December 1998 Volume 79 Number 12 "serving the protectors"
Compters

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

The video Card

Prime position on any PC gamer’s Christmas list must be held by one of the next generation of 3D-accelerated video cards now available. Whether the card is manufactured by one of the market leaders - Creative Pacific and Diamond Multimedia - or is one of the less common brands, it will be based on the Voodoo Banshee or Voodoo 2 chipset, which both support 3DFX acceleration. While there are other methods of accelerating graphics, serious gamers acknowledge that 3DFX is superior and achieves fast, realistic gaming action.

The video card, for those new to such technology, is the circuit board that produces the graphics on a PC monitor. Basic graphics, such as a word processing screen, use only 2D graphics. Most of today’s PC games use 3D graphics. The more intense, impressive games, however, require 3D acceleration.

For a PC to produce the full range of graphics, it will need a 2D-3D card in conjunction with one or more 3DFX cards, or a Voodoo Banshee card, which will produce the entire range using only one card.

For those with some knowledge, the Banshee will replace the Voodoo Rush card, and is far superior. In fact, the Voodoo Banshee accelerates graphics faster than a single Voodoo 2 card and is recommended for the majority of gamers. It combines exceptional 3D gameplay and outstanding 2D performance - all on a single card.

The Diamond Monster Fusion and the Creative 3D Blaster Banshee are the most popular releases in the Banshee range. Priced at around $350.00, they both feature a 128 bit 2D graphics engine, 16 MB of video memory and a Voodoo 2 core. They appear to only differ in their software setup (drivers).

While the inclusion of a Voodoo Banshee to a PC brings enormous gains in graphics quality and speed across the whole 2D-3D range, it will also extend the life of some tiring processors.

Take for instance the system requirements for Grand Prix Legends (a new release by Sierra Sports). A Pentium 2 - 266 is recommended to run the racing sim, with 64MB of RAM. It ran superbly on a Pentium 166 MMX with a Creative 3D Blaster Banshee, with all features turned on and only 32MB of RAM.

Published by Papyrus (makers of Nascar and Indycar) Grand Prix Legends pushes the racing simulation limits. With all the authentic cars and tracks in fine detail, excellent sounds, graphics, realism and gameplay, Grand Prix Legends might be the sim to replace the all-time classic Grand Prix 2 (Microprose).

It’s based on the 1967 Grand Prix racing season, when tracks were more precarious and were more like country roads, and cars were less technically advanced with no wings or slick tyres. The result is a very difficult driving experience, requiring a great deal of skill and knowledge of tracks and car characteristics. It will take some time to master the skills required to drive these virtual race cars.

Grand Prix Legends features a full 3D cockpit similar to those found in flight sims, and includes all gauges (fully operational), gear shift, wheel and driver’s arms which move in conjunction with the steering. Gameplay includes Single Race, World Championship, Training and Multi-player. Full control over graphics detail, driving aids, cars, drivers and tracks is included. A big disappointment is the absence of weather changes like rain and snow, no night racing and no commentary.

In order to successfully operate the Grand Prix cars, drivers will require a joystick, or steering wheel and pedals. This may be another negative for Grand Prix Legends. It’s almost impossible to drive the virtual cars with a gamepad or the keyboard - it’s quite difficult with a joystick. Ideally a steering wheel and pedals are required. As an alternative, players can successfully utilise the Cyberman 2 Game-pad from Logitech, with its puck-like control permitting graduated control over steering. This device has been previously reviewed in the Police Journal. It retails at about $195 and is compatible with a wide variety of PC games. Grand Prix Legends is available now at about $85.

CONFINING SPEED TO THE SCREEN

Reducing our road toll is an objective we must all encourage. For those who have a fascination with exotic cars, speed and the thrill of the chase, an electronic game is probably the safest way to satisfy the need.

Need For Speed 3 - Hot Pursuit, the latest release by the PC-game giant, Electronic Arts, may be just the answer. NFS3 is an arcade-style racing game with stunning graphics, beautiful images of some of the world’s most exotic cars and scenery which is as close to photo-realistic as has been seen.

Cars feature wonderful colours and textures, chrome, reflection, lighting and just about everything else to make them appear as real as possible ñ a Falcon police car is also available as a “download” complete with lights and sirens, flashing headlights and chequered stripe.

The thrill of the chase is also catered for in the Hot Pursuit mode, where players can either be pursued, or drive the police pursuit car (and you can even turn the lights and sirens on as needed). There are also the tire spikes and roadblocks for those who flout the law.

With so many features (and there’s so many more), Electronic Arts has succeeded in producing a wonderfully versatile product which should pass the test of time. Be warned though, all the features in NFS3 come at a price. In order to produce the graphics at an acceptable speed your PC will need a video card capable of displaying 65,535 colours and drawing them very quickly. Forget this game if you have only a standard 3D video card.

A 3D accelerated graphics is a must, and a 200 MHz processor and 32 MB of RAM is recommended. Our tests (on the Pentium 166MMX) have shown that even with a 4MB Diamond Monster, graphics were not produced fast enough to satisfy our need for speed. We could turn some detail down (or off), but this was not an acceptable option. The better alternative was to change the Diamond Monster for a Monster Fusion or Creative 3D Blaster Banshee and watch NFS3 rock - the result was sensational, and testament to the quality of the Voodoo Banshee chipset. A big plus for NFS3 is the price ñ at $49.95 it’s a steal.

MAD MOTORCYCLING

If car racing sims are not your thing, take a look at Motocross Madness, a new release by Microsoft. This version of Superbike racing is all about off-road motorbikes and the Supercross tracks you ride them on - or rather throw them on. In the game you are the daredevil rider in a number of races, from the Stunt Quarry to the Baja and the Supercross.

In each event the objective is to win the race or pull the wildest stunts. The main theme is simple: stay on the bike - but that’s easier said than done. You must control all facets of the game, including the acceleration, braking and steering of the bike, and balance of the rider. All this is done from one controller so you don’t need a fancy gamepad or steering wheel - but it will help.

With a simple joystick and a couple of keys you can pull off some kick-ass jumps in the “muther of all Supercross tracks”. While Motocross Madness comes with over 30 stadium-based tracks, the more adventurous will want to build their own with what must be the easiest track creator we’ve seen.

There’s little chance of ever loosing interest in this game, but if you do, try racing the computer, or play over the phone in a head-to-head challenge. You can challenge cyber riders from around the world over the World Wide Web. Multi-player gameplay can be even more exciting than solo riding. Playing against a human opponent with totally different skills gives the extra feel of competition.

There is very little difference in graphics or smoothness of play over the phone line, however, if your connection is susceptible to errors, playing may get frustrating when the connection drops out. Internet play appears to be more stable, and there is always some die-hard biker out there who wants to show off in the Stunt Quarry.

The game requires a multimedia Pentium 133 with 16MB of RAM and at least 60MB of hard drive space. The game also requires 3-D acceleration, now standard with the more graphic-intense games. If you don’t possess some sort of 3-D accelerator card, now might be the time to make an upgrade. With the standard of this game, and the spectacular graphics it creates, it will be well worth it. Motocross Madness also couples the images with the most realistic Surround Sounds available. It is available now at a RRP of $89.

DEBT-FREE GAMING

There’s been significant opposition to the latest gaming legislation in operation around South Australia. Grand Casino Deluxe by Sierra, may be a better alternative. This new game is bound to give the same enjoyment as a real casino without the personal trauma of debt. There are 18 games on 2 CDs, (Casino Deluxe and Casino Deluxe 2) including the most real poker game ever seen ñ punters can even lose my money just like the real thing. There are six slot machines, four video poker games, blackjack, roulette, craps and more.

The graphics are very colourful and, like the real thing, they try to distract you with all the fancy lights and bells while relieving you of your heavy burden of coin. If you want to get even or ahead, learn the technique of card counting. There is help for all the games and advice can be given even during play - obviously not picked up on the cameras.

The game requires a multimedia 486DX with 8mb of ram. It works on Windows 3.1 or greater formats. The only things you have to supply are the James Bond fans standing around your computer cheering you on, and $29.95 for your purchase. If you’d like to win a copy put your details on the back of a used envelope and address it to Mike Horsfall, Sturt Police Station (12) Grand Casino.

FOR THE JUNIORS

There’s plenty of software out there for the young ones too. The release of two new CD-ROM games based on the adventure movie, Small Soldiers, is bound to be a huge winner this Christmas. Distributed by Wolf Interactive, Small Soldiers is a hair-raising, real-time action and strategy game where players must protect their neighbourhood from the same characters who turned over Winslow Corners, OHIO - the Command Elite and the Gorgonites.

The second title, Small Soldiers - Globotech Design Lab allows the younger children to design and build their own Gorgonite and Commando action figures using a huge range of bodies, heads, arms and legs. Newly created soldiers can be painted in minute detail, choosing from hundreds of textures, colours and decals.

After their creations are complete, children can then train the soldiers in sparring matches, and then go off to battle in one of five interactive environments. Both Small Soldiers and Globotech Design Lab are available now at a RRP of $59.95 each. Be warned though, there is a significant amount of violence involved in the battles between Commandos and Gorgonites ñ if you saw the film you’ll understand, but as one seven- year-old crash test dummy advises: “They’re only computer creatures, they’re not real.”

Have a look at the game and decide for yourself. To win a copy of the Globotech Design Lab put your details on the back of a used envelope and address it to Mike Horsfall, Sturt Police Station (12) Small Soldiers.

SCREEN SAVERS

Children and adults alike have always been fascinated with those wonderful pop-up screensavers that now grace almost all PC screens. Perhaps the most widely known is the After Dark series, fondly known for its flying toasters and toilets.

After Dark Deluxe is now available and features over 85 different displays guaranteed to enthral. For those in the know, there’s every new display from After Dark 4.0 and over 60 of the all time classic After Darks. Also included are 50 desktop wallpaper patterns.

After Dark Deluxe is more than a screensaver package and it’s more than a game - it’s an addiction. For more information you can visit the producers online at http://www.berksys.com. After Dark Deluxe retails at $49.95, but if you’d like to win a copy put your details on the back of a used envelope and address it to Mike Horsfall, Sturt Police Station (12) After Dark.

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

MORTAL KOMBAT 4

Mortal Kombat 4 is the latest sequel in the Mortal Kombat series, which up until now has traditionally been a 2D fighting game. MK4 moves into the third dimension by presenting the game in true polygonal form, which creates smoother characters and adds depth and atmosphere to the fighting arenas.

By far the best in the series, MK4 delivers 15 immediately playable characters, including four classic characters like Johnny Cage, Raiden, Scorpion and Sub-Zero - and more hidden characters than ever before.

New fighting elements and styles have been introduced to enhance the 3D feel. They include side-stepping your opponents while in close hand-to-hand combat, and then bringing them down from behind with a powerful blow.

Weapons can be picked up and used at close range or hurled at your opponents from afar. MK4 can be played in arcade mode, one on one, two on two, Team, Endurance, Tournament and Practice modes. Learn the secret of the leg-snapping and arm-breaking moves in order to immobilise your opponent before... “Finish Him!”.

The visuals are smart and very atmospheric. They will delight traditional MK fans with their usual assortment of blood, gore and greenstick fractures (hence the M15+ classification).

Unfortunately the gameplay falls a bit shallow in comparison to other more established 3D fighting games like Tekken 3, Virtua Fighter 3 and Dead or Alive. Nonetheless, it’s a very entertaining fighter which deserves a look. MK4 is available on PlayStation, N64 and PC and is vibration-function compatible.

MEDIEVIL

Lost to the winds of time is the history of Gallowmere - a land where magic has overtaken science and one sorcerer - the tormented Zarok - has harnessed its darkest powers. Sir Daniel Fortesque is the only man who can defeat him - unfortunately he died over a hundred years ago.

Awakened as a skeletal knight, Sir Dan must amass an arsenal of weapons to use against the twisted wizard. This visually-stunning, role-playing action adventure game is experienced from the third person perspective.

Packed with hours of colourful 3D gameplay, Medievil invites the player on a quest full of action and problem solving which will keep the player enthralled from one level to the next. As you work your way through each level you will be required to collect the sacred chalice - only then will you be able to enter the Hall of Heroes and gain access to new weapons and items. You may have to return to the same level and complete certain tasks which will enable you to continue.

The characters are hilarious and the suspenseful story will keep you thoroughly entertained while you fret over which area of the map you will explore next. The controls are unbelievably responsive and easy to master, which is often a downside to third-person perspective games.

Medievil is a joy to play and will have you hooked until the very end. Only available on PlayStation, Medievil is dual-shock controller compatible and rated G+8.