SPRINGTIME - VIPER - MISER PRINTER
TITLE: SPRINGTIME CODERS: 'Joker' Brenco & Fabio Corica
TYPE: ARCADE/PUZZLER PLAYERS: 2 HARD DRIVE: ?
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: NONE RELEASE DATE: NOW
I was requested by the author to review this game for them and as I have
said before, 'Ask and Ye Shall Receive' so all you shareware type developers
keep this in mind. I prefer to review the FULL version of the game, but I
will certainly be happy to look at the Shareware version too.
This is by far one of the most unique games I have ever seen to date and
believe me, I see alot! <grin> The hardest part of this review is going to
be trying to get the basic game concept to you in black and white.
The game is set in 3D and from a top view. It takes place on platforms
that rotate as you walk on their walls, making the floor you were just
walking on become a wall behind you. Imagine a plus sign in 3D and your
player in on the left side of the vertical 'wall'. Now you walk to the
right against the wall and the plus rotates, placing you on the right; the
wall is now your floor and the floor you just came from is now the wall.
Folks, if you can't get it from that, you are just going to get it and see
for yourself.
Now for the actual game components. First thing I noticed was how
professional the whole package was. From the clean front end to all the
little details about the graphics. Very nice. Now the music was okay and
the sound effects were all in the right spots. The audio of this game is
not its high point. The actual addictive game play is definately the high
point. It has that 'play just ONE MORE' quality about it.
The actual game is made up of levels that get progressively harder (and
in a HURRY too) and the aim of each level may seem simple. On one of the
platforms' surface is a large 'X' and on another is a spring (wondered to
this point what the title had to do with the game eh?). The goal? Move the
spring to the 'X'. Oh, did I mention that you can't let the spring fall off
the platforms? Yeah, that is the trick. Believe me; that is really the
part that sucks. Aside from the fact that you have to figure out which
platforms can and cannot be rotated, but also predicting the effect that
rolling that particular platform will have. Addictive and frustrating too.
Puzzle freaks will have a heyday with this game. Fast action arcaders
better go check out something else. Looking for something different,
though, you ought to get this. It isn't graphically stunning, but it will
keep you coming back for more and in this day and age, longetivity is much
more important than eye & ear candy.
TITLE: VIPER CODERS: Nathaniel Myhre & Rob Drennan TYPE: ARCADE PLAYERS: 1-6 HARD DRIVE: Y SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: AGA ONLY RELEASE DATE: NOWplay that you just get caught up in it and don't want to stop playing. Ah, and you thought the days of games with that draw like CHOPLIFTER and LODE RUNNER were dead and gone! I am happy to say that it is not so. VIPER is a return back to the days of simple and playable games.From time to time, a game comes along that is so simple and so easy to
Graphics are pleasant yet very simple. Game play (described below) is
incredibly basic. Where this game just grabbed and goosed the hell out of
me was the AUDIO! Obviously these guys have a great passion for sound.
Every sound effect is done superbly and is perfectly placed within the game.
Most of them are taken from popular TV shows like Star Trek and the
Simpsons. You will love the care taken with the sound.
Now on to the game play. It is a tried and true element. Remember the
old rehashed game of LIGHTCYCLES from TRON? You know, you drive around the
screen leaving a trail behind you, hoping your enemy will run into an arena,
his, or your walls. In most versions of this game, you are limited to
driving in the primary four directions (up, down, left and right). In this
game, you are allowed full 360 degree movement. Sounding cool yet? Well,
wait! You don't crash if you run into a wall (well, unless it is actually
head on; glancing blows will bounce you off). Running into your own or
other players' walls will eliminate your playing the rest of the turn. All
players play with the keyboard controls which are logically placed.
Up till now it still sounds like a glorified TRON game, I know. I am
saving the best for last. You play for points in this game. How do you
score them? Well, as you and your enemies draw the lines, occasional breaks
happen in them. Drive through these breaks to score points.
There are some other little goodies too, like when someone dies, the
whole game speeds up. There are others, too, but I don't want to spoil it
all for you!
The only real problem with this game is that it is AGA. I mean, I can
run it, but I know a lot of people who would like an ECS version. Even if
you aren't a big fan of the gendre, you ought to at least give it a whirl.
This shareware version I tested only allowed three players and the regist-
ered version allows six. Don't make the mistake of not picking this one up.
It is kick butt!
TITLE: MISER PRINTER CODERS: Heinz-Gueroter Boettger TYPE: UTILITY PLAYERS: N/A HARD DRIVE: Y SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: HP DESKJET OR COMPATIBLE RELEASE DATE: NOWcompletely invaluable. This simple utility will allow you to print multiple pages of text on a single printed page. Up to four per page are allowed.This is a quick and dirty review of a little tool I find totally and
It has some very nice simple features such as a print preview, select-
able printed pages, font control, paper type, and some others. The cost of
HP DJ ink cartridges make this little program something that you can't do
without if you own one of these printers. The output is incredibly clean
(like a photocopier reduction reproduction) and highly readable.
The only real drawback is the limited market it has. There are actually
a couple of printers compatible with the HP Deskjet but for the most part,
well, this utility won't do you much good. With the price of the HP DJ 540
clocking in at just over $200, I have a feeling that this program is going
to get a lot of use.