Originally Published November 1989. Amstrad Action Issue 50.

Welcome once again fellow Balgs to another fun filled adventure column, with an exclusive review of Avon from Topologika and all your other favourite features...

Reviews

Avon
Topologika, PO Box 39, Stilton, Peterborough PE7 3RL. Tel (0733) 244682
£14.95 disc only.

The Balrog loaded Topologika's latest game with trepidation. As dedicated Pilgrim readers will know, the Pilg never seemed to like any Topologika game due mainly to the absence of the examine command - would the Balrog like Avon or not?

Avon is a light-hearted look at the world of Shakespeare's plays (perhaps the real Bard's Tale? - ed). You are a typical American tourist visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, but all is not as it seems... an asp in a pet shop tries to bite you, you could swear that a nearby pine tree groaned at you when you walked past and the three old ladies in the shop acted very peculiarly when you tried to buy their cauldron!

Perhaps your suspicions could be attributed to your own paranoia, but before you know what's happening you find yourself standing in a place unlike Stratford-upon-Avon but yet alike to it - the world of Shakespeare's plays. As in all good adventures you must discover the route back to the real world to save yourself from being held forever in Avon.

Avon is well written with many objects, locations and characters taken from Shakespearean plays. Thus, there are daggers, eyes of newts, witches and many other weird and wonderful creations, including, of course, blood on hands!

At this point the Balrog would like to stress that knowledge of Shakespeare is not needed to complete Avon. Although all the various objects and locations are derived from the Bard's plays, the actual puzzles are the same as in any adventure. In short, you don't need an English A-Level to play the game!

The puzzles are difficult in places and quite original, and although the parser is not as powerful as, say, a Level 9 game, it is still very comprehensive.
As with all of Topologika's games, Avon is text and disc only with on-line help, lots of descriptive text and atmospheric locations.

The Balrog's criticisms of Avon? Well, the absence of the examine command is annoying. I must admit that I agree with the Pilgrim on his views that a properly used examine command can add to a game but, on saying that, the Balg soon got used to playing the game without examining objects and didn't feel it reduced my enjoyment. My only other criticism with the game is that it takes about two minutes to load, as the instructions are printed on the screen every time you play, it is a shame that a short cut could not be found to avoid this wait.

Not one of the most technically accomplished games, but very amusing and enjoyable, a good all round adventure with an enhanced version of Monsters of Murdac (AA rating 75%) on side 2 of the disc that deserves to do well.

Panic Beneath the Sea
John Packham, 60 Hightown Towers, Warburton Road, Southampton S02 6HH
£1.99 cass £4.50 disc.

Panic is a two part adventure, GACed from the keyboard of John Packham. In it you play the part of an unemployed detective sent on a dangerous mission by your government - dive down to a sunken ship and retrieve some nuclear isotopes before anyone else, while avoiding cyborg enemy agents - not one of the most original plots in the world!

Part one of the game has graphics, starting with you sitting in your office and deals with finding a ferry to take you to the sunken ship. Part two concerns searching the sunken vessel for the nuclear material.

The Balg quite enjoyed this game. Although the graphics are nothing to rave about (as with most GAC games), and the parser is unfriendly in places, the puzzles are well though out and cleverly implemented. These puzzles provide the main enjoyment of the game, and especially in part two they can be very devious!

This is John's first game, but definitely not his last, and although enjoyable it is let down by its poor parser and plot. John certainly knows how to write a good game and the Balg looks forward to reviewing his next release, City for Ransom, soon...

Balrog's Post

'It's great to have an adventure column back - please don't ever leave again. Thanks for the tips on Pawn. I couldn't get anywhere with it. Please can we have some more. AA's 4th Birthday edition is fantastic - you have the best adventure column in the world.' says Julie Humphrey of Swindon. Thanks Julie! Any tips for Pawn will be gratefully received and the Balrog is positively ecstatic with all the compliments you have given the column.

The Balrog has received his first letter from a Spanish Amstrad Owner, Noel Llopis, and he has some very interesting comments for the Programming with the Balrog feature 'Why not give it a new look? Instead of a programming course, it could be a tips and routines section for adventure game creators.' This is the best idea the Balrog has received for the Programming series, so if you have any useful routines or pokes for any adventure writers just write in and tell me. For example, how about a picture loading routine for PAW or a syntax analyser for GAC to tell you which words the parser doesn't understand. Noel also says 'How can I include my own routines in GAC? For example IF (VERB 7) CALL &A000'.  I know that PAW supports external routines, but can any one out there write one for GAC?

Clue Sniffing with Balrog

This selection of clues comes to you this month from David Owen, Jerome Young, Stuart Whyte, Tim Bell, Joan Pancott (Congratulations to Joan - this month marks her help lines fourth anniversary - no wonder she is a HPilg) & of course the Balrog himself. If you don't want any help with adventuring avert your eyes and plug your nose! Special thanks to Andrew Helsby for the Suspect map.

Colour of Magic

Start of Part 1: Inventory, stand up, translate, Twoflower asks you to be his guide, yes, talk to Broadman, say show room to Twoflower, go widdershins, get saucer of milk (drop it when you find the cat), t, r, up, w to Bedroom (see Twoflower and the Luggage), t, d, h, u, out to Courtyard (Give coins to Beggar and Cripple Wa, it will help you later).

Corruption

Use your card to get into Bills office, and break the drawer with the screwdriver.

Crystal Theft

Start: Examine katana and pistol, south, down, south, cut bush, drop katana, east, south, read markings (ROYGIV), north, get and examine cube, west, south, west three times, east, up to Basalt Pillar, drop pistol and cube, up, get and examine plastic card, down, get pistol and cube, down, east, get and examine power pack, down, get and read book (ANRRH), south, south, west, south, east, south to Cave Mouth, drop cube (needed later) and power pack (it will disappear, but has no use other than scoring 50 points), north, west twice, get and examine wire, west, east, north, get, examine and wear helmet, west, south twice, east, south, drop plastic card, south (note orange light).

Forest at the Worlds End

Wear ring to enter the witch's hovel and retrieve key.
Use rope to descend into the volcano to get the chest.

Mindfighter

To destroy the ship, empty the petrol, burn the rag with the lighter, and run off the ship. After finishing your tasks in part one, go to the fence and metamorphose to fly across it. In the vents, the only rooms that need to be visited lie E and S.

Look in the medical room to find a uniform.
Dressing like other officers will allow you to move safely through the complex.
Take off your uniform when Jimmy's around.

Stationfall

To get the medium drill bit you may need to delegate.
To catch a falling star try ballooning. Beware the old flame.
To get the coin, shoot the box.
To get an object out of the PX you will need an ostrich to chase a stick.
The balloon creature may be friendly to spacers, but his feeding habits are definitely not ozone friendly!

Jewels of Babylon

To get the spear, give the watch to the native.
To pass the lion, give it some fish.
Kill the octopus with the spear.
Throw gunpowder at crocodile, light match, throw match at crocodile.
To find the key, place plank across pit.

Panic Beneath The Sea

Search coat
Push book to reveal secret exit. Pull it to close exit.
Cut the cable with the knife from the dining room.

Avon

Kiss the statue of the woman in the chamber with white pillars.
Eat the bread before you enter the competition in the Boar's head.

MAP OF SUSPECT WHEN I GET 1

Just for Laughs

Come on you Balrogites! Send in your amusing responses! This month's selection are all thanks to Phil Jarkon of Sale...

HELP!

Alec Chapman has written to the Balrog asking for help on Mindfighter - "I want to get in touch with the girl Helen. I've a phone book, photo, letter, file, pill and have scored 84 points after eating the pill." If anyone can help Alec then write to me and I will print the answer next month. I have included some clues for Mindfighter for Alec which may be applicable.

Tim Bell sent in the Stationfall tips, but is stuck himself - "I can't get the safe open or find the explosive. I also have a serious food problem."

P J White is stuck in Jinxter 'I have got to the end of Jinxter and when Jannedor comes to the fireplace the fan falls off the wall in the kitchen and she goes away.' Can any one help him?

Andrew Helsby drew the Suspect map but has some problems - 'How do you get into the barn, and is it possible to go up the stairs?'

Contacting Balrog

The Balrog is hungry for letters! So if you've just completed an adventure, found an amusing response, know of some tips for adventure creators or anything else, then write to me c/o Amstrad Action now!

Don't be afraid to write! The Balrog promises that, even if he doesn't like your letter, he will still only eat it and not you, and if I do like it you might appear in these hallowed pages...