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Some Game descriptions

Aviator

My first in a long line of flightsimulator programs, the last being X-Wing by LucasArts.

The following were taken from the manual (which miraculously I still have in my possession).

The main features provided are:

1. A sophisticated aircraft simulator based on the Mark II Spitfire.
2. Comprehensive instrument panel.
3. Three-dimensional world (map provided) (I have the map somewhere. . .)
4. A perspective 'through the windscreen' view of the world.
5. Tests of skill (flying under a bridge for instance).
6. "The Theme"- a chance to repel unfreindly life forms from outer space, both on the ground and in the air; a combined test of flying skill, navigation and tactics as you seek and destroy.

The Theme is the part that keeps this game interesting, sure flying around, doing loop the loops and so on are nice but can be a little 'monochromatic.' There is a long story associated with the landing of these alien beings. . .something that a 13 year old would warm too but the premise is corny. Basically you fly around looking for triangular beings that fly and depending on how big they are you shoot them to gain points. . .the bigger they are the smaller the point tally. If they reach your town (aptly called Acornsville) the game ends. . .If the demand is high mabye I'll give run down of the WHOLE story. . .but not here.

Citadel

A game that I seemed to have kept over all my other games. I don't even know if the diskette inside still works. . . if your willing to take a chance I can sell it to you for a modest price. . .

THE OBJECTIVE -taken from the back of the jacket.

Marduk the Dictator has established a base in an old deserted castle. His slaves have built a teleport which will soon be used to transport the alien invasion force from the planet Coder to Earth. Your mission is to destroy the teleport system before it is too late.

You must find and bring the 5 crystals to the temple on the island (thus activating the teleport system), teleport yourself to the alien planet, and bring back the bejewelled figurine which you will find in Marduk's palace. When this is brought back to Earth a field of anti-matter will obliterate the teleport system and the invasion wiil be averted!

Exile

For a 32k RAM computer this game defied all odds at game design. . .how could they have fitted such a comprehensive game into such a small package. . .one HD double sided diskette with a save feature to boot! I do not have this game in my possession although I wish I had I am till looking for a game that matched this one in strategy and storytelling.

The story for this game is simple, however, since I don't have it in front of me I'll have to squeeze my brain for the info.

A group of colonists (a la Aliens) land on a planet which they thought was uninhabited. In the landing cycle the ship crash lands and the crew make do with surviving in the hostile environment (like Aliens the planet has gale force winds protecting its surface). In time the colonists discover a warren of caves and tunnels under the landing site of the ship, so rather than braving the winds they move all their equipment including the damaged particle engine that they need to lift off with, into the seemingly man made caverns. In the caverns they discover apes who appear to be semi intelligent as some of them wear homespun cloth. . .

Mind you this background story is detailled and long. It was written in a 'novella' which was very entertaining and was supposed to provide clues to the success of the game. Back to the story:

Suddenly the colonists are confronted by disgusting maggot like worms that are the size of dogs and who attack them without warning. Meanwhile a few scientists discover a cavern sealed with a heavy door with Druid runes carved into its surface (I can't remember what the runes meant when translated) However soon the maggot creatures overrun the colonists who die one by one retreating down the tunnels (sounds like Aliens eh?) The last colonist, the one who you expect to survive and win, is confronted by the contoller of these maggots. . .

It turns out that an evil scientist was banished from Earth years and years before this expidition and his prison capsule crashed on this planet. . .so consumed by rage and evil maddness he seeks to take the colonists ship and his band of cyborg apes and disgusting maggots to Earth to enact his revenge. Mind you he tells all of this to the last remaing colonist before he kills him. . .

However before the colonist dies he sends out a distress beacon to Earth where it is picked up by a passing spacefarer by the name of Finn. Finn turns his craft to the planet Exile and there your story begins. . .

You become Finn and you discover the deserted caverns and the evil scientist. This game is from a side view like Citadel but the maze of tunnels are immense, the traps crafty and original (all stemming from the natural environment of this hostile planet) and the puzzles mind boggling.

I personally never finished this game. . .I didn't even think I got as far as three fifths of a way in after over 3 months of play. . .ah well if anyone wishes to fill in the blanks for this story please feel free to e-mail me. And if anybody has pictures of the game then by all means send them and I will post them up. . .

These have been some of the games that I have played on the BBC. I will post more plots in the future. If you wish to add anything to these please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks

Thanks to Robert Schmit for putting up some of these pictures on his web site so that I could have access to some of them for research sake and to my Father for helping me reconstruct the past.
If you would like to learn more about the history of the BBC Micro then go here

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