Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: July 16, 1997

Life is a precious commodity. When new life is created, it must be cared for, nurtured, and taught to understand right from wrong. As it grows older, it may reproduce and create offspring. It should be kept as healthy as possible, until such time as it grows old and dies. If caring for another living thing sounds interesting, but you don’t feel as though you have the time or the money to create a new, sentient being of your own, then Mindscape’s Creatures will let you experiment with “life” while keeping your schedule and your checkbook in tact. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: July 15, 1997

As golf becomes more popular today than it has in recent years, EA Sports has released their next golf simulation, PGA Tour Pro. For the first time, players have the opportunity to pick and choose between some higher quality golf simulations than they have in the past. By combining new technologies, such as Internet play and faster graphics, golfing simulations keep getting better. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: July 10, 1997

It was a couple of years back when we first heard of a game called Dungeon Keeper. Although the game has been through a few thunderstorms, it finally has managed to appear on store shelves.

Dungeon Keeper comes with both a DOS version and a native Windows 95 version (uses DirectX) out of the box. After getting the game installed, I set out to see what all the long delays were about. To my surprise, I entered a world that was not like anything I have ever seen on a PC. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: July 8, 1997

In a world too politically correct for its own good, it is getting to the point where it is difficult to know exactly what can be said to whom. If you are a person who is sensitive to such issues, you will not enjoy this title simply due to its name. On the other hand, if you have a sense of humor and you enjoy a little dementia now and then, Panasonic Interactive Media presents Baldies for your consideration. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: July 8, 1997

Can you imagine sitting in a lawn chair, drink at your side, fishing all day long? If you can, then Sierra is making it that much easier to realize you fishing daydreams by bringing the lake to you. Trophy Bass 2 and the Northern Lakes add-on pack bring fishing to your PC desktop. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: July 7, 1997

Avast, mateys! Shiver me timbers! Hoist the scum from the yardarm, then make him walk the plank!

Unless you already wear an eyepatch and have a parrot perched upon your right shoulder, then Pirates: Captain’s Quest should be a new experience for you. With more “edutainment” value than found in most games, this product from Discovery Multimedia puts the player in command of a mighty, seafaring ship. This vessel is afloat during the “Golden Age of Piracy,” said to have existed between the years 1700 and 1725. As the captain of a pirate, merchant, or privateer ship, it is the job of the player to sail the Caribbean waters in search of trade opportunities and rival pirate ships. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: July 4, 1997

As Werner von Wallenrod you have been initiated into the order of the Dragon Knights. The only problem is Duke Eragg, one of the other Dragon Knights, is challenging your entry. To prove your worth and rightful place as a Dragon Knight, you must attend a jousting tournament several days from now. Your trip to this tournament is, of course, fraught with danger and obstacles, and once you make it, you find the story is still far from complete. Using your sword and your wits, you must lead young von Wallenrod to the city of Draconia, participate in the tournament, and find the legendary dragon, Maarach, to prove your worthiness.

( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: July 2, 1997

The time once again has arrived when the next version of EA’s popular baseball series, Triple Play ’98, hits the shelves. There are major improvements to different areas within the game, with the graphics being the most notable. EA Sports has always been known to provide a good balance between realism and the excitement of playing a game “arcade” style. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: June 27, 1997

Lord of the Realm 2 combines real-time combat, like in Warcraft II, with turn-based strategy and movement, like in Civilization. You begin the game with your own piece of turf, complete with loyal subjects. Making sure your peasants stay fed, happy, and productive is crucial to your success. Doing so means you become more powerful and can build armies to overtake other shires (sections of the map). Your goal is to become king (or queen) and master of all you survey. Then it’s on to another map and more challenges. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: June 24, 1997

The news is not good: the Bions have survived. You thought that you had destroyed them in Fury3. Apparently, a few slipped through the final eradication of the planet Fury. Now the Coalition of Independent Planets is calling upon you again. Through all the years you were in exile, you had always wondered if the Bion threat had been completely eliminated. As soon as you heard the Ambassador’s voice, you knew the answer to your question. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: June 18, 1997

Enemy Nations is Windward Studios’ entry into the highly competitive real-time strategy game market. The story in Enemy Nations centers around a race for control of a planet — the last uninhabited planet in existence. As a result, all 12 of the alien races involved (including the humans) are desperate to be the first to gain control of this invaluable piece of property. Your task is to lead the race of your choice to victory by establishing a colony, effectively managing your resources, expanding your control, and eliminating your opposition. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: June 18, 1997

Sierra’s long running baseball simulation series Front Page Sports: Baseball is back this year with its ’98 incarnation. With all the hype in the industry revolving around 3D modeling, Sierra’s popular baseball simulation takes one more step forward instead of a leap into the future. Although FPS: Baseball Pro ’98 has not taken on more advanced graphics, it has made strides towards making a perfect baseball simulation model. ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: June 17, 1997

The economy is in the throes of a deep recession. Flames of riot rule the cities. Gas is expensive and scarce. Crime is rampant. No one seems to care. This is a time for vigilantes. So begins Activision’s Interstate 76 (I76). ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: June 16, 1997

All of you “Minnesota Fats-wannabes” have one more way to test your stuff with Head Games’ ProPool 3D. The game comes with an amazing amount of customization, and lots of choices to keep things interesting. Fifteen different tables, four playing environments, and eight game types give gamers a seemingly endless number of options and combinations for playing pool.

( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: June 16, 1997

Ahh, the olympics. A coming together of the best athletes in the world to compete for fame, glory, and the pride of their countries — or not. Gooch Grundy’s X-decathlon takes the whole olympic theme and turns it on its ear.

Compete in ten wacky events like Hippo Push, Crazy Climbing, Nice Doggy Jump, and Full-Contact Figure Skating, to name a few. You have a choice of six characters for your on-screen persona: a brutish he-man type, a kangaroo, an ape, an Amazonian woman, a space alien, and Gooch Grundy himself. Gooch Grundy is your typical couch-potato, athlete wanna-be — slightly overweight and dressed like a geek.

( read more… )