Microsphere 1985
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Commercial
System: ZX Spectrum

Last year, schoolboy Eric managed to steal his report card from the headmaster's safe. He has taken his time to forge a positive one. Now it's time to get it back into the safe.

A lot has happened on the school grounds over the holidays. It has been split in two sections: a boys school and a girls school (with a fence between them). The boys' building (the only part which could be seen in the prequel Skool Daze) has been expanded, too. There are now more classrooms, more offices, a new assembly hall and (perhaps the most useful innovation) a bathroom. The school has also bought a new safe to replace the old one. This one doesn't have a combination of numbers, but a simple lock. But where has the key been hidden?

Sportsware Productions 1985
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

There are some things I've always enjoyed. Staying up until late in the evening on my C64 (or proudly-owned P IV more recently :lol:), reading, writing (as you can see here). Oh yeah, and watching box matches. I never practiced box professionaly, although I did have some recalcitrating classmates who realized that you *can* learn something if you watch the TV. Boxing is just one example, if you know what I mean :lol:

Ozark Softscape 1985
Genre: Strategy, Adventure
Rating: 4.3/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

[dregenrocks] The player has to explore the continent of africa in search for a valuable tomb containing the so called "Heart Of Africa". You start in Cairo or another main african city at the coast and buy some basic equipment like a canoe, weapons, tools, food and gifts. With this stuff you start to explore the inner land, by canoeing down rivers or just by walking through the deserts, jungles and wide steppes of the continent. On the way you discover famous landmarks to earn some money and meet villagers, to earn some valueable informations about hidden crates and treasures (i.e. gold, silber, ivory). For this you have to give other treasures or a lot of gifts instead to the village-chiefs, who tell you about those secrets. You will also trade for food and may need to get back to one of the harbour-towns to refresh (save game), get money and new equpment. This will become a "treasure-trade-circle" until some chief may tell you about the "Heart Of Africa", your goal to get riches of your ancestor...

Mattel / Epyx 1985
Genre: Simulation
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

Back in the 90s, 'action toys' were the market. The leading company was Mattel with their action figures ('Barbie for boys'). And there were these toy cars. Completely unlike the car models which existed before and served only 'museum values', these little metal (or plastic if it had to be cheap) vehicles were actually designed for children playing with them! I, for example, held 'ramming contests': causing two cars to crash frontally and the one which falls upside down loses.

Data East 1985
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 3/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

One of the biggest hits in the arcades of the mid-80s, converted to the C64. Most people will know the gameplay from International Karate these days (if at all), but Karate Champ was the game which started it all!

Activision 1985
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

In the mid-90s, Tamagotchis - little annoying egg-shaped beeping virtual 'pets' - were really popular for some time. Later, there was the immensily successful (deserved!) PC game The Sims which gave the concept of the virtual 'goldfish tank' more complexity. But two decades before, this idea had already been put into a game! Little Computer People - the first scientifical simulation of life (not counting Alter Ego)!

Creative Sparks 1985
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

I must admit I'm a sucker for classic horror movies and novels. I'm also one of these people who cheer for the bad guys and abhore the wimpy do-gooders. For all those with similarly sick minds, the 80s produced the computer game of our dreams: Mad Doctor.

Elite 1985
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

Paper delivery is a common way of increasing your pocket money. At least I guess it is in the USA. This game is the ultimate simulator of this thrilling job. You can use it to evaluate if this job suits your abilities and interests or for training purposes to improve your service.

Graftgold / Hewson 1985
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

Deep in space, all the robots on a ship have gone mad, defying all human orders. The player has to 'clean up', destroying all the robots. Sounds like your average shooter? Then be prepared for a twist: You take control of a kind of 'meta robot' which will attach itself to any other robot to take control of its functions.

Bantam 1985
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

Whole generations have been entertained and thrilled by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most popular character by now. 221b Baker Street has been turned into the museum of a person which never lived there and even never existed! And only because of the random (?) choice of an author who had no idea what he had just created. In fact, the character Sherlock Holmes is so well known that many people actually believe he is a historical character!