Reviews

One of the first real pieces of eye candy on the Spectrum as well as quite a good playable game into the bargain.
I bought this game (with Barmy Burgers) on the day I acquired my new Spectrum, and can remember to this day simply mouthing the words "Wow" once it started.

The "Softsolid" engine used here made for pretty much the earliest true isometric game on the ZX (and arguably ANY system for that matter). As it stood, the ability to change the viewpoint to any of four directions, was something largely never copied by other software companies, who later expanded upon the isometric genre.

The game itself is well up to scratch. Running around the city, climbing, jumping and blowing up ants can be rather fun. The game is well paced with each level taking both a little more thought and time than the previous, as the locations you need to access become more and more difficult to get to. The only real flaw with the gameplay, is that perhaps it is infact rather too easy, and with only 10 levels to complete not likely to provide a huge challenge for long.
The control keys also had a reputation somehow of being rather awkwardly positioned, but I myself never found them a problem, and like many other games, simply took getting used to.

This game is ZX history. Sandy White did something quite ahead of it's time with this game, and it therefore deserves its classic status.

This is a real favourite of mine. There was nothing like it graphically at the time - even Knight Lore only came out a year or so later - and it's as much a work of art as a computer game.

Some say that the gameplay is lacking, and they might be right, but I think it's good fun anyway. It certainly worked out a lot more playable than Sandy White's other games, but that's not really saying much. Getting the last few people out alive can be a bit tricky as you've got to do things like run across gaps and jump on the backs of ants. Exploring the city and figuring out what all the buildings are supposed to be is rather enjoyable too.

Another criticism this game gets that I think is a little unfair is that there are too many keys. You only really need to use four of them most of the time and only make an occasional prod at the others. The different view angles sometimes help when you're looking for people to rescue. The grenades are pretty ineffectual for the most part but you might occasional take out an ant rather than blow yourself up with them.

Innovative and fun to play, at least once you've got the hang of it, this is a real Spectrum classic; one of the games that made it a must-have home computer in the early 80s.

1983 Quicksilva (UK)
by Sandy White and Angela Sutherland

First Isometric 3D game (or so it seems) also called Softsolid system.
Sandy White was a sculptor by trade so that may explain his obsession in creating a 3D game.

Ant Attack starts in the fictitious walled City of Antescher. A lost city in a long lost age. The city is guarded by giant ants guided just by their biological imperative of survival.

Our hero, He or She, is selected in the beginning of the game and the objective is mainly to find ten persons (one at a time) and guide them outside the walls of Antescher without being killed by any giant ant. If you chose the male, then you only save females, and vice versa (which reminds me I should get another wife, or maybe two). Once you do that a medal is attributed to you for rescuing merits, and the game ends. The position of a prisoner at start ranges from very easy to tricky hard, and sometimes it's even very hard to spot a prisoner, hence a 3D tool (a key) you can use to change the viewing angle, another original feature started in this game, and copied ever since. You have grenades to throw at ants and defend yourself but mind the keys to use, they are a bit tricky.

Ant Attack gathers similar critics from numerous players as an undisputed classic. It's revolutionary maze may not surprise anyone today but back then it was mesmerizing, and although it as not aged all that well, it still hold its appeal quite well.

Sequel: Zombie Zombie

There aren´t better games for the Spectrum.

Ant Attack is a classic and a pioneer. Ages above its time.

The movements are so smooth, the plot so original.

This game has the same charm and looks as an old/vintage - sci-fiction - B-movie .

Avoid the unfriendly ants. LOVE IT.

A real ground-breaking title. One of the first games I ever played which employs a true isometric projection. OK, so I might have played Q-bert on the Atari 2600 before this, but that game sports a much simpler form of isometric graphics and can't really be compared.

In Ant Attack, the 3D viewing direction can be rotated and the sprites (i.e. the player and the ants) can move behind the walls. So it really is a new level of true 3D realism. The stippling effect really works well, effectively providing different levels of grey-scale in order to present a realistic 3D environment. Given that colour is generally unavailable in isometric titles on the speccy because of the obvious need for diagonal edges, this is about a good a job that could reasonably be expected.

Funny thing about this game is the main menu, with use of the default ROM font and simple presentation. Also, the BASIC-like sound effects, like when a new game starts or when you run out of time. These things really show that the game was very much of the early period in the speccy's software history. Yet when the game actually starts, it's amazingly ahead of its time and of course crucially, once you get the hang of the keys, it's very enjoyable to play too.

The rotate and move controls make this game trickier than it need be. There's also about 100 other keys you'll need during the game. Luckily the game is worth all the hassle.But really, it could have been so much better.

I would not say "excellent" for all time, but certainly it is a game launched in 1983 and it seems from 1986.

For sure one of the very best in the early times of the spectrum.

I would recommend to play, not for fun but to see how the game programming in the spectrum advanced on those times

Legendary game-play. Excellent graphics for that time.

Its a generally known classic game , has the honour of being the 1st isometric scrolling adventure game , but although being a clever game , in my eyes it plays pretty badly , the controls are awful , the ants annoying , the rescue system isn't great , i played this a lot in the 80s and revisiting it this week for a few games really brought to life how poor it really is , i still give it 3/5 as it has some charming qualities , but as an actual " game " , its below par.

Released in 1983 by Sandy White for Quicksilva, it featured 'Softsolid 3D', a very innovative isometric perspective back in the day.

The game takes place in the Walled City of Antescher, surrounded by desert dunes and inhabited by dangerous ants.

You must select being either boy or girl (another original feature of the game) and rescue your mate that waits you somewhere in the ancient city and escape from the city. Your weapons are only a bunch of grenades. There's a scan that indicates the direction to reach your mate. You can also change the perspective of screen.

The black and white graphics are simple so are the sounds, but the playability is excellent. It's really exciting walking around an empty city with the possibility of terrific ants appearing at any moment.

Considered a gothic horror game back in the day, it's also generally considered the first survival horror game in videogame history.

more Exploration Games ...
Note for readers: written during covid-19 outbreak 
Few things better than explore the Streets of ANTESCHER with this ancient but eternal isometric game

Plenty of Keys and related actions!
warranted fun during quarantine

I fact, this is a different game and concept than Android2 because first, you have a true 3D environment (well more internally than display-esque) and second, its own 3D 'illusion" allows for a much greater deal of freedom and scenery detail

ANT ATTACK also has its own slice of history in the Spectrum's World.
It has true superior elements as the change of perspective. It was so ahead of its time.
I like it because it somehow links with the puzzle/thinking elements I habitually demand on games.

The surprising thing about this game is how in a time when games were so basic and crude the programmer could come up with this idea and this concept. And materialize them so brilliantly

It's true that Boom Bot is a marvel
But the real credit goes to Ant Attack.
It seems archaic but for those of us of a certain age it is adorable
How to forget the first sensations when seeing it. You didn't even need to try it, just seeing it excited you

A true classic with very clever game mechanics.
The isometric perspective and the four camera angles were both innovative and really useful to complete the levels.
It is a game that can be solved if you invest some time in it, something which cannot be said about many games of that era.
And, of course, it will always stick with me as being one of the two first games I played on my ZX Spectrum, the other one being 3D Combat Zone.
Yes, I did start with one of the Speccy's strong sides, 3D games.