SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE ESPIONAGE ISLAND PUBLISHER Artic Computing AUTHOR Unknown YEAR 1982 DESCRIPTION Espionage Island is a classic text adventure with no graphics at all. It also uses no colour with just black on white text. The basic scenario is the you are doing a recon mission to and island where you are shot down. You have to find out the secret of the island and return to your aircraft carrier. INSTRUCTIONS Espionage Island uses the familiar adventure commands i.e. North, South, West, East, Up and Down to move (can be shortened to N,S,W,E,U,D) to different locations. To pick up any items just type in 'GET item' and to see what you are carrying type in Inventory (or Invent or I for short). If you are really stuck you can type in HELP but as usual this can be very cryptic. INLAY TEXT *outside cover* You have to survive an engine failure whilst flying over an apparently uninhabited island in the South Atlantic. Learn to treat the natives with respect, avoid capture and harass the enemy and return with the islands secret. *inside* ADVENTURE D: ESPIONAGE ISLAND Adventures are games in which you explore strange new worlds without leaving the comfort of your home. The computer will act as your puppet and control your senses. You instruct the computer with short phrases usual Verb Noun. If the computer does not understand then try to re-phrase the command. When entering your command you may use the DELETE key to erase any letters. In each location you may find objects which you can manipulate and use in further locations to help your progress. The game is written in machine code. The program is saved with the name "ADVENT" but is simpler to load by LOAD "" CODE command. In Adventure D you may have been sent on a reconnaissance mission to observe an enemy island. Somewhere, hidden on the island, is a secret. Your mission is to observe the island. Unfortunately, one of your engines is hit be enemy fire and you are forced to abandon your plane. Your adventure begins in the aeroplane and leads to the heart of the enemy stronghold. You must then return to your aircraft carrier, but beware, your side may be fooled by your disguise. As this adventure is very large, the program also had cassette routines with which you can load and save a game at any stage, to return to at a later date. To save the game you QUIT the game. The computer then asks if you want to save the game. If you reply 'Y' the computer will display the READY CASSETTE. Now start your cassette player on RECORD and hit any key. The game takes 2 seconds to save. To play a previously stored game. When you run the program you are asked if you wish to restore a previously saved stored game. If you answer 'Y' the computer again displays READY CASSETTE. You then cue up your tape; press play on your cassette and hit any key. The game will then continue from where you last left it. GOOD LUCK! (c)1982 ARTIC COMPUTING SEQUELS/PREQUELS There were none as such, however Espionage Island was the fourth in a series of seven adventures by Artic, these included Advent A - Planet of Death, Advent B - Inca Curse Advent C - Ship of Doom Advent D - Espionage Island Advent E - Golden Apple Advent F - Eye of Bain Advent G - Dead at the Controls SCORE RECEIVED: Sinclair User - Gilbert Factor 5, in the later * system used in SU it was given 3 stars which is rated as Nothing Special. GENERAL FACTS: This game was converted to the ZX81, I am not sure is it was converted from the ZX81 version (as it was with Planet of Death) or visa versa. One strange thing is that it runs on 16K in the ZX81 version but the Spectrum version says on the tape that it is 48K. I haven't played the ZX81 version so I do not know if there are any differences however I suspect that it is the same as Adventures A-C were converted to the Spectrum from the ZX81. This was the last Artic adventure that appeared on both formats and the next game (Golden Apple) used the Spectrums capabilities using coloured text on black (but still was text only). As I have said the programmer is unknown however some graffiti which you can examine in the game says "Rick was 'ere 27/09", is this the name of the elusive programmer ? CHEATS: Here are some hints:- -Don't forget to wear your parachute, and also remember you need to open it as well ! -The dark bundle is your parachute, try removing it. -Search the dark corner in the wreckage use what you find there to trade with the natives. -The Swamp, the clue is in Stitched swamp. This is another word for SEWN, use these directions to get through. -In the control hut there is a socket to place the explosives and a switch to detonate it but be careful -When you fly in the helicopter don't take a straight southern route, try going round about. NOTES: Looks very basic but under the surface it is very fast and unlike a lot of adventures at the time was written in machine code. The game was unique in that you didn't use LOAD "" to load it, instead you had to use LOAD "" CODE. It was also very tricky and devious and in some cases precise words were needed. The first 2 problems you encounter (particularly the second one) are very hard and can prove to be a problem to all but the battle hardened adventurers. There were also a lot of humorous touches as well (in a dark humour type of way). Lighting the match where there is aviation fuel swimming around isn't very wise and remember the native woman is married! Also of note is the fact that it used the standard packaging for spectrum programs at the time (like Chequered Flag and VU3D where the company name and logo was restricted to a small box at the bottom of the front cover.