News

Gordon Leslie Houghton was the newest person to join the Zzap!64 writing team.

Hard to know whether Zzap! fell for an April fools, or were behind it themselves, but they carried a news story about a Norwegian firm creating a C64 add-on that would turn the humble 64 into an Amiga. The "Amulator" was being made by Blue Tec and would cost around £280.

Features

Martin Walker had just finished off "Hunter's Moon" and had embarked on a new dev diary for his next (yet to be decided) game.

A page long profile of Accolade.

The 1987 Zzap! Readers' Awards were announced. The winners were:

• Best Game Overall: "California Games" Epyx
• Best Platform Game: "Bubble Bobble" Firebird
• Best Shoot 'Em Up: "Wizball" Sensible Software/Ocean
• Best Arcade Conversion: "Bubble Bobble" Firebird
• Best Arcade Adventure: "Last Ninja" System 3
• Best Adventure: "Guild of Thieves" Magnetic Scrolls/Rainbird
• Best Strategy Game: "Russia" SSG
• Best Simulation: "Gunship" Microprose
• Best Graphics: "Last Ninja" System 3
• Best Music: "Delta" Thalamus
• Best Sound Effects: "Wizball" Sensible Software/Ocean
• Best Programmer: Andrew Braybrook
• Best Software House: Ocean
• Best Advert: "Outrun" US Gold
• Least Favourite Game: "Enduro Racer" Activision
• State of the Art Award: "The Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit" Sensible Software/Outlaw

Part four of Mel Croucher's "100 All-Time Computer Greats".

Notable Previews

• "Interceptor" Electronic Arts (Amiga)
• "Ferrari Formula One" Electronic Arts (Amiga)
• "Sinbad" Cinemaware
• "Road Warrior" CRL
• "Karnov" Electric Dreams
• "Laser Tag" US Gold

Notable Reviews

• "The Train" Electronic Arts - 87% "Based on the superb 1966 Burt Lancaster film of the same name, The Train is packed with atmosphere and playability. The action is very much in the Dambusters and Ace of Aces mould, but this time the player drives a train across wartime France."
• "...TRAZ" Cascade - 87% "A revivifying enhancement of a tired theme, and a compelling game in its own right."
• "Soko-Ban" Mirrorsoft - 81% "A superb puzzle game lacking only in polish."
• "The Eternal Dagger" SSI/US Gold - 86% "A solid and complex game example of this specialised genre, which certainly has a lot of play in it."
• "Xenon" Bitmap Brothers/Melbourne House - Amiga 84% "Not very innovative, but a dynamic, polished and addictive shoot 'em up all the same."
• "Golden Path" Firebird - Amiga 85% "Golden Path combines excellent presentation with gorgeous graphics to produce an arcade adventure which, if not original, contains enough puzzling action to prove compelling."
• "Time Bandit" Microdeal - Amiga 92% Sizzler "A first-class potpourri of genres with incredible depth and playability."
• "Dan Dare II" Virgin - 83% "A pulse-racingly good shoot 'n' search game, but possibly a little short on lasting interest."
• "Strike Fleet" Electronic Arts - 96% Sizzler "The finest example of simulated sea-faring combat yet."
• "4th & Inches" Accolade - 90% Sizzler "The most accomplished, entertaining and realistic American Football simulation to date."
• "Rollaround" Mastertronic - 82% "An entertaining and engrossing puzzle/dexterity game."

Charts

Games

1. "California Games" Epyx
2. "The Last Ninja" System 3
3. "Bubble Bobble" Firebird

Music

1. "Delta" Thalamus - Main Theme - Rob Hubbard
2. "Arcade Classics" Firebird - Main Theme - Rob Hubbard
3. "Sanxion" Thalamus - Loading Music - Rob Hubbard