s is depleted.

csdb.dk/getinternalfile.php/119993/MissionMoon.d64 csdb.dk/getinternalfile.php/119992/MissionMoon.zip

SCORES

Gameplay: 3/10
because it's in BASIC it's slow to
respond
Graphics: 3/10
functional
Sounds: 3.5/10
interesting theme it does grow on
you
Overall: 3.5/10


*************************************
REVIEW: THEATER OF WAR [VIC20]
By Commodore Free
*************************************

Information from PSYTRONIC
software
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -
Theatre of War is a gripping trilogy of turn-based strategy games for the unexpanded VIC-20 by Ghislain De Blois, author of the popular Realms of Quest RPG games. As well as the three 'Theatre of War' games this compilation also contains a bonus selection of arcade games (see below for complete list). The Theatre of War trilogy features three complete campaigns to play.

WW2 Eastern Front, WW2 Pacific Theatre and WW1 Western Front. The games put
you in command of military units and allow you to recreate battles from the first or second World War. Select your units, deploy your forces, and let battle commence! The Premium Disk version of Theatre Of War is presented in a 5.25" plastic disk case and features full colour glossy cover artwork by Steve 'STE'86' Day with the instructions printed on the reverse. The floppy disk is packaged in a full colour glossy disk sleeve with a full colour label. The compilation is also available as a Budget Disk release which features the floppy disk packaged in a glossy full colour disk sleeve with colour disk
label and a printed instruction sheet. Theater of War Disk Contains: THEATER
OF WAR I (WW2 Eastern Front), THEATER OF WAR II (WW2 Pacific Theatre), THEATER OF WAR III (WW1 Western Front), BREAK FAST II, FACE VERSUS HEEL, MAGITOOL, OLYMPIC DASH, SPACE WARZ, STREET BATTLE, VICROLEAGE I, VICROLEAGE II, WORM OUT Note: All games are compatible with the unexpanded VIC-20!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I decided to review the 3 main titles under one heading.

THEATRE OF WAR GAME REVIEW

* Theatre of War
* Theatre of War 2 (the Pacific)
* Theater of War III (WW1 Western Front)

Well one thing is for sure, you definitely get value for money the hard part now is how to rate this, I decided to mark the WAR package as a whole rather than individually but I will do mini reviews on all the games just for completeness, Starting then with the war games trilogy; as this is the main part of the package with (as I see it) the other games adding as a bonus or filler items, of course you select the game you want from a nice title screen.

Loading theatre of war.

The game loads and you can select the options of either reading the instructions or a 1 or 2 player game or play the game with alternate graphics, starting the game with a single player (yes I am without friends again) we are taken on a turn based strategy screen viewed from the top although the men and tanks seem to be drawn from the side. It's a standard layout for this sort of game the graphics look good and the screen updates are surprisingly quick, but with the game programmed in a mix of machine code and basic you would expect the game for the main part to be snappy! Sound is just a set of bleeps and you need some time to read the manual and digest what you need to do, it's a valiant effort.

The computer opponent is a little dumb but seemed to have more firepower to make up for its stupidity, game play is turn based so you deploy your men then the computer deploys, then you move your men then the computer moves its men. The computer thinking time is rapid so you are not left twiddling your thumbs, lovers of these games will overlook any criticisms, its nothing new but well implemented and although doesn't push the machine to its limits it does
provide a rather playable war inspired game.

Part 2 sees us in the pacific.

This time we have only 3 options they are 1 or two player game and an option
to read the instructions, one thing that is neat in the instructions is that all they all show the character are listed with their strengths and
weaknesses, we view these one at a time on screen like a sort of top trumps playing card (I am sure other style top trump playing cards are available and of course I wouldn't advertise for legal reasons unless I was paid to do so) anyway It's a neat idea and also makes you wonder what sort of shoe horn
system was used to squeeze all this data into the machine. At random you see a pane fly over the play area, one time it's your side then the enemy with the word AIR STRIKE, these strikes can knock out you or the opponents men, you can't do anything but sit watch and pray!

Oh when you move your character turns white to show its been moved, the character to move shows in light blue with your other characters in dark blue, so you can easily see who has or hasn't moved and what moves you have left,
the number of moves is etermined by the character itself that you placed on
the board , if you don't want to move one time you press space and it moves on to your next character ! once you hit the enemy base (denoted by their flag) you move to the next round.

Western front 1918.

Well it's more of the same 3 options again 1 or 2 player and read the instructions cracking on with a 1 player game (yep still no friends) it's all more of the same different graphics and countries and of course plot, you have different characters I think I have said all I need to in the other parts of the review.

Scores.

Well I would love to have some music on the title screens but I suppose what would you need to cut out to fit this into memory, the sounds are sparse and just blips but you could argue that nothing more is needed.

Graphics: 4/10
static but well drawn
Sounds: 2/10
just a blip here and there and some
white noise explosions
Gameplay: 7/10
nicely implemented
Overall: 7/10

I would like to see the computer gain more logic, but the games are well executed also you have to take into account if you like this sort of game or not, now I am not a turn based war games player and it took me some time to
get used to the game play but it isn't a game I wouldn't play again, and with
a real friend to play with and a few drinks on a cold rainy night this has
some real mileage to it.

Comments

A nice set of games that are a worthy release on their own, many will wonder how the VIC's memory wasn't blown to fit all this game play into a small programmable area, could do with better computer logic on the one player game and also a little snappier screen updates anything else would need a memory upgrade , but some animation and music would enhance the game.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

BREAKFAST II

After a short intro picture we press space to move on and have options to play the game or read the instructions, so after a quick read I am ready to go!

Instructions.

launch the moving colour blocks with the space bar. Score points by having blocks land next to other blocks of different colours. You lose a life if a block touches another block of the same colour. You also lose a life for failing to launch a block after three tries.

You can score even more points by using collared blocks that are of higher value. Colours are listed in order of their value from left to right. Stay focused. always make sure not to hit any blocks of the same colour.

A bonus life will be awarded to you every 1000 points.

So let's see then

You have a moving block that goes across the bottom of the screen, once it
hits the side it changes colour and come back across the screen if you press the space bar it launches the block upwards till it hits the top of the screen or another block on screen and then sticks there. If you miss sending the
brick and it hits the screen side 3 times you lose a life (you start with 3 numbered ZERO to 2)

Once you lose all lives the game ends. The game is a sort of breakout meets columns/Tetris clone although it does seem quite origin

--- MBSE BBS v1.0.01 (GNU/Linux-i386)
* Origin: Dragon's Lair (39:901/280)