doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (05/14/86)
Well folks, you won't have *me* to kick around much longer :-) Sanders/CalComp is closing this facility, and sometime between now and the end of July both our VAX-780 and I will be looking for new homes. In the meantime, I'm going to be busy with the traditional wind-down activities. I won't have much time (if any) to read the news, although I'll try to keep up with my mail until the VAX goes dark or until the door hits me in the backside on my way out... As a parting shot, I'm providing a mini-review of every program in my small C-64 game library. Some comments on my categorization: I'm ignoring the title screens in these reviews, even though these often have the most ingenious sound and graphics. "Adequate sound" means that the sound effects are simple noises like roaring motors and firing guns, where sophistication isn't really possible. BC's Quest for Tires -- Sierra Online Cute cartoon graphics, simple game play. Mostly reaction, some tactics, no strategy. Adequate sound. Although the game play is simple, it is somehow fascinating. Beach Head -- Access A sequence of different scenarios, with varying demands on reaction and tactics. Very little strategy. Nice graphics in some of the scenarios. Adequate sound effects. Blue Max -- Synapse A game whose time has gone. The Zaxxon-style diagonal scrolling graphics have been rendered obsolete by the out-the-window graphics of Flight Simulator, SkyFox, Jet, AcroJet, F15 Strike Eagle, etc. Some strategy, some reaction, some tactics, and a lot of luck. Adequate sound. Deadline -- Infocom I've never had enough patience to become an "adventure" freak, but Infocom is clearly the current leader in the text-adventure category. Fort Apocalypse -- Synapse Nice combination of strategy, tactics, and reaction make this one of my favorites. The profile-view scrolling graphics are a bit dated now. Adequate sound effects. Flight Simulator II -- SubLogic Outstanding achievement in graphics and simulation. But almost totally devoid of any game play. No strategy, no reaction. The only tactics are to keep the plane from crashing. The WW-I warfare simulation is feeble at best. Buy this one for showing off your C-64's capabilities, but not much else. Murder on the Zinderneuf -- Electronic Arts My all-time favorite. A murder mystery, with you as the sleuth. You figure out who has the best motive by questioning the suspects. Different victim and different motive every time you play. Some of the motives are bizarre; ever heard of a tontine? Adequate graphics and sound. Music Construction Set -- Electronic Arts Big disappointment from Electronic Arts. Too many restrictions. Buy one of the many other music programs instead. Pole Position -- AtariSoft Nice translation of the arcade game. My only complaint is that you can and must run full-throttle at all times, reducing the complexity of the game play. Good translation of the arcade graphics. Adequate sound. Racing Destruction Set -- Electronic Arts Very imaginative extension of the slot-car concept. Ever seen a slot-car track with icy surfaces and Moon gravity? One player against the computer or two players against each other. Good graphics, adequate sound. Richard Petty's Talladega -- Cosmi Curb Outstandingly balanced game play. Lot of reaction and tactics, some strategy. Great game play and unusually low price compensate for unimaginative "Pole Position rip-off" graphics and laughable sound effects. Seven Cities of Gold -- Electronic Arts Exploring the New World was apparently a slow-moving and often boring task... this is a zero-pressure game. As with Monopoly, don't start playing unless you have a lot of time; you will spend hours on each exploration. Barely adequate graphics and sound. (Not really as bad as the above makes it sound -- like Flight Simulator, a lot of work went into this program to make it an accurate simulation. But accuracy does not equal fun). SkyFox -- Electronic Arts Nice out-the-window graphics highlight this aerial combat game. Mostly tactics, but using some strategy will improve your performance. Adequate sound effects. Star Trek -- Sega Trash. Poor graphics, absurd sound, and nonsense game play. And bugs in the program, to boot. Avoid at all costs. Temple of Apshai -- Epyx 1980-vintage Basic program converted for the C-64 by adding sprite graphics and sound effects. This program is terribly dated in almost every aspect; if Epyx didn't own it I bet it'd appear on Electronic Arts' "Golden Oldies" disk. Game play is short-term-only because the "save game" feature doesn't work. Zeppelin -- Synapse Profile-view scrolling graphics are a bit dated. Game play is a mixture of reaction, tactics, and strategy, but the reaction part is so frantic that you won't get much of a chance to plan tactics or strategy. Cooperative two-player game is unusual. One steers and one shoots. Good sound effects. I think this one is just too difficult to be fun. As noted above, I probably won't see any comments you post. If you want me to read it, mail it. Y'all have a good time with your Commodores... -- Doug Pardee -- CalComp Display Products Div, Scottsdale AZ -- {elrond,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug (soon to disappear from the net)