____ _____ ________ _________ / ____ \ / \ / _ _ \ | _______| | | |_| | ___ | | | | | | | | | | | ___ | |___| | | | | | | | | ---, | | |_ | | ___ | | | | | | | | ---' | |____| | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______ \______/ |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |_________| ____ __ __ _____ __ __ / ____ \ | | | | | __ \ | | | | | | |_| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ___ | | | | | |__| / | | | | | | |_ | | | | | | _ \ | | | | | |____| | | |__| | | | \ \ | |__| | \______/ \______/ |__| \__\ \______/ ______________________________________________________________________________ VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 MARCH 1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editor and Publisher..........................................Michael Hrusecky Contributing writers...........................................Janice Hrusecky Matt Lucas GURU "Techies"................................................Roger "Nintendo" Steph Bednar Alex Howard ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -EDITORS WHEREABOUTS- Michael Hrusecky YES, YES, YES!!!! It's finally finished! It's 6 AM and I decided to stay up all night and finish the fanzine are prepare to ship off. Sitting here with a major headache, a half full can of Pepsi, and a lovely Dunkin Donut's Boston Cream donut taught me one thing about sugar-saturated food...Chocolate cream, vanilla cream, and soda.....aye yie yie! This fanzine was originally going to be printed on paper and mailed out like a regular fanzine/prozine, but hey, I got tired of spending more for supplies than I gain with subscription money. This is the best way, for me, anyway. With the not-so-long-ago release of the Jaguar and the Panasonic 3DO, it makes you wonder if the public is really ready for such high-tech mounds of machinery. The Genesis and Super NES are just barely showing off the climax of the 16-bit era, and already competition is starting for 32/64 bit machines. When the Jaguar/3DO news first spread, everyone asked where Nintendo and Sega where in the line. The way things look, both companies are being incredibly smart. I think that Sega is learning from Nintendo, honestly. It seems estimated that only 25% of the industry is CD-ROM based. That's where the 3DO fails when it comes to sales. 50% to 60% is stuck in the 16-bit SNES/Genny zone. That's where Atari is hurting is Jaguar sales, and 15% to 25% of the industry is still trapped in the 8-bit NES phase. (We all know how badly the NES is dying.) Now putting these figures into consideration, if you were bringing out a new system, the obvious choice is to try to stay in the 16-bit area where the sales are. With the hype Panasonic and Atari are pulling, the 3DO and Jaguar WILL gain popularity...but very slowly. As soon as the percentage of the higher "bittage" or CD-ROM industry climbs, that is when Sega and Nintendo will jump in that arena. Sega- possibly at the end of this year and Nintendo with arcade machines at the end of the year and a home unit next year. At first, it seemed to look like Nintendo was planning a late entry as always, but in my opinion, they are right on schedule when it comes to sales and popularity of higher end machines. For all younger kids reading this fanzine, it is rated MA-13. Do not continue reading this fanzine without adult permission! Ah what the heck, okay you can read the fanzine, little ones. (kidding) You probably already paged down 1000 times already typing to see what else is in the fanzine. That makes it pretty much pointless to tell you what's in the issue. But if you haven't, make sure you at least glance at the interview I held with our very own Nintendo guy. You MIGHT catch something new in that interview I held with him at the beginning of January. Also, we want you to help continue that interview. Send in any questions you have that are of public interest and I'll be sure to ask those questions for next issue! DEATH TO THE RATING SYSTEM! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---NINTENDO EXPOSED--- INTERVIEW WITH NINTENDO REPRESENTATIVE This interview was taken at the beginning of January with a personal friend of the family who works for Nintendo of America. As you may find out, the answers to the questions are not at all like the Nintendo Reps you reach on the phone. This Nintendo employee is one of only a few actual programmers/ tech. support employees at Nintendo of America. GG: Just to start off, can you please tell all the readers your name and occupation? NR: My name is Roger and I am a Nintendo representative in the programming/ technical support department at Nintendo of America. GG: How often do you play video games, and what is your background of employment? NR: Playing and testing out video games is part ofd my job. I sit in front of this screen several times a day to make sure that everything is perfect. Before working for Nintendo, I had another programming and technical support job at AT&T in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I was released during a layoff after three or four years of working there. Next thing I know, I was recommended and I found myself moving here to Washington for my big break. I always *loved* to play video games. GG: Interesting. I'm sure I could just ask you the simple stuff like this for the whole interview, but I REALLY want to get to the good stuff, like future games, systems, and all that stuff. Just for their reference what have you done so far while being with Nintendo? NR: Probably 95% of the time I was put in the sound recording/development of video games. Not a whole lot of programming goes on in the U.S. base, but what ever we do, that's where I am, if I'm assigned to it. I've been all over the place, when it comes to video game sounds. I've been from "Dr. Mario" for the Game Boy to "Super Mario kart" for the SNES...having at least a *little* bit to do with the sound. GG: Cool. Okay, fill us in...FX Trax. NR: FX Trax is not known as that anymore. It has been renamed to Stunt Racer FX and will be the next game for the SNES using the Super FX micro- processor. it is scheduled for early to mid '94 and is expected to be the first 32-meg cartridge for a 16-bit system! GG: Okay...Super Metroid NR: I don't have too much information right now, it's also set for mid '94 and is expected to be the first 24-meg cartridge for the SNES. GG: And chance for a new Mario Adventure for ANY system out NOW? NR: No comment. GG: Well that gives it away! (laughing) Okay, here are the questions about Project Reality that has been on lots of people minds for a while now. First of all, is there any sign that you know of that indicates a breaking up of Nintendo and Silicon Graphics? This was the major problem for Nintendo in the past. NR: So far, I don't see any kind of breaking up happening. The problem Nintendo had in the past...you probably mean with the Super NES CD. Nintendo originally signed with Sony to develop a CD-ROM peripheral for the SNES. As everyone knows, the Sega CD is a Sony product. All I will say is that a nice sum of money was exchanged, and the next thing we knew, Sony is off with Sega leaving Nintendo in the dust. We had a backup plan, and that was with Philips Electronics. Things went perfectly well, and even high-tech prototypes were finished and tested. I had the opportunity to test it myself in New York City at a special conference. Suddenly Nintendo of Japan scrapped the 16-bit CD-ROM add-on and went 32-bit. Philips wanted a new machine altogether, but Nintendo wanted an add-on peripheral. Wham bam we were back to square one again. Right now, Silicon Graphics and Nintendo seem to be working together very well, and we're all pleased. The one thing we do NOT like is the fact that Sega came from behind and Pearl harbored us by signing with Silicon graphics as well for a future machine of their own. Some fear that history's gonna repeat itself, since Sega is back in the picture. If money gets exchanged again, we won't be happy campers. But I will say that Nintendo DOES have a back up plan if such a thing happens. No matter what, NIntendo WILL have a home system for release, weather it be from SGI or not. GG: How about a release date? NR: No EXACT release date is set for the machine, but Nintendo targets a 3rd quarter 1995 release. GG: Any games you know of coming out for the machine? NR: Right now, no. But SGI plans to bring out some of their current SGI games found in the arcades. Don't forget that at the end of the year, SGI arcade machines will be open to the public. We are talking with Argonaut right now, hoping they will join the development team. They helped develop the SFX chip, anyway. GG: Cool beaners. But what the readers want is NEW information, not stuff they can read in the magazines. Spill your guts!! NR: naturally, I am limited to what i can say, Mike, but I will give it a shot. A SNES version of Super Street Fighter 2 is in the works, and also a MK2 is set for the SNES! Right now, 5 games using the SFX chip are under development, besides Stunt Racer FX. Releases should begin in the second half of the year. And the SFX chip in those games are NOT the same as the chip in Star Fox. The new SFX chip is a 21 MHz processor, which helps improve on the formula. Some games are Star Fox 2, which should be 32 megs and 2-player simultaneous play, Power Slide, Dirt Racer, and Citadel. GG: Will you be at the Summer CES when Nintendo debuts some new hot games? NR: I wish! I never made it to a CES yet, but I plan on taking time off to get a plane and head for the summer show. Not as a representative, but as any other visitor. GG: Have anything else you would like to add to the interview? NR: Yeah, I want to say that I appreciate being in your fanzine. Magazines get tipped to praise almost every game they review. Fanzines are honest with the games they are approached with and aren't afraid to say they suck. And as for your old man, I want to publicly call him a traitor (as a joke). AT&T is now working with Sega to make that modem crap piece..what is it..the Edge 16. Nintendo's future modem/network units in Japan will kick ass. I saw the details but I won't tell them just yet. (Interview conducted by Michael Hrusecky) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PHILIPS CD-I COMES OF AGE AS A GAME MACHINE AND MORE CD-I Sales on the Rise Following Infotainment Blitz Chuck Miller Following a successful holiday commercial blitz, Philips CD-i seems finally to be gathering momentum as competition heats up with other CD-based platforms from The 3DO Company, Sega and Commodore. Sales of CD-i players outsold other CD-based systems during the last quarter of '93 by as much as 18 to 1. This is significant in a platform that has been slow to catch on. However, 1994 looks like a good year for CD-i owners, especially those interested in gaming. --I Like Your Figure According to figures presented by Philips at a special press event held at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (WCES), there are currently 300,000 CD-i units in consumers' hands. The goal for '94 is to bring the total number of units sold to 1,000,000! If this is reached, CD-i will be established at a viable growth point to insure its continued success. From the quality of titles shown at WCES, and based upon the newer value priced players being offered, this goal looks attainable. The reason for this growth is that Philips is finally pushing CD-i as an entertainment system, rather than as an edutainment and infotainment product only. --Like, I Dig Your Hardware, Man The cost of CD-i ownership has just dropped significantly with two new units being offered by Philips and Magnavox. The Philips CD-i 220 Player, supplied with a wireless remote Thumbstick controller, retails for $499. The Magnavox unit, the CD-i 200 Player, comes with the same remote for $399. Both accept Philips Digital Video Cartridge (DVC) providing full screen, full motion video for $249.95. Offering a new level of video quality in CD-i games and making access to Video CD and music videos a simple affair, the DVC is a must have accessory. At present, 30 movies are available on CD with hundreds more on the way from Paramount and MGM. --Being in Full Control In addition to the included remote, several other controllers are available. Of course, there's that large, gaudy Roller Controller designed for kids. However, several other devices are more worthy add-ons. New is the Touchpad, a joypad similar to those accompanying game consoles (it looks almost identical to the Gravis PC Gamepad) that is ideal for action titles. Two Touchpads can be used at one time for multiplayer games. Also new is the Trackerball, a trackball variation, and the Mouse and Mouse Pad. Still in development is a handy wireless remote gun controller, ideal for titles like Mad Dog McCree. --It's All Fair Game Of course, of greatest interest to us is the quality and quantity of game titles in the works. Though games for CD-i are not as plentiful as those for PC CD-ROM, there is still a large body of exciting titles in development with some presently available. Titles you can nab right now (with some set to ship imminently) include: Voyeur, Kether, Inca, Caesars World of Boxing, Inter- national Tennis Open, Escape from Cybercity, Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Mystic Midway: Rest in Pieces, Battleship, Alice in Wonderland, and Alien Gate. Many more titles are due to ship over the next few months. --Brought to You by DVC Several key games titles to watch for on CD-i require the new Digital Video Cartridge. These are: Mad Dog McCree, The 7th Guest, Space Ace, Microcosm, and Litil Devil. Of these games, Mad Dog, Microcosm and 7th Guest are the most visually stunning. The quality of the full screen, full motion video is unsurpassed on any CD platform at present. There is simply no comparison with the smoothness of movement and picture image that these CD-i titles provide. Yes, there is the additional cost of the DVC module, but the quality of game play is worth it. Besides, having the DVC will allow you to view Video CD movies. --And the Titles Keep Rolling By One other game shown in early development was Creature Shock. This title, featuring full 3D rendered graphics (of 3D Studio quality), was absolutely amazing. An action/adventure title, Creature Shock is the kind of game that will sell CD-i players. It looks that good! Yet, there are quality titles in development the DO NOT require the DVC. One in particular is Zelda's Quest. With the feel and game play of the original NES Legend of Zelda, this game will capture many gamers with its photorealistic imagery and design similarity to the aforementioned title. Zelda fans will find this title a must addition to their game library. --What the Future Holds Of course, the future of CD-i, and all the new platforms, is dependent on the percentage of market share gained and the overall acceptance of the platform by consumers. Though it is next to impossible to pick a winner in the CD-based player market at present, I believe that CD-i has as good a chance as any of succeeding, and a better chance than most. Time will certainly tell. However, if I were to buy any system right now (CD-i, 3DO, CD32, Sega CD/CDX, or Jaguar), dollar-for-dollar, I would probably go for CD-i. Still, I think I'll wait just a bit longer and see what develops by Summer of '94 at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show. The previous article was taken from the Prodigy Interactive Service. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ATARI STRIKES BACK 64-bit Jaguar Unleashed on Video Gaming Public Jeff James Once the dominant force in video gaming, Atari has had to sit on the sidelines and watch Sega and Nintendo fight it out for the hearts, and allowance money, of video gamers the world over. Now, after years of inactivity in the video gaming market (with the exception of the Lynx handheld), Atari returns with a new 64-bit video game system: the Jaguar. Using a 64-bit data bus and multiple RISC processors, the Jaguar leaps past current 16-bit systems. --Enter the Jaguar! According to Atari Communications Director Bob Brodie, the Jaguar ($249 retail) is was test marketed in 2 areas for the Christmas 1993 season: New York and San Francisco. Only 50,000 Jaguars will be produced for the 4th Quarter of 1993, with Atari planning to ramp up production dramatically in 1994. Brodie said that an "extraordinarily limited number" of Jaguars will be available at the Incredible Universe superstore in Dallas, TX. For consumers outside of those markets, Brodie mentioned that a limited supply of Jaguars will be made available via Atari's customer service department. --Tom and Jerry So what makes the Jaguar so special? If the Jaguar's 64-bit bus is what gives it fast "legs," the custom graphics hardware gives the Jag it's bite. There are 5 processors spread across 3 individual chips; the 2 most powerful are named "Tom" and "Jerry." Tom contains 3 processors: a 32- bit, 27 MIPS graphics processing unit (GPU), a bit blitter, and an object processor. Tom handles graphics and animation, and is able to perform complex computer animation tasks quickly. Jerry consists of 2 processors: a 32-bit RISC chip and a digital signal processor (DSP) for 16-bit, CD-quality stereo audio. --A Need for Speed Finally, Tom and Jerry are joined by a 13.3 MHz Motorola 68000 processor which acts as a general purpose control processor. All of this custom graphics hard- ware is tied together with a 64-bit data bus, which Atari claims will support a data throughput of an astonishing 106.4 Megabytes per second. The combination of a speedy data bus with multiple RISC processors gives the Jaguar the ability to display 24-bit true-color images with up to 16.7 million colors. Atari also claims that Jaguar can perform more than 850 million pixel changes per second, compared to the 3DO's 64 million and 1 million each for the SNES and Genesis. --Hardware Heroics The Jaguar also features some advanced hardware-based animation capabilities, comparable to those found in Panasonic's 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. Support is included for: texture mapping (wrapping an image on a 3D object); transparency (for realistic glass, smoke and fog effects); morphing (a la' Terminator 2); warping (for the quick twisting and distortion of objects); and light sourcing (for realistic shading and lighting effects). All of these animation capabilities combine to give the Jaguar the processing muscle to move and animate graphic objects smoothly and quickly. --The Packing List The Jaguar comes with one cartridge slot; using an image compression technique known as "JagPEG" (a variation on the JPEG compression format), programmers can squeeze up to 6 Megabytes (48 Megabits) of program data onto a single Jaguar cartridge. Cartridge data can be loaded into the main memory of the Jaguar, which consists of 2 Megabytes (16 Megabits) of main system RAM. One 17-button controller and a cartridge game Cybermorph (developed by Attention to Detail) are also included. There are 2 controller ports included, and a ComLynx I/O port allows players to connect several Jaguars (or Atari Lynxes) for multi- machine, multi-player games. --The Expanding Universe (Jaguar Peripherals) Brodie says that Atari will ship a multi-spin CD-ROM drive for the Jaguar "after mid-1994." The CD-ROM drive, projected to be in the $200 range, will offer support for music CDs, CD+Gs, Kodak Photo CDs and Jaguar CD games. Brodie also mentioned that a forthcoming MPEG-II cartridge would allow the Jaguar to support the new Video CD format, which packs 74 minutes of VHS- quality video on a standard compact disk. Atari also plans to introduce a Virtual Reality headset and a high-speed serial interface (to allow players to play games over standard telephone lines) in late 1994 or early 1995. --Starting Small According to Brodie, only 4 cartridges were available and shipping for the Jaguar by the end of November: Cybermorph (bundled with the system), Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy (Atari), Raiden (Imagitec Design), and Evolution: Dino Dudes (Imagitec Design). Tiny Toon Adventures (Atari) and Checkered Flag II (Rebellion Software) were to have been available before Christmas 1993. More titles are coming in 1994, including: Club Drive (Atari), Alien vs. Predator (Rebellion Software), Kasumi Ninja (Atari), Tempest 2000 (Atari), Battlezone 2000 (Atari), Steel Talons (Atari) and Sports Games (Atari). --Bubsy, Barkley, and Brett Hull Although the current selection of Jaguar games is decidedly sparse, several notable software developers have promised support for the Jaguar. ID Software (creator of the popular Wolfenstein-3D for MS-DOS computers) is planning to port their forthcoming Doom game to the Jaguar sometime in 1994. Accolade has announced that it will develop five games for the Jaguar in 1994, including Al Michaels Announces Hardball III, Brett Hull Hockey, Bubsy: Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind, Charles Barkley Basketball, and Jack Nicklaus Power Challenge Golf. --Return to Zork, Spock Adventure game publisher Activision is planning to bring out a version of Return to Zork for the Jaguar CD in 1994, with a possible conversion of Mechwarrior II: The Clans to follow. Interplay (developer of Battle Chess and Star Trek: The 25th Anniversary for MS-DOS computers) is gearing up to produce a CD title (possibly Battle Chess) for the Jaguar CD under the Atari label. This list of developers is a small one, and most of the games will be released in mid-to-late 1994. A more difficult challenge may be convincing consumers that Atari is in for the long-term to support the Jaguar. --Pricing to Ponder Although the Jaguar's $250 retail price places it well with in the price range of prospective SNES and Sega buyers, the addition of the $200 Jaguar CD-ROM drive will push the Jaguar squarely into the price range of Commodore's Amiga CD32 ($399) and a few hundred dollars under Panasonic's $699 REAL 3DO system. The CD32 has been selling strongly in the UK and Europe over the past few months, backed by a lengthy list of talented UK developers. And with new 3DO players set to arrive from Sanyo and AT&T over the coming months, market pressure should drive the price of a 3DO compatible system into the $500 price range. --CES: Brawling for Bucks and Bits Atari announced nationwide distribution of the Jaguar at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. Commodore unveiled the Amiga CD32 to the U.S. market at the same show, and the 3DO company showed a promotional push as well. Phillips has repriced their CDI (Compact Disk Interactive) system to $499, and the two juggernauts of the video game industry, Sega and Nintendo, will be promoting their 16-bit video game systems. What the Genesis and Super NES lack in hardware specs will be more than compensated by their commanding market presence, for now. --Sleeping Giants As the sleeping giants of the video game industry, Sega and Nintendo aren't about to rest on their laurels. Both are planning to introduce new game systems in late 1994 or early 1995. Sega is reportedly developing a 32-bit CD-based game system (code-named "Saturn"), while Nintendo has joined forces with work- station manufacturer Silicon Graphics to begin work on an advanced game system with the nebulous moniker of "Project Reality." Although both systems are still at least a year away, they do serve as a reminder that neither company intends to surrender the multi-billion dollar home video game market without a fight. --Predictions Although it's too early to tell if the Jaguar will help Atari reassume it's once lofty position in the video game market, the Jaguar does lay down a gauntlet for Sega and Nintendo to follow. Regardless of which system is eventually declared the "best," video game consumers will be the real winners, rewarded with lower prices, more powerful game systems, and new games which will truly take gaming "to the next level." For more information on the Jaguar, contact Atari at 408-745-8852. The previous article was taken from Prodigy Interactive Service. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THIS EDITORIAL IS RATED 'R' (READABLE) Your PC Games, However, Might Be Another Story Alan Emrich Since 1990, Computer Gaming World has been writing editorials in its pages urging the industry to monitor the violence in its games. We have stressed the need for computer game producers to establish a voluntary "ratings system" for their games, labeling them on the package for sexual situation, violence, occult subjects, and so forth. Allow me elaborate and express my own concerns. --Big Brother is Censoring You? Typically, the collective computer game industry chose to ignore the potential problem of game ratings until it became a crisis (by definition, a crisis is when you can't say "Let's forget the whole thing"). Literally, the hour before congressional hearings were to begin the major video game manufacturers announced a joint agreement that they would self-regulate new standards in rating their own products for material that might not be suited for some consumers (particularly young children). That didn't cancel the CSPAN circus with Nintendo and SEGA taking shots at each other, but the crisis, for the time being, has been averted. --The Great Debate What many computer gamers with access to on-line networks such as PRODIGY have been arguing of late is, what are the implications vis-a-vis the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States? Is this a freedom of speech issue? Are violent or otherwise "harmfully" explicit computer games tantamount to pornography? Should they be censored? Should the government regulate them as they do the airwaves on television and radio? The answer seems simple. Explicit computer games cannot be banned. Even if they were pornography (which they're not), they'd still be protected by the First Amendment. --Then What Do We Do With Violent Video Games? Computer games are most akin to movie entertainment. They're not free and a person must make an effort to acquire and play one. Movies have long regulated themselves away from government censorship through the MPAA ratings systems. We are all familiar with PG-Rated movies, films with R-Ratings, and so forth. While some consider even that to be censorship, I don't. To me, I see it as input -- information to help me, the consumer, make the most informed purchase decision that I can for myself and my family. I see a rating as nothing but a 3-letter review of a film's explicit content. --Who'll Stop the Reign? Apparently, the reign of violent or other graphically explicit video and computer games has been noticed in the unreality that is Washington, DC. Typically, seeing our nation's leaders hold up a video game laser gun input device as something "new" and threatening made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. Our family's Magnavox Oddesy video game unit (can you say Pong?), back in the 70's, had a "gun" input device, for goodness sake! This is hardly a new technology. And if its effects are so detrimental, why am I writing this instead of planning and committing heinous acts of violence against society? I think I know the answer... --Knowing Fake Real from Real Real Imagine a cartoon cat. Pick any one you like: Tom, Sylverster, Top Cat (am I showing my age, or what?). Now think back at some of their cartoon antics. Some of them were downright violent, wouldn't you say? Now picture a household cat. Here, kitty, kitty. It plays, sleeps, meows, eats and does other natural feline things, right? So, a child grows up with both in his living room, Tom (of Tom and Jerry fame) and Fluffy, the household cat. --Okay, so here's the $36 question: Why is it that people don't believe that a child can suspend their disbelief to enjoy a cartoon? Children know how real cats behave -- that they don't talk, for instance, or blow up mice with bombs and guns. If a child does, it is far more likely to be a problem with the child than with the medium of cartoons. Then why do people assume that when kids play games with Kung-Fu-Kick-'Em-In- The-Crotch action that they will grow up thinking that is how you are supposed to greet total strangers? Kids see others shake hands and exchange hugs, as a rule, not roundhouse kick total strangers on the street. --How Do You Stop the Kids from Playing Them? What bothers me about this whole tempest in a teapot is that while, yes, the game producers would be acting responsibly to provide consumers some game rating information, there is no reason for the government to intervene. As it is with movies, it is the {parents} who are responsible for their child's upbringing, not congress. Parents must teach their children right from wrong, instill values in them, show them love and nurture them to be good people and citizens. Parents are responsible for what their kids watch and play, not congress. This is a private family matter, not one of the nation's future mental health. --Relax I believe that a rating system for computer games would be a "good thing." It will help consumers (particularly parents) make informed buying decisions. Having congress usurp parental responsibility, however, is not a good thing. If congress would start treating parents as adult human beings, rather than entities whose votes and taxes they try to get more and more of, we could all take care of ourselves just fine, thank you very much. The previous article was taken from Prodigy Interactive Service. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _ _ ____ _ _ _ ____ ||| Atari | | / |/ ___\| | | | / | _ \ ||| | | / | | __| | | | / | |_| | / | \ /| | |/ / | | |_ | | | |/ / | _ < | |_| / _ | |__| | |_| / _ | | \\\ \___/_/ |_|\____/ \___/_/ |_|_| \\\ \\\ My GOD we have a lot of information about the Jaguar for you all to enjoy. Specs, games, etc, have all come from different sources, so we do not take FULL credit. But lots of this information might not be public knowledge. If info is inaccurate, we don't take responsibility for it. ATARI JAGUAR SPECIFICATIONS Size: 9.5" x 10" x 2.5" Display: Resolution 800 x 576 pixels max 24-bit display with 16,777,216 colors simultaneously Ports: Cartridge slot/expansion port (32 bits) RF video output Video edge connector (video/audio output) Two controller ports Digital Signal Processor port Controllers: Eight-directional joypad Size 6.25" x 5" x 1.6", cord 7 feet Buttons A, B, and C Pause and Option buttons 12-key keypad --THE 5 PROCESSORS SPECIFICATIONS-- "Tom"-- 32-bit RISC architecture 64 registers of 32 bits wide access to all 64 bits of the system bus reads 64 bits of data in one instruction 26.6 MIPS (million instructions per second) 4K bytes of SRAM produces high-speed graphic effects Object processor-- 64-bit RISC architecture processor acting as many video architectures, such as a sprite engine, a pixel-mapped display, a character-mapped system Blitter-- 64-bit DRAM memory controller "Jerry"-- 600,000 transistors, 144 pins Digital Signal Processor 32 bits (32-bit registers) 26.6 MIPS (million instructions per second) 8K bytes of SRAM CD-quality stereo sound (16-bit stereo) Motorola 68000-- Rated at 13.3MHz General purpose control processor Communication is performed with a high speed 64-bit data bus, rated at 106.4 megabytes/second. The Jaguar has two megabytes DRAM. Game cartridges can hold up to six megabytes (48 megabits) of compressed information. The Jaguar uses JagPEG, a variation of the JPEG compression format. MISC FEATURES-- Support for ComLynx I/O for communications with the Atari Lynx hand-held game system and networked multiconsole games (on DSP port, accessible by optional add-on connector) The two controller ports can be expanded to support Digital and analog interfaces -Expansion port allows connection to cable TV and other networks -9600 baud, RS-232 serial port (accessible with optional interface) The Jaguar is able to perform: -High-speed scrolling -Texture mapping -Morphing -Scaling -Rotation -Skewing of sprites and images -Lighting and shading from multiple light sources -Transparency -Rendering up to 850 million one-bit pixels/second -Sprites are of unlimited size A double speed CD-ROM drive has been announced for release in mid-1994, with an estimated price of $200. It is reported that the CD-ROM drive is capable of transferring data continuously at 350K per second, or run at normal audio rates of 175K per second. Access time is 300-350 milliseconds. Storage on a disc should be approx 700 megabytes (uncompressed). The CD-ROM drive plugs into the Jaguar's cartridge slot on top of the machine, and offers a cart- ridge slot to permit playing cartridge or CD games, the cartridge port is accessible while using the CD-ROM drive. The Jaguar CD-ROM supports audio CDs, Karaoke CDs, CD+Graphics, and Kodak Photo CDs. An optional MPEG2 (Motion Picture Experts Group) compression cart- ridge will be available. Here's the latest list of Atari Jaguar 3rd party companies: Anco Software Ltd. Maxis Software Telegames Beyond Games Inc. Microids Tiertex Ltd. Dimension Technologies Midnite Software Inc. Titus Eurosoft Ocean Software Ltd. Tradewest High Voltage Software Rebellion Software Trimark Interactive Krisalis Software Ltd. Virtual Experience U.S. Gold Ltd. Loriciel U.S.A. Silmarils Millenium Park Place Productions Ubi Soft Gremlin Software Microprose/S. Holobyte Accolade Virgin Interplay 21st Century Software Activision Id Software Phalanx Software Brainstorm 3D Games All Systems Go Argonaut Software Euro-Soft ICD Incorporated Photosurrealism DTMC Llama Soft V-Real Productions Elite Attention to Detail Hand Made Software Imagitec Design GAME Developer Titles under development ---------------------------------------------------------------- 21st Century Software - Pinball Fantasies 3D Games Accolade - Al Michaels Announces Hardball Brett Hull Hockey Busby in Clawed Encounters of the Furried Kind Charles Barkley Basketball Jack Nicholas Golf Activision - Return to Zork CD-ROM All Systems Go - Hosenose and Booger Jukebox Anco Software Ltd. - Kick Off World Cup Argonaut Software - UNKNOWN CD-ROM Atari Corp. - Battlezone 2000 [Crescent Galaxy] Club Drive MPEG 1 and 2 carts Star Raiders 2000 Tiny Toons Adventures VR Helmet Atari Games Corp. Attention to Detail - Battlemorph: Cybermorph 2 Blue Lightning (For Atari Corp.) [Cybermorph] Brainstorm - [x86 Jaguar Development System] Beyond Games Inc. - Battlewheels Ultra Vortex Dimension Technologies DTMC Eurosoft Gremlin Graphics Ltd. - Zool 2 - MORE Hand Made Software - (For Atari Corp.) Kasumi Ninja High Voltage Software id Software - Doom: Evil Unleashed Imagitec Design Inc. - [Evolution Dino-Dudes] [Raiden] Interplay - BattleChess CD-ROM (MORE?) Krisalis Software Ltd. - Soccer Kid LlamaSoft - (For Atari Corp.) Tempest 2000 Loricel S.A. Maxis Software Microids - Evidence Commando Microprose - 3D Gunship 2000 - MORE SIMULATIONS Midnite Software Inc. - Car Wars Dungeon Depths Millenium Interactive Ltd. Ocean Software Ltd. Park Place Productions - UNKNOWN TITLE (American Football) Phalanx - Phong 2000 (Space?) Rebellion Software Ltd. - (For Atari Corp.) Alien vs. Predator Checkered Flag II Dungeon Silmarils - Robinson's Requiem Telegames - Brutal Sports Football Casino Royale European Soccer Challenge Ultimate Brain Games - MORE? Tiertex Ltd. Titus Tradewest - Double Dragon 4 - MORE Trimark Interactive U.S. Gold Ltd. - Flashback UBI Soft International - Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis - MORE V-Real Productions - Arena Football Horrorscope Virgin Interactive Entertainment Ltd. - UNKNOWN ("Movie title") Virtual Experience - Indiana Jags Zozziorx (MORE?) Game titles provided by Atari. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ___ ___ _ _ ___ ___ __ _ _ _ ____ | \ | | | \ | | | | / \ / \ | \ | | | | / ___| | O | | O | | |\\ | | | O | | | /\ | | |\\ | | | | | / | _/ | ___ | | | \\ | | | ___ | \____ | | | | | | \\ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \\| | | | | | \ | \/ | | | \\| | | | | \___ |_| |_| |_| |_| \__| |_| |_| \____ / \ __ / |_| \__| |_| \ ____| _______ ___ ___ |______ \ | \ / \ \ | | _ \ | ___ | ___/ / | | \ | | | | | |___ \ | |_/ | | |___| | ______\ | | / | | |_______ / |___ / \ ___ / GLOBAL LAUNCH MULTIPLE BRANDS MORE THAN 200 TITLES IN DEVELOPMENT The 3DO Company today announced plans to launch the 3DO Interactive Multi- player system worldwide in 1994 with multiple hardware manufacturers as partners. At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (WCES), 3DO said the library of software titles for the 3DO system continues to grow. Eighteen software titles are currently available in stores nationwide, more than 200 titles are in development, and the company anticipates that more than 100 new titles will ship in 1994. Twenty-three 3DO licensees showcased 43 titles at WCES. (See below list.) AT&T unveiled three 3DO products for U.S. distribution in the fall: a CD-based 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system; the VoiceSpan adapter that connects to any 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system, so users can play software titles remotely with other players while talking over regular telephone lines; and a 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system with built-in AT&T VoiceSpan capabilities. Sanyo announced plans to release a 3DO system in Japan later this year, and said it is evaluating the timing of its U.S.launch. 3DO also announced the creation of a software ratings system designed to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions when purchasing software. Titles for the 3DO system are expected to begin carrying the 3DO-designed ratings symbols in March 1994. "We're well positioned to set the next consumer electronics standard and 1994 will be our year to make significant progress in reaching that goal," said Trip Hawkins, president and CEO, The 3DO Company. "Our mission in 1993 was to capture the beach; we had an ambitious set of goals and we accomplished everything we set out to do." The REAL 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system, launched by Panasonic in October 1993, is currently sold through more than 2,000 retail outlets nationwide. 3DO anticipates that four brands of the CD-based system will be available by fall of this year. "Consumer response to 3DO has been outstanding. The 'innovators' - consumers who appreciate new levels of performance and the interactivity provided by the 3DO system - have confirmed that we have a winner," Hawkins added. The CD-based 3DO system will be available in Europe and Japan by the summer, and multiple brands will be distributed through more than 30,000 retail outlets worldwide by fall. The 3DO Company, which formed 3DO Japan in July 1993, will open a European office this spring to support the growing number of European licensees. "3DO is moving rapidly to establish a worldwide standard," Hawkins said. "Our licensees are confident our technology will succeed in a global market this year, and we're doing everything we can to support them." Underscoring the growing support of the software community, more than 100 companies have become 3DO licensees since the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer came to retail shelves in October 1993. "Software industry support for 3DO continues to build," Hawkins said. "3DO has delivered a technology and a way of doing business that the software industry believes in, and that's why we have the largest number of companies ever dedicated to a platform. With 3DO, software companies have the advanced technology they want to develop for and a fair way of doing business that allows all players to win. "Our licensees are investing significant amounts of their own money in 3DO technology, which is a meaningful vote of confidence for the 3DO platform," Hawkins added. The 3DO system delivers a breakthrough in audio and video realism with interactive software that appeals to the audiences of all ages, bridging the gap between video game systems and home computers. The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system provides up to 50 times the graphics performance of standard PCs and video game systems. Designed to be a worldwide standard like VHS, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system also plays music CDs, photo CDs, and video CDs. Based in Redwood City, Calif., The 3DO Company (NASDAQ:THDO) is backed by a unique coalition of partners from consumer electronics, communications, entertainment and software industries. Investors include Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., the world's largest manufacturer of consumer electronics and parent of Panasonic, National, Quasar, and Technics; AT&T, one the world's leading communications and computer companies; Time Warner, a leading media and entertainment company; Electronic Arts, the leading entertainment software publisher; and Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The following companies are showcasing their 3DO titles for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, January 6-9, in Las Vegas: American Laser Games- Who Shot Johnny Rock? Crystal Dyamics- Crash 'N Burn Total Eclipse The Horde Star Control II Orion Off-Road Digital Pictures- Night Trap Dynami- Stellar 7: Draxon's Revenge Electronic Arts- A Visit to Sesame Street: Numbers Escape from Monster Manor John Madden Football Peter Pan: A Story Painting Adventure PGA TOUR Golf Road Rash Shock Wave: Invasion Earth 2019 Super Wing Commander Theme Park Twisted:The Game Show GameTek- Family Feud Humongous Ent.- Putt-Putt Goes to the Moon Intellimedia- ESPN Baseball ESPN Football IntelliPlay Cowboy Casino Lower Your Score with Tom Kite Interplay- Out of this World Battle Chess MCA Home Video- Woody Woodpecker Cartoons MicroProse- C.P.U. Bach Naughty Dog Way of the Warrior ORIGIN- Super Wing Commander Paramount- Rock, Rap 'N Roll 2 PF.Magic- PaTaank Psygnosis- Lemmings ReadySoft- Dragon's Lair Sanctuary Woods- Dennis Miller That's News to Me Software Toolworks- 20th Century Video Almanac The San Diego Zoo Presents...The Animals! Spectrum Holobyte- Star Trek: The Next Generation Tetragon- Gridders Universal Studios- Jurassic Park Interactive VideoactV- ToonTime Virgin- Demolition Man The previous article was provided by America Online. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- F A N Z I N E C R O S S F I R E _________________________________________ ____________________________ | Have a fanzine or newsletter that needs | | GAME GURU | | attention? Send a copy to the return | | -FANZINE SEAL OF QUALITY- | | address and you'll get to see your very | |This marker ensures these | | own name appear in here along with a | |fanzines are worth writing | | review of your fanzine/newsletter! | |about. Accept no imitations | `-----------------------------------------' `----------------------------' ______________________________________________________________________________ D I G I T A L P R E S S| P A R A D O X |THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DP # 16 | Issue 13 1/2 | 8-BIT $1.50 | $1.00 | Issue #5 $1.00 Joe Santulli | Chris Johnson | Brian Pacula 44 Hunter Place | 316 E. 11th Ave | 33 Florence Ave. Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442 | Naperville, IL 60563 | Mill Valley, CA 94941 | | Wow, Digital Press has |Before I begin the review|Edited and published by finally his the 16th ish |for this great issue of |Brian Pacula, and ONLY and I can easily say they|PARADOX I will add a tiny|brian Pacula, TG, TB & T8B are still leading the |bit of insult to injury. |shows a true attempt at competition. After plying|YES PETTIBONE, HERE'S |what one person alone can the staples off the zine |ANOTHER FANZINE WITH |do to create and distri- to open it, and cutting |FACTS, SOMETHING YOU ONLY|bute a fanzine on their myself in 2 spots the 1st|SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM |own. Your effort is truly thing that hit me was the|WITH WHEN I PUBLISH THEM.|applauded, Brian. This zine great art which Joe drew |SEXIST ARE WE? JUST A |covers all systems and portraying Clay Fighters |LITTLE? GET YOUR LIFE TO-|makes key point observa- own larger than life "Bad|GETHER. SUPER EFFECT WAS |tions when it comes to VG Mr. Frosty" towering over|ONLY A FANZINE, NOT SOME-|companies pushing games or a pile bodies. I knew I |THING FOR YOU TO TRY TO |just simply being idiots had to investigate |CREATE A FIGHT OVER. IF |for doing something bad. further. Digital Press |YOU WANT TO COMPLAIN |What is written is good covers virtually every |ABOUT PRINTING FACTS, YOU|reading, but the fanzine in corner of the Video Game |HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF |whole looks a bit plain. world, even the old Atari|PEOPLE TO COMPLAIN TOO. |Find a way to use paper systems. DP knows when to|GIVE UP THE IMMATURITY, |space wisely, cause there get serious, and also |CUZ NO ONE'S LISTENING TO|is a lot of extra space. knows how to amuse and |YOU ANYMORE. |The MK2 coverage was quite get the interests of | |readable, and should be gamers, as shown in |This was my first issue |looked into by MK2 fans. "Bonus Points". All games|of Paradox I've ever got-|There were 16 games re- reviewed in DP seem to be|ten and I was impressed |viewed, and all used common well organized and to-the|right from the start. The|sense and some humor when -point. (Mr. Pettibone, |cover featured SF II |it's needed. DP gets VERY technical in|characters -vs- MK chara-| some areas, who only |cters. Excellent job. |The Good, the Bad, and the bitch to Jan when she |There are tons of news |8-Bit is a true example gets technical?) The |and opinion columns for |that you should not judge Science Lab Report was |everyone. Most of the |a book by its cover. There interesting, but I'd |opinions hit right on the|is a lot inside for many rather stick to buying |nail with my own views. |gamers. It IS worth the $20 converter instead|Do we think alike? |checking into! of taking my Genesis |(Ed note: Be afraid, be | apart. The only things |VERY afraid!) Send in yer| missing in DP16 were the |dollar for a sample ish | Fanzine reviews? Did they|for you shall not be | vanish? Ish 16 was 30 |disappointed. I click my | pages and well worth the |heels for you! | buck-fifty. I can't wait | | for #17! Excellent work! | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nintendo Of America To Stay Out of CD-ROM Market Nintendo of America Inc., opting to stay out of the burgeoning CD-ROM entertainment market for now, said its next-generation video-game machine will continue to play cartridges, The Wall Street Journal reported. The 64-bit game system, code named Project Reality, is being developed by Nintendo and Silicon Graphics Inc. It is set to debut in arcades during the fourth quarter, followed by a world-wide launch to homes next year. Nintendo said the home machines would be brought to market for under $250. Project Reality will replace Nintendo's current mainstay player, a 16-bit machine called the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo said Project Reality is so powerful that it will contain five to six times the memory of the current 16-bit Nintendo games, allowing for superior graphics, sound and music. Nintendo officials said they considered using machines based on CD-ROM, as do their competitors 3DO Co. and Sega of America Inc., but concluded that cartridge-based games would run faster. The $6 billion-a-year U.S. video-game industry remains dominated by cartridge-based machines produced primarily by Nintendo and Sega. "The cartridge format is the only proven method," Peter Main, vice president of marketing for Nintendo of America, said in a statement. "CD-ROM, at this stage of the game, is too slow..." Main added that the cartridge format would help keep down prices so the new players can sell well in the mass market. Main indicated Nintendo would continue to evaluate CD-ROM technology, and has designed Project Reality to accommodate a potential CD-ROM accessory. The previous article was taken from COMPANY NEWS, Prodigy Interactive Service. ______________________________________________________________________________ NINTENDO CODENAME: "PROJECT REALITY" TARGET SPECIFICATIONS TO DATE Nintendo has been working with Silicon Graphics Inc. secretly for several months before the public announcement of a 64-bit home unit. We've all heard the basic specifications over and over again from magazines and such, but we have uncovered the specifications set for "Project Reality" effective since January 3rd. Keep in mind that they have drastically altered the SNES CD specs before (and the SNES CD was a no-show). It's possible Virtual Reality's specs could change as well. PHYSICAL DIMENTIONS: Undetermined VIDEO RESOLUTION: -1024 x 768 max -can display true 24-bit images -palette of 16,770,000 simultaneously PORT OPTIONS: -Cartridge based unit -Cartridge port assembled to support add-on machanism(s) -2 expansion slots for future add-on mechanisms -2 controller ports -MPEG-2 compatible CONTROLLERS: -Undetermined CPU: -64-bit RISC data path -contains 7 coprocessors CLOCK SPEED: -system calculated at 100.58 MHz MEMORY: -4 megabytes of RAM (total) AUDIO: -Stereo 16-bit PCM -Sampled at 44.1 KHz VIDEO OUTPUT: -RF -S-video -Composite Video -HDTV compatible OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES: -Textured mapping, Morphing, Scaling/Rotation -Skewing (distortion) -Shading from various light sources -transparency -Unlimited sprite size -MIPS engine contains 7 coprocessors -Video exceeds NTSC and PAL standards (HDTV compatible) -Can handle over 100 MIPS and MFLOPS (floating points) in one second -Can generate over 100,000 polygons/second -Utilizes NEWLY developed on-board video/audio compression which compresses 16 megabit ROM chips (2 megabytes) into 80-96 megabit ROM chips (10-12 megabytes) WEIGHT: -Undetermined AVAILABLE: -3rd Quarter 1995 PRICE: -around $250 EDITOR'S NOTE: Wow, now these are really impressive specifications. What I find more interesting than anything else is the new data compression that this unit will support. 16 meg carts (2 megabytes) can be transformed into 80 to 90 meg carts (10-12 megabytes). That is incredible compression. But as we all know, Nintendo, Capcom, and other companies are using not only 16 meg chips, but also 20 megs, 24 megs, and in a few months, even 32 meg chips. A 32 meg chip (4 megabytes) can be transformed into an *AMAZING* 160 to 182 megs! That is 20 to 24 megabytes! And the best part is that we only pay for the actual size of memory the chip holds when NOT compressed. For example, 16 meg games cost in the neighborhood of $65 today. Even though Project Reality's 16 meg chips can hold up to 6 times the amount of a normal 16 meg game, we aren't charged any more because we only pay for the 16 meg chip! So games will easily be in the same price area as they are today. I can't wait! Yes Nintendo fans, Project Reality WILL BE a reality! No and's, if's, but's, or or's! We were sent a copy of a statement which shows Nintendo purchasing 2.6 million RISC processors from NEC, and another statement showing Nintendo purchasing the same amount of RISC processors from Toshiba. Nintendo wouldn't buy all these high-tech chip for nothing, my friends! They have something cooking and in the works! No bullsh!t! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --TOP TEN VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS THAT MAKE GOOD COUPLES-- 10) E. Honda and the fat Lady in Death Valley Rally 9) Mario and Fox McCloud (Nintendo just loves how their own characters... nevermind.) 8) Sonic and Blanka (who knows...that animalistic instinct they have...) 7) Sonya and Princess Zelda (bitches with attitude) 6) Ripley and Sagat (It's the bald head thing...) 5) Captain Hook and Ronald McDonald (yeah...he's in a game!) 4) Little Mermaid and Aladdin 3) Mega Man and Roll the Housekeeping Robot 2) Barney and Grimace (ya know, that purple Hershey Kiss thing from Mc Donalds) 1) Cammy and Chun Lee ______________________________________________________________________________ __ ______ _ _ _ ______ _ _ _____ | \ | ____| \\ // | | | ____| \ \ / / / ____| | O | | |__ \\ // | | | |__ \ \ /\ / / | /___ | / | __| \\ // | | | __| \ \/ \/ / \____ \ | |\ \ | |____ \\// | | | |____ \ /\ / _____| | |_| \ \_|______|_____\/_____|_|_|______|_____\/__\/_____\_____/__ \___________________________________________________________| _____________________ ////YOSHI'S SAFARI\\\\\ GRAPHICS: 6 GAME PLAY: 6 \\\\ BY: NINTENDO ///// SOUND: 5 FUN: 6 --------------------- $39.95 SHOOTER OVERALL: 5.75 SUPER NINTENDO My GOD does this game suck! Here is a good game for the young kids, but for the teens...BLAH! It has a beginner's challenge to it, which leaves the many avid players sending it back to the store that actually had the guts to sell it. Man, the S.Scope 6 is in trouble (always was), unless someone does something FAST! You have the honor of riding on Yoshi's back, shooting your way through a countless number of bad guys and enemies, like Koopas, Goombas, and boss characters. You cannot control Yoshi's speed or direction, you just get to jump every now and then...Well whoop-de-do! Besides that, you just pull on that SS6 trigger and blast the enemies. I don't know about most, but I beat this game the first time playing it. The Scope has a turbo button for god sakes, anyone could win! The graphics weren't much to speak for. There's plenty of Mode 7 keeping your moves steady and smooth. And the backgrounds were somewhat colorful and they consist of some such as a beach, and an underworld forest. The sound...zzzz. Another bad part of the game. All you hear is some reward music between stages but during the actual game, all you hear is your own gun and menacing sound effects. This one is not recommended for anyone over the age of 11, or a gamer with anything better than a beginner's level. NIntendo made a nasty no- no with this one. Luckily I only rented, and this shows that ever the major video game giants can make big mistakes. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ ///ROAR OF THE WOLF\\\\ GRAPHICS: 9 GAME PLAY: 8 \\\\\BY: SUNSOFT/////// SOUND: 8 FUN: 4 --------------------- $49.99 ACTION OVERALL: 7.25 GENESIS The first thing you notice when you turn on the power is that you are captivated by the sights and sounds that appear on your TV, BUT that's all you get to be enchanted about cause the fun sucks. You play as the beast and you fight your way through your palace, a snow covered forest, and across the rooftops for the final showdown with Gaston. The game play is actually fairly straight forward. You move from one end of the level to the other, killing all of the enemies you encounter along the way. (Really, you do!) The Beast has a nice variety of moves you can choose from, such as crouching attacks, or standing. Easy to control with a few tries. The graphics truly stand out in front of anything else. They capture the feeling of the Disney classic, for sure. And the backgrounds are incredible with lots of details and color. The sound is pretty good with nice tunes and well done grunts, groans, and growls of the Beast. The fun of the game...well, it certainly leaves something to be desired. It's the only flaw that's keeping the game from a VERY nice overall score. Great game for the experts in the family. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ //////CYBERMORPH\\\\\\\ GRAPHICS: 7 GAME PLAY: 9 \\\\\\\BY: ATARI/////// SOUND: 6 FUN: 7 --------------------- PACK-IN SHOOT-EM-UP OVERALL: 7.25 JAGUAR I started playing this game, and am image came to me. I saw Star Fox in the back of my mind. Like Star Fox, CyberMorph is a giant polygon flight fest with lots of strategy and action. CM is a space craft game where you are the pilot and you must collect pods filled with scientific equipment scattered all over the galaxy. You fly through 5 sectors with 8 planets to get them. The polygon graphics are not striking, but beats the crap out of Star Fox in a mean way. With Star Fox, you fly in one direction...forward. In CM, you fly in ANY direction giving the illusion of a "spacious" environment. The smooth, fluid control is an added plus..but hey, they keypad thing feels awkward. The game play requires a nice amount of strategy, dodging, mountains, neutral enemies, and hostile space crafts, Again, very nice, smooth play. The game includes a password option after each sector, but even that is tough to accomplish because of the difficulty of the game. CM's music and sound effects are neither excellent or awful. The cool title track will help set the mood the most, but during the actual game play all you get are bullets, explosions, and engine roars. CM is certainly a challenging game, and if you love strategy shoot-em-up style games, you may want to check into CyberMorph for the Atari Jaguar. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ /////////DUNE\\\\\\\\\\ GRAPHICS: 8 GAME PLAY: 8 \\\\\\BY: VIRGIN/////// SOUND: 8 FUN: 6 --------------------- $62.99 ADVENTURE OVERALL: 7.5 SEGA CD Using a 1st person perspective you play as Paul Atreides. The Emperor has sent you and your family to the planet Arrakis (aka Dune) to mine spice. With the magical powers of the spice, whoever controls the spice can control the world! The Harkonnens (evil guys) are also on the planet mining the spice. Your job is to fight these men for control of Dune and help the Fremen achieve their dream of turning Dune into a flourishing planet. The action in this game is very low. With little confrontation you can easily collect vital supplies and finish your mission. The graphics of Dune are something to see. The 3d sequences stand out giving great cinematic sequences and hot textured mapping. The sound effects and music are very good too, as they are with most CD games. The music sound track has a nice variety and mixes with the action well. Speech helps bring life to the game, but sounds off beat at times with common words. At times, you may end up falling asleep during the game while the game unfolds. All Virgin brought to this game was graphics and sound...the fun is not great, but not too bad, either. ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ ///////CLAYMATES\\\\\\\ GRAPHICS: 8 GAME PLAY: 8 \\\\\BY: INTERPLAY///// SOUND: 8 FUN: 8 --------------------- $ N/A ACTION OVERALL: 8 SUPER NES Claymates is a unique sidescroller from Interplay that is quite easy to get used to. Like Clay Fighter, Claymates uses actual claymation. You start out as a ball of clay, and as you find other colored balls of clay you turn into one of the five animals which include a mouse, cat, fish, bird, and a gopher. Each animal has his own weapons and weaknesses. The graphics are impressive at times furing the game...certainly something to experience for yourself. The game is 5 levels long and they are somewhat challenging. The drawback in the graphics are the back- grounds. Nothing special about them. They are really basic looking. Claymates has fun music and sound effects but I started to go a nuts listening to repetitive kiddie music after a while. Besides the backgrounds and annoying-at-times music, the game has a nice future for it. You can move with reasonable agility, but the jumps aren't always on target like you'd hope. Luckily for ya there are un- limited continues. The game was made with the younger gamers in mind, but Interplay does not lack a good challenge. You'll find Claymates fun to play, but don't expect any eye opening graphics or new programming tricks. Certainly a game to rent. I'm glad I didn't buy it, to be honest. ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ /WWF RAGE IN THE CAGE\ GRAPHICS: 8 GAME PLAY: 8 \\\\\\\\ARENA///////// SOUND: 9 FUN: 8 -------------------- $ N/A SPORTS OVERALL: 8.25 SEGA CD Acclaim is the first company to produce a wrestling game for the Sega CD. The game can be very fun if you don't mind waiting for the match to start. Basically the idea is the same as it is with any other wrestling game; kick the crap out of your opponent or BE kicked. The game is very similar to the SNES Royal Rumble cart. The Sega CD game gives you a selection of 20 wrestlers, all with their unique finishing moves. The graphics look basically the same as the cart versions, but the added twist is the Full Motion Video clips. The sound is something all video game wrestling fans have been waiting for. The CD contains the theme music of each included wrestler and the bumps and thuds are cool too. If you own a previous WWF wrestling game, the controls may seem familiar. But if you are new to wrestling games, hope you game some extra time to practice cuz you'll need it if you want to win. A six- button controller will help. If you've played other wrestling games, there is nothing super- different or noteworthy to pass on to you because it's basically the same as the rest, only improved sound. The major drawback in the game for me was the long pauses and frequent breaks in the game. Isn't it typical for a Sega CD game? One good thing is the option to wrestle ina steel cage...can you reach the outside before your opponent? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SUPER EFFECTS WRAP-UP! I'd like to thank Mike for giving me this space to wrap up everything happening in Super Effects, my old fanzine being taken over by GAME GURU, with was a mailed-out fanzine. To start off I am going to make it clear how immature Sean Pettibone is, no matter how cool some think he is, or how much you like him. Remember, this is MY editorial, and Mike or any other Game Guru staff member has nothing to do with this article and what I may say. Pettibone, like I said, you are obviously immature when it comes to confrontation. Junk mail like you's sent means nothing, as did any of your letters. You ant nothing more than the last word in ANY situation and you think you are macho to try and get away with it. Not gonna work sweetie. I don't get mad OR EVEN, I just print it the way I see it. You said so yourself to Mike that trying to get under everyone's skin is your goal, it's what you always do. Well, see, that's where you're only fooling yourself because you can send all the junk mail you want, all the bad reviews you want and you simply CANNOT even begin to annoy any of us because we know that's what you are purposely trying to do. Nice try, but you lose. Contrary to anything you think, Super Effects was a VERY respected fanzine, as will Game Guru. 'Nuff said. I wouldn't complain how boring you think SE#3 was cause your last fanzine was a real snoozer too, to say the least. And some others I showed the zine to thought the same thing. It's obviously not as great as you think it is. I hear you've been trying to call me, honey. Sorry, but I'm having an affair with the milkman. Hope this doesn't hurt our relationship. Mike run S.E? Hehe, good one P-bone. It was 50/50 down the middle for issue #3. Other than that, I was running it. Chow darling, it was fun. Have a splendid life, and get help for that bed wetting problem (Strange how YOU have these kinds of fliers). Ha, and as for your claim to me taking info from magazines, yawwwn. We've said all along it's all from our computer connections to Nintendo IBM, AOL, Prodigy, and others. You are not one to talk about drawings from magazines, because your own fanzine is FILLED with them. That's the biggest contradiction I've heard from you, and the longest one I've laughed at. In my book, YOU aren't 'for real' because you are a joke. Gee are we sexist, Sean? LOTS of other fanzines print FACTUAL information rather than just opinion articles. What point is there to only TRY to annoy me and no one else ever hears from you? Like I said, the only thing you are good for is a laugh. Love the way you tried to annoy me, but unfortunate for you, you FAILED. All questions unanswered for TUNE-UP have been asked in the interview conducted by MIke with out Nintendo Man, All other mail has been answered privately through U.S. Mail. (TONS of letters!) (Sigh) Well, I can't think of too much else to say right now that I haven't covered in the last issue of Super Effects. I hope you all made SOME use out of the Game Genie codes brought to you by Galoob. Adios people (and Sean)! ______________________________________________________________________________ DID YOU KNOW.... - The reason the shape of the SNES - One out of 15,000 video gamers carts changed was so that the show AT LEAST ONE sign of Game Genie "could not be used epileptic seizure during game properly?" play? - Atari is suing Sega for program- - The Jaguar's limited release ming infringing on some horizon- was more like a meow than a tal scrolling techniques Atari mighty roar? (Ed note:Not true) patented? - Vanna White, Cindy Crawford, - The Jaguar is outselling the 3DO and Christina Applegate have almost 10:1? X-rated GIFs circulating the U.S? ______________________________________________________________________________ NINTENDO TAKES A RUN FOR THE BOARDER Nintendo fo America said it will lay off 136 workers, close manufacturing operations here and move hardware and software production for the Latin American markets to Mexico. In a press release, the company said Latin American markets have grown rapidly and the best way to serve those areas is to transfer manufacturing to Mexico. The company said it would have made the move even without NAFTA. The layoffs represent about 9% of Nintendo's 1,500 employees in it's U.S. headquarters. ______________________________________________________________________________ SEGA TEAMS WITH MICROSOFT The Wall Street Journal reported that Sega said Microsoft will develop software for its next-generation game machines, an alliance bringing closer to reality the much heralded convergence of personal computers and video game machines. Microsoft will develop an original operating system for Saturn. Operating systems control the basic functions of computers, making them easier to use and to program by providing a layer of user-friendly commands between a computer's hardware and the user. Adding an OS to the Saturn may make it easier for game developers to write software for the machine. it also might give the Saturn a ability to serve as a so-called set-top box, a piece of hardware that someday may serve as a control for suchmultimedia functions as interactive television. The new alliance could pose longer-term risks for Sega. By allowing Micro- soft to control its operating system, Sega may be opening the door to erosion of its proprietary game-hardware standard; the main source of its huge profits. ______________________________________________________________________________ ---QUICK PICKS--- -Matt Lucas Hi, I'm Matt Lucas. Some of you may remember me from Super Effects. I used to write game reviews for the fanzine before it got canned. Well, now that the fanzine is totally different, I'm turning over a new leaf and am going to write even more! So that means you'll all get a double, maybe even a triple dose of me, Matt! Well, this is my new opinion column. Here I will give you my top five video game picks to do well, and to suck. You don't have to agree, just read it. So here we go... FUTURE GOOD GAMES 1. MEGA MAN X -(SNES) This game will be one of the best games of '94. Mega man is finally brought to the beautiful world of 16-bit. being that this is Mega Man's first 16-bit adventure, it will draw immense curiosity. Video game fans of all ages will love it. Great graphics, action and all new story line will make this game a must get, and a best seller! 2. SONIC 3 -(Genesis) Another chapter is added to the Sonic saga. In this one, the story is basically the same as number one and two. But Sonic has a new look in this installment. The new look makes him much more 3-dimensional and gives him and Tails more animations. The backgrounds are improved also. This one's a lot more faster and fun, so like it or not, Sonic's back again in his 3rd adventure, (aside from Sonic Spinball) and it will do very well. 3. DRAGON'S LAIR -(Sega CD) If you loved Dirk's world in the arcades years ago, you're going to love this one even more! Believe it or not, the new Sega CD version could be even better than the old laser disc classic! Everything has been translated exactly. No more long pauses between scenes in this one, Sega has drastically reduced all the problems you could possibly think of. Good job Sega! 4. WWF RAGE IN THE CAGE -(Sega CD) We have another Sega CD game on picks! When you first look at the action on this game, it looks like an exact replica of WWF Royal Rumble, but it's not at all! It has excellent video animation screens and the action is even faster! it's very realistic too. For instance, you can't bodyslam Yokozuna. WWf fans aren't the only one's who'll make this one great! 5. SUPER METROID- (SNES) Even though very little is known about the future SNES megahit, Mike's friend Roger at Nintendo has told us a lot! And by the sound of it, this will literally be the biggest SNES game yet. it's going to be 24 megs. We'll keep you posted, so stay tuned! FUTURE SUCK GAMES 1. CLAYMATES -(SNES) This game is just plain stupid! Stupid story, stupid...everything! The graphics are good, and that's it. If you thought Clay Fighter sucked... nevermind. Bad job by Interplay! 2. GOOFY'S HYSTERICAL HISTORY TOUR -(Genesis) They got one thing right, it's goofy! I mean, what the Hell is this? He's a janitor in a museum and he's got to clean stuff. Wow, fun. Only stupid who buy games for the names will want this one. 3. BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA -(Sega CD) The movie sucked except for a couple parts, but this whole game bites! The only good thing about this is the occasional video animation screens, but that's not enough to excuse the rest of the game. I don't think that Bram Stoker would've wanted to make this a video game, I didn't. 4. THE INCREDIBLE CRASH DUMMIES -(Genesis) Another thing that shouldn't have been made into a video game. Just look for yourselves! The cinema screens aren't good either. 5. MARIO'S TIME MACHINE -(SNES) This game's a major suck-a-thon! If you're older than 8, you'll hate it. This will do very poorly, for it's very repetitious. If you want to learn something, get this game. ______________________________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: GAME GURU is published whenever I feel like making it and sending it. GAME GURU is absolutely free of charge, but you MAY be charged for the download time onto your computer, depending on the service you are downloading from. The average distribution of GAME GURU is one issue every other month. No guarantees. NOTICE: GAME GURU- copyright 1994 by Michael Hrusecky. All Right Reserved. All systems, names, games, etc. are property of their respective copyrights and companies are are not necessarily associated with GAME GURU. GURU articles are the opinions of their respective author and have no connection with the opinions of other GURU staff members, or companies mentioned herein. GAME GURU is compressed using PKZIP and MAY contain more than one file when decompressed. Any version of PKUNZIP will "inflate" all of GAME GURU's files, which use the ASCII format. A printed form of GAME GURU is NOT currently available. ____ _____ ________ _________ / ____ \ / \ / _ _ \ | _______| | | |_| | ___ | | | | | | | | | | | ___ | |___| | | | | | | | | ---, | | |_ | | ___ | | | | | | | | ---' | |____| | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______ \______/ |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |_________| ____ __ __ _____ __ __ / ____ \ | | | | | __ \ | | | | | | |_| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ___ | | | | | |__| / | | | | | | |_ | | | | | | _ \ | | | | | |____| | | |__| | | | \ \ | |__| | \______/ \______/ |__| \__\ \______/ (c) 1994. All Rights Reserved.