The Hobbit - ACE version
            Available from www.syntax2000.co.uk

                 First impressions from Sue

Is there anyone out there who hasn't played the Hobbit? It was
first released by Melbourne House back in the 80s. I can remember
getting well and truly stuck in it, and scouring magazines like
C&VG and Your Sinclair for help. Like lots of people I thought the
graphics were marvellous ... in hindsight they were awful but we
didn't have anything better to compare them with. We were amazed by
the AI, though we got a bit frustrated by Thorin who kept sitting
down and singing about gold even though death and destruction was
going on all around him. It took me ages to get out of the goblins
dungeon but I enjoyed every frustrating hour of it.

Because I'd thoroughly enjoyed Hobbit despite what I can see now
were its shortcomings I was pleased when Peter Clark told me that
Andrew, his son, who had programmed ACE, was doing his own version
of the game. It was being shown off at the Convention and as I
couldn't get there, Peter kindly sent me a copy so I could play it
at home.

Nostalgia kicked in as I found myself in Bilbo Baggin's cheerful
burrow with its round door leading out. A few steps outside and I
was in the trolls' clearing. One of them was holding a key.
Remembering the plot I wandered north and waited until daylight.
Sunlight turns trolls to stone and trolls, being rather thick
creatures, haven't learnt this so stand about, stupidly, getting
petrified.

Yes, I remembered what to do. Go south and get the key which the
troll has dropped when he was turned to stone. Hang on ... where's
the key gone? Stone trolls - no key.

Great, I thought, this is even better. Andrew has added his own
bits to the game. They make a big difference to anyone who has
played it before. You won't be bored and think ... I've seen all 
this already. The downside is that, yes, of course I got stuck 
again in some of the new bits! And quite quickly too, I'm ashamed 
to say. I had to ask Peter for a clue. Then I kicked myself for 
the next 10 minutes. So far it's been a case of finding the right 
words. It's annoying when I think I've tried everything but miss 
the correct input.

Some of the additions are good fun. Some bring the game bang up to
date. I especially liked the mobile phone I found in Beorn's house.
You can use it to call anyone whose number has been put into the
memory by the programmer. There's also a bewitched place with
mushrooms, one of which has a door and a chimney emitting smoke.
Shades of Alice in Wonderland. I haven't managed to get inside yet.
At the moment I'm stuck on the bank of a river in the Dark Forest
trying to get across. I haven't given up hope yet but I may have to
ask for a clue.

If you want to play the Hobbit, you can download it from the SynTax
site. Give it a try. It's a lovely tribute to the original game
with enough new features to make it interesting to play if you
completed the first game. It also shows ACE off very nicely.
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