Brief overview of games.
FLIP IT!
Probably the first game of the reversi type. Considering that many have X-REVERSY, this game is of no interest. You can play against the computer or with two players.
DOC-THE DESTROYER.
A magnificent game! It will appeal to all fans of role-playing and interactive English-language adventures. The game features arcade inserts — fighting against an opponent. In battle, two indicators are taken into account: strength and health. Commands are given by choosing from the proposed options, and although I completed this game, I believe there are still many mysteries left in it. At the end of the game (upon its victorious completion), you are offered to save your hero's character to a tape recorder, which suggests the existence of a second part of this game.
ALLADIN'S CAVE.
In this game, you need to collect diamonds in a cave (at least in the first level). You are hindered by a spider, a bird, and falling rocks. But they all move according to some system, so you can outsmart them. Despite immortality, I couldn't advance beyond the first level, as after dying you start the level over.
CHINESE PATIENCE (only 48kb)
To be honest, I haven't encountered games of this type before. You play solitaire against the computer. The one who assembles it first wins.
YUCAN
You control an airplane. Your task is to fly over enemy territory and move on to the next level. One thing I can say for sure: it's better to play it with immortality, but try not to die — it's more interesting that way. The game itself resembles well-known "shooters" from a top-down view.
WINTER OLIMPIAD 88
The Winter Olympics of 88. You can choose from the following sports: downhill (I never completed it); biathlon; bobsleigh; ski jumping; slalom. It can be played by one to nine people. The only drawback is the inability to choose the computer as an opponent, as competing against yourself is not interesting.
MAGIC BLOCK.
A STAKTRIS, RED STONE type game. The game has good music and pleasant clouds moving across the sky. There's not much more to say about it.
KOZEL DEMO.
A demonstration of the torturous game KOZEL. Taken from the magazine ODISSEY#1.
POOL
Billiards, although I personally prefer VIDEO POOL.
TURBO KART RACER
Car racing. Top-down view. Of course, this game is not SUPER CARS 128, but it's playable.
STRYKER.
Don't get excited seeing the name of the company CODEMASTERS. This is not another game like Dizzy. In my opinion, this is a true SWITCHBLADE. Only instead of a sword, you'll have to collect scrolls.
CROSFIRE.
This game will appeal to shooting enthusiasts. Kill the bandits, no peaceful citizens. The task: survive for a certain amount of time. There's nothing special about it.
MARGO PUZZLE
A magnificent, but not difficult, logical game. The game has a help option where you can read a description and novella related to it. The game uses 36 pieces that form a 6x6 field. Your task is to place the pieces in the corresponding wells (four pieces in the lower right corner) in order. The placement goes in sequence: from 1 to 9. Only those pieces "fall" into the well that have an empty row on the right side. Pieces can be connected to equal values if there is an empty cell on the right and the same number on the left. Play this game! You won't regret it!
FISHER
Translated as "fisherman." Your task is to catch as many fish as possible: crucians, catfish, etc. For this, you can use two nets and a fishing rod. At the end, when you run out of worms, the program will calculate the total weight of the caught fish and evaluate it.
TALISMAN
This text game was made by RAY, and a little was written about it in ADVENTURER 4. It was stated there that G.A.C. is garbage, that QUILL is much better. This can be debated, but the topic of this article is by no means a discussion of the merits of programs for creating your own text adventures. The topic is the game TALISMAN, its strengths and glitches. The strengths include the storyline. The game is based on a book by Simak. Therefore, there are almost no glitches in the storyline. Personally, I support the creation of games based on books, movies, etc. It's better to come up with something of your own than to port from other platforms. The game is quite simple to pass, and the most complex actions (or rather one action) relate to a deceptive path. I hope you read the backstory. For those who did not or do not have this game, I will explain: "Many, many centuries ago, a struggle was waged between Evil and Good. You find yourself in a time when Evil began to prevail. Your father found an old scroll written in an ancient language. Having deciphered a small part of it, your father realized that these were diaries proving the existence of a man named Jesus. You must deliver the scroll to a person who can fully translate them."
So, you start in the family castle and see a sword and a scroll in front of you. I warn you right away! Time is limited, and it's better not to make unnecessary actions, otherwise, you may die of hunger at the very end of the game. Take the sword and the scroll and go east, movement commands must be written almost in full. This is the first glitch. It's unclear why RAY did not create synonyms for movement commands consisting of one letter, i.e. north — с, south — ю, west — з, east — в. Therefore, if you write the command "з", the program will interpret it as loading. The second glitch. At the beginning of the game, immediately after starting the program, you need to load the loading twice. The first time, for some reason, the program does not recognize it. Let's return to the gameplay. Go to the castle, talk to the guards, enter inside, have a snack (take and eat honey and bread) and go west. Then kill the master, exit the castle, and in the location with suspicious bushes, give the command "look". Talk to the appearing person and take the cheese, but do not eat it. Then go to the tomb, inspect it, enter it, and give the command "search". You can skip this, as in my opinion, the talisman is a deceptive item. Go to the hermit and talk to him. In the garden, gather vegetables and weed the weeds (gather vegetables, weed the beets). I also found no use for the staff, although I do not rule out the possibility that without it, you might die in some location. In the church, talk to the goblin. Rest in the hermit's cave. Then find the old woman Meg and give her the cheese. After wandering through the enchanted area, you will get out of there and find yourself near the Castle of Sorcerers. Talk to Diana, give her the talisman. Remember what is written on the parchment. Continue your journey and use the powder to clear the path. Actually, this command (use) is used too often in this program, which makes it lose some appeal. If I named a glitch, I will also mention a strength — a beautiful font. And as for the wandering island in the locations, I don’t know how to categorize it. If the hero did not die of hunger and did not drown quite often, it could be considered a strength. Find the island. Talk to the women and have a snack (this won't save you for long). Go to the swarm of the Horde and, if you want to die, use the talisman. If not, use the scroll and read the congratulatory inscription. The game is saved only by the fact that it is written in Russian, has a decent storyline, and you can correct it when typing the command line using DELETE and the CURSOR + CAPS LOCK keys. Everything else could have been done better. However, if this is indeed a demo, then it's acceptable. But then the question arises: "Where is the actual game?" It seems RAY threw in the towel before the difficulties he faced while working with G.A.C. What a pity! On this pessimistic note, I conclude this article (I wonder, will it be needed by anyone?).
If something doesn't work, call after 17:00 at 49-62-02. Ask for Maxim.
All those who want to contact regarding new games (requirement: you must provide something of YOUR OWN) call 49-62-02 after 17:00. Ask for Maxim or Shurik.
Contents of the publication: Micro #01
- Краткий обзор игр
A review of various ZX Spectrum games from 1998, highlighting gameplay features and unique aspects of each game.
- Новости
An overview of upcoming games and software releases for ZX Spectrum, including Black Raven and Animation version 3. Challenges in software distribution and humorous incidents with disk shipments. Insights into current developments and community contributions.
- От редакции - Александр Тертышный
Introduction to the first issue of Micro #01, discussing its creation, contributors, and aspirations for future issues.
- Проходилки
Analysis of the text adventure game Robin of Sherwood, its gameplay features, and issues with disk version saves. Exploration of the game's objectives and strategies. Tips for successful navigation and problem-solving within the game.
- Проходилки
Analysis of a demo game influenced by 'Star Heritage' with a mystical plot. Highlights include a load indicator, direction-based movement, and quality graphics. Notable limitations involve a limited vocabulary and lack of memory save function.
- Проходилки
Guide on game mechanics and strategies in a battle-focused fantasy game, detailing unit strengths and tactical advantages.
- Разное
Analysis of glitches in ARTSTUDIO 128 and comparison of two versions of the software. Discussion includes version differences and installation options. Editorial note on non-reproducibility of glitches.
- Разное
Discussion on the scarcity of 5'25 disks, their rising prices, and the transition to 3'5 disks.
