ZX Computing


The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole

Publisher: Mosaic
Machine: Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in ZX Computing #22

The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole

This is a bit of a disappointment I'm afraid, despite being programmed by Level 9. The trouble is that there's not really much of a game here. The program boasts some 200K of text, but most of it seems to have been lifted straight out of the Adrian Mole diaries and is presented on-screen just as if you were reading the books themselves. There is very little opportunity to become actively involved in the game and, as far as I can tell, nothing of the sort of problem-solving that is the essence of most adventures.

User participation takes the form of making decisions for Adrian in his attempts to become as popular as he can. The trouble is that this decision-making process is very limited; you are presented with three options (along the lines of 'Shall I read this poem to Nigel/Pandora/the teacher?') and you simply press keys 1-3 as appropriate. There is no opportunity for any independent actions or direct text entry, and you can only sit there reading great chunks of text while you wait for the program to ask you to press a button.

Admittedly, the text is very amusing in places, but if all you want is to read the diaries, then why not go out and buy the books? Buying both the Adrian Mole books would still cost less than this program, they won't give you a stiff neck from staring at the computer screen and they're funnier as well.