Crash


Juggernaut
By CRL
Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Crash #19

Juggernaut

CRL have produced what just has to be the world's first truck driving simulation. The aim of the game is to make a profit at the end of the working day. Money is earned by collecting a variety of goods and delivering them to the depot from where you start.

The lorry, as well as the game, is partly icon-driven.To start, five icons access the options Start game, Select lorry size, Practice, Highscore and Key-define. Clearly it is easier to drive a short lorry but the disadvantage is that delivering the allocated tonnage will take longer. Selecting the appropriate icon offers a selection of 4 different vehicle sizes. Practice lets the player get the 'feel' of the truck on the open road, at crossroads, roundabouts and in simple parking.

Selecting Drive starts the game for real. The first screen shows a map of a town the computer can choose from a variety. Apart from the street layout, the map only shows the depot's position. Alongside the map you are given a list of goods that must be collected. Each type will vary in total tonnage and, more often than not, involve several trips to different suppliers.

Juggernaut

The next screen offers six more icons. Start, Phone, Load/fuel, Unload, Pause and Resign. At the beginning of the game the only icon you can use is Stan. The main display is a bird's eye view of a section of road with your truck on it. The upper third of the screen contains a list of freight to be collected alongside a list of the amount delivered. The rest of this area is taken up by the instruments, bar graphs for damage (registers the amount of damage due to poor driving), fuel indicator and a speedometer. Alongside the bar graphs a large circle with a line across it is the steering wheel. A gearstick offers three gears, reverse, first and second. When the truck is stationary 'fire' will toggle between reverse and first, on the move, between first and second. At the very top of the screen a clock lets you know how much of the day has gone.

After moving away from the depot your first task is to plan your trip so find a phone box, park and call up the working icons. A phone call allows you to ask different suppliers where they are, and the different goods, including Derv, are given in icon form. If you select the fuel icon a little cursor will scan over the street map on the left and mark the position of any garages. Once you have located your stops it's all up to you.

Apart from the danger of destroying your truck by going off the road too often, you can be fined for speeding. Any damage inflicted on your truck can be put right at a garage but for a price. When the day is over you are scored according to how much money you have made. Your pay includes a bonus for completing the job multiplied by the number of minutes left in the day and a bonus for the tons delivered. The cab and trailer repair costs are added to any speeding fines and that total deducted from your gross earnings, leaving a final score. Sounds complicated? Try driving the truck.

Comments

Control keys: definable, except S for working Icons
Joystick: Cursor type and programmable
Keyboard play: good
Use of colour: not much used
Graphics: neat but a bit basic in design
Sound: not a lot
Skill levels: 4
Lives: 1
Screens: lots

Comment 1

'This is certainly a very novel game and one which I enjoyed playing. The graphics are very neat if a little over simple, but when you are trying to drive that lorry the fewer distractions the better. Games which call on you to dash hither and thither along complicated streets, have a certain appeal and Juggernaut is no exception. I can't really claim that it's action-packed but the task is certainly very challenging and should keep you at it for some time. I would have preferred it if the screen could have scrolled smoothly rather than in blocks but I suppose that would have made it even harder to steer the truck. An addictive and novel game'

Comment 2

'Juggernaut is a lorry driving simulation, big deal? Believe me if driving the real thing is anything like driving this thing I'll leave it to the experts. The game is fairly enjoyable but very difficult to complete. The lorry is simply but effectively drawn, as are the background graphics. The game is clever and well done but I don't think it has enough going on to maintain its initial appeal'

Comment 3

'The idea behind this game is really rather neat - making phone calls to find the pick up points, getting there, and worst of all, reversing into the loading bay. Getting the hang of the lorry takes some time. I have to assume, from the way it saunters down the middle of the road, that it reacts something like a real artic. Keeping the truck on the road is quite absorbing but I can't help feeling there should be rather more to it. A lot of concentration is required to keep it straight and the work involved in getting the loads is all against the clock. It's a bit too much like hard work for me!'

Other Spectrum 48K Game Reviews By


  • Con-Quest Front Cover
    Con-Quest
  • Doombugs Front Cover
    Doombugs
  • Merlock The Mede Front Cover
    Merlock The Mede
  • Kung-Fu Master Front Cover
    Kung-Fu Master
  • Death Cruiser Front Cover
    Death Cruiser
  • Millionaire Front Cover
    Millionaire
  • 3D Tank Duel Front Cover
    3D Tank Duel
  • Pi-Balled Front Cover
    Pi-Balled
  • Firework Music Front Cover
    Firework Music
  • Operation Thunderbowel Front Cover
    Operation Thunderbowel