THE KING OF CHICAGO

                                         by Phil Campbell

     Chicago, 1932. Al Capone has finally been put in the slammer - 12
 years in the state pen for tax fraud. Can you fill his boots? Have you 
 got what it takes to become the new "KING OF CHICAGO"? Or will you wind
 up "pumped full of lead"?

     If you have always been too polite to indulge your criminal desires, 
 now is your chance to sample the gangster lifestyle. THE KING OF CHICAGO,
 the latest release in the famous Cinemaware series, is distributed in
 Australia by YPA Holdings (ph 899 2277). Designed for the Apple Macintosh,
 and now also available for the Amiga, this is a game with real panache.

     Cinemaware do not produce games. Instead, they make interactive
 movies. Open the package, and you find two disks, marked "Reel 1" and
 "Reel 2". Insert them in your computer - two drives are almost essential -
 and sit back while the titles roll by against a silhouette of the Chicago
 skyline. The effect is dramatic. By now, your mouse pointer has been
 replaced by a blowfly, buzzing around in front of the screen. Buzz up to
 the menu in the corner of the screen, and select "Start the Movie".

     You are ready to play the part of Pinky Callahan, a small time hood
 with big ambitions. And a remarkable resemblance to Paul Keating. With
 Capone out of the way, Chicago is wide open. All it needs is somebody
 with courage, brains and style to make the right moves. It's up to you.

     This is a game of strategy and decision making, but there are action
 segments thrown in to keep you on your toes. Showdowns are dramatic - move
 your gunsight and press the mouse button before the other punk ices you.
 If you win, you will hear a blood-curdling yell as the other guy slides to
 the ground. Otherwise, the show is over, and the credits roll.

     Naturally, it pays to have a quick trigger finger - but you also need
 good judgement. Should you give the boys a raise? If you are too soft,
 they may rebel. If you are too hard, they will probably bump you off. And
 what about Lola? Should you buy her that new Ford or not? She is as cold
 as ice - but if you treat her right, she can be very helpful.

     At crucial points like these you are given a number of options on the
 screen.  Choose the one you want by pointing to it with your mouse and
 clicking the button. Unfortunately, this is a  silent movie - all the
 dialogue is printed in comic-book style text balloons. But detailed
 animation accompanies the text - the words are silently mouthed by the
 characters. Pinky's poor old momma even sheds lifelike tears.

     THE KING OF CHICAGO took two years to develop. And it is easy to see
 why. The graphics are beautiful - highly detailed, and evocative of the
 era. The music and sound effects are excellent - the Honky-Tonk piano
 soundtrack on the Amiga version sets the scene perfectly. And incredibly,
 there are over 1,000 million different combinations of characters,
 elements and events.

     Unfortunately, though, I completed the game in just three or four
 hours. Maybe I struck it lucky. Or perhaps I have the makings of an
 excellent crook. I was left with the taste of sherbet in my mouth - very
 pleasant, but a bit of a fizz at the end. 

     This is not something that happens often. In fact, the last time I got
 all the way through a computer game was back in 1983. That was NEOCLYPS,
 on the Commodore 64.

     So will I ever want to play THE KING OF CHICAGO AGAIN? Probably - I
 have yet to meet up with Tom Malone, my childhood friend who is now a cop.
 Nor Andy, the kid who supposedly hangs round headquarters. And what about
 all the scenes on the box that I have not even set eyes on?

     This is a game I have to recommend. It does exactly what it promises
 to do - it puts you in the picture. It looks great, it sounds great - but
 it's over all to soon. Just like Lola says when Pinky bites the dust;
 "He really had something - just not enough of it."

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