Previous Next

Once again Tynesoft have produced a winner, programmed by the enigmatic Art Crew. With a commitment to a whole series of BBC releases, Tynesoft look like being our number one friend apart from the Superior/Acornsoft double act.

Game players with any sense of history will recall the Bug Eyes series of programs: amusing little games in which the hero character had to avoid all sorts of nasties on a variety of imaginatively drawn screens. This program is Bug Eyes III.

Oh, do I need to say any more? Well, unlike the earlier games in the series, this one is a masterpiece. It has obviously been very carefully worked out and the programming reveals how much this must have been a labour of love. Neat touches abound, from the stunning and intriguing title loading graphics to the offer of pull-down menus for volume control and so on, they really leap off the screen.

The graphics are large, scroll smoothly and reveal a wicked sense of humour! As the game involves collecting parts of a puzzle in a maze of traps and monsters, the monsters or decoration are often drawn from other games (see the hero of Vindaloo, for example). The plot is not complex, the puzzle collecting shouldn't present too many problems for the dedicated games player, but the game has a life beyond that initial 'must conquer this' stage. That's partly because of the game's stylish little touches but also because it is a real pleasure to play a game that is put together so well.

If all games were like this then the reviewer's job would be a lot easier!