SAM Supplement, that world-famous disk
mag from Walsall, has launched a software
range under the witty title of Supplement
Software. Programmers The Supple Boys
are aiming to release a new game every
couple of weeks - their next,
Pazook, is
due any day now. But enough of this
staged buffoonery.
Brainache is not
Triltex 3, despite what
you may think after glancing at the
screenshots. The gimmick in this puzzle
game is that you use the joystick or mouse
to position the cursor between two tiles,
then click to swap their positions. If like tiles
connect, they both disappear from the
board. The idea, as you might have
guessed, is to clear all of the 23 boards.
This game is stupidly playable. Like
Beetle Mania, the emphasis is on your own
skill - there are no bothersome time limits
to worry about. The cunning bit is that you
can't swap tiles and empty spaces, and
mistakes always seem to lead to tiles being
hurled out into the corners of the screen.
It's so frustrating you'll be nibbling your
joystick in a frenzy. The presentation is
pretty dull - there are some bouncy logos
on the title screen, the
graphics are basic tile
designs and the sound is a
fuzz-plink
Sound Machine
ditty - but the gameplay
stands up well. Good stuff.