The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

MR WIZ

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Arcade; Overhead Maze-Game

Author             : J. D. Llewellyn

Standalone Release(s)   : 1984: MR WIZ, Superior, £7.95

                    1990: MR WIZ, Superior/Blue Ribbon, £1.99

Compilation Release(s)   : 1988: SUPERIOR COLLECTION 3, Superior/Acornsoft, £9.95

                    1989: PLAY IT AGAIN SAM 8, Superior/Acornsoft, £9.95

Stated compatibility    : Electron

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

Supplier            : SUPERIOR, Department C, Ground Floor, Regent House, Skinner

                    Lane, LEEDS 7

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

Instructions

"Guide Mr. Wiz around the garden to eat the cherries whilst avoiding the evil gremlins. They can be killed by dropping apples on them or by throwing the crystal ball. If all the gremlins are trapped or very frustrated, they may eat an apple or dig their own passage to get at you."

Guide Mr. Wiz around the garden to eat the cherries whilst avoiding the evil gremlins. The gremlins can be killed by dropping apples on them or by throwing the crystal ball. If the gremlins are trapped or very frustrated, they may eat an apple or dig their own passage to get at you.

1,000 points can be gained by eating the magic mushroom...but beware, this is home of the gremlins and makes them permanently furious! After use, the crystal ball takes time to recharge. When ready for use, the ball will flash.

An extra wizard is awarded for every 10,000 points scored.

Game Controls

Z - Left,   X - Right,   * - Up,   ? - Down,   <SPACE> - Throw Crystal Ball

Joysticks may also be used.

Instructions' Source   : MR WIZ (Superior) Back and Inner Inlay

Review (ELBUG)

MR WIZ is a version of the arcade game "Mr Do" in which you take the role of a wizard trying to collect the cherries in his garden. There are the usual gremlins to avoid, and these can be killed by dropping apples on them. You also have a crystal ball which you can throw at the gremlins to kill them.

There are about eight different sheets, and the game can become quite difficult at some stages. Despite this, my overall impression is that the movement and sound in this game are disappointing. The basic concept on which the game is based is certainly a good one, but I did not find that the action was fast enough in this implementation to produce an enjoyable game-playing experience. Rating: ***

Alan Webster, ELBUG 1.10

Review (Electron User - Double Review Of MR WIZ and PERCY PENGUIN) - "Wizard Of A Game"

The software company currently dominating the charts is Blue Ribbon with its budget priced re-runs of Superior Software's old titles. Two of the most popular are MR WIZ and PERCY PENGUIN.

The first is an arcade game in which you play the part of Mr Wiz, wandering about your garden eating cherries while avoiding evil gremlins. These nasty little critters can be flattened by dropping enormous apples on their heads. To do this you dig the earth away below the apples just as a gremlin walks underneath.

Extra bonus points can be gained by eating a magic mushroom, but watch out for the gremlins, as this makes them furious.

PERCY PENGUIN takes you to the frozen wastes of the North Pole where you battle the dangerous snobees. Blocks of ice form a maze on screen and you - controlling Percy Penguin - must try to line up three special diamond blocks by kicking them into position.

Ordinary ice blocks can be melted by pushing against them, or kicked away if there is nothing on the other side stopping them from moving. This enables you to rearrange the maze to your advantage.

Preventing you from lining up the diamond blocks are the snobees, evil weevils that track you down and gobble you up. Fortunately, a well timed kick will send an ice block to squash them flat.

The action isn't particularly fast, but it's quite difficult. The graphics are fairly ordinary compared with recent releases and there isn't much depth to the game. If you're looking for two simple, fun offerings at budget prices you won't go far wrong with these two from Blue Ribbon.

Roland Waddilove

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

PERCY PENGUIN and MR WIZ are two typical budget releases. Once classic games, they are now considered to be quite simple both in gameplay and graphics. However, they are cheap and will provide several house of fun for all the family.

Janice Murray

Sound ........................... 7

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

Playability ..................... 8

Value for money ................ 10

Overall ......................... 8

ELECTRON USER 6. 7