Previous Next

Clairvoyants should have a ball with Turtle Timewarp from Softstone. A brief examination of the cassette blurb reveals nothing about the game apart from the loading instructions.

After a nice loading screen information appears offering redefinable keys, joystick and start options. Fine, you say, and punch the start key, thinking that enlightenment will arrive before the game gets under way.

It does not. The only reference to the aim of the game is the brief 'save all turtles in this amazing game' on the back end of the insert.

The screen depicts a small 2D maze with questionmarks in the dead-end portions. You manoeuvre a turtle round the maze into the questionmarks. Sometimes that results in the creation of unpleasant insects to add to those already chasing the turtle.

Sometimes a house is materialised which blocks off corners and makes life more difficult for the biting bees. If they get you, you lose a life. Once you have managed to explore all the questionmarks you move up a screen.

With no game concept to latch onto the business seems singularly pointless, though the graphics are reasonably fast. The competent rendering of Fur Elise was more gripping than the game and the choice of questionmarks as symbol very apt. A crystal ball could come in handy if you have one.