The
Advanced Lawnmower Simulator was a game for the
ZX Spectrum. It was made by Gardensoft in
1988, cost £14.95, and was featured on the
covertape of
Your Sinclair magazine's April issue of that year. The game was reviewed in the same magazine, gave it 9 out of 10 points, and received the
Megagame title.
The object of the game is to mow lawns, which are randomly generated. The graphics are pretty simple, but effective. The lawn is in front, with a house and the sun in the back. You can choose from a few different lawnmowers.
The game spawned a number of spin-offs and clones, including Advanced Lawnmower Simulator: The Trilogy and Football Janitor.
Although the review looked serious, when you tried the game from the covertape, it became quite obvious that it was all an April fools joke. Most of the lawnmowers were broken, and if you finally found one that worked, all you had to do was mow the lawn. The game was really written by Duncan MacDonald, who wrote reviews for Your Sinclair magazine, and apparently was also the cartoonist.
If you want to read the original review of this brilliant game, check out http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/advancedlownmowersimulation.htm