Zany Xaan

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Arthur Blenkinsop is really the Colonel's mother, so watch out for the socks. Hushabye and goodnight. That's all I'm prepared to say at the moment. Some of it might help you if you have the faintest idea what I'm talking about. But some of it wouldn't. I tell lies, see.

While not at the same pitch of difficulty as the Level 9 adventures (but what is?), Island Of Xaan will make your head go funny. The storyline is that you have been incarcerated by an evil king. The first task is to escape from the cell and then make your way round the island collecting a disguise and enough precious objects to pay the ship's captain to take you away from all this. Of course, there are other doodahs to be found and used on the way, but my lips are sealed. A few mazes add to the confusion.

Having brought the full, awesome power of my intellect to bear on the first problem to be solved, the children decided we would stand a better change if we cheated. Looking through the keyword and object tables helped quite a bit and we were able to reach the open air. This policy of swizzing was fairly rewarding, and, combined with the other tactic of phoning the nice man at Robico on numerous occasions, proved conclusively that I was more than a match for this adventure. Even so, it took the Sinclair Escape Committee about three days to reach freedom of the briny.

Island Of Xaan isn't one of those impossible adventures, just difficult. It's also great fun and we all enjoyed it, even Rasputin. It has the usual save and restore facilities and is nicely written. Text only, but I think I prefer that. Warmly recommended.

Harry Sinclair