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1995-05-13
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From: JOECAT@IX.NETCOM.COM Public
To: ALL
Date: 05/12/95 at 07:49
Re: Tronix/E3 Day 1 (Part 2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Temporary E-mail address just for this report - my regular
E-mail address is joecat@phantom.com.
==========================================
E3 NEWS from Tronix - [Day 1] Thursday, May 11th 1995
==========================================
Part 2 (nap is over - a few hours later....)
OK, now we're on to 3DO and Sony. Both companies had very
impressive showings. Let's start with 3DO.....
For once, 3DO was housed with all the big game companies,
as opposed to the previous Consumer Electronic Shows where
Panasonic and 3DO each had a separate station, both in areas
that were usually surrounded by big-screen TV's or other
non-game related electronics. The big crowd attraction was
the blah, which was one of these VR spheres where people
can ride it. I wasn't in that Lawnmower-Man frame of mind
today, especially with all the crap I had to load around - so
this was out of the question. It did however attract a lot of on-
lookers.
The real beef in the combination 3DO/Panasonic/Goldstar
section was the amount of great titles that were on display.
Unlike WCES back in January, there were at least three times
the amount of games showing. OK - enough babble - the first
report is a briefing - more details in the next two.....
Here's the 3DO game line-up - from what I've encountered
so far:
BladeForce - Studio 3DO is on a roll. The 3D, 360 space
combat game will knock your socks off. The 3D movement
is silk-smooth, and the textured world is breathtaking. When
you see this title - you'll start to realize how much power the
3DO has to offer - even without M2.
Planet Strike (aka StarFighter 3000)- Another winner already!
A free-moving, 360 degree space game where you can skim
over a planet's surface (wait 'till you see the fine details), or
fly way above in space ! This is no way near finished, but
the basic engine is down - and boy is it a beauty. It's like
a next-gen Shock Wave.
Killing Time - This game is really shaping up! Movement is
now much smoother - more weapons (than the earlier demo),
and bloody as heck! Look out for this one.
NHL '96 - OK, this has a ways to go. Forget anything you've
heard about a July release. Even my EA price list (which
specifies a July release) is no longer valid. The rep from EA
(playing the game) says October to coincide with the 16-bit
versions. The 3DO version looks like the Genesis classic,
only beefed up sonically and graphically, with FIFA-like
scaling and zooming. It'll be great - once it's finished.
Slam 'N' Jam - The game plays really well! The movement
is smooth - and the overall execution is perfect! Plays a great
two-player game - (people loved it).
Captain Quaser - Hard to describe- but a cartoon-like shooter,
with an almost isometric look - Commando-style game with
humorous hero. Excellent!
BattleSport - Too early to tell - but looks like the classic
BallBlazer game - injected with new graphics/sound.
SpaceHulk - A hot PC title, that was NOT just ported to 3DO!
This 3D, Doomish-style game is immense! You have to see
these larger-then-life aliens! This version obliterates the
original. Sizzling!
Creature Shock, Lost Eden, Dragon's Lore, Space Ace,
KingDom: The Far Reaches and Alone in the Dark II
were all on display! They all looked fine (though most of us
know what there's are by now so I'll move on).
Bios-Fear - Another 3D action/exploration game. Looks really
sharp - but I have to get another look at this tomorrow - it's
hard to remember all the details.
Isis - Visually stunning - Egyptian adventure. A bit Myst-
looking, but not as sedate. Music by Earth, Wind and Fire.
D - (aka D's Diner) - YES, it's coming. A 2-disc, murder
mystery/horror game. The best Japanese 3DO from our friends
in Japan and Panasonic is distributing it!
Cyberdillo - Featuring an Armadillo set in a bizarre- Doom- like world.
Excellent atmosphere. Sounds weird I know - but it's killer stuff!!
BALLS: The Directors Cut - The ellipsoid fighters are back,
this time where they belong...on 3DO. This version of course
makes mashed potatoes out of the 16-bit versions.
Casper - Coming from Interplay - looks like this version will
be the first to be ready. Similar to Saturn's graphics. Didn't
play it yet - but certainly attractive visuals.
DeathKeep - SSI's follow-up to Slayer. Geez, wait - just wait
'till you see the difference. We're talking far superior in every
way, especially the ULTRA-smooth movement. Makes Slayer
look fossilized.
Other 3DO info.....
M2 wasn't plugged into anything....like the mock-up boards
they were suppose to be showing according to what we were
told at the Carnegie Hall conference. They did have a large
video wall showing the same amazing graphics demos that
we saw already. There were a few additions to this tape, but
I'll check those out tomorrow.
Primal Rage was labeled above a monitor, yet some educational program
was running in its place. I'm assuming it's
here, but wasn't correctly set-up yet, or someone was unaware
of the mistake. First day=mass confusion. I hope to see this
tomorrow. Another title I didn't see, or maybe passed up
accidentally was Doom. Again - we'll ask questions tomorrow.
Overall, an impressive display of great-quality titles - and
I ain't even finished yet. More 3DO tomorrow.
Sony
------
Undoubtedly, Sony's presence was everywhere. You can
see Playstation games in many 3rd party companies' displays,
even before you found Sony's own monster area. Acclaim's
insanely large (and loud as usual) booth featured working
demos of PS-X NBA Jam (which looked very sharp), and
a fantastic WWF Wrestling game, with characters that
appeared so life-like, you were simply left awestruck.
Personally, a wrestling title would be on the bottom of my
list when it comes to the type of games I like, but this one
suddenly changed my mind. The big surprise at Acclaim was
an early demo of Aliens Trilogy for the PS-X. Originally,
I though this would be one of these FMV deals, but I'm happy
to report - we have a free-moving, Doom-style shooter which
already looks like that best version of this movie adaption.
It still needs miles of work - but I can safely say - it's going
to blow your mind.
Much to my surprise, Williams was already showing an early
version of Mortal Kombat III on the Sony. It's basically the
Super Nes version with a lot more detail, color, and amazing
sound. It should be superb once it's finished. I liked what I
saw already.
Sony's booth was set up so large groups could enter this
small theater for a short visual/audio presentation, before
you were let loose into a giant enclosed area filled with
Playstations displaying one drop-dead stunning game after
another. After my ear drums were blown from the
small presentation - it was onto check out the games.
WipeOut A Psygnosis title - 3D racing with hovercrafts at
a frame-rate that makes Ridge Racer cry. No where near
done, but the graphics, color and detail are astounding.
Geez these guys are good!
Demolish 'em Derby - Another 3D racing game where tons
of cars get smashed around at break-neck speeds. Words
can't describe how amazing this game looks. Again, Ridge
Racer already looks like an old hat after seeing this.
Psygnosis is on the right track!
Twisted Metal - Some weird Road Warrior-like game, with
different vehicles you can drive (killer cabs, cycles, ect..).
Looks outstanding , but I'll look further into it tomorrow.
Razor Wing - 3D flying/shooter. Check tomorrow.
Ball Blazer X - Yep, it's back, and better-looking than ever.
Still very early, but Sony-fied!
Lone Soldier - A commando-style shooter - looks great!
Loaded - A superb isometric, Contra-like game. WOW!
Steel Harbinger- Don't know what the hell this was - but
I'll describe it better tomorrow. Impressive action/RPG?
DarkStalkers - Yep, it's here - and it looks arcade-exact!
ShockWave - One of my favorite 3DO games comes to the
Sony from EA. This version is even more improved. Incredible!
Road Rash - Another EA 3DO port. Way too early, but looks
no different...so far. Also showing from EA were FIFA '96
and PGA Tour '96. Didn't look at these yet.
Total Eclipse and Off-World Interceptor. Nothing different
here - basically the same as the 3DO versions.
Syndicate Wars- Is this a sequel to Syndicate? Wait 'till you
see how this thing rotates. Another eye-popper.
Crazy Ivan - Yet another damn-good Psygnosis title. A
3-D mech-style game.
Warhawk - (I think this is the name - will confirm tomorrow)
Simply my favorite Sony game at the show. A space shooter
much like ShockWave, but breaks new grounds. Outrageous!
Other Sony titles included JourneyMan Project, Lemmings
3D, Namco's Air Combat, and others. I'll have to head back
tomorrow for further investigation - and hopefully a much
more manageable day. OK folks - day 1 is over, and I can
now get my equipment ready for tomorrow. Time to re-charge
the video camera's batteries, and separate all the literature.
See you tomorrow!
--
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