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Aminet 44 (2001)(GTI - Schatztruhe)[!][Aug 2001].iso
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TheCrypt17.lha
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text2
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A1200 Review2
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A1200 Review2
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2001-05-12
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215 lines
<>@2{A1200 REVIEW
@4}A1200 - HAS COMMODORE GOT IT RIGHT?
@5
Within a week of hearing the spec list
for the new A1200 from a mate who
works in a computer shop, I had sold
my A500 and bought one. Ever since I
opened the box, I am still trying to
come to terms with the fact that
Commodore seem to have actually
listened to ideas and complaints from
users and acted upon them. Almost
every single facet of the Workbench
3.0 has been extremely well thought of
and designed to be user-friendly. The
manuals are actually useful and fully
describe everything you need to know.
The main bone of contention since the
2.0 came out has been compatibility
with older software. CBM have tried
their hardest this time out to make it
as compatible as possible by including
fallback modes in the new AGA chipset
that not only emulates the 2.0 setup
but also the 1.2/1.3 graphics setup.
Whilst the different memory address
system is still causing stuff to fall
down, the addition of these fall back
modes has helped a lot, even some
games that didn't work on the Plus
will work on the A1200.
At the end of this article I've done a
list of the software which has been
tried on it with an indication of what
steps were necessary to get it to work
if any were needed. i.e. remove
intro, use original chipset and
disable CPU cache.
Unfortunately the only source for this
next paragraph is Amiga Format, but
surely it can be right some of the
time. The word from the software
houses is allegedly that development
will be done for the A1200 and the
resulting game will be modified
downwards for the lower machines.
This will be good news especially for
US software houses as they don't like
converting 256 colour VGA graphics
down to 16 colours for the Amiga.
With the new chipset a 256 colour mode
is obtainable so graphics can be
directly ported over.
@5
One other thing mentioned in that
article is the release of some A1200
versions of games currently available.
Civilisation is apparently going to
receive the treatment and I am almost
slavering at the news. I actually
bought the original for this, I
thought it was that good! Zool was
another one mentioned but it's only an
arcade game so it doesn't really
matter.
The best example so far of the A1200's
extra power in games has to be Formula
One Grand Prix from Microprose. The
speed on the highest detail level has
to be seen to be believed, it flies
along! Another good example is Indy
500, yet another fast paced race game.
Another of Microprose's products is
enhanced by the speed no end, that
being Knights of the Sky. I didn't
play it that much as it was too slow,
but now it plays as if its jet! The
screen update is enormously improved
and now makes a lot more playable.
@5
As I have only had the machine two
weeks I can't make a complete
judgement on it but future prospects
are very bright. The number of people
I know already talking about selling
up their current Amiga's and getting
one is incredible.
Everyone is seeing it as the machine
that will keep CBM in pole position in
Britain sales wise. With the A1200
priced at four hundred pounds who's
going to buy an A600 at three hundred
pounds? Can a price cut to two
hundred for the A600 be that far away?
If the A600 does come down to two
hundred what will happen to the
console market? Rumours abound that
the Megadrive is going up in price
next year and also possibly the Super
Nintendo. If they end up within fifty
odd pounds off the A600 it could kick
the shit out of the console sales!
@2
A 1 2 0 0 C O M P A T A B I L I T Y
@5
The following is a list of the
software I have, and what does and
does not work on the A1200. Where
necessary it details what you have to
do to get some software to work.
@4
W O R K S
@5
Civilisation
Formula One Grand Prix (Remove intro).
Firepower
Grapevine 12
Total War
Floor 13
Third Reich (Remove intro)
Empire (Install disk)
Storm Across Europe
No Greater Glory
Red Storm Rising
Assassin
Railroad Tycoon - 1 disk version
Harpoon
Conflict : Middle East
4d Sports Boxing
Steel Empire
Knights of the Sky
Football Crazy
Football Masters
Imagine
Real 3d 1.4
Sensible Soccer
Protracker 2.2A_Beta
Indy 500
IK+
F15 V2.2
The Manager#2 *@5
Populous 2#2 *@5
Leeds#2 *@5
Silkworm #2*@5
Ultima V #2*@5
3d Demo#2 *@5
Xpose #2*@5
Another World - French (@1Remove intro@5)
Pinball Fantasies
Silly Putty
Flight of the Intruder
Xybots
Stuntcar Racer
UMS II
PC-Task
D-Paint 4.1
Protext 5.5
Multimix
Sim Ant
Easy Amos
Amos 1.3
PGA Tour Golf (Remove Intro)
Music X 1.1
Special Forces
Realms
Audiomaster III
Nuclear War
Bo Jacksons Baseball
Zany Golf
John Madden's Football
Kick Off II
#2 *@5 = Cache off, orig chipset!
@3
D O E S N O T W O R K
@5
Doomsday
Football Director II
Deflector
Elite
Pinball Dreams
Lotus 3
Star Wars
First Samurai
Indy Heat
Mega-Lo-Mania
KIck Off + Expansion
Conflict
Laser Squad
Wizkid
Fireforce
Caesar
Emlyn Hughes
Supercars II
Wizball
@1E@2n@3d@4.