Producer: Carnell, 48K
£7.50

A mammoth undertaking and one of the earliest 'big' adventures. It features graphics filling most of the screen, showing a map of the various landscapes. Choose what character you want to be and then wade in to fight the monsters. Far too complex to do justice to in this space, but if you are to play it set aside hours for contemplation of the book (or novel one might say) which explains everything. Indeed, you are recommended to save the game at various stages and think over the day's events before plunging in. Recommended.

Producer: Carnell, 48K
£7.50

A mammoth undertaking and one of the earliest 'big' adventures. It features graphics filling most of the screen, showing a map of the various landscapes. Choose what character you want to be and then wade in to fight the monsters. Far too complex to do justice to in this space, but if you are to play it set aside hours for contemplation of the book (or novel one might say) which explains everything. Indeed, you are recommended to save the game at various stages and think over the day's events before plunging in.

Producer: Carnell, 48K
£7.50

A mammoth undertaking and one of the earliest 'big' adventures. It features graphics filling most of the screen, showing a map of the various landscapes. Choose what character you want to be and then wade in to fight the monsters. Far too complex to do justice to in this space, but if you are to play it set aside hours for contemplation of the book (or novel one might say) which explains everything. Indeed, you are recommended to save the game at various stages and think over the day's events before plunging in. Recommended.

ADVENTURE INNOVATION

The Black Crystal is one of the first graphic adventures for the 48K Spectrum and 16K ZX-81. The plot of the adventure, which is played in six parts, is to destroy the evil Black Crystal with its malign intelligence before you are destroyed by the Lords of Chaos.

To do so you must get through six maps on which you can move your little player, using the cursor keys. On the first map you must find some rings of power to enter the castles on that map. When you find the rings you may go through the door of the Castle of Shadows or into the dark domain of Shaggoth's Lair.

You must struggle around hidden mazes, fight dragons, and avoid deadly mists. The final conflict is between you and the Lords of Chaos. If you win you will destroy the Black Crystal and peace will reign in the land. If you fail, you and the inhabitants of the land will be doomed to eternal torment.

The Black Crystal is an excellent graphics adventure and a well-thought-out package. There are two cassettes in the box and an introductory booklet giving the history of the Black Crystal, as well as instructions and hints on play.

The game has good quality graphics. The Black Crystal is available from Carnel Software, 4 Staunton Road, Slough, Berkshire. The package is reasonably priced at £7.50.

Although it took four weeks for the Black Crystal adventure program from Carnell to arrive, it was very impressively packaged on two tapes with a large pamphlet which reported the history of The Black Crystal and listed the control keys.

The game was in six parts which all loaded in the first time, although there was a back-up copy. The quality of the tape was good and there was very little hiss. I decided to be a wizard the first time I played the adventure.

The graphic display at least on the first map was very jerky. In several parts, particularly maps three and four, the program is mainly text; however, graphics play a large part in the game. The main drawback is the speed of the graphical display which could be improved using machines code or Pascal. The keyboard reacts quickly, which is important, for the battles are in real time.

Your aim is to collect seven rings of power which are hidden in the six maps. The difficulties in the maps arise from monsters, either controlled by the Lords Chaos or ones independent but just as mean. The game is by no means easy. The greatest difficulty arises from maps one, two, five and six which are most graphical; maps three and four are less graphical but by no means easy.

Despite the same plot being used in different games, the sheer quantity always means there is always something to see. In map four the king reacts very amusingly when he orders your death but, because you are resurrected by Gora now a semi-God, he captures you again. Also, the abacus which you can pick up can never get the right answer. The game is addictive because you often have to spend more than one day on one game. I have now played several games all most enjoyable. My favourite is map six which is the shortest but still challenging, particularly the second level game of logic. Because there is 180K of program in this package there is a great deal of variety.

Graphics feature largely in the game and use of the user-defined graphics is very good. However, a keyboard overlay would be useful as more than 16 keys are used in some parts excluding those which required two word commands. Map one has a very impressive graphic display.

At £7.50 it is a very good buy as it includes an incredible amount of detail and it is very good quality. It is highly recommendable.

A role-playing adventure consisting of six programs. The task is to collect the seven rings of creation and neutralise the evil power of the Black Crystal.

Authors Roy Carnell and Stuart Galloway set the game in their own fantasy world, The Third Continent, and the attention lavished on that creation over many years paid off handsomely. Neither author had ever played a role-playing game or computer adventure before they started programming. The result is a quirky, idiosyncratic game quite unlike any other adventure. Its length is epic, its quests challenging, and its plot dramatic.

Position 20/50