Crimnson Skies

Get a taste of all the excitement and high-flying action of Crimson Skies by downloading the trial version today. Dogfights, buried treasure, and treachery await you over the South Pacific in two single-player missions. Or, take on real pilots in Death Match mode over Hawaii in one of four tricked-out planes on the Zone. After you've given Crimson Skies a test flight, be sure to buy it online through shop.microsoft.com.

Enjoy an all-new experience in flight coMBat! Crimson Skies puts you in the cockpit for thrilling dogfights and aerial adventure. In this alternate history, the year is 1937 and the United States is fractured into squabbling nation-states, brought about by the weight of the Great Depression, regional prohibition and mounting isolationism. Giant Zeppelins crisscross the skies carrying both passengers and cargo, and airborne bandits are a constant threat.

After installing the demo from the main link below be sure to download and run the v1.01 updater.

The Crimson Skies Update v1.01
Single player saved game status can be inadvertently reset to the first mission by playing multiplayer or by customizing a plane in Instant Action. Once the reset happens, there is no way to recover the lost mission state, short of replaying the Campaign. Crimson Skies Update, Version 1.01, specifically fixes this problem.
DOWNLOAD NOW (2.2 MB)

The Crimson Skies Movie Trailer
Daring aerial footage! Menacing air pirates! Cool big band swing! Don't miss this action-packed Crimson Skies trailer!
DOWNLOAD NOW (7.9 MB)

Minimum System Requirements: 200Mhz MMX Pentium or faster, 64MB RAM or greater, 4X CD ROM, video & sound cards.

Version: 1.0
Download: CRIMSON.EXE
File Size: 45MB
Licence: Demo
Homepage: http://www.microsoft.com/games/crimsonskies/

EA Rugby 2001

EA has finally released the long-awaited sequel to Rugby World Cup 95. EA Rugby 2001 features 20 international teams and over 200 real players. The graphics are great. The gameplay, if you're unfamiliar with the sport, can seem a trifle confusing but, then, it was created at the behest of millions of fans so this shouldn't pose a problem. The hardest part of the game has got to be kicking conversions. Get this mastered and you'll be halfway there.

The game's AI is challenging at all levels and the English in-game commentators, Bill McLaren and Jamie Salmon, provide an entertaining commentary on the game of rugby, its history and their thoughts and experiences.

Minimum System Requirements: Minimum Pentium¨ 200 with MMX, 32MB RAM, 400MB Hard Drive space, 4MB DirectX7 compatible video card, Win98 DirectX compatible sound card.

Version: 2001
Download: EARUGBY.EXE
File Size: 16.1MB
Licence: Demo
Homepage: http://easports.ea.com/world.html

Rollercoaster Tycoon

The games section in the mag reviews a great new add-on pack for this all-time classic but unfortunately no demo is available. Irrespective of that, if you're new to the game or if you're an old pro that wants to go out and purchase this new add-on, you'll need the original game. This demo will allow more game time than the original demo and include new additional music plus some important bug fixes. Here's a complete walkthough by Dan Simpson for anyone who wants to try it again.

The game itself...Design and build the biggest, best and scariest rides ever seen in any theme park. Create over 50 designs from the traditional 'Wooden Rollercoaster' to the high-tech 'Steel Corkscrew' and the terrifying 'Reverse Freefall' - all featuring accurately simulated motion dynamics. Fund the research and you'll get the greatest rides current technology is capable of then charge the top prices to your visitors. But it's not just about building roller coasters - you've got to look after all your guests including the less adventurous by providing the complete range of 'family' ride entertainment such as miniature railways, boat hire and mazes.

Build food and drink stalls with rest facilities; hire costumed entertainers for the kiddies and create a park landscape that's not only fun but also appealing to walk through. RemeMBer, you can own the best roller coaster ride ever but, if the visitors don't have a decent path to get there, you'll get no takers and no profit.

Success is not just a matter of building state-of-the-art rides; it's how you structure the park with themes, colours and landscaping that will help your guests enjoy the experience enough to come back and pay for more.

Minimum System Requirements: Win 95/98, Pentium 266MHz, 32 MB RAM, 3Dfx-card, DirectX 7.0, Sound Card.

Version: 1.1
Download: ROLLER.EXE
File Size: 37MB
Licence: Demo
Homepage: http://www.rollercoastertycoon.com