QUEST FOR THE BLACK PEARL by Ralph Varble A text adventure on disk PCPD 559 Reviewed by Bev Truter NB: if you didn't obtain the "fixed" version of BLACK PEARL from either Barbara Gibb or Sue Medley, the original version is fatally bugged in at least two places and therefore unfinishable. BLACK PEARL is an engaging text adventure - a gung-ho romp through lush jungle scenery, an underground cave system and a volcano in search of the black pearl of the title. The game does tend to run out of steam in a few parts, as though the author had originally intended PEARL to be larger, but then ditched a few ideas as the programming for the timing of volcanic eruptions and the wristwatch in the game became rather complicated and unwieldy; and it looks as though he just gave up on a few promising threads through lack of space / time / inclination. The vast majority of commands in the .CMD file cope with a wristwatch which has to keep track of the time and beep to warn you when 12 hours are almost up; a volcano which erupts more and more frequently as the game progresses; and a helicopter which arrives (or doesn't arrive, as the case may be) in the endgame to fly you off the island. Ooops, but I'm getting ahead of myself here, so back to square one, and the outline of the plot in PEARL: You play the role of Professor Rowland's assistant at the University. He left the university some time ago on a sabbatical to search for the fabled black pearl of the South Seas. Obviously he found something, for one day you receive a short but compelling telegram from him which states he has found the island of the Naeco tribe, but an active volcano threatens the expedition and the natives have fled the island. He needs your help to find the black pearl, and urges you to meet him in a large clearing at the centre of the island. You know he is on to something when you read this telegram, so you arrange for a few weeks off university to meet the Professor as directed, and you begin the game in a helicopter flying towards the island. The volcano referred to as active in the telegram has obviously erupted, and you calculate that you will only have 12 hours on the island to discover what is going on before the pilot returns in the helicopter to pick you up in the clearing. Lava flows already cover one third of the island, and Professor Rowlands hasn't arrived to meet you as planned. Can you discover what has happened to the Professor, and did he really find the black pearl? I wouldn't describe PEARL as an outstandingly good game, but it's certainly one of the better AGT games I've played. It builds a feeling of tension as you realize the volcanic eruptions are becoming more frequent, and there's that sense of urgency that sends you scuttling about at a cracking pace. There are some tricky but not *too* difficult puzzles scattered about, and I found the plot and gameplay absorbing and satisfying. There's the exact location of the black pearl to track down, the volcano to deal with, Davey Jones' locker to unlock (that was a nice touch!), and the arch-villain Smythe to defeat. The need for speed becomes obvious quite early in the game, and if you overstay your time on the island you will never make it back to civilization. Because of the timed elements, PEARL is one of those games that you will have to continually SAVE and then RESTORE, so you can do all that a man's gotta do in the time available. Although I don't usually like "timed" games (too hard on the old nerves!) PEARL handles the timing well, and it soon becomes a habit to re-do all your problem-solving as quickly as possible from a restored position in the game. PEARL also has a few unlikely humorous touches in it, which I loved. Apart from some puns, which will either make you groan or giggle (depending on your view of puns) there is a rather amusing relief carved into a rock wall in the volcano. These lighter touches don't destroy the atmosphere, but they do tend to lighten things up a bit just when you feel your nails have been gnawed to shreds, what with all that worry about the volcano and its ominous eruptions. Overall BLACK PEARL is enjoyable to play and satisfying to complete. I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in a good old-fashioned quest for fame, glory, and a bit of treasure. - o -