REPLAY

Ladies and gentlefolk, YS presents - returning to regale you with restorative re-releases - Replay!

Kixx
£3.99 cassette
021 6253311
Reviewer: Rich Pelley

Although these Multimixx collections seem to be reaching near Now That's What I Call Music Volume n proportions (where n is any real number), the one advantage (with Multimixx 5 at least) is that the ratio of good to bad games isn't reduced by the inclusion of a crap Kylie Minogue song. (Yer what? Ed)

MONTY ON THE RUN

What I'm trying to say is that all three games on Multimixx 5 are curiously good. Monty On The Run gave a new meaning to the expression "well it's quite a good platform and ladders game really" back in 1985, markedly improving over the original Monty Mole theme. The challenge of the game is still based wholly on timing; whilst on the run to France, you have to negotiate Monty from one side of the screen to the other by way of jumping over baddies and avoiding things that squash you. You'll also need to chose five items at the beginning of the game. From playing the thing to death back in my early secondary school days (before Julian Flaks borrowed it), I seem to remember that you need the gas mask, axe, rope, jetpack and grenade. Julian Flaks never gave it back (the bast). Anyway, years on Monty On The Run is still enjoyable, even if it may look dated to the likes of you people.
80°

AUF WEIDERSEHN MONTY

Heartbroken at losing my copy of Monty On The Run, you can imagine how delighted I was way back when, as if by magic, Auf Wiedersehen Monty appeared on the Speccy scene. More of the same it may have been but hey! Far improved graphics, both sprite-wise (there're lots more baddies) and scenery-wise (this time there is far more of a map just waiting to be explored), and far far improved sound (including bleepy (128K) national anthems for every new country you visit).

Once again Monty is still on the run. this time across Europe to Montos Island where he will be safe for ever - at least until Impossamole, the absolutely last Monty game ever (this one was much better though). The countries are connected via a short plane journey so not only do you have to collect relevant objects. but also plane tickets as you go. All in all a great game, and one of my, and I later discovered Julian Flaks' favourite Speccy games ever.
89°

JACK THE NIPPER 2

Jack and his family are on their way to Australia but Jack, not too keen on the idea, has jumped from the plane using his nappy as a parachute. Having landed in the jungle, it is Jack's intention to cause as much mischief as possible (which turns out to mainly consist of annoying the wildlife) without being caught and spanked by his Dad who is in hot pursuit.

So what we have here is another platform and ladders game, but one quite different from the Monty series. The main difference is that you can shoot things - it may not sound much but, when you think about it, it does vary the gameplay considerably. The graphics are also much larger and the map is positively huge - 192 flip screens to be precise. You'll have to explore all of this in order to solve all the puzzles, score maximum naughtiness and complete the game. Which will take you some time. I can tell you, but don't worry! You'll enjoy yourself to the end, exploring the scenery and watching what Jack gets up to (including the ritual picking of his nose every time you leave him for a while).
84°

And above all, you probably won't be able to wipe the smug grin off your face knowing what a bargain you've just picked up in the form of this compilation. Just don't forget to write a nice Thank You note to Gremlin once you've bought a copy.

Label: Kixx
Memory: 48K/128K
Price: £3.99 Tape
Reviewer: Paul Rand

Kixx are going great guns their budget compilations, and here's the fifth in series, starring three games which were all hits in their times.

Monty On The Run stars everyone's favourite coal-pinching mole in the sequel to the Miners' Strike propaganda laff, Wanted - Monty Mole. Monty has been nicked and locked away in Scudmore Prison. You control him as he makes his daring break for freedom in one of the best selling games of the last decade. Monty must reach the English Channel and jump ferry before he's caught by the fuzz (Gumph!). Collect gold coins which are lying around and pick items needed by Monty to assist him in his escape.

Monty On The Run is looking fairly rough around the edges these days, but there's still that spark which put the game at the top of the chart all that time ago. Lots of you are probably too young to have bought Monty On The Run first time around, so don't miss out on the chance to get it now.

Jack The Nipper II - in Coconut Capers is another reason to splash out immediately on Multimixx 5, simply because it's so cute! Naughty Jack a his long-suffering family have been thrown out of the country. However while flying over a jungle the nipper leaps out of the plane, using his nappy as a parachute for a safe landing. Once he's got his feet on firm ground, Jack begins his quest to bring naughtiness to the natives in a brilliant platform adventure.

Graphically it's gorgeous - brilliant sprites showing all the characters with big soppy eyes - apart from Jack of course, looks as wicked as you'd expect him to be! Loads of colour is splashed around the playing area and the sound is quite jolly too, but the fact is you can find yourself lost in naughtiness of the highest order, and that's why Jack The Nipper II - in Coconut Capers is such a hoot.

The last of the batch. Auf Weidersehen Monty, is the third episode in the Monty Mole saga. Monty has found his way to Europe and is desperate to buy the island of Montos - an island so far out of the way that no-one knows of its existence, allowing our garden-destroying chum to live out his days without fear of extradition. What this basically boils down to is a platform romp across most of the countries that make up Europe, with short dodge-the-baddies-in-planes sequences when you're flying from one country to the next.

Auf Weidersehen Monty is by no means a bad game, but there's no real difference, either in terms of presentation or gameplay (except for the flight sequences and they're hardly heart-stopping) between this and Monty On The Run.

At the of the day, anyone with half a brain will buy Multimixx 5, for two reasons; the first is that there are three solid platform games here, and at the price being asked the the package is a bargain. Secondly, it's a fond look back in time to the days when the Speccy ruled supreme - and certainly when a coal-stealing mole was better-known than a short plumber with a silly moustache.

ALAN:
Kixx are known for bringing out classic games at a more than affordable price on their Multimixx Label and boy oh boy they've done it again!