November 1998 Volume 79 Number 11 "serving the protectors"
Computers

IT Bits

By Mike Horsfall (mich@picknowl.com.au)

Educational Titles For The Young Ones

Pajama Sam 2

Thunder and Lightning Aren’t So Frightening is the second in the Pajama Sam series. Sam sits in front of his television watching his favourite Pajama Sam cartoon when, after a clap of thunder, he races into hiding (sound familiar?).

Before emerging, he decides to become super-hero Pajama Sam and conquer thunder and lightning. During his quest, Sam must search for hidden items, solve puzzles, enter Wide World Weather (WWW) and search for missing machine parts. Sam can even take a break and activate the fun mini-arcade game.

Pajama Sam - Thunder & Lightning is suitable for children from three to eight. It’s designed to encourage children to think for themselves, and be creative and flexible.

Graphics and animations are cartoon style. They’re bright, colourful and exciting, and clearly designed to win the hearts of the young ones.

System requirements are very reasonable: any 486-33 PC with a 2 X CD-ROM and 8 MB of RAM will be suitable. RRP is $39.95.

3rd Grade Adventures

The Learning Company has developed an association with quality education software - and a new release in the range is no exception.

3rd Grade Adventures will certainly have children of seven - and older - thinking. The program is designed to increase maths, reading, science and geography skills and problem solving.

There are four grades to achieve in each category: 1,2,3 and challenging. Each grade can be set independently to tailor the user’s learning.

Throughout their journey, participants are set numerous tasks in a manner which makes learning fun. Children will become cluefinders as they seek adventure, solve problems and unravel the mystery of the polluted jungle.

The journey and tasks are presented in a colourful cartoon style, where intrigue and excitement are found around every corner.

3rd Grade Adventures requires a 486/66 with a 4X CD-ROM and 8 MB of RAM. RRP is $59.95.

Updates

PC DVD - RAM from Creative

PC-DVD RAM - a product that may well revolutionize the mass storage market with capacities unheard of in the affordable storage media sector - is to be released by Creative around December.

DVD-RAM stands for DVD Random Access Memory. It’s a new generation of re-writable disks which provide much greater storage than today’s re-writable CDs. The DVD RAM discs provide a total storage capacity of 5.2GB, and can be written and re-written many times over. Prices are expected to be below $1000.

Wireless Networking

The soaring popularity of “network gaming” sees the release of Diamond Multimedia’s Wireless Networking from as low as $230 per computer.

Diamond Multimedia Systems wireless networking solution (called HomeFree), allows users to quickly and easily set up a local area network (LAN) to share files, Internet access, and peripherals such as printers and modems. No more expensive complicated wiring.

HomeFree uses radio-wave technology to pass connections through walls, floors and ceilings at a range of up to 150 feet. It includes a soft router that allows multiple users to share simultaneously a single high-speed Internet connection.

PC Games

By Colin Hand (chand@picknowl.com.au)

World Cup 98 - EA Sports

The World Cup has come and gone, but there’s still a lot of soccer fans out there looking for more action. For those who own a Pentium 100 PC, with graphics acceleration, Electronic Arts has come to the rescue.

In a similar vein to FIFA 98, World Cup 98 adds that little bit extra. The game includes 32 world-class teams - including Australia - and 10 accurately rendered stadia.

There is all the action and hype you would expect from a game of this standard, from the roar of the crowd to the characteristics of the players. Just watching them as they kick a goal is entertainment enough.

Just like the real thing, they run and jump on each other, throw their arms into the air with joy and do cartwheels - just what you’d expect of professional players.

The game includes “Country-Specific National Anthems”, and if you manage to succeed in the World Cup, new sets of scenarios develop. Some of the greatest teams in history can be played in the Classis Teams Mode, including England 1966, Brazil 1970 and Italy 1982.

The game allows for “on-the-fly, in-game tactics” and real time strategies. As should be the case with all simulations, the players respond in accordance with their skills and attributes, not the speed of your gamepad, which adds the extra dimension of realism.

If you think you’re a hard-core fan, you can test your knowledge with World Cup trivia, which pops up at the half and full-time stats.

The commentary is brilliant as it applies to the game. If your team is playing bad, it will comment appropriately.

The game requires a Multimedia Pentium 100 with 16mb of RAM and at least 20mb of hard drive space. It supports 3DFX and PowerVR graphics accelerators. All you need then is some free time and quick reflexes.

Console Games

By Phil White

BANJO-KAZOOIE - N64

Banjo-Kazooie takes the gaming populous into the next dimension with a unique and entertaining style of gameplay. It redefines the boundaries of the platform game.

You control Banjo the bear, and Kazooie the bird, in a quest to save Banjo’s sister, Tooty, from the evil witch, Gruntilda. Banjo’s strength and Kazooie’s manoeuvrability make an awesome combination as they set out to achieve a series of goals to collect pieces of a puzzle which form their destiny.

Whether your racing against the clock, helping other characters or controlling a Ouija board, Banjo-Kazooie will keep you guessing at every turn. As with most 3-D platformers, there are endless places to explore and many things to do.

A highlight of the game is the quality of the graphics. The textures used throughout the game are sharp and colourful, and the attention to detail brings the characters to life.

Banjo-Kazooie has very familiar, cute and quirky, graphics, tight and intuitive controls, and compelling gameplay. It is simply an outstanding game, and a must-have for any N64 owner.

GOLDENEYE - N64

Games named after movie titles are often let-downs - just another marketing tool used by programmers to sell their software. Goldeneye is an exception to the rule. The programmers at Nintendo have finally done a movie justice.

Goldeneye is a 1st-person shooter and uses a similar style graphics engine to Doom. Mission one starts at a dam in Arkangelsk, USSR, where the objective is to infiltrate a hidden military post.

Instantly, players are immersed in the game as they progress through the objective. Using advanced training techniques and stealth capabilities, one can be in and out before the enemy knows what hit them. With that objective complete, it’s then time to bungie jump off the dam to safety and into Mission Two.

Goldeneye includes over 20 missions. Each offers different objectives that range from search and destroy, to collecting objects and protecting innocent civilians. Stealth missions are very enjoyable. Taking out the enemy as quickly and as quietly as possible is the key to these missions. Fail and you’ll gain unwanted attention from every enemy soldier within a ten-mile radius.

Apart from fine gameplay, Goldeneye benefits from N64’s graphical capabilities. It provides silky smooth environments that are of almost photo-realistic quality. The James Bond soundtrack further enhances the atmosphere of the game, as does the sound of the explosions and weapons (30 in all).

With its authenticity and brilliant graphics, Goldeneye has set the standard for other games to follow. Well done, Mr Bond - and well done Nintendo.

The Police Journal thanks Games ‘R’ Us at Marion who, after supplying these games for review, agreed that they should be given to the children of a former member, the late Kym Schulz.