Thunderbirds computer games
The 1980's
| Thunderbirds
Publisher: Firebird Year: 1985 Price: £3.95 Machines: ZX Spectrum (48K), Commodore 64 Type: Arcade/Maze Authors: John F. Cain, K.A. Moughtin |
Story: Guide Thunderbirds 1 and 2 though a maze to reach two trapped archeologists. To help on your mission you can carry items (up to a certain weight).
References - ZX Spectrum magazines
| Magazine | Issue | Feature |
| Your Spectrum | November 1985 | News |
| Crash | December 1985 | Review |
| Sinclair User | January 1986 | Review |
| Your Sinclair | January 1986 | Review |
| Your Sinclair | June 1986 | Tips |
| Your Sinclair | June 1988 | Hack |
| YS Smash Tips (Free booklet) | August 1988 | Hack |
| Your Sinclair | September 1988 | Hack |
| Your Sinclair | December 1988 | Hack |
Notes: For the first attempt at a Thunderbirds game it's OK but not spectacular. The graphics are OK, the Thunderbirds look very good it's just game play is a little thin.
The pokes give you unlimited fuel and lives. You can still be killed by crashing into each other or dropping blocks onto each other.
Pokes
| Feature | Address | Value |
| Infinite lives | 58927 | 0 |
| Infinite weight limit | 55985 | 0 |
| Infinite fuel | 59095 | 0 |
The Article in Your Spectrum runs as follows -
FIREBIRDS ARE GO
Mr Tracey: "Well boys, it looks like it's time to crank up Thunderbird
1 and 2. Our creators have flogged the rights to a game based on us to
Firebird."
Scott & Virgil: Firebird?. I hope ...
Mr Tracey: "Now, don't get
hysterical Virgil, I'm sure Firebird wouldn't dream of doing us as a silver
range game."
Mr Tracey: "Well boys, first of all you'll need to get out the Three-In-
One and oil down T2's launch pad. It'll never get off the moss on that
track."
Virgil: "Okay Mr Tracey"
Scott: "What's happening then, Mr Tracey?"
Mr Tracey: "It seems, boys, that a group of Egyptologists have got themselves
trapped in an ancient maze-tomb."
Scott: "You mean we've got to take out each stone, block by block to
save them?"
Mr Tracey: "Exactly."
Scott & Virgil: "Okay"
Mr Tracey: "Right boys, if you have any
problems then don't bother to ring me - I'll probably be tied up with Penelope
all weekend. Ring 01-379 6755 if you want more information, and remember,
anything can happen in the next 48K."
| Thunderbirds
|
Story: There are four missions which tell an overall plot. Each mission features two of the international rescue crew.
Mission 1 - Mine Menace
An explosion has destroyed the lifting gear in the Santa Pueuablo Mine
leaving two miners trapped. To make matters worse the mine’s water system
is damaged, unless fixed the mine will flood. Alan must reach the trapped
miners, while Brains stops the mine from flooding. Virgil waits in Thunderbird
2 ready to air lift the miners to safety.
Mission 2 - Sub Crash
The Oceanic Star, while on sea trials, is struck by a limpet mine.
It sinks to the bottom leaving only the Captain on board. The nuclear reactor
must be shut down and the submarine surfaced. Gordon and Alan must find
the key cards and correctly shut the reactor down, if it is not shut down
correctly it will explode.
Mission 3 - Bank Job
The mine is analyzed and the Thunderbirds must find out who planted
it. The records of the company that make the mine are held in the Bank
of England. The plans must be retrieved before the bank opens. For this
mission International Rescue calls on its two London agents, lady Penelope
and Parker.
Mission 4
- Countdown to Terror (According to the instruction booklet)
- Atomic Terror (According to the back cover blurb)
The evil Hood is behind the sub disaster. The Hood plans to launch
a nuclear missile if he doesn’t get 4 billion dollars (!) within 3 hours.
But that’s not all he also shot a film of the Thunderbirds rescuing the
sub and is going to sell it to the highest bidder! You must get the film
and stop the missile. Both Scott and Virgil fly off to his desert hide
out to stop him. Be careful! You may fire the missile off instead of stopping
it.
In each mission there is a time limit which gets less and less in each mission. The missions also get harder. You are allowed to take 4 out of 6 objects provided to use on your mission. Taking the wrong equipment could be disastrous!
References - ZX Spectrum magazines
There are so many references for this game that to save cluttering
up this page I have put them on a seperate page here.
Notes: Even now after all these years this game still looks fantastic. Each character is well defined and the animation is superb. People moan about the fact you didn't get to pilot the Thunderbird crafts but I think it comes out better for it. The Spectrum magazines seemed to like it as well. The game managed to get released on all formats. The PC version I am not sure on, it’s mentioned in the instructions.
There are two definite releases. The origianl release featured a free music tape of the theme and large fold out poster of the cover art work indicated by a yellow star on the front and box on the back. The first release also had a bi-lingual manual which has a letter from Jeff Tracy in the front. The second release removes all the promotional items and leaves the yellow boxes empty. The manual is also different, it is now just an English only leaflet and hasn't got the message from Jeff Tracy.
If this game had been more successful, a Captain Scarlet game may have been released.
Hints
After completing the mission you are given the password to the next
one. For those of you who want to know they are:
| Mission | Password |
| SUB CRASH | RECOVERY |
| BANK JOB | ALOYSIUS |
| COUNTDOWN TO TERROR | ANDERSON |
When starting a mission the objects you should choose are:-
| Mission | Character | Object |
| Mine Menace | Alan | Grease gun, torch |
| Brains | lamp | |
| Sub Crash | Alan | Aqualung, radiation pills |
| Gordon | Shark repellent | |
| Bank Job | Lady Penelope | Clockwork mouse, sleep spray |
| Parker | Stethoscope, dynamite | |
| Countdown to Terror | Scott | Dark glasses, super glue |
| Virgil | Dark glasses, gun |
During the late 1980’s the Spectrum magazine Your Sinclair ran maps of the four levels over two issues. Here are levels one and two, and three and four. (Warning, each scan is about 320kb !)
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Copyright. 1999 A.Rowe