Computer Gamer


Talos

Publisher: Silver Soft
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Computer Gamer #6

Talos

Subtitled "Worse things happen to robots", Talos is an unusual arcade adventure.

Talos is a robot who unfortunately has been broken into seven different pieces. All this is left is his bronze hand - which still has life! Your mission, far fetched though it may be, is to guide the hand around 200 screens of English countryside to find the rest of him. First his arm then his body and so on. Once completed, Talos must find the vault and claim the Crown of Eternity.

This is important since the loss of the crown has obviously peeved the local animals. For normally docile bunnies and frogs are out to get poor old Talos. In fact, a single touch from a hopping bunny or flapping bird will drain life from Talos, the amount left is shown as a burning candle on the side of the screen. Collecting some specific objects such as money or bags of ice will add more onto the candle. If you manage to build it back up to its starting height then you'll get a bonus life. If it burns out then you lose one of your three lives.

Talos

Scattered throughout the screens are deckchairs and signposts as well as deadly flowers and ponds.

Since the pieces of Talos are randomly located some might end up in a pond in which case you'll have to dive in amongst the fish to get it.

Although pulling yourself together is your main aim in the game is does cause your problems for as you get bigger you become an easier target for the killer bunnies. Therefore, you scout for all the pieces before you use any. If you think you might forget where in the maze of screens your arm is then you can mark it with a magnet which you can trace with your built-in compass.

Talos is an original arcade adventure which is both challenging and fun to play. Buy it immediately and help poor old Talos who is, according to the game's packaging, still humming his favourite tune of "I ain't got no body".