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Well I made it back! It was touch and go for a while, and to be honest, at one point I thought the Troll had got me. Perhaps telling you about it will calm my nerves. It's all those adventures from Epic Software that did it...

This is one of the better games currently available, as it incorporates nearly every feature you would expect from a modern adventure. There are teletext graphics for every location, of which there are over 200! An ample supply of accompanying text blends with the graphics to produce a traditional adventure-land of caves, trolls and magic.

The land is also populated by wandering characters who can help or hinder you in your quest to recover the magic Wheel Of Fortune. A further near feature is that, at some points, the game will progress without you. While you sit pondering, you may suddenly be informed of a happening elsewhere.

The game understands multiple commands such as GO NORTH AND PICK UP EVERYTHING. It also permits you to question some of the more intelligent game inhabitants (e.g. "WHERE IS THE WHEEL?"). The game also has unusually "friendly" SAVE and LOAD commands which permit you to save the game under different filenames. This may seem inconsequential, but it is all these small features which point to the quality of the overall game.

Additionally, commands such as CONTINUE are a nice feature, which when abbreviated to C saves you repeatedly typing the same movement commands.

All together, this is a highly recommended game which rightly deserves your consideration.

This text-only game is one of three earlier Epic games, which have been re-released with increased text. In this game, your village is being terrorised by the noises coming from the nearby ruin of Castle Frankenstein. You, being a brave citizen, volunteer to go and have a look - stupid boy!

Having taken half an hour to figure out how to light my lamp. I was in just the right mood to settle any monster's hash! Without a pause for breath, I set off towards the castle, ready to smash ten bells out of any trouble-maker! On entering the wood I found an elderly gentleman with his neck snapped, and his violin smashed to matchwood - I retired to the village to have a nice sit down!

From all the tunnels I have found beneath the village and castle, I suspect the Baron has created a mad, six-foot rabbit! I never did find the monster as I decided that with two more games to review, and as I have a very slim neck, I would leave the village by the east road, very quietly! The game has many good points and the extra text has been useful in creating the right atmosphere of menace.

With an eye to the title of this game I did a "FUNNY-WALK EAST" and set off hoping to find the Monty Python team. Deep in the forest, under the shadow of Camelot itself, I found the first of the bad-tempered knights which infest this game. Unlike the Python team, these characters don't have a sense of humour. They appear to have one purpose, and that is to separate your head from your shoulders.

While searching the forests, swamps and castles for the elusive Grail, you will encounter dragons, witches, multi-coloured knights and distressed damsels. Magical fruits are to be found which, if eaten at the correct time, can help you in your quest to become a Knight of the Round Table. I found the majority of the game relatively easy but there are a few nasties which required a sneaky peek at my Hints and Spells book. The game permits you to be resurrected a number of times, should your sword fail to save you from the perils of the forest.

An aura of doom surrounds the Klein Kingdom. The Magic bottle was removed and stolen by the Wicked Witch of the Mountain. She swore that she would put a terrible curse on anybody foolish enough to try to recover it. Enter foolish hero stage-left! You must destroy the Witch and recover the magic Klein bottle.

Full sentence, as well as the customary two word commands are accepted in this 230 location, machine code adventure. The tale ranges over mountains, lakes and caves. I spent some considerable time getting a particular door to open, and as I stood congratulating myself, it closed again with the message "TOO SLOW".

I didn't laugh!

I don't know what other time-dependent traps there are, but next time I'll leap and then look.

I have played an earlier version of Klein which again had less text and was more cryptic and deadly. This new version is an improvement, and the additional clues for the dimwitted helped me immensely.

I tried fighting the giant using my rolled up umbrella, and he almost died laughing - but not quite! I think I'll leave you to find and kill the Witch as my sword arm and brain are both becoming very numb.