Producer: Crystal Computing
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £6.50
Language: Machine code
Author: M.S. Horsley

Both of Crystal's pre-Christmas arcade releases were copies of well known originals from the arcades, Invasion of the Body Snatchas we reviewed in the last month's issue. Rommel's Revenge is probably the best Spectrum version yet of the favourite 'Battle Zone' game. There's a natural comparison here with Artic's very successful 3D Combat Zone, and it's arguable as to which is the better since in many respects they are quite different.

The display is set on a flat plain surrounded by mountains and even an active volcano. Numerous buildings and other objects like telegraph poles litter the landscape. In the centre of the screen is a gun sight, and above it a radar screen with sweep arm on which enemy tanks are seen as dots. You, of course, are in command of a tank, and controls allow for forward and reverse movement with rotation left and right. All the graphics are in a hollow 3D which allows all sides of an object to be seen at once. The object of the game, quite simply, is to destroy the enemy tanks and stay alive. The more you destroy the more they come after you.

COMMENTS

Control keys: Z/X left/right, N/M forward/backwards, SPACE = fire. In addition - 1/2 sound on/off, V = volcano erupting or not. Both of these options speed up the game if not in use.
Joystick: AGF, Protek, Fuller, Kempston
Colour: poor
Graphics: good
Sound: very poor
Skill levels: 1
Lives: 4
Features: note special loading program which might make you think it isn't loading properly when it is!

This is the best version of 'Battle Zone' with more objects like poles, radar towers and spouting volcanoes. Missiles seem to take about the right time to reach a target and the game, generally, is faster. Against it is the sound, which is poor, no noises when an enemy explodes and only a weak plop when you fire.

It's a bit weak on colour, the 3D graphics are very effective and smooth, but everything is done in white lines on blue. The tanks all move a bit faster than the Artic version, as does the firing, but there aren't as many up against you at one go although it gets progressively tougher. Rather thin sound and I was disappointed with the explosion visuals - the enemy tanks just seem to disappear when hit.

This is a great game and very playable. The tanks aren't as over-intelligent as the ones in Artic's version. They always managed to twitch out of the way of your shots, but in Rommel's Revenge they still manage to be a match. Also the landscape is much more detailed - it's fun at first just to wander round looking at the various buildings and structures.

Producer: Crystal, 48K
£6.50 (2)
Author: M S Horsley

This is probably the best version yet of the well known arcade original 'Battle Zone' and is, of course, similar to Artic's '3D Combat Zone'. In one sense it's much better - the flat plain is well landscaped and teeming with buildings, radar towers and telegraph poles. The missiles, once fired, seemed to travel at a realistic speed. In another sense it's not so good - the enemy tanks don't appear as frequently and there aren't any flying saucers to contend with. On the other hand the enemy tanks aren't so over-intelligent at avoiding your fire, so you get a better sense of achievement! Rather poor sound and the hollow 3D graphics are colourless, but it's fun just wandering round looking at the buildings. Watch out for the special loader routine which makes it look as though the program isn't loading properly. Reasonable keys, joystick: Kempston, Fuller, AGF, Protek. Rating: good, overall CRASH rating 65% m/c.

Label: Firebird
Price: £1.99
Memory: 48K/128K
Joystick: various
Reviewer: Sewli Mannan

You're a hero again defending a remote asteroid from enemies curiously like those in Battlezone. All you have is a tank, cruddy cannons and the odd anti-tank missile. Sounds more like Battiesone eh? It's almost like a game of hide and seek. The enemy hides and you seek. Boy, do those tanks know how to hide? Yes they do. So why bother? just stay where you are, let them come and find you. It's much quicker.

The graphics are OK - the whole screen is blue and the tanks and other weird square scenery are white. The game, though, is not very exciting. It manages to be both dead easy and frustrating! You see nothing and from nowhere something gets you from behind then the program has the cheek to say "You have zapped." I wouldn't have been zapped if it didn't cheat!

There's nothing here, except for those with a deep interest in looking for things. And for those with patience. Save the money.

CPC, £1.99cs
Spectrum, £1.99cs

This was one of a family of very successful games by Design Design, who were originally (in the good old, bad old days) called Crystal and produced some memorable Spectrum games, including the notorious Halls of the Things. Tank Busters appeared on their disk compilation along with the excellent Dark Star and others - it's now a budget release from Firebird. It remains one of the best implementations of the arcade game Battlezone on an 8-bit micro. Just in case you were born yesterday, that means you pilot a tank around a vector graphics landscape, blasting other tanks and guided missiles. Use the abstract rocks and pyramids to hide behind and make sure you run like mad when one of the more intelligent metal monsters locks onto you - the highest scorer, however, is the man who knows when to turn and fire...

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
JOYSTICK: Optional
CATEGORY: Arcade
SUPPLIER: Crystal
PRICE: £6.50

Crystal's greatest success to date has been the excellent Hall of the Things. With Rommel's Revenge, the company changes direction and, instead of a wholly original game, has produced a copy of the arcade favourite - you know, the one in which you blast away at tanks and all the effects are in wire-frame 3D.

The first surprise comes as the game loads - the familiar Sinclair blue and yellow stripes are conspicuous by their absence and instead the border alternates between blue and black as the title screen loads.

Rommel's Revenge is compatible with Pro-Tek, Fuller, AGF and Kempston joysticks and the program senses which is attached and configures itself accordingly.

The 3D effects are well done, with distant objects growing in size and changing perspective with the viewpoint.

In addition to the optional keyboard movement control keys, there are keys to turn sound on and off, to quit the present game and to select or de-select the volcano and radar options.

When present, these slow the game down and thus are useful as an aid to familiarization with the controls.

I must confess that this is not my favourite type of game, but with Rommel's Revenge Crystal has produced a very fair copy of the original.

This month we focus on the exploits of hero Willy after his mining experience and on some of the best and worst new Spectrum games.

Crystal has produced some excellent games for the Spectrum, so when the cover for Rommel's Revenge claims it is "a brilliant interpretation of the most visually stunning arcade game ever" it is tempting to believe it. Do not believe it.

Nowhere is the aim of the game explained, so players who have never seen the arcade game will be mystified. The reviewer was mystified. Thunder across the landscape in a tank which crashes into strange, geometric frameworks with no apparent effect, aiming for mountains which are never reached.

At that moment another tank appeared. For lack of anything else to do, it was shot. The score chart indicated that was a good thing to do, so other hapless tanks to destroy were sought. With radar scanned, the tank thundered across the landscape again. At long last another tank appeared and was shot. After another long delay, a second tank appeared, to be shot as well.

Rommel's Revenge is not gripping and it is certainly not the spectacular game claimed on the cassette cover. It also appears to be pointless. It is produced for the 48K Spectrum by Crystal Computing, 2 Ashton Way, East Herrington, Sunderland SR3 3RX and costs £6.50.

The best version of the arcade Battlezone on the Spectrum in which your tank must take on and destroy those of the enemy. The game mis different from the Atari original and it contains certain improvements. You can switch on or off the fiery blasts which come from a volcano in the hills. The program options also allow tiny bleeps which indicate that an enemy tank is coming into range.

Released in late 1983, it has startling graphics and is one of the few games in which the 3D perspective is not destroyed by the sudden or jerky movement of objects across the screen.

Position 39/50