The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

GOLF

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Alias          : BIRDIE BARRAGE

Game Type          : Arcade; Graphical Golf Simulation

Author             :

Standalone Release(s)   : 1990: GOLF, Blue Ribbon, £1.99

Compilation Release(s) : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron Side A/BBC Side B

Actual compatibility    : As stated

Supplier            : BLUE RIBBON, CDS House, Beckett Road, DONCASTER DN2 4AD

                    Tel: 01322 21134

Disc compatibility     : CDFS E00, DFS E00

Instructions

"Take on the Acorn park old course in this addictive test of your golfing skills and judgement. Select your club, and the strength and direction of shot allowing for wind strength and direction in a consistent and realistic program. A must for all golf fans!"

Each hole will be graphically presented on the screen. You will first be prompted for a choice of club. The clubs available are as follows: Woods 1-4, enter 1W or 3W etc; Irons 1-9 & S (sand sedge) enter 4 or 8 etc. You will then set a direction indicator on the bottom of the screen. See the direction of the shot by using the Z (anti-clockwise) and X (clockwise) keys, adjust the strength of the shot with the up and down cursor keys, then press <RETURN>. Once you have successfully reached the green, the screen will change to show the green and you will be prompted for direction and strength.

When playing shots, you must take into account wind strength and direction which is shown as an arrow through the tee, the stronger the wind, the higher the number indicated in the tee box (in the range of 1 to 5). The wind will change between holes, but will stay constant during the playing of a hole.

THIS PROGRAM WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED AS BIRDIE BARRAGE BY CDS SOFTWARE.

Instructions' Source   : GOLF (Blue Ribbon) Back and Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User) - "Above Par Simulation"

Golf is another of those popular spectator sports which occupy vast amounts of television time, and it's a game which you either love or hate. This simulation, brought to you by Blue Ribbon, is one of the better attempts I have seen at converting this fascinating game of skill to the micro.

The loading screen is simple, in typical Blue Ribbon fashion. The game loads reasonably soon after and the first thing you see is the leaderboard with the top five rounds.

The current hole is graphically depicted from overhead giving you a bird's eye view of the action. The fairway, rough, green, trees, bunkers and water hazards are all shown. A flag marks the hole and the tee. Additional information provided is the distance to the green, the par for the hole and the wind direction.

First you select your club from a bag containing four woods, nine irons and a sand wedge. There's no indication of how far these will carry the ball, so the first few holes will be down to trial and error.

After selecting your club you are required to enter the direction and power of the shot. The direction is shown as a pointer which you can rotate left and right using Z and X, while the power is increased and decreased with the up and down cursor keys. <RETURN> hits the ball. You are told where it landed - on the fairway, in the rough, water and so on. You are prompted for more shots until you are on the green.

The screen then clears and you are presented with a magnified view of the green showing the hole and your ball. Additionally you are told whether the green is fast or slow so you can adjust the power of your shot accordingly. The club, a putter, is chosen automatically.

When you've finally holed the putt your score card is shown. Here you can see each hole played, how many shots you took, the par for the hole and distance. Also your overall score is displayed. Then it's on to the next hole, and so it continues for the rest of the course.

The graphics are reasonably good and the gameplay is interesting enough to prevent the game from becoming too tedious. The only feature I would have liked to see is a multi-player option, or a two player game at least.

I quite liked this simulation, though if you're not a golf fanatic it may not hold the same appeal. As a budget buy it can't be bad.

Roland Waddilove

* * * Second Opinion * * * (Electron User)

Budding golf stars will love this simulation of that classic game. Everything has been well thought out, including water and sand hazards, trees and bushes and strong cross winds. A multi-player function is sadly missing, but even as a one player game it is quite a challenge, and it's a game that won't break the bank either.

Janice Murray

Sound ........................... 4

Graphics ........................ 7

Playability ..................... 7

Value for money ................. 8

Overall ......................... 7

ELECTRON USER 6. 1