SPHERICAL

 SPHERICAL is a strategy/arcade game written by Rainbow Arts and published
and distributed by Electronic Zoo, and it offers excellent graphics and
animation, 100 levels, six soundtracks, training and two-player modes,
password feature, joystick control, and copy protection. The Atari ST
version is the basis of this review, and to play it you'll need 512K, a
color monitor, and a 360K disk drive.

 The strategy needed to conquer SPHERICAL inspires much brain activity,
and it does so without skimping on arcade action. The game has all kinds of
magic, lots of nasty creatures, and many useful items, some of them hidden;
the two-player game features twice as many levels. SPHERICAL is the third
Electronic Zoo release for the ST, and E-Zoo is now three out of three.

 Long ago, two great dragons, Akarom and Selene, used the power of the
Starball to create the Universe and to keep a harmonic balance among the
four races of Earth. For the usual reasons, Akarom coveted the Starball,
and in secret he instructed humans in the art of war. Eventually, Akarom
and Selene got in a really big fight and destroyed each other. Harmony came
to an end, strife ruled the Universe, and the evil wizard Grimslade managed
to resurrect Akarom. He now dwells in Grimslade's castle.

 As Findar, the good wizard, your goal is to enter Grimslade's castle,
guide the Starball through 100 rooms, and confront and destroy the dragon
Akarom. In a two-player game, you'll be accompanied through 200 rooms by
fellow wizard Karl.

 SPHERICAL's screen display on the ST consists of the current room of
Grimslade's castle. Each room is really just a wall, on which hang stone
blocks; the blocks are randomly placed and you must walk and jump your
wizard from block to block. Findar can create blocks where none exist, thus
building steps and walls and platforms; he can un-create them as well. The
Starball sits, pulsing with energy, somewhere in the room, and when the
timer runs out, the Starball rolls along the blocks, like water seeking out
the lowest level of the room. Your strategic task is to guide the Starball
to the block marked IN, and so enter the next room.

 Also onscreen are the score counter, a 20-second timer, the wizard's
Lifeforce bar, Restart jewels, and Potion indicator. The Lifeforce bar
shrinks as the wizard absorbs damage; it can be replenished by finding
Decanters. The Restart jewels let you begin a level over (four times only),
and the Potion indicator is a little red bottle that'll destroy all enemies
in a room: the manual suggests a keypad 9 to invoke this function but it's
really the keypad's asterisk key that does it.

 Along the way to Akarom, you'll find Decanters of healing, keys, diamonds
(for extra points), hourglasses (to reset the Starball timer), scrolls (for
increased jumping power), red and green potions, and limited
invulnerability lanterns. Magic Wands automatically send you to the next
level, Switches reverse gravity, and Documents have code words, in effect a
save feature. Certain items are hidden; when found, they'll automatically
send you the next level.

 Obstacles include ghosts, bouncing globes and eyeballs, wizards that
shoot fireballs, dripping acid, and, on every tenth level, an oversized
spider or cat or dragon that shoots fireballs with great accuracy.

 SPHERICAL is controlled with a joystick: the stick makes the wizard walk
and jump; the button creates and destroys stone blocks. From the Start
menu, function keys select one- and two-player games, or a training screen,
where you can practice block creation. You can also see magic items, toggle
between sound and music (and choose one of six soundtracks), or run a demo.
The Spacebar pauses. Red annihilation potions are invoked with a keypad
asterisk.

 The SPHERICAL package comes with one 360K disk that's copy-protected, an
instruction manual, and an Amiga/ST reference card. There is no save option
in the usual sense, although the code word found on a document, entered at
the Start menu, is close enough.

 SPHERICAL is a neat and exciting game that could easily become an
obsession. Graphics and animation are excellent throughout, sound is spare
yet effective, and the strategy involved will have you counting stone
blocks in your sleep. SPHERICAL is well worth your time and attention.

 SPHERICAL is published and distributed by Electronic Zoo.