Yet another budget compilation hits the streets under the Quattro banner. The 'skills' in question here are sporting skills, the first of which is skateboarding. This particular version of it is excellent. Each level is split into two sections. The first section is 3D, in which you skate downhill collecting flags within a time limit. The second section is viewed from overhead. The screen scrolls constantly downwards and you have to move your skateboarder left and right to avoid hazards and steer between flags (like in downhill slalom skiing).
This game is so bloomin' playable, the fact that it's well 'ard doesn't seem to matter. I just luurve it.
The second item on this compilation is a rugby simulator. I couldn't possibly tell you experts whether it's rugby league or rugby union but it leans more towards league, so I'm informed. All the usual stuff is there, like scrum downs, line-ups and conversions. There's only one fly in the ointment... it's crap. It'll confuse non-rugby fans and annoy those who eat sleep and breathe the game. It's hard to control and what's worse, when the ball is kicked, all your players disappear off the edge of the screen.
Next comes a footy game, as if you needed another. This one, at only 75p (representing one quarter of the price of the tape) is as good as most and better than some. It scrolls vertically and the players are programmed with inertia that causes them to slide into tackles. It makes for a moderately playable game.
Finally, it's extortionate strawberries all round... tennis sim. Not much to say about this one. It has the graphics of a good tennis game. It has all the options you'd expect to see in a good tennis game. But it plays like a turkey. The gameplay is seriously flawed by bad programming. If you inadvertently return the ball after your opponent fault, the point is awarded to him, not you. Very poor.
1st October 1991
