Acorn Electron

Acorn Electron

The Acorn Electron is a home computer designed by Acorn Computers Ltd. The computer was released in August 1983 in Europe at a retail price of £175. The computer was not released outside of Europe. The Electron was a budget version of the BBC Micro...

$wag

$wag

Acorn Electron - Released - February 1, 1985

You are out to steal £250,000 in diamonds before your rival. You accomplish this by collecting the heaps of diamonds which appear on the screen, and taking them to the cache in your house. Unfortunately the other robber is not your only problem. There are several killer droids, employed by one of the insurance companies, to try to apprehend bandits such as yourself and recover the swag. There are two types of droids, Henrys and Percys. One type will try to catch you, the other your opponent. You can "convert" one which is following you by shooting it. You can also shoot the other player's man, and if caught by a droid or shot, you will drop your swag and be returned to your house. Naturally you will soon use up all the ammunition in your gun, but you can get more by depositing gold in the bank. The other way to convert droids is to move onto a DH, which changes all Henrys to Percys, and vice versa. Moving onto a Smiley has the effect of sending your opponent back to his house. If you shoot a police car it will follow you around the screen, which gives points to the other player, though you can stop this by drinking a car of beer (the sort which refreshed the parts other beers can't) and shooting them again.

2002: A Space Oddity

Acorn Electron - Released - December 1, 1984

A comedic text adventure satire of Stanley Kubrick's 2001 a A Space Odyssey.

3D Bomb Alley

3D Bomb Alley

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

3D Bomb Alley is a video game created by Simon Vout and published by Software Invasion for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. The graphics work with 3D glasses creating the appearance of depth.

3D Dotty

3D Dotty

Acorn Electron - Released - 1987

The aim is to clear the dots on the three levels of each screen whilst avoiding the dreaded fungus. Any contact with the fungus will reduce your energy, and you lose a life when your energy reaches zero. The fungus can be blocked, but only three blocks are permitted at any one time. On completing a screen a bonus is added to your score, proportional to the amount of energy you have remaining. There are eight different screens. After the eighth, the screens are repeated, but your energy is reduced by two units when you make contact with the fungus. You gain an extra life when your score reaches 5,000 and 10,000 points. There is a practice mode to allow you to try any of the eight screens.

3D Maze

3D Maze

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

A simple maze game in which you have to find your way out of a 3D maze, having been told where the exit is and where you are. 3D Maze is IJK Software's implementation of the popular pseudo 3D maze escape games that had a cult following in the early 1980s.

3-D Tank Zone

3-D Tank Zone

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

As weapon commander, you must, with the aid of radar, scan the terrain surrounding the city and missile silos for marauding enemy tanks then destroy them before they get you. Watch out too for incoming jets and helicopters on the horizon. To aid you in your task, you have at your disposal a direct fire anti-aircraft cannon and an anti-tank missile launcher. The game features excellent 3D wire graphic tanks and battleground displays with realistic missile in-flight action and detailed instrument console.

747

747

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

747 is a flight simulator developed and published by Doctor Soft. When the game starts you are flying towards the words DR SOFT. This allows you to get used to the steering and other controls. From this screen you can then select which airport and scenario you want to fly. Options include Taking-Off and Landing. Hoops may also be flown through while trying to land. The game is played with the screen split into two halves. The top half is your view from the front of the plane while the bottom half shows the instrument panel. Control is played via the Joystick and Keyboard.

747 Flight Simulator

747 Flight Simulator

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

747 Flight Simulator allows the player to sit at the controls of a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet airliner. The upper part of the screen consists of a simple external view (horizon, runway), while the lower displays the instrument panel (airspeed, vertical speed indicator, altimeter, artificial horizon, compass, turn and bank indicator, ILS, flaps & landing gear indicators, various dials for engines). After declaring the amount of fuel and the number of passengers, the player may attempt either a take-off, straight landing approach or random landing approach. The included map features Great Britain and contains 7 airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Prestwick).

A Question of Sport

A Question of Sport

Acorn Electron - Released - 1988

This is the game of the long running BBC quiz show of the same name. Two teams of three battle against each other by answering sports questions. 2 Points are awarded for answering your question correctly. If you answer incorrectly the opposing team get a chance to answer it but for only 1 point. There are 6 rounds including picture board, what happened next and a quickfire buzzers round. Contestants are displayed as digitized faces and each contestant specialises in a certain sport. Team captains get to choose which sport they wish to specialise in from a choice of ten. There are 5 question blocks so that if questions start to repeat you can load the next one to extend gameplay life. After the last round the scores are totted up and the winner is the team with the most points.

A&B Computing 3.09

Acorn Electron - Released - September 1, 1986

Comprises: Assembly Example (A&B Computing), Card Trick (A&B Computing), Check Byte Source Code (A&B Computing), Grand Prix (A&B Computing), Islamic Art Part 1 (A&B Computing), Islamic Art Part 2 (A&B Computing), Islamic Art Part 3 (A&B Computing), Islamic Art Part 4 (A&B Computing) and Olsen (A&B Computing)

A&B Computing 3.11

Acorn Electron - Released - November 1, 1986

A 100% machine code high speed four way scrolling arcade game! Haven't we seen this somewhere before...? In a word, no. In another two, not yet. It was a good wat of catching your eye, though! The point of Gimpo is to eat all the food pellets in the maze, avoiding the ghosts which are out to prematurely terminate your electronic existence (in other words a regurgitated Pac Man!). There are four different screens to each level, and as the level number increases, so does the number of ghosts, and the amount of times you have to eat each pellet of food. Oh yes, and there'a a time limit which is no problem on level one, but on level four it becomes a real obstacle. The keys for the game are the usual ZX:/ combination; S/Q toggles sound on/off, and COPY/DELETE pauses/continues. I'm afraid that the game gives new meaning to the age-old computer cliche "needs lightning fast reactions" - this one really does! The game has a display next to the scrolling window showing the score, the time left, the number of food spores remaining on the screen, the lives, screen number and level number. An eight name high score table is included, and because the chunky mode 5 letters were too bid, I have defined a small alphabet for it. The game was written on an Electron, but I have included one or two adjustments to make it work on the Beeb.

Acheton

Acheton

Acorn Electron - Released - 1987

Written by Jon Thackray, David Seal and Jonathan Partington. Acheton is a home computer conversion of the mainframe adventure of the same name. Similar to Zork (which was released on the VAX mainframe not long before Acheton's original appearance), it is a fantasy treasure hunt set in a claustrophobic dungeon. It boasts over 400 rooms and 200 objects, thereby making it much bigger than Zork. As with many games of this kind the most time is spent by exploring the environment and solving item-based puzzles. Everything is described solely with plain text and the player interacts with the game by typing in phrases which describe his desired action, e.g. "take bottle". It also features a help function with graded hints.

Adventure

Adventure

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

A text adventure game released by Micro Power (aka Program Power) for the Electron and BBC Micro home computers. Your objective is to find the Princess and to bring her back from the Magic Caverns. Also, you must collect the various treasures that you will come across; there are at least seven of these. The program understands the input of single and double keywords. Commands available to you include TAKE an object, LOOK, GO NORTH, USE an object, INVENTORY which will tell you what you are carrying and SCORE to find out how many points you have gained. There are many more but part of the adventure is to discover them.

Adventureland

Adventureland

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Adventureland is the first of Scott Adams' text adventures. Using simple two word commands you explore an enchanted world, solve puzzles and try to recover 13 lost treasures. The game's display is different from other adventure games like Zork: The Great Underground Empire in that the screen is divided into two "windows": the room description, exits, and items appear on the top part of the screen, and you enter commands on the bottom of the screen.

Adventures Collection #4

Acorn Electron - Homebrew - 2008

Aladdin (Steve Lucas), Dinosaur Adventure (BBC PD), Dracula Adventure (BBC PD), Double Gold: The Alien From Outer Space Plus Dragons Tooth (Incentive), Flight Of The Unicorn (BBC PD), Gnome Adventure (BBC PD), Graveyard Escape (BBC PD), Kidnapped (BBC PD), Martian Adventure (BBC PD), Rainbow's End (D. D. Green), Runestaff (BBC PD), Satan's Challenge (BBC PD), Shipwreck (BBC PD) and The Quest For The Last Baked Bean (BBC PD)

Airline

Airline

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Airline is an economic strategy game, with the player taking the role of a Chairman for L-AIR, an air company whose business starts off with £3 million. He has 7 years to increase his net assets to £30 million. The player can charter, buy or sell aircraft, as well as managing staffing, maintenance and insurance. Situations in-game (like hijacks, air crashes and sabotage) and costs (of fuel and aircrafts, tax demands etc.) are realistic.The graphics are simplified, made up almost entirely of tables and texts.

Alien Break In

Alien Break In

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Alien Break In is a space shooter, sort of a cross between Space Invaders, Galaga, and Galaxians. The citizens of Earth have fled before the oncoming Zargon fleet. You have been left to guard the Earth's supply of uranium... Suddenly, the sky above you is filled with the enemy fleet... things are worse than you expected...

Alien Dropout

Alien Dropout

Acorn Electron - Released - 1982

Alien Dropout is a fixed screen shoot 'em up based on the arcade game Astro Invader. The objective of the game is to shoot the aliens out of their "boxes" before the "boxes" fill up. Once full, the aliens fly down relentlessly and explode as they hit the ground. The game features include six skill levels, rankings, hi-scores and increasing difficulty.

Alphatron

Alphatron

Acorn Electron - Released - 1986

Your mission is to protect the Trilithium Refineries on the planet Karthos. You pilot a Megan Class Scout Ship equipped with a Delta Laser. The enemy attacks grow more and more frequent as wave after wave of enemy missiles pass overhead. At all costs you must destroy the missiles before they reach the Refinery. Each missile will deplete the Refinery Shields until eventually they collapse. Your Scout Ship is fitted with landing, fuel and guidance computers. Your Control Panel also displays the status of the Refinery shield level. Your fuel is very limited and must be replenished frequently by landing on your base pad.

Amnesia and Xanadu

Acorn Electron - Released - 1982

Amnesia and Xanadu is a compilation of two text adventures written by an adventure creation system AdventureScape.

Anarchy Zone

Anarchy Zone

Acorn Electron - Released - September 1, 1988

32 zones of increasing difficulty! The Galactic Government Dictatorship has divided the galaxy into zones, and has imposed strict travel formations for each zone. You have decided to fight for your freedom and for the liberation of other space travellers. Good luck, and remember the motto of the Astronaut's Anarchist Association 'Live Fast, Die Young!!!!' The Galactic Government Dictatorship has divided the galaxy into zones, and has imposed strict travel formations for each zone. Any travellers not conforming to the galactic government guidelines will come under attack. Legend has it that beyond this galaxy lies an area of space where travellers are free to choose their own routes of travel, and freedom reigns. History refers to this area as "free space". You have decided to fight for your freedom and for the liberation of other space travellers.

Answer Back: Junior Quiz: General Knowledge

Answer Back: Junior Quiz: General Knowledge

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Answer Back Junior Quiz is a single player quiz program. This is the basic program and it allows the player to create, save and play quizzes. Once a question bank has been created it can be saved. When playing the quiz the player has the option of playing either a Yes/No quiz, a multiple choice quiz, a 'complete the answer' quiz or a selection of all three. The player can also select the number of questions in the quiz, whether the questions are sequential or random and whether they are timed or not. If the player answers a question correctly they are treated to a small animation showing a princess being rescued by a dragon. The main purpose behind this game however was not to play self-made quizzes, it was a vehicle by which add-on packs containing five hundred questions were sold. There was also an Answer Back Senior Quiz.

Answer Back: Sport

Answer Back: Sport

Acorn Electron - Released - December 1, 1985

Challenge the KOSMOS team at football or tennis. But be warned, we don't lose easily. Whatever your sport this program probably knows a lot more about it than you do. The ANSWER BACK series needs little introduction. Each program combines a massive wealth of information with a fascinating and compelling game. The Senior and Junior quizzes each contain 750 questions and 3000 optional answers on General Knowledge. The Sports program is even larger containing a mind-bending 800 questions on Sport and two high-speed machine code games - Football and Tennis. But that's not all. For quiz fans, full facilities are provided for creating and saving new quizzes or modifying those supplied - and you don't need to be a programmer!

Arcadians

Arcadians

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Arcadians is based on the arcade game Galaxian. You control a spacecraft at the bottom of the screen, moving left or right, blasting aliens moving in formation above. As you blast the aliens, some will swoop down in groups dropping bombs. You can avoide or shoot at these. If you are touched by an alien or it's bombs then you lose one of three lives and once the aliens have all been destroyed then you attempt to destroy them again. Two players can play and each player takes it in turns when the other player loses a life.

Arena 3000

Arena 3000

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Fight for your life (and highscore) against endless waves of killer robots cornering you on the futuristic Galactic Arena of the year 3000. When you clear the level, the next wave gets faster and tougher, luckily you get 3 lives and extra one every 20 000 points. This top-down shooter offers optional dual joystick control (movement/shooting).

Around the World in 40 Screens

Around the World in 40 Screens

Acorn Electron - Released - 1987

Around the World in 40 Screens is the first of three standalone expansion packs for Repton 3. As the title might indicate it includes 40 new levels made in the map editor that was included with the original game. The game features a world travelling theme and the levels are divided into five sets each representing a specific setting. These are: America, Arctic, Orient, Oceans and Africa. The gameplay is the same as in Repton 3 but all objects have been replaced with objects related to the setting. Instead of diamonds, there are for example hamburgers in the American levels and fish in the Arctic levels. Boulders have been replaced by coconuts in African levels and snowmen in Arctic levels and so on. Enemies include Indians and bandits in the American levels, polar bears and penguins in the Arctic levels and octopuses and squids in the Ocean level. Repton himself has a different role in each setting. In America he is a sheriff while in the Arctic he is an eskimo and in the Orient he is a kung-fu master.

Arrow of Death: Part I

Arrow of Death: Part I

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Brian Howarth's second Mysterious Adventure follows on from your success in retrieving the Golden Baton. Peace was initially ensured, but the baton has subsequently become tarnished, and now radiates evil. Crop failures and illness are now rampant throughout the land. The only solution is to find the Arrow of Death (in this game) and assemble it. Armour, an orb and an eagle are among the helpful objects in completing your quest. The game is largely one of exploration and object manipulation, with little combat. These games used the Scott Adams adventure engine, and thus also have the same features - a basic 2-word parser, small vocabulary, and brief descriptions. They were similar to other adventures of the time.

Astro Plumber

Astro Plumber

Acorn Electron - Released - 1985

You play the game as a repair man equipped with a jetpack and an upwards firing plasma laser. Your mission is to repair all the leaking air pipes which supply the Colony research station on the surface of the Moon. The caverns are inhabited by a number of alien lifeforms which will kill you if they touch you. Finally you must keep an eye on your ever decreasing air supply. You can refill from one of the big air tanks on the surface but it means breaking off your repairs. Your space suit tank can only hold so much air. Overfilling is deadly.

Atom Smash

Atom Smash

Acorn Electron - Released - December 1, 1988

Atomsmash The nuclei of all elements with less than 17 electrons have become unstable. In an effort to save the universe, you are your ship have been reduced to sub-atomic size. Five 'gluons' have been provided for each element. Collect each one from the bottom of the screen and take it to the nucleus. To leave a gluon in the nucleus, stop between the dotted lines. Be careful not to touch anything and hurry, there isn't much time left! Knockout Try to stop the wall advancing up by knocking the bricks out with a cannon ball. The cannon ball moves back and forth along the top of the screen until SPACE is pressed. It then drops down and crashes into the wall. There are three speeds: 1 is the slowest and each brick is worth 10 pts, one bonus point is given on level 2 and 2 bonus points are given on level 3. Reaction Tester The white bar which will appear on the left of the screen will change colour following the sequence of traffic lights (RED, YELLOW, GREEN). Press SPACE as soon as the colour changes to green. Your reaction time and rating will then be given.

Atom Smasher

Atom Smasher

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Atom Smasher is a single screen shoot 'em up with multi directional movement that takes place in a nuclear reactor during a meltdown. In the middle of the screen are some neutrons and a single proton which one electron moves around. To delay the meltdown the player has to shoot the proton but avoid the electron since that will speed up the meltdown for a short time. For each proton that is shot, an extra electron is released. As the game goes on molten debris will start building up from the sides of the screen and if it reaches the nucleus the game ends. It is possible to destroy debris by firing at. In the Amstrad version it is also possible to ram through it. When colliding with an electron one life is lost.

Avon

Avon

Acorn Electron - Released - 1990

A double-pack of games originally written for the Phoenix IBM System/370 mainframe at Cambridge University, reworked for commercial release on home computers: Avon is an appropriately Shakespearean adventure which beings innocently enough, with a sight-seeing visit to the celebrated playwright's hometown. As the protagonist explores the streets and souvenir shops, certain people, animals and objects begin exhibiting strange behavior; finally, the surroundings become completely unfamiliar, and the inhabitants' English unusually rich and poetic... the stage is set for an exploration of this strange land, in an attempt to find a way out. The happenings take place over three different calendar dates; the game world is a blend of places and characters from Shakespeare's plays, but as the authors reassure us, "an exhaustive knowledge of the Shakespearean Canon is not necessary". Monsters of Murdac is billed as a bonus game, in which an expatriate known only as George takes a flight from England back to his native land of Murdac. Here he meets a mysterious old lady remembered from his childhood, rumored to be a witch (in any case, she's at least somewhat unconventional). A stop at her strangely-furnished home proves fateful, as the hero finds himself sent on a quest deep into the foreboding forest of Murdac. Only the hag's incoherent mumblings about hostile powers and odd rituals hint at what lies ahead.

Ballistix

Ballistix

Acorn Electron - Released - 1989

Ballistix is an arcade game in which you have to manipulate a ball in order to score a goal with your opponent. To do this, you will control an arrow that defines a direction, and pressing the fire key will launch a ball from this arrow in the direction the arrow points to; by launching balls at correct angles, you will manipulate the main ball and control the way it moves. Ballistix also keeps certain physics laws (namely gravity and friction), and will present you with varying obstacles in either one or two player mode. The game's cover art is a painting by Melvyn Grant called Steel Tsar. It was originally used as the cover for Michael Moorcock's 1981 novel The Steel Tsar, and also appeared on the 1987 reissue of Rocka Rolla, the first album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest.

Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax

Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax

Acorn Electron - Released - 1988

Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax is a video game first published in 1988 for various home computers. It was also released as Axe of Rage in North America. The game is the sequel to Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior (Death Sword in North America), which was published in 1987. In Barbarian II, the player controls a princess or barbarian character, exploring the game world to locate and defeat an evil wizard. The game's plot is an extension of its predecessor, although the gameplay is different. While the first game offers two players the opportunity for virtual head-to-head combat, the second is solely a single-player adventure with fewer fighting moves.

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Acorn Electron - Released - 1987

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior is a video game first released for Commodore 64 personal computers in 1987; the title was developed and published by Palace Software, and ported to other computers including the Acorn Electron in the following months. The developers licensed the game to Epyx, who published it as Death Sword in the United States. Barbarian is a fighting game that gives players control over sword-wielding barbarians. In the game's two-player mode, players pit their characters against each other. Barbarian also has a single-player mode, in which the player's barbarian braves a series of challenges set by an evil wizard to rescue a princess.

Baron

Acorn Electron - Released - 1989

Baron is a platform game with some puzzle solving elements.

Beach-Head

Beach-Head

Acorn Electron - Released - 1985

A dictator took the control of a fortress on the island of Kuhn-Lin. The player's mission is to storm the island and recapture it. This takes place over the course of six different sequences. The first sequence is Aerial Reconnaissance, where the fleet must be moved directly past the enemy or into a hidden passage to trigger another, optional stage. In this Hidden Passage sequence, the player will have to maneuver around mines and torpedoes. Successfully completing it gives a surprise advantage in the following General Quarters sequence, where the player controls anti-aircraft guns shooting down enemy aircraft. The next sequence is named Battle Stations and the player must aim and fire heavy guns to hit enemy ships before they inflict too much damage and eventually sink the player's own vessels. Following this battle, the fleet must be maneuvered to the beach. Upon reaching the Beach-Head level, tanks roll out and the player must keep these safe from enemy fire and obstacles while driving. In the Final Battle sequence, the Dictator is holed up in the fortress of Kuhn-Lin and 10 different targets on the fortress must be fired upon to destroy it. The port for C16 and Plus/4 computers only contains the General Quarters, Battle Stations and Final Battle sequences.

Bert Boot

Bert Boot

Acorn Electron - Released - September 1, 1985

Even working out multiplication and division problems can be fun when you have Bert Boot, the intrepid insect squasher, to help you! This entertaining program takes children through the process of solving multiplication and division problems in 8 carefully graded stages, allowing you to choose the number and type of problem. If your answers are at least 80% correct, then you can play BEAT THE BOOTS; an exciting arcade game in which your insects have to tackle droves of vicious footware to reach the safety of the jam pots.

Birdie Barrage

Birdie Barrage

Acorn Electron - Released - October 1, 1985

Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey

Acorn Electron - Released - February 16, 1984

A Space Invaders variant in which you are attacked by Swoopers, Kamakazee Birds and Death Bombs. The birds start off in formation, with Swoopers peeling off and attacking, bombing you as they circle. Kamakazee Birds also peel off and home in on you. If they miss they then re-appear at the screen top. You are also attacked by Death Bombs which you must shoot before they reach the bottom, otherwise you lose a life. You start with three lives and gain a bonus one every fourth time that you clear a screen.

Blagger

Blagger

Acorn Electron - Released - July 9, 1984

Follow the exploits of Roger the Dodger, master burglar, as he works his way through numerous buildings - searching for the golden keys, robbing safe after safe but always on the alert to the many obstacles and alarm systems and those spooky, cooky nightwatchmen. When one screen is cleaned out you move on to the next level in an endless pattern of banks, shops and houses. 20 screens, 4 lives

Blast!

Blast!

Acorn Electron - Released - 1990

Your mission to the far side of the galaxy leads you to a strange, apparently uninhabited world. You prepare to land, but suddenly your craft spins uncontrolably into a vast underground cavern complex. There's only one way to escape! You must destroy the alien command centres in the eight caverns that make up the underground complex. Be sure to avoid the deadly missiles fired by the alien defences - and beware the anti-matter that lines the cavern walls. You'll need nerves of steel if you're to meet the challenge - make one mistake and you'll be blown sky high!" On the far edge of the galaxy known as XL-614 is a dwarf star orbited by a single planet 60,000 kilometres across. According to the Astro-Geological Survey, this planet is composed almost entirely of antimatter, and as one of the foremost physicians of your generation you are detailed to investigate. As you come into land, the ground beneath suddenly gives away, and you find your craft spinning uncontrollably inside a vast underground cavern complex. Eventually you regain control of the ship, only to find that you are under attack. Instinctively you reach out to turn on your alarm beacon, but even before you touch the button you realise that it's pointless - the nearest Federation ship is 2000 light years away. This time you're on your own!

Blitzkrieg

Blitzkrieg

Acorn Electron - Released - July 1, 1985

Blockbusters

Blockbusters

Acorn Electron - Released - August 1, 1986

Bob Holness hosted this fondly-remembered quiz show, in which students competed to answer enough questions correctly to complete a run of answers across the board. This was the latest and most sophisticated computer version of the concept. The exact mechanics of the game have been customized slightly. You start by choosing a question, which are all represented by the first letter of the answer. You must 'buzz in' by pressing your letter to input the answer (don't worry about exact spelling). If you get the question wrong, the computer chooses a square (seemingly with no strategy). In two player games each player has their own buzzer, and a correct answer sees you choose the next question. A digitized version of Bob's face reads out the questions - just be careful if you get any where the answer is 'organism'...

Blockbusters: Gold Run

Blockbusters: Gold Run

Acorn Electron - Released - June 1, 1986

Blockbusters: Gold Run from Macsen Software is based on the well-known television series Blockbusters. The TV game is a Central Production made in association with Mark Goodson and Talbot Television. GOLD RUN is complementary to Macsen's Blockbusters program. It is a single player game, adapted from the successful TV quiz. The objective is to answer a series of general knowledge questions with 2 or 3 word answers and forge a path across the 5 x 4 matrix of hexagons. The cassette includes the game itself and hundreds of general knowledge questions to give you hours of competitive enjoyment. Due to the memory constraints of the Electron, the questions are split into a number of files.

Blood of the Mutineers

Blood of the Mutineers

Acorn Electron - Released - July 1, 1989

This superb text adventure from Robico is the first in a series of stories featuring that scourge of the seas, Captain Blizzard! Whilst in search of the treasure of the Great Skull Temple, Blizzard is confronted by his mutinous crew who are set on taking the booty for themselves! The Captain is forced to draw upon his iron will, calm intellect, skillful seamanship and devious resourcefulness to evade the frenzied sailors and claim the treasure as his own!

Blue Dragon

Blue Dragon

Acorn Electron - Released - November 17, 1984

According to legend, somewhere there lies a fabulous treasure guarded by a ferocious Blue Dragon. Your quest in this adventure game is to find the treasure and avoid a fiery end!! But first, you must journey far into an unknown land where death may be your only reward!!!

Bobby Charlton Soccer

Bobby Charlton Soccer

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

A game designed to capture the imagination. Further modules to be added at regular intervals. From three minutes to 45 minutes play duration. Two players, one player versus computer or computer only. Full teams of 11 players per side. Select team characteristics - formation and individual player skill, accuracy and stamina. Authentic moves: kick-off, throw-ins, goal kicks, corners, passing, shooting, etc. Optional injuries can be added. Large three dimensional aerial view of the pitch. Sound effects: Uses 16 colour mode 2 graphics. Analogue joysticks optional but preferred. This game contains: Module 1 : Manager & Module 2 : Match-Play.

Boffin

Boffin

Acorn Electron - Released - November 1, 1985

Features of the game: Giant Puffer-Blimps, Trampolines, Huge Tarantulas and Manta-bats, Electrified Fencing/Barbed Wire, Hydraulic Rams. 25 Caves for the Electron! The aim of Professor Boffin is to pass through a series of caves as quickly as possible by destroying all of the unlucky horseshoes in each cavern and then touching the resident owl, guardian of each cave. There are two different versions of Boffin on the tape. Boffin v.2 is recorded first, followed by v.1. Boffin v.2 runs on the Acorn Electron and also the BBC Micro. It has 25 different caverns. The first version of Boffin runs on the BBC Micro and features high resolution graphics and 20 caverns - all completely different from those in Boffin v.2.

Bone Cruncher

Bone Cruncher

Acorn Electron - Released - 1987

Bone Cruncher was released by Superior Software in 1987, with a re-release on their budget Blue Ribbon label in 1990. This game is a Boulder Dash variant. The levels are filled with dirt (which vanishes when Bono walks over it), monsters , and glooks (basically rocks with eyes). Monsters can only travel on ways without dirt and their touch is hazardous - some even eat up the skeletons. There are 25 skeletons to find in each level and specific steps have to worked out to reach them (e.g. using a glook to cut off a specific monster's path), giving the game a puzzle-solving character.

Boxer

Boxer

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Boxer is a platform game written by Wal Mansell. You and your computer controlled rival are competing for the attentions of a young lady. At the bottom of the screen, she is releasing balloons which you must try to catch when they get stuck in the rafters of the Gym. Any balloons which escape to the top of the screen will be awarded to your opponent. If you collect five balloons before your opponent does, your score will be increased by the bonus in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and you will move to a more challenging Gym. If your opponent is the first one to collect five balloons, you will lose a life and stay in the same Gym. You can only catch balloons safely while they are caught in the rafters. If you try to grab or touch one while it is moving you will fall over. This will also happen if you have contact with your opponent or any of the boxing gloves, hammers or dumb-bells which move across the Gym. Every time you get three falls, you will lose a life. Gloves and hammers can be punched and dumb-bells jumped over to score points. Points can also be scored by jumping up to the punch balls at the bottom of the screen. You start the game with three boxers but you will receive a bonus boxer for every 10,000 points you score, up to a maximum of three at any one time.

Bozo the Brave

Bozo the Brave

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Direct Bozo through the three lands of Havoc collecting in each a piece of the Crown of Ultimate Darkness. Control Bozo's direction with N,S,E,W keys. Brigands will be encountered in either the Tomb or the Ruin where they may attack. If they do, you may retreat by hitting any key. If you stay and fight, and the number of Brigands reaches zero before you do, you have won the battle and will be rewarded with one of the following: More warriors More gold More food A map (so you won't get lost) A bottle of potion (to protect from the plague) A sword (so you can fight off the dragon) A piece of crown (you may now enter the next land by travelling west off the screen)

Breakthrough

Breakthrough

Acorn Electron - Released - October 1, 1988

Trapped in a world of fire and energy, you must battle for the most valuable prize of all - your life. You can escape only by using your magical powers to destroy the rocks that block your path or to create new blocks that act as stepping stones on the road to freedom. Don't forget to pick up the key to the exit door - otherwise your efforts will be in vain. "There are 100 screens just waiting to trap, tease and test your powers of perception before you finally break through to the outside world. But beware, there are only 99 seconds to complete each screen!" Each screen contains two types of blocks, light blue blocks which are indestructable, and red ones which can be smashed if you move next to them and press RETURN. If you press RETURN when next to an empty space, you will create a block that you can jump onto if you wish. Move around the screen by pressing the Z and X keys. Press SHIFT and either Z or X to jump onto an adjacent block. To complete a level, you must collect the key for that level, then unlock the exit door. Watch out for fireballs on some screens - they are lethal! Other dangerous hazards are spiders and their webs, ghosts and vampire bats which hang from blocks just waiting to drop on you when you walk below. With a little ingenuity, you will soon dsicover ways in which each of these hazards can be combatted. Some of the blocks have strange rotating centres. These contain objects that you can collect. Collect three diamonds for an extra life (you start with three lives) or an hourglass to slow the timer to half speed. The crown and magic potion award bonus scores. Often there are two bonus objects to be found in the same place. Can you work out how?

Brian Jacks Superstar Challenge

Brian Jacks Superstar Challenge

Acorn Electron - Released - August 1, 1985

The object of this game is to challenge and try and beat Brian Jacks in a series of eight physically demanding events. These events have been chosen by Brian to test not only the competitor's strength and stamina, but also their skill and co-ordination. The instructions have been kept to a minimum. Most of the strategy involved is for you to discover. Important:: Unless stated otherwise, the power in each event is increased by moving the joystick from side to side, or by tapping the "Z" and "X" keys alternately.

Bug Blaster

Bug Blaster

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Shoot everything that moves to collect the points - centipedes, spiders, mushrooms, scorpions, dragonflies and snails. You initially have three lives, but gain an extra life for every 10,000 points. The game includes a loading screen and high score table.

Bug Eyes

Bug Eyes

Acorn Electron - Released - 1985

You play Agent Starman, your job is to avoid the destruction of civilization and taking over the galaxy by the bug-eyed Xabanneus alien hordes. Then penetrate the ten levels of the Mother ship and destroy the power generator. He carries on its back an oxygen supply (represented by the energy bar on top) and an alien repulsion mechanism that will sometimes activate in times of danger. Another game following the success of Manic Miner. The game is quite simple, move thru each level until reaching level 10, avoiding all the bug eyed aliens, negotiating bridges and moving platforms. You only use 2 keys - left and right - to control the main character, so most of the gameplay revolves around timing and practice.

Bug Eyes 2: Starman to the Rescue

Bug Eyes 2: Starman to the Rescue

Acorn Electron - Released - June 1, 1988

Light years from Earth lies the rusting hulk of the Xxabanean flagship, disabled while on its mission to vaporize our planet by the super-heroine Space Agent Zelda! She managed to destroy its power source, but was captured in the attempt and locked away in the depths of a distant and desolate asteroid. You, as Space Agent Starman, must penetrate the defences of the ship and collect the 25 keys required to free Zelda from her intergalactic prison. But beware. Some of the old Xxabanean booby traps are still in operation and strange alien creatures have moved into the empty hulk. You only have five refills of oxygen and your limited supply is depleted more quickly by collisions with objects and creatures. You must find the keys before it runs out.

Bumble Bee

Bumble Bee

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Guide Bumble around the maze swinging the red turnstiles and collecting the pollen, keeping clear of the toadstools and the fire barrels. Pursuing you around the maze is a bunch of scuttling spiders who can only be killed by luring them into the fire barrels - they are unaffected by the toadstools. The pollen flashes to let you know that a spider is about to emerge from the central lair. When all the pollen has been collected, panels open in the box marked 'OUT'. Enter the box to progress to the next maze.

Bumper Bundle

Bumper Bundle

Acorn Electron - Released - September 1, 1985

Comprises: Bug Blaster (Alligata), Crown Jewels (Alligata), Hell Hole (Alligata) and Lunar Rescue (Alligata)

Business Games

Business Games

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Business Games contains two educational games. Although intended for use in business and economic studies, teaching the games are entertaining and thought-provoking in their own right. This guide describes the two programs that make up Business Games. STOKMARK, which simulates the conditions of the stock market, with realistic behaviour of share prices based on an analysis of real companies. In TELEMARK, four teams or players each control the finances of a firm that makes and sells televisions. In both these games each player in turn will be prompted either to select an option (for example, Yes or No) or to enter numbers or letters: the RETURN key should be pressed after each selection or input.

By Fair Means or Foul

By Fair Means or Foul

Acorn Electron - Released - 1988

The objective of the game is to defeat each of the opposing boxers over 15 rounds or within five chances (lives). You can compete against another player or against the computer, and attempt to become the World Champion by defeating six opponents, each in turn more difficult to beat. Once you have become the World Champion, you then continue to defend your title against tough opponents. Apart from foul moves, there are also of course the standard legal moves, including punches and blocks. It will be noticed that a knock-out does not normally indicate the end of a bout, simply the end of a round exhausting all of the boxer's energy. This energy is then restored at the beginning of the next round. If two players become too close, they will automatically go into a hold position and cross sides of the ring. On repetition of this move, a player runs the risk of forfeiting a chance (life).

Calculus O Level

Calculus O Level

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Camelot

Camelot

Acorn Electron - Released - February 1, 1989

Camelot is an 8-bit computer game written by Tony Oakden and published in the UK in 1989/90 for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. The game was first published by Superior Software and Acornsoft as part of the Play it Again Sam 9 compilation in 1989 and was subsequently re-published as a standalone title in 1990 by Superior Software and Blue Ribbon. In Camelot, the player assumes the role of a deposed king, trying to prove his worthiness for the throne. The main goal of the game is to collect 3000 points by recovering bags of gold scattered around the flip-screen castle the game is set in. Killing enemies also increases the score, though in less amounts. The game consists of shooting, platform and some puzzle elements. Fighting various creatures, like witches and demons, is preferably done by shooting fireballs at them, of which there is a finite amount at the player's disposal. In addition to enemies, various hazards, like pools of water, may additionally drain the player's energy and thus need to be avoided. It's possible to pick up and carry up to 5 different objects. Collecting a key for example can give access to a different area. The protagonist's only life is lost when either all of his energy gets drained or the time limit runs out, both however, may be replenished through the course of the game.

Castle Assault

Castle Assault

Acorn Electron - Released - February 1, 1985

A glittering reward awaits the intrepid atop the heavily defended towering turrets of this forbidding fortress. On your quest for gold you will be assailed by a menacing menagerie of meanies, namely crabs, snakes, lobsters, spiders, bugs and beetles. Watch out for those malicious malades (the deadly Flying Ducks) as you dodge falling rocks, scale ladders and negotiate moving platforms. Collect various different fruits for bonus points on your way. Bonus man for every two bags of gold collected. Hi-score table, increasing difficulty, fantastic animation and highly realistic sound, constitute this truly stunning and imaginative game from Blue Ribbon.

Castle Frankenstein

Castle Frankenstein

Acorn Electron - Released - May 1, 1984

Castle Frankenstein is a full-scale adventure in which you have to explore the ruins and grounds of Castle Frankenstein in order to find and destroy the Monster which he has created. It is nearly twenty years since the Frankenstein Monster was last seen or heard of. He is thought to have been destroyed in a fire at the Castle, but recently a series of unsolved murders has taken place in the nearby village, and the people fear that the Monster is on the loose again. They have chosen you as the one to put an end to the curse that has plagued them ever since Dr Frankenstein brought his hideous creation to life. Are you brave enough to explore the Castle, with its many dark tunnels and secret passages, and search for the Monster?

Castle of Riddles

Castle of Riddles

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

"The adventuring trade just isn't what it used to be," you reflect gloomily. "Nobody seems to need a trusty sword or a keen intellect any more." You're down to your last silver piece, and there's tomorrow's dinner yet to be found. Sitting at the inn you contemplate earning an honest living for a change. Perhaps a steady income wouldn't be too boring, after all... Suddenly, a cold draught and the slam of the door distract you from your train of thought, and seconds later, a tall-silver-haired figure in a black cloak slips on to the bench next to you... So begins your magical adventure, with wizardry and hocus pocus of all kinds, booby traps and fiendish riddles to be unravelled along the tortuous route to the Magic Ring of Power. Your reward is to keep the treasure that you find on the way.

Castles and Clowns

Castles and Clowns

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Two great games of fun and skill for kids of 4-8. See your children's reading abilities grow as they play and learn. Devised by Betty Root, one of Britain's leading experts in reading. Betty Root is the 1985 President of the United Kingdom Reading Association and is in charge of the Centre for the Teaching of Reading, University of Reading. She is especially well known for designing educational games for young children. Programmed by Fisher-Marriott, award-winning software developers. The cassette contains two different games, one on each side : KING OF THE CASTLE and CLOWN

Caterpillar

Caterpillar

Acorn Electron - Released - April 1, 1984

A superb rendition of the popular arcade game. Features toadstools, spiders, fleas, scorpions, left/right and up/down base movement. Very exciting game!

Caveman Capers

Caveman Capers

Acorn Electron - Released - 1986

Ogg the Caveman has discovered a new form of transport - Kickstart the Turtle. All day long he tries to train Kickstart to jump and run. However, the turtle isn't too keen and Kickstart keeps falling flat on his face. Help Ogg master the art of turtle-riding and get him to the phonebox to tell his wife he'll be late for tea.

Centibug

Centibug

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Released under the names Centibug and Centipede (same game), Superior's version allows shooting through the mushrooms rather than wiping them out

Chess

Chess

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Chess allows you to play a game of chess against either the computer or another player. All the rules of chess are included and the winner is the player that makes the other players King unable to move without being taken. Against the computer you are able to play as white or black and the computer has 10 skill levels (0-9) with zero being the easiest. You are also able to watch the computer play itself. There is also an Editor mode that allows you to set the board up with the pieces in any position you chose and you can attempt to get a mate in two or five moves as well. The program has been designed to support both joysticks, and a printer when available. It was written by Arthur Norman and Nick Pelling.

Children From Space

Children From Space

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

Chuckie Egg

Chuckie Egg

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

This game was released on the Electron originally by AnF Software in 1984 and re-released in 1988 on the PnC (Pick and Choose) label. In the game you play Hen House Harry who has to collect 12 (a dozen) eggs from each level, while avoiding the ducklings. The levels each occupy a single screen, and are made up of platforms, ladders and lifts (or elevators), and are thus similar to those in classic platform game Donkey Kong. Corn can also be collected, which stops the time limit from ticking down and also stops the bonus, collected when the level is completed, from decreasing. The ducklings also eat the corn, however. There are only 8 distinct levels. The ninth level is a copy of level 1, the tenth is a copy of level 2, and so on. However, on the second time around the ducklings that can use the platforms and ladders are replaced by the Mother Duck, who can fly around the level going through the platforms and ladders. On the third time around, you have to face both the Mother Duck and the ducklings, and similarly on subsequent goes round, when there are more ducklings.

Circus

Circus

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

The seventh in the Mysterious Adventure series of illustrated text adventures by Brian Howarth. Your car has broken down, miles from anywhere. Heading off in search of a gas station, 3 miles down the road you come upon what appears to be a Circus tent, nestled in a small valley. Sounds and music come from inside. As you reach the gate, suddenly there is complete silence. You walk fearfully towards the entrance of the tent, wondering what exactly is going on here. Maybe if you are lucky, you can find some gas here... Around this time, the game engine was replaced with a far more powerful one. Now the games accepted complete sentences. You can hit ENTER to switch between graphics and all text. This made them somewhat easier to play and less frustrating.

Circus Games

Circus Games

Acorn Electron - Released - April 4, 1989

Step right up, see the main attraction. Tynesoft welcomes you to the greatest show on earth, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey combine to bring you Circus Games, capturing the thrills and excitement of the Big Top! We challenge you to attempt the High Wire - do Flips, Cartwheels and Hand Stands then ride the Unicycle. Try your hand at Trick Horse Riding - Attempt the daring feats on horse back and warm to the applause of the crowd. For the real spirit of the adventure Tiger Taming dares you to face the fierce Bengal Tigers. Make them stand on their podiums, walk through an obstacle course and jump through flaming hoops. Your skill and judgement are vital when it comes to tackling the Trapeze - you may discover that you're a real high flyer. Once you have completed the International Competition and your final score is greater than one of the existing High Scores, then the Ring Master will announce your inclusion in the High Score Table.

Citadel

Citadel

Acorn Electron - Released - February 1, 1985

Citadel is a computer game developed for the BBC Micro and released by Superior Software in 1985. It was also ported to the Acorn Electron. A platform game with some puzzle solving elements, the game's plot involves finding five crystals hidden in various locations in a large castle,[1] together with areas outside it (including a wasteland, a pyramid, a sea and an island) and returning them to their rightful place. Upon returning the crystals, the player must teleport to a separate set of locations to complete the game. Once the game is completed, the player is left free to roam the castle in order to achieve the maximum possible score if they have not done so already. The only way to see the final congratulatory message is to reach 99 points. Citadel was unusual at the time for playing synthesized speech before loading the main game (in part to advertise Superior Software's "Speech!" programme package), as well as having other special effects advanced for the time, such as splashing water sounds.

Classic Adventure

Classic Adventure

Acorn Electron - Released - February 1, 1985

Classic Adventure is a reworking of the 1978 Will Crowther and Don Woods text adventure game Colossal Cave Adventure which has spawned so many copies and variants over the years. The game was originally released as Adventure 1 by Abersoft in 1982 on the ZX Spectrum. It was later re-named Classic Adventure and published by Melbourne House on multiple platforms. This game is very true to the original, it starts with the classic opening: 'You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building. Around you is a forest. A small stream flows out of the building and down a gully' From this point the player can enter the building and commence exploring the cave system, reputedly modelled on Kentucky's Mammoth Caves complex. In the caves are some unsavoury characters, magic items and treasures to be collected and transported back to the well house. True to the original game, this version supports magic words such as 'Xyzy' and 'Plurgh' which will teleport the player between certain rooms. The game keeps a score which increases as the treasures are brought back to the well house, the maximum score that can be achieved is 210, and can be saved to a blank cassette tape.

Codename Droid

Codename Droid

Acorn Electron - Released - 1987

Codename Droid: Stryker's Run - Part 2 is a multi-directional scrolling platform game where only a small part of the whole complex is shown. The joystick is used to control Stryker. In this sequel to Stryker's Run you once again play the role of John Stryker whose mission it is to land on the Planet Volga, navigate the underground complex and find and fly their latest spacecraft codenamed Z11. The complex is split into four zones which are split into a further three sectors. Each sector is full of Volgan soldiers and each must be avoided or killed to get further into the complex. You are armed with a gun and also you have a wrist computer terminal which gives you stats and can recharge your suit and gun when energy cells are collected. There are objects scattered around and can be picked up and used to help you on your way like mines, micro-maps and a jet-pack which needs fuel collecting to keep using it. The most important thing to collect are sets of plutonium rods where four must be collected to fly the ship. Also security passcards are needed to operate the lifts. Mines are exchanged when they are used.

Commando

Commando

Acorn Electron - Released - June 1, 1986

You are Super Joe the crack combat soldier of the eighties battling against all odds to defeat the advancing rebel forces. Equipped with only an M60 machine gun and six hand-grenades, you carry out your lone crusade, forcing your way into hostile territory. Mortars, grenades and dynamite rain from the skies and explode around you. Enemy bullets fly past you in all directions and trenches, cliffs and lakes block your path. Rebel forces appear from caves, strong holds and troop carriers to stop your progress. You must show no mercy. You must not retreat. You must keep pushing yourself further and further into enemy lines, collecting supplies of hand-grenades from defeated outposts, until you reach your final objective, the fortress. Developed with the aid of Capcom to produce the closest possible home-computer simulation of the original arcade No. 1 hit game. Have you got the skill and stamina to defeat the enemy? The object of the game is to advance as far as possible into enemy lines whilst destroying rebel forces, installations and vehicles. Along the way you should pick up as many boxes of hand grenades as possibles so as to replenish your stock.

Compendium of Classic Arcade Games

Compendium of Classic Arcade Games

Acorn Electron - Released - May 17, 1986

Compilation of the following games: Snapman Alien Intruders Panzer Assault Mayday

Computer Knowhow

Computer Knowhow

Acorn Electron - Released

Active Computer Learning is the starting point for You and Your Family! This course consists of four programs. Simply load them and you can communicate with your computer. Discover: * how the computer was developed * how you set up your computer * what is a computer? * how to make the most use of your computer * how a computer works * all about binary * facts about your computer * simple exercises for your computer A home computer is more than just a 'games machine'. It has enormous potential for use by the whole family. The problems arise when you are expected to decipher the jargon and unnecessary technical language that surrounds the world of computers. Where do you start? Active Computer Learning is a simple course for people with little or no knowledge of computers - it doesn't matter if you're 14 or 40! The instructions are easy to follow and the 'jargon' is explained in simple language. It is computer based, so you just load it into your machine and begin. ACL will give you a full understanding of what computers are, how they work, and how you can make the most use of yours. It will allow you to approach the masses of information available with new confidence. The ACL Certificate is awarded free of charge to those who successfully complete the course. Progress is monitored by a unique testing method, which will always give you another chance. It's never too late for Computer Knowhow.

Confusion

Confusion

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

A huge 64 storey automated industrial plant used for the production and storage of deadly Confuzion Bombs versus a highly intelligent and quick thinking mind (yours!)! The Objective : To destroy the complete complex by eliminating the entire explosive stock pile. Confuzion : Its features include Bonus levels, Extra Sparks, Skill Stepping, Speed Spark and Multiplayer options. A totally addictive and frustrating arcade game using a fresh and original playing concept. The Fuzion Of Mind And Machine.

Contract Bridge

Contract Bridge

Acorn Electron - Released - July 1, 1984

Contract Bridge is a sophisticated bridge game for the single player, where all other three hands are bid and played by the computer. The ideal opportunity for uninterrupted bridge tuition or polishing up on your playing technique.

Cops

Cops

Acorn Electron - Released - March 1, 1990

This is an adventure game based very loosely on the cult American show Hill Street Blues. In the briefing room at 6am you are told that the police chief has been kidnapped, and that you and your partner, named Rob O'Cop are to investigate bullies taking kids' money from outside the school. As things progress, you discover more and more about the kidnapping of the chief. Despite your rather diminutive posting, you are the one trying to solve the kidnapping, or not as the case may be

Cops n' Robbers

Cops n' Robbers

Acorn Electron - Released - 1988

Light Fingers Lonegan is robbing the Acme Diamond Company, the world's largest supplier of uncut gems. The police are inside the office block, slowly combing each floor. Can 'Fingers' find all the diamonds and get back to his car or will he run out of ammunition and end up in jail? Search the Acme Diamond Company and steal the fortune in un-cut diamonds that are kept there. Many of the diamonds are in the mines, but there is a rumour that the mines are haunted. Unfortunately you have set off the automatic burgular alarm and the police are now searching the building. You have a limited supply of bullets for your .45 Magnum, so use them sparingly. Can you get the diamonds back to your car and collect more bullets? Can you find the combination to the safe? Will you be captured or even worse, killed?

Corn Cropper

Corn Cropper

Acorn Electron - Released - May 1, 1984

Corn Cropper is a simulation of a commercial wheat farm. You start with cash resources of £50,000, 30 acres of rich arable land, a tractor and two farm workers and are required to build up your assets to £250,000. Decisions on when to plant, irrigate, fertilise, spray and harvest are required. Cash resources are limited and therefore strategic decisions are required as to whether to buy seed corn, land or invest in farm machinery or whether to increase labour costs by employing more workers. The graphics include a Farm map and histograms. There are five levels of difficulty.

Corporate Climber

Corporate Climber

Acorn Electron - Released - September 14, 1984

This fast action game is only for the most keen minded of entrepreneurs. Caught in the capitalistic pursuit of corporate expansion, your ambition is to obtain the ultimate accolade - the key to the executive washroom! The program is in three parts. The object of the game is to walk the corridor avoiding the taxmen in the lifts and collecting various items on the way. At the end of each corridor, you are moved up to the next level. Too long a delay on a particular level will result in increasing blood pressure and should be avoided. Difficulty levels may be chosen from the options page.

Countdown to Doom

Countdown to Doom

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

While orbiting the treasure-laden, but inhospitable, planet Doomawangara (Doom for short) your ship suffers a devastating attack from the local air defence system. Grounded on Doom, your ship is both damaged, and threatened with total disintegration due to the corrosive effects of the Doom atmosphere. Repairs to the ship must be made before you can escape, and there's also a tempting array of treasure to be collected; but the clock is ticking away all the while, and it's only a matter of time before the ship will disappear in a cloud of dust, whereupon you must resign yourself to a life in the wilderness of Doom. This ROM Cartridge is designed for use with the Electron Plus 1. As you play the game, you'll find that you will want to SAVE a game at a particular point (for example, before doing something risky, or simply to return to the game at a later time). You will be prompted to find a suitable area on one of your tapes, followed by the usual "RECORD then RETURN" message. This will put the 'dynamic' part of the database onto tape - this is the part which attends to the general house-keeping - where you are, where the objects are etc. The file is automatically called INIT so if you make several SAVEs, you'll need to keep track of which INIT is where. If you wish to restart at one of these positions, load the program as usual, but select S to start from a saved position. You'll be asked to Position the database file. Locate the saved position on tape, set it playing, and press RETURN. Once INIT is loaded (about 45 seconds) the game will start from where you left off. Should you QUIT or die, you'll be asked if you want another game. "Y" or "y" will return you to the start of the game; "N" or "n" will simply end it.

Crack-Up

Crack-Up

Acorn Electron - Released - 1990

Joystick or Keyboard. 100% Arcade Action. 100 years from now, when war is a distant memory and mindless violence is considered the ultimate in anti-social behaviour, what outlet will there be for your feeling of aggression? There will always be Crack-Up!

Cranky

Cranky

Acorn Electron - Released

Crazee Rider

Crazee Rider

Acorn Electron - Released - 1987

A behind-the-bike rally driving game with a variety of tracks and which allows you to knock other riders off their bikes.

Crazy Er*bert

Crazy Er*bert

Acorn Electron - Released - October 1, 1987

A cubic-domain game in which you must change the colour of the grid and avoid the gorilla, balls and snake. Starring : Crazy Er*Bert Supporting cast : Boris the Gorilla, Coily the Snake Featuring : Cascading balls, deadly discs, balmy bananas, rotating rota-hats Great fun in this arcade-style classic!

Crazy Tracer

Crazy Tracer

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

You are in charge of a paint roller which you must guide around the edges of a maze of rectangles. Trying to prevent you from repairing these lines are several monsters which attempt to catch and crush the roller as it moves along. There are two different kinds of screen to paint: one which offers you the chance of gaining bonus points by painting in rectangles containing different objects, the other which poses the problem of how to avoid running out of paint. Crazy Tracer is fully compatible with either keyboard or joysticks.

Creepy Cave

Creepy Cave

Acorn Electron - Released - April 1, 1988

Arcade/Adventure. Vampire bats, ectoplasm bolts, slime covered ledges and acid pools. All these and more must be faced if our mega hero, Dirk Daring, is to successfully negotiate the depths of Creepy Cave and recover his door key from the evil ghost. Dirk Daring, adventurer, explorer, space pilot and top goal scorer for Manchester United, was returning home after winning the world karate championships, when an evil ghost stole his front door key and vanished into the depths of Creepy Cave. Leaping from ledge to ledge, avoiding vampire bats and ectoplasm bolts, Dirk takes off in pursuit. There is only one way through each cavern, and only one exit. Collecting the crucifix from each screen will earn extra points but be careful as there is a limited air supply. Can you help our mega hero to recover his key and get home in time for supper?

Crime & Detection Quiz

Crime & Detection Quiz

Acorn Electron - Released - 1984

How does your knowledge of Crime fiction rate against a Grandmaster of the genre? This rewarding and compelling program for your BBC Model B or Acorn Electron computer has been specially adapted from the Weidenfield Quiz book and will provide many hours of edification and amusement for family and friends. Here are Sherlock Holmes, Lord Peter Wimsey and Philip Marlowe, together with James Bond and George Smiley. This fascinating quiz includes questions on crime techniques, television cops, the history of detection and writers such as Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie. Crime and detection is one of a series of six Grandmaster Quizzes, in which you can pit your knowledge against a grandmaster of the subject. The writer's specialised skill and expert knowledge makes the quiz both challenging and exciting. Each program has thirty sections of ten questions - a massive 300 questions in all - and you can take the quiz alone, in competition with a friend, or in teams. You can choose a timed option too - and if you're getting too many of the answers right, your computer can reduce the time you have to answer! Julian Symons is the author of twenty-one crime novels. He is President of the Detection Club and has written the definitive history of the genre, "Bloody Murder".

Croaker

Croaker

Acorn Electron - Released - July 1, 1984

The objective in Croaker is to get your family of frogs safely across the busy motorway and over a polluted river into each of the lairs set in the embankment. To do this you must dodge between the traffic, then leap from logs to turtles without falling in. When all five lairs have been filled you move onto a higher phase. The roads become busier, some logs turn into crocodiles, and the turtles sometimes dive, making the whole exercise much trickier. You can jump onto a crocodile's back, but beware his jaws!

Crystal Castles: Diamond Plateaus in Space

Crystal Castles: Diamond Plateaus in Space

Acorn Electron - Released - 1986

Bentley Bear is trapped in the Crystal Castles. To get out, he will need to collect all of the gems located throughout the castle. The game is played with an isometric view of the multi platformed castle. When Bentley collects all of the gems on the current castle, he will move on to the next, more difficult castle. Wandering throughout the castles are a wide variety of dangerous creatures, which Bentley should avoid. From time to time, a magic hat will appear. If Bentley collects the hat, he will temporarily be invincible to the castles inhabitants.

Cybertron Mission

Cybertron Mission

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Cybertron Mission is a top down game in which the player explores a maze of rooms to find various randomly placed items. Once found, touching a safe ends the level and starts the next level. Movement and firing are eight-directional. Touching a wall results in instant death by electrocution. Enemies generate in random positions when a room is entered. Linger in a room for too long, and "Spook" appears, a fast-moving creature that passes through walls, but can be temporarily stunned with shots. Each level is a maze of 4x4 rooms. In the first level, one item is needed and the player faces only slow moving "Spinners". In the second level, two items are needed and unpredictable "Clones" are added, that shoot back. In the third level, three items are needed, and the "Cyber-droid" is introduced. The player starts with five lives, and is awarded an extra life at regular score intervals, on reaching a new level, and on collecting a potion.

Cylon Attack

Cylon Attack

Acorn Electron - Released - September 1, 1984

A 3D space battle. You are an interceptor pilot on board an earth supply ship, taking vital reinforcements to a beleagured planet. The Cylons have found out all about the mission and are determined to stop your ship at all costs. Aboard the mother ship is earth's latest weapon - if you succeed, it will drive the Cylons back to their planet. Features Launch and landing sequences Long range radar Climb and turn instruments Fuel Screens and laser weapons Hall of fame, and Top score save/load routines

Dallas

Dallas

Acorn Electron - Released - September 1, 1983

This is a business simulation of the wheeler-dealer oil rich folk who live in Dallas. The program starts with setting up a map of Texas, splitting the region into hundreds of plots, each with a potential to discover oil. You are required to make seismic surveys, bid for concessions, drill for oil, build production facilities and lay pipelines. The game is menu-driven and the player is able to direct his corporation along many diverse routes. The object of the game is to accumulate $200M in net assets and $80M cash in order to take over Euing Associates. There are three levels of difficulty.

Danger UXB

Danger UXB

Acorn Electron - Released - November 1, 1983

The object of the game is to defuse the TNT time bombs before their clocks get down to zero. To do this you run from block to block, avoiding the Skulls, and enter the square with the TNT. What makes the game a challenge is that once you have stood on a block, it disappears. To get out of any tight spots, two extra keys allow you to slide the entire row you are on left or right. Points are gained for the number of squares that have been stood on, and the speed with which you defuse each bomb. Extra points are earned for running over flags. After each phase you will be given the chance to earn bonus points. Press the 'Z' key at the appropriate time to cause your man to land on the flag. If you are successful, the bonus points indicated at the top of the screen will be added to your score. There are three levels of difficulty. At level one, the ticking bombs start at 60, at level two, 40 and level three you have the added problem of stamping boots which chase you round the grid. Each level has its own separate high score table complete with sample scores and ratings to aim for. Pressing ESCAPE brings back the front page where you can select sound and also the level.

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