Computer Gamer


Knight Tyme
By Mastertronic Added Dimension
Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in Computer Gamer #16

Knight Tyme

Following after Finders Keepers and Spellbound, Knight Tyme is the third game to feature Magic Knight and unlike most series of games featuring the same hero, these get better and better. All the thanks that Magic Knight got after releasing Gimbal from a spell was to be to catapulted through time where he lands in the transporter of the starship USS Pisces. Here he is met by a small creature called Klink who gives him a data cube to "help to get over the culture shock".

As Magic Knight explores his surroundings, trying to work out how he is going to get out of his current predicament, he must control the actions of himself and some of his newly-found companions. This is done using a system of pull-down menus called Windimation and it works very well indeed. A quick press of the fire button brings up your current choices. These range from the usual pick up, drop and give an object through to wear or unwear something and spell casting - a wonderful anachronism that has followed Magic Knight through the time warp. Most of these choices lead into further menus, usually a list of objects to be acted on. Then you get a message confirming your command and the opportunity to execute or reject it so that there is no need to worry if you enter something stupid.

The characters and objects have various statistics associated with them such as weight, strength, energy remaining, etc. Most of this information can be accessed through the "examine" command. An initial choice asks if you want to examine yourself, an object, another character or the ship. Looking at an object gives details of how much it weighs and whether is can be blown, worn or if there is something to read on the item. Wearing items is very useful as you are limited to the number of items that you can carry at any given time.

Visually, the game is very attractive with large, colourful graphics. Controlling the game is simplicity itself - Left, right, up/jump and down with the fire button used to access the menu. Who said that a game must be complicated to be good? Knight Tyme is a superb game and, at under £3, it should feature very highly indeed on your future shopping list.