** PRINTED MAGAZINES ** --- RED HERRING --- Issue two is now out, and is every bit as good as issue one. It's packed with reviews, solutions and other fascinating stuff. Letters aren't too plentiful, but I'm sure they will increase in number before too long. Some excellent cartoons by Ken Taylor are scattered throughout the magazine. I felt sure I'd seen the style of drawing many times before, then I noticed that Ken does quite a lot of illustrations for the MAIL ON SUNDAY, etc. A magazine to savour. Bi-monthly at `2.95 per issue, from: Marion Taylor, 504 Ben Jonson House, Barbican, LONDON EC2Y 8DL. --- ADVENTURE PROBE --- THE adventure magazine for many of us. As helpful and friendly as ever, and now into its SIXTH volume, which shows how popular it is. Despite the number of 16-bit machines around nowadays, PROBE reflects what adventures people are playing and writing most, which is predominantly Spectrum adventures, there- fore of interest to many Sam owners, too. Something that may be of interest to budding adventure writers is the second part of Frank Fridd's WRITE YOUR OWN PARSER feature, if you fancy translating the listing from the COMMODORE, which may not be too hard, using Sam BASIC. `1.50 per monthly issue, available from: Mandy Rodrigues, ADVENTURE PROBE, 67, Lloyd Street, Llandudno, GWYNEDD. LL30 2YP --- FROM BEYOND --- Issue Ten is now out, and has been given a bit of an shake- up, with great improvements in text and layout, due to Tim Kemp's newly-acquired hardware: Apple Macintosh Classic with 4 megabyte memory, 40 meg hard disk, an ink-jet printer, etc. (YOUR SINCLAIR must be paying him too much!) Results of the FROM BEYOND adventure awards are given, as well as the usual detailed reviews and features. Content is 100% Spectrum, but perhaps Sam material will begin to be featured, as and when it merits it. Another of Paul Cardin's crossword compos is featured on a separate leaflet, and the next issue threatens readers with an adventure crossword with over 100 clues (gulp!) `1.50 bi-monthly printed magazine, A5 size, available from Tim Kemp, 36 Globe Place, Norwich, NORFOLK NR2 2SQ --- CRASH --- CRASH now seems to be getting back into its stride after the collapse of NEWSFIELD, its previous publisher. It's still targetted at the young market, but Ian Osborne is doing some fine work on the adventure pages, and would be even better given more space (as could the other glossy adventure columns). A quick plea to CRASH's Nick Roberts to let Ian have a go on their Sam machine when there's any Sam adventure software stuff around! --- SINCLAIR USER --- Pete Gerrard's adventure column carries on as usual. It's quite good, but seems to be half full of serialised solutions. Both CRASH and YOUR SINCLAIR adventure columns seem more lively and active, but Pete's column is still better than most of the magazine. --- YOUR SINCLAIR --- Tim Kemp has settled into the adventure section with great ease, and it's always a treat to read his words of wisdom, and see what special offers he has. One feature I've always like in the YS column are the illustrations (almost lino-cut designs) which are very good. Of particular interest to adventurers was the January issue, which featured a cover mounted tape of the GRAPHIC ADVENTURE CREATOR utility, available as a back issue. It's not up to PAW standards, but can produce decent Spectrum 48k adventures which can be snapped for Sam use. Worth getting if yo fancy trying out a bit of game writing without paying much. --- MICRO COMPUTER MART --- MICRO MART is now the only weekly computer publication, and seems to be doing quite nicely. Sam coverage is erratic, which probably reflects the erratic production of hardware and soft- ware for Sam. Even without any Sam-specific articles, it's always good to search through its hundreds of classified ads for any bargains. Well worth 60p most weeks, and no daft disks stuck on the cover. --- SINCLAIR AND SAM COMPUTING --- Issue Four of S. & S.C., reviewed on our previous disk, informed its readers that Issue Five would arrive before Christmas, and I'm writing this entry on 14th. January, still awaiting its arrival, which is not very encouraging! Initially, S. & S.C. aimed at being a monthly publication, then it trans- formed into a bi-monthly one. I wonder what it will be next. +++ DISK MAGAZINES +++ --- OUTLET --- Issue 53 (January) features all the regular items and columns, with an IQ test (I've avoided that so far!), a screen 'warper', Graph Plotter, Code Storer (as REMS), Balance Sheet and DEMOPIX 13 (complete with a sexist Page 3, as usual, but not too tasteless, I hope!) Brian Cavers mentions his GOLDEN COBRA adventure, which may be being re-written for Sam. A first-class, professional disk magazine, up to the standard expected by all the regular readers Monthly from Chezron Software, 605 Loughborough Road, Birstall, Leicester, LEICESTERSHIRE. LE4 4NJ `3.50 per disk, discount for subscriptions. --- SAM SUPPLEMENT --- Issue 16 has new text routines for paging, and a few new colours to brighten up the screen. It contains maps of Prince of Persia, more M/C lessons, a new version of Samscratch (version 4.0), a diary and a crossword. An enjoyable read, especially as it has a good write-up of our first disk - Thanks to Dave Tonks for that! Monthly magazine available from Brian Mumford, 57 St Saviours Road, West Croydon, SURREY CR0 2XE `2 per issue, `10 for six issues. --- FRED --- The regular mixture of programs and features. FRED doesn't have a fixed framework like OUTLET or SAM SUPPLEMENT, but is always an interesting mixed bag of items, this issue including Yahtzee, a disk utility/manager, M/C lesson 11, Xenon II sample, turtle graphics (impressive) and more. Available from: Colin MacDonald, 40 Roundyhill, Monifieth, DUNDEE. DD5 4RZ `1.50 per issue. --- ENCELADUS --- As is usual, ENCELADUS falls through my letter box, to be bunged into my Sam as quickly as possible to see if Graham Burtenshaw can continue to impress me with his disk mag. Yet again, he has succeeded, and I sit looking in amazement at such things as 'Surprise' (from ESI in Poland) which causes my jaw to sag in disbelief. Other features are Prince of Persia help and maps, a clever mouse-driven calculator, a filer program, text compressor, M/C lesson 3, Sam BASIC lesson 6 and much more. Published by Graham Burtenshaw, 6 Rawlins Avenue, Worle, Weston Super Mare, AVON. BS22 0FN `2.50 per issue ----------------------------------------------------------------