In 1999 (do try and keep up with current events!) the countries of the world have combined to form the World Council which governs the Earth. After six months, a fanatical party under the leadership of Dr Q left the council. He's planted a nuclear bomb in New York and threatens to detonate it. You have been chosen to go to the island, find all the bits of the timing device, re-assemble them and save New York.
The playing area is a four-way scrolling section of the island viewed from above. To the right is a map of the whole island and a four by four grid that fills up with pieces of the timer as you find them. Your score, lives and grenades are across the bottom of the screen.
Dr Q hasn't left his island unguarded though, for there are tanks, soldiers, minefields and mazes all over the island. (Hint: a good way of finding mines is to step on one.) Extra weapons can be picked up and you've also got to keep an eye out for pieces of timer.
If you collect all fifteen pieces, the remaining time is available to you to re-assemble them into the shape shown before play begins. Do that and New York is saved, fail and it's time for the big firework to go off.
The scrolling is jerky and the animation is poor, but the whole thing's very colourful. There are no tunes and sound effects are tacky.
Sabian Island is Skyslip's first release and it has to be said it's not a brilliant start. Presentation is fine, but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. And more time should be spent on sound effects in future games.
Second Opinion
It really gives us no pleasure at all to knock the fast release of a new game and plenty of labels began awfully and became superb - but on the other hand it's hard to recommend you to spend ten or fifteen of your hard-earned on Sabian Island.
1st December 1988
