The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 194

we Games SIN from Monday night Download a demo of SIN, the long-awaited action adventure, -at www.smh.com.auicongames.html Rev-head heaven if. xrr' REVIEWS CIRCUIT BREAKERS Runs on: PlayStation Category: Racing Players: 1-4 Publisher Mindscape Distributor GT Interactive Price: $79.95 Classification: Special requirements: memory card, dual shock compatible Rating: HE simple things in life are often the most enjoyable. This maxim applies to console games, and in Circuit Breakers we find a simple, tried-and-true formula (an overhead perspective racing game) that provides endless fun. Similar to CodeMasters' classic Micro Machines series (except the vehicles aren't so micro), Circuit Breakers provides tight control, well-designed tracks and superb graphics (complemented by the smooth camera angles). There are a variety of racing environments, including desert sand, tarmac, ice, swamp and water (both above and under the surface), plus a selection of weapon power-ups (including exhaust cloud, glue, oil slick, fire bomb and suicide bomb).

It will take a while to master the single player mode (more tracks are unlocked when you place first in a race), as the computer controlled opponents won't give up easily, but it is in multiplayer mode where Circuit Breakers really catches on fire. Up to four friends can race together on the same screen, with the action continuing until only one car is left standing. This is tense, palm sweating, highly competitive gaming action at its best. STUART CLARKE MARKET WATCH 1 it fill Si I Consoles Stuart Clarke rallies his troops and gets blown away. MECHCOMMANDER Runs on: PC (Win9598) Category: Action strategy Players:" 1-6 Publisher Microprose Distributor Microprose Price: $89.95 Classification: G8 Special requirements: 133MHz Pentium 4xCD-R0M Multiplayer requires 32MB RAM Rating: QOOO "HE Battletech universe was created in I 3 1984 as a combat board game.

It was an immediate hit with the freaky role-LJ playing games crowd (think Dungeons and Dragons). There are now novels, a line of toys, an animated TV show and a hugely popular series of trading cards based around the fantasysci-fi world. Battletech has been simulated before on the PC, in the Mech Warrior series of combat games that have sold five million copies worldwide and generated more than $US70 million ($115 million) in sales. MechCommander (the first Battletech game to be produced by Microprose) is quite a different beast to Activision's Mech Warrior 2, where the player viewed the action from the perspective of one of the giant Mechs. This time around there's an overhead viewpoint, with the player controlling the destiny of up to 12 Mech Warriors at a time.

tShe electronic video games market has taken than $100 million has been spent on games consoles in the past 12 months, with a further $150 million spent on games software, according to figures compiled by GfK Marketing. The show is dominated by Sony and Nintendo. Aggressive pricing by retailers saw both the PlayStation and N64 consoles selling for less than $190, with PlayStation currently outselling N64 by two to one. Sales of Sega's Saturn have slid, however, the company is scheduled to launch a new 128-bit console next year. According to GfK, in May, the top-selling This makes it feel a bit like Command Conquer-style real-time strategy, but the big difference is there's no resource management (ie building up bases and troops).

In MechCommander you're in charge of finite resources and must apply clever tactics to survive and overcome opponents. The strategies you can employ are almost limitless thanks to the high level of environmental interaction: players can burn through thick forest, order air-strikes and salvage enemy resources from the battlefield. There's a healthy amount of realism, each Mech has a distinct voice and personality and gains experiencend combat capabilities with each successful mission. If a Mech has been damaged in one mission this will show up on the next mission (unless you repair it, of course), so each Mech needs special consideration. While the in-game graphics might not impress when you first lay eyes on them, wait until you press the Zoom button and get a closer look.

Now we're talking! The Mechs are beautifully animated (while moving and in combat), and the hulking machines are so detailed that you can see the individual weapons they are carrying. Even the finer detail is included: Mechs leave footprints in the ground and simply stomp over small trees. The missions are varied and challenging. The opposing Mechs will give strategy veterans a tight battle, while the single player missions will keep tacticians happy. Long-term fun can be had in MechCommander's multiplayer mode.

Up to six players can play co-operative or competitive matches via modem, local area network or the Internet, with multiplayer missions available at www.mechcommander.com MechCommander is one of the most enjoyable PC actionstrategy experiences around. It will please Battletech veterans, realtime strategy fans and newcomers alike. And I didn't even have room to rave about the awesome introductory cinematic to the game -truly stunning. PLAYSTATION 1. Gran Turismo 2.

Platinum Crash Bandicoot 3. Resident Evil II 4. Platinum Tekken II 5. Platinum Tomb Raider N64 1. Goldeneye 007 2.

Yoshi's Story 3. Mario Kart 4. Super Mario 5. Diddy Kong Racing JVXEAYf' i Microprose has 20 copies of MechCommander to give away 10 here and 10 at Icon's Web site. To be in the running here, answer the following question: What do Mechs do to small trees? Write your answer, with your name, address and postcode on the back of an envelope and send it to Mechs Competition, PO BOX 1683, Neutral Bay, 2089, NSW by last post Friday, July 31.

Surfers who want to win a copy should go to Icon's Web site at www.smh.com.auicon and register in the e-draw. Names of all winners will be published on our site. Education LOST IN SPACE -ANIMATED LEARNING ADVENTURE Price: $39.95 Ages: 7-11 Category: Science Runs On: MacintoshWindows Distributor Dataflow, ph 9417 9700 I'm ready for Windows 98. Are you? I "i 1 4Hq l.rias Anne Glover -cr Cybcrchild flrE start out deep in space, not lost, but with a vital mission. Our role is to find a suitable planet for human colonisation.

In our search for the perfect planet we look for water If. Where's Lost In Space fans will be disappointed. science, and we can return to the games whenever we like. Lost in Space fans may be attracted to this title, but they are likely to be disappointed. It's a science adventure, not an interactive movie.

The science, the games and even the images have little to do with the movie or the TV series. Kids who are into space and science will appreciate the title more than fans of the movie. Anne Glover is a teacher, consultant and author of Computers and Your Kids ($19.95 from ABC Books). and evidence of carbon, we analyse rock samples and check out photos. We also learn a little about igneous rocks, nebulae and pulsars.

Interrupting all this learning though, is plenty of action. From the start we need to navigate through an asteroid belt, then direct a battery-operated robot as it collects surface samples. Next we drop our instruments on targets. It's not easy, but after a few tries, we get the hang of it. A game appears after each chunk of Norton Utilities: the number one problem solving software.

It's Windows 98 compatible, with a simple click on So you'll be ready to get the most out of your new operating system. BOTTOMUNE PC games are reviewed on a Compaq Presario 4830: Pentium II 266MHz 64Mb. Performance can be affected by computer speed. 14 icon SMH JULY 25, 1998.