Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    
    Excellent one or two player Game which uses the full screen. Very large
    colourful backgrounds actually look better that the Arcade machine.
    
    The Game is basically a Horizontal scrolling beat-em-up. Certain bad
    guys and gals carry weapons like knifes, chains, etc and when they are
    hit the weapon is dropped, this can then be picked up by you and used
    to brutal effect. I don't know how many levels there are but I will
    certainly taken more that 1 week to complete the game !!
    One player game is excellent and two player game is better. As you can
    hit you fellow player it usually ends up with a fight with each other
    for the best weapons. This does'nt help complete the game but it is
    great fun.
    Magazine reviews complained about jerky scrolling but this only happens
    when the screen is filled with about 10 Bad guys and when this happens
    you have more on your mind than jerky scrolling !!!
    
    Overall I think it is a great game which is a worthy piece of software
    for anyones collection.

    
    Personally I think that this must be the most over-rated game of the
    moment.
    Basically you have the choice of either driving your car around the
    speed track or the stunt track. The speed track consists of a few
    twists and turns and the odd hill thrown in for good measure, The stunt
    track has half-finished bridges, a loop-the-loop and a banked corner.
    The idea is to choose which ever track you want to race aroung and try
    to beat the lap record held by the "Blue Phantom". If you manage to
    beat the record you will race against the "Phantom" and if you win you
    become the Champ. Big deal !!!! The game is slow, has no addictiveness
    whatsoever and isnt worth the disk it's on. (Personal opinion)
    When you crash during the game you are "treated" to a replay of your
    last seconds, this sounds promising but is actually pathetic as you car
    usually disappears and also looks like a Lada even though the picture
    on the disk box is of a ferarri !!!!!!
    
    Overall : If you see this in the shop "Steer" clear and "Hard Drive" as
    quickly as possible in the opposite direction.
    
    					GEORGE
    
    

    
    I forgot to mention that you view the game from inside the Lada, sorry,
    Ferrari and have a 3D perspective of the world outside. There are also
    various other vehicles on the track which make life difficult.
    Still think it is a rubbish game though, and if you want a good driving
    game get TEST DRIVE 2 (The Duel).
    
    						George
    

    This is one of the crappiest games I've ever seen. The documentation
    is poor, the scenerio is too simple, there are ate least 2 sequences
    that cause it to crash, and it Gurus like nobody's business
    
    It's one ever-so-slightly redeaming feature is a couple of nice
    animation sequences
    
    score out of 10: 0.5

    For light-hearted entertainment with excellent animation , a catchy
    tune and oodles of levels to get through - quite addicting
    
    
    score out of 10: 8

    
    This is a Graphic Adventure similar in style to the Lesure Suit Larry
    games.
    The objectives of the game only become apparent when you start playing
    it and talk to various people but it's basically up to you to take up
    the small task of saving the Earth. The graphics in the game are superb
    and some of the backgrounds are breath-taking. The game is played
    completely with the mouse and all function and menu driven. It is a
    massive game which would give many hours of fun to adventure seekers
    everywhere.
    My only criticism is that some of the important objects dotted around
    the playing area are only 1 or 2 pixils in size which make for an
    eye-straining time looking everywhere.
    
    Overall ; A very good game which will satisfy not only those hard core
    adventurers out there but anyone due to its simple control set-up.
    
    						George
    PS, I have completed the first section and am near to finishing the
    second so anyone out there stuck in any of those could drop me a note
    here for some Tips. 

    
    If your after a shoot-em-up they don't come any better that BATTLE
    SQUADRON. It is a vertical scrolling game which can be played one or
    two players simultaneously. The idea is to shoot everything that moves
    then shoot the things that arn't, and basically that's it. Certain
    heavily armoured alien ships drop extra weapons when destroyed and
    these must be collected if you want to stay alive longer that 5 mins.
    Graphics and sound are arcade quality and the different backgrounds and
    aliens ensure that the game does'nt become repetative. The added bonus
    of two players give the game an extra dimension as you try to better
    each others scores.
    
    Overall ; this game knocks XENON II off the top spot as best shoot-em-up
    of 1989. Buy it or die .
    
    						George
    

    I agree with .2. Hard driving is terrible! The feeling of any sort
    of realism is just not there at all. The car handles like a pig
    and the there is no feeling of speed.
      For a more decent addictive driving game check out stunt car racer.
     The action and sound effects are great. Basically you race around
    a raised track against another car but you have LARGE jumps and
    other hazards to contend against as well. Sometimes I have to look
    away when sailing towards an upright, the resulting crunch makes
    your eyes water. There are plenty of save and practice options
    and a little manual with some background stuff. 8 out of 10

    
    If you like racing type games then Super Hang On is a must.
    An excellent conversion of the arcade original, keeping the same track
    layout and speed. Great grafix but sonix wise it could be better..
    
    8.5 / 10
    
    For all you bash 'em up lovers, IK+ is recommended.
    Instead of the usual one to one action, IK+ incorporates an extra chap
    to make things more interesting.  
    Excellent fun, especially when playing against a freind.
    Great animation and sound effects.....overall :  
                                                   
    8.5 / 10
                                                   

    
    
    
    	 Grand Prix Circuit: (Accolade)  Multi mode racing with arcade
    		quality graphics, and sound (though the sound could be
    		better).  Features "Practice Laps,  Single Race" or Circuit
    		Competition (10 races) for World Driving Championship.
    		You choose one of 3 cars, Ferrari, Williams, or McClaren,
    		whichever is best suited for the track (there are 10) your
    		on. Has 5 or 6 driving levels from novice (car shifts
    		automatically, no spin-outs etc) to Pro (watch that tire 
    		tread).  Requires a joystick and is copy protected (i.e. no 
    		hard disk, $$'s for a backup).  The controls are sensitive 
    		but you eventually get the hang of it.  The other driver at 
    		higher levels get nasty and will push you off the track if you
    		don't watch out for them.

    
    This is a a very classy motorbike racing simulation. The amination of
    the bike & driver is better (in my opinion) than super hang-on. It's
    fast and has fairly decent sound.
    It has loads of features including practice race, change rider details,
    enter championship, change track (there are about 20), pit stops to
    repair damaged bike , 5 speed manual gearbox, race against another
    amiga or ST via data-link.
    It also has some nice touches like keeping a record of your mileage and
    displaying it on the speedo when-ever you play again, your speedo
    needle and rev counter needle fall of if you have a crash, etc, etc.
    
    OVERALL ; a good racing game which has enough options to ensure it
    won't be gathering dust for a good few months yet.
    

    For those of you who enjoy the excitement of never reaching a goal
    try ROBOCOP.  The graphics are great and the scrolling perfect.  
    The story line of the movie is backround of the game and its done
    well.
    
    Here's the catch:  the documentation for what is ahead of you is 
    non-existent and the amount of time to figure out how to complete
    level upon level is great.
    
    For those who like strategy and constant action this is a must buy.
    
    							Skull

	Superb stuff from Cinemaware, based on a real 1950's shlock horror
	movie (radioactive meteor creates giant ants which terrorize small
	town).

	Excellent demo of amiga sound and graphics plus fun to play
 	and should install on a hard disk (for those who own one).

	paul p

	hint: when jackie offers to reward you in her own special way,
	      take her up on her offer...

    P.O.W - another "Operation Wolf" type game is great for shoot-em-up
    fans...
    
    The game loads fairly quickly and the player (one player only) 
    is sent to the firing range. the number of hits on man-size targets
    (both stationary and moving) are converted to a score which is
    used to give the player a ranking
    
    Private - the lowest rank sets the player up for the easiest mission
    a simple escape from a jungle, across a bridge and thru a swamp.
    
    Sarg    - A medium level mission - escape thru one of two paths
    via a village or swamp - harder than the first
    
    General - Rescue 6 POWs from a prision camp and escape thru a swamp
    and to a beach. 
    
    The sound effects and scrolling are superb. There is a huge variety
    of enemies and scenes to overcome; from helicoptors, tanks and
    incoming missiles to a variety of troops etc. Avoid hitting POWs
    and animals and avoid penalty points. An extra life is awarded after
    75,000 points. Shoot missiles, first-aid kits and ammo boxes for
    extra missiles, health points and ammunition.Either single or rapid
    fire. 
    
    My only nit with this game is that the rocket launcher (used to
    take out the heavy stuff like copters and tanks) uses the same button
    as the machinegun. This means if you aim at a tank and fire , a
    rocket will be fired whether you want it fired or not. Damned annoying
    when you can only carry 9 rockets at a time and you want to use
    them on helicopters (which move faster) and shoot tanks with the
    machineguns (they are slower and more predictable)
    
    Becuase of the nature of the game a joystick is unsuitable for
    playing (miles too slow) so you do have to use the mouse. Not
    reccommended for those with the early dime-store amiga mouse
    (the model without microswitches - just those silly little metal
    tabs) - I use a Naksha mouse and its response is superb. It's
    also robust enough to take a fair pounding...
    
    Uses only one disk but requires 1 meg memory - also doesnt have
    all the silly pictures between scenes that Plague Operation Wolf.
    Sneak thru jungle attack villages, cross swamps, disable radio towers
    free hostages and flee to beaches - all in all the best of its type
    that I've seen...
    
    Overall rating: 9 out of 10
    
     

    Not only does it install on a hard drive without any problem.  But, I
    see no sign of any copy protection at all.  I did not follow their HD
    install procedures exactly, since it made reference to a couple special
    programs to "get" and "set" the hard drive to install on.  When the
    installation procedures said to execute a command procedure from the
    floppy even after HD install, I though, oh it must key disk protected. 
    But I set up my own command procedure on the HD and it works without
    the original floppy.
    
    Another nice point is that all the digitized sound effects used in the
    game are in a subdirectory "sfx" as separate IFF sound files.
    
    re -1
    How is the response running from floppies?  Or are you using their ram
    installation procedures?  I almost gave up on Rocket Ranger because it
    was so slow from floppies.
    
    Have you checked out the flick playing at the drive-in?
    
    One last point, the game does provide a "save current position" feature,
    but it appears to allow only one outstanding save at any point in time.

    This is my current favorite game also. Perhaps we should dedicate a
    note for spoilers?

    
    Another rave review for Stunt Track Racer... this is the most addictive
    game I've played in ages.
    
    The fast polygon graphics will make you seasick.  As your car leaps and
    bounces over the track, the sensation of mass and inertia is uncanny. 
    The car even groans as the frame is stressed when cornering or landing.
    
    This game deserves a lot more press than it has gotten!
    
    Ed.

    Only thing I dislike about Stunt Car Racer is the lack of a soundtrack.
    When you win/lose a race a cheer would be nice to accompany the crowd
    picture?
    
    The vrum vrum is ok during driving, but I think it could be improved.
    
    Greg

    For a different type of game requiring a little more intelligence and
    thought: Try Omega Cybertank.
    You have to program your tank using a basic type of english oriented
    command language and then fight it against a computer run tank.  You
    can also build your own simulations where your tank fights against a 
    number of opponents or in team against team scenarios where you have to
    destroy the enemies headquarters.  
    The graphics are not very good and the sound isn't very realistic but 
    the designing and programming of your own supertank is addicting and
    very rewarding when you kick computer butt. If you like arcade style
    games then forget it. If you want something different and unique give
    it a try.
    Besides if enough of you get the game we can swap tank teams and let
    them battle it out togeather. I am now in the process of alpha testing
    the AI for a five mode attack method which I hope, maybe, should handle
    almost any situation including multiple tank attacks. The next step is
    setting up the comm links for multiple tanks working in tandem against
    an enemy multiple tank team.
    
    Try it out. Its great!

    Re .17
    
    Hear, hear!  Stunt Track Racer has been stealing all of my spare
    minutes in the last week or so.  Fun stuff.  Not gorgeous, but fun.
    
    
    

    re :-.2 the Cybertank game sounds similar to a game that used to be
    available for Apple IIs years ago. The idea was you would program a
    robot (s?) for combat using a simple language. I read a review of it
    and it sounded good but never managed to buy a copy.
    
    Mike

	Anybody managed to rescue Jessica from Judge Doom ?

	(from the father of a 5 year old who believes his old
	 man is mentally deficient because he can't figure it out...)

	 paul p 

    Yet another vote for Stunt Track Racer. Picked it up Saturday at
    System Eyes. As a previous reply said, it's not elegant, but it sure
    is fun. This game won't be all that easy to master at the tougher levels. 
    Some of the tracks in the advanced divisions are gonna be real tough to 
    win on. It's nice to be able to practice on any track in any division.
    They'll take some time to master.

    I too found myself wincing as the car came crashing down on the track
    after being airborne. And some of the tracks just might tend to get you 
    a wee bit seasick. The Roller Coaster is appropriately named. (My wife 
    refuses to watch).

    One minor complaint is the lack of rearward vision when backing up. 
    Sometimes after falling off the track, the crane repositions you too
    close to a break that needs to be jumped, requiring you to back up to
    get a good running start. But since you can't see where you're going, 
    you sometimes fall off another edge. Guess that's the nature of the 
    sport. This one's great fun and will get a lot of play time.

							-Dom

    Is it my imagination, or does that drawbridge on the aptly named 
    Drawbridge track actually move up and down? I wasn't all that awake
    last night (another one of those "just one more race" nights up til 
    2am ;-). The more I play this game, the more impressed I am with it. I 
    especially like the little touches such as being able to get one wheel 
    off the edge of the track, watching the sparks fly & having to fight 
    with the car to keep it on the road. If you like ski jumping, roller 
    coasters and auto racing, you'll love this game. The key is remembering
    what speeds are needed to time your jumps properly to do as little
    damage as possible to the car. 

    Looking thru the recently uploaded Abel price list, I notice that there's
    Stunt Track Racer (MicroPlay) (which I reviewed) and Stunt Car Racer 
    (MicroProse or MicroStyle, Abel can't seem to decide). Is Stunt Car Racer 
    just a variation on the same theme? Just curious. (Not that I need yet
    another racing game). This one will keep me happy for quite some time.
    Would be real nice to see additional track disks available.

							-Dom

    For those of us who like to bang our heads on tables/walls over
    mind-boggling puzzles and crazy scenes (hey - Where did everyone
    go????) ZORK ZERO from Infocom is a MUST!!!!!!
    
        With many of the original characters mentioned, but with a WHOLE
    NEW RELM, ZZ is a must for aventure game lovers or folk with a slightly
    warped sense of humour (or both: Like me!! ;^)
    
    Dimwit Flathead, King and Ruler over the GUE (Great Underground
    Empire) has finally outdone himself. He had a 9 Bloit high statue
    of himself erected in Frobozz Park. Unfortunately the spot he chooses
    for this Object d'art is the favourite meditating place of Megabozz
    a powerful wizard. Megabozz gets really upset and casts a curse
    over Dimwit, his 11 siblings and the entire GUE. Flatheads own 
    Magicians manage to put a stay on the curse for 94 years but in
    the process, Dimwit kicks the bucket. The 11 remaining members of
    the royal flathead family also perished shortly afterward. 
    
    Before his demise, Dimwit issues a proclamation offering half his
    vast kingdom to anyone who can break the curse. Many try;none suceed.
    But you have something they dont; a scrap of magic parchment which
    an ancestor of yours found, fallen from the pocket of Megabozz on
    the fateful day, 94 years ago. 
    
    And thats how it starts. Hundreds of rooms, scenes and characters.
    Play Double Fanucci, explore the underside of the world, find secret
    passages, get killed, solve riddles and puzzles, laugh heartily
    and generally have a good time. 
    
    Special features include :
    
    o Scripting (dumping to printer, all commands and command results)
    o Auto-Mapping of areas within the game (though maps are for viewing
      only)
    o Save/restore Feature
    o Hints - for when you REALLY get stuck
    
    Package includes, Parchment scrap, Construction plans, Flathead
    Calender, full instructions etc...
    
        ie: All the usual from Infocom
    
    Rating: 9� out of 10
        
    In Frobs We Trust
    
    Phil    

    Re: .24
    
    What kind of interface does Stunt Track Racer use to control the
    stunt car?
    
    More specifically, can you use the mouse to steer the car?
    
    Thanks,
    Barry.

    
    Joystick or keypad.  No mouse control.
    
    I prefer joystick.
    
    Ed.