Reviews

1986 Gremlin Graphics Software (UK)
by Shaun Hollingworth, Steve Kerry, Ben Daglish, Peter Harrap, Chris Kerry, Greg Holmes, Colin Dooley

Avenger (or Way of the Tiger II) as little or none similarities to the prequel, besides the name.
In fact it reminds me a lot games like Gauntlet, Druid or Into the Eagle's Nest.
The characters could have been wearing any cloth, playing any role and any theme could have been used, but the feeling of deja vu remains...

Anyway, the theme chosen was Martial Arts and with the help of Gauntlet's popularity and the prequel, the game achieved a comfortable position in a lot of Martial arts themed game lists.

The object of the game is a bit more complex than the straightforward action of Way of the Tiger, but nothing any player hasn't yet experienced.

Again you collect keys and treasures, and avoid nasties while replenishing your energies when needed.
I've enjoyed playing Avenger, but felt I was just playing a sequel from the games above mentioned and not a proper WOTT sequel.

The premise is good ,,, but this game is as ugly as a sin !!!

Painful to look at !!

2,5 / 5 .

This is a pretty run of the mill maze game. Run around collecting keys to open doors, dispatching foes along the way. If you run out of throwing stars you resort to kicking which is a nice touch but not enough to elevate this above the many similar games.

Avenger came in an era of computer gaming when Gauntlet clones were the "in" thing. Although being part of a crowd, it is good to see that Avenger manages to stay on the good side.

Set in the same universe of Way Of The Tiger, licensed from the eponymous gamebook series, Avenger puts you as the same ninja from the earlier game in a very difficult adventure. You must retrieve the sacred scrolls of Ketsuin and defeat three evil guardians. To do this you walk around gardens, a palace, dungeons etc. defending yourself from many foes, with your hands and feet as well as with shurikens (in limited supply). You must also open locked doors with keys in order to proceed in your quest and be careful not to waste them, otherwise you won't be able to go on. Some sections of the maze cannot be entered unless you have some specific object with you - you will be killed instantly in that case.

Graphics and sound are pleasing and easily convey an exotic atmosphere. Unfortunately the game is rather hard and will require a lot of patience just to keep going because it is easy to make a fatal mistake which will force you to start all over again. Apart from this, Avenger is still one of the best Gauntlet clones available on the Spectrum.

by Shaun Hollingworth, Peter M. Harrap, Chris Kerry, Greg A. Holmes, Steve Kerry, Ben Daglish, Colin Dooley

It's a brilliant variation on the Gauntlet concept, on the beat'em up side, with lots of chests, shurikens, and ugly enemies distributed over six floors, You have to be very careful how you use your keys, because it's very easy to get stuck. It mixes a fast and irreproachable scrolling with flip screens, graphics are well drawn, sound effects and tune are very nice and atmospheric, completing the excellent playability.
4,25/5

This is the sequel to The Way of the Tiger which many thought was great and I found it was a bit crap. There are those that say "oh I loved that game", "ah that was bloody brilliant mate", "that game was rad man" and I never got into it at all, which is probably why I never played this sequel until now, but Sinclair Randomseek demands it and so I shall. And I will admit I ended up enjoying this much more than I should have and certainly more than Way of the Tiger, even if the game is nothing more than just wandering around looking for keys. But I managed to get into this, until I ran out of keys and couldn't find anymore, then it all got boring so I reset it. But it certainly has more enjoyment than it's predecessor, not much, but enough for me to give it a 3 rather than a 2.