Starquake (ZX Spectrum)

I asked for suggestions for games a few days ago, and I got them. Starquake was one of them, and that jogged a memory for me, as I'd always wanted to play this and never really got the chance. What an ideal moment, then!

Part of my interest in this was because of Wizard's Lair, which I'd played and thoroughly enjoyed on the Commodore 64. Wizard's Lair was written by Stephen Crow, and so was Starquake, and that much is evident from the minute you start the game as they have a similar look to them in some ways.

My first game was unsuccessful... although I whizzed around at a very nippy pace, I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and subsequently died none the wiser for my experience. A quick look at the instructions helped... ooohhh, you can fire! Armed with that knowledge, and an idea of what I was meant to do in the game, I ventured back in.

It's amazing how much difference instructions can make to a game. I always like to try and play without them if I can, but sometimes you do need a bit of a clue. This time around I was fairly flying around the game, and knowing what I was doing and what I was looking for meant my progress was encouraging.

It has to be said that Starquake is a very entertaining arcade adventure, much in the classic mode of the day (alongside the likes of Nodes of Yesod), where you explore an odd planet looking for different bits of tat. I've always enjoyed games like this, and the fact that this one moves so quickly means I'm more likely to return to it. The one slight problem area might lie in the fact the game has a password system, and if you want to get around properly you have to find these. But I've already managed to complete 25 per cent of the game, and so I think I'm more than happy to push on with this one.