What is The Bottom Shelf? It's where the older Mac games are relegated at your local software store. The games reviewed in this section have been released for
some time now but are still enjoyable and well worth a look.
Mini-Review: Armor Alley 1.1
by Reginald B. Milton
Publisher: Electronic Arts.
Pros: Modem and network play, well done manual.
Cons: No longer in production, poor company support.
Requires: Mac Plus or later, System 6.03 or later.
IMG Rating: ‚àö‚àö‚àö‚àö
Your mission, with the use of your helicopter, is to lead a convoy of tanks, missiles launchers, communication vans and personnel across a hostile battlefield into the enemy's territory and destroy his base. You must use sound military tactics if you are to succeed. While moving down the "alley" you will have to contend with the enemy's helicopter and ground forces. One of the nicer aspects of the game is that you are rewarded for saving lives, which is rare in a shoot’ em up game. The game allows you to play against the computer or over the modem as well as an AppleTalk network. In this game you will find that hand-eye coordination is not enough, you will have to also use your head. :->
Mini-Review: PGA Tour Golf 1.0
by Tuncer Deniz
Publisher: Electronic Arts.
Pros: 256 colors and B&W, great graphics, fly-by of hole, good sounds.
Cons: Manual-based copy protection, small screen.
Requires: Mac Plus or later, System 6.05 or later.
IMG Rating: ‚àö‚àö‚àö‚àö
The game of golf in recent years has become more popular than ever before. Likewise, so have golf simulators on the computer. Some past notables on the Macintosh have been MacGolf, World Class Leader Board, and Jack Nicklaus Unlimited Golf. But none of these can compare to PGA Tour, which incorporates stunning 3-D graphics, fabulous sounds, and a unique way to play. Unique in the sense that you can enroll in a tournament and play against real PGA pros. But watch out, if you end up below par after two rounds you probably won't make the final cut. But don't be discouraged, with a little practice at the driving range and putting green you'll be ready for the next tournament. There are four courses in PGA Tour including PGA West, Sterling Shores, Avenel, and Sawgrass plus three courses that are included in a separate tournament disk. In conclusion, the little details brought to this game like different lies, backspin, hole-fly-by’s, and fringe putting make PGA Tour the true golf simulation champ. That is, of course, until someone else comes out with an even better golf game (which is a given in the software market). :->
Mini-Review: Oids 1.1
by Brian J. Thomas
Publisher: FTL Games/Software Heaven, Inc.
Pros: 16 colors, amusing concept, complete galaxy & game editor.
Cons: Limited action and not very complex, somewhat old-style game.
Requires: Mac Plus or greater, 1 MB RAM.
IMG Rating: ‚àö‚àö‚àö
Rescue the oppressed OIDS from the evil and greedy Biocretes—who use the OIDS until they collapse and then reconstitute them into everything from vending machines to fire hydrants—using your V-Wing spacecraft to blast energy factories, garrisons, and enemy spacecraft. Disable gravity generators before they either suck you into a barbecue-style demise or repel you back into the cold corners of space. Drop into a numbered warp-door and find yourself somewhere halfway across the galaxy. Use shields, nuclear photons, and genocidal NovaBombs to best your rivals. The little OIDS will run and jump up and down like ants with springs when you free them from their hellish Biocrete confines with a spray of photons, and then land and pick them up. With any luck or skill, you won't land too close to them, as they become thoroughly ignited if your thrusters come too close. Take them all back to the Mother Ship, then on to another Biocrete galaxy to rescue more OIDS.
Although the OIDS concept is simple, there is an irrefutable addiction factor. The game has some parallels with the old arcade-style Space Invaders, if only in the look-and-feel of its interface. It's a side-scrolling, shoot-em-up for the most part. The graphics are surprisingly zippy-looking for a game this old, but the simplistic play eventually becomes tiresome. Sheer hand-eye coordination is the realm of this game, and although the philosophical premise of rescuing an enslaved race is noble, the delivery is a bit more like something out of the Persian Gulf. Don't buy this game if you're looking for anything but a waste’ em and baste’ em saga. :-|
