Games Computing


Arcturus

Publisher: Visions
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Games Computing #7

Arcturus (Visions)

Arcturus is a three dimensional two player game, man versus man, man versus machine, or machine versus machine. It is like noughts and crosses on a large scale. Four grids of sixteen squares (four by four) are placed one above the other. You have to beat your opponent by being the first to get a straight row of four.

There are ten skill levels and three modes of play. The instructions provided consist of a long list of commands, but there is little guidance given on the actual playing of the game. There is also a very long story about Arcturus. The main difficulty with this game is the time limit which sets the maximum time allowed for each move and the maximum time for each game. Each time I attempted to figure out playing instructions I lost because I ran out of time on my move. To mark your place on the squares you must move a flashing blue rectangle around the board using the cursor keys, you then press enter when it is positioned correctly. The blue rectangle however flashes very infrequently and more often than not it can not be seen.

Arcturus has great possibilities for those who like a challenge but it requires patience and fast reactions.