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TRASHMAN
New Generation Software / £5.95
You are the dustman, and must empty all the bins into the dustcart moving slowly down the road. But watch out, some of the houses have dogs, and if they bite you the result will be a limp - slowing your progress.
Johnathan: This is a very colourful game, with excellent graphical representation. It includes some very humorous moments when you go into the houses, but it's not easy.

Mike: It's a great game with superb graphics, a new idea and an extremely enjoyable theme. You're constantly tempted to do little jobs for the householders - not always being rewarded.

Mark: This game can't be praised highly enough. It's totally original and the idea is brilliant - definitely one of this year's best programs.

Johnathan Hit
Mike Hit
Mark Hit

Mark Manning, Johnathan Norman, Mike Skinner

Trashman was released for the ZX Spectrum (our favourite of the 8-bit retro computers) in early 1984 by New Generation software who were already a famous name in Spectrum gaming for their (quite revolutionary) title 3D Monster Maze, which had appeared on the ZX81.

Anyway, the aim of Trashman was highly original and also very simple (as you would expect given the year it was released).

As soon as you laid eyes on the colourful graphics, you just knew it was going to be good
As soon as you laid eyes on the colourful graphics, you just knew it was going to be good


Gameplay

In Trashman you play the role of a bin-man and you had to amble up and down a street entering the gardens of the houses and collect the dustbin or trashcan. Then you would take it out to the dustcart, empty it and put the bin back in exactly the same spot that it was uplifted from.

You had to empty five bins in the first road (Montague Road), all against a falling Bonus score. If the bonus reached zero a message would appear up to tell you that complaints have been received regarding your slowness on the job. Recieving three such ticking off's and in true Alan Sugar style you would be fired. A bit on the harsh side eh?

This classic game was viewed in a traditional 'bird’s eye view', looking down on a nice looking suburban housing estate, with the road running through the centre, complete with parked cars and your dustcart creeping up the left hand side. The road was also busy with traffic running in both directions.

Problems encountered included being hit and killed by a car, walking over the grass in the gardens (which would quickly reduce your bonus score), and on later screens hostile dogs and wayward kids riding their bikes on the pavement. If you met a dog or a bike your poor trashman would start to limp - thus slowing your progress down as he shuffled around the screen.

The overhead perspective view is was slightly isometric, showing the houses on either side, the gardens, hedges, and even the shadows of the houses (it did seem to be a sunny day!). On later screens there were also cafes and pubs. These could be entered to increase your points, but over-eating or drinking too much would cause trouble - you couldn't skive too much! It was possible to add bonus points to your score in another ways, such as householders giving out a tip for your good and speedy service.

There were levels to progress through such as Pulteney Road. To do this you were required to collect six bins. Your trashman’s progress was slower when carrying a full bin and you would have to chase after the bin truck which moved up the road a small distance every few seconds. The playing area was much larger than the display so the screen would cut from scene to scene as you went after the truck to dump your bins contents.

ZX Spectrum gamers liked this title when it was released due to it's colourful graphics and different gameplay. It was pretty addictive and had that 'one more go' factor. It went on to be a cult classic on Sinclair's 8-Bit machine. It's worth a look a good 25 years on.

Trashman does his job on Montague Road
Trashman on a ZX Spectrum 48K
Trashman on a ZX Spectrum 48K
Trashman 25 years on

Trashman on the ZX Spectrum is a cult classic that does not quite get the recognition it deserves.

New Generation are probably a 'lesser remembered' software house too - names such as Ocean Software, Ultimate, Durell and US Gold roll off the tongue with ease.... but New Generation, despite having an impressive portfolio of Spectrum games are not the first to leap to mind.

So, try a bit of Download Spectrum, grab yourself Trashman and play it on a Spectrum emulator and give it (and New Generation!) some love...
Trashman does the rounds... it's a dirty job eh?
New Generation Software

New Generation Software also created some other well known titles for the ZX Spectrum such as 3D Monster Maze, 3D Tunnel and the excellent sporting simulation Jonah Barrington's Squash.

Jonah Barrington's Squash was one of the few titles to feature synthesized speech via the currah microspeech unit - making New Generation one of the few software houses to ever use that technology.

Unfortunately no Spectrum 128 version was ever released so we were never treated to the game with any nice AY Music.

Producer: New Generation
Memory required: 48K
Retail price: £5.95
Language: machine code
Author: Malcolm Evans


Looking for really original ideas in computer games is almost becoming an art in its own right. New Generation seem to have come up with another in Trashman. Even the cover design is different from anything seen before, with its dirty, over-crowded dustbin.

As a hero, this is likely to be the lowliest character you will ever play - a dustman. Players (there is a one- or two-player option) enter their names at the start and become the Trashman. The object of the game is to walk up and down a street, entering the houses' gardens, collect a dustbin, take it out to the dustcart, empty it and replace the bin from exactly where it came. You must empty five bins in the first road, Montague Road, and do this against a falling Bonus score. When the bonus reaches zero a message comes up to tell you that complaints have been received about your slowness. After the third such ticking off you are fired!

The screen display is a bird's eye view, looking down on a rather well-to-do suburban estate, with the road down the centre, complete with parked cars and the dustcart creeping up the left side. The road is busy with traffic in both directions. Problems encountered include getting killed by a car, walking on the grass in the gardens (your bonus score drops more rapidly), dogs which attack you on later screens and wayward kids riding their bikes on the pavement. If you meet a dog or bike you start to limp. The overhead perspective view is an isometric one, showing houses on either side, the gardens, hedges, even the shadows of the houses on this bright, sunny day. On later screens there are also cafes and pubs; entering them increases your points, but over-eating or drinking too much will cause trouble. Bonus points can be added to your falling total in another way. Sometimes, after you have returned an emptied bin, the householder will come to the door and offer a tip for services rendered. The content of these services is displayed at the base of the screen and replaced with a comment when you leave the house. "Just give me a ZX81 and I'll control the world," is a favourite example.

Progressing to the next level (Pulteney Road) requires you to collect six bins. As the trashman's progress takes some time (he's slower when carrying a full bin) he often has to chase after the dustcart which moves up the road a short distance every few seconds. As the playing area is much larger than the display, and the 3D graphics are quite complicated, the screen doesn't scroll up or down but cuts from scene to scene.

CRITICISM

The first thing to strike you about Trashman is the graphic quality, which is superb. The colours are all bright and solid but a lot of use has been made of NORMAL and BRIGHT to create the effect of shadows crossing paths and grass. The perspective view is also very realistic and reminiscent of New Generation's Escape. It takes a moment's practice to line Trashman up with a gate but once you get the hang of it's no problem. You must be careful when replacing empty bins, since walking to the correct spot will result in the bin being deposited. If you happen to have overstepped the mark, when you turn to leave, you pick the damned thing up again. Emptying a bin into the dustcart is easy enough, just walk up behind it and the emptying occurs automatically. The graphics, then, are wonderful, the sense of humour is also very good, and the game is hugely playable. The only thing I want to know is, what really goes on inside the house when Trashman does a favour?

The cars on the road are excellent, not only are they detailed but they move tremendously smoothly, at different speeds, in different directions, and at random intervals. The entire playing area is drawn very nicely. Amusing comments are put on the screen if you haven't trodden on the grass and therefore been able to collect your tip. I like the small touches like the cyclists riding on the paths and the dogs which chew your legs, leaving you limping. Trashman is an immensely playable game that is very addictive at first, but I think that quality might wear off after a while. Nevertheless, it's the best game that New Generation have produced yet.

This is quite a different sort of perspective for Malcolm Evans, and it works really well. Great use of grey has been made in the colours, not very common in Spectrum games. All the detail, both in the graphics, the way they more and the game content itself, is very good. I found it playable and fun. Oddly, it isn't a very fast game in the playing, but you soon realise that you must move with accuracy or you won't complete before the bonus score reaches zero. Marvellous value for money, I would say. I don't know how addictive it will be in the long term, but I shall carry on playing to find out.

COMMENTS
Control keys: cursors
Joystick: Kempston, ZX 2, Protek, AGF
Keyboard play: responsive but more fun with joystick
Use of colour: very good
Graphics: great
Sound: fair
Skill levels: progressive difficulty by screen
Lives: 3 unless hit by a car!
Features: 1 or 2-player games
General rating: fun, unusual, high-quality game and very playable.

Use of computer 80%
Graphics 85%
Playability 87%
Getting started 86%
Addictive qualities 76%
Value for money 85%
Overall 83%

IT IS a tough life working on the bins in the excellent Trashman from New Generation. The arcade game simulates a day in the life of a dustman as he collects the rubbish bins of suburbia and empties them into the dustcart. Unfortunately there is a time limit on each series of jobs, indicated by a decreasing bonus score. When it reaches zero, the residents complain about you and you get the sack.

The screen displays a realistic view of small-town side streets with pretty red-brick houses in 3-D perspective. When you reach the top of the screen the display moves to the next section of road.

The race against time would be difficult enough without all the extra hazards. If you walk on the grass you lose bonus points fast and there is traffic to avoid when you cross the road. The driver has a mind of his own and will not wait if you are slow, but drives on, forcing you to run after him. There are also vicious dogs which leap out to bite your ankles and slow you.

You can increase your bonus by chatting to friendly residents who may give you tips.

TRASHMAN
Memory: 48K
Price: £5.95
Joystick: Kempston, Cursor, ZX Interface
Gilbert Factor: 8