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PUBLISHER: Toshiba-EMI DEVELOPER: Interphase RELEASED: 1985 FORMAT: Cartridge

Fathom was ported to the Japanese MSX computer by Interphase in 1985. The game was released on rom cartridge for the computer under the Japanese title "Ningyo Densetsu," which roughly translates into "Mermaid Legend." It was published by Toshiba-EMI in Japan and retailed for $44.99. This MSX version looks and plays exactly like the Colecovision and Commodore 64 versions of the game, so if you've played either of them, you've basically played this version as well. This is yet another one of the few versions of an Imagic title that was not available in the US. In Fathom, you take on the role of Proteus, servant to King Naptune, and your task is to locate the pieces of the king's Trident and then use it to free his daughter Neptina whose being held captive on the sunken ship at the bottom of the ocean. You'll take on two different forms - a seagull and a dolphin - each with its own form of play control. You can fly through the skies as a seagull and swim underneath the water as a dolphin in your attempt to locate these missing trident pieces. You have to capture seahorses and touch the floating clouds in order to locate these missing pieces of the trident. Once you assemble the trident, you can then swim down to the sunken ship and free the trapped mermaid. You then start the process all over again. The visuals in the MSX version of Fathom are top notch and among the best seen in the many different versions of this game. The erupting volcano and the sunken ship screens are particularly well done visually. The sound is also quite good, although there isn't much variety between the various sound effects. The play control is solid and very easy to pick up and play. About the only negative thing that can be said about Fathom is that it can become a bit repetitive after awhile since you basically perform the same tasks over and over again. But it's a lot of fun while it lasts.

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