The Capital Times from Madison, Wisconsin • 41

THE CHPITRLTIIT1ES Madison, Wisconsin Friday, Oct. 22, 1982 41 Rrts-Comics Dasr Hbby-TV Fall home video games more fun an challenge America's fascination with video games continues strongly this fall, with several new trends on the horizon indicating that electronic fun will be with us for some time. New, more complex games are being designed and the most intriguing video action is swiftly moving from the quarter arcades into living rooms. Atari's home videogame console, the Video Computer System, has become the phonograph of the 1980s. With more than 10 million of the little game computers sold, its popularity has dented record sales and is even threatening network TV ratings.

Other game systems from Mattel Electronics and Magnavox, despite their enhanced capabilities, have a long way to go to match Atari's numbers. Maybe the most significant new more impressive than its programs. Of this first batch, only "Airlock," a beat-the-clock challenge, and "Encounter" are good games. All of the Data Age games look as though they were rushed through development to get into stores quickly. Subsequent releases from the company will need to be really stunning to catch the game fan's eye.

Atari has been bringing out a new game each month this year, but the quality of its programs is not up to its competition. Its home versions of the "Defender" and "Berzerk" arcade games are truncated and lack graphic punch. "Demons to Diamonds" and "Math Grand Prix" are games for younger children. To counter Mattel's famous television advertising in which Atari's sports simulations are put to shame, the company will soon release the first three programs in its Reals-ports series. New, well-written versions of baseball, football and volleyball will go head-to-head against some excellent sports cartridges for the VCS made by Mattel under its brand name, Network." (Mattel's football and baseball cartridges are good programs, the equivalent of the sports games designed for its Intellivision system.) Also forthcoming from Atari are two new adventure games, "Earth-world" and "Fireworld," the initial offerings in a series called "Sword-Quest." Two movie-themed games that should be out before Christmas are based on "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and Steve Spielberg's ubiquitous "E.T." r- Tim Onosko an mWTfi Ed i If 5 i 7 development for the Atari game comes, not from Atari, but from a company led by former Atari engineers.

They have invented a powerful device called the Supercharger, a plastic box that plugs Into the cartridge slot of the Atari game system and adds more memory and better onscreen graphics. The result is games that are much' more complex with video screens that rival more expensive games and even some home computers. A side benefit of the Supercharger is its economy. Games for it come packaged on standard audio cassettes instead of cartridges containing microchips. They load into memory using almost any standard cassette player, from discount store cheapies to Walkman-style portables.

Loading time is 12 to 18 seconds per game. One look at the Supercharger games and most other Atari games pale by comparison. "Phaser Patrol," the game that comes packed with the Supercharger, is the sharpest of the current crop of strategic space games based on "Star Raiders," Atari's popular program for its more expensive personal computers. The game's detailed graphics and complex play make it a contender for the title of best home video game, yet. Supercharger is a plastic box that plugs into the Atari game system cartridge slot, thus adding more memory and better on-screen graphics.

The result is that games are much more complex with video screens that rival more expensive games and even some home computers. i ni rn rl r-H Atari's latest game is "Star Raiders," based on the most popular program for its personal computers. The premise of "Star Raiders" is that you are the pilot of a spaceship, cruising the galaxy to wipe out evil alien craft. Your vantage point is from inside the ship, looking into the void of space. You can switch to a second screen, a map showing the location of the enemy craft as well as your space station.

Atari's "Star Raiders" for the VCS, however, is poorly written when compared to other similar, games. Its graphics are blocky and inadequate. Much more satisfying is ActiVision's "Starmaster," which retains more of the elements of the original computer version and is visually excellent "Phaser Patrol" for the Supercharger is probably the best of the lot though somewhat less challenging than "Starmaster." Both games are genuine four-star efforts that are complex and require much time to play and master. But their theme war in space may not go over well with concerned parents. Finally, two entirely new video game systems will be available for the Christmas market Atari is introducing its model 5200, a new game with improved graphics and more memory.

(It is not at this time, compatible with the current crop of Atari game cartridges.) For the 5200, Atari has designed new, faithful home versions of some arcade classics, such as "Pac Man," "Missile Command" and "Galax-ians," but there is no clear indication, yet that the new game system will be as successful as the VCS. Coleco is promising that its new Colecovision game console will play Atari VCS games using an optional adaptor. Coleco also promises a keyboard to turn its game into a personal computer and an adaptor to play the Intellivision games is a possibility. The Colecovision game, by itself, is very attractive and comes packed with a faithful version of the "Donkey Kong" arcade game. No other company, however, has yet announced it will produce game cartridges for the system.

Both games are expensive in the $200 range with Coleco's Atari adaptor an additional $75 or so. With the prices of home computers falling rapidly, the new game consoles aren't a clear value. One of the new breed of personal computers is probably a better investment than buying a new, more expensive video game. ActiVision's current best-seller is "Pitfall," an adventure game that demands learning certain playing skills rather than speed. "Chopper Command" is similar to the "Defender" arcade game and superior to Atari's home version.

The three other games presently available for the Supercharger are variations on classic arcade themes. "Fireball" is a souped-up version of "Breakout" "Suicide Mission" is a variant of "Asteroids" with a medical theme. "Communist Mutants From Space" has nothing to do with communism or mutation, but is a fast-moving take-off on the "Galax-ians" arcade game. The Supercharger will retail for about $70 (including "Phaser and game cassettes for about $15. The Supercharger represents an advance in home video and a good alternative to buying an entirely new system to upgrade home games.

In addition, it offers tremendous potential for the future. The next generation of Supercharger games, for example, will be multi-program games of even greater complexity. ActiVision was the first of the video game companies to be built by former Atari programmers and its cartridge games for the VCS are still the best-looking and most original Of particular note is Acti Vision's current best-seller. "Pitfall" is a jungle-themed adventure game that de-, mands learning certain playing skills rather than speed. In it, a character named Harry journeys through up to 255, two-level "scenes" in search of various treasures during a 20-minute play period.

game's graphics are highly stylized and almost cartoon-like. Its speed is maddening. Imagic is going all-out to provide games for other systems as well. "Demon Attack" is set to appear in versions for Intellivision, the Magnavox Odyssey system and for Atari's personal computers. "Atlantis" will be available for Intellivision, too.

Other new games "Beauty and the Beast," "Micro Surgeon" and "Swords and Serpents," are designed only for Intellivision. Games by Apollo debuted last spring with game programs that were less than impressive. Since then, the company's programmers have improved and one new game, "Infiltrator," is very good. In it the player must direct a little "secret agent" in a chase up and down elevators, avoiding security robots that pursue him in a colorful maze. Apollo's other new games include "Space Caverns," "Marble Maze," "Torna do" and "Battling Buccaneers." Parents should welcome the latest of the game groups, Telesys.

This company is priding itself on producing video games with non-violent themes. "Coconuts" is a cartoon-like game for young children in which a caricatured jungle explorer avoids mischievous, coconut-hurling monkeys. "Fast Food" is a more challenging game featuring a hungry mouth that must have calories to live. It gobbles on-screen pizzas, hot dogs, milk shakes, etc. Telesys' third game is "Cosmic Creeps," in which the player must protect a group of earth children from kidnappers from outer space.

Another company making its first appearance is Data Age. Its first five games are "Airlock," "SSSnake," "Bugs" and "Encounter at L-5." But Data Age's packaging and marketing plans are cowboy game, "Stampede." Imagic followed ActiVision into the home games market earlier this year and is another innovator. Current Imagic games include "Fire Fighter," a game for younger children and "Atlantis," a cousin of Atari's "Missile Command" with better graphics and swifter play. "Riddle of the Sphinx," Imagic's first strategic adventure game, is a trip through the burning sands of ancient Egypt. (This one should take many, many hours to master and is complicated enough to keep any adult busy.) The best of Imagic's new games is "Cosmic Ark," designed by Rob Fulop, creator of the company's first and most successful game, "Demon Attack." "Cosmic Ark" offers two challenges.

The first part is a shoot-'em-up, defending a spaceship in a meteor shower. The second part involves rescuing animals from the surface of a doomed planet The To progress, the player must make Harry leap rolling logs, swing over ponds on hanging vines, avoid quicksand pits and jump other obstacles. "Pitfall's' theme and action separate it from the pack of current games. ActiVision's "Megamania" is a move in the opposite direction. It is a shoot-'em-up that combines good graphics with unique new patterns of movement This is a frustrating but addictive game.

"Chopper Command" is similar to the "Defender" arcade game and superior to Atari's home version. "Star-master" is another program based on "Star Raiders." Coming next month is "Sky Jinx," an air-racing game aimed primarily at younger children. In addition, ActiVision will soon begin supplying some of its games for Mattel's Intellivision system. The first will be versions of "Pitfall" and the previously-released Want to be fashionably dressed? If it's skin, it's in hind the Mario Valentino label The Mario Valentino collection offers one surprise after another: tiny ribbons of multi-colored suede woven Into a Guatemalan-look skirt or Jodhpur pant; narrow bands of leather appliqued onto a peacock-blue suede Jacket to create the look of a windowpane plaid; supple suede skirts silk-screened in hot-house floral prints and gem-colored blouses punched for the airy, delicate look of lace. With all this innovation in leather and suede, the avid skin stalker can only ask: What will they do next year? violet turquoise and greea Last year's metallics are eclipsed by new surface treatments.

One new process is embossing, which imparts an exotic, grainy texture to normally smooth leathers so that calfskin can resemble alligator, elephant or even rhinoceros hide. Another process distressing gives brand-new leather the worn, roughed-up look normally acquired only after years of active duty. Probably the most refreshing developments in the leather outlook come from a single Italian designer: Giorgio Armani, who is the talent be of fabric. Enter artistry. Enter, too, such sophisticated shapes as slim skirts, boxy jackets, sweat-style toppers and swingy, rhinestone-strapped dance dresses.

Enter the Victorian-style suede blouses Ralph Lauren edges in antique lace, Santa Fe designer Nan Herzlinger's color-blocked evening separates, sleek Fendi suits and Claude Montana's fabulous shearlings. Enter, also, a whole new array of colors ranging from the softest, washed-out pales to crayon-colored primaries to glow-in-the-dark pink, zine got in on the skin game with a 2-page spread on fashionable leathers. The accompanying photos displayed such previously unimaginable items as feather-light T's, swingy calf-length skirts, delicate camisole tops and feminine ruffled blouses. In short, anything was in, as long as it was skin. Last fall's overwhelming success story is a hard act to follow.

But designers have risen to the challenge. This year, it's not enough for a garment merely to be made of luxuriously soft leather. It has to be sufficiently innovative and exciting to make it on design alone, regardless ted skins to be cut thinner than ever before, leather and suede suddenly turned soft And supple. And sexy. By last fall, the skin explosion was in full swing.

While the public scooped up expensive little numbers such as $200 suede T-shirts and $600 suede skirts (Bloomingdale's reportedly sold more than $40,000 worth of Anne Klein leathers in two hours), retailers grew giddy with success. One dubbed leather "the denim of the '80s but luxe!" Another called it "the single most explosive category in sportswear." Even relatively staid Time maga Bj TRACY BROBSTON Dallas Morning News DALLAS Advances in technology are one thing. Advances in artistry are quite another. But put the two together and the result likely will be as stunning as this year's suede and leather story. In the case of skins, of course, the technology came first Only a few years ago, leather clothing was limited mostly to rugged Wild One-style jackets and pants so heavy and stiff they could stand on their own.

Then, due primarily to the development of lubricating oils that permit.