CRPLETTER by Packobilly

 

CRPLETTER by Packobilly for ZX Spectrum 48K

   If there is one game that truly takes us back to the dawn of home computing, this is it. 

   Remember the early listings in books and magazines sent in by young people starting out in BASIC?

(And I really mean the first ones)

   Well, this leap back in time has given me a nice nostalgic feeling. Let's go with these scrambled egg points!

   A roulette of letters is set in motion until it stops on one. An ominous counter starts to run and we must press the appropriate key as quickly as possible or we will lose a life. The relationship between not getting a set of letters right and dying is still not very clear to me, perhaps all this is taking place in the medieval court of some cruel and sinister hierarch who subjects knights to evil tests for his own amusement and to enhance his reputation as an implacable master...

   It occurs to me that a script this absurd could have gotten the game at least one foot out of the crap bucket. 

   Ah, yes, the game:

Well organised, clear, good use of colour. And then the game begins:

   On the right is the descending counter. But note that there is a box in the middle that says "MAX TIME" and the time available to react before losing a life decreases as the game progresses, requiring the reflexes of a Kung Fu specialist. If you hesitate, it is goodbye. This small detail makes the difference between a bland game and one that keeps you on your toes and generates challenge. Very good !

   I understand that the author is a respectful follower of current psychological trends, where no one can be labelled useless and everyone is always a winner, the final encouraging message is the same regardless of the outcome:

   

   As you can see in the two images above, there is a small bug in the program. When the final message is printed, only part of the screen is erased, leaving a sadly mutilated box on the right. our squid peeks out from the bottom of the yoghourt(*).

  But... It even keeps a Highscore !

   It is a good game in its 1982 category, and it comes close to the educational element that its creator was so keen on.

Uncle Clive would be proud of Packobilly.

   Gathering: As I said, a good game for 1982. It guarantees some exciting matches thanks to the decreasing time limit. I like the clarity with which it is presented and the good organisation of the code. And it's got a pinch of crap.

Scrambled Smile: 6/10

Broccoli and Squid Yoghourt: 8/10

Deep Fried Ice Cream: 4/10

Strawberry Monosodium Glutamate: 3/10

Affable Hot Chocolate Sauce: 7/10

(*) In a desperate attempt to save his reputation in his position as Professor of Video Games at Bicker Isles Sinclair ZX University (I'm aware that they needed the help of the entire AI department of his university), the author tried to bribe my incorruptible soul with a container full of the finest food and a first-class trip for the whole family around the world three times to allow the error in the final screen to be corrected. But despite all these commendable efforts, and after making sure that I had all his gifts in my possession, I reminded him that this was a violation of rule no. 4 of this prestigious competition and that I do not sell out. However, I have no idea how the corrected version ended up on the itch.io download page.