1st June 1987
Paperboy is a conversion of the arcade game of the same name. In your new job as local paperboy you must deliver your wares to all the regular customers, while at the same time creating as much damage as possible to the homes of non-customers.
The title screen - a highly detailed front page of a newspaper, embellished with several different typefaces - promises a graphical feast.
Press the spacebar to begin the game and you are faced with a two-colour, high-resolution stick man. Not only that, he flickers as he cycles up the street.
The game controls consist of left/right, accelerate/brake, turbo speed and throw. As play begins you are pedalling at full speed, which isn't particularly breathtaking. The only way to go faster is to press both the accelerate and turbo keys. After a short delay you will experience a startling increase in speed - and flicker! The delay may be due to turbo lag, but whatever the cause, it is responsible for many a tumble.
You begin your new job on the Monday. Cycling up the street you must throw a newspaper into mailboxes positioned outside some of the houses. Those without mailboxes are fair game for vandalism, so smash as many windows as possible while cycling past.
Each dirty deed is totted up as a bonus score and awarded at the end of the round. Be careful not to damage a customer's property or you'll lose every bonus point you have accrued.
So keen is your employer to improve your cycling skills he has constructed a BMX park, so at the end of each day's work, you go to the park and race against the clock for bonus points.
Life is not as simple as at first appears, because footpaths and roads are alive with obstacles. You can easily come to grief by hitting dogs, balls, workmen, radio-controlled cars, drunks and Sinclair C5s.
One annoying feature about losing a life is the fact that you are returned to the screen in turbo mode and the brakes don't work. It is not unusual to hit a second object before you have regained control of the bike.
If you feel that you need to have a copy be my guest, but please ask to see a demo before you part with your cash.
Other Acorn Electron Game Reviews By Steve Brook
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