~A To Z Of Computer Games 10 A10.PCX AITD201.PCX ALADDIN.PCX !MARILLO.PCX AMAZON01.PCX AMBER.PCX APACHE01.PCX ATOMIX.PCX AWTY01.PCX POOL2501.PCX Letter A ======== Here are some more descriptions to help you build up a collection of your favourite games. Info is also included on some products with grand titles, but which turned out to be less than great. A-10 TANK KILLER by DYNAMIX Flight sim ---------- For an old-ish game, it is still surprisingly good. The graphics are certainly great and, what's more, handling the plane is no way near as difficult as later games made it. Well worth having a look at; I am sure you'll amazed. ABRAMS BATTLE TANK by DYNAMIX Tank sim -------- This game might be somewhat dated, but when you play it you still feel you are inside a tank, and very insecure at that - because everyone is shooting at you. Perhaps it is its very lack of sophistication what makes it easy to play; and the experience is very direct. ADVANCED GALACTIC EMPIRE II by TOMAHAWK Animated adventure ------------------ If you enjoyed Thunderstrike, then you might like this one, too - though it's nowhere near as good. But it looked good, and it would have been if it weren't because the interface was so difficult to master. I hate not being in control, don't you? AIRBALL by MICRODEAL Arcade ------ Excuse me while indulge in a bit of nostalgia. Do you remember, lads and lasses, the days of the Speccy? Did you spend hours playing the isometric Ultimate games? Well, here is something very similar. You have to guide a ball in and out of doors, up and down stairs, without getting it punctured, and collect a lot of goodies. Go on, go back to your childhood... ALADDIN by VIRGIN Arcade Adventure ---------------- Gorgeous Disney graphics and animation. It puts you in mind of Prince of Persia and, although not quite as brilliant, it's near enough. If you like this sort of thing, you'll really love this product. If you don't believe me, take a look at the screen! ALCATRAZ by INFOGRAMES Shoot'em-up arcade ------------------ Although this is just one more blood-spilling exercise, it nevertheless has its own character. The game starts with your mission being explained to you with the aid of a projector. That helps - normally you are just tossed in and left to flounder about. Next, you get on with it and have to fight a lot of people, but at least you are able to pick up their weapons, so you have an inexhaustible source. The main thing about this game is that it can be played by two people at once, something which should avoid fights between friends and siblings. ALIEN BREED by TEAM 17 Arcade ------ This is a very nice product indeed. You get a guy investigating an alien invasion, shooting monsters and picking up useful things, above all, keys - which allow you to search more of the area. I know it sounds like you've seen it all before, but this one is different, believe me. It rather reminded me of Dark Spyre. ALONE IN THE DARK, I and II, by INFOGRAMES Animated adventure ------------------ When the first Alone in The Dark came out it caused a furore amongst adventure players because it was so unique. You had this 3-D guy you had to manoeuvre and he was horrendously clumsy. Keeping him alive while investigating a spooky house was a major undertaking, though once people got used to handling him and making mince meat out of the opposition, everyone enjoyed themselves hugely. It was a tough game to solve, too. Many people felt that Alone in The Dark II was a bit over the top, though, since everyone got killed before they could even get into the house. I believe there is an AITD III coming up, I wonder what that will be like. ALTERNATE REALITY - THE CITY by DATASOFT RPG --- Lousy graphics and lousy game - you get killed every few seconds, before you've had a chance to get to know your surroundings. They don't write games like that any more...thank God! AMARILLO SLIM by VILLACRESPO Poker game ---------- Very nice graphics and very strange rules. Fortunately, if in doubt you can always ask the Tutor. There is extensive help on the screen - and you need it, because of the seven different types of poker on offer, I only recognised one! Apart from that, play is direct and easy. AMAZON: GUARDIANS OF EDEN by ACCESS Animated adventure ------------------ Like most Access games, this one features stunning graphics. You have to investigate a mystery (so what's new?) and have to solve various puzzles to get on. The whole thing is treated, tongue-in-cheek, like a movie. It aims to put you in mind of the days when kids went to see thrillers at the local theatre on a Saturday afternoon. And, indeed, it is quite as exciting as that. AMBERSTAR by THALION RPG --- Now, me, I'm very fond of a good RPG. I'm even fonder of brilliant graphics and a first person view. Well, this might be a good adventure, but the graphics are painful, even if the are first person view. I find it very difficult to concentrate on the actual adventure while my subconscious is going "Tsk, tsk, look at the pathetic graphics", if you know what I mean. On top of that, the interface is unnecessarily difficult. APACHE STRIKE by ACTIVISION Arcade ------ If you thought you'd seen them all, look again. You are in a helicopter, trying to reach a certain location, and you have to negotiate all manner of obstacles, and on top of that, people shoot at you. Your surroundings are 3-D and you have to take split-second decisions because your obstacles are very solid indeed, so get dodging. A refreshing change in the arcade world. ARACHNOPHOBIA by DISNEY SOFTWARE Arcade ------ A little bit of nonsense for spider lovers everywhere. Travel around, enter the houses and clear the town of spiders. Only you are not allowed to stomp on them. ARCADE POOL by TEAM 17 Sports sim ---------- This is a very neat game of something called 8 ball pool. I'm not an expert, so don't ask me what it is - all I can tell you is that the graphics and animation are terrific and that you can place your cue in all manner of places and see which way your cue ball is going to go. You can play against the computer or against another player. Even if you start not having any idea of how to play you soon will; and, what's more, you'll really enjoy it. The sound effects are very realistic and I just loved the round of applause when I did well. It occurred to me, too, that it might be a very handy exercise in learning to play real pool and how to hit the balls. For such a compact program, the number of options are astonishing. Also, terribly addictive. ARE WE THERE YET? by MANLEY ASSOC. Puzzle solving game ------------------- This is one of my own personal favourite games. A family get in the car to tour the United States and they play games to pass the time. The games are related to the places they visit, although somewhat remotely. There is an enormous variety of puzzles and every time you solve one you get a piece to the final one. The only unfortunate thing for us is that the emphasis is heavily American, and so some puzzles are hard to solve because we are not familiar with their fauna and flora. Nevertheless, tremendous fun... if you like puzzles. Which I do. So there. ARKANOID, I and II, by TAITO Arcade ------ If ever there was an addictive game, this is it. It's been around for ages and, although almost forgotten now, every time you play it you get hooked again. Take it away from me! ATOMIX by THALION Puzzle ------ A very nice little puzzle - you have to join atoms to form the molecule requested and, for that, you have to manoeuvre them around obstacles in the right order. It sounds easy but it's actually quite difficult. It should keep you entertained for quite a while. Compiled by Lu Richardson for Cheet Sheets Magazine.