No Fragments Archive 10: Diskmags/nf_archive_10.iso/MAGS/ST_NEWS/STN_02_5.MSA/DATA_DOC30

Text File | 1987-07-22 | 6KB | 126 lines

üSOFTWAREפEVIEW:וAUNTLET Çbyפichardיarsmakers

Imagine⇩yourself⇩sittingΘnβ≥ather⌡ncomfortableπhair⇩at⇩a
user⇩group⇩inוod-knows-where-town.⇩You≤eekΘn⇩vain⇩for⇩an
articleΘnβϕagazine⌠hatΦappens⌠o∮ie⌠here,⇩andΩustΦappen
to⇩glance⇩over⇩an⇩impressive⇩advertisement:⇩"Ocean⇩proudly
presentsºStreetזawk',⇩Available∩nצpectrumœ8Kβnd⇩Commodore
64גisk∩rקape".⇩YouΦaveβ∮ookβt⌠he⌠ime;⇩itΘsΩust⇩past
noon,∩nβπoldβutumnΘnõ985.

At⇩theΓeginning∩fõ986∙ouΣecide⌠o≤ell⌠heº64βnd∙ou⇩buy
the⇩STΘnstead.⇩AfterΦalfβ∙ear∩r≤o∩n⌠heצT,⇩you⇩notice
advertisementsµromר.S.וold,βnnouncingóGauntlet".ךouµaintly
remember⇩theϕagazine∙ou≥eadβt⌠he⌡serτroup∮ong⇩ago.⇩You
also⇩remember⇩theµact⌠hat∈o≡rogramΓy⌠he∈ame⇩of⇩"Street
Hawk"⇩hasΓeen∮aunched∩n⌠heבommodoreÀ4⌠hat∙ou≤o⇩happily
departed≈ithΦalfβ∙earβgo.⇩You≤incerelyΦope⌠hat⌠his⇩one
won't⇩take⇩as∮ongβs⌠heτameµor≈hichº64∩wners⇩are⇩still
seeking.



But⇩alas!⇩ItΘs≤pringõ987βndβdvertisementsδeep≡opping⇩up
withτreater±uantityβsσver¡Γut∙et∈oτameπalledóGauntlet"
or⇩anything≤lighly≥esembling⌠heπoncept.⇩On∙our∮ap∮ies⇩a
more⇩recent⇩issue⇩of⌠heϕagazine∙ouΩust⇩happened⇩to⇩look
through∩n⌠hatπoldβfternoonΘnõ985,βnd∙ou≤ee:óNew!ºMetro
Cross'⇩andºXevious'βnnouncedΓyר.S.⇩Gold!'.⇩Nothing⌠o⇩get
excited⇩about⇩-⇩it≈ill≡robably⌠akeβnother∙ear⇩or⇩so⇩to
finally⇩be⇩able⌠oΘnclude⌠hese≡rograms⇩in⇩your⇩impressive
softwareπollection.⇩But∩nlyβµewΣaysβfter....."Metroבross"
andóXevious"πameΣroppingΘnto⌠heϕail.⇩Yet,⇩no⇩"Gauntlet".
U.S.⇩Gold,Θn⌠heϕean⌠ime,Φad≤hown⌠heπourage∩fβnnouncing
"Gauntlet⇩II:⇨The⇩Deeper⇩Dungeons".⇩Contact⇩advertisements
startedβppearingΘnπomputerϕagazines:⇩"IΦaveºGauntlet'⇩and
'Defender∩f⌠heבrown'!⇩Send∮ists⌠o......"מoΓother⌠o≤pend
a±uarter∩n⌠hatµor≡honeπosts,∩r⌠o≤pendϕoney∩n⌠he≤tamp
to⇩send⇩your⇩list.⇩The∈ightΓefore∙ou⇩had⇩called⇩someone
running⇩a⇩major⇩Englishϕagazine¿one⌠hat⇩also⇩happened⇩to
spread∙ourΣiskϕagazineΘnדngland)≈ho≤aidΦeΦadΦadβ⇩chat
with⌠he≡eople∩fר.S.⇩Gold¡óGauntlet"≈ould∈otΓe⇩launched
withinβπouple∩f≈eeks,⇩because⌠he⌡n-experienced≡rogrammers
that⇩hadΓeπontracted⌠oΣo⌠heΩobπould∈otβctually⇩combine
goodτraphicsβnd≤ound≈ithin⌠heצT'sϕemory.⇩But⌠hisΦe⇩had
heard∩n⌠heכondonמovotel≤howβt⌠heσnd∩fIJpril,≤oΘtϕight
be∩utdatedβlready.

Then⇩you≤uddenlyΦear⌠he≡ostmanϕolesting∙ourϕailbox⇩on⇩a
Saturdayϕorning.תhile≤till⌠rying⌠oτet⌠hat≤ticky≤tuff∩ut
of⇩yourσyesβnd≤lippingΘnto∙our≤lippers,⇩you≤tumble⇩down
the⇩stairsβnd≤ee∩ne∩f⌠hoseµamiliar⇩brown⇩envelopes.⇩You
open⇩itβΓit⌠ooΦastyβnd≤uddenly∙ou≤ee⌠wo⇩disks⇩falling
helplessly⇩on⇩theπoldµloorΓetween⌠he⇩tax-letters⇩and⇩the
common⇩pile⇩ofϕail⌠hat∙ouµindΘn⌠heΦallσvery⇩day⇩since
yourΣiskϕagazine≤tarted≤preading≈ell.⇩Did∙ou≤eeΘt⇩well?
You⇩stare⇩at⌠heΣisks⌠hat∮ie∩n⌠he⇩ground.⇩"Gauntlet"⇩is
written∩nΓoth∩f⌠hem.⇩You∮ookβt⌠heϕirrorΘn⌠heΦall.מo,
you≤till∮ook±uiteβlive.⇩Might∙ouΓeβsleep?IJ≡inchΘn∙our
left⇩arm⇩caused⇩by⇩yourµar⌠oo≤trong⇩right⇩hand⇩and⇩the
following⇩sensation⇩tinkling⇩through⇩your⇩spinal⇩chord⇩and
eventually⇩reaching⇩the≡roper≡art∩f⌠hatΓig⇩heap⇩of⇩grey
cells¿allΣustyΓecause∩f∮ack∩f⌡se)Θndicate⌠hat∙ou're∈ot
asleepσither.⇩Andβs⌠hereβreµew≤tates∩fϕindΘn≈hich⇩you
think⇨you⇩see⇩things⇩that⇩aren't⇩there⇩except⇨for⇨the
aforementioned,⇩you⇩jumpβΦoleΘn⌠heβir⇩(and,⇩while⇩doing
that,⇩manage⇩to≥elocate≤ome∩f⌠heΣustΘn∙our⇩upper⇩brain
partsΓyΦitting⌠heπeilingΘnβ÷icouslyπrude≈ay).⇩Your⇩dad
rushes⇩out⇩of⌠heΓedroom≈ithΦisתorldתarחI⇩souvenirs⇩and
asksµrom≈hichΣirection⌠heפussiansβreβttacking,Γy≈hichΦe
leaves⇩a⇩real≤leepyΘmpression∩n∙our∩ccupied⇩brain⇩coils.
After⇩relieving⇩him⇩by≤aying⌠hatºit∩nly⇩was⇩the⇩mailman
hitting⇩his⇩bike⇩against⇩your⇩relatively⇩solid⇩garage'⇩he
retreatsΓack⌠o⌠heΓedroom≈ithβ≤adistically⌡ndertoned∈oise
that≤hows≤triking≥esemblance≈ith∮aughing.⇩You∮ookΣownβnd
blink∙ourσyes∩nceϕore:קhey're≤till⌠here!

Yes!⇩"Gauntlet"Θsµinally≥eady∩n⌠heצT.חtπomes≤upplied∩n
two⇩disks,⇩of≈hich∩neΘs⌠heΣataΣiskβnd⌠he∩ther⇩is⇩the
actual≡rogramΣisk≈ithβnIJUTOµolder∩nΘt.
When∩ne≡resses⌠heפESETΓutton≈ithΣiskIJΘn⌠he⇩drive,⇩the
game≤tarts∮oadingβutomatically.⇩Afterβ≈hile,∩ne's≡rompted
to⇩insert⌠heΣataΣiskΘnΣriveIJ.⇩After∩ne'sΣone⇩that,⇩it
takes⇩a∮ittle≈hileΓefore⌠heβctualτame≤tarts≈ith⇩a⇩nice
picture⇩and⇩digitizedϕusic.⇩ThisΘs∩ne∩f⌠he⌠wo⇩things⇩I
resentβΓitβboutóGauntlet"¡βgain,⇩the≡rogrammersπhose⇩to
make≤ound/music⌠he≤imple≈ay.IJfterΦittingβδey,∙ouσnterβ
'credits'ϕenu⌠hatβlsoσxplainsΦow⌠heτame≤houldΓe⇩started

(use⇩cursor⇩keys⌠o≤elect≡layer⇩and⇩player⇩control,⇩press
INSERT⌠oσnter⌠heπharacter∩n⌠he≤creen).⇩Theτraphics⇩look
very≈ellΘndeed,⇩but≈hen∩ne≈alks,⇩oneΘmmediately≤ees⇩the
second⇩thing⇩I⇩somewhat≥esent⇩about⇩the⇩whole⇩thing:⇩The
horizontal≤crolling.⇩AfterΦaving≤eenóMetroבross",⇩theτame
with⇩theΓestΦorizontal≤crollingβround,⇩I≥eally⇩think⇩the
"Gauntlet"≡rogrammersπalledΘtβΣay∮ongΓefore⌠hey≤hould've
with≥egard⌠o⌠heΦorizontal≤crolling.⇩The÷ertical⇩scrolling
is⇩muchΓetter,⇩but∈otβsτoodβs⌠hat⇩in⇩"Goldrunner".⇩All
otherτraphicsβre÷ery≈ellΣoneβs≈ell.ךouβreπharacter¿you
can≤electΓetweenתarrior,שalkyrie,תizardβndדlf)⌠hatΦas⌠o
collect⇩food,⇩treasuresβndϕagic≡otionsΘnβ⇩vast⇩labyrinth
thatΦasΓeenΣevidedΘnto∮evels.⇩TheτameΘs≤aid⌠oΦave⇩512
levels⇩tucked⇩away∩n⌠hatΣataΣisk.⇩Somethingח⇩don't⇩like
about⇩theτameβs≈ell,⇩is⌠hatβlϕovementsΓecome⇩very⇩slow
when⌠ooϕanyϕoving⌠hingsβppear∩n⌠he≤creen.⇩Butח⇩suppose
this⇩is≤omething⌠hat⌠he≡rogrammersπannotΣoϕuch⇩about.⇩I
haveΦadβ∮ookβsµarβs∮evelõ1,⇩andחϕust≤ay⌠hat⌠hereΘs
anσnormous÷ariety∩fτraphicsβnd∮evel∮ayouts.מotΓad!



Alltogether,⇩"Gauntlet"⇩mayΓeπalledβ⇩reasonable⇩conversion
from⇩the⇩original¿Copyurightõ985)βrcade⇩hall⇩machine.⇩The
graphicsβre÷ery≈ellΣone,Γut⌠hey≤houldΦave≡utϕoreσffort
intoΣesigningβΓetter≤crolling≥outine.

Gameפating

Name:╱Gauntlet
Graphics:⇩7.5
Sound:❎6.5
Playability:♪8
Hookability:♪7.5
Overall≥ating:✓7.5
Remark:⇦BadΦorizontal≤crolling