Games Computing


My Name Is Groucho, You Win A Fat Cigar

Publisher: Automata
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Games Computing #2

My Name Is Groucho, You Win A Fat Cigar (Automata)

Automata have certainly not done it again. This latest release is not of the same standard as Pimania, although its graphics and musical content are similar.

The idea is to travel the streets of America, using cigars as currency, to obtain 22 revealing giving the identity of the Mystery Star. The program loaded first time, which is just as well because it was re-loaded with monotonous regularity. Whether or not I have a duff tape I cannot say, but if not then Automata are wasting their time and money with this one. Firstly, when you run out of cigars the whole cassette needs re-loading just to restart, which means there is the initial screen to go through all over again... A little long and drawn out.

Then, when I asked for HELP twice the machine was Newed for me. Finally another bug decided to NEW the machine when a simple reply was entered... Oh welllll, here we go again.

As to actually playing the game, I cannot give much comment, due to the fact that the majority of my time was taken up with re-loading. However, the areas I did visit were very good graphically and musically. The small amount of conversation I did have responded well and seemed bug free.

Hopefully I have been unfortunate enough to receive a defective cassette because I expected great things from Automata again and this program does not meet those standards.