Commodore User


Treasure Island

Author: Keith Campbell
Publisher: Mastertronic
Machine: Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Commodore User #47

Treasure Island

This should really be called Return To Treasure Island, for convinced that there is more treasure to be found, you go back there in the company of Long John Silver, to try and find it. You must dig it up before the pirates get to it.

This strange game, although in adventure format, is played in real time - enough to put off the traditional logic-seeking adventurer. And, unlike most adventures, there are all sorts of arbitrary rules and constraints. For example, you must keep eating and drinking at certain intervals, and the inlay gives a detailed table of object weights, ranging from a drink weighing. 1, to a goat, at 15. If you find it necessary to eat a goat, then first you must light a fire and cook it, you are told.

The vocab is strictly limited, and is listed inlay under the heading 'controls'. It is almost as if someone has suddenly discovered that a computer game can be played without a joystick. Talking of the inlay, it is a pity that a small magnifying glass is not included in the package, as I found the printing extremely difficult to read, it was so miniscule.

Treasure Island

Perhaps to make up for this omission, there is a TELESCOPE command which superimposes crosswires on the picture. These can then be moved from left to right, using keys L and P. The area to be examined with the telescope is selected by pressing the Space bar when the crosswires have been suitably positioned. And a pretty useless telescope it is too, for when I aimed it at a ship, it showed me nothing but sea.

Movement is effected by using the commands WALK and RUN, which moves you forward in the direction towards which you are facing. You can turn around 45 degrees by using commands LEFT and RIGHT, or, if you are lucky enough to be carrying a compass, you can name the direction to wish to face.

The graphics occupy the major part of the screen, and the game is fairly meaningless without them, yet a PICTURES command which turns them off an on is thoroughly provided.

All in all, this struck me as more like a keyboard operated arcade-adventure than an orthodox adventure. I didn't enjoy it in the least.

Keith Campbell

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