Even grabbing a cuppa in this place isn't safe.
A video game released in late 1984, for the ZX Spectrum and the Amstrad CPC, very much in the mould of (and almost certainly inspired by / owing its existence to) Jet Set Willy.Ted is a technician at a chip fabrication plant. He must go around the plant, doing various tasks, and complete the last task before the end of the working day.
Had a sequel, "Technician Ted in Costa Capers" (usually shortened to just the last two words), in which Ted goes on holiday using the hard-earned dosh from the first game.
When the 128K Spectrum came out, this game was revamped as "Technician Ted: The Megamix", This version didn't do nearly so well as the original.
Tropes:
- Alliterative Name: The "Silicon Slice Store".
- Alliterative Title: The title.
- Artifact Title: According to the original's in-game title screen, this game was supposed to be called "The Chip Factory".
- At least one reviewer (who clearly hadn't played the game very much, or else hadn't paid attention) thought that the factory made potato chips.
- Dead-End Room: "Down In The Sewerage" is a classic example.
- No OSHA Compliance: The factory Ted works at is a far more dangerous place than any real-life factory would be allowed to be.
- One-Hit-Point Wonder: As with Jet Set Willy, touching any hazardous object or falling too far will kill you, and if the fall is into another room it's Game Over.
- Shout-Out: One of the rooms is called "Surbiton Colliery".
- Standard Snippet: The 48K version plays the "Blue Danube Waltz" on the title screen. Both versions play the "Radetzky March" as the in-game music.
- Timed Mission: You have only 8½ hours of game time (just over 40 minutes of real time) to complete the game. As if this wasn't bad enough, some tasks (termed "Megaquick") have a tight time limit of their own.
- Unwinnable by Design: The authors took Jet Set Willy's annoying "infinite death" feature and deliberately used it to construct death traps. After the second cycle of a death loop, the game even shortens the loop to just the "splat" part.
- Write What You Know: The authors worked at a Marconi chip fabrication plant, and the gameplay and graphics (though hopefully not the hazard level) reflect this.
