater number of competitors than either of the other games. It is also the only boxing game featuring a sporting personality - Bruno helped in an advisory capacity during production which explains the close attention to detail.

Gremlin Graphic's Rocco squares up well in the ring, though you will find it is not as easy to dodge your opponent as it is in Frank Bruno, and there are only three competitors. The scoring system is simple and the graphics are the clearest of the three games. It is worth playing and annihilates Alligata's Knockout in the ring.

Knockout is appalling and lacks any addictive qualities. It is the only game which uses colour - the others being mono - although that could have been sacrificed for extra playability. Other than left and right punches to the body and head, there is no facility for ducking and dodging, but at least you can amble away if the going gets too rough. You tend to spend a great deal of time seeing stars after being KO'd. At least it lives up to its name.

The legendary success of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy lives on. Platform and ladders games are still the rage and dozens of versions have landed in the Sinclair User offices over the last 12 months. Two years ago Manic Miner was a sure recipe for success, and because it was ahead of its time a lot of money was made. Programming techniques are now more sophisticated and with games like Alien 8 and Spy vs Spy around, who needs a Manic Miner spin-off?

However, they are here to stay and some at least are worth the money you pay for them. One of the more successful games is Strangeloop, released late in '84, which has gone a long way to repairing the damage done to Virgin by Sheepwalk - one of its earliest and most awful games.

A half-crazy computer is the source of all your troubles in Strangeloop and, playing the part of a metagalactic repairman, you must shut it down. There are over 240 rooms filled with lethal swarf which attacks and damages your space suit. A jetbike waits somewhere and will make your task easier but you have to locate and refuel it first. Objects picked up will help with various tasks and friendly robots will patch your torn suit. The graphics are colourful and simple. and there is even a facility for saving your position on tape, to be resumed later when you have recharged your batteries.

Jet Set Willy II is the biggest rip-off of them all as Software Projects has done little other than add about 70 extra screens to the original. Essentially it is the same as Jet Set Willy which was launched back in 1984. The plot is similar; clear up the house before going to bed and avoid the hundreds of lethal thingummies found in each room. Despite being little more than a re-release, Jet Set Willy II is currently doing very well in the charts.

Despite the lack of original thought, if you are still hooked on the challenge of platform and ladders, try The Edge's Brian Bloodaxe. A loopy game if ever there was one. Brian, a viking soldier has been trapped in a block of ice for centuries, and as it thaws, he leaps out shivering, but ready to conquer the British. Flapping 100 seats, deadly ducks and mad Scotsmen are a few of the dangers that lurk on each level. Objects to collect and chasms to be leapt add to his daunting task. Brian Bloodaxe is at least as good as Jet Set Willy, with much visual humour and bright, clear graphics.

Hewson, which has made a name for itself in recent months with arcade adventures such as Dragontorc and simulations like Heathrow ATC, must have had a brain storm late last year with Technician Ted, which is totally unlike the semi-serious games released since. Guide Ted around a silicon chip factory while looking for a plate of the real things. Pick up knives, forks and other necessary implements and avoid several nasty traps. Easy to play and reasonably addictive, Technician Ted is not one of Hewson's best games but has done quite well in the platform and ladders stakes.

Artic's Mutant Monty is more sophisticated than Technician Ted and includes some extremely tricky screens requiring split second timing - if you are slightly out, a lemon or some other incongruous object will squash you flat, and then where will the beautiful maiden be? it is a constant source of amusement that so much work goes into preparing intricate story lines bearing absolutely no resemblance to the game you are playing.

On the whole rip-offs are uniformly mediocre in standard and not the sort of game you would buy for lasting playability. Real fanatics will find Activision's Toy Bizarre and Micromega's Jasper a doddle, and probably have more fun playing blindfold with their hands tied behind their backs. Both games are average and employ run-of-the-mill graphics. In Toy Bizarre, the player leaps round the levels of a toy factory popping balloons while being chased by a gang of irate toys.

Meanwhile, in Jasper much the same thing is going on, only this time you are a furry rat collecting money bags and treasure chests while avoiding furry cats, rabbits and other hairy animals. Platform games are usually fast moving and it is generally easier to keep up with the pace using a joystick. Unless you have very strong fingers, Jasper is doomed as your only option is to use the Spectrum's sticky keyboard.

Arcade adventures have come into their own in recent months, some remaining for weeks at a time in the top ten. With the advent of games like Gyron, fewer people are willing to put up with games like Jet Pac - classics two years ago but now gathering dust in cupboards across the country.

Superior graphics is the name of the game and the Spectrum is being stretched to its limits in a constant effort to improve software. Some games combine excellent graphics with originality, though equally large numbers have been launched on the back of the successful few. Ultimate's Knight Lore, Underwurlde and Alien 8 are three successful examples and Nightshade is expected to do as well.

Underwurlde is rather like a vertical Atic Atac featuring the Sabre-man who must escape a series of chambers while avoiding hosts of nasties. The pace is fast, the screens colourful - a devious game.

Knight Lore and Alien 8 could, at first glance, be mistaken for the same game. Featuring superb 3D grahpics, Knight Lore's hero must search a maze of rooms and find the ingredients of a spell to lift a curse placed upon him. Each room presents a challenge and one wrong move spells instant death. The scenario in Alien 8 is different from its predecessor and the quality of graphics is even higher.

Wizard's Lair from Bubble Bus is an Atic Atac lookalike with shades of Sabre Wulf and is an excellent game, even if you have seen the same sort of thing before. Bubble Bus has made some attempt to change the scenario which covers three levels, accessed via a magic wardrobe lift.

The programmers of Firebird's Cylu were influenced by Alien 8. Cylu is in the Silver range and at £2.50 represents very good value - it is almost as frustrating as the original but the graphics are a little patchy. Ultimate should be proud that so many companies want to copy their games, though it's a crying shame that those same software houses cannot put their combined programming expertise to good use, and produce something original of their own.

Games featuring film scenarios and famous names are often the subject of massive advertising campaigns, and Domark's A View to a Kill was no exception. Played in three parts you must guide the intrepid 007 through the streets of Paris, San Francisco and into Silicon Valley to stop the evil Max Zorin from tipping chip valley into the drink. The game received mixed reviews but, at the time of writing, it had just made it into the top ten - probably due to the James Bond name. It is an exciting game but lacks much visual detail.

The Rocky Horror Show from CRL is already sliding down the charts and does not live up to its namesakes, the film and play. Rescue Janet or Brad from the Medusa machine by finding 15 component parts of the de-Medusa machine. It sounds riveting. Your task seems enormous as you can carry only one part of the machine at a time and if you expect to meet normal sane characters in the castle, forget it. More could have been made of the graphics and the action is slow in places, but it is worth playing if only to meet Magenta who will strip you of your clothes. Wow!

Beyond's Spy vs Spy is unique and features simultaneous play between two players on a split screen. Take part in the zany humour of MAD magazine's two famous characters, the black spy and the white spy, each trying to stop the other finding secret documents in a foreign embassy. Set whacky traps as you ransack each room before escaping to the airport. It is fun, highly addictive and very amusing. Buying the licence to films, books and names is an expensive business, and at last one company has made the most of it with an excellent game.

It is interesting to note that when one unusual game is launched others of a similar nature swiftly follow. Perhaps all programmers follow the same thought waves. Last summer we had an unusual trio of games, reviewed in May, June and August issues. Two are based on the human body - not the most obvious subject for a game.

Quicksilva's Fantastic Voyage is a thrilling game based on the sixties film of the same name, in which Raquel Welch is injected into the body of a brain damaged scientist. Unfortunately, your mini-sub breaks up and you have only one hour to locate all the missing parts. Searching is a novel experience as you rush from atrium to stomach to lung and heart in a never ending circle. Finding your way to the brain is difficult as it is not signposted and the turning is easy to miss. Dine on red blood cells to keep up your energy and clear any infections which frequently break out - normally in the most inaccessible parts of the scientist's anatomy. A great way to learn about your bits, and where they are situated.

Icon's Frankenstien 2000 bears little resemblance to Fantastic Voyage, though it is played in a monster's body. Whoever heard of monsters smoking fags? This one obviously did and that is probably why it's dead. On reaching the lungs, battle with cigarette packets, avoid hopping frogs in the trachea, and fire at any oxygen molecules it is your misfortune to encounter. The graphics are uninspired and the game is simple.

Genesis' Bodyworks was reviewed in June and it is difficult to know what to make of it. It is hardly an arcade game - more of an illustrated, educational tour of the workings of a human body, describing the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems.

Space Invaders was one of the first great games on the Spectrum and software houses have never tired of the theme. Space games crop up in all categories; simulations, adventures and arcade adventures. Activision has even brought out Ballblazer, a sports game played in space. Way out!

Moon Cresta from Incentive is a traditional game in which you shoot everything in sight, and then dock with another space ship before taking off to do exactly the same on the next level. With complex games like Starion around one would think that games of this calibre would flop. But no, there must be some people around whose brains are in their trigger fingers. Surprisingly, Moon Cresta is creeping up the charts. Long live the aliens.

Melbourne House's Starion takes space travel seriously and combines a number of features, including the traditional shoot 'em up, word puzzles and anagrams. Kill off enemy space ships and collect the letters they drop, then unscramble those to form a word. Fly down to earth and answer a puzzle to change the course of Earth's history. There are 243 events to rewrite - and that amounts to a lot of flying time. Starion is well up in the top ten.

System 3 has come up with the goods against all opposition with the dreadful Death Star Interceptor, which has proved surprisingly popular. If you are really into boring games, this is right up your alley. Played in three sections, first take off into outer space, next avoid assorted aliens and then, as in Star Wars, plant a bomb in the exhaust port of an enemy death star. It is all thrilling stuff.

Quicksilva's Glass is amazing to look at. Psychedelic colours make you want to blink in this repetitive but addictive game. There are hundreds of screens to blast through, and whole sections are spent dodging columns as you hurtle through a 3D spacescape. The rest of the time is spent shooting radar antennae off unsuspecting space ships. The graphics make up for any limitations in the game and demonstrates that a traditional shoot 'em up need not be boring.

This final section consists of a number of games which cannot be categorised. A strange mixture falls into this area - many are shoot 'em ups in some form or another, others require an element of cunning and strategy.

Gyron from Firebird, a Sinclair User classic, is a unique game in which you must travel through a complex maze, dodging massive rolling balls and keeping a watchful eye on the guardian towers to be round at each junction. Those shoot at you, but approaching from another angle may change the direction of their fire. As there are two mazes to get through, it should take months. Gyron is likely to deter arcade nuts, but for those with staying power, it is an attractive proposition. It did make a brief appearance in the top ten at the time of writing, but has since fallen away.

US Gold's Spy Hunter, based on the arcade game of the same name, is a faithful replica of the original. It all takes place on the road as you drive your souped-up sports car through a variety of traps laid down by the baddies. Equip your motor with a variety of weapons, obtainable from a weapons van which you drive into Italian Job style. Rockets, smoke screens and oil slicks are all strongly reminiscent of 007.

Elite's Airwolf is a game that we found so hard as to be almost impossible, and which everyone else seemed to find a cinch - and told us so in no uncertain terms! Try if you can, to fly your chopper down a long, narrow tunnel to rescue five scientists stuck at the end. Blast your way through walls, which rematerialise as fast as you can destroy them - a well nigh impossible task for those whose trigger fingers and joysticks have suffered from the likes of Daley Thomson's Decathlon. Airwolf has done better than we predicted. You can't win them all.

Ghostbusters, the mega box office hit last Christmas was a prime candidate for a computer game and Activision was first to the ghost. Featuring all the best parts of the film, it was an instant success and Activision did well to launch it simultaneously with the movie. Drive around the city coaxing ghouls into your ghost trap but listen out for a Marshmallow Alert. That giant sticky marshmallow man is quite capable of flattening whole streets unless halted. Greenbacks play an important part in the game as you have to buy your equipment to get started, and earn enough prize money for the number of ghosts caught, in order to take part in a final showdown with Zuul.

Finally Tapper from US Gold - another Sinclair User classic. Tapper is a simple but refreshing game centered round an all-American soda bar. You play a harassed barman, who must serve his customers with drinks. Easy at first as you slide them down the bar but wait until they have gulped down the fizzy stuff. Running backwards and forwards between four bars, make sure the customers have got a drink, and catch the empties as they come skidding back. There are three difficulty levels, each one faster and more hectic than the last. Tapper is moving up the charts and we are sure that it will go far towards refreshing the parts other games cannot reach.

The fierce competition over the last 12 months has chased many companies into liquidation. There have, however, been successes, particularly with a number of small software houses bringing new blood into the market. That can only be seen as a healthy sign.

The lack of QL games software is the only disappointment. Where is it? Other than a few basic programs such as Reversi, which cut its eye teeth on the ZX-81 years ago, there has been a dearth of games for this flagging micro. If games of the quality of Knight Lore can be produced for the Spectrum, why not for the QL?