moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (09/26/86)
Every once in a while you get a piece of software that, while being good in
the first place, seems twice as good due to the price you got it for. I was
reading through mod.mac the other day when I read about a new game called
SMASH HIT RAQUETBALL, an animated (videoworks-like animation) raquetball
simulation in 3-D, where you play the computer. Digitized sound, good
animation (men running around hitting the ball), easy to play but still
challenging, according to the article. What really got my attention was the
price -- $14.95; this is not normally the kind of game I'd get, but for that
price, I thought, I certainly won't feel cheated.
I called the number given to Primera Software, and talked to (I assume) the
developer/distributer of SHR. He said the idea of the low price was to
start a "revolution" in the game software business; 50% of the cost of most
game software (according to him) goes to advertising, and he is instead
running a small ad in MacWorld. He is hoping that the low cost and
word-of-mouth would create enough sales to make it profitable to offer game
software at this price; I believe he's a bit worried that people will look
at the low price and think the game is crap.
Well, I got my disk two days later (at $14.95 + ~$1 for S&H), and I can
assure you that it is NOT crap. In fact, this will probably replace Lode
Runner as my favorite Arcade-type game. The figures are realistic, the
sound is great (hit Control-D to get a laugh), and the game is quick to
learn but is very challenging (I was surprised how much concentration I had
to give it). The movement of the man around the court is very easy to do;
The mouse moves him left and right, forward and back; a neat idea is a
circle that shows where your man is running to. The aiming of the ball is
almost as easy -- hitting a key on the keyboard hits that ball in the
relative direction (e.g. holding "a" when hitting the ball aims the ball to
the left and center; holding ";" aims to the right and center; "b" low and
middle of the court). One doesn't need to use the keyboard -- the default
is center ("g"). Holding the mouse down when you hit increases the force
you hit the ball with. My one suggestion would be an option to use the Mac+
numeric keypad instead of the main keyboard.
The only way of ordering it (for now) is to do it directly; I don't have the
address, but Primera takes Visa (and I assume MasterCard) over the phone --
(415)525-3000. This is SO much better than most game software, and at this
price, it just bowls me over. It is copy-perverted, but has an option so
that it can be installed and de-installed on a hard disk.
STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I have no connection with Primera Software, other
than (so far) I like their product and their prices.
"That man makes Rambo look like Pee-Wee Herman."
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.EDU
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty
CREDO: You gotta be Cruel to be Kind...
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