• Tag Archives Amiga

  • Advanced Computer Entertainment (January 1990)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Advanced Computer Entertainment (ACE) – Issue Number 28 – January 1990

    ACE (short for Advanced Computer Entertainment) is a computer gaming magazine that was published in the U.K. Or at least it was primarily a computer gaming magazine. It did have some console coverage as well. In 1990 it was covering the Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Spectrum, PC (DOS), as well as Nintendo and Sega game systems.

    Specials

    • ACE Flashback! – A look at computer gaming throughout the years: In 1980, the Sinclair ZX80 and Acorn Atom were introduced and the Atari 400/800 started being imported to the U.K.; In 1981 the VIC-20 was launched as well as the ZX-81; In 1982 the Sinclair ZX Spectrum was introduced along with the Commodore 64; In 1983 the Acorn Electron, Memotech MTX, IBM PC Jr., and Coleco Adam were all launched; and lots more.
    • Death Chamber – A look into a BattleTech Center which was an immersive experience in which you were able to pilot giant robots, at least in simulation.
    • Out of the Sun – A detailed review of Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain, the World War II combat flight simulator for the Atari ST, Amiga and PC (DOS).
    • The Big Chill – A detailed look at Midwinter, an action/strategy game set in a post-apocalyptic winter caused by a meteor strike and volcanic eruptions.
    • Goldcut Games – A look at upcoming releases from US Gold, including Loom, Battle of Britain, Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts, Black Tiger, Crackdown, Dynasty Wars, and more.
    • Beyond Words – Reader submitted computer artwork.

    Gameplay

    • Screen Test – Reviews of:
      • Hard Drivin’ – Polygonal racing sim for the Atari ST, Amiga, Spectrum, Amstrad, Commodore 64, DOS, and Archimedes.
      • Bruce Lee Lives! – Beat-em-up for the Atari ST, DOS, and Amiga), Wonder Boy III (side-scrolling platformer for the Sega Master System.
      • Ghostbusters – One of the few great movie based games reviewed here for the Sega Master System.
      • Switchblade – Cyberpunk themed adventure game played from an overhead perspective for the Atari ST and Amiga.
      • Onslaught – An action/strategy game for the Amiga ST and Amiga.
      • Future Wars – A sci-fi graphic adventure game for the Atari ST, Amiga, and DOS.
      • Battle Squadron – An overhead shooter for the Amiga.
      • The Third Courier – A Cold War adventure/RPG from Accolade for DOS.
      • Leisure Suit Larry III – The latest in the classic adult themed adventure series from Sierra for DOS.
      • Myth – A side-scrolling adventure game for the Commodore 64 and Spectrum.
      • Turbo Outrun – Classic racing game for the Atari ST, Amiga, Spectrum, Amstrad, and Commodore 64…in this case, the Commodore 64 version may very well have been the best.
      • Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts – The sequel to Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins for the Atari ST, Amiga, Spectrum, Amstrad, and Commodore 64.
      • Moonwalker – The Michael Jackson game for the Amiga, Atari ST, Spectrum, Amstrad, and Commodore 64.
      • Toobin’ – Conversion of the Atari arcade game for the Atari ST, Amiga, Spectrum, Amstrad, Commodore 64, and DOS.
      • Dragon Spirit – Overhead shooter featuring a dragon for the Atari ST, Amiga, Spectrum, Amstrad, Commodore 64, and DOS.
      • Roller Coaster Rumble – A roller coaster simulator for the Atari ST, Amiga, and Commodore 64.
      • Twinworld – A side-scrolling platform game for the Atari ST and Amiga.
      • Bushido – An excellent beat-em-up for the Commodore 64.
      • Rally Cross Challenge – A Super Sprint clone for the Atari ST, Amiga, Spectrum, Amstrad, Commodore 64, and DOS.
      • Interdictor – A combat flight simulator for the Archimedes.
      • It Came From The Desert! – Classic Cinemaware adventure game for the Atari ST, Amiga and DOS.
      • Ghostbusters II – Based on the movie of the same name for the Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Spectrum, Amstrad, and Commodore 64. Sadly, it was nowhere near as good as the original.
      • Galaxy Force – Conversion of the arcade 3D shooter for the Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, Spectrum, and Amstrad.
      • Quartz – An overhead shooter for the Amiga and Atari ST.
      • Drakkhen – A fantasy RPG for the Atari ST and Amiga.
      • The Cycles – Motorcycle racing game from Accolade for the Atari ST, Amiga, and DOS.
      • Snare – A fun puzzle game for the Commodore 64.
      • Clown-O-Mania – An arcade style game that looks like a more complex version of Q*Bert for the Amiga and Atari ST.
    • In Arcadia – A look at some of the latest arcade games including Block Hole (Konami), Special Criminal Investigations (Taito), and Exterminator (Gottlieb).
    • Big Bang! – A stock market like look at various game companies based on the average reviews of their games.
    • Tricks ‘N’ Tactics – Tips and tricks for various games including TV Sports Football, Dark Side, XIS, Leonardo, Gemini Wing, Mr. Heli, King of the Beach, Rick Dangerous, First Strike, Road Runner, The Shadow of the Beast, After Burner, Operation Wolf, Forgotten Worlds, and more.

    Regulars

    • News – Announcement of the color version of the Game Boy, Sega systems and games to become available in video rental stores, Computer City Supercentre opens; game compilations released on CD for the Commodore 64, CPC and Spectrum, Budokan for DOS coming soon, The Wizard to be released in movie theaters in November, Pipe Dream coming soon from Lucasfilm for various platforms, and more.
    • Letter Bombs – Letters from readers about Rainbow Islands, playing games with a keyboard and mouse, Barbarian on the Atari ST, the PC Engine, F-16 Combat Pilot for the Amiga, and more.
    • Next Month – Coming next month, a feature on computer wargaming, a profile of John Lasseter, and more.

    …and more!


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  • VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (September 1992)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: VideoGames & Computer Entertainment – September 1992

    VideoGames & Computer Entertainment was my favorite gaming magazine during most of its life. It went through a couple of transitions later on, eventually giving birth to Tips & Tricks but I never really cared for that one. The September 1992 issue of VG&CE includes:

    Features

    • Tokyo Toy Show Report – Some highlights of items shown at this show include a RAM backup card for the Turbo Duo, the Wondermega Genesis/Sega CD combo unit, the Teradrive which is a combo 286-based PC and Sega Genesis, Street Fighter II for the Super NES, Afterburner III for the Mega Drive/Mega CD, Lunar: The Silver Star for the Sega Mega CD, Soldier Blade for the PC Engine, Dodge Ball for the PC Engine, Musashi for the Mega Drive, Snatcher for the PC-Engine CD-ROM, Cosmic Fantasy 3 for the PC-Engine CD-ROM, and lots more.
    • Searching for the Dark World: A Player’s Guide to Zelda III, Part I – The first part of a detailed guide for A Link to the Past.
    • The 1992 Summer Consumer Electronics Show Recap – Highlights of the show include Super Star Wars (Super NES), Street Fighter II (Super NES), Dracula (Atari Lynx), Bart’s Nightmare (Super NES), Shadowrun (Super NES), TTI’s Turbo Duo, Centipede (Game Boy), Betrayal at Krondor (PC), Maximum Overkill (PC), Battletank 2000 (PC), Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (PC), and lots more.
    • Getting Into the Game: An Exclusive Look at Nick Arcade – Nick Arcade was a game show in Nickelodeon that featured virtual reality by putting players inside arcade games.

    Reviews & Previews

    • Video-Game Reviews
      • Dungeon Master – The classic 3D adventure game for the Super NES.
      • Taz-Mania – A platform game for the Genesis featuring the classic Warner Bros. character.
      • Danny Sullivan’s Indy Heat – A racing game for the NES featuring nine courses across the U.S.
      • Jackie Chan’s Action Kung Fu – Side scrolling beat-em-up featuring Jackie Chan before he became a household name.
      • King Salmon – Another fishing game, this one for the Genesis. I don’t like fishing games anyway and this isn’t one of the best.
      • DinoCity – A platform game for the Super NES in which you team up with a dinosaur to defeat some evil Neanderthals.
      • Andro Dunos – A side-scrolling shooter for the Neo Geo.
      • Side Pocket – Classic pool game for the Genesis.
      • WWF Wrestelmania Steel Cage – The last WWF wrestling game for the NES.
      • Ka-Blooey – A puzzle game for the Super NES in which you must set off all the bombs on a level without blowing yourself up.
      • The Terminator – An action adventure game based on the movie of the same name for the Genesis.
      • Adventure Island III – The latest iteration of this platform game for the NES.
      • Splash Lake – A puzzle game for the TurboGrafx-CD that bears more than a passing resemblance to a classic board game called Don’t Break the Ice.
      • King of the Monsters 2 – Fighting game featuring various monsters for the Neo Geo.
    • Gaming on the Go
      • Roger Clemens MVP Baseball – A reasonably fun baseball game for the Game Boy.
      • R.C. Grand Prix – A fun R.C. racing game. I never played this one but have fond memories of R.C. Pro Am on the NES and Re-Volt on the Dreamcast.
      • Tom & Jerry – A platform featuring the famous cartoon duo on the Game Boy.
      • Marble Madness – Conversion of the arcade classic for the Game Gear.
      • Steel Talons – Conversion of the helicopter coin-op game for the Atari Lynx.
    • Seven’s The Charm: A VG&CE Exclusive Preview of Wizardry VII – Eleven years after the original Wizardry was released, the seventh game in this classic RPG series, Crusaders of the Dark Savant, makes its debut.
    • Computer Game Reviews
      • Darkseed – An H.P. Lovecraft/H.R. Geiger inspired adventure game for the PC.
      • Mutant Beach – A puzzle/adventure game for the Macintosh.
      • Pinball Dreams – A pinball game featuring four different tables for the PC and Amiga.
      • Global Effect – A world building sim for the Amiga and PC featuring 14 different scenarios.
      • Aquaventure – An action game that plays like a 3D version of Defender for the Amiga.
      • Crisis in the Kremlin – A strategy game for the PC based on the Tom Clancy book of the same name.
      • Road & Track Presents Grand Prix Unlimited – A Formula One racing sim for the PC.
      • Gateway – A sci-fi game based on the Frederik Pohl book of the same name.
      • Gods – A run and shoot platform game. Think Contra.
      • Hong Kong Mahjong Pro – An actual Mahjong game for the PC, not the tile matching game that is usually associated with that name.
      • Wolfenstein 3-D – The granddaddy of all first person shooters. Welcome Id software to the scene…

    Departments

    • Editor’s Letter – A preview of this issue as well as a little about the upcoming October issue.
    • Reader Mail – Readers write in about game incompatibility with the new version of the Genesis, rumors of a new Super NES pack-in, controllers and Street Fighter 2, Neo Geo coverage, and more.
    • Tip Sheet – Game tips for Terminator 2 (arcade), Mission: Impossible (NES), and The Immortal (Genesis).
    • News Bits – Atari drops price of Lynx software, Galoob wins legal battle to keep making Game Genie, Nintendo and Sega lower 16-bit system prices, Sunsoft to release Road Runner’s Death Valley Rally and Tazmania for the Super NES, TTI lowers hardware prices, and lots more.
    • Easter Egg Hunt – Hidden secrets revealed in Street Fighter II (Super NES), Mike Ditka Power Football (Genesis), Awesome Golf (Lynx), The Guardian Legend (NES), Q*Bert (Game Boy), Sengoku (Neo Geo), MLBPA Sports Talk Baseball (Genesis), It Came From the Desert (TurboGrafx-16), OutRun (Genesis), and Steel Empire (Genesis).
    • Inside Gaming – A look at the near future of multiplayer gaming.
    • Q & A – Questions answered about unlicensed NES carts, software for the Apple IIgs, technical details of the Atari Lynx, the maximum number of Genesis controllers, the ext. port on the Genesis, the future of Sega CD, and more.

    …and more!


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  • Megafortress (DOS, Amiga)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer Gaming World – Number 87 – October 1991

    Megafortress is a flight simulator that was published by Three-Sixty Pacific in 1991 for the IBM PC (DOS) and Amiga. It was developed by a company called Artech studios that has a long history developing games for many platforms from the Commodore 64 all the way up to the Xbox 360. Sadly, they disbanded in 2011. This game is based in part on a novel by Dale Brown called Flight of the Old Dog. Sometimes you also see Megafortress with that subtitle. The Megafortress is not a real aircraft but a fictional enhancement of the B52 called the EB-52 that features the latest weaponry and stealth technology.

    There are three sets of missions in Megafortress. The first set consists of training missions, the second set features a series of fictitious missions from the first Gulf War, and the third set follow the plot of the novel which ultimately involves a strike into the Soviet Union. Megafortres is generally played as a first person flight simulator. However, the game is much more strategic than action oriented. After all, the B52 is a bomber, not a fighter. You can control various aspects of the aircraft from multiple stations including not only the pilot, but electronics warfare and others.

    Reviews were generally all positive. Graphics and sound were good for the time, as was the most important aspect, the game play. Keep in mind that it is not a game in which you will be doing a lot of dogfighting. The B52 is a large strategic bomber so it is a much more strategic game than a fighter simulator. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any action though. Megafortress found its way into a lot of top ten lists including best flight simulator, best wargame, etc. While I don’t generally consider flight simulators as a genre that holds up well over time, this one does pretty well all things considered. It’s more strategy oriented nature help a lot in that regard.

    If you do want to play this game though, you’ll have to track down some disks for the PC or Amiga or be satisfied with emulation. It hasn’t been re-released as far as I know and since it involves licensed material I wouldn’t ever expect it to be. For this type of game, I would lean more towards the PC version than the Amiga but I think both of them are solid.

    While there aren’t any re-releases, there were a couple of add-ons, including Operation Sledgehammer (1991) and Operation SkyMaster (1992). Operation Sledgehammer features new missions in Iran and Libya, as well as new ground targets, enemy aircraft, ships, weapons, and surface to air missiles. Operation SkyMaster is based on Dale Brown’s novel Sky Masters and includes missions in North Korea, enemy aircraft, and more. Both of these add-ons were also available for both the PC (DOS) and Amiga.

    All screenshots above are from the DOS version of the game. The ad is from the October 1991 issue of Computer Gaming World.


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