Gyroscope (video game)

Gyroscope is an action video game published by Melbourne House in 1985 for the Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. It is based on the Atari Games arcade title Marble Madness. Melbourne House would go on to publish the official ports of Marble Madness for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, but these were not based on Gyrosope.

Gyroscope
Acorn Electron cover art
Developer(s)	Catalyst Coders
Publisher(s)	Melbourne House
Programmer(s)	John Nixon & David Wainwright (Acorn) "Dubree" (C64) Steve Lamb, Tony Mack & Dave Dew (Spectrum)
Platform(s)	Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
Release	1985
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single-player

Gameplay

The gameplay is very similar to Marble Madness except the player controls a spinning gyroscope rather than a marble. The game is presented in isometric 3D. The player must guide the gyroscope from the top of the course to the bottom within an allotted time limit. If the gyroscope topples off the edge, a life is lost. Hazards on the course include potholes, aliens and glass slopes which cause the gyroscope to spin in random directions. There are five courses consisting of four screens each. The gyroscope must land on a marked square to complete each level.

Reception

Award

Publication	Award
Crash	Smash![1]

Reception

Your Sinclair gave the game 9/10,^[2] praising the 3D graphics. It was also placed at number 77 in the Your Sinclair top 100.

Electron User gave it a score of 6/10, again praising the graphics, but complaining about a number of bugs spoiling "what could be a very good game".^{[citation needed]}