C&VG


Paperboy
By Elite
Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #60

Paperboy

On yer bike! It's time to deliver the papers. Look, I know it's six o' clock in the morning, it's pouring with rain and Mr Jones' Alsatian is bound to be lurking behind the hedge again. But if you want the cash to buy Elite's latest arcade conversion then you're just going to have to get with it!

And you are going to want this game. No doubt about it. Paperboy is slick arcade action at its best. And the really great thing about it is that you can more or less play at your own speed.

If you're an experienced player you can zip through the Paperboy's week at express speed. But if you're a beginner - or a Telegraph reader who likes to take things a bit more slowly - then the game allows for you too. And it's so simple to learn that even a Sun reader can cope with it.

Paperboy

You earn points by correctly delivering your papers to the people who've ordered them. You can tell by the little postboxes with Sun written on them outside the house. Some silly people don't want your papers - but you can lean on them by slinging the odd spare paper through their windows and scoring bonus points at the same time!

More bonuses can be scored by hitting dustbin lids off, getting papers in the bird baths, zapping hazards with a well aimed paper and, of course, completing the BMX course which appears at the end of your daily run.

At the end of each "day" your newsagent presents you with a report of your progress. Some people may have cancelled their subscriptions because you failed to deliver properly, but on a good day someone may have been "persuaded" by your window breaking activities to actually reorder their paper. You win some, you lose some.

Paperboy

Beware of different hazards as you progress through the "days" and work out what you can ride around or over to avoid things. You can ride over flower beds and lawns - the flowers actually crumple as your bike bounces over the flowerbeds.

Don't go blasting away with your papers - even though you get additional supplies at various points, it is possible to run out at crucial moments.

Paperboy is extremely playable, very addictive and incredibly easy to get into. What more could you ask for? A well crucial addition to your games collection.

Paperboy is on its way for the C64, Amstrad and BBC Model B soon.