Sinclair User


Hit Pack Number One
By Zeppelin Games
Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3

 
Published in Sinclair User #123

Hit-Pack 1

Everyone wants to be a soccer manager. Or a rally driver, or a mountain biker, or take on an assault course. But all at once, I really don't know! Well Cyril looked bored so we sent him off with a few bottles of Lucozade, a king sized Mars Bar and some new underwear to have a go at all of the above.

First off I tried out Kenny Dalglish's Soccer Manager where as the title seems to suggest you have to manage something. Well, I managed to choose a team from the 90 or so teams which were in the football league when the game first came out. Maybe it's because I just love football but this is definitely the best game on this pack, mainly because it's so user friendly, enabling you to really get into it. It's quite a bog standard management game with lots of figures and reports but it is a lot better presented than most games of this ilk. Graphics are quite large and detailed and are always clear and playability is the best.

Rally Simulator's a very odd game where you and four computer opponents zoom around some very odd looking tracks which I suspect are meant to look a bit futuristic. Control is very awkward and takes some getting used to. Add this together with some very simplistic graphics, uninspiring gameplay and a lack of good sound and all you get a poor game. Definitely the worst of this lot.

Mountain Bike Racer is a much more attractive proposition. Pedal through wild torn landscapes with plenty of jumps and climbs. Try not to fall of the bike and you should enjoy this game. If you remember Kickstart and all it's pro's and con's then you'll probably like this game, it's not really in the same league as Kickstart but it comes close. With nice clear graphics and a shop visit at the end of each level to improve your bike's spec, Mountain Bike Racer is quite an enjoyable game.

Finally we come to Para Assault Course, and it's just as well that it's the last thing I looked as I'm too tired to complain much about it. It's one of those 'waggle the joystick till your hands drop off' games where the timing and the speed of the 'waggle' is just all too important. Having a brain doesn't count for much with this game. The graphics are nice enough but I have this thing about sweating a lot from just playing a computer game and with the course feeling as though it takes for ever to go through you'll soon be left with the feeling of "why am I doing this?"

What ever I say about Kenny Dalglish, at the end of the day it's not really a classic. Good, but not a classic. Nevertheless combined with Mountain Bike Racer it gives this compilation the edge over most single game budget sports sims. The less said about the other two games the better though.

Label: Zeppelin 4x4 Memory: 48K/128K Price: £3.99 Tape Reviewer: Cyril Herelle

Overall Summary

What can I say, I would only get this pack if I hadn't already got Kenny Dalglish. The other games, apart from Mountain Bike don't have much to offer.

Cyril Herelle

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