3D Monster Maze

The Good

• Surprisingly addictive
• Improved controls from the original
• New additions make the game even better
• Still as tense as it was back in the day
• It's Free!
• Every maze is randomly generated

The Bad

• Footstep noise can be annoying
• A few glitches
• Better turn off DEP or it won't run

The Bottom Line
If you grew up in the UK during the 80s, you probably had a ZX Spectrum computer. If you had a ZX Spectrum computer and were an avid gamer, you probably had or at least heard of "3D Monster Maze." It is regarded of one of the Speccy's best games, and it's hard to argue. The premise is simple: You are trapped in a maze. There's a hungry T-Rex on your arse. Escape or become dinner.

The games appeal was that despite its overt simplicity, the game was extremely tense and - dare I say - scary. The lack of sound actually ADDED to the games fear factor, as text boxes would often pop up with things like 'Rex can smell your fear,' or 'RUN! HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!'

The game had a lasting impact on many people, and in 2002 a small group of developers made an 8-Bit remake of 3D Monster Maze. It isn't just a tweaked port either, it's rebuilt from scratch and the gameplay itself has a few additions as well.

The premise is still the same - you are trapped in a sprawling maze and a T-Rex is hunting you. You must navigate the maze and find the exit. One of the first noticeable changes is that you now have a map. The map will update with every step you take. The map is both a friend and an enemy. Not only does it sometimes distract you from your surroundings if you are avidly watching it - but it's apparently suffering from some majour interference, as it will often fade into white noise - which can REALLY disorient you if you have not memorized the path you were trying to see on the map.

As before, the goal is to find the exit. The exit is no longer a portal in a cul-de-sac, but rather a locked gate. This means that you must find and pick up a key to open the gate. There are two other pick ups as well, a CD-Rom disc that contains map data and will reveal the entire map along with the gate and other pick ups. The other is a Motion Tracking chip, which tracks Rex on your map. Note though that it only tracks Rex in areas that you have already revealed (If you found the map disc, this isn't an issue.) and there is a delay in the tracker when the map goes to static.

These updates are all welcome, and add to the experience. It can be just as tense trying to figure out a route to the gate on the map that Rex isn't guarding as it is to actually run from him. It's still a damn frightening experience when he finally comes for you as well, it is always a bit of a shock to see him in the distance and turn around running your ass off - praying that the corridors you are taking to avoid him don't lead you into a dead end at the end of a long corridor.

Like the original, the game has no sound - well, okay there's one. You now hear the sound of your players footsteps and they can be a little grating. One must also wonder what kind of shoes your character is wearing if they can eclipse the sound of a stampeding T-Rex. Also like the original, the lack of sound is actually beneficial to the game. Just as before you'll see pop up text frequently, some of it is useless (Such as "Have you seen that new TV show?" or "Can you believe that THIS is how Doom came about?") other times, it can be useful. When you see the text box "Rex has seen you!" then that means it's time to book it, as Rex is in a position where he can clearly see and chase you. Text boxes about his footsteps or growling can also tip you that while he isn't in a position to chase you yet, he is close.

There are a few glitches - namely Rex's occasional ability to teleport out of walls. One time I was running down a corridor AWAY from him (I had already seen him and turned around) and I hit a dead end. Instead of coming at me through the corridor of the dead end, he immediately spawned from the wall. The only bonus this gave me is it meant I could run away from the corridor and escape. There was also one time where, somehow, I was able to run through Rex without him nabbing me. Rex can also get stuck in walls, namely if there is a pickup there. One time I saw him stampeding in place because the key was in front of him.

All in all - 3D Monster Maze is a great bit of nostalgia, and this is a great remake. You can download it free in the link I provided down below - so give this enhanced classic a chance.

http://www.caiman.us/scripts/fw/f1053.html