The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 30

27 COMPUTER AGE TUESDAY 30 AUGUST 1994 THE API Holy, wafers, Dracula's here! Sega parks virtually here There's no handicap with golf on the Mac Brant StoMrt Dracula Be a winner around a coffin. There's bound to be a zombie, skeleton or some other miscellaneous undead hire wandering around. You start the game armed with a pistol and ten silver bullets. Ordinary lead won't kill the dreaded Count, of course. But, if things get desperate you always can resort to your knife, though it isn't recommended.

The game is played Doom-style, which means you look through the eyes of Jonathan Harker. This, unfortunately, is where the similarities with Doom end. Unlike Doom, you cannot set the playing area to full screen. Instead you're stuck with a thick frame that, while it provides lots of useful information, takes up more than 30 per cent of the screen. The graphics themselves are not too bad just not up to Doom standard.

For a start they're a little too chunky, especially when you get close to an object This may be acceptable in a full-screen game, but not in a game with such a small viewing area. I was a little surprised by this standard of graphics, as Psygnosls have a pretty good track recprd on this aspect of their games. The impaled humans suspended in mid-air create an eerie atmosphere, which is added to by a gothic-sounding harpsichord and organ style soundtrack. As with Doom, the sound effects footsteps, gunshots, screams and groans really add to the game. Another thing I liked about Dracula was the interface.

It was very easy to target enemies using the mouse. It would have also been easy to move around, except for the multitude of dead trees blocking the path. Dead trees? Funny, I thought blood and bone promoted vegetable growth. I would have liked a greater variety of monsters, and mavbe more characters from the movie; perhaps a few GIFs of Winona Ryder. Comparing 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' with a real classic like Doom may not be quite fair but, if the shoe fits Jed Bowtell Mortal Kombat, Aliens Versus Predator, and Atari's answer to Virtual Racing, the much-vaunted Chequered Flag, have been held back from release month after month.

Atari was embarrassed at the release of their CD-Rom drive for the Jag.Not only was it lacking CD-Rom software, but the unit being introduced to the press in Europe exploded as it was being demonstrated by Atari's managing director, Sam Tramiel, Finally, having recently been introduced to the delights of PC gaming, I thought I would let you good sim fans in on a great tip which will give you total mastery of Settlers. In order to keep your foes pinned down, and low on resources for the development of their weapons, encircle them with your own constructions, build six armory workshops in the encircling group and watch your enemy suffer at the hands of your blockade's stranglehold. Also, make sure your castle is always well garrisoned with at least 50 troops so that inevitable incursions can be weathered without stress. Enjoy the Medieval mayhem on your PC. PC iu Category: Action Yet to Declassified IT HAS been said before, but I'll say it again: games based upon movies have bite and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' is no exception to this rule.

I can just imagine the creative meeting that spawned this puppy. Ideas man says: "Dracula's big with the kids. Let's get a Dracula game out quickly." Marketing guys are ecstatic. The head man gives the green light and, lo, here the game, and there you are as Jonathan Harker who has to find Dracula and destroy him. This is not as easy as it sounds.

Along the way you have to destroy a number of coffins which provide Dracula with power. The coffins can.be destroyed by throwing holy wafers on to them. These coffins also act as portals by which Drac's evil minions enter1 from the other world. So, watctt- youc back when you're THIS week we have two copies of Bram Stoker's Dracula (PC), two copies of Links Golf (Mac), and two copies of Desert Fighter (SNES), to be won by different readers. To be in the draw simply send a Computer Age masthead, together with with your name, address and daytime telephone number to: Computer Age, 441 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004.

The name of the game you would like to win must be on the back of the envelope. All mail must reach us by the Friday following day of publication. Winners will be notified and announced in next week's ComputerAge. Desert Fighter offers a good, cathartic, destructive gaming experience to the console gamer who is after something special. There are two basic elements to this jaunt, which pits you against Zarak (the friendly neighborhood Saddam clone), and they are both rather well done.

First, there is the tactical mapping, and menu-based component, where you choose your weaponry, receive reports from intelligence, and even check the latest news bulletin from CNN. This component of the game features well presented digitised video for the news broadcasts, which really push the SNES to the outer reaches of its technical capacity. Now, having decided which of Zarak's toys you wish to disassemble, it is time to get those feet off the ground and start serving up a maelstrom of firepower. This is where Desert Fighter really comes into its own, as the game system is realistic, intuitively designed, and features some of the most satisfying explosion samples to be heard on the SNES. The speech synthesis is also very clear, and you get a sense of urgency when you are flying a combat mission through the constant battle chatter on the flight radio.

Desert Fighter gives you the choice of a slow, but lethally armed A10 Thunderbolt, or a F15 Strike Eagle, and the- choice depends, principally, on your player confidence and the objective you intend attacking. Christmas shopping lists have just got a little longer! Steve Polak SEGA looks set to expand its role in the local games industry. Kevin Bermeister, the managing director of Sega Australia, recently revealed plans for Sega theme parks that contain an assortment of amusement amenities; including standard coin-operated videogames, virtual-reality rides and pinball machines. Sega already operates theme parks in the United States and Japan, and if these are models for Sega's ventures here, we're very likely to see Sega's VR-1 virtual-reality platform taking pride of place. This if that it can be called, is undoubted flagship of Sega's VR applications.

It is a spacecraft simulator able to hold more than 30 people. Gamers keen to try out this experience will be able to immerse themselves in the world of inter-galactic conflict through the use of VR equipment such as VR helmets, Dolby Surround Sound headsets, and "rumble seats" (similar to Sega's Virtual Racing active pneumatic driver's seat). Theme parks, each of them costing perhaps as much as $50 million, will be built in all the major capital cities of Australia, with Sydney the first location. Sydney could be operational by early next year and Melbourne up and running less than a year later. Meanwhile, if you are an Atari fan, the news is not nearly so rosy.

The Jaguar seems to be lagging in the development of software titles to the point where it may have missed its opportunity. Long-awaited titles, such as Tbpline soccer graphics and action Last week's winners Last week's winners were I. Liew of Noble Park, M. Joiner of East Doncaster, T. Nicol of Mt.

Eliza, H. Kirby-Miller of St. Arnaud and T. Hueston of Shepparton. Last week's winner of the Audiowave soundcard was N.

Marshall of Western Gardens. LINKS PRO, arguably the best golf game on the IBM Is now available for the Mac pack and It really illustrates the ability of the Mac as a games platform. It has smoother player animations and a higher overall running speed than the original PC version. It has been classified G. Links Pro's great depth and realism makes It the golf game for serious Indoor swingers.

At first, newcomers 30-handlcap dlvot-dlggers may feel a little overwhelmed by the gameplay mechanics and all of the options on offer. But, persevere, and you will find your way to a jewel of a game, Just as I did. There are obvious shots, like the putt and the straight drive, but the more adept players can hit 'draws' and 'fades', or even go for a little cldp on to the putting green to escape the grasp of the rough. You can even customise your favorite shots and save them for future use. Also, just to challenge office productivity, Links can be networked through Appletalk.

The sound In Links is pleasant enough, In a minimal sort of way. You will hear birds twittering in the trees before you tee off and, if yoirimake a good shot, club spectators will make encouraging noises, and if you duff a shot, you will get a public haranguing. Couple these atmospheric touches with smooth player animations bettered only by the FMV-capable 3 DO PGA Golf and the extremely well-designed point-and-click user interface and you have a definitive golfing experience for your Macintosh. Steve Polak Desert Fighter Rating: THERE'S a bit of deja vu about Desert Fighter there you are, out in the Middle East, dumping tonnes of high explosive on the evil Saddam and his fellow fiends; just another war simulation game. But, wait a moment.

Underneath that somewhat worn plot-line there lurks a very playable game. choose tails. Nine times out ten you'll win and start with control of the ball. The game is played under the watchful eye of a very enthusiastic and vocal crowd. Don't expect any ethnic tension or brawls perhaps the only area where some might feel the game lacks full authenticity.

You play the game from a 270 degree bird's eye perspective, rather than from directly above as in other soccer games. The graphics are rich, vibrant and very detailed, right down to the players' skin color. All in all FIFA SocceV is a magnificent game, and thoroughly to be recomended and, what's more, I've got through the whole review without once mention of the World Cup! Jed Bowtell Saving with donuts and the Beastie Boys shocking case of RSI. Of course, you can always save your game and continue it later. FIFA Soccer can be played either as an arcade-style game or a "simulation," depending on the options you choose.

Fouls can be set to none, inter-mediate or full. I prefer no fouls, as this allows you to go around tripping, pushing and committing other unsportsmanlike acts, without the fear of a red card. Godlike, you can also control the weather, making it dry, damp, wet, flooded or hot. You may. also decide whether your players get tired or play through at full power like 11 Arnold Schwarzeneggers.

Unless you're familiar with the rules of the game, you might like to disable the very confusing offside rule. The automatic goalie is also a god-send for tyro players. More experienced players switch it off and get fun from defence. The game begins with the toss of a com, and I'd suggest that you FIRS, Soccer PC ii Category: Sports simulation Distributor: Electronic Art Yerto be classified SPORTS simulations on the PC carl often be hit and miss affairs, but in the case of 'FIFA Soccer, Electronic Arts have come up with a definite hit. 'The first thing I noticed about the game was the flexibility it offers.

There are options for just about everything. In recognition of the multi-cultural nature of soccer, you can choose to play the game in any one of five languages, English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. You can select a team of almost any grade from lowly Hong Kong, through solid Poland to the near-perfect Electronic Art's team. Halfs can! be set for anything from two tb 45 minutes, though I'd opt for a maximum of 10 minutes, Unless you want a Sound deal! Multimedia Technology and Computer Age have another Audiowave Green 16 sound card to give away to a lucky reader. To be in the draw, send a Computer Age masthead, together with your name, address and daytime phone number, to: The Audiowave Sound Card Competition, Computer Age, 441 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004.

All mall must reach us by the Friday after publication. Winners will be notified, and announced in next week's Computer Age. SCREEN savers are an acquired taste. Some become totally addicted. Others scorn them as the trivial pursuits of the small-minded.

But, mostly, savers are a bit of harmless fun, and useful with it, provided they don't take up too much memory. If you have heard the 111 Communication, the latest album of the Beastie Boys, you'll know in a police car when a pile of chocolate donuts falls on to them from a c)oud. The Beastie Boys Screensaver is available from CompuServe (GO BEASTIEBOYS). There is no charge, except for the connect time. It takes about IB minutes to download at 9600bps.

Jed Bowtell they're not afraid to experiment. Further evidence of this is that the hip-hopmetalfunkhardcore hybrid act has just released its own Screensaver, featuring a montage of Beastie related images and lyrics, but unfortunately no music. It's off-the-wall, zany, stuff, but highly entertaining. On one screen Mike MCA and Ad Rock are seen driving along the ocean i Ok PC Develnners Expression of Interest for Provision of Information Technology Services. fa uinsiaenng uie move to cuemvserverr Limited budget and time for evaluation? a realistic no-noruenu solution itnow available.

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