TURKEY SHOOT by Sam Pendigo

 

 

TURKEY SHOOT by Sam Pendigo for ZX Spectrum 48K

   One of the defining characteristics of this unique competition is its variety. No one else comes close to matching us in terms of originality and the multitude of themes. Today we are going to (try to) have fun shooting those little animals that will fill the stomachs of many households during the festive season.

   It even appears to be a widespread and long-standing activity. 

"Turkey hunting is a sport involving the pursuit of the elusive wild turkey. Long before the European settlers arrived in North America, the Native Americans took part in hunting wild turkeys."

- Wikipedia

   After loading and executing(*) the RUN command, we are presented with this screen which, as you know, gets on my nerves because of its lack of consistency between text and borders:

(* Incredible and appropriate play on words, eh?)

   Nice ASCII art that we're not quite sure how to relate to the theme of the game, but there it is (and off-centre, of course). The reason for the presence of the Haitian flag is another mystery that is completely beyond the reach of our team of geographers.

   Ready and pressing any key.

   The bird appears in 1. In 1 what? Quadrant? Angle? Clock direction? Floor number?

   I choose to fire at 2.

   Ah, now everything is clear! We're shooting harmless popcorn, and the turkey is a pandimensional being.

   In order to avoid neural overload in me, our Myths and Legends Department searched for and found a story that might help to shed some light on the matter:

   "Once upon a time in a small, forgotten forest, there was a hunter named Monty who was famous among the woodland creatures, not for his skill, but for his uncanny luck. Monty carried a rusty old shotgun and a bright orange hat that was twice his size.

   One early morning, Monty ventured into the woods with the grand plan of turkey hunting. He tiptoed behind a bush, aimed his gun at a distant gobbling turkey, and BOOM! - shot! To everyone’s surprise, the turkey fell over, feathers flying everywhere.

   Confused but pleased, Monty looked at his gun. It was empty. Yet, somehow, he had hit nothing but air, and the turkey had fallen as if Monty’s shot was guided by magic.

   Every time Monty raised his gun, shot, or even just pulled the trigger, something miraculous happened: he hit the target. Sometimes it was a tree branch, sometimes a squirrel, and once he even managed to shoot a passing butterfly that had no relation to his target at all.

   The other hunters watched in bewilderment as Monty’s shots were always successful, despite his complete lack of aim or skill. Rumor spread that his gun was cursed (or blessed) by a mischievous forest spirit who enjoyed watching him fail spectacularly, yet somehow succeed every single time.

   And so, Monty became the legendary hunter who was utterly useless but always victorious, turning the forest into an absurd battlefield where luck was king and skill was nonexistent."

- Folk Legends Vol. XXVII

   I'm going to play again.

   It appears in 2, I shoot at 1, miss, and it crosses into another dimension again...

   I won't miss this time. Since the game is a bit unpredictable, I'll shoot at 33 even though the shooting range is from 1 to 20.

 

   The turkey is definitely immortal.

   After collecting all the feathers: A game with good intentions (except for the turkey) strangely executed but perfectly suited to the standards of rubbish that only we here are brave enough to analyse. The opening tune gets annoying every time we play again, but at least there is one. I think the author is on the right track in creating something good for this, the best competition in the Galaxy.

P.S. Don't forget to use SHIFT to type Y or N.

Scrambled Smile: 2/10

Broccoli and Squid Yoghourt: 8/10

Deep Fried Ice Cream: 3/10

Strawberry Monosodium Glutamate: 2/10

Affable Hot Chocolate Sauce: 4/10