The Balg takes a break from tanning himself on a LA beach to bring you yet another adventure packed column full of your regular favourites.

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News

JPD finished...Following the news item in AA71 concerning problems with JPD, Justin Boniface (the man in charge), has written to apologise - JPD is now officially closed - Justin assures me all tapes have been returned and he is sorry for any inconvenience he has caused. The message here is PD libraries require a lot of work (just ask Alan Scully or Debby Howard) - don't set one up unless you intend to run it for a while.

PD Newsletter launched

Dragon News is the PD newsletter for Adventure PD, written by Lady of Adventure Debby Howard. Issue one is out now, complete with a listing of all of Adventure PD's PD, a map, letters and a couple of reviews. For a free copy just send an SSAE to Debby Howard at 10 Overton Road, Abbey Wood, London, SE2 9SD.

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Reviews

Flook
£3 cassette, £5 disc.
Joan Pancott, WoW Software, 78 Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9RS.

This game is strange - very strange! You start in a small dark attic playing a game on your computer when suddenly a giant bug crashes through the skylight and eats your computer whole! Later in the game you'll encounter an Aspidistra reciting Richard III, the Balrog throwing champion of Magdawouk (Grrr!!... - Balg) and many other weird and wonderful characters. Aided by your pet flea, Pedro, you (Heronimus Flook) must seek out and rescue Vile Narcilcrisis who was captured by an evil wizard.Written by David Oya and originally published in two parts in 1986, Flook is a quilled game with no graphics. The whole game reminded the Balg of a game called the Mural in which lots of quirky, totally illogical happenings became the player for no obvious reason. Although Flook has more logic than the Mural, this logic is still a bit tenuous in places (you have to scare off a elephant sized geranium by dropping a clockwork mouse for example!)But is the game any good? Well, the Balg was initially put off with said bug (that's the giant bug and not a bug in the game) right at the start - I was totally stuck! However, once I eventually worked out how to escape (with a little help from the solution) I found that the game was quite large and amusing in places. However the puzzles in certain parts are a bit illogical and parser unfriendly so it can be a very frustrating game. Apart from the poor start I liked it, but as with one of WoW's previous releases, Simply Magic, it is an acquired taste, you'll either like Mr Flook and Pedro or not - worth trying though!

Atmosphere 63% Weird but wacky
Interaction 50% Ok, but spoilt by some poor puzzles
Challenge 65% Two parts means a lot to do.
Overall 63% STRANGE!

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Balrog's Postbag

Dear Sir,..

Is there a book of adventure like the Cheat Mode compilation I & II?...

Peter Seifert, Germany.

Adventure clue books do exist, but they are usually for individual games and are often quite expensive. Both Adventure Probe (Tel: (0492) 77305) and Adventure PD (Tel: (081) 310 9877) offer a solution service however as well as being able to help you with most adventure queries.

Dear Balrog,

Have you really been torturing Rod? (doesn't he know CPC computing had to close due to chronic staff shortages following a visit by the Balrog!)Could I suggest that you try to put more news, reviews and letters in (AA66's column was just other peoples work and more for reference than a good read!) Could you also please but an adventure game on the covertape - after all, ú2.20 for three pages is a bit hard on the dedicated adventurers who read your column.Also, in an advert by Zenobi Software, in Adventure Probe, I noticed some games written by a person calling himself 'The Balrog' (They were 48K Spectrum games I hasten to add). Is this an impostor?

Simon 'Aragorn' Netherwood

Rod has not yet been tortured yet as he is still promising that there will be an adventure on the covertape soon, however the Balg has started sharpening his torture implements in case one doesn't appear!I agree that there wasn't much in AA66 - at the time I had a load of exams to study and pass and couldn't give the time that I would have liked to writing the column - sorry but the same shouldn't happen for another year!As to the Rochdale Balrog - no he is not an impostor, just a distant relative!Adventure queries...

Dear Balrog,

I pay homage to your great articles in AA. Especially the cluepot which has helped me many times, but I have a few queries that I would like you to answer.

1. The Lords and Ladies of Adventure who do a tremendous job to the public at large does take up a lot of space. If you included it every second month you could fill the left over space with more reviews, clues etc.

2. I totally agree with the person who wrote in, in AA60 to say that an adventure should be put on one side of the birthday and Christmas cassettes.

3. Could you tell me where I could get old games such as Hollywood Hijinx and Suspect. I only came into the computer scene a few years ago and I missed out on all these great adventures. I have sent away to England for all my games except budget games.

4. My last point is why doesn't AA put some adventure games on the Amstrad Action Mail Order pages?

Yours Sincerely

Oliver Nally, Limerick, Ireland.

1. I feel that the Lords and Ladies are an important feature of the Balrog column but I do try to keep the space taken by it as small as possible whilst trying to include it every month - I have talked to many adventurers who believe it to be a life line, but if enough people want the Lords & Ladies only to appear once every two months then I will sway to popular demand.

2. An adventure should appear on covertape very soon... (Or parts of Rod!)

3. Infocom games are like gold dust nowadays - your best bet is to try the classifieds or phone Nic Rumsey's Infocom swap line on (03212) 2737. Good luck - you'll need it!

4. We have in the past! However, as you might have noticed there is a lack of commercial (as opposed to Home Brew) adventure software around so there isn't really much to put in the mail order pages! However, I'm sure that if a good commercial adventure is released, that AA will feature it in the mail order pages.

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Clue-sniffing with the Balrog

This beefy collection of clues is brought to you by the following wiseadventurers:-hris Morgan, Dave Cox, Pamela from Colchester, John-LeeBarber, Alexander Vitoratos, Benjamin Lomax, Daniel Pooley, EdmundSpicer, Amir Mansour, Thomas Christie, Gandalf the Wizard, Brendan'Legolas' McGoldrick, Jay Honosutomo and Adrian Forbes.Special thanks to G. Gulai and Ken Bond HBalg for mapping the Base.

Adventure Quest

Reach and get the orchid by standing on the table. When you have theorchid feed it to the unicorn.

Al-Strad

Wear arm bands.Eat coconut.Note code number to open safe (it changes with each game).Eat pill for invulnerability in maze.

Arnold goes to somewhere else

Drop the goat at the python pit.

Bard's Tale

If found use the conjurstaff - it halves the spell point cost ofconjurer spells.Flame and frost horns are better than the fire horn.Sell the eye when no longer needed.If it is night and you want it to become day just save and load thegame again.

Dungeon Adventure

Drop the poppy pod outside the nest to scare the bird away.Climb the tree on the far side of the forest and throw the berry toscare of the giants.

Hobbit

When you meet the goblins, go straight north, wait three times andthen go south.When you meet Elrond give him the map and tell him to read it.

Holiday

Examine wardrobe.Give egg to swan.When at the bridge insert handle in hole and then turn handle.

Leather Goddesses of Phobos

Give back the assassins sword.To kiss the frog: Hold ears with hands, plug nose with pin, wearlip balm and close eyes.

Necris Dome

Spray the aerosol.At the start get the axe, enter casket, get gloves, push, Ex4, S, type"MOVE CIRCUIT", now type "PUSH BUTTONS".To destroy mandroid in chamber 11, throw it down refuse disposal.

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less

Part 2 start: J say hello to woman, J say hello to Vicar, wait, J talkto woman, J offer Anne a lift, J kiss Anne goodnight, J leave.

Pawn

Buy the whisky and the beer from H. John. When you climb up the thinshaft at the Lava River - drop all except white then put white inpocket before you climb, this allows you to get white later on.

Shadows of Mordor

Make sure you catch a fish at the lake. Tell Faramir your a hobbit.Give the fish to Smeagol at waterfall. Drop the bread to get past thewolf.

Simply Magic

Everything that you do in the room of bewilderment must be donebackwards (ie drop becomes get, get becomes drop etc.)Put the unicorn hairs into the lute to make it playable.

Sorceror

Put the matchbook in the brass receptacle before the postman arrives.Pay the Tral gnome then search him! Drop the bat guano in the cannon.Lower the flag and examine it.Drink the aqua potion and then bash the bunnies.

=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:

MAP OF BASE BY G.GULAI & KEN BOND

=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:

Red Moon (esp for Chris Godfrey)

Wear the bracers to be able to carry more.Drop the chalk in the acid pool.Wear the gloves to pick up the sword.Eat the mushroom to be able to go through the tiny door.Wear the cloak to stop the statue from attacking.

Lars Arell from Sweden has come to the aid of Chris Morgan in hisproblems with Redhawk:-You must carry the book in order to find the sewers.Go to Heath Station, go down, W, up, up to find the bomb. To get backto the heath station, go down, east and up.The librarian does not answer all questions. However, he is able toanswer if you SAY "I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROFESSOR".

Peter Clarke from Ipswich has the solution to Simon Avery's problem inWarlord - initially you should have the sword which is given to youwhen you sleep by the lake. You should have killed the ox with thesword and then taken the rope which tied the ox. Then just wanderaround until the roman soldier attacks you and then attack him. Hewill then run away. When you next find him, capture the roman and takehim to the druid. He can then be exchanged for the amulet.

Peter has also solved Simon's problem in Atalan - He has to cut bamboowith axe, get bamboo and then build raft. You must have the hammer(from the Goldmine) and nails (from the Tumbledown Hut) to do this.

Harrison Sword from Swindon has come to Pervez Chondbury's aid inFirestone:- To cross the chasm you must wear the running shoes andCROSS PLANK. You are unable to talk to the knight in the field - hehas other uses!

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Lords & Ladies of Adventure

Redhawk.

Lars Arell, Angsrogatan 1B, 554 39 Jonkoping, Sweden.

Al-strad, Astral Plain, Book of the Dead, Federation, Hermitage,Imagination, Teacher Trouble & Tealand.

Peter Knowles, 102 Standhill Crescent, New Lodge, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire S71 1SS. Tel: (0226) 292141

Big Sleaze, Lord of the Rings, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less (part1), Quest for the Golden Egg-cup & Shadows of Mordor.

Brendan "Legolas" McGoldrick, 14 Curley Hill, Strabang, County Tyrone,Northern Ireland BT82 8LP.

Adult 2, Al-Strad, Boredom, Burlough Castle, Can I Cheat Death?,Doomlords I-III, Druids Moon, Dungeon, Firestone, Jason and theArgonauts, Magicians Apprentice, Project X (Microman), Roog, Spacy,Stryptiche & Welladay.

Mark Wake, 2 Oatland Close, Little London, Leeds LS7 1SW.Big Sleaze, Gremlins, Megabucks & Seabase Delta.Darren Sharp, 10 Alfred Road, Greatstone, Kent TN28 8SH.Questprobe 3.Rich Thomas, 85A St. Johns Road, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 3AL. Tel:(0543) 503045, Mon-Fri, 5-10pm.Colour of Magic, Forest at World's End, Gnome Ranger, Heroes of Karn,Rebel Planet, Questprobe, Seabase Delta & Subsunk.

The Dragon Master, 12 Gretton Crescent, Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 ODY.Knightmare.Ross Younger, 3 Cammo Parkway, Edinburgh, EH4 8EP.

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Contacting the Balg

The Balg is desperate for new contributions to the Cluepot and Just for Laughs sections - to get in contact with him, write to The Balrog,Amstrad Action, Future Publishing Ltd, Beauford Court, 30 MonmouthStreet, Bath, AVON BA1 2AP._