Crash


The Triple Pack

Author: Mark Caswell
Publisher: Leisure Genius
Machine: Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in Crash #73

The Triple Pack

The Triple Pack is a compilation of three of the world's favourite board games - Monopoly, Cluedo and Scrabble. Each game has been released before, but this is the first time they've been brought together in one package. And quite fun it is too, provided you can find a couple of friends to join in.

Each game follows its parent very closely: Monopoly sees you battling it out with up to three other players to rent, buy and mortgage as many properties as possible with £1,500 as your initial allowance - but fortunes can wane as well as flourish when you land on the wrong squares where you can be sent to jail, be taxed or take a gamble with the Chance or Community Chest cards.

Cluedo sees you turning into Sherlock Holmes as you choose to play one of the six characters who have to investigate the murder of the mysterious Mr Black with six weapons up for scrutiny and game end when one of the players names the murderer, the weapon used and where in the house the foul deed took place.

Scrabble has you struggling to spell words like ambidexterous and xenomorph, plus shorter ones merely typed XXXX here. Dictionary obligatory.

Graphically and sonically The Tripple Pack isn't anything to shout about: it's all pretty basic. Playability is the most important factor, and with a few mates present this is quite entertaining.

A neat compilation that never quite overcomes the community fun of the board games transposed.

MARK … 65%

Nick ... 69%

'Ooo! All those brill board games you got for Christmas and lost all the pieces to the first time you played have now come onto the Spectrum. This new triple pack includes the family favourites and all been released separately before, so there's nothing exactly new and exciting in the package. Each game has very basic graphics and sound, as they were all made in the days of 48K only Spectrums. Cluedo is about the best of the bunch, but on this it gets a bit awkward when you have to disguise part of the screen from other players with your hand! The games are all faithful conversions of the classic originals and if you get together with a few friends you can have lots of fun with them without a small metal shoe or a candle stick being stuck under the sofa! Have fun.'

Mark CaswellNick Roberts