Previous Next

Ashkeron is an adventure with yet another approach to graphics. It is described as a "walk-thru" graphics system with locations opening out in perspective before your very eyes. This is not quite an apt description, but nevertheless the method is quite effective.

The graphics window occupies the top third of the screen. Moving east or west "slides" the picture across left or right a frame - you can hear it brushing past! Going north or south causes the picture to "split open" for want of a better description.

Moving east/west is therefore very similar to the 3D scrolling Adventure. This method is more consistent, since all movements are by text input or joystick.

Talking of text, there is quite a lot of it. Events happen whilst you are thinking and there are characters you can talk to, as in: SAY TO BOY "SADDLE HORSE". Shades of Hobbit!

The objective is to find five treasures stolen by the wizard and return them to the princess before crowning her. All this takes place in a castle which houses, among other things, a frisky horse, a temperamental cook and a bedroom-infesting fly!

Is the executioner in the torture chamber as evil as he seems? Will the butler ever serve that jugged hare? And oh dear - when will the wizard stop his imitation of the Wizard of Frobozz? Still, that will hardly worry Amstrad and Spectrum adventurers who are unlikely to have seen his antics?

Ashkeron is a very playable adventure from Mirrorsoft and is destined, I think, to become very popular. It is for the 48K Spectrum and Amstrad CPC464.