Previous Next

Why is it that I am forced to use a joystick when one of the main selling points of the Dragon was that it had a proper keyboard?

This game mainly involves vertical and horizontal movement plus firing a ray. For this you have to use a joystick but if you want to freeze or quit the game you need to stab the keyboard.

Not only that, but an integral part of the game involves pressing the spacebar and then returning to the joystick. Not very sensible really, especially considering that the response to the joystick control can be sluggish at crucial moments.

This is a version of the arcade game where you make your way through a maze of tunnels collecting treasures while being chased by (or zapping) monsters which materialise in 'poof' chambers.

Points are gained for collecting treasures and keys, opening doors and zapping monsters plus time bonuses. The attractive display screen scrolls very smoothly horizontally as you progress. For one or two players the screen shows both scores, the highest score, time allowance and lives left.

There is plenty to think about in this game and plenty to do with difficulty increasing automatically as you progress through the 20-odd screens of continuous harassment towards the ultimate goal of the touchstone. Many will find this game a challenge... I found it frustrating. Oh why couldn't everything be controlled from the keyboard?