ARCade

Peter Rochford looks at what's new on the Archimedes games front.

The Archimedes games scene continues to stay healthy with a steady trickle of new releases. No signs yet however of the much talked about 3D Pool from Firebird. Be assured, though, I'll have a review copy as soon as it becomes available.

On to the reviews. Three different types of games this month which will appeal to most tastes. First off we have the latest from Minerva, called Thundermonk (£14.95 inc. VAT). This is a puzzle solving arcade game where you must collect certain items in the right sequence before moving on to the next level, avoiding various hazards along the way.

The game is set in a monastery and you guide a cloaked monk sporting an extraordinarily long nose, around the corridors and rooms collecting the items to gain extra energy, whilst searching for the keys to open the doors. There are lots of strange looking objects that sap your energy, but these can be destroyed by lobbing bombs at them. Very subtle!

The graphics are excellent with plenty of interesting features, and the game has a smooth four-way scrolling screen. Digitised sound effects are included but mercifully can be switched off if desired.

Thundermonk is certainly an enjoyable game that quickly becomes quite addictive. The level of difficulty is pitched sensibly low at the outset, and that should make it attractive to many. Definitely recommended.

Next off we have a golf game called Holed Out (£19.95 inc. VAT) from a new software house called 4th-Dimension. A version of this has already been released for the Beeb and Master. The game claims to have been 'designed by enthusiasts for maximum realism'. This has been said before about other simulation-type games but as far as Holed Out is concerned this seems to be true. The game is mouse-driven and features several playing options, including number of players and degree of difficulty.

A view of each hole is drawn on screen starting from the tee with a figure preparing to take a shot. You select your club and distance and watch as the figure draws back the club and cracks the ball off down the fairway. There are the usual hazards to contend with such as trees, bunkers and water. On reaching the green, the screen displays an aerial view of the putting surface along with an indication of slope.

The graphics in Holed Out are excellent, although the screens do take quite a few seconds to be drawn, even on the Arc. The digitised sound effects give added realism to the game.

I found Holed Out incredibly addictive when I first played it on the Beeb, and the Arc version is even better. As a golfer myself, I think it is a first class simulation. Others who have seen the game and are not golfers also have quickly become addicted to it. In fact, I had a hard job keeping my hands on the review copy! It is fascinating to play and has lasting appeal. Again, highly recommended.

Finally, we have a graphic adventure called Fugitive's Quest (£29.95 inc. VAT) from Robico Software. The game scene is set in 1952 and you take the role of a man who has been wrongly found guilty of murdering his wife and now faces the gallows. You are being transported by train to Plymouth to face the hangman and you must escape and prove your innocence.

As usual with other Robico adventures I found the opening location a hard nut to crack but kicked myself for having been so daft when I finally succeeded in getting out of the train compartment. However, the rest of the adventure is no easy matter either! But then a good adventure should not be too easy.

It is difficult in the short space of a review to give a good insight into any adventure. Suffice to say that Fugitive's Quest like other Robico adventures is of a high standard and I confess to being already rather hooked on it. I would recommended it to seasoned adventurers. My only criticism is the price which at £29.95 is a bit on the steep side.

All the above games are now being stocked by BEEBUG and can be obtained with the usual discount for members.