b3tRevision of PulsetRokDaZone&Dr.Dreyertfpf2s2c08 REVISION OF PULSE f1c10 by Dr. Dreyer & RokDaZone f2c10Group : f1c09Nerve Axis f2c10Release : f1c09Assembly 1997 (1st place) f2c10Description: f1c09Multiload demo; 4.0 MB f2c10Requires : f1c0968020 (minimum), 68030/50 (standard), 68060/50 (optimum) f2c10Coding/Optimizing: f1c09Schlott f2c10Graphics : f1c09Meson f2c10Music : f1c09Ganja, Jam & Spoon f2c08 OVERALL f1c09Most of the legendary demos have been released at the various c10The Parties c09over X-mas in Denmark, yet the most innovative in design usually came from the c10Assemblyc09. It stands to believe that the special strength of finnish Sceners lays in the design and the sound. Strange, however, that although also in 1997 the strongest part of it's winning demo lay within the design, it is made in England. f2Nerve Axis? f1c10Nerve Axis? c09Yes, we know the name. In 1996 they released a diskmag under the title c10"Pressure" c09which was reviewed quite well, but a second issue has so far never been released. c10Nerve Axis c09is even older than this. Older Sceners might remember intros and dentros in 1993 and 1994. To put it bluntly: c10"Pulse" c09is one of the best demos in 1997 so far, maybe the best. The code itself has been commented as good although not outstanding by coders, graphicians criticise the techniques of painting but admit that the graphical design makes a good deal. The music is the typical demo Trip Hop, of rather doubtful standard. Especially the trumpet in the first piece seems out of place. Taken these statements alone, it describes an average demo. What is it that makes the production outstanding? The overall appearance. The c10Nerve Axis c09team put a lot of work into a concept and into well linking, which is nowadays something many people demand, but which usually gets "forgotten". f2c08 THE EFFECTS f1c09After the two coloured logo blurred once onscreen, explosions start in the background with a disappointing noice while blurring and whiping the logo away. The music starts and the title is shown with a lensflare effect. Different kinds of bitmap twirls follow, all of them running nice and smoothly in wide-screen. The last one which looks like a cloudy sky turns out to be the background for lens circles (f4"soap bubbles"f1) running slowly upwards; runs in a lower resolution. The background transforms into a three-sphere tunnel. A very spheric and catchy effect here. Especially since the entire screen freezes and zoom-rotates away (of course single picture only, but nicely displayed) and another three spheres tunnel runs with yet unseen illumination effects using dramatic horizontal and diagonal lightning. The obligatory fullscreen picture rotates in. An interlaced fish which doesn't fit the release actually. After a while the picture disappears and the next effect starts. A 3D parallax bitmapped flatscape with both floor and ceiling with stripes of light making its way away from the screen. Something like an advanced c10Arte c09scroller. Fast, but without the illumination a rather oldfashioned effect. The next part might divide the viewership. A smooth underwater 3D landscape which runs ok on 68030/25 although a 68040/40 should give a more enjoyable dive. Here remains the question if it's a c10Lightwave c09scene. If it is, then the design is a little sparse. A very atmospheric scene where you're are slowly moving around something that looks like a wreckage of an old ship, but it's a bit difficult to see it, because of the dark blue colors. The next effect brings combined environment mapping and bump map which could be used for quite a lot of realistic effects. Now follows a logo with some background light effect which I guess to be a tunnel with the center hidden by the logo. Cheap but clever and gives another glimpse how many thoughts they have made about the design. A cesur is made as indicated by a new soundtrack. This is the more usual effect-after-effect section. A fast scrolling from-top-to-bottom background appears and shortly after some kind of twisting horizontal phong-object - bending interestingly - in front of it, over the whole screen. It has a bit of a chain, only that chains don't start to boil and to grow pimples. Difficult to explain. We find a watersurface effect with a boat running on it in an impressive speed on a 68030/25, followed by a magnetic-particle storm running from to sources to meet in the middle of the screen and then moving in direction of the viewer. The polygone ball afterwards is not much more advanced than the one from the ancient c10"Enigma" c09by c10Phenomenac09, only that they added blurshading which shouldn't be too problematic under AGA. The new watersurface effect is interesting because of the speed and the strength of the waves on a 68030/25. This one also starts to zoom and rotate and splits to make space for a new effect. It's the obligatory bumpmap face. Obligatory? Not directly as it has two lightsources. The next bumper has only one lightsource, but two surfaces. The last real effect before the demo ends in a little cartoon is a fast landscape. the engine is able to handle watersurface, environmental balls (although this could be bobs) and shading bobs. Again splendid design and highly enjoyable to watch. f2c08 COMMENT f1c09To value this release is not difficult. It has won a major party despite a good competition and no doubt: they deserved it. When people now see a new UK Scene coming up one shouldn't share this opinion immediately. We have seen one very good demo, but this isn't much so far. Still, no one can deny that there is a team which has the potential to become something like a second c10Anarchyc09, if they just keep their eyes on innovation like they did in c10Pulsec09. c10Nerve Axis c09are prepared to prove that they can be under the top five if they compete in c10The Party 97 c09competition to challenge the world's core. Too bad, mates, you won't find a way out. c09Pulse c09was a brilliant starter for the charts, but it alone won't do it. We wait for you in Aars. Be there or be square. f3c10caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaf b f2c09Programming : f1OOOOOOO=== f3c10b b f2c09GFX & Design : f1OOOOOOOO== f3c10b b f2c09Music & Sound: f1OOOOOO==== f3c10b b f2c09Originality : f1OOOOOOOO== f3c10b b f2c09Impression : f1OOOOOOOO== f3c10b daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaae