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	Black Magic (US Gold, 1987) The evil Red Warlock Zahgrim has ruled the kingdom of Marigold with an iron fist, and now is the time to banish him! In this arcade-cum-role-playing game, you are a lowly apprentice who knows only a couple of spells. However, by shooting the various monsters and collecting objects, you can gain valuable experience points; collect enough, and you move up one rank and learn more spells. Your mission is to collect the six magical eyes of King Anakar, which are scattered around the large landscape. The mixture of platforming and role-playing elements is interesting, and although it's a little slow-paced and the graphics may be nothing special, I found it quite captivating to explore the realms of Marigold. More information on TACGR 7
	Black Tiger (US Gold, 1990) Long ago, three evil dragons brought darkness to a kingdom that used to be at peace. Eventually a warrior named the Black Tiger emerged to restore peace to the kingdom, and it is he who you control in this dull platform game. You must jump across chasms and climb poles to reach the end of level, while battling various monsters with your mace and set of knives. Killing monsters and smashing vases lets you collect zenny coins which you can use to buy more powerful weaponry and shields, which you'll certainly need for the later levels; just find an old man and he'll help you. Why is it dull, then? The game is an ugly Spectrum port with poor graphics and music, and the scrolling and movement are both very jerky. More information on TACGR 4
	Blade Runner (CRL, 1986) Reviewed by Javier Sáez Several replicants have managed to reach the Earth, which is forbidden under penalty of death. It is your duty as a Blade Runner to kill, no, 'retire' them. The gameplay is quite simple. You move across a map of Los Angeles searching for flashing dots that mark the position of a replicant. When you get to the dot, your spinner lands and a side scrolling view of a street is shown. After a short chase, the replicant is spotted and shot down without opposition, as life seems to be much easier for Blade Runners in computer games. I'll put it plainly, this game is just a curiosity for Blade Runner fans only. The Spectrum-like graphics are awful, and the gameplay is always the same. Only the menu music has some quality (guess why - it's a Vangelis theme). More information on TACGR 4
	Blade Warrior (Codemasters, 1989) Reviewed by Ninja Wonderboy The storyline for this game sounds like it came straight from a cheesy 80s fantasy movie. Basically, the Death Demon has shattered your magic sword (the only weapon that can kill him... how'd he manage that, then?) and you, as the Blade Warrior, must go around the screens collecting the various ingredients needed to right this wrong. Anyway, graphics-wise, this game is disappointing; the detail is OK, but the lack of colours and general lacklustre feel makes you think 'Spectrum'. Sound-wise, it's also nothing special; a lot of silence and the occasional bit of sampled speech. And as for the gameplay, the fun is soon over thanks to the terrible collision detection; you'll try to jump on a platform a hundred times in a row and still not manage it! All in all, quite fun for a quick blast, but no classic. More information on TACGR 5
	Blagger (Amsoft/Alligata, 1984) Roger the Dodger is a burglar who has entered the town of Umstrid to loot his way through 20 levels of platforming action. On each level, there are several keys that need to be collected in order to open the safe, but they are located in rather awkward places. You'll have to plan your route carefully, as there are conveyor belts and platforms that will crumble if you stand on them for too long - and there are also enemies and other hazards on each level that must be avoided. Despite the game's age - and it certainly shows, with its colourful but unsophisticated graphics - it's quite a lot of fun to play, and most of the levels are very challenging to solve, although it can be fairly frustrating at times as well. I also love the ragtime piano music that plays throughout the game! More information on TACGR 7
	Blasteroids (Imageworks, 1989) As the name might suggest, this game is based on the all-time classic Asteroids, although it's an improved version which sees you roaming across the galaxy, clearing sectors of asteroids, and eventually defeating Mukor, the guardian of the asteroids. You should all know how to play Asteroids - shoot an asteroid and it splits in two; shoot those asteroids and they split into two, and so on. However, you can transform your ship into one of three types, which affects your speed and manoeuvrability, but allows you to blast enemy spacecraft more easily. It's a rather average game and it can become slow when there are lots of objects on the screen, and the graphics leave a lot to be desired. More information on TACGR 6
	Blazing Thunder (Hi-Tec, 1990) Battle your way through five levels of non-stop shoot-'em-up action in your armoured tank. Each level is filled to the brim with soldiers, guns and tanks out to get you - and watch out for the flashing mines as well. Most of the soldiers carry guns which don't harm you much, but the soldiers firing mortars cause much more damage to your tank. Power-ups can also be collected which increase your firepower, speed or energy. This is one of the few Hi-Tec games that isn't based on a cartoon character, although the usual colourful graphics are present. The action is hectic at all times, and while it's certainly not original, it's an entertaining game to play. More information on TACGR 7
	Blip (Silverbird, 1989) Several magazines completely disliked this collection of six Pong-style bat-and-ball games (which, incidentally, was released as Video Classics), but I didn't think it was that bad. The six games are tennis, football, squash, solo squash, 4-bat blip, and Asterbliperoids, and they're all pretty much the same, with some minor differences. Since the game is supposed to be minimalistic, don't expect much from the graphics and sound effects. It's all right for a while, but there isn't a lot in here to keep you coming back. More information on TACGR 5
	Blockbusters (TV Games, 1988) "I'll have an S please, Bob." The classic quiz show presented by the legendary Bob Holness is reproduced on your CPC. One or two players select letters from the board, trying to form a line of their own colour across the board either horizontally or vertically by answering questions correctly. The answers to the questions start with the letter that is chosen. The one player option is a bit odd in that when it's the computer's turn, it chooses a letter for you and you have to answer the question; if you get it wrong, the computer automatically wins that letter. The questions also appear on the screen very slowly. Despite these problems, it's not that bad, even in the one-player game. (The answer to the question in the screenshot is "Nepal", by the way.) More information on TACGR 6
	Blood Brothers (Gremlin, 1988) Hark and Kren are the Blood Brothers, and on returning home from an expedition, they find that the Scorpions have destroyed their village and its inhabitants, and now they want revenge. The brothers have to find their way around the Scorpions' mines, shooting aliens and collecting gems. There is another aspect of the game, though; when you want to fly from one mine to another, you enter a 3D section where you must manoeuvre your spaceship through walls and shoot blocks. Unfortunately, both parts are very difficult indeed; the spaceship's controls are very sensitive, and the two brothers don't have very much energy to enable them to survive for long. It's also a game that is best played with a friend, as controlling both players simultaneously is awkward. More information on TACGR 5

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