Computer + Video Games - Commodore Is Awesome

torid
t 7 N ( I \ E C , I n * 4 =1 *
X
a
n
d
s
e
x
*
y
a
MACHINES: ATARI ST
AMIGA, CBM 64, AMS;
• SUPPLIER. LORICIELS
• PRICE: ST AND AMIGA,
E19 95
▪ VERSION TESTED ST
REVIEWER: EUGENE LACEY
•-rench software firm Loriciels
decided that it wanted a soft
''get ready' at the start of its
3D style shoot 'ern up - Mach
3
Stumped as to where to find
one, the designers set out for
the Follies Bergere where they
find a topless dancer who
sensuous vowels digitised for
the game. The firms UK office
cannot come up with a name to
f
decided to call her Fill,
g
The action in Mach 3 has
e•
g o with the voice so I have
r
m
e
a
e
l
s
e
t
v
o
MACHINES
o
h
. CST. 6 4 ,
i
II*. SUPPLIER TYNESOFT,
a
S
c
0. PRICE: P E CE9.95,
BBC & CBM 64,
v
T RCASSETTE, U M E14.95 DISK.
e
. E7.95 SPECTRUM, En 95 ST
t
AND AMIGA
h
W. VERSION TESTED: ATARI ST.
o
...REVIEWER
e
p
.
r
When you pick up a game and
u
s
find
E
an
U G
introduction
E
inside by
r
that N E old duffer David Vine,
u
r
then L read A Con
and discover that
i
there E is Y also . a competition in it
t
to win a trip to the Winter
a
Olympics only the entry date
has expired - you know at
b
V The biathlon.
i
l
y
X
e
X
X
.
X
e
r
l
i•
•
* p* * • - _ • h 4,0
A Mach 3's a winner, bur cr bir pricey.
thing much to do vy•th
but concerns the misfortunes of
another unfortunate French girl
- Gwendolene who is being
held prisoner by the mutant
sorceror Sfax.
Step up one hunky young
space cadet and zoom off to
beyond the '•portals of space"
where you can knock to
confront the evil one.
Fifi 's "get ready" message
may remind you of Space
Harner and certainly the whole
solid 3D feel of the graphics
together with their bright
colours bring the Sega game to
X • X OC •X•X•X•X•X•X
• 0.
X X O
once there is something a little
wrong.
I mean listen to what the old
duffer had to say about the
biathlon: "It•s like using a
sledge hammer for an hour or
so and then trying to throw a
rnInd.
When you finally confront
Sfax at the beginning of the
second level the similarities to
Space Harrier appear to be
more than iust coincidental. Hit
face appears in front of your
ship ducking arid diving to avoid
missiles. His mug shot is also
shown in the information panel
at the top of the action screen.
Everytime he sustains a hit he
grimaces until his face turns
Into a dying, skeletal, holloweyed
mess.
Another similarity to Space
Harrier is the way in which your
I TCR
dart in the bull's eye.
- Computer biathlon in Winter
Olympiad '88 qualifies for no
such glowing descriptions. At
least it didn't when I played it
on my ST. It's just tedious.
Yes, I know the screen shots
look stunning. The graphics ar
,highly commendable - but th,
-game
play is practically nonexistent.
Biathlon is supposed
•
to take place over a long trek
You only ski through a couple
of scrolling screens before
You get to the firing range
then the graphics repeat
themselves three times until the
finishing post comes up.
Not all of the events are the-.
bad though. In fact some of
them are quite good, like the
Ski Jump, for example.
At the end of the ski ramp
you press fire to launch your
skier into the air. The animatioi
,is quite effective as the skier
flies through the air with his
skis dangling at the ends of h
,legs as you struggle to balanci
him up for the landing. If you
land the skier Successfully, he
glides to a halt at the bottom of
the hill where are
•
a cheering
••
A Can you moos Gwondolene?
ship skims the surface. It is ;J
case of hurtling forward
blasting like crazy and dodging
whatever nasties you cannot
waste
Every so often you will neE
to swoop Into the air to take
V The Ski Jump