Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: June 13, 1997

The hunt for treasure can be a maddening adventure full of frustration and disappointment. Many have searched for the lost treasure of King William, but these riches have never been found. Some say that there is a dark power which coexists with the loot, but no one really knows for sure. Now, it’s your turn. You are in the City by the Bay, historic San Francisco. Your search will provide you with historical visions of the city and show you the legends of San Francisco, as you attempt to solve this mystery which spans across the 19th and 20th centuries.

( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: June 11, 1997

Versailles 1685 is a mystery/adventure game from Cryo and Interplay where you must uncover a plot to destroy Versailles. As Lalande, a trusted valet, you will have only one day to find out who is behind this scheme before it is too late and the palace is laid to waste. You will have to search throughout the grounds and interact with dozens of individuals to find the clues needed to solve the mystery and win the game. As you will see, the game and its objective are relatively uncomplicated and straightforward. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: June 10, 1997

Well, if you didn’t get your fill in Heroes of Might and Magic 2, New World Computing and 3DO have served up an expansion pack that will definitely get your attention. As if you did not lose enough sleep playing the last go around, get the Jolt Cola or the coffee ready, because you are in for a long night. New campaigns, heroes, artifacts, and other additions are included in this expansion pack. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: June 9, 1997

“This is one of the most frustrating sectors of space I have ever been assigned to,” thought the Commander as he reviewed the latest, grim battle statistics. “They dump me out here in this remote sector of space and limit the resources at my disposal. How can they expect me to harvest the resources of this planet and maintain my fleet while repelling the military attacks of six different races?” Just as he finished his thought, ominous sounds of gunfire and explosions could be heard over the communications system. “Commander! We’re being attacked!” a hysterical voice shrieked from the other end of the comm system.

( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: June 4, 1997

When we last left this trio, they had just finished dispatching of the evil Tomator. Now, those three goofball Vikings from The Lost Vikings are back again in Interplay’s Norse by NorseWest, The Return of The Lost Vikings. Olaf the Stout, Baleog the Fierce, and Eric the Swift have slipped through the fingers of the evil Tomator (again) but are now lost somewhere in time (thanks to Baleog’s bumbling). In this combination action/strategy/puzzle game, you must use the skills of each hero and the help of friends they meet along the way to get them back home. With skill, brains, a little luck, and a good sense of humor, you might just make it. ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: June 4, 1997

Reloaded is the follow-up to the hit console game Loaded. I have never played the original, but I had heard good things about it. I was looking forward to reviewing Reloaded since it promises non-stop, bloody killing — sounds just like my kind of game. Unfortunately, the hype is all talk, and no substance. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: June 2, 1997

Every now and then we gaze up into the sky to wonder what might be out there. If we could only see farther into space, we might find a battle that is raging between two alien races, the Ovon and Reptons. Until now, the Ovon race was winning the war. But that is changing because of the Reptons’ new tactics, those tactics focus on recruiting beings from other planets, planets like ours! Darklight Conflict is loosely based on an alien abduction theme where the primary character is a former earthling (a fighter pilot) who has been genetically restructured into an alien.

( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: June 2, 1997

Just in time for that big dinosaur movie by that Spielberg fellow comes Pyrosaurus, a strategy game like no other. Think T. Rex is a pansy? Would you laugh in the face of a ‘Raptor? Create your own dinosaur that could have ruled the Prehistoric Age. Try your hand at creating and training your own team of dinosaurs to fight it out against teams created by other players like yourself. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: May 29, 1997

A menacing and ancient evil is threatening worlds that are protected by Starfleet. A scientist of El Aurian descent, one Doctor Tolian Soran, is searching for something that he has lost. 78 years earlier, the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-B rescued a small contingent of 47 passengers and crew of the vessel Lakul, and Soran was one of those rescued. The Lakul was threatened with destruction by a mysterious energy ribbon which passes through our galaxy every 39 years. Also known as the Nexus, this energy ribbon was responsible for causing the supposed death of one of Starfleet’s greatest heroes, Captain James T. Kirk. Soran was in the Nexus at one time, and the Enterprise-B’s rescue interrupted his effort to return there.

( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: May 28, 1997

Quake and Activision are back in their second id-approved mission pack — Dissolution of Eternity (DoE) — and this time the gang at Rogue Entertainment are the ones responsible for the new death and destruction you’ll see at every turn. In this pack you get 2 new episodes with a total of 16 new levels, 8 new monsters, 4 new weapons, 4 new powerups, 5 new elemental dangers, and new multiplayer features.

( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: May 27, 1997

There can be only one master of the Arena. Many have tried, and many have died. Now, tooling around the landscape in your Raider, you are trying to do the same thing — survive, while destroying anything that gets in your way. With a little luck and a lot of skill, you too may earn your survival as well as the right to battle another day. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: May 27, 1997

Your lightsaber is slashing through Stormtroopers like a knife through butter. As another dead one hits the frozen, snow-covered ground of the planet Hoth, you notice that his blaster pops out and lands nearly at your feet. You quickly grab it because you would prefer to use a ranged attack against the remaining troops, hoping to avoid yet another trip to see the spaceport’s Medical Droid. As the last remaining Stormtrooper is struck by the awesome power of the blaster and dropped to the tundra, you ponder exactly how it was that you got here….

( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: May 26, 1997

3-D Ultra MiniGolf is the latest game from the makers of Sierra’s 3-D Ultra Pinball games. Although it may sound strange to say a minigolf game is similar to a pinball game, the comparison will be clear after a few holes. The game features 18 crazy holes, each with a unique challenge and more than one way to get the ball into the hole. Up to four players can play at once, although network and modem play is not yet available, but is on the way. You have the option of playing either the front nine, the back nine, a single hole, or the entire course. You can choose regular minigolf, hole-by-hole play, or a timed game, which presents a different challenge. If you need to practice your stroke, a practice putting green lets you hone your touch.

( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: May 25, 1997

Theme Hospital is the latest venture from Bullfrog and EA. Similar to Theme Park, where players managed the activities in an amusement park, you will be responsible for managing all operations and decisions in a hospital. The game has a light, humorous feel to it and there certainly is not much “blood and guts” (for you who may be squeamish). About the only thing that is predetermined is the size of the buildings. Other than that, you will have to manage every other facet of the game: hiring, firing, building rooms, performing research, and generally ensuring that your patients are happy. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: May 23, 1997

M …other’s ?

D …ay ?

K …isses ?

It all starts in the year 1999. The world as we know it today has ceased to exist. The universe is now made of streams. These streams, giant electrical tubes, span across the universe. The people that are left on earth have been forced into slavery by evil beings known as “Stream Riders.” ( read more… )