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The game is set in a maze-like series of stairs, rooms and corridors and your character must explore them in search of a number of magic rings. Standing in your way are evil creatures who hurl lighting and fireballs at you. Fortunately, you have weapons of your own with which to defend yourself and should you lose too much health, you can repair the damage using a store of magic, of which you have a limited supply. Despite looking fairly basic compared to the likes of Atic Atac, Halls of the Things was the only arcade adventure on the market for some time and was arguably the first of its kind.

Halls of the Things
IN ITS DAY - 1983 to be precise - Halls of the Things was a tremendously advanced program. lt's an arcade adventure in which you choose from a series of levels of halls inhabited by the Things - small and repulsive blobs which hurtle around spraying fireballs and lightning bolts in all directions, but mainly yours. You are armed with an almost useless sword, plus a fireball and lightning spells.

The fireball homes in on monsters and is most effective, but drains your power. The lightning bounces around until it hits something, costs less power, but has a nasty habit of coming back in your direction if it misses. Bows and arrows were available in the original, but we couldn't find them in the new version - which is presented as a surprise bonus without much in the way of instructions.

Around the halls are piles of treasure, some of which can be collected for points. Others turn into Things when you get close. There are also potions which repair your energy levels,and rather rare rings which are what you are supposed to be collecting.

It's great fun, and I still play the original at home sometirnes, though I know a minority of critics were not so inrpressed. You either love it or hate it; it was the first game of its type, and has been very influential on the development of arcade-adventures since.

For those familiar with the original, the new version dispenses with the whole status display in favour of providing added options. Those include tougher monsters, strange mazes, or both together. Joystick options are included, and user-definable keys, though this is not a good game to play with joysticks as many keys are required for different spells, picking up things and so on.

It's a great bonus anyway, and if you didn't catch it first time round, it makes Forbidden Planet an almost insane bargain at the price. No collection of software 'classics' is complete without it.

Halls of Things could be a danger to health
HALLS OF THINGS for the 48K Spectrum is a game which could change the Spectrum games scene overnight.

The program is technically excellent and dangerously addictive, although you can forget about high scores until you become adept.

You play a little man who must rush up and down the stairs to different levels of a maze in which several magic rings can be found. The problem is that some little space invader-type creatures are out to get you with their fireballs and lightning. You can fight them with your fireballs, lightning and sword. You can also heal the wounds which have been inflicted on you by using magic, of which you have a limited amount.

The screen display makes it even more impressive. It looks as if the game is running on an Apple 2E or UK101, both computers more expensive than the Spectrum. The game is bound to be a hit apart from one criticism. Halls of Things has no sound. The fights between Things and the hero could be made even more dramatic with the addition of lightning zaps or explosions.

Halls of Things costs £6.50.