MERLIN #16
JULY 1986
Rick Hanson's back, as lively as ever

Exciting news this month is that Robico has released Project Thesius, the follow up to Rick Hanson. It is subtitled Rick Hanson II and seems every bit as good as the last one.

Another new release is Gilsoft's Quill, which I hope to review next month. Shards also told me that it will have released a new game by the time you read this.

Called Operation Safras it will be presented in the same manner as Woodbury End and I look forward to seeing it.

I'm afraid I also have some bad news. I can no longer answer letters personally on problems in adventures.

My mailbag has been increasing steadily since I started this column and I now get over 100 letters a week, which leaves me little time to research and write the column.

I would ask those of you who are waiting for an answer to be patient while I clear the backlog.

Of course I still want you to write in with your problems and I will answer them through these pages.

I get great enjoyment from reading your opinions so please feel free to write in - if only for a chat.

I would like to point out though that about 90 per cent of the questions I am asked have already been answered in the column at some time, so it is always worth checking your back issues.

For anyone in desperate need of help I am starting a new section called the Lords of Adventure.

If you can help readers with any adventures let me know and I'll publish your name, address and the games you can help with. I'll make you one of my Lords of Adventure.

Citadel seems to be prompting a lot of mail and I am sure that anyone offering help would be much appreciated.

ADVENTURES TOP 20

1. Wheel of Fortune (EPIC) 91
2. Castle Frankenstein (EPIC) 86
3. Classic Adventure (Melbourne House) 84
4. Kingdom of Klein (EPIC) 83
Countdown to Doom (Acornsoft)
6. Harnpstead (Melbourne House) 82
Terrormolinos (Melbourne House)
8. Woodbury End (Shards) 81
9. Twin Kingdom Valley (Bug-Byte) 80
10. Quest for Holy Grail (EPIC) 79
Eye of Zolton (Softek)
12. Spiderman (Adventure Int.) 78
13. Sphinx Adventure (Acornsoft) 77
14. Greedy Dwarf (Dorling Kindersley) 76
Strange Odessy (Adventure Int.)
Staff of Law (Potter)
17. Pirate Adventure (Adventure Int.) 75
18. Adventureland (Adventure Int.) 74
Five Stones of Anadon (Softek)
20. Galadriel in Distress (Potter) 73
Incredible Hulk (Adventure Int.)

This month also sees the first Top Twenty. It has been compiled from all the marks sent to me over the last year.

Apart from the position that each game earned I have also given the average mark that each received. As you can see from the chart it has been very close.

Epic unsurprisingly won top spot and managed to get all of its range into the Top Ten. I wonder how they will fare against the new competition from Robico in the coming year?

Melbourne House has also done well in getting its three games into the Top Ten.

Woodbury End is a recent release from Shards and has done superbly to get into the charts in so short a time.

Keep your marks coming in for the next Top Ten.

lan Ruthven who has sent in tips for Twin Kingdom Valley which I will be revealing in the future has also asked for help with Citadel. Any Lords or Ladies of Adventure care to oblige?

Guy Richardson asked for Merlin's help but didn't specify what with. What do you want help with Guy? Unfortunately my magic powers don't stretch to mind reading.

Neil Sedgwick came up with two worthwhile suggestions for software houses. Firstly, enclose a second cassette with the adventure to be used as a save-game tape.

This would avoid the need to search through various cassettes for the right tape especially useful if you haven't played the game for a while.

Secondly, why not have a compilation tape of adventures? Quite often when compilation tapes are released there are a couple of games and one adventure so why not have all adventures?

I agree with both of these suggestions Neil - software houses please note.

Richard Jay is compiling a database of adventure clues and asks me to print his name and address so that readers can send him maps and solutions for it.

You can write to him at <address removed>.

I'm not quite sure how you stand with copyright laws if you market this Richard, but I would think it only fair to give copies of your database to any reader who writes in.

W.E. Trevelyan asked if I would indicate the age level that a program is aimed at when I review it.

He goes on to suggest that Adventureland is aimed at players up to the age of 12, the Epic games at astute 14 to 15 year olds and Hampstead at the 18+ age range.

Frankly I don't think you can categorise adventures this way. Adventureland, the first home computer adventure, first saw light of day on a TRS-80.

In those days a 12-year-old would be unlikely to have access to the computer, let alone the game itself.

I respect all my reader's opinions, but in this case I would like to point out that I have received letters from people aged between 5 and 75 about the games you mention.

I feel that the only way to categorise an adventure is by how difficult it is compared to its cost. Even then it is only one opinion and will obviously differ from person to person.

Incidentally my "inexplicably cool opinion" about Hampstead was due to it relying too heavily on humour for atmosphere, and since the humour didn't appeal to me I didn't feel there was any atmosphere.

I appreciate that it is a complex adventure and its popularity in the Top Twenty proves that most readers like it, but I didn't. Terrormolinos on the other hand appeals immensely to me.

HALL OF FAME

Woodbury End - Les Shipton

The Help clues continued -

Wheel of Fortune - Craig Romans

You will now be underground so use the lamp, but since you are in real time be careful not to waste it.

Collect as much treasure as you can, but make sure you work your way south and go into the fly's cave and back out into the spider's cave - don't waste time though.

Now get the wheel and go back to the fly's cave for the penny. Decide for yourself what you want to leave underground, but make sure you keep the basket.

Go to the steps and up to the trapdoor. Unbolt it and go up into the building.

Now go to the machine and insert the penny. Go back to the building and leave all your treasure except the music box. Now spin the wheel.

Spiderman - Robert Henderson

Go to floor 1 and give the calcium to the lizard. Go into the hall and shoot a web at the bio gem. You can now take it.

Go to the sandman's room, then up on to the ceiling and LOOK CRIB. Get the formula then look again and get the gem.

Drop the formula, GO FLOOR and leave the room. Go to floor 2 then outside until you are floating.

FEEL NORTH, get the gem, go south and FEEL SOUTH and get the other gem. Then JUMP UP, take the mesh and enter the fan.

Keep shooting web at it until its speed fails to 50 RPM. Now shoot a web at the button and CRAWL FAN. Keep going down until you see Dr. Octopus.

Gisburne's Castle - Paul James

Use the oil on the rusty door to free it, then open it with the key. Use the potion to reduce your size. The spade is used in the dungeons to get to the cellar, and the cannon ball and gunpowder are used to load the cannon. If you have found the cannon you have also found Gisburne. Finally use the flint to fire the cannon and kill him.

The Count - A.J. Haynes

Day 1. Get up and wait for the bell to ring. Go to the front door and take the postcard.

Now go to the kitchen and lower the dumb waiter when you have entered it. GO ROOM, take the clip from the postcard and pick the lock.

Keep the clip but store all the other objects in the room with the century worth of dust. Lock the door and go to bed and sleep.

Revenge of Zor - H.J. Bastien

Search for the courtyard for a rope and frisk the guard for a whistle. Throw and pull the rope to free the grating.

Throw the rope again and climb it. Now blow the whistle in the forest to get a fly swatter and push the altar and read the book. The book gives the ingredients to use in the mixing bowl. Kill the flies with the swatter, then drop them to make the frog appear. Finally throw the net to catch the frog
and bat.

CONTACT CORNER

If you want an adventure pen-pal why not write to one of the readers mentioned here.

Anyone who wants their name included should write in, making sure their name and address is legible.

Jason Harken <address removed>
Mike Lacey <address removed>
Alan Jones <address removed>

FEEDBACK

Dave Frankham has sent in a map and solution to Gisburne's Castle. If anyone wants a copy please send an sae.

Initially, Dave, I'd recommend either the Epic range or Robico range for your next adventure.

J. Foggitt offers help on Nicholas Latham's problem with Bored of the Rings.

After leaving the downs go along the East/West road until you are next to the mountain.

There is an exit North here which leads to the mountain where you'll find a bag of pepper.

Go to the Morona gate, collecting your friends from Riverdull along the way, and then drop the bag. One of your friends will sneeze and provide a means of getting through the gate.

W.E. Trevelyan reveals that Lou Carey is wrong to say that in Galadriel in Distress both the bottle and the goblet contain Poison.

It is in either one or the other depending on a random spin of a coin. The Loremaster will tell you which is safe and which is not.

M. Alexander has sent in a solution to Sphinx Adventure. An sae please if you want me to send you a copy.

Terrormolinos - Map 1

Click here for larger image

This article appeared in the July 1986 edition of the "Electron User", published by Database Publications.

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