Minter Mania

The release of a Llamasoft game is always an occasion of universe-shattering celebration. Notorious for endless whackiness, graphic genius and inventive gameplay. Jeff Minter's games often stretch the 64 to its limits. The time was bound to come, though, when such is the great man's inventiveness that he would develop a game so far out that it was quite impossible for humans to play. This, Mama Llama, is it.

You control a family of three llamas and a telepathically-directed killer droid. The droid is used to neutralise attacking baddies which supposedly come in all shapes and sizes.

Since you can apparently select which order you want to play through the phases, Mama Llama is more than just a straightforward zapper. But in fact it's so devilishly complicated that it will take a three-headed vegan slime-octopus to work it all out. I'm not even going to try to give this a rating for gameplay - if you want a real challenge, just go out and but it.

Program: Mama Llama; 64 Supplier: Llamasoft Price: £7.50

Graphics: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sonics: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Gameplay: Glurk!

Commodore Horizons

MAMA LLAMA (Llamasoft) for Commodore 64: Another one from the Jeff Minter stable, and, if your brain works on the same wavelength as his, you will love this game.

Nobody could accuse Llamasoft of skimping on the instructions; there are "acres" of them and trying to absorb them all and loading the tape takes a very steady nerve.

The trouble is my brain refuses to accept all these instructions but nevertheless I got the tape programmed in the computer. What I saw looked good - the graphics were superb - but I did not understand any of it. I think I would rather try to remember word for word the complete works of William Shakespeare in Norwegian.

Sorry, Jeff, this is not my game, but I am sure that your fans will adore it. If you do decide to buy it (don't let me put you off) you will need, as you will with all Llamasoft games, a joystick. That I did discover.

Thetford & Watton Times, Norwich

Llamasoft Jeff Minter's latest game is called Mama Llama and is one of the most colourful games I have ever seen. It has over a 100 different levels and involves both skillful play and strategy if it is to be mastered.

An excellent game that should do very well once the distributors latch onto it.

Computer Games & Systems Retailer

Camel Ye Faithful and knuckle down to a session of JEFF MINTER'S newest smasherooni-and a continuation of the Ungulant Saga, TONY TAKOUSHI reports...

Jeff Minter's pilgrimage to Peru last October was the inspiration for his latest game called Mama Llama. It features a (surprise)!) mother Llama and her two babies, all of whom are being attacked, in the best Minter tradition, by aliens.

The game follows the Minter style of good shoot 'em up but uses smooth scrolling backdrops to good effect. The scrolling backdrops are a first in that they are very colourful (unlike Tony Crowther who sticks firmly to four background colours).

The overall aim is to survive and protect the baby llamas, who mimic their mothers every action so as she leaps and spits at the aliens so do they! You have many sectors to patrol, with scanners within each section to help you locate any approaching nasties.

Following on from Sheep in Space and Ancipital, Minter has further evolved his gravity routines to allow incredible permutations on the alien attack patterns and on the movement of the llama. If you manage to clear a sector a warp gate will open to another sector, but you can choose to stay where you are a little longer.

Other sectors include the Inca City, Egyptian City, Space City, Rock City and Inca Homeworld - the gravity and viciousness of the aliens being suitable altered for each.

One of the most outstanding features of Minter games is his increasing ability to make the game feel good to play. When you pick up the joystick it feels true. Real gamers will know what I mean (the rest of you will just have to work at it!).

At the time of review the game was only half complete and had to be reviewed as such due to print deadlines but even semi-complete its quality stood out and I look forward to seeing the finished item.

Big K, London

A shoot 'em up with no bullets

Once upon a time computer games either derived from amusement arcades - which meant they consisted of shooting up aliens - or were adventures, which involved reading a lot of text and reacting to it.

But now, how do you classify Mama Llama (Llamasoft, £7.50), Jeff Minter's latest opus for the Commodore 64?

It is an arcade game - of sorts. But it's not like other shoot 'em ups. There's none of the usual approach of "make one mistake and you're dead." You don't even work your way through waves in the time-honoured way.

Ever since his first speedy variations on Centipede - Lazerzone and the like - Minter has been rethinking computer games. He even altered the playing area, as in Sheep In Space with its planetary surfaces at the top and bottom of the screen.

Minter, who coined the phrase "mega-game" to describe his programs, understatedly calls his latest "rather unusual".

Mama Llama may be his masterpiece - a whacky surrealist piece of lateral programming. It's a shoot 'em up with no bullets. And the player can choose at what point he or she even enters the game, and can even move on when the going gets too tough - which happens when Rory the savage guinea pig makes his biting entrance.

You control a mother llama and her two children, protecting them from danger by means of a killdroid which removes obstacles by touching them.

Well animated with good baroque and roll musical accompaniment and excellent, varied backgrounds for you to walk through, the game will specially appeal to fans of Revenge Of The Mutant Camels - a great game now also available for the Atari at £7.50.

Keyboard by John Walker

North Western Evening Mail, Barrow-in-Furness

LLAMA MIA

There comes a time where every reviewer has to own up - after reading through the many lines explaining the plot of Mama Llama several times, I am still baffled. This is what I got so far: the plot, incomprehensible, involves simulated video games on a planet called Led-Zepp IV (was that the one with Stairway to Heaven on it?), first part of game is a grid in which you choose what planet and how many aliens you want to fight. Part two sends you to the planet where you defend your Llama offspring from attack from various kinds of alien, one of which looks like a buffalo. However, there are things called Antigenesis devices, and Retrogenesis devices, which seems to be the Minter equivalents of smart bombs in that they reduce the number of aliens in certain ways. There appears to be all kinds of strategic elements to the way the game is played and it zaps like crazy. Beyond this, I don't dare to comment.

Program Mama Llama Price £7.50 Micro Commodore 64 Popular Computing Weekly

John Walker

Watch out - this guinea pig bites!

MAMA LLAMA

From the wagging ears and tail and nodding heads and curtsies of llamas on the opening screen, Mama Llama may look like just another tame beast with her two babes. But not Jeff Minter behind it.

Rather, the plaster on one of babe's cheek in the cover group shot is more an indication of this hazardous, fast-paced trauma. And there's the small but threatening KillDroid that hovers overhead to protect this cozy family. To do any good, however, you have to master it's inertia-controlled movement - no easy feat if it's possible at all.

As usual, instructions are very involved even not considering the detailed account of what inspired Minter to produce his latest ungulates. Your choice of playing modes, difficulty, scenes, etc, are numerous since you pick from a grid. Minter calls it a "totally amorphous wave select system."

The harrowing pace of Mama Llama is daunting even in the beginner phase but substantial practise sharpens your skills. Meanwhile the changing scenery, situations and attackers keep the player occupied. This is a toughie probably best conquered by dedicated Llamasoft fans rather than those just seeking an introduction to Minter's mind.

Considering that, the action is good and Mama and the player could become rather attached to Mama and her babies. All around, it's off-the-wall enough to keep the experts amused and glued to their joysticks.

Type of game: Arcade Fast loader: Novaload Graphics: ★ ★ ★ ★

Sound: ★ ★ ★ Playability: ★ ★ ★ CCI Rating: ★ ★ ★

Price: £7.50 cassette

Commodore Computing

**Of course, the last thing we at MicroScope want to do is suggest that you go off and read someone else's publication. But the Llamasoft Newsletter (prop. and editor Jeff Minter) is the exception that proves the rule.

If you don't get a copy, beg, borrow or steal one. It's mind blowing addictive.**

Extract from MicroScope, London.

SEND S.A.E. TO

49 MOUNT PLEASANT TADLEY, HANTS RG26 6BN

Source:

Advert in Zzap! (Issue 4 August 85 p15/17) – UK