DARK FORCES (DOS & Mac)
(LucasArts)
By Brett Atwood
     While Doom clones are a dime a dozen these days, the Star Wars-themed Dark Forces brings more to the popular first-person shoot-Õem-up genre than just galactic graphics, Shakespearean space drama, and that nasty black helmet-clad dude named Vader.
     This LucasArts action game significantly improves on the two-dimensional Doom engine by allowing the player to explore in an up and down direction, as well as right and left. In addition, the player can now jump--which comes in handy when you are trying to avoid those pesky stormtroopers (or any of the 20 different enemies contained in this game). The added movements create an in-your-face gaming challenge that attacks you from every conceivable angle.
     The player assumes the identity of Rebel Alliance special agent Kyle Katarn. When it is learned that the Empire is planning to build a massive battle station, infamously known as the Death Star, Katarn begins his quest to capture the plans and stop its construction through 50 different missions.
     Live action and fully-animated transition scenes accompany the action game sequences, which provides a compelling reason to complete each mission. Unlike some games, the full-motion video enhances, rather than distracts, from the gameplay. The plot line is complex and interesting without  overloading the player with extraneous details, like the shoe size of C3PO.
     Dark Forces actually requires you to flex your brain, as well as your thumb. In addition to the action gaming sequences, there are several challenging puzzle sequences contained in the game. While these mindbenders ainÕt Myst, they do provide a welcome break from the brainless blasting (though diehard Doom fans may strongly disagree).
     The soundtrack is exactly what you would expect from a game with the Star Wars stamp on it. John WilliamsÕ classic score is prominent throughout the game, while an original interactive score adequately accompanies the fast-paced action sequences of the game.
     Full speech samples add a bit of personality to many of the enemies. YouÕll still want to blow their heads off, though. If you procrastinate in pulling the trigger, you'll have to resort to watching reruns of Space 1999 for your intergalactic thrillseeking.
     Parents will be pleased by the less violent nature of Dark Forces. While death and destruction are still vital elements of the gameplay, it pales in comparison to the blood and guts that dominate Doom.
     Until the first new installment of theatrical Star Wars flicks hits theaters in a couple of years, this compelling game more than adequately fills the gap. The intriguing storyline and exceptional gameplay are sure to make this one of the top-selling game titles of the year.

DARK FORCES MAC INSTRUCTIONS
The opening screen includes a scrollable text outlining both background and mission objective. Read them. You will also be presented with three choices of difficulty level of play. Choose one, then press ÒOKÓ to begin play.


GAME CONTROLS:
Control devices can be configured in almost any combination by pausing the game (using the ÒescÓ key) and choosing ÒPreferencesÓ from the ÒFileÓ menu. If your keyboard does not have F1-F10 keys, you can type COMMAND-1 through COMMAND-0 instead.

Main Commands
<ESC>: Escape/Options
<DELETE>: Toggle current/last weapon
<TAB>: Turn overhead map on/off
+ - : AutoMap Zoom In/Out
F1: PDA
F2: Goggles Toggle
F3: Cleats Toggle
F4: Gas Mask Toggle
F5: Headlight Toggle
F6: Head Wave Toggle
F7: HUD Toggle
F8: Put Weapon In Holster
F9/F10: Cycle Through Weapons
1-10: Select Weapon       


Control And View Commands
<CTRL>: Fire primary weapon
z: Fire secondary weapon
<SHIFT>: Speed Mode (all controls)
<CAPS LOCK>: Slow Mode (all controls)
<ALT>: Strafe Mode (all right/left)
<ENTER>,a: View Mode (all controls)
<SPACE>: Trigger door/elevator/switch
,/.: Strafe Left/Right
X: Jump
C: Crouch
<KPD-5>: Center View
<PAGE UP>: Look Down
<PAGE DOWN>: Look Up

PERSONAL DATA ASSISTANT OR PDA:
You can access your PDA by pressing F1 on the keyboard. The display will overlay your viewscreen. You will see five buttons at the bottom which, when clicked, access the five PDA functions (described below).

MAP--Displays all the territory you have already explored. The arrow keys on your keyboard move you around the map. The + or - keys on your keyboard allow you to zoom in or out for close up or overhead shots. The brackets on your keyboard toggle you through the different floors of the building.

WEAP (weapons)--Displays all weapons you are currently carrying, the type of ammo it uses and the keyboard key that brings it up.

INV (inventory)--Displays all non-weapon items in your inventory.

OBJ (objective)--Displays mission objectives. The buttons to the left of each objective are filled in as you complete them.

MIS (mission)--Displays the text of your mission briefing. 


THE HEADS UP DISPLAY:
The Heads Up Display (or HUD) shows certain vital information you will want to constantly monitor. The two green arcs on the left side show your shield
status with corresponding numerical measurement below in green, and the red arc monitors your vital signs to give you an overall health reading, also 
with a corresponding numerical value below in red. The red number to the right represents your Òlives.Ó When a life is lost, continue play by pressing Space. The right side of the HUD displays your battery power/ 
weapons status. The large red number displays either your power units (the equivalent of ammunition) for pistol/rifle type weapons, or the number of actual units in the case of grenades or mines (timed floor explosives). 

Certain accessories (such as light goggles) may cause a drain on your battery power, so use them sparingly. The smaller green number represents the number of rockets for your rocket launcher, and only appears when you use this weapon.


Sim Tower (DOS & Mac)
(Maxis)
By Paul Anderson
     This is the next creation of the long line of ÒSimÓ games conceived by the creative developers at Maxis, a line which include Sim City and the very successful Sim City 2000. Instead of developing an entire metropolis, as in Sim City, the player controls the construction of a skyscraper.  Sim Tower gives you the unexciting roles of chief builder, superintendent and landlord.
     Trial and error will be a common strategy in constructing the tower of your dreams. Obviously, a structure with a small base will have little room to grow and expand through the clouds. As in Sim City, Sim Tower includes within it many simulated variables that a new landlord may take for granted when erecting a tower. The player must keep track of costs, expenses, and even disgruntled tenants. The bottom line, however, is to make money for your building by attracting rent payers.
     All in all, Sim Tower proves to be another seemingly uninteresting game that ultimately becomes completely addictive. Endless possibilities with a wide variety of variables make this ÒgameÓ almost edutainment. I found myself losing three hours at the snap of a finger and leaving my PC on overnight to eagerly discover how much rent I had collected. All the tools and menus are easily accessible and simple to manipulate.
     Although Sim City 2000 was released prior to this game, Sim Tower is actually a great prelude to it, largely due to its uncomplicated interface. As a result, dedicated SC 2000 fans may not see as much enjoyment from Tower. Even so, in what other game can you pretend youÕre Donald Trump and name your structure the Taj Mahal?

You are the architect of a complex skyscraper that includes offices, restaurants, retail outlets, and more.  You must build and maintain a facility that meets all of your tenantsÕ needs, even as you rake in the cash as a powerful real estate mogul. Activate the Sim Tower demo by clicking on ÒPlay Demo.Ó Follow the directions as they appear on the screen, and build the skyscraper of your dreams.



THE CRANBERRIES: Doors And Windows
(Philips Media Rainbow CD)
By Dave DiMartino
     This early into the world of music-related multimedia, the basic question a reviewer faces--is it any good?--no longer applies. At least not without--and you'll pardon the expression--a gigabyte of qualifiers.
     So let's break it down methodically.
     THE BAND: A respectable, not particularly exciting Irish quartet, the Cranberries are better known for their unexpectedly swift zoom to Stateside stardom than for their actual uniqueness as musicians. I've always pegged them as Sinead O'Connor post-finishing school: Lead singer Dolores O'Riordan's tremulous gurgling always seems heartfelt but lacking in subtlety--and the remaining 'berries, though doubtless rockin' dudes, define the very concept of "backing band." All this, of course, is not good.
      THE SONGS: Ordinary, maybe a little better than ordinary, there are a total of 12 cuts to be heard from here. "Heard from" rather than heard, that is, because while Doors And Windows features five new tracks by the Cranberries--"new" in the sense that they weren't on the band's two previous albums, and can be heard here in CD-playable, redbook audio format--seven others are excerpted in "loop" form within the disc's interactive segment.
     THE INTERACTIVE SEGMENT: At times interesting, at times eliciting the inevitable "so what?" most multimedia projects--at least this far into their relative infancy--warrant, Doors And Windows includes largely typical fare: interactive interviews, live performance (in this case, "Zombie" from the stage of Woodstock II), reproduced print interviews and concert reviews, life-on-the-road segments, and photo scrapbooks accompanied by audio-clip explanations by various bandmembers. Some of the graphics are superb, some are merely OK. But all are better than what you'd get on a "normal" CD.
     THE PRODUCT: Considering its under-$20 price point, I'd say Doors And Windows is an absolute bargain for any fan of the Cranberries. Likewise, considering that Philips Media has made this the first of its planned series of "Rainbow" CDs--discs playable in the PC, Mac, CD-I and standard CD format--it's a great show of consumer awareness and marketing savvy. And itÕs hard to fault Philips for choosing a multi-platinum band such as the Cranberries to showcase their new multi-format configuration. Still, multimedia fans less than impressed by the band may end up giving this--again, pardon the expression--the raspberry.

Press the ÒPlay DemoÓ button, then follow the onscreen directions. 

To return to LAUNCH, click on the ÒQuitÓ sign.