Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: October 21, 1997

For many people, the movie Hoosiers brings back good feelings; it represents the game of basketball at its greatest moments. The clock’s running down…you’re behind by a point…it is up to you to take the ball and shoot it at the buzzer to win the game. Will it go in? ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: October 20, 1997

Good luck, fair weather, and never forget that risk is your business.
– Captain James T. Kirk, speaking to incoming Freshman class

Excitement abounds on the first day of school. Students are wondering who their new classmates will be, they are curious as to whether or not the teachers instructing them will be difficult graders, and in the case of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy cadets, they want to know how soon they will be able to launch some photon torpedoes! ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: October 19, 1997

Hi. My name is Brian Pipa and I’m a Quake-aholic. My Quake directory and its sub-directories now take up 500 MB of my precious hard-drive space, and that’s just the stuff I’ve kept. I spend at least an hour a day playing Quake and/or its derivatives. I’ve tried almost every add-on that’s ever come out for the game. None of them are as good as Malice. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: October 17, 1997

War, Inc. is the touching story of two star-crossed lovers from different sides of the tracks. Although in love, they can never be together because…what? Wrong story? Oh, right. War, Inc. is yet another entry into the real-time strategy (RTS) game market. Interactive Magic decided to put a twist on the standard RTS theme by turning this into a game of running a successful business — Granite Corporation. As CEO of this mercenary organization, you must research new technologies, design newer and better vehicles, make sure that your finances are being put to the best possible use, and lead your troops to victory on the field of battle. In the end, War, Inc. seeks to find out how good you can be at the dirty business of war. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: October 16, 1997

The Imperium has inflicted its unjust punishment upon humanity for too long. The rebellion has decided that it is now or never. If they are to be free of this oppressive regime and defeat those emperors who have abused their positions of power, they must strike now. Armed with a Wraith, a powerful command vehicle, you will strike out against the Imperium and lead the rebels to victory. Moving from planet to planet, you must be victorious at every turn, or with you dies the hope of all humanity. In Uprising, the lines have been drawn and your choices are simple. Join or Die.

( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: October 15, 1997

his is the first game that I have reviewed that I had never heard of until I received the package in the mail. I had no clue as to what to expect, so I was able to pop the CD in and evaluate it with no pre-conceived expectations. First off, UFOs does not stand for Unidentified Flying Objects as you might think. Nope, it stands for Unassuming F***ed-up Objects. This was my first clue that I was in for something…different. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: October 14, 1997

Only every once in a while does a title that truly wraps a player into a story without all the graphical glitz and glamor arrive on the gaming scene. Last year, Circle of Blood came close to giving gamers a true adventure that combined a good graphics engine with a relatively deep storyline. This year in response to the first title, Circle of Blood, Virgin Interactive is releasing a sequel under the name Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror. Broken Sword builds on the main character base from the original, but takes the adventure to new levels of sophistication. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: October 13, 1997

Dating back to the original IBM PC, the first Microsoft Flight Simulator gave PC owners a glimpse into the future with its 3D monochrome line graphics. Now, many years later, we are given the opportunity to play Microsoft’s latest release in Microsoft Flight Simulator ’98. There have been many changes made to the original version. Obviously the technology used in today’s games is a far cry from what the PC could do just a few short years ago. Flight Simulator ’98 brings the latest advances in flight and computer technology to the table by bringing gamers one step closer to flying actual planes. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: October 12, 1997

Raven Software’s games have always been a mixed bag. When they have used technology created by id Software, the results have been nothing less than brilliant. The Heretic and Hexen series features a fascinating, maturing world, and some of the hottest and most creative 3D gameplay to date. It has often been rightly said that Raven is the one company that can turn id’s sharp technology into a game worth playing. On the other hand, when they have developed games from the ground up with their own technology, as with Necrodome and CyClones, the results, with respect to both technology and gameplay, have been less than spectacular. ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: October 9, 1997

With the flurry of real-time strategy games released and on the way, a title has to be more than just a clone to stand out in this crowded realm. Dark Reign has to be the most hyped and subsequently the most anticipated strategy game of recent time. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily, but when the expectations are so high, it’s often hard to live up to them. One thing is for sure…if you are into strategy games, you had to have heard of Dark Reign. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: October 8, 1997

The world of Etheria is under attack. The year is 1232 S.E., representing nearly one-and-one-quarter millennia since the founding of the Selentine Empire. A profane alliance between Lord Bane, the fabled Dark Horseman of Death, and Lord Sartek, the Dark Horsemen of War, is now threatening the Empire. After capturing the lands and ports of the High Elves in the Northern Tundra, their campaign of death and destruction has taken a southern turn — to the Selentine Coast. As they descend upon the homeland of Siria, it is the destiny of the Sirian Knights to reclaim captured lands and drive the evil forces of Chaos and the Undead back to the hell from whence they came.

( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: October 6, 1997

In Terracide, a group of colonists left Earth long ago to start a new life elsewhere. Unable to find anything but planets with hostile environments, they were forced to use their technology to adapt themselves, specifically their bodies, to these conditions. Now, many years later, they have returned to the place of their birth. Instead of the welcome reunion that the current Earthlings were hoping for, they find themselves fighting for their very lives against these visitors. Their only hope for survival is to send one small ship to slip past the enemy fleet’s defenses and destroy each ship…from within. The pilot of this craft is, of course, you. If you fail, the result will be “terracide” — the systemic elimination of our race and life as we know it. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: October 3, 1997

When NHL ’97 came out last year, EA Sports was tauting the slogan “It’s in the game.” Basically, they were saying that if it is in the real thing, then you will see it in their game. This was not totally true, but EA Sports’ games come close to keeping their word. NHL ’97 marked one of the best graphical looking sports games to ever come along. This year EA Sports has released NHL ’98 and has again raised the bar on what graphics should look like in sports titles. The question is: can the gameplay hold up and is it better than last year’s version? I recently sat down with the final version of NHL ’98 to take it through the paces. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: October 2, 1997

Since the first Test Drive game came out many years ago, players have been eager to go faster and faster in computer racing games. With the recent development in hardware, especially in the area of graphics, game producers have been able to portray the feeling of speed with better and faster games. Electronic Arts is publishing one of the only motorcycle racing simulations to be found on the PC. The title is called Moto Racer. What sets Moto Racer apart from other racing simulations is its lightning fast graphics and support for 3D acceleration via Direct3D. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: October 1, 1997

Many of us have grown up during a time when football has changed from the grid-iron football of the past to the prime-time football of today. Looking back into those years of the “Immaculate Reception” by Franko Harris, or any other big play, brings back memories of football’s greatest moments. Accolade has attempted to bring back those times with the release of their new football game, Legends Football ’98. Legends Football ’98 was one of the most anticipated football games of the year. The idea of being able to play in football games all the way back to the 1930′s and putting teams on the field from different eras just could not be overlooked. The possibilities were limitless. ( read more… )