Trashman

Trashman

Game No.	197
Voting	6.00 points, 8 votes
Developer	Malcolm Evans
Company	New Generation Software
Publisher	New Generation Software
Musician	Unknown
Release	1984
Platform	C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
Genre	Arcade
Gamemode	Single player 2 players (in turns)
Operation
Media
Language

Description[edit | edit source]

The game[edit | edit source]

Trashman is an arcade game which was originally made for the ZX Spectrum, in which you have to empty all trash bins in a street within the time limit (which is indicated by the bonus counter), without being run over by traffic. Complete 7 streets to receive a nomination for Trashman of the Year. Do this as fast and accurate as possible and collect all bonuses to get the highest score.

How to play the game[edit | edit source]

When you start in Staunton Lane, you have to pick up 5 trash bins. They're always in sight, either next to or at the back of a house. To pick up a trash bin, just walk over it. If you've picked up a full bin, you'll walk slower than normal. Walk to the garbage truck with the bin and walk against the back of the truck to empty the bin. Shaking the bin once is enough to empty it. Walk back to the spot where you've picked up the bin. When you walk across the spot, your trashman puts down the bin automatically. You'll notice that the garbage truck automatically moves upwards through the street, but it eventually will stop near the last house where you have to pick up garbage.

Accept invitations and collect your bonuses[edit | edit source]

When you've emptied a trash bin and delivered it back to the house and you've managed to do this without walking on the grass, while walking away from the house, a housekeeper will appear at the door, inviting you in with varying invitations. Always accept the invitation, as you'll receive a bonus (and therefore time) and a funny response (which sometimes is rather ambiguous, see the table below). Immediately leave after you entered the house. The amount of time you stay in won't affect your bonus in a positive way. Especially when you're in a cafe or a big house. Stay in too long and you'll end up with a stomach so full, you're barely able to walk. Or worse, you come out drunk, drifting about on the pavement!

Design[edit | edit source]

Start and level maps

Nice detailed streets, which you have to walk through vertically, from bottom to top. It starts off pretty easy; in the first level you'll have to collect 5 bins. It's easy to keep up with the garbage truck. But the streets will be longer, the garbage truck progresses faster and some cars or motor cycles drive insanely fast in later levels.

Titelbild
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7

Below screen shots of the streets from level 1 to the last level 7. But heck, just play the game!!


Level 1 Staunton Lane Collect 5 bins	Level 2 Pultney Street Collect 6 bins	Level 3 Grove Street Collect 7 bins	Level 4 Lyncombe Vale Collect 8 bins	Level 5 Widcombe Hill Collect 9 bins	Level 6 Lansdown Hill Collect 10 bins	Level 7 Milsom Street Collect 12 bins

Hints[edit | edit source]

Controls[edit | edit source]

Controls are very simple. The only thing you have to do is walk around.

To pick up the bin, walk over it.
To empty the bin your trashman carries, walk against the back of the garbage truck.
To put down a bin, walk over the spot where you've pick up the bin.
To finish a street/level, empty all bins and walk to the end of the street at the top of the screen.

How to get the highest score[edit | edit source]

There are some rules to follow if you want the highest score:

Do not get run over by traffic. If this happens, an ambulance will show up (suggesting you will recover from the crash), only to determine that you're dead and the game ends.
Do not walk on the grass ever. If you do, your bonus will decrease with a considerable faster rate. Bonus equals time limit. Furthermore, the housekeeper will stay inside, so you won't be able to pick up your bonus. And sometimes a dog appears from the house. The mutt tends to bite you. If it succeeds, you'll limp for a while, slowing you down considerably. Note that grass also appears to be direclty behind hedges, so avoid hedges!
Make sure you pick up all bonuses, especially from the big house (with the car park in front of it) and the cafe, but leave as soon as possible, otherwise you come out drunk and your Trashman is uncontrolable for some time.
Do not get hit by cyclists (who look like dogs, right?) on the sidewalk. They'll criple you and you'll limp for a short amount of time.

Solution[edit | edit source]

Complete all 7 streets within the time limit to be nominated for Trashman of the Year.

All the invitations from the housekeepers

Invitation	Response	Bonus
Come and see the computer my auntie gave me.	Oh good! I thought I might need a license for it!!	45
Do you think I'm a megalomaniac?	Just give me a ZX81 and I'll control the world	50
Could you look at my T.V.?	I meant mend it not watch it.	50
Do you want a tip?	That's got Trashman worried. I'm his tax inspector.	50
Take this thing away my son is obsessed with it.	No one will ever believe I've picked up a COMMODORE 64.	50
Have you seen that delinquent son of mine?	Yes, you're right, you could call him a Maniac Minor.	55
Do you want a copy of 3D Monster Maze?	What on earth did you expect? An original !	55
Can you help me with an anagram? It's I,ENIGMA .	I'm not good at anagrams. I can't even imagine the answer.	55
Come and look at my COMMODORE 64 with a 4 megabyte memory.	Only trouble is , I've forgotten where I wanted it for !	60
Give us a hand mate.	That was NOT funny applauding when everything collapsed.	60
Hello Trashman. Your move this week, I think	It might be quicker playing chess with a computer !	65
Please help me find my little doggy woggy.	Well at least I know where he's been!	65
D'ya wan' a game of space invaders?	Get out! Zapping the cat is not part of the game!!	70
Come and see our new puppy	We had our old dog put down - the last trashman bit him!!	70
Help! The curtains are on fire!!	32 flames came out of my dragon!!	75
Oh dear! What shall I do? My husband has been taken away!	He was a schizoid!	75
HELP! My pet llama's running amok upstairs!	That was an AWESOME experience!	80
Are you the chimney sweep?	Sorry, but you must admit you have the same complexion.	80
Help me! Sophie's drowning. Can you revive her ?	If you hadn't laughed, the goldfish might still be alive!	85
Are you delivering my Sinclair QL?	You asked me that last year!	95
Could you look at my Commodore 64 ?	Sorry I think the elephant got there first.	95
Do you want to play some games on my Spectrum?	That was Virgin on the impossible !!!!!	95
Hey, Bilbo, help me solve this adventure	You're no help .HOPPIT!	100
What's that you're smoking in your pipe ?	Ahhhhh commodore.	100
When is a door not a door?	When it's a commodore. groan...........	100
Want a quick game of scrabble?	O.K. I give in.TRASHMAN is a proper name.	100
s +++	Don't worry you're just too tense.	105
Come here I've got something for you.	I'm surprised he's not crawling after wolfing that lot down. +	130
Come here I've got something for you.	I didn't mean you to eat it.	130
Would you like a quick byte?	Good grief! He liked it.	150
Would you like a quick byte?	I'm surprised he's not crawling after wolfing that lot down. +	150
Trashman. Try today's special, Paradise isle	But some like fried egg floating in a sea of grease	170
Come in for a quick pint	Well, milk's better for you !	230
One for the road?	Hic *! :, _ %## hic ++	250
One for the road?	You're supposed to empty the bin not the barrel.	250
Fancy a swift ' arf ?	Hic *! :, _ %## hic ++	270
Fancy a swift ' arf ?	Last time I saw Trashman 'e were pi-eyed and wiv a sailor.	270

+ Having this response, your stomach's so full, you have trouble walking
++ Having this response, you're drunk
+++ Who knows what should be there???

Cheats[edit | edit source]

Unknown

Voting[edit | edit source]

Voting of the C64-Wiki-User (10=the best vote):
6.00 points at 8 votes (rank 800). You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
Lemon64	7	01 July 2018 - 34 votes

Reviews[edit | edit source]

reijkman: "Great game, quite hard to finish. Too bad it contains only 7 streets."

Camailleon: "Interesting idea for a game, the graphics are nice. The time limit for the first level is too short for my taste. After some time it get's monotouous, but this is a nice game to play in between."

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

Cover[edit | edit source]

Trashman (New Generation Software) Cover

Trashman (New Generation Software) Cover (old)

Trivia[edit | edit source]

Trashman was originally created and released for the ZX Spectrum in 1984, hence quite some invitations hint to Sinclair computers.
3D Monster Maze was the first 3D game for a home computer (the Sinclair ZX81), created by Malcolm Evans, who also created Trashman.
Maniac Minor refers to the ZX Spectrum game Manic Miner from 1983, which appears to be the first Spectrum game with in-game music.
"Bilbo" and "hoppit" refer to J.R. Tolkiens book The Hobbit
Space Invaders was one of the first shooting games, used in arcade machines. It was released in 1978.
Pi-eyed refers to a ZX Spectrum game where you have to drink booze to complete the game.
The cars in the game drive on the left side of the road.