Personal Computer News


Flint's Gold

Author: Simon Williams
Publisher: Micrograf
Machine: BBC Model B

 
Published in Personal Computer News #071

Pirate's Treasure

Pirate's Treasure

Revisit Treasure Island accompanied by Long John Silver, in this adventure that makes use of the chunky graphics of Mode 7.

Objectives

Following the storyline of Treasure Island fairly loosely, you must journey to the island and search out the gold hidden there by Captain Flint. All the time Long John is peering over your shoulder to ensure he's included in the final share out.

In Play

The cassette is simply packaged in a standard library case, the program is sensibly recorded on both sides of the tape and proved no trouble to load. A two part rendition of the sailor's hornpipe whiles away the loading time, complete with seagull cries and the crash of surf on the sand.

Flint's Gold

At the start of the game you sit in the local tavern, the Black Lagoon, and overhear the tale of captain Flint and his barbaric deeds, not to mention Flint's legendary hoard of gold, stashed somewhere on the Spanish Maine.

The first step is to find safe passage from the small port where the adventure starts to the island where lies the treasure. Several ships wait at the jetty but only one is going your way...

When you finally get a berth, it's anchors aweigh and the first short graphic which shows the ship setting sail.

Flint's Gold

All the sequences are fairly basic, but the element of surprise on encountering each new illustration or sound effect makes the game fun to play, as do the responses to your commands - comments like 'Aye aye matey' and 'OK, Jim lad' abound.

On arrival with Long John in tow, you enter the extensive complex of underground caverns which forms the bulk of the adventure.

Once in, a number of illustrated events take place with, you hope, the discovery of a chest of doubloons as the reward for all your efforts.

Flint's Gold

I must admit to be still struggling to cross the lake without being eaten by an alligator. The game may be saved and reloaded at any stage of play.

Verdict

The idea of using teletext graphics to illustrate an adventure is not brand new, but the pictures used in Flint's Gold are well executed and animated in machine code giving a rapid response.

The adventure itself is straightfoward, but I for one find the concept of an adventure where I can make fair progress in a few hours refreshing. This is one of the few games where the original is a pirate copy.

Simon Williams

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