THE FOOL'S ERRAND

 THE FOOL'S ERRAND is a series of 71 separate puzzles based on Tarot cards. The
puzzles include cryptograms, picture puzzles, jumbled words, a teensy bit of
arcade action, hidden letters and phrases, and logical thinking. The storyline
of THE FOOL'S ERRAND is a charming tale of The Fool searching for the fourteen
lost treasures of the world which have been disguised and hidden by The High
Priestess in the four kingdoms of the world: Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles.
(This review is based on the IBM-PC version; Macintosh version notes follow.)

 The Sun has given The Fool an old parchment map to help him on his journeys,
but alas, the map has been corrupted by The High Priestess and jumbled beyond
recognition. In order to complete his travels, The Fool must solve all the
puzzles in the first half of the story (56 in all), reassemble the map, and
then, using his skill in ferreting the obtuse clue, locate the fourteen
treasures hidden therein.

 Originally for the Macintosh, THE FOOL'S ERRAND was and is a masterful blend of
puzzle-solving and storytelling. The IBM-PC version is as exciting and
challenging as the Macintosh version, with an added extra: color! The picture
puzzles, Sun's Map, and indeed, all the puzzles in the PC game are a delight to
behold.

 Written by Cliff Johnson for Miles Computing's "Arcanum Series," THE FOOL'S
ERRAND is the best game I've ever played, bar none! Try as I might, I cannot
locate any offensive quirks or unreasonable logic. Even the arcade action is
pleasant. The puzzle of The High Priestess, while eyeball-bending, is not
frustrating. Klutzes of the world, take heart! As a member in good standing,
even I was able to solve them without becoming a perspiration-drenched bundle of
nerves.

 FOOL'S comes on four unprotected 5-1/4" diskettes. Copy protection is handled
by a code-wheel. When you start the game, you're given three pictures from the
Tarot to align on the wheel; the result will depict from three to five icons,
which you must then select from a menu displayed on your screen. While the idea
is clever, the code-wheel is flimsy; without proper care, it won't last long. In
other words, don't let your pet or children find it. The game can also be
installed on a hard disk to facilitate gameplay; one and two floppy-drive
systems are also supported.

 I encountered a slight bug in the installation program, but after some trial
and error, I was able to get going. (You're never asked to insert the "Puzzle"
disk during the installation. After the install routine is finished, insert the
"Puzzle" disk, and use the standard DOS COPY command to copy the puzzles to the
FOOL subdirectory.)

 Another problem that cropped up will aggravate VGA users. Although you can
select VGA as your monitor type, when you get past the copy protection look-up,
you'll receive an "Insufficient Memory" error. No matter how much RAM your
system has, you'll never be able to play the game in VGA mode. A friend had 2MB
of RAM and still didn't have sufficient memory to play in VGA mode, even after
removing all his device drivers and TSRs. However, don't fret: It's not really
VGA, but VGA in EGA clothing. Simply select EGA instead of VGA, and you'll be
able to play without further difficulties.

 And, finally, mention should be made of the inability to print out the story
after the Sun's Map pieces have all been found. Yes, it's on the menu bar (after
having been grayed-out during the entire game), and yes, it can be selected; the
problem is, you'll never be able to print it without some advanced magic. This
is unfortunate since the story contains scores of clues for completing both the
Sun's Map and the rest of the game. As with most things, though, there is a way
around this problem: You can always go back and read the story that corresponds
to the map piece or puzzle you're trying to nail down.

 FOOL'S supports keyboard, joystick, or mouse. I found the keyboard more helpful
than the mouse, except in several puzzles that require the quick action only a
mouse or joystick can effect. Fortunately, it's easy to save your game, change
your configuration from keyboard to mouse (or vice versa), and restore your
saved position to take advantage of the newly-selected input device.

 All problems aside, THE FOOL'S ERRAND is one heck of a game, and it always will
be. If you enjoy picture puzzles, cryptograms, card games, the elusive solution,
and sensory input, reserve a space on your game shelf for this one!

 MACINTOSH VERSION NOTES

 The Macintosh version of THE FOOL'S ERRAND is not copy-protected, and comes on
three 400K diskettes. There was a modicum of disk-swapping on the 512K Macintosh
I used, but not so much as to detract from the sheer playability of the game.

 Game elements in the box are the same as those in the IBM version except for
the code-wheel: None is needed.

 According to the game description on the back of the box, "Arcanum means 'the
mystery of mysteries,' or 'that secret knowledge known only to the initiate.'
THE FOOL'S ERRAND is only the beginning." If this indicates what I hope it does,
Mr. Johnson is busily working away, Tarot deck close at hand, writing another
enchanting tale of adventure.

 THE FOOL'S ERRAND is published by Miles Computing and distributed by Electronic
Arts.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253