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Mineshaft (Durell) (BBC/Electron)

You'll fall for Mineshaft

Reviewed By James Bibby In The Micro User 3.07

Deep down in the mine, you must struggle against time and numerous obstacles in an attempt to collect chunks of coal before your air supply is exhausted.

Having cleared one cavern of its hoard of black gold, you are transported to the next, more testing, level...

Mineshaft, from Durell Software, is another offering in the Manic Miner/Blagger style for the BBC Micro and Electron.

Each screen contains several chunks of coal, the majority of these being in the most inaccessible of places. The screen also contains numerous ledges.

Most of these are solid, but there are some which are constructed of slurry.

The slurry ledges are only designed as temporary resting places. Stand around for too long and you will fall through the ledge and plummet to your death.

Each of the screens has an exit door, but this will only open once every piece of coal has been collected.

As is the norm with this type of game, it will soon become apparent that there is only one correct path through the screen. Not only must your route be correct, but you must also time it perfectly as many of the solid platforms are patrolled by runaway coal trucks, ghosties, and even mutant matches.

The game runs using Mode 1 graphics. Durell have made use of the resolution available to create very clever screens. Many other games can also boast this number of screens, but the majority of players will never see more than the first five.

Durell have negotiated this problem by allowing the player to progress to the next level at any time during the game by pressing Escape. This facility ensures that your interest in the game will remain alive longer than usual.

If you are stuck on one particular screen, give it a rest and play the next one. It may provide some inspiration.

Mineshaft is a fine example of the Manic Miner class of game. All of its screens are clever, some are practically impossible, but you always feel that you will make it in the end.