Arguments settled with armed combat

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The sun blazes down on the secluded valley as the knights draw their swords and prepare for combat. That's the setting of Swordmaster, a new and highly original two player game from Micrograf.

Full instructions are loaded in with the first part of the game, as the BBC Micro plays as stirring rendition of Elgar's Enigma Variations.

The instructions tell of an order of mediaeval knights, the Teutonics, whose members occasionally settled their dif ferences by combat in a secluded valley.

There were strict rules which the knights had to follow, some of which seem a bit severe. For instance you had to be male and over 14, which will no doubt cause a stir among feminists. When the main game loads

you are asked to choose between keys or joystick and then type in your names. The choice of keys is convenient as those for each player are at opposite ends of the keyboard.

These control your directional movement and your sword arm. Once you have completed the formalities the battle commences.

The most exciting part of the game is pursuing your enemy and forcing him to fight. When you corner him the action is fast and furious as limbs are slashed and blows exchanged.

The sound is effective and the clang of the swords is particularly notable. But I think the most impressive feature is the super smooth graphics and the delightful animation. The motion of the arms and legs are among the best graphics I have seen on the BBC Micro.

You can progress through the rankings from greenhorn to Swordmaster, and also included is the ability to save your player onto tape.

I found myself playing game after game with my brother, and my best warrior got to be a novice before he met his end.

The game has a certain addictive quality and the only quibble I have is the lack of a one player game facility as I found myself with no opponents as soon as my brother departed.

The unvarying screen display could become annoying in the long run. But apart from this, Swordmaster is a highly entertaining and original game with excellent graphics and will, appeal to a wide variety of gamers. Highly recommended.

Mark Wells