Shaken but Not Stirred
A text adventure featuring James Bond against Dr. Death.
Shaken but Not Stirred is a 1982 text adventure developed and published by Richard Shepherd Software for the ZX Spectrum in the United Kingdom. The game is based on the fictional spy character James Bond.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Richard Shepherd Software
- Series
- James Bond (unofficial)
- Platforms
- ZX Spectrum
- Released
- 1982 (UK)
- Genre
- Interactive fiction
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The player assumes the role of James Bond and must thwart a plot by Dr. Death, who threatens to destroy London with a nuclear warhead unless a ransom is paid. A cutscene shows a jet and its warhead being stolen. After a briefing from M, the player selects three weapons from Q's arsenal to use against enemies. The first stage requires traveling worldwide to collect clues in the form of anagrams, which reveal the location of Dr. Death's island base. Enemies in this stage include midgets, muggers, priests, and unidentified packages. The player can return to London to restore health and ammunition. In the second stage, the player searches for the entrance to an underwater lair, with no ability to return to London. A secret stash of Benzedrine can replenish health. The island's locations are connected, allowing map construction, but they change each time the stage is replayed. Enemies include scorpions, sharks, and wolves. Upon finding the lair's entrance, the player enters a 10 by 10 room three-dimensional maze. The goal is to locate the control room to disarm the warhead while avoiding the unbeatable enemy Paws and a midget named Tic Tac. A map of the maze can be used up to three times, appearing for 10 seconds each use. In the control room, a puzzle minigame must be won to defuse the warhead. Bond then returns to London for a vodka martini prepared shaken, not stirred. Progress can be saved once, but no further saves are allowed after loading a saved game.
Reception
Phil Garratt of ZX Computing called it the best program from Richard Shepherd, noting its abundance of content. He criticized that all graphics are reserved for the final section, which is very difficult to reach, and that sound is underused while the RND function is overused. Garratt also objected to the use of drugs to restore health, stating he did not recall James Bond taking drugs and questioned whether such an idea should be in a game. Computer and Video Games praised the game for having the authentic feel of a James Bond novel, describing it as a realistic 007 adventure that successfully recreates Bond's world on a computer. Sinclair User described it as a fast-moving, machine code adventure, but noted that stage one can become monotonous due to frequent deaths and that random elements hinder strategic planning.
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