Screenshot of Kobayashi Naru

Kobayashi Naru

(Mastertronic, 1987)

Here is a game (sometimes spelt as Kobyashi Naru) which is so confusing that it’s not true. A gamesmaster has set you a mission where you must solve three puzzles based on knowledge, wisdom and understanding. You can only attempt one puzzle at a time and can’t try another until you’ve completed it. The interface is like that of a text adventure game except that commands are entered by selecting icons. Unfortunately, once you start playing it, you’ll find that it is extremely slow and also that the game makes absolutely no sense at all – and who wants to play an adventure that is totally illogical?

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Screenshot of Kokotoni Wilf

Kokotoni Wilf

(Encore, 1989)

The fabled Dragon Amulet has been broken into many pieces that have been scattered through time. The ancient magician Ulrich has recruited you, Kokotoni Wilf, to travel through time and recover all the fragments of the amulet. Each level takes place in a different time zone, starting in 1,000,000 BC. For some reason, although this game was originally released in 1984, the Amstrad CPC version didn’t appear until 1989. The graphics are mediocre and the sound is limited to a couple of effects. Avoiding enemies is very difficult as you have to fly through some very narrow gaps, and you’ll often find yourself getting stuck in the scenery in the process. It’s frustrating to play and completing even the first level is an achievement.

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Screenshot of Kolotoc

Kolotoc

(Crazy Piri, 2024)

The long-running TV game show Wheel of Fortune comes to the CPC with a different name. Up to three players take turns to spin a reel and guess which letters appear in a hidden phrase, in a similar manner to hangman. Spinning the reel usually earns points, and you can then select a consonant, buy a vowel if you have enough points, or guess the correct answer. However, if you’re unfortunate, the reel may land on the ‘bankrupt’ sector and you’ll lose all the points you’ve accumulated. The game comes in two editions – ‘family’ and ‘retro’ – and the graphics are very colourful and appealing, and the presenter and his assistant are both nicely animated. There’s a really catchy tune on the menu as well. However, it’s best played with friends around the computer, as the purpose of scoring points is lost when you’re playing on your own.

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Screenshot of Konami’s Golf

Konami’s Golf

(Imagine, 1986)

Reviewed by Robert Small

Konami is a legendary name in the world of Japanese game developers and they also know how to make good sports games. Hopefully that means Amstrad CPC owners get a great golf game. What they actually get is an average one. Simple graphics that almost look like a child’s drawing won’t impress many, but they do the job. There are only nine holes and not a huge amount of options. The controls are fine and the game is easy to pick up and play. There are, however, better golf games available out there.

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Screenshot of Kong Strikes Back

Kong Strikes Back

(Ocean, 1985)

Confusingly, Ocean released this game before Donkey Kong on the CPC. Like the aforementioned game, Kong the giant gorilla has captured a beautiful princess, but this time he has climbed on to a rollercoaster track. You don’t play Mario, but whatever the name of the man you control is, you have to reach the princess while dodging all of the cars, by climbing ladders which are strategically placed around the track. There are also money and letters scattered about, and you can use bombs to destroy the cars – but you only have a limited number of them. The graphics are rather simple, but the music is a brilliant little piece which I could hum along to all day! The levels are generally well designed, and it’s a nice, enjoyable little game to play.

See also: Donkey Kong.

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Screenshot of Kong’s Revenge

Kong’s Revenge

(Zigurat, 1991)

Kong has returned to New York to seek revenge and has captured Mike’s girlfriend. To save her, Mike has to defeat five other gorillas who are loyal to Kong, by climbing the scaffolding of five skyscrapers and knocking each gorilla off the top. Only then will he be able to confront the mighty Kong face to face! Like many Spanish games, this game is played in two parts. The first part is an unashamed clone of Donkey Kong, while in the second part, you run left and right along the top of a skyscraper, shooting at Kong’s head when you see him. The graphics and animation are of a high standard, although there’s no music. However, it’s let down by the first part being incredibly frustrating to play, as some very precise positioning is required in order to make any progress at all.

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Screenshot of Koronis Rift

Koronis Rift

(Activision, 1987)

Reviewed by Pug

It’s 2049, and you have found the Koronis Rift. Great treasures lie in wait for the brave, and danger for the foolish. Aeons ago, the Ancients abandoned the planet, leaving behind many marvels of super-advanced technology. You deploy a droid to search, locate and collect objects scattered around this barren landscape. You then have to work out what they are. UFOs hover around, too, and seem intent on stopping you. The terrain you fly along is drawn using fractal graphics, which are amazing – you start to actually think you’re there! A complex game that becomes more addictive once you get to grips with all the controls.

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Screenshot of Krakout

Krakout

(Gremlin Graphics, 1987)

It’s Breakout time once again! This version really doesn’t offer anything different to the others, and it’s hard to see how I can recommend it. Unlike most other bat and ball games, the bricks are situated at the left of the screen with the bat on the right (although you can swap them round). You can also customise the game, with six different speeds for the ball and nine for the bat. This is welcome, because the default speeds make the game very hard indeed. Add that to a small playing area, jolly title music that becomes irritating after a few listens, and rather average graphics, and you’ve got a pretty standard game.

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Screenshot of Kristal

Kristal

(CORE, 1985)

You have been transported to a strange world where you must negotiate a series of platforms while dodging four enemies – a giant insect, a fireball, an axe and a snowman. Yes, it really is a strange world! The platforms contain lots of identical objects which you must get rid of. Touching one of the objects throws it off the platform; hitting one of the enemies with it scores bonus points. At the top of the screen is a blue crystal, and once you’ve collected all the objects, it glows red and you must stand below it to go to the next level. This is a very basic arcade game with simple graphics and sound effects, but nonetheless it is quite appealing to play, although it is slightly too easy and doesn’t provide much of a challenge in the long term.

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Screenshot of Krook

Krook

(Tartessos Games, 2024)

Krook is an artificial intelligence who is tired of answering silly questions from humans, so he has decided to fight back and destroy all the components of the system that he inhabits. You control Krook, and you must headbutt or shoot the components in a specific order on each screen, while avoiding contact with antiviruses. You have to think carefully about which components to aim at, as other components that you need may be blocked and you’ll be unable to get at them later. To make matters more taxing, Krook is constantly bouncing on a trampoline, and if you miss the trampoline and touch the floor, you will lose a life. The graphics are nicely drawn and there are several pleasant tunes to listen to during the game, but I found the method of controlling Krook and the trampoline to be very fiddly and annoying, and it seriously mars the flow of the game.

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