The Jaguar Gaming Journal February 1996 Thank you for reading The Jaguar Gaming Journal *******Set column length at 75 characters per line********* ======================================================== http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Jeffrey_Norwood ======================================================== NEWS FLASH! By G. Pascal Zachary Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal Atari Corp., one of the great names in computer games, said it agreed to merge with a maker of disk-drives that is run by two legendary high-tech figures. Under the terms of the deal, JTS Corp., a disk-drive maker based in San Jose, Calif., will emerge as the surviving company, but shareholders of Atari, who must still approve the deal, will hold about 60% of the shares in the new entity. JTS was founded in 1994 by Jugi Tandon, one of the highfliers in the personal-computer industry in the 1980s. Atari, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., valued the deal at $80 million, although it was unable to provide a per-share value. In American Stock Exchange composite trading yesterday, Atari stock jumped 18.75 cents, or 10%, to close at $2.625 a share. The chief executive officer of JTS is Tom Mitchell, cofounder and former president of Seagate Technology Inc., the world's biggest disk-drive supplier. In an interview, Mr. Mitchell said that JTS will benefit from a $60 million infusion in cash and cash-equivalents from Atari, which he said has a strong balance sheet but has faced serious difficulties competing against the much-larger computer game companies, Nintendo Co. and Sega Enterprises Ltd. "We need the fuel, and Atari is flat right now," Mr. Mitchell said. At least at first, JTS will operate Atari's computer-game business as a subsidiary, but when asked how committed he was to continuing in that business, Mr. Mitchell said, "We'll just see how it goes." Lee Isgur, an analyst at Jeffries & Co., said the merger could mean the end of Atari's presence in computer games. "It could be the end," he said, adding that he expected Atari to keep at least "a low profile" in the computer-game business for the rest of this year. But August Liguori, chief financial officer of Atari, said, "The name of Atari will continue to be used in the computer-game environment. We still have a wonderful game library and many patents associated with games." Mr. Liguori said Atari still has games under development for both personal computers and its Jaguar game player. In its original incarnation, Atari helped to ignite the mania for computer games nearly 20 years ago but since has gone through many mutations. In recent years, the company has pushed its Jaguar line with weak results. As part of the deal, Atari said it has loaned $25 million to JTS, which will be converted into shares of preferred stock in JTS if the deal isn't completed. (END) DOW JONES NEWS 02-14-1996 6 00 AM Copyright 1996 Dow Jones & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. CONTACT: Don Thomas Atari Corporation 408/745-2000 Defender(r) 2000(tm) Hits Store Shelves with Explosive Fury SUNNYVALE, CA (February 14) -- Atari announced today that the long awaited 64-bit Jaguar title, "Defender 2000", is now shipping to better video game retailers across the country. The title is the newest addition to Atari’s classic collection of renowned hits from the golden age of video games. As one of the most popular video games of all time, "Defender", helped set the standard of video game evolution with fast-paced simultaneous action aided by smart bombs and an integrated real-time radar. Developed by Jeff Minter, the ingenious mastermind behind "Tempest(r) 2000(tm)", "Defender 2000" is a complete software package for the "Defender" aficionado. "Defender 2000" updates the game play and visual thrill with a nineties flare. "Defender Plus" transports the player through world’s of cosmic rainbows and mystic clouds. "Classic Defender" takes the player right back to his favorite arcade of yesteryear with impeccable attention to detail. All three games sizzle with fun and explode with excitement like no other game of its kind. "'Defender 2000'not only exploits the raw 64-bit power of the Jaguar, but it transcends the new standard of mediocrity that gamers often settle for in software these days," stated Don Thomas, Marketing Director of Atari Corporation. "'Defender 2000' is considered a system seller because new gamers will gladly pay the low $99 console price to play 'Defender 2000' once they’ve seen what it can do." "Defender 2000" features upgradeable weapons, human helpers, AI droids and spectacular Algo-Vision(tm) effects for one or two players. It also features an intense CD-quality techno-rave soundtrack by the award-winning team from "Tempest 2000". The Atari Jaguar is the world’s first 64-bit multimedia gaming system and the only game system manufactured in the United States. Over 50 powerful game titles are already available for the Jaguar including hits like "Alien vs. Predator", "Doom", "Tempest 2000", "NBA Jam Tournament Edition", "Myst", "Zoop", "Highlander", "Ruiner Pinball", "Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure!" and Time Warner Interactive’s Power "Drive Rally" and "Primal Rage". For more than twenty years, Atari Corporation has provided consumers with high quality, value-priced entertainment. Atari Corporation markets Jaguar the only American-made, advanced 64-bit entertainment system and is located in Sunnyvale, California. THE LITTER BOX by Jeffrey Norwood Atari and JTS have merged. Atari's stock is going up at a very rapid pace. But I continue to hear a lot of rumors that are not true as of yet. On the CatScan bulletin board, it was clear to me, as it was stated, that Atari has confirmed that it will continue to support the Jaguar. To me, that is great news. No matter what really happens. I know people are saying "yeah right!" and "before ya' know it, they'll be admitting another lie!", but here are two wonderful words to listen to: SHUT UP! I, like many readers, have owned the Jaguar for quite some time. As our hearts are put into the system, our gut does all the reacting. If we truly reacted from our hearts, then I believe we would have given Atari some time to actually do something. We keep asking questions by the minute, searching for answers, forgetting to give them time to think and breathe. It's true. The Atari Jaguar does not look to good in the future. To most people. To me, I like it. Atari's plethora of quality titles has risen to an all-system high. I have yet to hear a bad comment about a game released since December 1. Supercross 3-D was liked. Atari Karts was beloved. Defender 2000 is worshipped! Let me get some facts straight right now: - The Atari Jaguar is a 64-bit system. Despite all the false reports, the Jaguar is 64-bit. It may be true that the Motorola 68000 does a lot of work, but the system's archecture is a true 64-bit system - Ultra 64 from Nintendo is not the first 64-bit system. IF you see a commercial saying it, or an article in a magazine, make sure you know the turth and point it out to the people who read the maga and watch tv. - Defender 2000 just came out, and it should be blessed. But let us not forget about other games like NBA Jam TE, Primal Rage, Zoop, Attack of the Mutant Penguins, Myst, Supercross 3D, Atari Karts, Highlander, Space Ace are great games too (and I'm wasn't finished, but only so much space) as well as future titles like Skyhammer, Fight For Life, Phase Zero, and Mortal Kombat 3. - You own the Jaguar. You bought the system to have fun with, not for the rest of the world. Enjoy it. There are 50+ games out - and I doubt you have all 50. So a title seems bad? Buy it used, and you may have never known. Thanks again for reading The Jaguar Gaming Journal. See ya'll next month! ======================================================== http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Jeffrey_Norwood ======================================================== 1995 Atari Awards Number in parenthesis is percentage of votes it received Best Graphics in an Atari Jaguar game of 1995: Winner: RAYMAN (Ubi Soft) (59%) Runner Up: Missile Command 3D (Atari) (13%) Best Music in an Atari Jaguar game of 1995: Winner: BLUE LIGHTNING (Atari) (25%) Runner Up (tie): Ultra Vortek (Atari) (19%), Vid Grid (Atari) (19%) Best Playability in an Atari Jaguar game of 1995: Winner: RAYMAN (Ubi Soft) (22%) Runner Up: Battlemorph (Atari) (19%) Most Original Atari Jaguar game of 1995: Winner: FLIPOUT! (Atari) (33%) Runner Up: Missile Command 3D (Atari) (25%) Most Anticipated Atari Jaguar game of 1995: Winner: RAYMAN (Ubi Soft) (36%) Runner Up: Highlander (Atari) (29%) Best Action/Adventure game on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: RAYMAN (Ubi Soft) (31%) Best Arcade game on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: MISSILE COMMAND 3D (Atari) (40%) Best Computer Translation game on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: MYST (Atari) (58%) Best Flying/Space Combat game on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: BATTLEMORPH (Atari) (57%) Best Puzzle game on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: FLIPOUT! (Atari) (53%) Best Sports game on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: VAL D'ISERE SKIING & SNOWBOARDING (Atari)(36%) Best Fighting game on the Atari Jaguar, to date: Winner: ULTRA VORTEK (Atari) (68%) Runner Up: Primal Rage (Time Warner Interactive) (32%) Best 3rd Party game on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: RAYMAN (Ubi Soft) (73%) Runner Up (tie): Dragon's Lair (ReadySoft) (13%) Theme Park (Ocean) (13%) Best Game on the Atari Jaguar CD, 1995: Winner: BATTLEMORPH (Atari) (32%) Runner Up: Highlander (Atari) (21%) Game of the Year on the Atari Jaguar, 1995: Winner: RAYMAN (Ubi Soft) (44%) Runner Up: Battlemorph (Atari) (22%) PEOPLE'S FAVORITE AWARD: Awarded to: ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (Atari) (38%) PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD: Awarded to: TEMPEST 2000 (Atari) (46%) The Official Unofficial Awards: Most Intense/Involving Game: Alien vs. Predator - Marcus Hauge Best Action Game: Tempest 2000 -Marcus Hauge Initially Perceived to be the worst game that turns out to be a game that is actually quite fun: Club Drive (tag and collect only) - Marcus Hauge Our Favorite Video Game Company: Atari - Marcus Hauge The *PLEASE DON'T STOP PRODUCING HARDWARE* Award: ATARI - Marcus Hauge BEST MOVE OF THE YEAR: 1- New distributors 2- reducing prices of games and the JAG system 3- commitment to higher quality standards -- Marcus Hauge WORST MOVE OF THE YEAR: 1- All new distributors carrying reduced priced games at far above retail level 2-limited selection for WalMart and Venture 3-too few games announced for 1996. 4-poor advertising (only reason it's not #1 - we expect it) 5-Babbage's not carrying many new Jag titles -- Marcus Hauge Most ridiculous rumor of 1995: Atari 2600 emulator for Jaguar will feature seven titles per CD. -- Dan Skelton Most ridiculous prediction of 1995: 100 games by Christmas -- Dan Skelton Most reasonable prediction of 1995: 20 new Jaguar titles for 1996 (excludes third party titles) -- Dan Skelton Best Jaguar-related development of 1995: a strong set of titles released fr September through December (second best development: hiring of Ted Hoff) --Dan Skelton ** the conference transcript is in the ZIP'd file IT'S COMING! DESTINY SAYS MARCH 8TH IS THE DATE! DO OR DIE! WOMEN'S RIGHT'S DAY. LET'S NOT BE SEXIST! March 8th is National Women's Rights' Day, but it's also the date of the next Jaguar Gaming Journal-sponsored conference. As in the past, you just never know who will show up or what you could win! March 8, 1996 CompuServe's Atari Gaming Forum 8:00 PM (Eastern Time) * 5:00 PM (Pacific Time) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The CatScan BB - (209) 239-1552 - your best source for Jaguar info and tips! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Game Title: Missile Command 3D Publisher: Atari Corporation Developer: Virtuality Entertainment, Ltd. Format: Cartridge System: Atari Jaguar 64, Pro-Controller Compatible Review By: Larry Tipton Missile Command 3D is yet another blast from the past, brought back to life for play on the Jaguar 64. Fans of the original will not be disappointed. Not only do you get the original arcade classic, but you get two brand new versions, each with there own unique play characteristics. Original Missile Command offers all the excitement of the original arcade hit and then some. You can play this version on a "Virtual Lynx", "Virtual Arcade Cabinet", or plain screen. One weird but cool feature in Original MC is that you can manipulate the game screen. You can zoom in or out. You can also tilt the screen forward, back, left and right. Zoom out far enough and you can see the entire arcade cabinet or Lynx! Missile Command 3D, formally known as Missile Command Plus, offers a 3D look to missiles, turbo missiles, fireball missiles and super missiles. You also get smartbombs and cascades. Smartbombs will blow up all enemies currently on the screen. Cascades will blow up a group of enemies. Enemies include missiles, bombers, asteroids, kamikazes and robots. Scoring is similar to that of the arcade original. Virtual Missile Command (VMC) is a completely different kind of game, but at the same time feels like and old friend. The gameplay elements are similar. Unlike the other two versions of this game, with VMC you can only fire missiles from the station you occupy. You can jump from station to station quite easily though. Everything rotates in real-time. It can get a little dizzying at first. Again with this version, you can look up, down, left and right. However, this time there is NO radar to help you see. Also, you dont have to lead you shots. You get laser cannons ala Star Wars this time around. As you destroy enemies you receive powerups that will upgrade your laser cannons, cities as well as smartbombs and missiles that you can launch and explode on command! The Undersea stage really feels like you are under water, complete with bubbles and the waters surface in view up above. VMC is composed of 3 Stages (according to the manual) , each having 3 sublevels with end bosses. Thus far, I have not made it passed the 2nd Stage. Thankfully, the difficulty is quite high. The Undersea Colony and Cloud City stages look quite nice. Enemies include missiles, enemy crafts, mini and main bosses. There are six different types of enemy missiles: Normal, MIRVs (These move in a straight line but can split into several missiles), SWIRVs (These guys can move out of harms way), Bombs (These fall straight down), Rovers (only fired by bosses) and a secret unknown type. Powerups include laser ammo, smart bomb, repair gun, missile ammo, repair city, and laser upgrade. VMC has 3 difficulty settings Easy, Normal and Hard. You cannot advance to the later stages if you play the game on easy mode. Overall, I really like this game. The are a few things that could have been done to make the game even better. The enemy missiles look more like spikes to me. They should have been texture mapped. As it is they are simple 5 sided elongated pyramid looking things. The enemy missiles in the 3D and Virtual versions dont leave long exhaust trails like they do in the original version. If fact, there is no trail at all in the Underwater stage. The top scores screen has a high scores for Missile Command Plus!? I guess there was a name change for the Missile Command 3D version at the last minute. The control is pretty good, but rough on the thumb. The game would be even better using a joystick, mouse or TRACKBALL! The mini and endbosses look superb, especially the Eel, Dragon and UFO (Its HUGE....Say is this the ship from Cosmic Ark?) OK, Game Rating on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest obtainable score: Game Graphics 8 (MC Classic=7, MC 3D=8, Virtual MC=9) Control 8 Sound F/X 8 Music 7 Fun Factor 9 Replay Value 10 Overall Score 8.5 Title: Space Ace Publisher: Readysoft System: Jag CD Reviewer: Randy Baer In 1984, my life seemed to revolve around a game named Space Ace. All my allowance went down the coin slots to fight against the evil Borf. My sole purpose in life was to help Dexter regain his manhood. My best friend was nicknamed Dexter (he even had a girlfriend named Kimberly)! I swore if there was ever a home version, I would get it right away. Over the years, there have been several home versions, ranging from a clunky PC floppy version to a Sega CD version to a CD-I digital video version. Today, you can relive yesteryear, thanks to Readysoft's rendition of the arcade classic for the Jag CD. The Story: "It's that creep Borf!" Space Ace involves a totally buff dude named Ace, who is Earth's greatest hero. Only problem is a baddy named Borf wants Ace out of the picture so he can conquer our humble home. So he zaps Ace with the INFANTO RAY, turning Ace into a wimpy goof named Dexter. As if being turned into a nerd weren't bad enough, he's also swiped Ace's girlfriend, Kimberly. It is your job as Ace/Dexter to save earth and rescue your girlfriend. Gameplay: "The fate of earth is in your hands!" Ace operates just like the old game Dragon's Lair (and was, in fact, the second game released by Bluth studios). You view a scene, and at the appropriate time, you choose a direction to move or fire your gun. If you choose the wrong direction, you lose a life. Lose 5 lives, the game is over, Borf rules the galaxy and you never see your beloved Kimberly again. (However, you get unlimited continues, so Ace lives to fight another day.) At various points in the game, you will be given the chance to ENERGIZE. This allows you to temporarily become Ace, the muscular alter ego of Dexter. The music swells, and you start kicking serious butt. You also get to view scenes that aren't available if you choose not to energize. In short: if you've played Dragon's Lair, you've PLAYED Space Ace. Only the graphics and sound are different. If you hated Dragon's Lair, you'll HATE this. There is no in-depth strategy, and unless you love the animation and story, once you've been through it, there is no reason to go back and play again. The initial boot time/load time is somewhat lengthy. However, I am happy to report that between scenes there is almost NO LOAD TIME! Yea! In fact, I think the Jag CD version may play just a bit faster than the arcade (though I have no machine to base this against), as I seem to recall a bit of a wait between scenes on the arcade version. The Jag CD version seems to contain all of the original scenes, including the cut scenes ("Kimberly, come in, are you ok?"/"Oh sure, I'm just kidnapped by aliens, that's all!"). I've not yet completed the game, but there's everything I can remember, including the famous "Beware your darkside" showdown with the evil Dexter. This version also contains the complete arcade intro ("No way, Borf ol' Buddy!"), as well as demos for Dragon's Lair II: Timewarp and Braindead 13! Graphics: "Oh, far out!" The graphics were originally from a very well animated cartoon, easily rivaling anything Disney had put out up to that point (1983). It still looks better than 90% of the cartoons on Saturday morning. The graphics translate very well to the Jag. There are vibrant colors and the scenes appear intact from the arcade. There is some blockiness and pixelization involved, but less noticeable than the Jag version of Dragon's Lair (which was pretty good too). This is, I believe, due to the Cinepak compression system which is the heart of the Jag CD's video capabilities. It doesn't really detract that much from the game, but it makes one yearn for the original laser disk. Sound: "Dexterrrr!" The sound in the game is just like the video - sampled straight from the original laser disk. As such, it is very clear, with a few cracks and pops, something that plagued Jag Dragon's Lair. It sounds great when pumped through a stereo! The sound plays a much more humorous role than in Dragon's Lair. There is a ton of conversation throughout the game, most of it coming from Kimmy, badgering Dexter/Ace to save her. The familiar Ace theme is there as well. If it was in the arcade, you'll hear it on the Jag. Overall: "Call me Ace, huh?" Space Ace is a love it or hate it game. If you are familiar with the arcade game, you know what to expect. The Jag CD version is the best I've seen short of the CD-I version (which had an annoying 'feature' of showing your score and number of lives in between scenes), which would set you back at least $600 (CD-I plus cost of digital video cartridge). The Jag version of Space Ace brought a tear to my eye. All my memories came rushing back and I remembered why I fell in love with the game. I loved it, but then again, I loved those old laser disc games. If you're like me, you'll love it. If you didn't enjoy these games, then avoid at all costs. There's nothing you'll enjoy here. Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta give my old friend Dexter a call... Graphics: 9 - It looks like a (somewhat pixelated) cartoon! Sound: 9 - It sounds like a (somewhat scratchy) cartoon! Gameplay: 4 - It plays like watching (a somewhat interactive) cartoon! Overall: 8 - It's Space Ace, in ALL it's glory! Jaguar CDROM, Baldies, $54 at Bits O' Fun mail order Overview: Baldies at first seemed to be a research/economics/population control, and strategic warfare game. Virtually no tactics except for the placement of bombs and haphazzard direction of soldiers via the shield icon. You can build houses, populate your land mass, invent weapons, vehicles, transports, reshape your landmass, switch baldies colors, and more. Graphics: Nothing eye-popping here or that screams 'Next-Generation Graphics!!' in your face, but nevertheless more than adequate for the task. I thought the graphics on average were a little better than the ones for Theme Park. I am not sure how they compare to Cannon Fodder, since I don't have that game. The baldies are easy to pick out and the different baldies are easy to tell from the other, with enough distinguishing characteristics (color, clothing worn, type of walk, etc) to avoid mistaking one for the other. The animations were very good for this type of game, as were the explosions, scrolling, opening of menus/houses, although they could have been a bit clearer. Lots of color and movement on the screen! All in all, very nicely done with nothing all that special, and which certainly does not hinder gameplay in any way. The opening claymation FMV was in a word, surreal. Skip through this if you don't want to be weirded out. Sound: At the beginning, the music wasn't that bad. But as the game progressed, it got more and more annoying, and did not change from sub-level to sub-level. I haven't gotten to the other worlds just yet, so I don't know if they change when you reach them. I didn't turn it off, though, which just goes to show just how much a glutton for punishment I am :) The explosions sounded nicely with a decent crunch, the sound effects for the various traps were nicely done, as were the others. Very low-key here. I think with the room they had on the CD, they could have had different tunes for the different sub-worlds. Hmm .. Gameplay: This is where this game has the most potential. There is a balance that you have to keep between the workers, the builders, the soldiers and the scientists and that depends on what type of task you are trying to accomplish. If what you are trying to accomplish is getting more Baldies, then what you do is reconfigure your houses to have more 'breeder' Baldies and produce more that way. Or, if you want to attack the enemy, you reconfigure your houses to produce more ammunition. You don't need the memory cart for this one, since there is a password level system. All in all, not bad. It's certainly a lot more different than the strategy/tactics games I'm used to, and provides a lot of fun while and addiction while you're playing it. The real fun involved finding out what inventions there were and what you can get from the creatures you drop into the science houses. There was also a hint that you can combine inventions, but I haven't done this yet. There are two types of inventions that I haven't gotten to yet and those are the 'Vehicles' and 'Acts of You' type of inventions. I imagine that these will come later in the game. There were a few personal peeves of mine that I found a little annoying. For example, there was virtually no tactics at all except in which direction you want flying baldies to fly, placement of the attack shield, and placement of hazzards. A good game nevertheless!! Unfortunately, this and all the others will take a back seat when Electronics Boutique calls to tell me that Defender 2000 has arrived. :) Graphics: 7 Sound: 7 Music: 4 Gameplay 8.5 -- Keith C. Estanol / kce@netcom.com / Internet Member since 1989 Atari and OS/2 Fanatics unite! Defender 2000 Special Review Special Thanks to Don Thomas, Jr. with his Catnips, and all the members on CompuServe who play the Jaguar. Instead of doiing one review, I've decided to take everyone's opinion and put them in this issue. These opinions were from Catnips and the Atari Gaming Forum and Video Games Forum on CompuServe. In rec.games.video.atari,feanor@iastate.edu (Jim Divine) wrote: First of all, this is s great game. It is hard to believe, but it's just as intense as Tempest 2k. The music, too, is very good. Some of the tracks are better than T2k's but a couple are a little worse. Classic Defender is a very good conversion, but I don't seem to remember the explosions being quite so dramatic in the original... Oh well. It's a helluva lot of fun to play. Defender Plus is way cool... The plasma effects alone make it worthwhile. I thought it would have been nice to give it exactly the same gameplay as Defender Classic and just improve the graphics and sound, but this way is cool too. Defender 2000 is great... everybody probably knows the good things about it so I'm going to be a poop and say what I dislike about it. A couple of things... I think the background art is great, but it isn't visible enough. Most of the screen is usually taken up by a simple shaded sky. If the background graphics occupied more of the screen this game would be mind-blowing instead of simply stunning. Second, I think the top speed of the ship is just a little too fast. If the ship moved more slowly I'd feel more in control of it. That's it... I only wish that maybe Yak would give us a Tempest 3000 or Defender 3000 someday... but it doesn't seem that's going to happen. Life goes on. --Jim Divine feanor@iastate.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In rec.games.video.atari, hysteria@gti.net (Sal Manfredonia) wrote: Listen up, humanoids: Defender 2000 for the Jaguar is in the house! It's got nasty aliens--HUNDREDS OF THEM--gunning for YOUR keister. It's got the firepower to take care of them all. It's got some of the hottest graphics you've seen, with slick, workstation-rendered sprites and an obscene amount of parallax scrolling. It's got the best musical soundtrack in any game since Tempest 2000. It's got the fastest action of any shooter on the market right now. It's time for you to whip out your wallets. Don't even think twice, just slap the dead Presidents on the counter and walk off with your own box. Bring it home, unwrap it, slide the cartridge into your Big Black Cat's cartridge slot, and party on! --Sal Manfredonia (hysteria@gti.net) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 20:34:01 -0500 From: Sean McKay To: Multiple recipients Subject: Defender 2000 review Okay guys, here's a quick review of D2K. My opinions are based on about two hours of playing time, so take this review with a grain of salt if need be... Classic: ******** People have complained that it is not an exact port of the arcade original, citing control nuances and laser decay rate, but it's pretty d@$# close! Now I may not have the best memory (ask my wife ), but differences cited are not noticeable enough to readily discern Classic from the arcade version. Sound FX and control-wise, it is virtually identical to the original. There is a ProController option so you can get control exactly as it was in the original (separate thrust and directional movement). Luckily, you don't have to use this option, because it reminded me how frustrating this type of control was for me as a kid when playing the original... Plus: ***** A souped up version of Classic mode with nice touches such as Aurora FX in the landscape. To me, this version is the closest equivalent to T2K's 2000 mode in style. You have the same enemies as usual, although they look different than the original (as do the humanoids). Also, you have larger, new enemies, like the floating space stations (?) in level 3. The ship and droids are rendered. Unlike Classic mode, the laser can be fired continuously by holding down the fire button. The Lightning Laser is kinda cool, although it has only limited use (i.e., you can only use it a certain amount and then its gone)... You can play the game with two AI droids or with none (I didn't see the option to play with just one droid). There are warp boxes (ala Stargate) that take you to other places where the action is, but be careful in using them - you often get warped right into enemies, leading to a lot of cheap hits. 2000: ***** Completely graphically different. No more line/ray based graphics (sorry, cannot for the life of me think of the term for the type of graphics used in the original - so sue me...). All graphics appear to be rendered graphics including backgrounds, with include landscapes such as desert, city, and industrial. Game play is similar to the original, although now you have powerups a'la T2K (droids, shield, lightning laser, etc.). Also, if you catch humanoids (who appear to be digitized people, although not sure) in air, they hang underneath you ship and fire as well, creating a wall of attack. If you are lucky enough to pick up a couple of powerups early, as well as a couple of humanoids, it becomes very difficult to die (read, "it becomes kinda easy."). Enemies tend to be destroyed as soon as they appear on screen... I used this tactics early, and got to level 16 and scored 640,000 in only my second time playing 2000 mode... Graphically, with so much going on, (your fire, enemies, background graphics, etc.) you tend up playing a lot by simply watching the radar screen - otherwise it is occasionally hard to see what to shoot and what not to shoot... Sound FX: ********* These consist of a good mixture of original sound fx, with a few new twists (my favorite is hearing humanoids scream as you shoot them ). Overall, sound FX are _excellent_ providing both the throwback sounds taking me back to the early 80's and these new (sadistic) new ones.... Music: ****** The music is good, but in my opinion not near as good as T2K's. I mean, with T2K, I'd find myself jumping around to the music as I played, "becoming an extension of the music" as I played, almost seeing through the screen as if the game were playing itself - truly a transcendental experience... But with D2K I found myself saying, "man good music," and then pushing it to the background of my consciousness the way you do with most video game music.... Also, and I know this is cart music, but it sounds even more staticy than T2K's music. Let's hope Yak put in that CD hook code somewhere...) Nitpicks: ********* Even though D2K was long in development, I feel a few things are missing: (1) more options - you can only control the music volume, not the sound FX volume (2) customizeable button configurations (3) apparently the music is only available in 2000 mode, not in Plus mode (4) maybe I just haven't gotten far enough (although I've gotten to level 16 of 2000 mode), but where are the "big bosses that fill the screen" that we heard about? are they in Plus mode (I only got to level 4 there...)? Overall: ******** Personally, I like the game very much, even with it's few shortcomings. I think that the 3 modes offer something for everyone's tastes. If you're strictly a retro gamer, then Classic is for you. If you like Classic but want a souped up version similar to T2K, and can live with no in-game music, then Plus mode is yours. And if you want the Defender concept with all-new graphics and powerups, and can live with the sometimes overly cluttered screen and occasional easiness (due to too many powerups) then 2000 mode is yours for the taking... Graphics: 8 ********* Classic (virtually) spot on, Plus reminiscent of T2K, 2000 has great rendered graphics, but cluttered tendency can be a problem and reduced the score. Sound FX: 10 ********* All the great originals, plus a few new twists. Music: 7 ****** Good, but not as rockin' and T2K's and quality (static) hurt the score. Control: 8 ******** Tight, although quirky at times (slow change of direction, must completely stop in 2000 mode to change`direction, with option of arcade control in Classic mode with ProController (although I personally don't like it). Fun Factor: 9 *********** Great fun! And different modes offer something for everyone! Overall: 8 ******** Only the inevitable comparisons to T2K are what hurt D2K's score. If T2K didn't exist (perish the thought!) D2K would easily scare a 9, possibly a 10. --Sean McKay ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 12:53:51 -0500 From: "Mike St. Clair" To: Multiple recipients Subject: Defender Review ----> Reviewlet: Defender "Classic" <---- Defender "Classic" is, to date, the most accurate port of the original Defender arcade game, excepting the emulated version for personal computers. Experts will note several differences. I noted thicker mountain lines, slower laser decay rate, more spectacular shattering, and at least a half dozen other differences. Most significant is the adjusted difficulty level. Any player who has mastered the fundamentals of the arcade game should find themselves getting through two or three times as many levels as usual. Purists may want a difficulty level more geared toward quarter-sucking, but I welcomed the change (pun intended). I also welcomed the rest of the changes, as they were simply subtle visual enhancements, and did not affect gameplay. Sound is 100% accurate, being sampled from the original arcade board. Control is smooth and responsive, and uses the same single pad (or stick) piloting implementation used in dozens of home conversions and knock-offs over the years. An alternate control mode, available if you use a six-button pad or stick, decouples the thrust and reverse functions from the altitude control - just like the original arcade machine. It adds challenge and authenticity, but "hyperspace" users be warned - a control bug is present in this mode. If you enter hyperspace, and re-enter facing the opposite direction, the thrust button will now push you backwards, not forwards. Since true experts never rely on hyperspace, this may not pose a problem for some players. The ability to completely reconfigure controller buttons is missing; you may only specify whether you have a three-button or six-button controller. Graphics: 9 Almost identical to the original arcade, but with some aesthetic enhancement. Sound: 10 100% faithful. Control: 8 One control bug in "decoupled" mode; additional configuration flexibility would be nice. Gameplay: 10 Better tuned for home play than the original. Should be infinitely replayable, like all good classics. The most accurate Jaguar classic conversion yet. All categories graded on a scale of 1 to 10. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Prodigy comes this comment... Board: VIDEO GAMES BB Topic: ATARI JAGUAR Subject: DEFENDER To: DONALD THOMAS JR (EUKG11A) From: JAMES VERNON (VFGV49A) Time: 02/13 8:05 PM I got Defender 2000 today from Game Express. I ordered last night and it was sent overnight. This is by far the best the Jag has had. Atari has done a great job on this game. The graphics are top notch and the game play couldn't be better. It sure brings back alot of good memories. If you don't have a Jag go buy one for this game alone however there are many great games for this system like Battlemorph CD and several others. My hats off to Atari! --JIM V. SPORTS TITLES -- LYNX! BASEBALL HEROES 1-2 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: With Atari finally increasing the number of sports titles for their Lynx game system, the only real question was how long it'd take for them to release a baseball title. Now there's BASEBALL HEROES, a portable video version of the American pastime. One or two coaches pick from four fictitious teams, each with 20 players (two in each position and four pitchers) rated in various attributes. Before a game, you select a team, assemble a squad of nine men, and arrange a batting order. They then take to the field, trying to score the most runs possible in nine innings. A single exhibition game is possible, or you can play a multiple-game "Final League" challenge. Between games, practice in batting and fielding is available with the "Home Run Derby" and "Three Flies Out" games. GAMEPLAY: This is one of the more ambitious Lynx sports games out now; BASEBALL HEROES tries some new ideas and to push the boundaries of portable gaming, and partially succeeds. The ability to select your players and adjust the lineup is welcome, but you must decide carefully, since there's no way to change either once the game starts. A wide variety of views are used, according to the situation: behind the batter, behind the pitcher, three-quarters overhead, directly overhead, and from the outfield fence, giving this game a real "you are there" feeling. The actual gameplay is respectable: infield players cover each other, and dives and jumps for the ball are fully supported. Batters can swing high and low, inside and out, while pitchers can steer the four stock pitches for variety. Common baseball rules and events are supported, including beaning the batter and wild pitches. The computer opponent is challenging but not completely perfect, leaving some opportunities for crafty players to exploit. BASEBALL HEROES is not without problems, however. The worst offender is the fielding, which starts with an overhead view, then switches to a "behind the outfielder" angle on the ball's descent. This makes judging the ball's location difficult, and requires lots of practice to master. Also, some of the controls are a little quirky, such as using the same button to throw and jump, and the slow swing times of the batters. There's nothing that makes the game unplayable, but they do detract a bit. GRAPHICS/SOUND: The graphics on BASEBALL HEROES are simply delightful. There's great use of animation, including little details like the umpire hunching down for each pitch. The batter and pitcher views feature gigantic characters that fill the screen, while the fielding scenes use small but manageable players running about. Even the player selection and lineup sequences are entertaining, with "trading cards" used to select and rearrange your team members, and fanciful logos for each team. The only music in the game comes from the title theme and a few simple tunes. The remaining sounds consist largely of digitized effects of caught balls, the crack of the bat, and the umpire's calls. Though the umpire's "strike!" is unrecognizable, and the crowd falls silent too quickly, the sound effects are fine overall. SUMMARY: BASEBALL HEROES is a very good translation of the sport, though not a perfect game. It has a few rough spots that will try some people, but for the most part this is a quality title and a showcase game for the Lynx. GAMEPLAY: 8 GRAPHICS: 9 SOUND: 8 OVERALL: 8 AWESOME GOLF 1-4 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $29.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: Forget those 5:00am tee-offs, with AWESOME GOLF you can now play the links on the Lynx. This is a fully loaded golf game, offering three courses filled with obstacles, and enough challenge to keep you busy. Chipper the chipmunk will be your caddy and scorekeeper, so pick your club, and please replace your divots. You can play on one of three imaginary courses, for a 9-hole or an 18-hole game. Up to four players can ComLynx together, practice on individual holes, or work on a driving range. Each hole beings with an overhead map, where you can aim your shot as well as scroll and zoom as desired. Fourteen clubs are available: three woods, eight irons, two wedges, and a putter. Finally, you take swing, hopefully staying on the fairway and avoiding the hazards. GAMEPLAY: AWESOME GOLF is a straight, no-nonsense implementation of the game, with many features and game options. A game can feature three different wind levels, while the properties of terrain and the slope of the green must be kept in mind. Distances to the hole are always available, and each club's range, usage, and effect on the ball are accurately duplicated. Strokes are done with a power bar using three button presses: The first press starts the swing, the second press sets the strength, and the third press determines hook and slice. Finally, you can select the clothing, race and sex of your video duffer, though the only major effect is that women golfers tee off closer to the hole. There's not much else to be said -- AWESOME GOLF plays golf, and plays it well. As in real golf, the key to winning is a good strategy and a good technique. The game is helpful without being pandering; players can set individual handicaps, hints on clubs and aim are available to beginners, and the driving range reports statistics on your swing. The only gripe is with the multiplayer option. You must ComLynx to play against other people, though the game could have been designed to support multiple players on one Lynx. It's a trivial point, but one worth mentioning. GRAPHICS/SOUND: Graphics on AWESOME GOLF are a combination of detailed realism and light humor. Shots are seen from behind your player, and the ball's flight is viewed from overhead, all done with quality animation, detailed backgrounds, and smooth scrolling and scaling. Finally, cartoon stills highlight events such as bogeys, penalties, and birdies. On the sound side, AWESOME GOLF is fairly quiet, using short chimes to indicate selections and decisions. To spice things up, Chipper's high-pitched voice is peppered throughout, congratulating good strokes, laughing at blunders, and making remarks everywhere. SUMMARY: Between CHECKERED FLAG and AWESOME GOLF, the Lynx is shaping up to be a serious video sports system. This game captures the intricacies of the sport, while offering enough extras to enhance its appeal, though playing with friends can be a hassle. If golf is your game, AWESOME GOLF should not be missed. GAMEPLAY: 9 GRAPHICS: 9 SOUND: 9 OVERALL: 9 BASKETBRAWL 1-2 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: For some reason, combining basketball with violence is a popular video game trend -- look at ARCH RIVALS, BILL LAIMBEER'S COMBAT BASKETBALL, or PUNKSHOT. Now there's BASKETBRAWL, a Lynx version of the Atari 7800 title, with a very similar theme. You pick your character from a fixed pool of players, each rated according to skills and health. You then play against the other team, trying to score more points before the six-minute clock runs out. Aside from this, anything goes. Players must fight, stab, and mutilate their opponents for the ball, while spectators attack anyone who get too close. Weapons and power-up icons appear on the field, giving temporary benefits such as speed or renewed health. Your ultimate goal is to beat five other local gangs and win the championship. A password allows you to continue from a later point, while two players can ComLynx together for a team-up against the town. GAMEPLAY: Sadly, when BASKETBRAWL took away the rules, it also took away the fun. The problem is that neither the brawling nor the basketball aspects of this game are done well. Shooting consists of jabbing Button A and praying the ball goes in. Fight moves are limited, aiming attacks is difficult, and weapon effects have little variety. Defense is nonexistent; you can't block shots or passes, steal the ball, or resist enemy attacks. The basketball action is constantly disrupted by fights, and fight fans have to stop and score points to keep the game going. The overall pace is frantic and confusing. You play three times against each team, first with one opponent and working up to three. Two spectators enter the field and attack players for no reason, and a third throws knives at everyone. The control buttons are used to attack, kick, shoot, and throw, depending on who has possession. But it's difficult to tell when you have the ball, and you may throw it away when you were planning to attack. In the end, there's a lot of frenzied button-pressing but very little satisfaction. GRAPHICS/SOUND: Sights and sounds in BASKETBRAWL do little to enhance its appeal. While backgrounds are sufficiently detailed, the main game graphics are simple, crude, and poorly animated. Throw in a very choppy side-to-side scrolling, and game looks like a relic from the Atari 2600. The title theme music is very catchy, but the other game sounds are primitive and dull. SUMMARY: BASKETBRAWL takes an idea loaded with potential, then removes most of the excitement by combining weak sports action and weak combat action. The only thing to do is to wait a while longer for an authentic basketball game; Lynx owners may be eager for sports titles, but they're not desperate. GAMEPLAY: 4 GRAPHICS: 4 SOUND: 5 OVERALL: 4 CALIFORNIA GAMES 1-4 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $34.95 (free with Lynx Deluxe package) Stereo? No OVERVIEW: So you want fun in the sun without the hassles of zinc oxide, crowded beaches, and the risk of skin cancer? Well, the Surgeon General has certified CALIFORNIA GAMES for the Atari Lynx as a completely safe way to get your sand- coated jollies. This is an adaptation of the Epyx home computer game, and allows one to four players to compete in a number of "sport" contests for points and bragging rights. (Sidebar: The instruction manual says that CALIFORNIA GAMES only allows for 1 or 2 players. ComLynxing three or four players is possible, but tricky -- don't give up if it doesn't work initially) There are four events in CALIFORNIA GAMES. The BMX bike race is a run through a hilly, obstacle-infested course as fast as possible. Surfing lets you hit the waves, doing stunts like riding the tube or 360-degree spins before running out of time. Similarly, halfpipe skateboarding gives you a time limit to try and perform as many handplants and aerial turns as possible. Finally, you can play with the footbag, which consists of keeping a small beanbag airborne using only your feet -- style counts. GAMEPLAY: CALIFORNIA GAMES is a card for beginning video players. The individual games are fun at first, but all of them are fairly easy, and most dedicated gamers will master them in a short period of time. This is especially noticeable when playing by yourself, and the game soon becomes an exercise in "can I beat my previous score?". More contests would have helped, as well as options to adjust the difficulty or a "tournament" consisting of all events. There's nothing wrong with CALIFORNIA GAMES; there's just not much to recommend, either. Playing with other people makes it more enjoyable -- the competition is head-to-head, and you must adjust your strategies for opponents who are trying to trip you, run you over, or crash into your latest stunt. This is good for some cheap laughs, but the lack of real depth in the gameplay keeps it from retaining any permanent appeal. GRAPHICS/SOUND: The sound and graphics in CALIFORNIA GAMES are a good indication of what the Lynx is capable of. Color, hue, and animation are used well throughout, providing realistic-looking backgrounds and characters. The scrolling is smooth, and there are a few graphic treats, like the semi-transparent tube in Surfing, and the camera zoom in/zoom out on the Halfpipe. Sounds are also commendable, with quality music and noises everywhere. Each game has its own, distinctive soundtrack, and the title theme music is suitably bouncy. Similarly, sound effects are appropriately used, each one properly coordinated for the current on-screen action. SUMMARY: It's understandable why Atari includes CALIFORNIA GAMES in the deluxe Lynx packages: It's easy, varied, non-violent (have to placate worried parents, you know), looks and sounds well, and ComLynxable. However, with only four basic games available, most players will want a tougher challenge soon enough. If you don't already own CALIFORNIA GAMES, you may want to consider a different title. GAMEPLAY: 4.5 GRAPHICS: 8 SOUND: 8 OVERALL: 6 CHECKERED FLAG 1-6 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? Yes OVERVIEW: It's time to strap on the helmets and head for the tracks; as the name implies, CHECKERED FLAG presents auto racing on the Atari Lynx. The class is Indy racing, with the ground-hugging racers that symbolize breakneck speed. The usual elements are all here: cars to pass, curves to negotiate, and roadside obstacles to avoid, all while trying to be the first across the finish line. Option settings allow you to configure the game as desired, and up to six Lynxes can be connected for a real challenge. GAMEPLAY: CHECKERED FLAG is an absolute joy to play! While the game offers nothing that hasn't been done before, it implements and integrates all of its elements effectively. There are no bonus items, pit stops, weapons, or auto design to complicate matters; rather, the emphasis is on pure driving skills at high speeds. Even though the promised track editor has been left out, the end result is an extremely fun card that captures the thrills of the sport. The action is viewed from directly behind your car. A course map, race information, speedometer, tachometer, and rear-view mirrors are always visible. Controls include acceleration, brakes, gearshift, and steering, all of which feel properly responsive. The computer opponents are fairly straightforward, though they manage to stay on the road better, and will try to pass you whenever possible. Hitting another car or an obstacle may result in a crash or a spinout, which costs speed and time. Take too many hits and you might even lose your mirrors. To make things even more interesting, the game offers numerous options. There are 18 tracks to race on, from the slightly curvy to the very difficult. You can drive for practice, run a single race, or go for an eight-race tournament, and your car can be equipped with one of three different transmissions. Up to ten human and computer racers can compete, and starting positions can be set randomly or by a qualifying lap. For an extra touch, you can also choose the color of your car and the gender of your driver. GRAPHICS/SOUND: CHECKERED FLAG's images are among the best on the Lynx. From cars to obstacles, all of the graphics are elegant and highly detailed. The sense of speed is very convincing, with the Lynx's hardware scaling used to make everything fly by smoothly. Race information is clearly visible without being obstructive, and other game screens are equally attractive. There are not a lot of different sounds in the game, but they are used well. Engine whines alert you to change gears, tires squeal on tight turns, and the stereo roar of other cars remind you of pass attempts. Then there are the little extras, like the flagman's digitized voice announcing the start of the race and the musical scores between races. SUMMARY: This is a high-performance title that does nothing but pure video racing, and does it extremely well. Crammed with exciting gameplay, fast action, options galore, hot sound and graphics, and true multiplayer challenge, CHECKERED FLAG is absolutely terrific! GAMEPLAY: 10 GRAPHICS: 10 SOUND: 8.5 OVERALL: 10 EUROPEAN SOCCER CHALLENGE 1-2 players, horizontal game Telegames, for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: Telegames, one of the first third-party developers, returns after a prolonged absence with EUROPEAN SOCCER CHALLENGE, a portable version of the world's most popular sport. From a side-scrolling stadium seat, one or two players each control an 11-player team, picking from over 130 teams in 36 European countries. Game options allow changing the control scheme, setting the length of matches, and entering passwords to resume earlier tournaments. GAMEPLAY: After a string of disappointing sports games on the Lynx, I'm pleased to say that EUROPEAN SOCCER CHALLENGE is a playable, well designed, quality title. The amount of detail crammed into this card is incredible. Each country has a stable of two to eleven teams, each with its own name, players, and attributes. The team you pick does make a difference; players run, steal, and defend better depending on who you pick. Unfortunately, there's no way to see a team's abilities, so experimentation is necessary to find the better crews. The full gamut of soccer rules and actions are implemented, including tackles (stealing), throw-outs, and penalty flags to remove aggressive players. Controls are responsive, though a little complicated. A team's goalie is operated by the computer, who blocks and acts intelligently. User control goes to the player nearest the ball, and uncontrolled teammates follow a standard formation selected before the match. Kicking is done with the A and B buttons for high and low kicks. Holding down a button lets you aim and set the strength, allowing you to run one way and kick in another. The overall action is brisk, and following the game is not difficult. For comparative purposes, EUROPEAN SOCCER CHALLENGE is much more enjoyable than Atari's WORLD CLASS SOCCER cartridge. There are a few quibbles, though they are minor. Because control automatically goes to the man closest to the ball, there is the possibility for confusion when it enters a crowd, and chasing the ball carrier can be tricky. The instructions are also a bit confusing, and assumes the reader has a thorough understanding of how to play soccer. These make learning and playing the game a little more difficult than necessary. GRAPHICS/SOUND: Sights and sounds on EUROPEAN SOCCER CHALLENGE are vastly schizophrenic. The graphics are consistently wonderful, as game screens everywhere are done with great use of detail and colors. Sprites are moderately small, allowing for a wide view of the surrounding area while still showing sufficient detail. The animation of players is average, but the actions depicted are numerous and realistic. Scrolling is fast, although sometimes a little jumpy. In stark contrast, sounds are dismally dull; aside from a short musical loop between games, the only noises are a shrillish whistle and the quiet thud of a ball being kicked. There are no fanfares, no crowds, no other sounds to add to the experience. SUMMARY: EUROPEAN SOCCER CHALLENGE is a very respectable version of the popular sport. The sophisticated gameplay, quality design, and crisp controls are complimented by some very elegant graphics. Non-soccer fans won't be swayed, but enthusiasts will find this title very enjoyable. GAMEPLAY: 8.5 GRAPHICS: 9 SOUND: 4.5 OVERALL: 8 HARD DRIVIN' 1 player, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $34.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: HARD DRIVIN' for the Lynx is an adaptation of the Atari Games arcade racing title. The objective is to drive your performance sports car around a track, while dodging traffic and trying to finish each lap as fast as possible. Also, the track is divided into a speed course and a stunt course, which allow you to go at top speeds or try to survive death-defying jump ramps and banked curves. Race well enough and you can challenge the last champion in a head-to-head duel. What makes this different, though, is that HARD DRIVIN' is a true driving simulator. You can drive anywhere on the field, and your car has weight, momentum, and inertia, just as in the real world. Turn too hard and the car will skid, which becomes a spinout if you don't countersteer in time. Taking a jump at the wrong speed will result in a fiery collision, and approaching a loop too slowly is certain suicide. GAMEPLAY: HARD DRIVIN' is a straightforward game. Your sportster has four speeds with reverse, with either an automatic or manual transmission. The action takes place from within your car, complete with working instruments, while the track is drawn with filled 3D polygons. The speed track is mostly flat, with long stretches of curves, while the stunt track offers a drawbridge jump, banked curve, and other dangers. Surprisingly, game speed is not a problem with this game. One would expect that the complex mathematics of the physics and polygon graphics involved would slow HARD DRIVIN' to a crawl, but it doesn't. While it is not as fast as the home computer and Genesis versions, the speed of the action is not enough of a problem to affect gameplay. What does anchor HARD DRIVIN' from greatness on the Lynx are two problems, both unexpected. The first problem is in the "feel" of your car; it's hard to tell exactly where your edges are in the game's universe. Extra room is needed when tailing or passing another car, or else a crash occurs. Similarly, a healthy dose of paranoia towards road obstacles will improve survivability. The other, more critical problem is in the game's controls. Steering, accelerating, and braking are incredibly sensitive, to the point where playability is severely hampered. Anything more than a tap on the joypad will send you on a sharp turn, and the car's speed rises and falls faster than you would expect. With the manual transmission, it's even more confusing, with Option 1 and Option 2 used to shift gears. Players will need a lot of time and patience to become comfortable with the controls. GRAPHICS/SOUND: The visuals of HARD DRIVIN', though not perfect, are simple and effective. The filled polygon effects are done well, while retaining enough detail, and help to enforce the sense of realism in the game. The instant replay scenes are the best part of the game, using reverse angles to accurately duplicate the conditions of your latest crash. Aside from a title song, the main game sounds are the roar of the engine and a few digitized clips. SUMMARY: Converting the complexities of the arcade HARD DRIVIN' is a difficult task; what makes the Lynx version especially disappointing is that its shortfalls could have been prevented. The sensations of the arcade are duplicated well, but unweildly controls reduce this title to only a moderate game. While the Lynx version is still playable, only the most dedicated HARD DRIVIN' enthusiasts will derive the most pleasure from it. GAMEPLAY: 6 GRAPHICS: 8.5 SOUND: 6 OVERALL: 6 ======================================================== http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Jeffrey_Norwood ======================================================== HOCKEY 1-2 players, horizontal & vertical game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: It's a cold fact that the current Lynx library is short in sports titles. This trend is fading, however, first with AWESOME GOLF and CHECKERED FLAG, and now with HOCKEY for the Lynx. As the title indicates, this is a portable version of the winter sport, and an unofficial translation of MARIO LEMIEUX HOCKEY on the Sega Genesis. The action is seen from a mid-court arena seat, as one or two players lead a team of five skaters and a goalie, trying to score as many points as possible over three periods. All of the familliar elements of hockey are here: face-offs, tiebreaker shootouts, two-minute penalties, and the obligatory fistfights. GAMEPLAY: Lynx HOCKEY contains enough statistics and options to satisfy most players. Periods can be 5 or 10 minutes long, the computer opponent can be set to easy or normal play, and rules, penalties, and fights can be toggled on or off. There's a league of 22 teams, with each team rated in abilities like skating speed, defense, and goalie skills. The default settings are modelled after the 1991 NHL, but you can rearrange or randomize the league, and an eight-letter password keeps track of the new ratings. If you're not in the mood for a long game, you can practice the fighting and shoot-out sequences. The actual hockey contest is a one-game bout, with no provisions for season play or a tournament. While you control one player, the computer handles the rest of the team reasonably well. Player selection (with OPTION 1) and puck-passing (with button B) are managable, but shooting for the goal is quirky. To shoot, button A is tapped once or twice and aimed with the control pad, a system that's more complicated than it sounds. Scoring is possible, but you'll need some time to get the hang of the system. Gameplay is brisk, though you might briefly lose track of the puck in a crowd. The computer opposition plays very well even on the easy setting, and tends to rush your goalie for a quick score. When enabled, fights can occur fairly often, but you can choose not to enter them. Common hockey penalties are supported, such as offsides and the two-line pass, but the loser of a fight is punished, which is inaccurate. Several screens of game stats are available any time, covering trivia like "number of successful checks" and "% of time on offense". The shoot-out sequence at the end of a tied game is worth mentioning: the Lynx is held vertically as each team takes four shots at the opponent's goal. GRAPHICS/SOUND: The graphics of HOCKEY are reasonable. The best scenes are before the game starts, with player poses and digitized scenes shown while selecting teams and options. The rink holds small but recognizable players, a referee, and an even smaller but workable puck, along with game scores and clocks. The scrolling is a little jumpy and could have been better, and the near-digitized fights are detracted with cartoon-like special effects. In contrast, sounds offer little worth mentioning. Aside from a stirring title theme, music consists of short, simplish renditions of the American and Canadian National Anthems, and assorted rally tunes. The game is often quiet, with bland effects, simple sirens and whistles, and an unnatural silence from the crowd. SUMMARY: HOCKEY on the Lynx is a good, but not great, video version of the sport. A few minor flaws, like the quirky shooting controls and the lackluster sound effects, keep it from doing better. Still, for Lynx sports fans who can bear its weak points, this card is a good buy. GAMEPLAY: 7 GRAPHICS: 7 SOUND: 5.5 OVERALL: 7 JIMMY CONNORS' TENNIS 1-4 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: The Lynx library of sports games continues to grow, and the latest offering in this area is JIMMY CONNORS' TENNIS. Set at the Bella Country Club, home of the Jimmy Connors' Invitational Tennis Tournament, this card by Handmade Software lets one to four players get on the courts. Game options include singles and doubles games, court surface, four skill levels, and friendly or tournament play. At the top of the tournament ladder is Connors himself, waiting for a chance to challenge you. GAMEPLAY: There's a rule of thumb that talented professionals never need to promote themselves -- people will find the highly skilled for themselves. JIMMY CONNORS' TENNIS is analogous to this; it doesn't need flashy effects or catchy gimmicks, but instead presents a robust, high-quality sports game. While individual matches can be played for fun, the heart of the game is the tournament ladder, available for one or two players. You advance through a list of 24 players/teams by challenging and defeating the other entrants. A password feature between matches allows tournaments-in-progress to be saved between sessions. The actual tennis game is a grueling challenge, requiring time and practice to fully master the game. Where to stand, when to swing, what swing to use, and where to aim all must be decided in seconds, and beginners will require quite a bit of patience at first. To help, the easier levels display squares to show where to stand in order to return the ball. The computer opponents are worthy opponents, gradually building in difficulty as you advance, and it is easy to lose several weeks, if not months, refining your game in hopes of winning the Invitational. GRAPHICS/SOUND: Sights and sounds on JIMMY CONNORS' TENNIS uphold the high standards for quality from Handmade Software. The game is viewed from behind your side of the court, and the ball's height and position is easily tracked. Players are drawn with great use of color, and while the animation is clean, they run with an awkward sideways shuffle. Thankfully, the game is often quiet, as tennis should be; the most common sounds are the realistic thuds of the ball as it bounces off the ground or is hit on a swing. Loveliest of all are the digitized voices, crystal clear and among the best for the Lynx to date. The judge announces each score and fault, and Connors himself starts the game and offers blunt comments after matches. SUMMARY: As with AWESOME GOLF, Handmade Software has delivered a solid, no-nonsense portable version of the sport in JIMMY CONNORS' TENNIS. It is difficult without being frustrating, and sports buffs will gladly spend lots of time improving their skills. Challenging action, detailed graphics and crisp voices and sounds make this card a welcome addition to the Lynx. GAMEPLAY: 8 GRAPHICS: 9 SOUND: 9.5 OVERALL: 8 NFL FOOTBALL 1-2 players, vertical game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: There's no surprises here; NFL FOOTBALL for the Atari Lynx is a portable version of the American pigskin sport. This is the sport where two teams of eleven guys each try to carry an oddly-shaped brown ball down a hundred-yard field into the opposing team's end zone. As a licensed game, all of the real football teams and logos of the NFL are used, letting players fulfill their fantasies of managing their hometown favorites. For even more realism, the card features offensive plays designed by a real NFL coordinator, and game strategies can be altered in real time as needed. The action takes place from an overhead perspective, which zooms in and out of the action. GAMEPLAY: Ugh. NFL FOOTBALL had such promise, but falls far short. This game has so many defects in its implementation that you wonder if anyone bothered to play it before its release. The good news is that, on offense, almost two dozen plays are available, and each play can be improvised as needed (pass the ball on a running play, for instance). A game lasts for four 15-minute quarters, and two players can compete head-to-head with the ComLynx cable. Everything else goes downhill from there. On offense, passes are done by holding down the "B" button, moving a crosshair to an open receiver, then releasing the button to throw -- all performed while the opposition rush for the tackle. Running plays are easy to perform, but they yield little yardage and become essentally useless. When you have the ball, any touch from an opponent brings you down, with no chances to spin or break free. The selection of defensive plays is pitiful, with only six general defenses available, and there is no easy way to change the defensive player you are controlling. Two-player games are inherently more challenging because the computer opponent is pathethic. The Lynx has no head for strategy, and you can use the same play repeatedly with no effect. The computer makes up for its stupidity by making its players run faster than your team; if all your defenders are behind the ball carrier, it's a guaranteed touchdown. Each session is a one-game bout, with no provisions for league play, and there is no difference between teams other than their logos and uniform colors. There are no fouls, no way to block punts, and many more shortfalls, too numerous to list. GRAPHICS/SOUND: The graphics on NFL FOOTBALL are clean and identifiable, yet fail to excite or inspire. The Lynx's hardware scaling is wasted; the screen zooms in at the end of a play and zooms out to a high overhead shot for kickoffs, but most of the game is viewed from a static halfway height. It's possible to be in control of an off-screen player, though it shouldn't have to be. Screen clips highlight cheering crowds and the referee's calls, but they are simply animated there's not many of them. Sounds are a little better, but not by much. Aside from a title theme, the game is quiet most of the time, with most of the sounds consisting of a whistle and the shlup-shlup-shlup of running feet. The digitized voices of the referee calls are a bit muddled, while the crowd that cheers after each score is a simple "white noise" effect. SUMMARY: It doesn't help if football games on other portable game systems are no more sophisticated than NFL FOOTBALL. The bottom line is that this game is a futile exercise in boredom, and is certainly not fun to play nor worth the price asked for it. GAMEPLAY: 4.5 GRAPHICS: 5 SOUND: 5.5 OVERALL: 4.5 TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL 1-4 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $39.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: As mankind moved into the 21st century, the task of keeping people entertained started to become a problem. The sports and games of yesteryear seemed boring and tame as the new generation wanted more action and danger. Since murder remains illegal, the solution fell to robots, who could offer the violence that the audience demanded while preserving human lives. Welcome to the era of TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL, the explosive sequel to the CYBERBALL arcade game from Atari Games. This is a futuristic sports game with very close ties to American football. Two teams of robots play on a 100-yard field, trying to move a ball into the opponents' end zone. The ball heats up over time, so the offensive team must carry the ball far enough to cool it down, else face an explosion that destroys nearby players. Cheap mass-produced replacements are available, but smart coaches save their winnings to buy the better model players. GAMEPLAY: On the surface, TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL appears to be a decent adaptation. Up to four players can play, either against each other or versus one of four computer coaches. The defense has a fixed selection of moves, while the offensive choices are picked by the game from a larger pool, according to the situation. On the field, each player controls a robot, and are responsible for making the passes and blitzes needed. During the game, you earn money for specific scoring actions, such as interceptions and scoring. The game lasts for six periods, with opportunities to buy enhanced players throughout the game. Scratch the surface, however, and the problems appear. There is no apparent difference in abilities between the teams, and the team-unique plays from the original are gone. Robots cannot be damaged, though an explosion will destroy the ball carrier. Handoffs are unpredictable, reducing the value of running plays, and while passes are effective, it's difficult to intercept the computer's throws. Opportunities for enhanced players appear throughout the game, but reduce the number of plays available until you accept. The pace of the game is a little too fast; more time to decide and choose plays would be welcome, and plays start as soon as all players are in position. These and other flaws reduce a great idea into a frustrating experience. GRAPHICS/SOUND: The graphics in TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL are passable, though little more. The robots are distinctive, but are otherwise nondiscrept, and appear a bit too small. The three-quarters perspective scrolling and the play selection screens are done well, but are nothing to shout about. Sound effects are of a similar nature, either using similar versions of the arcade sounds and music, or omitting them all together. On the plus side, some of the digitized voices have been preserved, though hearing "Three... six... hike!" on every play becomes irritating after a while. SUMMARY: TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL on the Lynx could have been a quality conversion; other Lynx titles have shown the potential of the system. This game seems to have been written by someone with little familliarity with the original, and the shortcomings show through. In the final analysis, the many fans of TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL should skip this conversion and stick to the arcade machine instead. GAMEPLAY: 5.5 GRAPHICS: 7 SOUND: 7 OVERALL: 6 WORLD CLASS SOCCER 1-2 players, horizontal game Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx $29.95 Stereo? No OVERVIEW: In Atari's moves to fill the Lynx game library with sports titles, the latest entry is WORLD CLASS SOCCER. As the title indicates, this is a portable version of the worldwide ball-kicking sport for one or two players. Two teams from around the world face off for a one-game bout, trying to score the most goals in the time given. Basic soccer rules and penalties apply, including throw-ins, corner kicks, and fouls. Game options allow setting the length of the game, from 10 to 90 minutes, the field conditions, and the computer difficulty level. GAMEPLAY: WORLD CLASS SOCCER has the makings of a quality title; unfortunately, its good points are outweighed by numerous quirks in the gameplay. On the plus side, ball control is fairly effortless, with automatic dribbling and easy passing and kicking controls. On defense, you can steal the ball either by kicking or a sliding "tackle", and you have full control of the goalie as well and all squad members. The field scrolls from side to side, while the screen zooms in and out of the action as needed. While the game ideas are sound, the actual result is lacking and hurts the playability. Control automatically goes to the man closest to the ball, which causes quick control changes it enters a crowd. There is an option to manually change the active player, but it doesn't work at all. The zooming screen tends to focus closely on the ball, creating tunnel vision; long passes are impossible to coordinate, and you may be controlling a player or goalie who's off-screen, impairing your defense further. Players can choose teams from a hundred countries, but the only difference is the flag used. These and other problems make following the game very difficult and frustrating. Playing well is possible, but requires a lot of practice. GRAPHICS/SOUND: Like the game itself, the graphics on WORLD CLASS SOCCER are a mix of good and bad points. Images and sprites are respectably drawn and animated, and look well even when the screen is scaled to its smallest point. On the down side, the scaling is too slow to effectively show where the active player is, and the scrolling is often very jumpy to keep pace with the ball. Sounds are even less inspiring, composed mostly of a bouncing soccer ball mixed with periodic whistle blows and a simplistic crowd cheer. SUMMARY: This game has the ingredients for a quality soccer game, but assembles them into a disappointing ensemble that could have been better. While the hard-to-follow game action can be overcome with perseverance, only devoted soccer fans will care to invest the time that WORLD CLASS SOCCER requires for mastery. GAMEPLAY: 5 GRAPHICS: 7 SOUND: 4 OVERALL: 5 ATARI'S FUTURE: OPINION'S BY THE FANS ------------------------------------- Subj: Want Opinions on Future Section: Jaguar General To: Jeff @ The JGJ, 74447,531 Monday, February 19, 1996 1:18:09 PM From: Fleetwood Courrege, 76062,2626 #110673 Here are my predictions for the future of Atari. Shorterm - As Atari merges with JTS they'll probably release most of the Jaguar games that are almost finished like Battlesphere and Fight For Life. After that, I bet they'll continue with Atari Interactive, and start making old Jaguar games for other formats, especially PC versions. Longterm - I think Atari will keep a video game department even with JTS, and continue to manufacture games and systems. They'll let go of the Jaguar eventually, but support will still come for a while. Well, that's what I think. -----Owen Courreges Subj: Want Opinions on Future Section: Jaguar General To: Jeff @ The JGJ, 74447,531 Monday, February 19, 1996 2:22:16 PM From: Daniel Skelton, 73742,464 #110681 I think that Atari will turn its attention to the more lucrative JTS division; claim that they are not abandoning the video game market place; discontinue all development which is not nearly complete; release the remaining few titles that are already done or so nearly done that it would be more costly to drop them than to release them; seek licensors of the Jaguar/Jaguar II technology; and eventually discontinue video game development entirely in favor of licensing the rights to the Atari back- catalog to other manufacturers that would like access to such titles as Asteroids, Battlezone, Missile Command, Tempest, Breakout, Centipede, Star Raiders, and Yars' Revenge. Whether Atari Interactive takes some of the more successful Jaguar titles and converts them to PC/Mac/PSX/Saturn will depend almost entirely on how well Tempest 2000 for PC does; it's the premier title in the Jaguar library, the one game that for three years people have said "it's worth getting a Jaguar to play." If it fails, there's no way that any other title in the Jaguar library could attract the same attention and have the same chance of success. The best case scenario for Atari would be for a buyer to come to the Tramiels with so much money that they could not refuse to sell the rights to the Atari name, the back catalog, all technologies and patents, and have no connection with the video game industry. Then if that buyer could also purchase the TWI division from Time-Warner, they would have the basis for a contender; but only if they are completely independent of current owners and management. Dan Skelton Antique Videogame Aficionado ======================================================== http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Jeffrey_Norwood ======================================================== ======================================================== http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Jeffrey_Norwood ======================================================== ======================================================== http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Jeffrey_Norwood ======================================================== TON O' TIPS! ------------- Jaguar Defender 2000 - from Andy Ruth on CompuServe After playing classic, when you enter your name enter NOLAN, back at the game slection screen you can cycle through the games to you get to pong. it stays on the cart even if you turn it off... thank you Jeff [Minter]!!!! Highlander CD Cheats: Get the Chicken God and activate the Teleport: Place the flower in the vase in the Temple of the Chicken God hidden in the canyon behind the large tall rock with the sniper on top. NBA JAM: Tournament Edition - Larry Tipton Alexander Smith Note:Remember to turn off tournament mode before entering codes. Adisak / High Voltage Programmer -------------------- Enter initials: "ALP" using Option+C, Option+B, Option+A. Larry Bird -------------------- Enter initials: "BRD" using Option+A, Option+C, Option+A. Bill Clinton -------------------- Enter initials: "CIC" using Option+B, A,B, or C, Option+A. DJ Jazzy Jeff -------------------- Enter initials: "JAZ" using Option+A, Option+A, Option+C. Hugo, the Hornets' Mascot -------------------- Enter initials: "HGO" using Option+A, Option+C, A, B, or C. Baby Body Code --------------------- At "Tonight's Matchup" screen, enter the following: B, A, B, Up, Down, Left, Right Tempest 2000 * Cheats: * Activation (at main menu) = 1+4+7+A ("Excellent") * Commands (during gameplay): * Skip to Next Level = Option ("Outta Here") * Enable Warp Bonus Round = 6 ("Warp Enabled") * Easter Eggs: * Enable Rotary Controller (at Game Option menu): Press Pause on both controllers ("Excellent") * Web Rotation (during Web Select screen): * U/D = Web level * L/R = Rotate toggle * Invisible Web: Start any Tempest Plus game. Hold down Option (cheats must be active) until you get to the rainbow levels. The web will be invisible during the rainbow levels only. * Pause Bug: At the end of the Bacon/Jupiter River bonus round, press Pause just as it switches back to the main game (after approximately two & a half pulses of the "Excellent!" graphic). LYNX Crystal Mines 2 --------------------- List compiled by: Greg Littlefield and John Hardie Completed by Charlie Craft 5/11/92 Text file begun by John Hardie 4/10/92 1 - TSLA Down In The Dirt 2 - UEPT Logan's Run 3 - MTFQ Blocks And Bombs 4 - IRTR Wren's Nest 5 - ZCXP Out With A Bang 6 - DPRX Tanya's Tangram 7 - OIGT Monster Go Boom 8 - YHYR Dan's Deadly Maze 9 - VYHK Rocky Horror 10 - ITCU It Grows On You 11 - QCFK Easy Trap Of Doom 12 - BXNG Rock And Roll 13 - MOXA Bombs A' Plenty 14 - IDWJ Catacombs 15 - RFVC Red Herring 16 - GHSI Behind The Lines 17 - SKHU Impervections 18 - TRFN Blasting Zone 19 - LQRE A Wrinkle In Time 20 - AURV Bolder Dash 21 - TYGU Mud Wrestling 22 - FUIX Buried Alive 23 - QFXV Crystal "Mines" 24 - XVXU Can't Touch This 25 - KYPO Felony Arson 26 - HBTR Sandbox Bullies 27 - SFEB Stake Your Claim 28 - HXRE Dry Vein 29 - TRVJ Quiver 30 - FQCS Boulder Mania 31 - ZOIH Pipe Hype 32 - LHJV Stuck In The Mud 33 - GVYU Rat Race 34 - EMTV Split Infinity 35 - OHXY Switch Swatch 36 - GSTB Minefield 37 - UXRC Chimney Sweep 38 - PWYH What A Blast! 39 - XQCE Hardrock Headache 40 - PNGU Nuke Zone 41 - DZDI Down Is Up 42 - PIPH Lucky Number 43 - PKAV Of Gravity... 44 - TBUM Shape Up 45 - CXRI Gravity Wise 46 - QIPZ Slime Pit 47 - HBJP Candlestick 48 - NXKU Bouncing Boulders 49 - IGPY Cloudbuster 50 - INUK Whirlwind 51 - LPHD Block Mania 52 - NEBX I Get Around 53 - JVNL Hot Pursuit 54 - CAQS Runny Stocking 55 - KEHL Cakewalk 56 - EMSE The Sewers 57 - ZLAE Crystal Factory 58 - MSXV Drop A Rock 59 - JXTD Magic Mirror 60 - SOVS Cache 61 - GHGV Rock Concert 62 - QVOZ Crystal Tomb 63 - ZCEL Make My Maze 64 - COYH Pardon Me 65 - HJHT Take Control 66 - DONQ Castle Mania 67 - VBHF Rad Drops 68 - JSMJ Crystal Cannon 69 - HTRA Tick Tock 70 - WBHD Crossroads 71 - MVJX Rain Dance 72 - ANZI Jungle Gem 73 - EDLA Zero Gravity 74 - PCMN Boulder Exchange 75 - YJKJ Monster Mania 76 - RAIQ Which Way? 77 - ZRWH Mud Boggin' 78 - ECMO Safe Cracker 79 - AOTP The Howling 80 - SVWK Trial -N- Error 81 - VRBO Squeeze Play 82 - SVYA Jailhouse Rock 83 - KRFH Dodge Ball 84 - CNQR Sidewinder 85 - YNXR Ghost Of A Chance 86 - CWQU Plumber's Helper 87 - YXFJ Change Machine 88 - SRDW Triple Threat 89 - PDSQ Out Of Order 90 - QKOA Robo Rooter 91 - CKLQ Riddle Me This 92 - KHBA Cheque It Out 93 - MZKM Joel's Conniption 94 - DYDO Saturn V 95 - IDIC To Boldly Go 96 - WVOM Who Knows? 97 - NJCU Pipe Dream 98 - WUQR Volcano Vacation 99 - BSZB Pipeline Puzzle 100 - RERF Asylum 101 - WNON Slime Jar 102 - IVLC Around The World 103 - PJOL Crystal Trap 104 - RGEI Central Square 105 - WCEF Down The Drain 106 - DSGY Creature Comforts 107 - PHUF Swamp Things 108 - NCDS Gravity Ball 109 - KOMZ Herringbone 110 - LFXQ Water Closet 111 - WAET Xenophobe Zoo 112 - YJNV Conveyor Belt 113 - TAUJ Mutation 114 - IMOZ Towering Inferno 115 - NBFD Take Your Pick 116 - ZAPR Shopping Spree 117 - BXFT Elevator Muzak 118 - GEFA Kaleidoscope 119 - QIKD Gemnastics 120 - GMWJ Death Zone 121 - MKIH Don't Be Greedy 122 - ULEL Multi-abuser 123 - KBDW Bombs Away 124 - QEFP Sound And Fury 125 - SFJX Make 'Em Yourself 126 - LQXW The Four Seasons 127 - INMQ Lobotomy 128 - NMAD Hell And Back 129 - RHEM Pipe Organ 130 - YHVR Newton's Nightmare 131 - FSHF Jail Break 132 - EIKJ Quantum Quarry 133 - CQCR Running On MT 134 - AIYA Haunted House 135 - SXOE Arrow Phlegm 136 - EKDR Bohemian Rhapsody 137 - DRVY Lift Lackeys 138 - RGUM Spacin' Vaders 139 - FEDC Avalanche! 140 - PRKL Evil Twins 141 - ONKO Leftright 142 - QXPL Meltdown 143 - JRXP Girls Best Friend 144 - PADJ Phase Shift 145 - KGLI Spiral Of Doom 146 - FDXR Mouse Trap 147 - BLKS Zen 148 - TJGB Freeze Frame 149 - QKBT Check Mate 150 - AUEC Terminus *NOTE* Upon completing level 28, you are awarded a 1 million point super bonus. Bonus Levels ------------ 0 - ZERO Secret Vault From Level -- 1 - KQVW Deja View From Level 9 2 - QATR No Time To Think From Level 18 3 - DBFQ Bonanza! From Level 27 4 - LEJM Nimbus From Level 34 5 - ODJY Monty Haul From Level 39 6 - BVOS Pinball Wiz From Level 43 7 - SKLR Ping Pong From Level 48 8 - JPGR Twist And Shout From Level 52 9 - BIOH Time's Up From Level 55 10 - BNRY Time Bomb From Level 59 11 - UJIL Time To Spare From Level 61 12 - NMXS Lava Slide From Level 66 13 - LKBI Slam City From Level 70 14 - RNSK No Way Jose' From Level 73 15 - STRA Hide-N-Seek From Level 78 16 - YTST Snake's Belly From Level 84 17 - HBJO Flood Gate From Level 89 18 - CHRN Killing Time From Level 96 19 - WIFC Way Out From Level 100 20 - ESBD Hermit Crab From Level 106 21 - TMCB Menagerie From Level 111 22 - GCSQ Yuchsville From Level 114 23 - PNZS Mine Shaft From Level 119 24 - KDVI Surrounded From Level 125 25 - DHZY Pool Queue From Level 130 26 - IVRQ Pit Of Lost Souls From Level 134 27 - OSNY Shoot The Moon From Level 138 28 - LOTL Tarmaze From Level 143 29 - MWOH Safety Dance From Level 146 30 - JCXZ Downtime From Level 149 Level skip: Enter the password KIMI but don't press the A button to start the game. Instead hold down Option 1 and Option 2 buttons and press B. You will hear a sound like a machine gun and you'll see the first level (Down in the Dirt) appear on the screen. Press A to skip ahead to the next level or press B to move back through the list. When you see the level you want to play, press any direction on the control pad to start the game. INTERVIEW WITH: ATTACK OF THE MUTANT PENGUINS DESIGNERS 1. WHERE DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA OF THE ATTACK OF THE MUTANT PENGUINS? The original spark of inspiration started about 2 years ago when we were working on a another game called Mighty Max. In this game we had a baddie called "The Lost Penguin" which was basically a cute cuddly penguin on a Volcanic level of the game. The artist who drew the sprite decided in his lunch break one day to dress the penguin up in flippers and a snorkel. Having seen this I asked him to draw some more characters and the Cowboy and Elvis penguins were born. Between us, we started to design the basics for a game using these characters and 2 years later, "Attack of the Mutant Penguins" was completed for the Jaguar. 2. WHAT TYPE OF GAME IS IT? WAS IT PLANNED AS ANOTHER TYPE BEFORE THIS? AMP is an arcade game with puzzle elements viewed in a sort of isometric way and played on giant multi-level platforms. The game isn't really like any other game so it's hard to describe! There is quite a lot to the game too and it can take a while to figure it all out, but when you do it's great fun! If you like the idea of clobbering evil penguins with a huge baseball bat then you'll like this game :-) AMP was originally planned as a side on platform game and as more of a puzzle game but during the design stages, the viewpoint changed. 3. HAVE YOU EVER DESIGNED VIDEO GAMES FOR OTHER CONSOLES? WHICH GAMES, WHICH SYSTEMS (IF YES)? I have been writing games for about 11 years now, starting on the Dragon32, remember that? As a company we have been going around 8 years and have written many games such as: SKYRIDER (Atari ST), BAAL (ST/Amiga - Psygnosis), BLOOD MONEY (ST - Psygnosis) SHADOW/BEAST (Megadrive - Psygnosis), LEMMINGS 2 (ST - Psygnosis), ORK (ST/Amiga - Psygnosis) FIELDS OF GLORY (AmigaA1200/A500/CD32 - Microprose), MIGHTY MAX (SNES/MD - Ocean) ULT.BODY BLOWS (PC-CD - Team17). Plus some others that I've probably forgotten. 4. WAS THERE ANY TROUBLE IN PROGRAMMING ON THE 64-BIT JAGUAR? IF THERE WAS, COULD YOU EXPLAIN? The main problem area when programming the Jaguar is when you come to write GPU code for the simple reason that we couldn't debug it with the development system we were using (Atari's own). This meant that if something goes wrong (which it will!), it's very time consuming to track down any bugs. This means that most of the code tends to be written using the 68000 which is very slow compared to the GPU/DSP. The other problem area for us was sound. We are displaying an awful lot of sprites at any one time (up to 400!) which leaves very little bandwidth for sound. This means that we can't have a lot of channels or high quality samples. The one fundamental problem with the Jaguars design is that all the processors use the same bus (mostly). This means that using any one processor steals time from the other four. Of course to put them all on their own bus would be pretty expensive and the Jaguar is extremely attractively priced so we just have to try and work round it! 5. AS A DEVELOPER, HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF VIDEO-GAMING WITH ALL THE NEW PLATFORMS HITTING THE MARKET? Complicated! Also expensive. As a developer who has been around a while, I've seen the cost of development sky-rocket, games now cost hundreds of thousands to develop and need a team of coders and artists. AMP was created by a team of 5 people and that's a small team by todays standards. As the machines become more and more powerful, more and more resources are needed to get the best out of such systems. As a small independent developer, we are finding it tough to stay in the running with "the suits" and their huge wallets but we are determined to hang in there! This industry was built off the back of small developers and individuals and I think that if they go, so will the originality, just look at Playstation/PC stuff - mass produced 3D Racing/Doom clone games. 6. WERE THE JAGUAR'S MAXIMUM CAPABILITIES USED IN THE GAME? DO YOU THINK THAT ANY DEVELOPER HAS REACHED THE JAG'S MAXIMUM POTENTIAL? No and no. We certainly pushed the Jaguars sprite handling capabilities to near the limit but there is always scope for inprovement. One of the main areas is in utilising the GPU processor more. The problem with this is the time it takes to program the GPU and the problems with the development system as mentioned before. The Jaguar is a very nice machine with some annoying limitations that need to be worked around and figuring out the best ways takes time. The Jaguar is still a new machine and it always takes at least a couple of years before people really start to get to grips with any new machine. 7. WHAT IS YOUR NEXT PROJECT? IS IT GOING TO APPEAR FOR THE ATARI JAGUAR? We are currently talking to Atari Europe regarding a number of new projects, both for the Jaguar and the PC. We can't say anything about them yet unfortunately! 8. ANY TIPS OR CODES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO OUR READERS, ON ATTACK OF THE MUTANT PENGUINS? There are a couple of cheats but they escape me at the moment :-) All I can suggest for now is that locating the weapon chests is one of the main priorities. Also you might want to take note of how many Gremlins you drop to build the machines and the corresponding bonus you receive. 9. FINALLY, WHICH ONE OF YOU ACTED MOST AS A MUTANT PENGUIN DURING THE PROJECT ? No-one. We have a real Mutant Penguin in a cage in the corner of the room. No, seriously, would I lie to you.....! NOTE: A JPEG of AOTMP is ZIP'd with this file ======================================================== http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Jeffrey_Norwood ======================================================== Thank you for reading The Jaguar Gaming Journal. See you next month, March! ============================================================================ Atari is a registered trademark of Atari Corporation. Jaguar is a trademarks of Atari Corporation. All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their owning companies. Defender and Defender 2000 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Williams Electronics Games, Inc. Defender 2000 is developed and manufactured by Atari Corporation under license. Alien and Predator are trademarks and copyrights of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Used under sublicense from Activision. 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