Treasure Trap. (computer game) (evaluation)
by Barry Bernesal

In Treasure Trap, you control the movements of a diver searching the sunken HMS Esmeralda for a horde of lost gold. Local creatures have established squatter's rights since 1856, however, and don't take kindly to your interrupting their daily schedules. You have no map, no weapons, no keys, and a very limited supply of air. Additional air tanks are scattered throughout the ship's I 00 rooms, but you don't know where, and the electric eels approaching you aren't about to tell you.

At first glance, Treasure Trap resembles a more sophisticated Mario Brothers with its jumping hero, points (gold) to collect, moving objects, and deadly creatures. But this game's graphics are far superior, with detailed ship hulls and bulkheads and shadowed highlights that provide good 3-D effects. The graphics suffer on a CGA-equipped machine, but the and VGA versions are stunning

The graphics get support from a plot right out of Jaws. Electric eels, stingrays, hammerhead sharks, and piranha all try to make an easy lunch out of you. Beyond the unfriendly marine life, there are also whirlpools that instantly transport you to unknown surroundings. Add to all of this the Esmeralda's secret car-go of some unknown substance, carried in leaking barrels and lethal upon contact.

One useful feature to this game is its optional key reconfiguration. Also included are abilities to toggle sound effects, remove shadowing (for speed), and the all-important pause control.

The original version of Treasure Trap used a key-disk copy-protection scheme that, in my use, did not operate as designed on one-third of the computers I tested it on. To the company's credit, it has since released a version without copy protection. If you bought the first version and are having problems, you can exchange it for free by returning your original disks, along with a brief explanation of your problem, to the company's Baltimore offices (see address below).

Arcade addicts will be tempted by Treasure Trap's breathtaking visuals and playful brainteasers. And once they give in to that temptation, they can anticipate a lot of undersea fun.

IBM PC and compatibles, 640K RAM,

CGA, EGA, or VGA-$39.95

Also available for the Amiga $39.95) and

Atari ST ($39.95)

ELECTRONIC ZOO

3431 -A Benson Ave.

Baltimore, MD 21227

(301) 646-5031