Serbo-Croat Capers

Hangman has been around for years, well before the pencil was invented, let alone the micro, so what could be new about this simple word game? The short answer is "Plenty".

Micro-Aid have gone to town on the languages that Hangman can be played in. Not only English but Welsh and Gaelic, Spanish and Chinese, Serbo-Croat and Maltese, Romanian and Czech, not to forget Persian, Latin and Turkish and lots more.

That adds up to some dictionary of words, but there's more to come. Included on the single disc is a compilation file which allows those of linguistic prowess to show off their skills in all the languages provided.

A utility allows you to make up your own files of words in whatever language you choose, as an !Edit file.

Micro-Aid are offering a free copy of the disc to any person or school submitting a new language file to them of 250 pairs of words not in a language already on the disc.

You can translate English to the chosen language or vice versa. The rules of play are simple: As you lose a ife the gallows are drawn in simple graphics until the last life is lost and the whole body is left hanging while the Death March is played.

My only criticism of the program is the graphics, which are Mode 7 teletext type and do not do justice to the Archimedes, and the monotone music, for the same reasons, although both are quite acceptable on the BBC Micro version.

This is a good value game-cum-educational tool for both home and school use and at a sensible price.

The lexicon can easily be added to and a school language department would have no trouble in including such in the National Curriculum timetables. Recommended.

Baz Racon