JUG

 JUG is a strategy/arcade game from Paul Hunter, Martin Kenwright, and
Microdeal. It offers unbelievably surreal graphics, great animation, all manner
of scrolling, three levels of difficulty, a two-player option, and joystick
control. This review is based on the Atari ST version.

 Martin Kenwright, who did the graphic work for the GOLDRUNNER II scenario
disks, is a talented artist with a fertile imagination and the ability to bring
it to life. In JUG, he has created a bizarre and fabulous world that nearly
defies description. Although there's a difficult and challenging game here that
will keep you occupied for some time, you could purchase JUG for Mr. Kenwright's
artwork alone and easily get your money's worth.

 The Gaia Hypothesis states that a planet is a conscious, living entity, and it
is this fashionable and timely idea that gets JUG off to a great start: Planet
Spiraeus is indeed alive. Unfortunately, a virus has invaded its deepest
regions, causing a now-tumorous brain to malfunction, and the inner cores to be
drained of their life forces. The goal of JUG is to penetrate the cores of the
planet, withstand the defenses of its immune system, and excise the tumor.

 JUG is a cyborg -- a barrel-chested humanoid constructed of Titanium fleximetal
and organic materials. JUG can change and reform its shape instantaneously; it
can use three types of weapons (plasma fire, laser cannon, and smart bomb); and
it uses fuel to fly. In spite of the positive mission behind JUG's entrance into
Spiraeus, the planet's immune system will view JUG as a germ to be destroyed.
Its defenses include wall-mounted guns, several kinds of attack ships, spinning,
bouncing tops, and small, scurrying reptiles encased in metal shells. All are
deadly, and if humans had an immune system like this, disease would never infect
anybody -- thus making doctors, lawyers, and malpractice suits obsolete.

 The Atari ST screen display consists of the scrolling interior of Spiraeus and
a status panel. The interior is divided into four zones, each of which is
further divided into four sectors. A sector is constructed of horizontal and
vertical passages, bizarre spikes and spirals, gargoyles, and honeycombed
spaces. Two-way teleporters transfer JUG to other parts of the current sector.
The status panel shows game level, zone and sector numbers, score, and number of
lives remaining. There are also damage and key indicators, weapon LEDs, and a
fuel bar.

 Keys, when found and taken, dissolve walls, opening up new vistas in the
current sector, or revealing the passage to the next sector. Weapons can be
found; selecting any of the three alters JUG's shape. The inner air of Spiraeus
is fuel for JUG, which slowly absorbs it. Fuel pods, when taken, not only top
the gas tank, but reduce damage. JUG's defensive system can withstand 16 hits,
after which it regresses with a crackle into low-tech junk, losing a life in the
process.

 JUG is controlled with a joystick. Pushing the stick left or right moves JUG
likewise; pushing the stick forward raises JUG (assuming it has enough fuel);
pulling the stick back activates teleporters, and collects weapons and keys.
Each of the three weapons can be selected in turn by pulling back on the stick;
the button fires. The plasma fire is a single shot device; the more effective
laser cannon shoots long strands; and the single-use smart bomb zaps all
on-screen attackers.

 You'll need 512K and a color monitor. Although JUG is copy-protected, it loads
like lightning. Subsequent disk accesses occur upon entering a new zone. The
instruction manual is short and basic.

 JUG is a very difficult game. The immunity cyborgs are many and varied. They're
also relentless, and they must take target practice in their spare time. The
joystick turns JUG left or right, after which it moves -- on the power of its
fuel supply -- at a snail's pace. Each sector increases in difficulty; that is,
the number of passages (and dead ends) increases, as does the number of immunity
cyborgs.

 The graphics and animation routines are stunning. Mr. Kenwright has stretched
the ST to its graphic limits, or nearly so; and programmer Paul Hunter knows how
to put a game together, and make it run without a glitch. The planet's interior
consists of tough, heavy metal, with sparkling, lustrous organics, and unusual,
eccentric shapes. The atmosphere is simultaneously airy and claustrophobic -- no
easy feat. Screen scrolling is smooth and flicker-free. The immunity cyborgs
attack singly, in small groups, and in waves. Their patterns do not become
predictable until you've made several assaults on a sector. It's not easy being
a germ.

 I have three wishes. First, with 16 increasingly difficult sectors to get
through, I wish Mr. Hunter had provided a few easy ones (besides the opener). I
also wish that the graphics were less fabulous: I keep staring at them,
forgetting I'm a virus. And finally, I wish that Microdeal will keep publishing
games of JUG's caliber. Buy this one immediately!

 JUG is published by Microdeal and distributed by MichTron.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253