Please login to submit a screenshot

Spy rings of power

DESPITE its original name, Psi-Spy for the 48K Spectrum is an unoriginal arcade adventure game. The object of the quest is first rings of power and then keys which can be found in the Dungeon of Zar. To get them you have to read the instructions several times - and try to move your character round the screens filled with uninspiring square monsters which look as if they have fallen from the Spectrum User Manual.

The approach to the dungeon, where you have to pick up several rings to enter and produce some kind of score, takes the computer almost a minute to set up using its colour-filling algorithms.

The game is an adventure of discovery as you will continue to find new keys to press the further you proceed. To be fair, the plot has some depth as you have to interrogate guardians of the keys using a mind probe and press various keys to decide whether to eat, take or pay for objects.

Psi-Spy would have been original and interesting a year ago but it looks too much like a cross between Black Crystal from Carnell and Manic Miner from Software Projects for comfort. If you want another dungeons game with average graphics, the game is for you. It can be obtained from Postern, Glos.




PSI-SPY Memory: 48K Price: £7.95 Gilbert Factor: 5

PSI-SPY
Postern / £7.95
In the labyrinth of the wandering planet, there is great wealth and adventure for anyone willing to challenge the active guardians. Collect the five keys of Zar, for without them, exit is impossible.
Ian Excellent graphics with some very fine detail - all made even better by the choice of some vivid colours. It can even be bewildering until you've worked out what's going on.

Phil It looks good, and probably sounds good (it supports the Currah MicroSpeech unit), but it does appear to be needlessly complicated. After a dozen attempts, it's still not really clear what you should be doing.

Frank A photographic mind would be an advantage for memorising all the instructions in this over-complicated game; even so, once understood, it's enjoyable.

Ian Hit
Phil Miss
Frank Hit

Ian Hemmingway, Phil Morse, Frank Pelling