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Text File
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1989-12-31
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15KB
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345 lines
************************************************************
* *
* THE NEBULA ENTERTAINMENT GALAXY BUNDLE PACKAGE *
* *
* REVIEWED *
* *
* BY JAMES L. MATHEWS *
* *
************************************************************
By now, I'm sure that just about all of you have heard of this package as it
has been advertised in ST FORMAT, ST HANDBOOK and right here in POWER so
what's all the fuss about? Is this package worth getting? Well, read on
and see...
The package comes with 13 games and also an editor. The games that come
with it are:
CIRCUITRY
CIRCUITRY 3 - THE MARS BASE
DARTS
BRIGHT SPARK
BUILDING TROUBLE
BUILDING TROUBLE 2 - NIGHT SHIFT
AARON
CARD BASH
CARD BASH 2
SUPER SNAKES 'N' LADDERS (1 MEG)
THREES 'N' FIVES
DOMINOES (0.5 MEG)
DOMINOES (1 MEG)
The editor that comes with the game is V2.0 of the Aaron editor for you to
make your own levels for the Aaron game which is also included in the
package. The pack comes on two disks, one of which has all its contents
archieved so as to fit more on disk. When everything is extracted, the
whole package weighs up at about 4 whole megabytes of software and takes up
roughly 5 or 6 blank disks.
Right, so you know what comes in the pack, so how good is it? Well, here's
a brief review of every program in the pack:
*** CIRCUITRY ***
Circuitry is a platform affair where via the joystick, you control a nice
fat bloke called Professor Small jumping about getting all the circuit
boards needed to complete the game. There are 40 in total that you have to
get.
The graphics are quite nice and clear and although animation and movement is
nice and fairly smooth, it is slightly slower than I would like, however,
it's not too bad.
The playing area is very large with four different levels, all of which have
quite a few different rooms. There are also some nice touches and it has
all been well thought out.
The games sound is rather basic but not too bad. The whole game is quite a
simple one as with most platform games but it's quite addictive and has a
nice charm about it. It's the type of game which will be incredibly
popular with the kids and quite enjoyable for most people of other ages too.
Not a bad little game.
*** CIRCUITRY 3 - THE MARS BASE ***
This sequel follows along the same sort of lines as the original but boasts
totally new level layouts along with a few nice samples and some nice new
ideas. The playing area is still large and it's all been well thought out
once again.
Again, it's quite enjoyable and addictive. A nice little game.
*** DARTS ***
This is a very nice little Darts game with two different difficulty levels
to enjoy.
The game is well presented and the graphics have been quite well done. The
sound is rather scarce but is appropriate and is sampled.
The aiming system is a nice one which is easy to get grips to which involves
you stopping a vertically moving arrow and then a horizontally moving arrow.
The point where they then both meet is where the dart will hit the board.
It's a good simple version of darts and because of this, it is incredibly
addictive and very enjoyable and because it's not too hard, it can be
enjoyed by all.
A good game.
*** BUILDING TROUBLE ***
This is another platform affair involving you as a builder going around
collecting up your tools.
The graphics are nice, small and cute and well animated. Movement is smooth
and the game itself is quite enjoyable and once again, addictive.
When it comes to sound, the game can boast some nice sampled sound effects
although it also has a very irritating chip tune that sounds to me like it
has been done with the STOS music accessory although I may be wrong. It
would be nice if you could turn the music off although it doesn't detract
from the game too much. Overall, this is a very nice game.
*** BUILDING TROUBLE 2 ***
This is the sequel to BUILDING TROUBLE obviously entitled, 'Night Shift'.
It is basically the same game as the original but has loads of different
levels to enjoy. The game is still quite enjoyable and addictive and can
actually get quite tense as the whole thing is against a time limit which
really can get the adrenaline pumping at times!
*** SUPER SNAKES 'N' LADDERS ***
This is a brilliant little game. For ages I've been wondering if anyone
would ever program this infamous game and I'm sure that someone has but
I've never seen one before on the ST.
This game is obviously based on the famous board game but this computer
version has added a bit of spice to the usual format of simply going up a
ladder and down a snake. For a start, there are five different worlds that
can be played at; Desert, Combat, Future, Garden and Ice. Each world has
its own type of traps. For example, in the desert, you can get killed by a
scorpion but in Ice World you can get killed by being frozen or in Garden
World you can fall in a pond and drown.
The game is very original with some very nice ideas, some good samples, some
very nice graphics and some excellent presentation. The game is very
simple to play still just like the original game and you can either play
against the computer or an opponent. A very enjoyable game for all who are
kids at heart (or simply really ARE kids!).
The game requires a megabyte of memory or more to run.
*** DOMINOES (1 MEG VERSION) ***
This is a good dominoes game (hence the title). It has loads of different
opponents to choose from, all of which have a difficulty level. When you
have chosen who you want to play against (you can also play against a
humand if you so desire), you enter the main part of the game.
The main part of the game is all tidily presented and easy to handle. It
follows the usual dominoes rules and the whole thing scrolls over a very
large area (much bigger than one screen) and the screen scrolls along very
smoothly to the spot where you want to put your next domino.
The game is very addictive, especially when playing against the computer and
it's a great way to enjoy dominoes without having to worry about someone
knocking them all out of place by accident or you losing any. It's another
great idea which I'm suprised nobody else has done fifty times over before
taking into account that just about everybody in the world has played and
enjoyed dominoes at one time or another.
*** DOMINOES (0.5 MEG VERSION) ***
So that all you poor ST owners with only half a meg don't miss out on the
action, the author, Andy Morgan has very kindly put together a half meg
version of the game too which is almost exactly the same as the meg version,
so don't worry, you're hardly missing a thing!
*** BRIGHT SPARK ***
This is a puzzle game where you have to switch over different coloured
tiles until you have got them in the right set-out. It is sort-of like one
of those Crystal Maze games because you also have a time limit that flys
past whilst everyone around you starts shouting at you telling you what
to do, hurling abuse and basically, rather than helping you like they think
they are, they are totally confusing you.
The game is incredibly enjoyable and gets so much adrenaline pumping that
your eyeballs begin to bulge! It is also very addictive and well presented
although the sound and graphics are very basic. It's a good game though and
well worth an hour or two or your time.
*** THREES 'N' FIVES ***
Another good dominoes game. This one looks and controls just like the
DOMINOES game also in this package (with a few differences of course!) but
with this one, you have to try and make it so that the dominoes total at one
of the ends is divisible by 3 or 5. The more times the number goes in, the
more points you get. For example, if the total is 6, then 3 goes in twice
so you get two points. The idea works well.
There are gour different opponents to choose from, again, relating to
different difficulty levels. The sound and graphics are rather basic but
do the job and everything is once again well presented and addictive so
overall, it's not a bad game at all.
*** DOMINIZER DEMO ***
This is a Shareware demo of a new game called Dominizer which is a memory
game where you have to match up two dominoes by memory. It's a good,
enjoyable, well presented, addictive game. It was given away on POWER #18
so see it for yourself. Not a bad game at all.
*** AARON ***
This is a good joystick controlled game in which, with your character, you
have to go around saving a load of prisoners on a large spaceship
thingymajig.
The whole thing is seen through a birds eye view and what with the nice
graphics, good samples that fit the sounds well, good presentation and good
level of playability, this is a very good game. Everything is smooth and
well animated with lots of different baddies and so on.
The whole thing has been extremely well presented and very well thought
out indeed with some nice ideas and touches all of which make this a very
nice game when you sit down and have a proper go at it.
*** AARON EDITOR ***
This editor goes with the above game. It allows you to create your own
levels with ease and then lets you play them which in theory means that you
never ever run out of levels to play. Good eh?
*** CARD BASH ***
This program has three card games in one; Patience, Pontoon and High\Low.
All are very well done. The graphics are all rather nicely done and it's
all well presented and easy to control. Sound is very basic but then again,
what sound effects do you have in a card game?!
It's all done via the keyboard. Patience is very addictive and well done.
High\Low is extremely addictive and is my personal favourite and Pontoon
has been done well also although with all three of the games, I would have
liked to have seen control via the mouse rather than the slightly more
boring control via the keyboard which for some reason seems to detract from
the game slightly. Overall though, this is a very good program and all
three games are very enjoyable.
*** CARD BASH 2 ***
This sequel brings two more card games to enjoy; Brag and Pairs. Brag is
like Poker. You have 5 cards and have to choose three cards that will get
you the most points, i.e. pairs etc.
In pairs, all cards are face down and you turn up two at a time and have to
try and match them up. The game only allows a two player option and sadly
you can't play against the computer but apart from that, it's quite a good
game.
So then, that's all the games described and reviewed, so what's the package
like as a whole? Well, it's very good actually. There's a hell of a lot in
it to keep you occupied for quite a while and all of it is fairly good and
enjoyable stuff.
The whole package costs £20. The first thought that probably comes into
your mind is, "YOU MUST BE JOKING!" but when you sit down and think about
it, it is incredibly cheap when you take into account that they are all the
full ready-registered programs. If you were to get them in the P.D., it
would cost you a small fortune. Firstly, there's the actual purchasing of
the disk from the P.D. library and then, to get the full game, you'd have to
pay an average of £5 a game and with 13 games that works out at £65 in
registration fees alone so for just 20 quid, that's a real bargain.
It's a very good pack, there's something for everyone; Platform games,
domino games, puzzle games and card games. It's well worth getting if
you've got the money so if you're interested, then write to the following
address:
GALAXY BUNDLE PACKAGE
ANDY J. MORGAN
382 KINGSWOOD ROAD
NUNEATON
WARWICKSHIRE
CV10 8QP
If you are purchasing the game, send a cheque or postal order made payable
to 'Andy Morgan'. The price is obviously in Sterling and it cannot be
obtained anywhere else apart from the above address.
It's a very good pack and well worth getting.
POWERFUL
--------
Loads to keep you occupied.
All pretty good stuff.
Something for everyone.
All ready-registered.
A saving of at least £45!
Roughly 5 or 6 disks full when de-archeived.
POWERLESS
---------
Sankes 'N' Ladders requires a megabyte of memory and there is no half meg
version in the pack.
If you don't enjoy a game, you can't decide that you won't register because
you already have!
POWER RATING:82%
POWER COMMENT:
"A bundle that everyone can really enjoy no matter what your taste!"