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ACTION PACK 2

Professional, Released On Cassette Only

Game Types : Arcade

Standalone Release(s) : 1987: ACTION PACK 2, Alligata/WHSmith, £3.99

Compilation Comprises : 1. TARZAN BOY, Alligata

2. DIAMOND PETE, Artic/Alligata

3. VIDEO'S REVENGE, Budgie

4. Q-BIX, Artic/Alligata

Stated compatibility : Electron

Actual compatibility : Electron, BBC B, B+ and Master 128

Supplier : ALLIGATA, 178 West Street, SHEFFIELD S1 4ET

Disc compatibility : 1. ADFS 1D00, CDFS 1D00, DFS 1D00

2. CDFS E00, DFS E00

3. Unknown

4. Unknown

Instructions

Please see individual entries for each standalone title for complete playing instructions.

Review (Electron User)

This collection of four games - some of them new - is only available from WHSmith.

The first game on the tape, VIDEO'S REVENGE, is a shoot-them-down space game using good quality, smooth graphics and adequate sound. You can move your craft left and right as well as forwards and backwards, and the various nasties approach from above or below. Like so many of these games, it's simple but addictive. I really like the title screen which has a message scrolling while the game loads.

Q-BIX is a version of the classic in which you steer a character around a set of cubes, changing the colours of the top surfaces. Of course there are adversaries who try to bump in to you and cause you to lose one of your lives. This game has poor graphics and is painfully slow. It will soon have you reaching for the <BREAK> key.

TARZAN BOY is an oldie and was reviewed as a single game in December 1985. For those who missed that review TARZAN BOY is a four screen ladders and levels game, with an awful lot of problems to overcome. Getting on to screen two is my limit in this attractive, smooth and flicker-free game. It is a little slow, but by hitting <BREAK> the game restarts with no sound and a lot more speed.

The final game is DIAMOND PETE and this obviously has its origins in REPTON. The aim is to collect sixteen diamonds from each of ten screens without letting any rocks fall on your head. An added problem is the severe time limit. There are said to be ten levels as well as the ten screens, but I never got the chance to find out.

There is no way that this matches the outstanding quality of REPTON, but it is very good. It's smooth, fast and has good sound. The problems are well thought out, and it provides a very good challenge.

Overall I thoroughly recommend this package. Three of the games would make excellent singles, so it is a real bargain to get all of them at such a low price.

                        Sound ........................... 6
                        Graphics ........................ 8
                        Playability ..................... 9
                        Value for money ................ 10
                        Overall ......................... 9

Rog Frost, ELECTRON USER 3.11