Friday, August 26, 2011

Batch 16 : Bizarre to a Manager !

Ah ! It's a little dark outside and raining ! So where did the summer go ? I can remember the summers years ago, when I was still at school, but they where more fun during the holidays. Can anyone remember the Cartoons for Cities of Gold or Battle of the Planets ( G-Force ) ? I have such fond memories of watching these whilst having a power sleep-in.
I think I've been quite lucky with this batch, I managed to get hold of Bruce Lee without over paying the odds and it loaded first time. I know I mentioned that some Americana Tapes might not load, but in this instance we've had success. However, I'm still on the look out Beach Head II on the Americana Label, as my copy is a bit poorly and crashes part way through loading. I know a copy will surface one day !

Americana ::
Bruce Lee

Mastertronic ::
Molecule Man

Mastertronic Plus ::
Rugby Manager and Yes ! Prime Minister !

Ricochet ::
Erebus and Toy Bizarre

Hopefully, the next couple of batches maybe bumper ones. Namingly, Batch 17 and quite probably Batch 18.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Batch 15 : Start at the Beach and fight your way through !

The first time I saw and played part of this batch, Beach Head, I was still at school and probably about 14 years old. The gameplay and sound effects were spot on, never to be forgotten and always revisited for blast or two. Admittedly, it was a pirated version with Bruce Lee on the same Tape. But, I did own the originals a while later where my collection grew and grew, until that fateful day when six years of Commodore 64 computing was sold in way for a Commodore Amiga. So, tears of joy and sadness at the same time.
I didn't encounter Fist II until way into the late 1980's, around 1989/90. Not a bad beat'em up with an adventure element, if a little long and confusing, mapping the areas did help though.

Americana ::
Beach Head

Mastertronic Plus ::
Fist II

I wonder what Batch 16 will hold ?

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Batch 14 : Is that a Tom Selleck look alike ?

Does anyone remember Magnum P.I. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Selleck ] from the 1980's ? You know, the T.V. Series where on the intro to each episode, a Ferrari skidded around [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CquMO3vJvo ] and drove down the road at fast speed ? But to what connection has this to this batch ? Well, take a look at the cover to this ...
His specialist camouflage jacket does seem a little different, but the similarities are uncanny aren't they ? Don't you think ? Unless you read the reviews of this game, you instantly think it's some sort of shoot and beat'em up. Alas, it's a text adventure, but seemingly good, according to the extra Computer and Video Games Hit blurb on the front.
One extra note for this game, it's in two parts. Recorded conviently on both sides of the tape. Just in case one side fails, but that never happened did it ?

Bulldog ::
Rigel's Revenge

Batch 15 coming up later next week ... A beat'em up and war-type shoot'em up !