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SPOOKS
Mastertronic,
£1.99 cass, joystick with keys
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O
Large, excellent value exploration game |
This
is the first 64 arcade adventure to come from Mastertronic,
and hopefully it won't be their last.
This
particular exploration takes place within a large mansion
and its surroundings. You are shown a small portion
of the plan view of the playing area, which flicks to
a new area when you reach the edge of a room. To the
side of this is a box, displaying a map of your progress
through the mansion.
Within
the mansion lie several musical boxes, which you must
find and use to escape. Getting these boxes is made
difficult by the number of locations you need to explore,
and the presence of some ghosts.
These
ghosts can be disposed of temporarily by throwing an
object at them. You throw an object by selecting the
throw option, the object you want to throw and the angle
at which you want to throw it.
At
the bottom of the screen, a description of the current
room is displayed along with a comment about how things
are going -- for example when you get killed by a spook,
the comment is 'a ghostly death'.
You aren't carrying anything at the moment but
there's a bed and a table you can get hold of.
Above
these comments is an indication of your energy (you
start with 100 units, which decreases depending upon
your exertions), the number of boxes found and a decision
timer.
Also
scattered around the multi-room mansion are various
other objects, amongst them food for keeping up your
energy. Some of the food is poisoned and you must learn
from experience that which can be eaten safely.
The
other items range from hot coals, torches and tables
to potions, maps and keys. The keys are used to go through
otherwise impassable doorways and the maps give you
a complete map of the playing area on screen. I haven't
yet found a use for some of the other things though.
When
you've collected all of the music boxes, you take them
to the exit (marked on the map by an 'E') and play them
to get free. Should your energy get to zero, through
one way or another, then the game is over and your percentage
is displayed.
The
joystick is used in conjunction with the keyboard to
control your character's movements and actions. The
joystick is used mainly for movement and the keyboard
for selecting an action to be executed.
When
you wish to perform an action, such as picking up an
object, you press the fire button. You are then presented
with a menu of options. These include the ability to
pick up, drop or manipulate an object (eat, wear or
throw it). You are given a limited time in which to
make any decisions, so you need to think fairly quickly.
GP
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