The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

TERRORMOLINOS

 

 

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

 

Game Type          : Text Adventure

Authors            : Peter Jones and Trevor Lever

Standalone Release(s)   : 1984: TERRORMOLINOS, Melbourne House, £9.95

Compilation Release(s) : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron Side A/BBC Side B

Actual compatibility    : As stated

Supplier            : MELBOURNE HOUSE, Castle Yard House, Castle Yard, RICHMOND

                    TW10 6TF

Disc compatibility     : Unknown

 

 

Instructions

"Wish you were here...

"...in TERRORMOLINOS...

"...instead of me!"

 

"TERRORMOLINOS is a hilarious text adventure of an outrageous summer holiday spoof set on the Costa Brava. You must survive a two-week package holiday - and return home with ten snapshots to prove it! The game has been created by the authors of the cult hit HAMPSTEAD and, as would be expected, there are no wizards or dragons to be found! Instead the perils lie on the beach, in the sea, at the bullring...and, of course, in the restaurant!

"And that's not all...the various characters you meet in TERRORMOLINOS come and go - including your own family, which you must try to keep together at all times.

"In TERRORMOLINOS, every holdiay disaster can come true! So why spend a fortune going abroad when you can get gippy tummy in the privacy of your own living room?"

 

When chubby-cheeked Cliff Richard first sang "We're all going on a summer holiday," it's unlikely that he was referring to the Costa Brava resort of Terrormolinos, because Terrormolinos is the kind of place you only visit once.

 

Could you survive a two-week package holiday there, with wife Beryl and kids Doreen and Ken? Among the many perils, you risk being gored by a bull, buried up to your neck in sand, being poisoned, dying of heatstroke, losing an argument with a shark and being run over by a Eurojuggernaut.

 

The object of the game is not merely to survive the holiday, but to take ten snapshots to prove you did it.

 

Moving Off

When the program is fully loaded, the message WELCOME TO TERRORMOLINOS! will appear, followed by some initial instructions.

 

As the game begins, you are not in Spain but at home in Slough. Beryl has booked a taxi to take you all to the airport. The taxi is now on its way and could arrive at any minute!

 

Since you have typically left all the packing until the last minute, you must quickly scoot around the house collecting everything you will need to take on holiday. In particular, don't forget your passport, tickets, camera and suitcase. They are all somewhere in the house, and there are other things to be found, too, which you will also need.

 

Basics

To move around, use the normal compass directions N, S, E, W, NE, SE, NW, SW. You can also sometimes go up (U) or (D). When using a stepladder, remember to specify UP STEPS or DOWN STEPS.

 

Apart from movements, most of your commands will be in the form of VERB NOUN. You will often want to pick things up or put them down, e.g GET SNORKEL or DROP HANKY. If you want to look at something more closely EXAMINE SETTEE, EXAMINE STEPS, or whatever.

 

Members of the family, and also certain other characters you will meet later, can sometimes be summoned if you CALL them.

 

Other useful commands are SCORE, which speaks for itself; I for Inventory, i.e. what you are carrying and wearing; R for Re-describe, in case you've forgotten where you are and what objects are visible; QUIT, when you've done enough holiday-making for one day; and SAVE GAME/LOAD GAME, to enable you to save the adventure up to the point you've reached and resume later. Check your computer manual for instructions.

 

Happy Snaps

Don't forget that your primary task, apart from keeping the family together, is to take those ten photgraphs. You must use your judgement as to where and when these are to be taken. Your film will have only 12 exposures, so there can only be two duds.

 

When you take a correct photo, a congratulatory message will appear on the screen. If you take a dud, all you will get is a sarcastic message. Make sure you don't take the same photo twice! Finally, you will have to make special arrangements for locations where there isn't much light.

 

You can also see on the screen during the game how many correct snaps you have taken.

 

Excursions

One of the joys of going on holiday is sitting in a clapped-out bus and being jolted down a hundred miles of cart track on your way to visit some site of interest. TERRORMOLINOS! boasts three such excursions. We suggest that you go on all of them - after all, some of the best snaps are taken on sightseeing trips.

 

Scoring

It is possible to complete the adventure with a score of less than 100% as the extra points come from the various other activities you can engage in - which you will have to discover for yourself!

 

Wandering Off

Be prepared for members of the family - and others - wandering off. You must retrieve them when they do this, otherwise who knows what could happen?

 

In TERRORMOLINOS

On arrival, check immediately into your hotel. Only then can you really start to "enjoy" your holiday.

 

Some Spanish phrases may come in useful from time to time: HOLA means "Hello", SI means "YES", NO means "No". If you do want a room, ask for UNA HABITACION. That should do!

 

You may also be asked such questions as QUE QUIRE USTED? ("What do you want?") and HAY EN GRUPO KWIKHOL TOURS? ("Are you with the Kwikhol Tours party?").

 

Some Useful Verbs

GET              ADD              FIT              REMOVE           WIPE

TAKE             SWIM             RUB              RING             LEAVE

OPEN             EAT              ORDER            APPLY            KILL

JUMP             DROP             CALL             KNOT             HIRE

EXAMINE          READ             CLIMB            ENTER            GO

WAVE             WEAR             LOCK             FIRE             BOARD

LOAD

 

 

Instructions' Source   : TERRORMOLINOS (Melbourne House) Back and Inner Inlay

 

Quick Peek (Electron User)

A text adventure of a holiday spoof set on the Costa Brava, in which you must survive a two-week package holiday and return home with ten snapshots to prove it. In this witty game every holiday disaster can and does occur!

ELECTRON USER 3. 3

 

Review (Electron User)

This is the best adventure game I have yet seen from Melbourne House. The object of the adventure is to go on holiday with your family to Spain, taking ten photographs while you are there. All the photographs have to be taken in the right places and it is up to you to find out where they are.

You start at home. A taxi is due soon to take you to the airport and you must search the house for the things you will need in Spain and get your family  together before it arrives.

On arrival you check in at your hotel (make sure it is the right one) and change into more suitable attire before visiting the local shops. An exploration of the nearby beach will lead to a rewarding encounter with a shark.

You should now sample the nightlife, though the red light district has nothing to do with developing your photographs.

You will find that three coach trips are laid on so remember to take your camera. A colloquial insult will help you to find the missing passenger at the monastery.
The problem that I get asked most is how do you avoid being killed by the bull?

This is solved by remembering that you do not need to protect your head at the moment and by allowing it to break some crockery. As is immediately apparent from the title, the adventure is very tongue-in-cheek. Unlike HAMPSTEAD, where the humour seemed laboured, TERRORMOLINOS hits the right note every time.

Presentation .................... 7
Atmosphere ...................... 8
Frustration factor .............. 8
Value ........................... 7
Overall ......................... 8

Paul Gardner, ELECTRON USER 3.10