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 | Fat Worm Blows A Sparky By Julian Todd / Durell 1987 Fatty the microscopic worm inhabits the inner workings of a ZX Spectrum computer. His goal? The continuation of his species by cloning himself. The cloning process involves our plucky worm traversing the printed circuit boards of the trusty Speccy in search of 50 �Spindles� which he can then use, with the aid of a disk drive, to clone himself. |  |
 | Fatties world is presented in a pseudo-3D perspective using polygonal graphics. Viewed from above, the landscape of ramps and buildings are given a realistic impression of height as their sides become visible as Fatty moves around them. Nice use of inertia (such as slowing down and speeding up on ramps) also adds to the feeling of being in a solid world. The inside of the Spectrum is surprisingly large so finding all the Spindles ain�t easy (although the useful on-screen map makes the task a bit easier). When you do find one, it may well be located in a place that require deft navigation of narrow and scarily high pathways to reach. |  |
 | Fatties task would be arduous enough without a number of other inhabitants of the computer out to stop him. �Sputniks� buzz Fatty from above and, if not destroyed by deft use of a �Burper�, (a handy weapon that snares any Sputnik foolish enough to fly low over head) will land and become �Crawlies� which chase after Fatty on the ground. Fatty can shoot the Crawlies using his blaster Sparkies. |  |
 | If a Crawlie catches Fatty it attaches itself to his body (which, incidentally, stretches and contracts convincingly as he moves around the landscape). If Fatty picks up four Crawlies get then the game is over, although Fatty can remove any attached Crawlies by passing through a �Debugger�. As well as the Crawlies, strange Termite creatures also rise from the ground to pursue our hapless hero. Fortunately, these creatures can be dispatched in the same way as a Crawlie. The Sarge |  |
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