The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

TEMPEST

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Arcade; 3D Wire Frame Action In Space

Author             :

Standalone Release(s)   : 1984: TEMPEST, Superior, £7.95

Compilation Release(s)   : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron

Actual compatibility    : Electron

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

                    Lane, LEEDS 7

Disc compatibility     : CDFS E00, DFS E00

Instructions

The game of TEMPEST involves you (the yellow "claw") moving across the rim of the blue "stargate". You are armed with a Blaster and a Super Zapper; this can be used only once (per frame) and has the effect of destroying everything but yourself.

(Not that the colours of the "claw" and the "stargate" change at the more advanced levels of the game).

Each frame is a completely new shape until level 9 when the pattern repeats. Levels 49-64 feature invisible boards. The opposing aliens are as follows:-

                                                                  |     FRAME

                                                                  |    NUMBER

                                |COLOUR DURING |                  |  OF FIRST

      NAME           |SHAPE     |CYCLES 1-16   |             VALUE|APPEARANCE

      Flipper        |Line      |Red           |            150pts|         1

      Spiker         |Line      |Yellow        |             50pts|         3

      Flipper Tanker |Diamond   |Magenta       |            100pts|         3

      Fuseball       |Wavy Star |Multicoloured |150,350,550,750pts|        11

      Pulsar         |Z-shaped  |-             |            200pts|        17

You fire bullets from your Blaster and, for emergencies, you have the Super Zapper, which is recharged at the end of each frame.

A brief description of the attackers:-

Flippers - they "flip" end over end around the columns slowly approaching you. Try to destroy them before they reach the rim. Should you need to destroy them on the rim, wait in a sector and as the alien flips over you or an adjacent sector, fire quickly.

Spikers do not appear dangerous as they rarely get to you. Finish them quickly though as the trails they leave have to be avoided when you warp to your next stargate.

Flipper Tankers, although no threat in themselves, turn into two flippers when hit.

Fuseballs - get them before they reach the rim, as they are considerably more difficult to despatch thereafter.

Pulsars should be treated with some respect. When they are active, a "frying" noise is emitted and the rim of their sector disappears. If you are on the rim at this time you will disappear with it.

Tactics: A liberal spraying from your Blaster around the frame as you start should destroy the initial opposition. Flipper Tankers destroyed whilst on spikes discharge no flippers. In general, if you're going to use your Super Zapper, leave it to the last possible second. When the aliens stop swirling in the distance, all of them will have been generated for the current frame so, if you haven't used your Super Zapper, now is the time to do so.

Game Controls

CTRL - Spin Clockwise,   A - Spin Anticlockwise

<RETURN> - Fire Blaster,   <SHIFT> - Fire Super Zapper

<SPACE> - Start Play,   <ESCAPE> - Restart,   E - Entry Level Select

S/W - Sound On/Off,   f1/f2 - One/Two Player Game

Instructions' Source   : TEMPEST (Superior) Inner Inlay

Review (Electron User)

Yes, this is the superb arcade game of the same name, converted by Superior for the Electron, and released with the full approval of Atari who created the original.

It involves protecting the universe from aliens who are swarming through the star gates. Your ship, armed with a blaster and super zapper, can skip round the
rim of the star gate in clockwise or anti clockwise gates. As the flippers, spikers, flipper tankers, fuseballs and pulsars emerge they can be destroyed with a quick spray of missiles from your blaster - well, theoretically anyway, it's not quite so easy in practice.

The aliens are semi-intelligent and tend to move in your general direction if they can, so you have to watch out for any that make it through the star gate.

If you get in a really tight spot, you can use your super zapper which destroys all the aliens in the gate. However, it can only be used once per screen.

When most of the aliens have been destroyed, your ship enters the star gate to proceed to the next. At this point there may well be several spikers left which must be avoided by blasting a clear route when the message "Avoid Spikes" appears.

There are eight star gate patterns and 255 levels of play. At the start of each game there is the option of one or two players and any odd numbered star gate can be selected.

The sound and graphics are excellent and it's quite an exciting game to play. Also it is quite an original idea. My only criticism is that there isn't a high score table or a joystick option - but is compatible with the Plus 1 and 3. Arcade fans will thoroughly enjoy this classic.

Roland Waddilove, ELECTRON USER 2. 9