Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: July 30, 1997

Capitalism Plus is the latest in the not-so-crowded world of business simulations and is the sequel to the award-winning Capitalism. Cap Plus is much more than a game; it could more accurately be called a business simulation. It covers every conceivable aspect of business, including purchasing, hiring, advertising, stocks, product quality, and lots more. I couldn’t come up with a single aspect of business that wasn’t covered in Cap Plus. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game is used as an instructional aid in business and finance classes somewhere. Therein lies one its major flaw — it seems too much like learning and not enough like fun. ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: July 28, 1997

There have been many a kingdom rise and fall throughout the progress of mankind. Some had risen to power and remained for many years, while others appeared briefly and were swept away with the sands of time. In Avalon Hill’s History of the World, the player is given the opportunity to command the forces of seven of the world’s Empires which have appeared through the course of history, in an effort to dominate the world by the end of each game. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: July 24, 1997

Sit back, relax, and try to follow this truly idiotic Fable . . . A long time ago, in some wacky cartoon galaxy far, far away, a race of aliens known as the Mecubarz landed on a planet with the intention of creating the perfect civilization. They took on human form in order to build their beautiful world, which would end up looking a lot like medieval Germany. Anyway, in the village of Balkane there lived a high priest of the Cult of Mecubarz named Ismael. Ismael was a little power hungry, and he devised a devious plan to deceive the Mecubarz and steal their power (But wait a minute, I thought the Mecubarz were the humans? Hmmm . . .). Needless to say, Ismael didn’t get away with his dirty deed, and he and his four accomplices found themselves in a whole heap of trouble. The Mecubarz tore the planet into four separate worlds — here’s where the story gets really original — one of Ice, one of Mist, one of Water, and one of Fire. Each of the conspirators was sentenced to his own private Hell in one of the different worlds. Apparently there were precious gems involved too, because each of the condemned became the guardian of one. ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Clair
Published: July 23, 1997

From the creators of Blood comes a new game based on a genre we don’t see very often — the side-scroller. Claw from Monolith Studios is the second game from the highly talented group which looks like it could be the surprise hit of the year. Based roughly during the 15th century, Claw takes us to an almost parallel earth where the known world is ruled by the Cocker Spaniard Kingdom. However, instead of playing a human, cyborg, or mushroom like in other popular side-scrolling adventures, you get to play a part in one of the classic rivalries — cats against dogs! Your role in this monumental adventure is that of Captain Nathaniel J. Claw, a feline pirate of the seven seas, infamous to all. The King, tired of your exploits, has put a rich bounty on your head of one million gold pieces, dead or alive. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: July 23, 1997

Following in the footsteps of his father, Phillip, Alexander III was a great and masterful military strategist. In the thirteen years he reigned as ruler of Macedonia, he extended his reach far and wide and created an expansive empire. In Great Battles of Alexander (GBoA), you have the opportunity to assume the role of this great military leader, or attempt to dethrone him by playing as one of the commanders of an opposing army. The game features a campaign mode, which allows you to attempt to duplicate Alexander’s conquests, or a battle mode, which enables you to play as Alexander or one of his nemeses in one of ten historic battles. ( read more… )

Review by: Emil Pagliarulo
Published: July 21, 1997

You thought the nightmare was over. Ophelia has been properly lain to rest, the Chosen have been avenged, and Tchernobog has been sent back to the Hell that spawned him. But the forces of evil are everywhere. Members of the Cult of Tchernobog have stolen a mystical scroll of great power, the use of which could upset the very balance of the Otherworld. It is up to you as Caleb, still in detestable human form, to travel to the darkest reaches of Europe, into the legendary Carpathian Mountains, and retrieve that which is rightfully yours. So begins your Cryptic Passage.

( read more… )

Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: July 18, 1997

The aliens have returned with a vengeance in X-COM: Apocalypse from MicroProse. The previous alien encounter had left Earth contaminated, and had forced dramatic climactic changes which made the planet uninhabitable. We discover that a majority of Earthlings decided to venture out into space to colonize other worlds. Even so, a self-contained, self-sustaining city was constructed on the Earth’s surface, designed to provide living space under the toxic cloud which surrounds the Earth. This achievement was called Mega-Primus, and it was a huge success for many years. ( read more… )

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… )