Crash


Atlantis

Author: Derek Brewster
Publisher: M&J
Machine: Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in Crash #8

Atlantis Adventure

You play James Parker who, after a 30-year search, discovers a map showing the location of the fabled island of Atlantis. You lead an expedition to the island but the long journey has soured relations among the crew and in the fight that ensues you are knocked unconscious. You awake alone but decide to carry on with your quest to find the lost city and, eventually, your way off the island. You immediate worry is to find enough food and water to sustain you on your journey.

The game has 150 locations, 30 of which carry a small graphic representation of the scene. 90 objects are strewn liberally throughout and the game features a vocabulary of some 200 yards.

On loading you are presented with a choice of three levels - easy, moderate and hard. The easy level allows the player 40 commands before he is overcome with hunger, and the hard level 20. Although at first your overriding concern is to survive, collecting treasure along the way will add to your score. With an open mind and nimble fingers I set off.

Atlantis Adventure

After what must be 40 commands (chose the easy level of course) my belly starts to rumble and I'm told to yet something to eat. Since I find myself beside a gurgling stream I decide to drink some water. On filling my flask and drinking I'm led to believe all is well again but I met with the curious report THATS A NICE HAT YOU ARE WEARING. Either this is a bug or someone's got a peculiar sense of humour. It's true I did pick up a hat earlier and who knows, it may well be a nice one. Being a shrewd explorer I decide to refill my flask and perhaps take another drink as well but, alas, food and drink cannot be accumulated in this way and I must wait until my next 40 commands are running out. Once nourished I settled down to a jolly jaunt through sand dunes and forests, collecting treasure and many items for which I just couldn't find a use.

Some of the situations you meet are a little incredible. You find the master key inside a coconut of all places, and how on earth do you get into a forest by digging through the bottom of a pit?

To my knowledge this is the first Quilled adventure with graphics. A competent game, Atlantis provides many difficult and sometimes peculiar problems which will take weeks to solve.

Comments

Difficulty: Quite difficult
Graphics: Some, primitive
Presentation: Average
Input facility Verb/noun
Response: Very fast

Derek Brewster

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