¢SOFTWARE SCENE¢¢JAWBREAKER & MOUSEKATTACK¢¢Reviewed by Alan Hitchen¢¢ The pill eating antics of Pac-Man inspired a million other maze games. However, before Pac-Man there was Jawbreaker. Originally released by Sierra-on-line in 1980 as two seperate games, their creator, John D Harris, has made them both available again in one package distributed by Richard Gore.¢¢ Jawbreaker puts you in the role of a set of gnashers with a big appetite. Your task is to clear the maze of all that yummy candy that is just lying around. However the smiling faces of the tooth rotters are never far behind, and if they catch you, your teeth fall out, and after three lives have been lost the game is over.¢¢ To help you there are four special Jawbreaker sweets that will allow you to turn the tables on the tooth rotters and eat them as well. Also a tunnel runs from top to bottom to let you give them the slip. From time to time extra items will appear, which you can eat to gain bonus points. When the maze has been cleared your teeth are given a jolly good brushing, then it is on to the next level and yet more candy to eat.¢¢ The alternative maze provided, which is selectable at bootup, has an extra escape tunnel to help you out when things get really tough on the higher levels, but otherwise gameplay is identical.¢¢ Mousekattack puts a new twist in the old maze game. This time you are a plumber and your task is to lay pipe in all the corridors. This seems simple but there are some snags. Firstly, mistakes can happen and you will have to re-lay a section if you get it wrong. Secondly, there are three giant rats roaming the maze, they are hungry, and if they can catch you they will eat you!¢¢ Help is provided in the form of two cats, which you can place anywhere to frighten off the rats. Also two cages are provided to catch the rats. If you can get to the cage before the rat has wriggled free it is captured and bonus points gained. However the captured rat is soon replaced by another one, and the replacement may be a super rat. The super rat can eat your cats but can still be trapped in a cage.¢¢ This game has a two player mode, in which each plumber is frightened of the other players cats, which makes things even more difficult, and lots more fun.¢¢ Jawbreaker is a good game in the Pac-Man style that is difficult to fault. However, Mousekattack has the clear advantage here, as its added gameplay and excellent presentation lifts the game out of the ordinary. It is highly recommended.¢¢ These games are available individually for 4.95, or together for 6.95, in tape, turbo load tape or disk formats.¢¢Contact address: Richard Gore, 79 Sprotborough Road, Sprotborough, Doncaster, DN5 8BW.¢
