Cosmic Wartoad

Cosmic Wartoad
Developer(s)	Denton Designs
Publisher(s)	Ocean
Platform(s)	ZX Spectrum
Release date(s)	1985
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player
Media/distribution	Cassette
System requirements 48K

Cosmic Wartoad was an action game developed by Denton Designs for the ZX Spectrum. It was published by Ocean and released in the UK in 1985. ^[1][2]

Gameplay and Plot

The queen of the cosmic wartoads has been kidnapped by the Rygellian Slime Beasts, turned into a human and is being held captive beneath the Slime King's Sludge Saw, which descends over the course of ninety minutes and will kill her if it is not stopped.

The player controls the Cosmic Wartoad as he attempts to rescue the queen. To achieve this he must travel across the Rygellian Timevoid, an 8x8 grid of "nodes", by entering a node, successfully completing the minigame within, and then entering an adjacent node, all the while collecting the eight pieces of the Cosmic Toolkit that will shut down the Sludge Saw. Each node contains one of several repeating minigames, which typically involve the Cosmic Wartoad fighting one or more enemies on a pseudo-isometric screen.

The game finishes either when the Cosmic Wartoad successfully collects all eight pieces of the Toolkit and navigates his way across the grid to shut down the saw; when the Cosmic Wartoad loses all of his three lives; or when the ninety minute game period expires.^[3][4]

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews on its release. Crash awarded it 88%^[3], Sinclair User gave it four stars (out of a possible five)^[4], Your Sinclair scored it 8/10^[5] and Your Computer rated it 3/5^[6].

References

1. ^ Cosmic Wartoad at World of Spectrum
2. ^ Cosmic Wartoad at MobyGames
3. ^ ^{a b} "Cosmic Wartoad". Crash (Newsfield Publications): pp. 137. March 1986. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue26/Pages/Crash2600137.jpg. Retrieved 2011-07-27. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Bourne, Chris (March 1986). "Cosmic Wartoad". Sinclair User (EMAP): pp. 49. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue048/Pages/SinclairUser04800049.jpg. Retrieved 2011-07-27. 
5. ^ Hughes, Gwyn (March 1986). "Cosmic Wartoad". Your Sinclair (Dennis Publishing). http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/cosmicwartoad.htm. Retrieved 2011-07-27. 
6. ^ Beesley, Simon (February 1986). "Cosmic Wartoad". Your Computer (IPC Electrical-Electronic Press): pp. 31. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=YourComputer/Issue8602/Pages/YourComputer860200031.jpg. Retrieved 2011-07-27.