Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 32

4E QUAD-CITY TIMES Sunday, Jan. 25,1998 MULTIMEDIA nor.iE pc (BEE MEETINGS Fun for you and 63 of your best friends Co- kelp, you 4tofr! 1st and 4th Thursday each month 7 p.m. 1 hour 2300 Spruce Hills Bettendorf 355-5371 ext. 235 359-7901 Open Eoun The area's Personal checks accepted Most major credit cards accepted BachelorBachelorette Parties Greeting Cards Videos Gag Gifts Novelties Books 3727 Hickory Grove Davenport largest adult bookstore SHOWS STARTING BEFORE 6 PM LATE SHOWS FRIDAY SATURDAY to sit more than 2 feet away from the screen as you play your favorite games. That's where the Princeton WK100 wireless keyboard comes in.

This laptop-computer-size keyboard uses an infrared receiver that attaches to your PC's keyboard port and picks up signals from as far away as 20 feet. It squeezes in all 104 keys found on a desktop unit, including two that are specific to Windows 95. However, while the letter and number keys are full-size, the function keys are tiny, and the cursor keys are so narrow that playing a keyboard-driven action game can be maddening. The WK100 keyboard also includes a built-in trackball and a pair of control buttons that aren't too awkward to use. But if you want both the keys and the trackball to work, you'll have to plug the keyboard's infrared receiver into your computer's mouse port as well as its keyboard port.

Fortunately, the unit comes with all the needed cabling, whether you use an AT- or a PS2-type connection, and it takes just a few minutes to set up. Still, because the keys are so small, be prepared to spend some time getting used to the keyboard. If you don't mind the cramped positioning of the all-important cursor keys, you'll be able to live with the under-size but less critical function keys. $119 (PC) from Princeton Graphic Systems, (800) 747-6249, (714) 751-8405, http:www.prgr.com. Each product is rated on a scale of zero to four stars.

like an ancient hard drive and the whole world is in need of a reboot. Players meet the two eccentrics who are eager to keep the Earth in working order after all, the last time they messed up, the dinosaurs disappeared, and no one wants to see a mistake like that again. It's up to the kids to get everything back on track. "I really want to play this game now," said Jessica, 14, after watching the introduction. "I like the flying cows.

They're funny." Unfortunately, the program itself "broke" before our testers got too involved in the world's problems. The bug we happened upon is one of several in the program, and it nearly ruined the fun: Clicking while certain actions were taking place invariably froze the game. Jessica spent most of the morning rebooting her system. Tips from the manufacturer's technical-support line and a readme file on the disk finally got us going again, and we were at last treated to a fantastic display as the world went haywire: Hurricanes churned the oceans, volcanoes spewed ash and the kids got their chance to explore 22 locations at the center of the Earth to find and correct what had gone wrong. The game's ending differs depending on the choices players make along the way, so they face new twists and turns every time they play Review the readme file carefully and you may be able to avoid the bugs; but be ready to call technical support for help.

If you're patient, there's a definite payoff. $44.95 (Windows 3.195 CD-ROM) from Houghton Mifflin Interactive, (800) 829-7962, (617) 503-4800, http:www.hminet.com. Princeton WK100 Did Santa come down the chimney with a giant multimedia monitor this year? If so, congratulations but remember, you'll probably want FALLEN Claw V4 What do Blood, Carmageddon, Duke Nukem and Quake have in common? They're all dripping with more carnage than a Quentin Tarantino flick not exactly family fare. But while a game called Claw may sound like more of the same, it's actually just good, clean fun. Better yet, this may be the best side-scroller available for the PC.

You're cast as Capt. Nathaniel J. Claw, a feline pirate of the seven seas under attack by the Cocker Spaniards, whose bite is just as bad as their bark. The king has put a rich bounty (one million gold pieces) on your head, dead or alive, and the Spaniards are here to collect. Your ship is sunk, and you're captured and sent to prison to await your execution.

There you discover a note detailing the story of the Nine Lives Amulet, along with a piece of the map that shows its location. Whoever holds this prize will become nearly immortal. You make a daring escape and begin your search for the rest of the map and the gems that power the amulet. Before you roll your eyes at the tired-sounding plot, take note: This entertaining game sports nearly 40 enemies with advanced artificial intelligence that allows them to learn tactics and strategies. For example, at first the dogs stand and shoot while you duck their fire; at the next level, they cleverly start shooting from a kneeling position.

Claw's 14 challenging levels also boast the best graphics ever to grace a side-scroller, thanks to a high-performance DirectX gaming engine. And the game takes multiplayer capability to an almost insane level: Claw supports 64 players on a local-area network or Internet-based Engage Games Online. Network play also has several cool features, including level racing (in which you can compete to achieve the best time or score across a level) and marathon-level racing (which spans multiple levels). If you're in the market for a fun, wonderfully addictive game that doesn't involve blowing brains out all over your screen, consider snagging Claw. $34.95 (Windows 95 CD-ROM) from Monolith Productions, (800) 381-3581, (425) 739-1698, http:www.capta.in-claw.com.

Sonic 3-D Blast Sonic, the "blue dude with a rTTTT77TTcnna BARGAIN MATINEE DAILY ALL CONTINUOUS SHOWS DAILY MILAN 11:55 2:30 5:05 7:4010:15 SAT. ISTE SHOW 12:40 MILAN 12:25 2:25 4:25 7:25 9:25 547: LATE SHOW 11:25 MILAN DAVENPORT 12:20 2:35 4:50 7:35 9:50 12:50 3:00 5:10 7:30 9:40 "Two Ris Thumbs I pr MILAN 12:30 3:15 7:15 10:05 SAT. LATE SHOW itnuw 1 1: LITTLE MERMAID SEVEN YEARS fPG-U 1 IN TIBET 1 1:10 5:55 7:55 1:30 5:00 7:30 DEVIL'S ADVOCATE Rj MORTAL K0M8AT 2 PfrTJ 1:05 4:55 7:30 1:00 3:05 5:45 10:00 8:00 10:00 AIR FORCE ONE THE JACKAL Kj 12:30 2:40 5:15 m-nn 7:40 10:00 235 10-00 FOR RICHER OR POORER PGOl 12:35 2:45 5:20 7:50 10:00 mhhh ALL TIMES LISTED FOR TODAY ONLY hh TUESDAY a 'tude," is the star of numerous Sega video games. Earlier this year, the heroic hedgehog made his PC debut, but to hear our testers tell it, his latest computer-game adventure carries him to new heights. "I love this game," said Joey, 10.

"I loved it on Sega Genesis. But it's better on the computer because you can actually see the movement like when you go across the bridge, you can see it shake up and down. It doesn't do that on the Sega. The water also looks more realistic, and there are different hazards." Like Joey, fans of the Sonic 3-D Blast video game will see much that's familiar in the CD-ROM version. There's a plot behind Sonic's race through the 20-plus levels.

Dr. Robotnik has captured the Flickies funky little cartoon creatures that resemble birds and is holding them hostage under the close watch of his robot guards. Players must steer, spin or slam Sonic into the robots to free the captives, then take the Flickies to the hovering "dimension rings" that will send them back home. Along the way, Sonic also collects gold rings; with every 50 he gathers, he can join Tails and Knuckles, his pals from other games in the series, who take him to bonus areas that house the chaos emeralds that will keep Dr. Robotnik from throwing the world into you guessed it chaos.

Thomas, 7, grabbed his behind with both hands when Johnathan, 8, backed Sonic into a spinning wheel that sent him flying into a super-speedy blast mode. "Oooh," said Thomas. "That has to hurt your butt!" "Yeah, but you gotta do it to win," said Johnathan. Moments later, he picked up his 50 rings, earning a chance to collect the precious emeralds. Then he paused the game but only long enough to slap hands with Thomas before moving on to the next challenge.

$30 Windows 95 CD-ROM) from Sega Entertainment, (888) 734-2725, (415) 508-2800, http:www.sega.com. The Day the World Broke What would the world be like if the laws of science weren't fixed in nature, but were instead controlled by a pair of geeks operating a ragtag computer beneath the Earth's crust? The kids in the lab were eager to find out by playing The Day the World Broke, which presented them with a planet where gravity is failing I'f I AVAILABLE ATTHE MARK BOX OFFICE I HP ATfnMC Iklrl I IhlMr VnlfML' VDO TO APPLICABLE SERVICE CHARGES. fr-U Sylvan has helped over a million students build the skills and confidence they need to succeed. Call Sylvan today to help ensure your child's academic and personal success. II 11.

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