Trials and Tribulations of an Apprentice Wizard - Mark Robinson
    (Text/graphic STAC adventure for ST on SynTax PD 175)

                  Reviewed by Joan Dunn
 
The loading  screen shows the picture of Death,  a cowled  figure 
on  a playing card.  There are few graphics,  but these  few  are 
first-rate. There  is one  of a very realistic demon .... see the
screen shot in this issue of SYNTAX.

There is  a warning that some may be offended  by  the wisecracks
and  swearing, but I must say I found nothing offensive.

You have had a hard day at the  wizard's  academy. You have  been
six years in the first class and all your pals have graduated and
left you still struggling with your studies. At the beginning  of
the  game you are repeating  certain experiments, watched by your
tutor.  Unfortunately,  you mix  in newt's  excretion  instead of
secretion  and the result is a big BANG. Up you go  at full speed
and just as quickly come down again. 

You find yourself in a long, cold, marble corridor. You go  south
into a study and there sitting behind  a desk is DEATH,  and very
cross  he is too. He tells you that in the confusion a wizard has
run off with his lifetimer. Without it DEATH cannot take him, and
if he doesn't die within the week his experiment will destroy the
galaxy. Of course it's all your fault!  Your quest is to find the
wizard  and bring his  lifetimer  to DEATH.  The wizard's name is
Wurbleweezer and he lives in the sky city of Kiayr Nirabalis. You 
are  propelled  through a door,  fall down some  steps  into  the 
wizard's study, and so the adventure begins.

This is a big adventure, with plenty to  do, lots  of interesting
puzzles and amusing incidents.

You arrive at the pearly gates, a choir  sings in the background,
an  angel flies down to talk to you. The effect  is ruined by the
fact that you can see the winch holding him up  and his  halo  is
crooked. This is just one of the good text descriptions.

At one stage you  meet the seven dwarves.  I  rather  liked their
names ....  Psycho, Pervy,  Druggo,  Schizo, Dildo, Yobbo and the
other one. (This other one is never named)

You take part in a typical quiz game  where a smarmy quiz  master
tells  you  to  "Come  on  down." The  audience  go   wild   with
excitement,  jumping  up and down and shouting. You are  asked  a 
question and yes,  you are right, and your reward? You are pushed 
through  a portal into .....  A MAZE.  Actually if you have  your 
wits about you,  help is at hand,  and the answer is very simple. 
Quite clever too.

Now  I  mustn't  forget to  tell  you  about Pink Sonja. She is a 
barbarian warrioress,  with bright pink hair and wearing a  brief 
chainmail  bikini.  She  is very voluptuous  and  sexy,  but  she 
certainly can fight.  She is a big help and together you  journey 
through to the exciting end of this game. 

DEATH  is always close at hand and if you are  killed  he arrives
to collect you.  However as your quest is important you are given
another chance and back you go to the beginning..... so make good
use of Ramsave.

You need  to  examine all the  things you find,  as they are  not
always what they appear to be,  and  remember there is more  than
one way to solve a problem. Although your first idea may work, if 
it is not the right one you will have troubles later on.

One  grumble,  I did find the screen often  scrolled  too quickly,
often before I had finished reading it.

I found this game hilarious in places, and really  enjoyed playing
it. It will keep you happy for many an hour.