The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

GEOFF CAPES STRONGMAN

 

 

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

 

Game Type          : Arcade; Sporting Contest

Author             :

Standalone Release(s)  : 1984: GEOFF CAPES STRONGMAN, Martech, £7.95

                    1987: GEOFF CAPES STRONGMAN, Ricochet, £2.99

Compilation Release(s) : 1987: FIVE STAR GAMES, Beau Jolly, £9.95

Stated compatibility    : BBC Side A, Electron Side B

Actual compatibility    : As stated

Supplier            : MARTECH, Martech House, Bay Terrace, Pevensey Bay,

                    EAST SUSSEX BN24 6EE

Disc compatibility     : Unknown

 

 

Instructions

* Endorsed by Geoff Capes, Olympic shot putter, World and European Strongman and World Highland Games Champion

* On-screen training on weights or iron bars * Continuous individual muscle fitness display

* Skill Levels and Hall of Fame

* SIX exciting and demanding challenges to be overcome - TUG OF WAR - CAR ROLLING - BARREL LOADING - FAIRGROUND BELL - LOP CHOPPING - WRESTLING

 

What are you - man or mouse? This game will help you find out.

 

To become a real strongman like Geoff Capes is not easy. Muscles that can roll a car onto the roof or hurl barrels onto a waiting truck don't just grow overnight. If you are hoping to match these feats, you are going to have to work hard during the training sections. Even if you manage to build up the sort of body equipped to cope with each of the six very difficult events, you will need skill and quick reactions to be successful.

 

Game Play

In STRONGMAN you will have to take control of Geoff's body as he tries to complete each different event. You will also have total responsibility for the general condition and fitness of Geoff's body, trying to make sure that it is able to cope with the high demands each event will make upon it, as well as having the stamina to get right through to the very end.

 

To help you do this, Geoff's body has been divided into several different areas represented by MUSCLE ICONS. Each muscle area contains a gauge which will help you see how fit that area of muscle is and how much energy is available for use.

 

Different events will use different muscles to a greater or lesser extent. For example, the arm muscles may be especially important during the log chop.

 

At the beginning of each game level you will have a TRAINING SESSION. During training you can build up each muscle area ready for the six events to come. As you play the game, you will discover which muscle areas are especially important and can make your training sessions more specialised, building up muscle where you know it is needed most.

 

If the gauge in any muscle area reaches zero, Geoff will collapse and you will have to start all over again.

 

The rate at which muscle energy is used up will depend not only on how quick and skillful you are, but also on how much EFFORT you decide to use. During most events, you can adjust the effort being made by Geoff's body to anywhere between 0% and 100%.

 

The higher the effort, the easier it will become for you to successfully complete an event and move on, but everything has its price and that price is paid by Geoff's muscles. The greater the effort, the faster each muscle deteriorates and the faster and more difficult the game becomes.

 

In each event therefore, you will be hoping to find a good compromise between your skill during game play and how much muscle you can afford to use. Since any muscle not used will be carried forward to the next event, the more efficiently you complete each event, the further Geoff will be able to go.

 

After each event you will have a limited rest period during which you can try to get Geoff's body ready for the next event.

 

If you manage to complete all six events, you will have a chance to re-train and then try each of the six events again. However, the further you go the harder each event will become to complete.

 

Not all the strategy involved has been given to you in these instructions.

 

Training Sessions

At the start of each game each muscle is zero. Before you can build up these muscles, you must train.

 

Training is achieved by moving the joystick left and right as many times as you can in ten seconds. As you do this, you will build up muscle which will be represented by a bar gauge on the screen. The further you can move this gauge the more muscle you will have.

 

To start training, simple move the joystick left or right, then work as hard as you can.

 

If you are not a real strongman, simply press the fire button and you will automatically recieve a default amount of muscle - but you will have no control over this and may be disappointed.

 

Having obtained some muscle you now have to allocate it to the different muscle areas. To do this, use the joystick to move the arrow to the chosen muscle icon. Muscle will be transferred into that area of the body for as long as the fire button is depressed. Initially it's a good idea to build up each muscle equally, but as you get used to the game, you will hopefully discover which muscles are more important and you can adjust your allocation accordingly. Remember, if any muscle area reaches

zero, Geoff will collapse.

 

Rest Period

In between each event is a small rest period during which you can reallocate a small amount of muscle. The amount you recieve may be dependent on your performance during training or previous events. You should try to allocate extra muscle to those areas which you think will be important in the next event.

 

Effort (Important!)

The effort being put into each event can be increased or decreased at any time simply by pressing the cursor up or cursor down keys respectively.

  

The Events

1. Tug Of War

In this event Geoff must try and pull his opponent into the pit. Once the event has started, the muscle which you need to use will start to flash. Move the arrow to that muscle as quickly as possible and press the fire button.

 

Try to keep up with the muscles as they flash.

 

2. Log Chop

Geoff has to chop through a log inside a qualifying time. The log contains some bits which are harder to chop than others. Soft wood needs only one chop to be cut out, but hard wood need two chops and a knot needs three.

 

Press the fire button to start the axe moving and also every time you want to cut the wood.

 

3. Barrel Landing

Geoff must try and load five barrels onto the back of a truck inside a qualifying time.

 

Move the joystick down to get Geoff to pick up a barrel then move the joystick left and right as quickly as you can to help him raise in onto his shoulder. Once the barrel is on his shoulder move the arrow to the muscle icon that is needed and Geoff will take a step. If you fail to keep up with the muscles being used, Geoff will drop the barrel and will have to pick it up again. When Geoff reaches the truck press the fire button to get him to throw the barrel, if you do this too soon or too

late he will drop the barrel and have to pick it up once again.

 

4. Car Roll

Geoff has to roll the car onto its roof inside a qualifying time.

 

The game play is similar in its style to that used in the tug of war. If you start to do things wrong the car will start to roll back towards you.

 

5. Fairground Bell

There are two stages to this event.

 

Firstly, you must try and manoeuvre the club into the best position for hitting the peg on the base of the fairground bell. To do this, move the arrow to the muscle icons as they flash and hold down the fire button to adjust the position of the club.

 

Once the clock reaches zero, move the joystick left and right as quickly as possible to build up extra effort in the strike.

 

6. Sumo Wrestling

Geoff must try and push his opponent out of the ring inside the qualifying time.

 

To do this involves timing and quick reactions.

 

Move the joystick left or right to make Geoff move away or towards his opponent. Press the fire button to get Geoff to push his opponent.

 

Game Controls

Z - Left,   X - Right,   : - Up,   / - Down,   <RETURN> - Fire

 

 

Instructions' Source   : GEOFF CAPES STRONGMAN (Martech) Inner Inlay

 

Review (Electron User)

Can you emulate Geoff Capes by becoming the strongest man in the world? That's the idea in this game from Martech in which you must endure the hardships of a strongman championship.

There are six events, some with the computer as your opponent but others are an individual challenge against the clock. The instructions are well written, but list the events in the wrong order, which proved to be a real irritation until I'd begun to master some of the problems.

Before the games start, you must earn some muscle by hammering two keys as fast as you can. As a keyboard saving alternative, a touch on <RETURN> will grant you a random amount of strength. Having earned your muscle, you then distribute it around Geoff's body by selecting various screen icons.

After this, the first event begins. A car falls on you and you must turn it over. The method is simple: The muscle symbols flash in turn and you move your arrow to that symbol and hit <RETURN>. There is a time limit but with practice the necessary co-ordination can be mastered. Next comes sumo wrestling. Move left and right and then lunge at your opponent to push him out of the ring. It's easy but what a shame it's all over in two seconds.

 

Event three is the fairground bell-ring. You move the hammer into position and then wallop the keys to bring it down fast on the button. Positioning the hammer is rather chancy. It depends on which muscles flash and in which order. This one proved an annoying stumbling block for me many times.

In the next event you must chop through a log within a qualifying time. As an axe moves along the log you press <RETURN> to chop into the soft parts of the wood. This event requires timing, but little else. The tug o' war proved my undoing. The instructions say that the method is the same as for the car roll. However, each time I played, I was pulled into the river, which meant I have not seen event six, barrel loading.

The instructions make this sound quite fun, with a lot of keyboard hammering and precision timing involved, but it's obviously not for uncoordinated weaklings.

As usual with Martech software, the programming is excellent, the graphics are smooth and fast and the sound is sensible. But something is missing. The World Strongman competitions on television make compelling viewing. By comparison, I found the computer simulation boring and rather frustrating.

My best performance has rated me as Mr Puniverse, but more often I end up at Wimp level. I know lots of people who like this kind of game, but I would invest my money elsewhere.

 

Sound ........................... 6
Graphics ........................ 7
Playability ..................... 4
Value for money ................. 4
Overall ......................... 5

 

Rog Frost, ELECTRON USER 3.12