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After the exhausting task of rescuing his loved one in BC's Quest for Tires, the stone-age cartoon hero Thor is out and about again, this time to find the meaning of life. It is said to be found atop an ancient mountain, the last in a range of five. A network of caves run through the very mountains themselves, and a long and winding track runs around them.

Linking each of the mountains are toll bridges that Thor must cross, getting him a step nearer to his goal. This is where his problems start. . . .

On screen, the mountains are shown one at a time on a small radar in the bottom right. On this radar are shown all cave entrances, a symbol representing Thor, and one of Grog. The part of the mountain Thor is currently on is shown on the top half of the screen in reasonable graphical detail. It scrolls left to right, depending on the direction he's going in. The scrolling is smooth but does get a little jerky at a higher speed.



To cross a toll bridge, Thor must pay the exorbitant sum of 100 clams to a waiting toll-man. Luckily, the mountains have a plentiful supply of clams lying around, and in case you've never seen a clam on a mountain, you should know that these are lesser-spotted craggy peak clams.

The clams are to be found on the tracks running around the mountain or within the caverns. The caves are dark and so a source of light is needed to see the way through. Thor, being way ahead of his time, carries a flashlight with him. Unfortunately, the torch isn't very powerful and only a small amount of the screen is shown under its light. This effect is very realistic and makes the going tough on higher levels.

To pick up a clam, Thor must ride over it on his stone-age unicycle (equipped this time with a tire). Once he has collected 100 or more, he can take them to the toll bridge and move on to the next mountain.

If Thor should have 25 or more clams over the quota, he will buy an extra life -- there are five to start.

The levels are lettered A to E, E being the final stage containing the secret of the meaning of life. Should you get that far, you will discover the programmer is something of a cynic. You'll also discover that the only thing left to do is to try again on a harder range of mountains (there are three in all).

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How to lose a life

When you're a stone-age guy riding around a hostile mountainside, it's awfully easy to lose your unicycle. You can:

O Hit a pothole or a rock. OUCH!

O Ride too close to the mountain wall. SPLAT!

O Slip off the edge of the mountain path. AAAAAAAGH!

O Blunder into a falling stalactite inside one of the dimly lit caves. CRASH!

O Have your tire gobbled by the massive, green, loathsome Tiredactyl, which inhabits the higher levels. SCRUNCH!

All these deaths are depicted in hilarious cartoon-style. But Thor's main problem is in the form of a sort of time limit. The mighty GROG is pounding his way down the mountainside, collecting clams as he goes, and hungry for revenge.

He is represented as a white diamond on the radar, and you'll soon know if he appears on your level from the ominous tune that echoes forth. Should you ever see Grog's nose appear at the edge of the screen, then you know all is lost. Thor is unceremoniously pulled off-screen and Grog makes a sudden and noisy entrance.

PRESENTATION
70% Several game options.

ORIGINALITY
71% Amusing new scenario on the collect and dodge theme.

GRAPHICS
80% Cartoon animation is brilliant, but little variety.

HOOKABILITY
83% Wonderful sense of humour keeps you laughing and playing.

SOUND
71% Lots of varied and interesting effects.

LASTABILITY
76% Picking up clams might lose its appeal. Little more variety needed.

VALUE FOR MONEY
75% You'll laugh till the clams come home.