Activisions Private Eye Jumps By Michael Blanchet Im beginning to fear that we win never again see an original game for the Atari 2600. Private Eye. Activisions new 2600 effort, is the latest game to try and fail. The game casts the player as Pierre Touche, a floppy hatted French investigator" (an ailusion to Inspector Clouseau?) Touche has tracked wily international criminal Henri La Fiend" to New York. Being a native Parisian, Touche is lost. Your job is to guide him through the streets and help him collect evidence that will establish reasonable cause for La Fiend's arrest. There are five cases, each with its own statute of limitation (eonstab-lese for time limit). Before time expires, Touche must gather each article of evidence and return it to its place of origin. Once this is done, he can arrest La Fiend and bring him to the precinct no small task when you consider the ground you must cover and the amount of time you are given to do so. The hazards encountered are those associated with city settings potholes, rats and falling bricks. The falling bricks are reminiscent of the falling flowerpots from another Activision game. Crackpots. In fact, a good bit of this game seems to have come from other Activision games. Sections of the city appear to have stepped right out of Crackpots, the way the scenery changes is reminiscent of Pitfall! and the on-screen action closely follows that of Keystone Kapers. I've never heard of Mike Hammer doing it, but this Private Eye jumps (not to conclusions, he literally jumps). To avoid obstacles, he must jump. To gather evidence, he must jump. To question suspicious characters, he must jump. Why all the jumping? That, I assume, is the action part of the game. But it seems oddly out of place here. To its credit. Private Eye, unlike most 2600 software, requires more thought than reaction Players must find the quickest route through the city to satisfy the conditions of each case before time runs out At first the game is tough and engrossing. But once solved, a mystery holds no further surprises. During subsequent games, the location of evidence never varies and the cityscape never 3521 New Fall Hours: 9-6 9-5 Sat. BOUNTIFUL SMALL ENGINE SALES SERVICE PARTS 292-0378, 295-4141 487 NORTH 500 WEST BOUNTIFUL TheSaltLake mbune Wednesday, October 24, 1984 D9 to Conclusion changes. This leaves the player with yet another repetitive contest. Suggested retail for Private Eye has bom set at (22 95 about (10 less than the Activision standard for a 4K game cartridge. Tribune Company Syndicate Snowthrower Powerful two-stage performance at a compact price! Deep Snow Performance This Toro two-stage can hurl 650 pound oi snow a minute. That means it'll take only 30 minutes to clear up to 9 Inches of snow oti a 50-toot two-car drive. Throws snow up to 25 feet. too. 3V2-hp 21 -inch Retail $649.95 499 similar to illustration Limited to stock on hand
