bulko@ut-sally.UUCP (Bill Bulko) (12/31/85)
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I'm looking for reviews and/or endorsements for computer games, specifically
those available on the Macintosh. After owning a Mac for about a year now,
I've decided to blow some leftover Christmas money and buy a game, but there
are so many on the market that I really can't tell them apart. I'd
appreciate any suggestions.
SITUATION:
(1) The Mac is a 128K. I don't know of any games offhand that require more
memory than that (other than the recent Dungeons of Doom), but just in
case, I thought I'd mention this as a constraint.
(2) I'm a total winner at Adventure and Zork, and realized I was getting
bored with text-adventure games when I quit playing Haunt without
much of a fight. Therefore, I'm not interested in the usual brand of
adventure games like Infidel or [insert list of generic Infocom games
here]. This is not a put-down of those games; it's just that I'm
really not interested in those *unless there's something unique or
special about them.* For example, I've heard that Wizardry and the
Ultima series are supposed to be different and good. Is this true?
(Any Wizardry/Ultima fans out there?) No Hitchhikers or Transylvania
replies, please.
(3) We own Lode Runner for the Mac, and are very pleased with it. (We still
find it fun to play, even after playing it through all the way.) We're
waiting for the Mac version of Championship Lode Runner, if it ever shows
up on the market. (Any news on this?) Anyway, I'd also be interested in
arcade-style games, despite the fact that I've never really seen any
mention of netters playing any. :-) Has anyone played Short Circuit,
for instance? Ideas, please!
Please MAIL me any suggestions/reviews/opinions. Thanks for your help!
_______________________________________________________________________________
"In the knowledge lies the power." -- Edward A. Feigenbaum
"Knowledge is good." -- Emil Faber
Bill Bulko Department of Computer Sciences
The University of Texas {ihnp4,harvard,gatech,ctvax,seismo}!sally!bulko
_______________________________________________________________________________clif@intelca.UUCP (Clif Purkiser) (01/06/86)
> [The postman hits! --More--] > [You have new mail. ] > > I'm looking for reviews and/or endorsements for computer games, specifically > those available on the Macintosh. After owning a Mac for about a year now, > I've decided to blow some leftover Christmas money and buy a game, but there > are so many on the market that I really can't tell them apart. I'd > appreciate any suggestions. > Bill Bulko Department of Computer Sciences > The University of Texas {ihnp4,harvard,gatech,ctvax,seismo}!sally!bulko > _______________________________________________________________________________ Well since this seems to be the popular time of year to post summaries of Mac programs. Bill has given me an excuse to post my list of the top game software for the Mac. WARNING my taste runs strongly toward the strategy/wargame types. Stratgey Games (not in order) 1. Balance of Power I think the most inovative game of the year for the Mac. You are the President of the U.S or the head of the Soviet Union. The game shows a map of the world after clicking on the countries you select The US's policy toward that country. Do you support the government by providing Military advisors, Military Aid, Economic Aid, or by signing a treaty? Or do you support the insurgence by Invading, providing Military aid, destabilizing the govermnent, or by applying diplomatic pressure? Every action that you or the USSR takes can be challenged by the other super-power. Challenges start a dangerous game of brinksmanship. You and the other side escalate the challenge from a diplomatic crisis to the sabre-rattling DEFCON 4,3 or 2. DEFCON 1 is nuclear war and causes the game to end with both sides being BIG losers. If you backdown from a crisis you loses prestige points as the other countries start to wonder about your commitments and national resolve. The object game is to end you 8 year term office without blowing up the world while accumalating more prestige points than the other side. The diplomatic messages and Soviet actions read just like the headlines of today's newspapers. This game is extremely educational, very challenging, and more than a little scary. If you interested in world politics Balance of Power is a must. 2. Ancient Art of War. An excellent adaptation of the IBM PC/ Apple II version. Using superior strategy and tactics you attempt to defeat famous military leaders like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Caeser, Geronimo etc. With 10 scenarios and 9 leaders plus the ability to make your own scenarios this game has a long life. Excellent animations of the guys fighting. Good use of the Mac interface and good sound. My major objection to the game is that the objective is always to capture the other sides flag while defending yours which is sort of unrealistic. 3. Fokker Triplane. A good flight simulator. You use the mouse to control a joystick. As a pilot I find the manipulation of the joystick to be the most natural flight simulation yet. The graphics are good but not outstanding. While I liked this game a lot and had fun shooting down the balloons I found trying to dogfight the Sopwith Camel impossible. In general this is on pare with the Flight Simulator for the PC, and less fun than F-15 Strike Eagle or Jet as a shoot-um up game. 4. Gato A simulation of World War II submarine combat. This game is quite a bit of fun . The graphics are very good and it uses the Mac interface very effectively , but they totally blew it by not including sound effects a really pity. A nice option is the ability to customize your sub and of course numerous difficulty levels. Other than the lack of sound my other complaint with the game is that it is unrealistic. The subs turn and dive much too slowly . It is much to easy to sink ships by dropping mines and to sink a destroyer by torpedoing it as it attempts to ram you. Another sub game Silent Service, available for the Apple and IBM PC, is much better, and I believe that it will be put on the Mac soon. 5. Make Millions. A very good business game. You attempt to own the music business on Hawaii. You do this by playing the stock market, than getting control of one of the five Aloha companies which help make guitars. The object is gain control of all five companies. Most of the game is spent training managers and answering the fun. I think Make Millions is a very unusual business game and makes up for being a little to long by being humerous. 6. Ultima III. Already reviewed I think this is an excellent game. My understanding from friends who have both is that Wizardary is better. 7. Enchanted Spectre. I am not big on adventure games. This one had good graphics and great great sound. I haven't solved and probably wont but it looks better than most. 8. Dungeon of Doom. Strategy games not recommended. Millionare- medicore stock market simulation Transyalvania - Yet another graphic adventure game Infocom - these may be excellent but they hardly changed them for the Mac. Strategic Conquest. Good concept, lousy graphics. Next I'll post my list of good arcade games. -- Clif Purkiser, Intel, Santa Clara, Ca. HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROPROCESSORS {pur-ee,hplabs,amd,scgvaxd,dual,idi,omsvax}!intelca!clif {standard disclaimer about how these views are mine and may not reflect the views of Intel, my boss , or USNET goes here. }
david@randvax.UUCP (David Shlapak) (01/09/86)
Just thought I'd use a previous message as a jumping-off point for
providing some comments of my own.
> Stratgey Games (not in order)
>
> Ancient Art of War
> An excellent adaptation of the IBM PC/ Apple II version.
> Using superior strategy and tactics you attempt to defeat famous military
> leaders like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Caeser, Geronimo etc. With
> 10 scenarios and 9 leaders plus the ability to make your own scenarios
> this game has a long life. Excellent animations of the guys fighting.
> Good use of the Mac interface and good sound.
>
> My major objection to the game is that the objective is always to capture
> the other sides flag while defending yours which is sort of unrealistic.
I like this game too, although I'm still waiting for a tactical-level
contemporary war game for the Mac (something like "Combat Leader," one
of the few reasons I miss my old C-64...).
> 4. Gato
> A simulation of World War II submarine combat. This game is quite a bit of
> fun . The graphics are very good and it uses the Mac interface very
> effectively , but they totally blew it by not including sound effects a
> really pity.
I don't miss the sound effects any more than I miss color...that is,
I don't miss them at all.
> A nice option is the ability to customize your sub and of course numerous
> difficulty levels. Other than the lack of sound my other complaint
> with the game is that it is unrealistic. The subs turn and dive much too
> slowly . It is much to easy to sink ships by dropping mines and to sink
> a destroyer by torpedoing it as it attempts to ram you.
I agree about the mines, but the slow diving and turning rates are in
fact pretty realistic for a WWII submarine.
> Strategy games not recommended.
> Strategic Conquest. Good concept, lousy graphics.
Strategic Conquest is, along with GATO, my favorite Mac game. The
graphics are admittedly not spectacular, and the game can be a little
cumbersome to use (it takes FOREVER to fire up!), but all in all it's
an engrossing little number. In fact, I'm going to have to loan my
copy out to someone in order to get any work done!
WHAT I'M WAITING FOR
* The aforementioned modern tactical-level (i.e., squad/platoon)
ground combat game
* A game of modern air-to-air/air-to-ground warfare (I do NOT
like "Harrier Strike Mission;" it's basically a complex arcade
game), a la "F-15 Strike Eagle."
* A bridge game.
Cheers!
--- dasusenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (USENET News Administration) (01/21/86)
Actually, I found dogfighting easier than shooting the balloons -- it's easy to down balloons, but not so easy to do it so that you get a score. The flight simulation is beautiful, with vector graphics and good if obnoxious sound. But lining up for landings is not for the easily frutrated (like me :-). Gute Jage! Leigh Ann