Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: April 30, 1997

The train chugs along the tracks, gently swaying and rocking as its wheels rolbeneath your feet. You have met many people on this most legendary of trains, The Orient Express. Now, you are crouched in the bathroom of another passenger’s compartment, hiding from the police who are searching the train. Your mind wanders as you recall that telegram you received from your friend, Tyler Whitney. Unfortunately, you were not able to find out what the “something exceptional” was that he wanted to show you, before you found him dead in his sleeping compartment. In order to solve the mystery of this situation, you have been walking from car to car, meeting as many people as possible and listening to private conversations, trying to gather the pieces of this puzzle. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: April 29, 1997

One of the most classic arcade games of all times is Pinball. Over the past few years we have seen the release of various PC based pinball games, with one even coming with Microsoft Plus! With the release of Full Tilt! 2 Pinball, Maxis tries to take one step further to bringing the thrill of playing pinball onto your desktop. This time around, the pinball table is represented full screen, different from the original Full Tilt that only represented the table in half screen. This version also boasts ball animation effects and floating text messages to give you hints along the way and also to inform you of what is happening around the table. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: April 29, 1997

If you can remember ever being mesmerized by those giant contraptions in the mall that consisted of marbles rolling around different paths, clicking and clanking along the way, then you will love what Maxis has created in their latest puzzle game, Marble Drop. The object of the game is simple. You need to get the right colored marbles lined up in holding bins at the bottom of the puzzle by dropping marbles down the right chutes. If a marble rolls onto a slot that it does not match, it is destroyed. You only have a certain number of marbles to play with, so wasting them is not a good option.

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Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: April 24, 1997

“I live . . . again!” So begins Blood, the latest 3D gore-fest from Monolith Studios, and quite simply the best game of its kind since Doom II. Forget the shareware, my friends. This is the real thing — the full, registered, complete Blood, with more weapons, monsters, and effects than you can shake a shotgun at. Get ready to lose some serious sleep. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: April 24, 1997

I guess there are people out there who love to drive in real life, but I’m sure not one of them. I consider driving to be life’s single most frightening, frustrating activity. City living will do that to you. That’s why I can appreciate a good driving game. Nothing beats putting the pedal to the metal in the safety and comfort of your own home, free from the hassles of gridlock and angry motorists. It’s really too bad Eidos Interactive’s Power F1 doesn’t offer more of the kind of escape I had hoped for. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: April 23, 1997

It is the year 2015 and the metropolis of NeoTokyo is under siege by a group of criminals known as Nemesys. Perhaps the only thing that can save this city from the brink of total disaster and collapse is you. Select the pilot and helicopter of your choice and then attempt to put down a number of fiendish plots and make the city safe again in HeliCOPS from 7th Level. This 3D flight and combat simulation game will keep you on the edge of your seat, wide-eyed and feeling the rush of adrenaline.
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Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: April 23, 1997

Being a Marshal in the Old West is a dirty, thankless job. Marshal James Anderson decided that the job was not worth the effort, especially after suspicions arose regarding his shooting of a couple of criminals. His law enforcement career had been impressive, and he certainly did not deserve to be second-guessed. So, he suddenly decided to retire and spend more time with his wife Anna and daughter Sara. Ten years later, and quite unknown to the Marshal, his happiness in his retirement was coming to an end. He would not sell his farm to the wealthy robber baron who wants to build a huge, shining city on the open plain, so some refugees from the law came looking for him . They waited until he left his home, and then they moved in. The Marshal returned to find his home burning, his wife at death’s door, and his daughter kidnapped. As Anna died in his arms, he vowed that these outlaws would pay the price for destroying his life.
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Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: April 22, 1997

Over one thousand years ago, a colony ship was launched with the hopes of colonizing the galaxy. That ship was dubbed Terrae and carried the orange-blue Earth logo. Unfortunately, after two years had passed, all communication with the ship was lost. Now colonists leave the planet continuously, using technology much more advanced than that used in the Terrae. One day, three ships mysteriously appear in the sky of the Earth. As they begin their attack on Earth, the blue-orange Earth logo is seen on the ships. What happened to the colonists on Terrae? Were they captured by aliens? Why are these ships attacking? Why must you escort a bomb through the oceans? These are just a few of the questions that are answered as you progress through the 20+ levels of Katharsis. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: April 22, 1997

KKnD (Krush Kill ‘n Destroy) is EA/Beam’s entry into the ever-expanding market for real-time strategy games. While this game looks and plays a lot like some of the others (many people say it’s just another C&C:Red Alert), KKnD has features that set it apart from the rest. The game’s scenario is a battle between two types of humans who inhabit what is left of poor Mother Earth after a devastating nuclear war. Basically, everyone who survived either went underground and stayed there for 60 years of so (Survivors), or lived above ground and suffered horrible mutations as a result (Evolved). The Survivors are ready for some sunshine and want to reclaim the Earth for their own. Meanwhile, the Evolved think that humans have done enough damage to the planet already, and will do whatever it takes to keep the Survivors from exploiting it and messing it up again. The result is a lot of crushing, killing, and destroying. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: April 16, 1997

Put your leather gloves on, lace up your leather boots, throw on that leather jacket, and prepare yourself for one hell of a ride in Electronic Arts’ Road Rash. This game puts you on top of your motorcycle and challenges you to stay on it while traveling through cities and other surroundings. This is the most aggressive motorcycle game ever to hit the PC.

After installing the game, you are brought into another world of gameplay. The graphics and menu screens are all classic representations of what the menu is. Once the game is loaded, you have the option to either enter right into the Thrash Mode of play, which is modeled after the arcade, or you can take on a personality and enter the Big Game Mode. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: April 15, 1997

From as far back as you can see, you probably can remember the first time you played the original Test Drive racing simulation from Accolade. This time around the corner, Accolade puts you behind the wheel of high performance off-road vehicles, including the Hummer, Land Rover Defender 90, Jeep Wrangler, and the Chevrolet K-1500 Z71 (there are also 6 bonus vehicles: Monster Truck, Dune Buggy, Stock Car, Hot Rod, Mini Cooper, and the Off-road Beetle). What makes Test Drive: Off-Road so different is the ability to drive almost anywhere within each track, essentially giving you the freedom to drive off and explore areas “off-road.” ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: April 10, 1997

Enter a world where role-playing, action, adventure, and on-line gaming come together to create a whole new experience in 3DO’s Meridian 59. From the moment you enter this world, the sights, sounds, and experiences will thrill and amaze you. You’ll be dropped into a 3D world as a character of your own design and left to your own cunning and skills to survive and improve. When it’s all said and done, Meridian 59 will leave you breathless and ready for more. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: April 9, 1997

With all the hype over golf in recent years, there is really only one true icon of the game, Jack Nicklaus. For the first time, golfers will get their opportunity to tee off with the man who has won 20 majors and some 85 tournaments around the world. Accolade’s Jack Nicklaus 4 opens the door to that opportunity in what many consider to be Links LS’s only competition. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: April 8, 1997

The Duke does it again. Everyone’s favorite wise-cracking, gun-toting badass is back, and our nation’s capital will never be the same. Duke it out in D.C. is the latest add-on for Duke Nukem 3D, giving gamers ten all new levels set in the very hub of American government. This time out, the alien maggots actually have a plan. After crashing a spaceship Kamikaze-style into the Capitol Building, they’ve begun destroying critical buildings and monuments in the hope of crippling the United States government. But that’s just the icing on the cake. The invading E.T.’s have even kidnapped the President! Clinton had better hope Duke’s a Democrat . . . ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: April 8, 1997

Dear Mom:
Before I go up tomorrow, I wanted to write to you to let you know how much I love you and Dad. Now that I have been promoted to Major, the General has assigned an entire squadron to my care. Tomorrow, the 354th is supposed to escort a bomber group to an aircraft factory in Northern France, and I am told to expect resistance from the Germans. I hope that I will return to write to you again.
Love, Your Son. ( read more… )