The 3DO Software Directory -------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the essential update to every review from 3DO magazine issues one to eight... 3D Atlas Electronic Arts, TBA A huge geographical, political and environmental guide to planet earth, this uses excellent stock footage, good 3D graphics routines and brilliantly edited news sequences to seduce almost anyone into enjoying a traditionally dull subject. Even the inevitable quiz show game is fun. Overall, simply excellent edutainment. issue 2, Rating: **** Alone In The Dark Infogrames,£39.99 A considerable advance over the original in terms of graphics, violence and size, but slowdown makes a very tough game even more demanding. Newcomers should definitely start with the original, but both games demand almost all the 3DO's NVRAM. Issue 8, Rating: **** Another World Interplay,£39.99 Originally an Amiga game, this was a welcome twist on the platform genre. Rotoscoped sprites and stylish cut sequences achieved a uniquely cinematic feel. The 3DO version doesn't tamper with the game's fundamentals, but adds 256 colours to freshen it up a bit. issue 1, Rating: *** Ballz BMG,£39.99 While the fighters are made of just a few balls, they turn out to be brilliantly animated characters. Combat is in full 3D with plenty of imaginative moves. Although not as precise or satisfying as SFII, it's highly original, very playable and totally hilarious. issue 6, Rating: *** Battle Chess Krisalis,£39.99 A worthy attempt to make chess exciting for beginners, its 3D graphics aren't as flash or funny as they might be. However there's an impressive chess engine under the hood while a 2D board is a model of clarity and simplicity. issue 1, ** BattleSport Studio 3DO,£49.99 Quite simply one of the best two-player games ever. The splitscreen action is blisteringly fast, with masses of weaponry and power-ups adding plenty of spice to 3D, goal-scoring action. 50+ levels and tough, varied opponents mean one-player action is brilliant too. issue 6, Rating: ***** Blade Force Studio 3DO,£44.99 A bravura demonstration of fast, detailed 3D in which the environment is the star. Huge, fabulously detailed, heavily defended landscapes provide a considerable challenge with each level taking about an hour to complete. One for hardened, tactically-minded blast-'em-up fans. issue 7, Rating: **** Burning Soldier Panasonic,£39.99 This follows where Microcosm and Novastorm trailblazed, with interactive sprites overlaid on an uninteractive, pre-rendered backdrop. Naturally that makes for linear gameplay, but manga-esque graphics and a simultaneous two-player mode provide limited compensation. issue 1, ** Cannon Fodder Virgin,£44.99 The sprites may be tiny, but there's a huge number of levels and gameplay is incredibly addictive with masses of enemies, buildings and vehicles to destroy. Somewhat similar to Return Fire, it has a superior structure (more challenge) but sadly there's no two-player mode. issue 3, Rating: **** Captain Quazar Studio 3DO,£49.99 An incredibly fun, cartoon-styled mega-blaster. One or two heroes must shoot their way through to capture three crimelords, each with their own personal planet consisting of huge, sprawling isometric levels. Absolutely everything can be blown to pieces with more mind-boggling explosions than a Warner Bros cartoon. issue 6, Rating: ***** Crime Patrol* American Laser Games The Mad Dog II formula is successfully applied to the considerably more violent scenario of modern day America. The sleazy strip joint scene is a PG classic, while gameplay is tough but fair. issue 3, Rating: **** D Panasonic,£39.99 A young woman arrives in Los Angeles to find a hospital massacre somehow connected to her father. Cut to a spooky house complete with chained up skeleton and ghoulish traps. The challenge may not be enormous in this two CD adventure, but the letterboxed FMV features some of the most stylish pre-rendered graphics yet seem. The sense of atmosphere is brilliantly conveyed and the puzzling gameplay is highly involving. 3DO Gold, Rating: **** Daedalus Encounter, The Panasonic,£49.99 This four CD epic looks better than most Hollywood sci-fi movies with stunning sets, special effects and mega-babe Tia. Cleverly integrated into this FMV epic are a series of logic puzzles - disguised as alien door locks, system repairs etc. - which really get the old grey matter working. If you like that sort of thing, you'll love this and, even if you don't, the slick presentation and excellent control interface could well convert you. issue 5, Rating: **** DeathKeep SSI/Mindscape,£39.99 The 3D is some of the most sophisticated and fast yet seen in a Doom-style game, but this Slayer sequel doesn't make things easy for you. It takes time to figure out the sprawling 3D mazes with no automap, especially as you must also fight lots of very tough, very vicious monsters. Magical effects, including the ability to fly and light-sourced fireballs, are highlights for those who persist in this intelligent, demanding game. Issue 8, Rating: **** Demolition Man Virgin,£49.99 This is a glorious showcase both for the technical capabilities of the 3DO (great FMV, glorious presentation) and the growing clout of videogames (the movie crew actually shot extra scenes for it). Gameplay is a clever mix of genres with beat-'em-up, Doom, car racing and even Op Wolf-style blasting. It makes for a very playable package with a tough challenge. issue 2, Rating: **** Doom Art Data Interactive,£39.99 A classic of run-and-shoot action is marred by slowdown and a poor save system. Veterans of the PC version won't find much to enjoy, but newcomers will find the addictive gameplay still survives despite the problems. Issue 8, Rating: *** Dragon's Lair Elite,£39.99 More of a cartoon than a game, Sullivan Bluth's arcade classic wows those who watch the game, but frustrates those who are actually playing it. Gameplay is restricted to pressing the correct button at exactly the right time. This gets very tedious. issue 1, ** Drug Wars* American Laser Games,£44.99 The most lavishly produced ALG game yet with car crashes, exploding boats and even a runaway bus. Varied locations include a small Southern town, Chicago and South America. The sense of humour is still going strong, but there's no new gameplay elements and the difficulty level is the fiercest yet. issue 7, Rating: **** Escape From Monster Manor Electronic Arts,£39.99 Developed in an amazing four months, this early Doom clone has some neat tricks with translucent sprites, gorgeous texture maps and spooky sonics. The atmospherics of a haunted house are there, but gameplay is rather ghostly. issue 1, Rating: *** Family Feud Gametek,£39.99 The American inspiration for Family Fortunes, this suffers from culturally specific questions you're unlikely to know the answers to, a lousy control interface and poor, minimally animated graphics. In the shadow of Twisted, Station Invasion and Zhadnost this is a very small thing indeed. issue 2, * FIFA International SOCCER Electronic Arts,£44.99 The most stylish and visually impressive soccer game ever. From the superb FMV intro, spliced with in-game action scenes hardly distinguishable from real-life, to the multitude of camera angles, slow motion controls and sound FX, FIFA International is a game that looks good enough to eat. A six-player mode is ideal party fun. issue 1, Rating: ***** Flashback US Gold,£44.99 As with its Another World prequel, Flashback's highly stylised, rotoscoped Amiga graphics and elegant gameplay have adapted easily to numerous formats. The 3DO version adds 256 colours, better sound and enhanced, 3D Studio cut sequences. The excellent platforming puzzles are as absorbing as ever. issue 4, Rating: *** Flying Nightmares Studio 3DO,£44.99 The first superconsole flight sim really does allow you to soar on your 3DO. The sensation of flight is impressively conveyed, especially with a Flightstick Pro joystick, while the Harrier jumpjet is fully capable of all its famous hovering stunts. The actual game revolves around a three-day campaign to liberate the island of Barcala, a task comprising over 30 different missions - most with primary and secondary targets. There's a strong sense of atmosphere and the gruelling nature of modern air combat will appeal to anyone seeking a serious challenge. issue 5, Rating: **** Foes Of Ali Electronic Arts,£44.99 The best boxing sim on any superconsole in terms of depth, atmosphere, range of punches and realistic graphicsÐ individual boxes can be recognised from their faces, which are slowly turned into bloody mush as fights progresses. While demanding of newcomers to the sport, fans will find this absolutely unmissable. issue 8, Rating: **** Gex BMG,£46.95 The 3DO's Sonic or Mario with bells on, Gex redefines the platform genre in 32bit, postmodern guise. The central Gecko sprite (rendered with over 450 frames of Silicon Graphic animation) can cling to just about anything; use his tail as a whip and collect power-ups with a long gelatinous tongue. Five big and varied worlds provide a reasonable challenge, while non-stop quips voiced by Dana Gould make this fun even for those who thought they'd outgrown this tired genre. issue 3, Rating: ***** Gridders The 3DO Company,£39.99 This challenging puzzler was designed around the 3DO chipset with its intricate puzzles rendered in full 3D. 36 torturous levels provide a big challenge that will seduce many puzzlers. issue 1, Rating: *** Hell Gametek,£44.99 The scenario is an inspired blend of medieval demonology and hi-tech cyberpunk, while the voices of Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones and Stephanie Seymour (who also appears in digitised form) add star appeal. The gameplay isn't so hot, revolving around too many long-winded conversations that get irksome, but great visuals and a mature, adult oriented approach provide some recompense in this provocative adventure. issue 5, Rating: *** Horde, THE Crystal Dynamics,£39.99 A brilliantly original game designed for the 3DO system, this seamlessly merges hilarious FMV, intense arcade action and thoughtful strategy into an irresistible package. In the game you play Chauncey, a young knight charged with protecting various villages against the superbly greedy Hordlings. You must speedily organise village defenses - and finances - before quarterly attacks by the loony toon-style Hordlings. Chasing after them with a huge sword is brilliant fun, while interlevel FMV is exceptionally witty with a great pay-off right at the end. It's what your 3DO was made for! issue 1, Rating: ***** Icebreaker Panasonic,£39.99 Graphics are hardly stunning and scrolling is less than smooth, but this stylish blast-'em-up is still good fun. 150 levels, 18 background tunes and abstract, pyramid graphics make it a unique experience with plenty of challenge. issue 6, Rating: **** Immercenary Electronic Arts,£44.99 Despite an innovative visual style, this novel Doom variant fails to live up its promise. The control interface is poor, while weapons are unexciting and 3D surroundings repetitive. Persevere and the game can become addictive but, sadly, the more progress you make, the easier it becomes. With some restructuring this could have been something special - instead of a cult oddity. issue 4, Rating: *** Incredible Machine, THE Sierra,£39.99 A compelling collection of puzzles, which although unenhanced for the 3DO, remains as much fun as it ever was on the PC. Building the eponymous machines requires manipulating a wide range of bizarre objects to wondrous effect. A superb learning curve makes play utterly addictive, and the ability to design and build your own puzzles to fox a friend makes this a highly rewarding package. issue 2, Rating: **** Iron Angel OF THE APOCALYPSE Panasonic,£39.99 A bizarre, Japanese Doom variant, this titillates with its fantastic FMV intro, only to implode with a poorly programmed, dingy exploration game. issue 2, ** Jammit BMG,£39.99 A lazy conversion by GTE of an ancient MegaDrive one-on-one (or two) basketball game. Despite the general ineptitude of the coding and lame animation, this still has some merits in two-player mode, with the simplistic format providing furiously competitive play. Hardly essential, but pretty good fun in short bursts. issue 2, ** John Madden Football Electronic Arts,£39.99 Inarguably the best American Football game on any format ever. EA's masterpiece merges together incredibly detailed, beautifully animated sprites, stereo sound, slick FMV and sublime gameplay. It also comes with a plethora of options allowing the complete beginner and football pro alike the perfect level of competition. Brilliant in one player mode, absolutely unmissable in two, this is an unbelievably impressive product. issue 1, Rating: ***** Killing Time Studio 3DO,£44.99 An inspired riff on the Doom genre which has you exploring a huge haunted house packed with all manner of zombies. The soundtrack is brilliant - genuinely spine tingling - while the graphics are unbelievably realistic. The framerate does suffer some slowdown, but imaginative puzzles and a far more realistic environment, allowing you to choose your own route through the house, more than makes up. Simply unmissable. issue 7, Rating: **** Kingdom: The Far Reaches Interplay,£39.99 An ancient Laserdisc title is uncermoniously resurrected for 3DO with little success. While the cartoony graphics and intriguing adventuring gameplay will please youngsters, the tendency for sudden, unfair deaths will soon turn them off. issue 6, ** Lost Eden Virgin,£34.99 An imaginative, B-movie plot about dinosaurs and humans co-existing allows for some nice FMV visuals, while music is excellent. Adventuring gameplay isn't quite so hot, but not bad for the price. issue 6, Rating: *** Lost Files Of Sherlock Holmes, THE Electronic Arts,£39.99 One of the first `multimedia' releases to appear on the PC, this now seems well past its retirement date. Tiny FMV windows interrupt rather than complement the adventuring, while the plot is distinctly linear. It'll take time to solve it all, but overall most people will wish the files had remained `lost' on 3DO. issue 1, ** Mad Dog McCree* American Laser Games,£44.99 While a big hit in the arcades, subsequent games have made the original appear rather small and linear - especially for home use. issue 3, ** Mad Dog McCree II: The Lost Gold* American Laser Games,£44.99 A huge leap over the original Mad Dog introducing a branching structure within a considerably bigger and, for its type, more sophisticated game. The Wild West scenario allows for plenty of laughs and it's all good fun. issue 3, Rating: *** Mazer American Laser Games, TBA A nice idea - Gauntlet with bigger, digitised sprites - but fatally flawed by appalling gameplay and miniscule levels. Depressingly poor. issue 6, * MegaRace Mindscape,£39.99 Originally a heavily hyped PC CD-ROM title, this has been cleverly reworked for 3DO. Both in-game and TV-style FMV presentation is far more colourful and impressive. Sadly, actual gameplay is a lot less flashy and ultimately repetitive. issue 1, Rating: *** Myst Panasonic,£TBA A huge hit on the PC, the near photorealistic imagery generated an alarmingly convincing alternate world of IQ-straining puzzles and an intricate storyline. The 3DO version retains all the gameplay and much of the atmosphere, but joypad control and TV-style resolution do blur some of its appeal. Still, if you're the quiet, patient type there's little to touch this brainy masterpiece. issue 3, Rating: **** Need For Speed, THE Electronic Arts,£44.99 Superb graphics, fantastic Dolby audio, eight of the world's most exciting supercars, three absolutely huge routes to race on, an unbelievably comprehensive replay mode, jaw-droppingly spectacular crashes, a smarmy opponent, lots of speed cops and, of course, the most realistic car handling ever in a videogame. Take the time to get into it, and you'll be rewarded with one of the best games ever. issue 1, Rating: ***** Night Trap Virgin,£39.99 Oh dear. Originally developed for the MegaCD, Nightrap is a sad little exploitation title that goes for the adolescent audience by offering the player the chance to view semi-clad girlies running about a besieged house. The FMV is of a high standard - much better than the acting - and presentation is very slick, but it matters little when gameplay is so dire. issue 1, * Click here for the second part of this listing... ------------------------------------------------------------ [Image] [Image] [Image]