Review by: Jim Brumbaugh
Published: March 20, 1997

In the multiverse known as Dominia, a great battle has been undertaken. On the plane of Shandalar, the one plane in all of Dominia in which mana is so plentiful that the casting of magical spells is commonplace, a struggle for the dominion of the plane is being waged by five different wizards. To the first wizard who gains enough power to cast the Spell Of Dominion, immortality awaits – or, so he/she thinks. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: February 26, 1997

Imagine this: Not being able to ever see a ray of sunlight again! Not being able ever to walk on land!

Welcome to the world of “Aqua,” the world under the seas, the world of Archimedean Dynasty.

The year is 2661, all living organisms are now living underwater. In the beginning of the 21st century, mankind self-destructed and nuclear wars destroyed the surface of the earth. Mankind was forced into the depths of the oceans to begin a new life, a new home. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: February 13, 1997

In Evolution, you control a clade of species with the intent of evolving into the first intelligent species, and becoming the most dominant clade. In order to be successful, you must ensure that your species are kept safe, in areas where food is abundant and they are able to grow and multiply. You must also choose wisely in how you decide to move up the evolutionary tree. The road to success isn’t always a straight line, and one has to consider changes in the climate and the shifting continents when deciding on what species you want to evolve into next. ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: February 8, 1997

As computer technology grows increasingly powerful, games are becoming more and more realistic. Of course, Apogee Software, once a small shareware developer that released charming, unassuming titles like Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure and the Commander Keen series, has been keeping pace with the rest of the industry. The abstract designs of yesterday, such as the garish colors and bowling alley-precise hallways of Wolfenstein 3D, and the rustic, two-dimensional crudity of the original Duke Nukem side-scroller, have been discarded in favor of unbridled authenticity. Their focus on developing quality games in each respective genre, and their refusal to release a title that was not cutting-edge in some respect, has led the company to cancel more games than they have released, much to the chagrin of enthusiastic fans. ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Pipa
Published: January 30, 1997

Most games released now have some form of multiplayer Internet play, and multiplayer online-only games are becoming more prevalent all the time. Games like Ultima Online, Subspace, Tanarus, and Terra: Battle for the Outland are just a few of the most recent ones. Now, Headland Digital Media adds netWAR to this ever-expanding list. ( read more… )

Review by: Pete Hines
Published: January 14, 1997

Alien Trilogy is a 3D action shooter from Acclaim and is the same type of game as Duke Nukem, Quake, and Doom. It is, of course, based on the original Alien movies and features those dreaded creatures. Your goal in this demo is to clear a landing area by eliminating all of the aliens (plus other enemies) and removing the barrels that you’ll find in several locations. There are three difficulty levels to choose from: Acid Reign, Raging Terror, Xenomania (more on these in the criteria). ( read more… )

Review by: David Laprad
Published: January 14, 1997

Two years ago, the clever developers at Team 17, based in England, quietly unleashed an addictive turn-based strategy game called Worms. The concept was simple: players commanded a team of worms armed with ridiculously destructive weapons in an attempt to defeat other, equally well-equipped battalions. Apparently, the little wrigglers harbor a deep-seeded hatred for one another, and delight in the glorious and inventive destruction of their own kind. The demo hit the Internet with little fanfare, but before long, word spread through the newsgroups about this terrific title. It quickly developed a cult following, and soon garnered eight industry awards and enough sales to warrant a sequel. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: January 12, 1997

Leave it to the makers of the best fishing simulation software to venture from the familiar lakes and head down the rivers. Sierra has released Trophy Rivers Fly Fishing to satisfy just about everyone’s craving for fishing. Trophy Rivers brings the player down the river by canoe and boat, and also adds the ability to throw on those waders and take to the water by foot. ( read more… )

Review by: Shawn Quigley
Published: January 2, 1997

With the basketball simulation market being dominated by one real game, NBA Live, it is refreshing to see someone else come out with a promising title. Sega has brought their basketball title, NBA Action 98 to the PC platform to go head to head with EA Sports. There are some elements that are built into the game that could prove to bring this title into the limelight. ( read more… )

Review by: Brian Clair
Published: January 1, 1997

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times – “Nothing good ever came from a Mac.” Well, A-10 Cuba! is the sequel to the Mac game A-10 Attack! and as it turns out, I’m partially right – but not because of the Mac comment (I think). As the name implies, A-10 Cuba! puts you into the cockpit of the famous tank killing Fairchild Warthog. Having seen what a real A-10 can do I quickly tore open the gods evil shrink wrap and installed this bad ass game onto my computer. Needless to say, the trouble started just as soon as I was done but we’ll get to that later… ( read more… )