dwl10@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com (Dave Lowrey) (06/28/88)
This is being submitted for a "netless" friend. Comments, questions and
flames to him, not me.
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Subject: Game Review: DEF CON 5
Title: DEF CON 5
Description: Strategic Defense Initiative Simulation
Publisher: Cosmi
System: Commodore 64 disk (C-128 in C-64 mode), joystick required
Price: $14 discount
Overall Grade: D+
I suppose I should've known not to expect much, given that both the author
and publisher were the same as for the abysmal Super Huey. But Toys-R-Us was
peddling DEF CON 5 at a clearance price of $6, and I figured I couldn't lose
too much...
I will note, though, that some people *will* like this game. My own tastes
place strong emphasis on realism of simulation, on credibility of the game's
challenges, and on variety of game play. The total lack of realism and
credibility wiped this one out for me.
Detailed report card:
Realism: F don't expect to learn anything about SDI from this game.
Credibility: F the game challenges are totally artificial and illogical.
Variety: B four game phases, some with multiple sub-phases.
Graphics: B starting with the second sub-phase of the first phase.
Sound: C not many effects needed.
"Style": B its presentation does have a certain "flair".
Manual: C- no pictures, not well organized, lots of typos.
The only folks that are likely to enjoy this one are the ones who never
wondered how Pac-Man ended up in that maze, or why the ghosts are after him,
or how on earth the opening at the top of the maze could possibly lead to the
opening at the bottom :-) DEF CON 5 is completely nonsensical.
Oh by the way, the "screen photos" on the back of the package are *not*
screen photos, even though they went to the trouble to shape the borders in
the classical "TV tube" shape. None of the actual screens quite live up to
the simulated pictures depicted, but at the same time they do get close
enough that you probably won't be driven to screaming "Fraud!". Only the
last picture (showing a globe within a cube) is a total fabrication.
--
Doug Pardee {ames,hplabs,sun,amdahl,allegra}!oliveb!edge!doug
Edge Computer Corp., Scottsdale, AZ uunet!ism780c!edge!doug
--
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"This isn't Heaven, this is Cleveland!!!!"
Dave Lowrey
Amdahl Corp.
Houston, Texas
(713)-850-8828
...!{ames,sun,decwrl,uunet,....}!amdahl!dwl10
[ The opinions expressed <may> be those of the author and not necessarily
those of his most eminent employer. ]