Freddy Pharkas:Frontier Pharmacist - Sierra RRP œ39.99
          (Icon driven graphical adventure for PC
          From Al Lowe, the creator of Leisure Larry)

                    Reviewed by Joan Dunn

This comedy Western is the story of Freddy Pharkas, originally a
gunslinger, who gave it all up for Pharmacology.

Load in the game and you have a row of options at the bottom of
the screen ... Restore, Prologue, Play, Help ... So let's find out
the background to the story and click on Prologue. You then have
the words, complete with music, of The Ballad of Freddy Pharkas.
From a very early age he was a crack shot, and grew up to become a
famous gunslinger's deputy. Then he encountered the outlaw Kenny.
Now Kenny, folks, was real mean. This time our hero was slow on
the draw, and Kenny shot off Freddy's ear. Rather discouraged by
this turn of events, Freddy decided to swap his guns for a mortar
and pestle. Returning to his first love of Pharmacology, he
completed a five year course and qualified with a PhD.  He then
bought a Pharmacy in Coarsegold, a real run-down hick town. Here
he led a peaceful existence until the arrival of a pretty, shy
school teacher, Penelope. He found his blood was not all chemicals
and water, and he lost his heart to her ... Sigh!

In the Spring of 1888, he uncovered a plot to turn Coarsegold into
a ghost town. One by one businesses closed and were boarded up,
and there seemed to be one catastrophe after another. Who is
responsible and why is someone trying to destroy the town? It is
up to you to solve this problem and defeat the baddies.

Playing is by point and click on an icon bar which has the usual
walk, look, talk etc.  The whole action takes place in the town,
one main street with a Saloon, Mom's Cafe, Mercantile Co., Assay
Office etc ... not forgetting the Pharmacy.  South of the main
street is Madame Sadie's house ... no point visiting her until
nightfall, when she will pay for her prescription in kind! North
of the street is a church, a cemetery and the town privy ... no
indoor sanitation in those days, you just join a queue and hope!

There are some interesting and amusing characters including an
Indian, Srini. When you meet and help him, you also decide to
employ him in the shop and he turns out to be a great help in more
ways than one.

Every so often, at the top left of your screen will appear the
head of Whittlin' Willy. He is a great storyteller and also tells
you why you have just died the death.

The game is divided into four Acts and Act 1 is mainly concerned
with dispensing prescriptions in your Pharmacy. This is great fun
manipulating measures and balance and pill machine. You will need
to refer to the book of Health and Hygiene in your pack to find
out how some of the items are made.  This manual is well worth
reading as it is quite amusing, such as the treatment for bruises
which consists of "squishing the blood around to the surrounding
tissues, best accomplished with a kitchen rolling pin." There are
some great puzzles, some very easy but others more difficult. I
particularly liked the snail stampede and the flatulent
horses ... not a game for the squeamish.

Act 4 has an arcade sequence, but as I found it easy, I'm sure
most of you will do it with your eyes closed. After that,
however, there is a tricky shoot out and a sword fight. I needed
several attempts at these.

When the words THE END appear, sit and watch the credits. You then
see some scenes from the making of the film and very funny they
are too.

This is a great game which will have you chuckling from start to
finish. It is certainly one of my top ten ... so DON'T MISS IT.