148: Gyron

Number 148
Gyron
YS Top 100: 93

3D graphics weren't so unusual on the Spectrum, but Gyron was a particularly smooth example. Still, was it strictly necessary, or was it all hype?

A complex plot can be simplified with the explanation that you must guide yourself through a maze, but complicating matters are two things: guard towers, and rolling spheres. The guard towers will zap you if you stray in their path, so you must use your laser to either destroy them or cause them to rotate, allowing you to pass. The spheres can kill you on touching them, and they roll around a set path, and since there is inertia in the way you are controlled, passing them harmlessly isn't easy. As with several other games in the list, Gyron needs to be loaded with LOAD""CODE (J, SymbShift+P, CapsShift+SymbShift then I).

I can see why this was a big deal on release: not only the attractive 3D graphics, but also two fiendishly difficult maze puzzles to solve (with an actual sports car awarded to whoever could complete it). Does it need to be in 3D, though? Not really, since it's essentially just a 2D maze, so the whole thing could have been done from the map view, but nevertheless, it's a game that you can definitely play today if you want an extreme challenge.

16K - No
48K - Yes
128K - Yes