Personal Computer News


Fishy Business

Author: Jim Ballard
Publisher: Salamander
Machine: Dragon 32

 
Published in Personal Computer News #053

Diamond Is A Gem

FISHY BUSINESS

Good old Dan Diamond, Salamander's well-known private investigator, is back. I found the final part of the trilogy (Franklin's Tomb and Lost in Space are parts one and two) instantly appealing, occasionally witty and totally enjoyable.

Objective

In order to successfully complete the game, you'll need to track down who asked for your help way back in Franklin's Tomb. You must then discover their problem and solve it.

The whole adventure is in text only, but the program has that certain extra sparkle that others lack. The casefile that accompanies the package gives you the story so far. Also in the file are 20 or so drawings to add ideas to your imagination.

In Play

Fishy Business

The screen display is formatted - an idea carried over from the previous adventures. An inventory is always displayed, saving you time and effort, plus the locations and the available exits. The bottom three lines on screen are yours and the program's responses - which aren't immediately cleared.

Opening with the tune Messing About On The River, the program begins on a mini desert island. It's big enough for a couple of steps in either direction, but no more.

On your desert paradise you will find not radio's Roy Plomley or Robinson Crusoe but the spacecraft you landed in. The rocket booted you out onto the sand - presumably for the awful puns, or the ham acting. No amount of pleading or any threats of violence or vandalism to the spacecraft will get you back inside.

Fishy Business

Not surprisingly, there are plenty of red herrings (and some blue kippers) in the game, and it's easy to get totally lost. It's vital to draw a map as you go along, though the addition of extra levels can make this a confusing task. The easiest way around this is to make a separate map for each level.

There isn't any HELP facility in the program, but for any intrepid investigator who ends up stuck, Salamander is offering a helpsheet.

The program does take a short time to respond to your commands, but it's only a matter of seconds at the most. Perhaps my brain isn't quick enough, but I found I needed a fair amount of time to sort out what was a clue and what was bogus.

There is a save game facility so you can easily pick up from where you left off.

Verdict

After many nights slaving away, I've only got about halfway through Fishy Business, but I'm still looking forward to solving the rest. A great problem, excellent value for money.

Jim Ballard

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