3D Monster Maze

The Good
3D Monster Maze is an excellent game from Malcolm Evans designed only for the ZX81, a year before he launched his own start-up company, New Generation Software. It was there that he continued to make more excellent games for the Spectrum. When the game is finished loading, it encourages you to press any key. That’s actually a lie because you cannot press the [Space] bar. Press [Space] and you are kicked out into Sinclair Basic. You can then see a glimpse of the program listing, but good luck trying to type that all up by yourself.

The ringmaster appears and tells you about the wonders of seeing the Tyrannosaurus Rex in all his glory. I like the way you are tricked into thinking that you are part of the circus audience. The instructions are clear to me, telling you how to control the game. Providing that you go ahead by pressing CONT, there is a thirty-second wait while the game sets the maze up and decides where to put you.

Right from the get-go, I can see why the game requires 16KB. Everything about the maze is well designed, including Rex himself. The way you can see him approaching you from a distance is impressive. When he gets close to you, he opens his mouth and eats you up, revealing sharp, pointy teeth. How they were made perfectly using the standard Basic characters is something that should be applauded.

Between the top and bottom teeth, there is more text telling you will spend the rest of eternity roaming the maze, your score, and whether you want to appeal or not. If you choose to appeal, you are also booted back to Basic. During the game, the messages displayed at the bottom of the screen are designed for fear, telling you how close Rex is. If you find the exit (basically a wall containing corrupted graphics), you go back to the start.

I can compare this game to Infocom’s Zork trilogy. Whereas Zork requires you to use your imagination to picture what each room looks like, here you can imagine the sound of your footsteps as well as Rex’s roars.

The Bad
There is nothing bad about this game.

The Bottom Line
In conclusion, 3D Monster Maze is a killer app every ZX81 owner should get. Requiring 16KB, the game is simple: run around a maze without getting busted by Rex. The graphics are impressive; and although there is no sound in the game, you can use your imagination. Two thumbs up, way up!