Computer & Video Games (April 1985)

Source: Computer & Video Game Magazines – Computer & Video Games – Issue Number 42 – April 1985

Computer & Video Games was, published in the U.K. was one of the longest running gaming magazines anywhere. The first issue was published late in 1981 and it continued to be published until 2004. It covered both console games and computer games. The April 1985 issue includes:

Features

Mailbag – Letters from readers about a negative review of Alien for the Commodore 64, game programming tips, game submissions, Gremlins, and more.

Problem Page – Questions answered about graphical adventures for the BBC, modems available for the Spectrum, programming, recording video game play, Commodore 1541 disk drive alternatives, and transferring games to the Microdrive on the Spectrum.

Avalon Competition – A competition in which you must find various objects in Dragontorc of Avalon.

Competition – A crossword puzzle and a competition involving the game Grand Larceny.

Professor Video’s Workshop – Hints and tips on various games, including Ghostbusters (Commodore 64 and Spectrum), Staff of Karnath (Commodore 64), Backpacker’s, Q*Bert (BBC), and Parsec & Alpiner (TI-99/4A).

Adventure Helpline – Help and solutions for adventure games including Sherlock and Eureka.

Adventure – Adventure game news and new releases including new ports of Level 9 games for the MSX, Sherlock for the Commodore 64, Spider-Man on the Spectrum, and Swiss Family Robinson for the Apple II and Commodore 64. Plus some brief reviews including Upper Gumtree for the Commodore 64, The Key to Time for the Spectrum, Holy Horrors for the BBC, and Escape from Mansion Beta Minor for the BBC.

The Treasure Trap Castle – A live action D&D style adventure at Peckforton Castle. Apparently this was one of the first live action RPGs and there is a Wikipedia entry on it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Trap

Eureka Competition – A competition involving drawing a map for the game Eureka.

Bug Hunter – A bug that lets you trap a ghost in Ghostbusters every time; a bug that makes the pole disappear in the pole vault in Decathlon; plus info on CV&G’s MUD running on a DEC-10 mainframe at Essex University, the control key on the TI-99/4A, and a VIC-20/Commodore 64 proofreading program.

Fifth Column – A strategy and wargames column this month featuring Air Defense from CCS, War Zone from CCS, and Nato Commander from US Gold for the Commodore 64.

Hall of Fame – Reader submitted high scores for Sabre Wulf, Pyjamarama, Parsec, Elite, Ghostbusters, Star Command, Manic Miner, Decathlon, Starbike, Planetoid, and Psytron.

Listings

Starship Victory – A type-in game for the VIC-20 in which you must stop a fleet of Clingon destroyer ships from conquering the planet.

Stuntman – A type-in game for the MSX in which you must leap from a plane and land on a trampoline, taking into account wind direction and obstacles such as a picket fence, high-voltage wires, and of course the ground.

Helicopter – A type-in game for the Commodore 64 in which you must rescue men from a collapsing oil rig. The game play sounds a bit like Choplifter.

Portrait Dungeon – A type-in text adventure for the Atari 400/800/XL in which you must rescue all the treasures from a dungeon.

Creepy Crawly – A type in game for the Spectrum in which you control a hungry caterpillar. You must east all the food while avoiding obstacles such as skulls, rocks, the walls, and your own tail.

News and Reviews

Game News – New games coming soon include The Dragontorc of Avalon, Everyone’s A Wally, Hunchback II: Quasimodo’s Revenge, Emerald Isle, Prince of Magic, Scott Adams Adventures for the Amstrad, Commodore 16 and Atari XL, and much more.

Reviews – Reviews of games including: Impossible Mission for the Commodore 64. The Game of the Month and one of the classics for the C64; Athletic Land for the MSX; Staff of Karnath for the Commodore 64; Moon Patrol for the Atari 800; Buggy Blast for the Spectrum; Death Star for the Spectrum; Ghostbusters for the Spectrum; Pyjamarama for the Amstrad; Conan for the Atari 800 and Commodore 64; Atari Hits (which includes Jet Boot Jack, Neptune’s Daughter, Fire Fleet, Dan Strikes Back, and a bunch of others) for the Atari 400/800/XL; Gryphon for the Commodore 64; The Quadra for the VIC-20; Squish! for the VIC-20; Hellfire for the Spectrum; Monty is Innocent for the Spectrum; Roller Kong for the Commodore 64; Brian Bloodaxe for the Spectrum; Technician Ted for the Spectrm and Amstrad; The Hacker for the BBC; Alien 8 for the Spectrum; Frak for the Commodore 64; Software Star for the Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad; Finders Keepers for the Spectrum; Sorcery for the Amstrad; and Automan for the Commodore 64.

Arcade Action – A look at some of the latest arcade machines including Lazer Lord (pinball) from Stern, Spy Hunter (pinball) from Bally, I Robot from Atari, Kung-Fu Master from Irem, Chicken Shift from Bally/Sente, and Attack Rush from Konami.