MUNCHER
by Alistair Mullins
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

A maze game with an intelligent ghost, on a 1K ZX-81? Impossible?
Alistair Mullins of Rainham, Kent, does not agree and has sent a program
to prove it. Once the program has been entered, you have to input a
number between 0 and 1 for the difficulty level - the higher the number
the easier the game.

After the number has been input, a matrix of dots will appear on-screen,
and an avenging ghost will start closing in on you. Hit the cursor keys
to evade the ghoul, eat the dots and amass the highest possible score.
If you clear the screen, press P, enter the skill level and you can
continue with the same score. (1K ZX-81)


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HARE AND HOUNDS
by James & Richard Beatty
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

James and Richard Beatty of Old Windsor, Berkshire, have sent an
excellent listing of a game new to use, called Hare and Hounds. Your
ZX-81 plays the hare and you and your four hounds have the task of
trying to block its progress to the bottom of the chess-style playing
board.

The computer-controlled hare can move in any direction; your hounds can
go only forwards and the whole menagerie must stick to the black
squares. The computer shows surprising cunning, even having the ability
to claim victory or concede defeat before the game has been played out
completely. It also boasts of being unbeatable if you restrict yourself
to three hounds; in our experience that may be correct.

Enter the hound's present position as "Letter, Number, NEWLINE", and
then its projected position one square on, in the same fashion; the
computer will check for invalid moves. (16K ZX-81)


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1K GAMBLER
by Jack Goffin
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

1K Gambler is an uncomplicated game for the unexpanded ZX-81 in which
you are invited to predict whether a number selected at random between 1
and 14 will be succeeded by a higher or lower figure.

The numbers are displayed in sets of three. Each all-correct set will
add #10 to your initial stake of #50; a single mistake will deduct #10.
After 15 sets your winnings will be displayed. Equal numbers are
allowed.

The game was submitted by Jack Goffin of Fleetwood, Lancashire, who
reports his highest score as being #180 and his lowest as #70.
(1K ZX-81)


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CHASE
by Rowena Weg
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

Nine-year-old Rowena Weg of Ruislip, Middlesex, is probably our youngest
ever contributor. She submitted a quick and challenging survival game in
which you must flee the pursuing ghost and also avoid contact with pois-
onous flowers.

Your score depends on how long you are able to survive these twin
hazards. Steer yourself with the usual cursor keys and watch for that
ghoulish ghost. (16K Spectrum)

Graphics notes:
20 - graphic D, graphic A
9000 - graphic B


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E.T.
by Mark Winn
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

E.T. means, of course, Entirely Terrestrial. This game features a
peculiar, pot-bellied little creature - human, of course - and his
attempts to telephone his home - to Earth, of course. To make the call,
ET must find three pieces of red telephone and they, along with pieces
of blue candy and a flower, are hidden in 15 holes. If ET touches a
hole, he falls into it.

The controls are 1 for up, Q for down, N to go left, and M to waddle
right. The A key is a special fire button which has several functions
but is very costly on energy. If ET runs out of energy he will die.

To get out of a hole, you must press the fire button and then 1. The
screen has two hidden zones of nine squares each. In the candy zone,
signified by the appearance of the user-defined graphic J on the
scoreboard, any sweets you have retrieved can be exchanged for energy by
pressing fire. The flower gives instant extra energy.

If you have seven or more pieces of candy, they can be exchanged any-
where on the board. In the landing zone - UDG I - you must find by trial
and error the one position to enable you to call down ET's spacecraft,
again with the fire button. You can call home, however, only after you
have found all the pieces of the telephone.

The game suffers from being too dependent on chance; the only skill
required is in remembering which holes you have already visited. The
game is well presented, even featuring some strangely familiar little
tune. ET was sent by Mark Winn of Abergavenny, Gwent. (48K Spectrum)

Graphics notes:
45 - graphic G
70 - graphic I
75 - graphic J
1001 - graphic A
1060 - graphic B, graphic A, graphic D, graphic C
3030 - graphic E
3040 - graphic F
3075 - graphic E, graphic H, graphic F


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MACHINE CODE CONVERTER
by "John Sidney"
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

[This is an April fool program. JimG]

All Sinclair users will be aware of the benefits of using machine code.
Its increased speed is such that plodding Basic graphics are displayed
with all the qualities of an animated film. So far, however, there has
been no simple way of converting Basic into the speedier form.

Now a brilliant piece of programming enables a Basic programmer to
convert their listing automatically into machine code by LOADing from a
tape or by entering the program line by line from the keyboard.

The listing should be entered as listed - 25 zeros in the REM line -
then RUN, followed by the accompanying list of numbers entered with
NEWLINE in place of the commas. The numbers will be displayed on-screen
for checking; when the screen is full, enter CONT for further display.
When the numbers have all been input, inverted commas will appear. Enter
your Basic listing line by line, or the name of your program, if using
tape.

Machine Code Converter was submitted by John Sidney of 1 April Way,
Coddingly, London WC IN. (16K ZX-81)


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81 INVERTER
by A Boucher
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

This short subroutine is designed to change any input five-letter word
into its inverse video mode, something which is useful in many programs
as a way of highlighting games results, players' names and so on.

The listing was submitted by A Boucher of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
(1K ZX-81)


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FANCY BORDER
by Arthur Douglas
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

Arthur Douglas of London E4 has sent a short machine code listing for
our useful subroutines spot. His program puts a fancy border instantly
round the screen, consisting of the character poked into the spare
location 23681.

The second part of the program loads the user-definable variables with a
few examples of interesting borders. (16K Spectrum)


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BOOMER
by Ross Henderson
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

Boomer is a catchem game during which a mad bomber rains explosives on
you and, instead of running away, you must attempt to intercept them.
The bomber goes lower and lower and faster and faster, Invaders-style,
and you must race left and right with keys 5 and 8 before your lives are
all used up.

A neat listing from Ross Henderson of Perth, Scotland, though the user-
definable instructions could do with a few FOR NEXT loops. (16K Spectrum)

Graphics notes:
170 - graphic A
180 - graphic S
190 - graphic D
200 - graphic G
221 - graphic F


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FIVES
by Philip Williams
from Sinclair User #13 (April 1983)

Fives, by Philip Williams of Plymouth, Devon, is a surround game with
extras. Using the usual cursor keys, you steer yourself around the
screen attempting to snaffle as many of the randomly appearing figure
fives as possible.

You start with 50 points. After that, you collect five for every 5 you
get but your tally is cut by two 5s if you cut your tail to get 5s.
Clear? (16K Spectrum)

Graphics notes:
45 - graphic B


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--
Another Fine Product transcribed by:
Jim Grimwood, Weardale, England (http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jimg/)
--

