Home Computing Weekly


Thro' The Wall/Scramble

Author: Ray Elder
Publisher: Psion
Machine: Sinclair ZX81

 
Published in Home Computing Weekly #1

Two good arcade-type graphics games, both of which loaded easily and offered a choice of skill levels. I found the easiest too slow and the fastest about right. The graphics are good, but not exceptional, and both games are written in machine code.

Thro' The Wall is a version of Breakout. A ball has to be bounced off your bat, which is at the bottom, to knock out the bricks at the top. The ball, a pixel, moves a little unevenly but predictably and the bat responds smoothly and quickly to key presses A good version, but not in the 'addictive' class.

Scramble is a reasonable conversion of the arcade game. I found this more absorbing than the 'main' game. You control a plane flying over rocky ground. You can move in four directions and fire missiles at flying As or at rockets which take off and attack you. The game increases in difficulty as you progress.

The instructions are brief but give a clear explanation of the game. Key response is smooth and fast. I found myself having 'just one more go' on the Scramble game.

Ray Elder