@database AEM102.guide @$ver AEM 1.02 @node main "Amiga Entertainment Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 2 - August 1, 1994" Amiga Entertainment Monthly --------------------------- (incorporating CD남View) The MONTHLY information source for the Amiga gamer! --------------------------- Vol. 1, Issue 2 - August 1, 1994 Table of Contents: @{" The Front Page " link front} @{" New Game Reviews " link reviews} @{" Amiga News/Stuff " link anews} @{" The Back Page " link back} ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This issue: Reviews of Impossible Mission 2025 (CD남 and Amiga), Super Putty (CD남), Battle Chess (CD남), The Lost Vikings (CD남), and the Competition Pro Super CD남 Professional Control Pad! News on the Commodore Buy-Out! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (c) 1994 Sean Caszatt All Rights Reserved Although freely distributable, no part of this electronic publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright holder. @ENDNODE @NODE FRONT "Welcome!" The Front Page @{" Editorial Column " link edit} - A pat on the back! @{" The Serial Port " link mail} - Mail from the Readers! @{" The Bulletin Board " link corr} - Corrections/Comments @{" How to Reach Us " link addr} - How to contact us @ENDNODE @NODE edit "Editorial Page" Well, I would like to say that the launch of the new newsletter went off pretty well. Although, it was not without a hitch. The distribution sites received their copies a little late due to a self-destructing modem. My SupraFax v.32bis modem decided to stop working as I was getting ready to send out the issues. (I lost a modem to lightning last year, this one just decided to quit.) Rather than use my backup 2400 bps modem, I waited a day and got a replacement for the modem on the 3rd of July (already two days late). The issues were distributed without a hitch after that. I know a few people tried to FREQ the first issue on the release date and were surprised that they didn't receive anything. Hopefully, this month the issue will get there a little early to be on the safe side. We're still looking for game reviews, game tips and anything else you'd like to see included in the newsletter. I know there's not much incentive to write for us (it's not like we're paying anything), but if you feel like writing something for us, we'd be glad to publish it. Many thanks to those that already have done so! I've noticed a lot of other newsletters have popped up seemingly out of nowhere. I think that's good for the Amiga community as a whole. I hope that there's room for all of us. I think we all compliment each other because none of the newsletters really has the same focus. Some are narrower than others in terms of scope. Some are all over the place in scope. It's a lot of fun to read them all and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Here's a tip of the hat to all those people out there putting the other newsletters together. Well, I better get back to putting mine together. I want to make sure I make the deadline this month! Sean Caszatt, editor & founder of Amiga Entertainment Monthly Click here for @{"electronic addresses." link ADDR} @ENDNODE @NODE MAIL "The Serial Port - Mail from our readers!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ken Pierce - "kpierce@age.cuc.ab.ca" Subj: SX-1 Review/A1200/CD남 Chip RAM Hi there. Just downloaded the latest edition (well, first edition) of Amiga Entertainment Monthly and really enjoyed it. I'm just writing this letter to correct a flaw in your review of the SX-1 adaptor for the CD남. In the review, the author mentions that the Chip RAM in the Amiga 1200 and CD남 is strictly Chip RAM on a 16 bit bus. While it is true that the standard 2MB of RAM in a CD남 or Amiga 1200 is strictly Chip RAM, it is not true that it is 16 bit RAM. The RAM in an Amiga 1200 or CD남 is 32 bit RAM, and in fact, the only place 16 bit RAM can be added to an Amiga 1200 is on the PCMCIA slot (which is 16 bit). Any belly boards will have 32 bit RAM, as the belly slot is a 32-bit slot. The reason the machine shows such a significant speed increase (usually around 2X) when Fast RAM is added, is the fact that the main processor (the 68EC020) doesn't have to wait for the custom chips (Alice, etc.) to finish playing with the RAM before accessing it. The 68EC020 can happily chew away using whatever memory is above the 2MB of Chip, while the custom chips fight amongst themselves (so to speak). This slowdown problem (on a machine which lacks fast RAM) is commonly referred to as "bus contention". Another major source of confusion in the Amiga 1200 and CD남's memory addressing comes from the fact that both machines use a 68EC020 microprocessor from Motorola. These processors offer only 24 bit memory addressing. What this means, in effect, on an Amiga 1200 and/or CD남 is that only 10MB of total RAM (Chip+Fast) can be accessed. This does not mean, however that the memory being accessed is slower, it simply means that the A1200/CD남 can not access any RAM above 10MB without the addition of a 68030 accelerator (Which adds 32-bit memory addressing). It's confusing, I know, but the 68EC020 accesses 24 bits of RAM (16MB, with 6MB reserved) 32 bits at a time. Baffled yet? Good. :) I just thought I'd try to clarify that point. Thanks, and keep up the good work. THIS MESSAGE CAME FROM THE DESK OF THE ONE AND ONLY =============================================================== / Ken Pierce -- AGE Entertainment Software \ / kpierce@age.cuc.ab.ca - peril, fun and adventure for Amiga \ / Fido: Ken Pierce 1:134/27 - Write if you have a sellable product \ ===================================================================== | Available now: Xenostar - $19.95| | Coming Soon: Paranoia - price TBA| | ============ CyberLance - $24.95| -------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ENDNODE @NODE ADDR "How to Contact Us" We can be contacted via the following means: FIDONet Netmail: 1:2601/512 (Sean Caszatt) BBS Number: (412) 962-1590 Internet: Sean.Caszatt@f512.n2601.z1.fidonet.org CASZATT@DELPHI.COM (preferred address) Compuserve: 72143,521 Or good old Snail Mail: 2978 Ford Avenue Sharpsville, PA 16150 @ENDNODE @NODE CORR "The Bulletin Board" The Bulletin Board ------------------ @{" Thank You! " link thanks} - Our way of saying thanks! @{" Whoops!!! " link errors} - The board of corrections. @{" Credits " link credits} - Informational stuff @ENDNODE @NODE THANKS "Thanks and Kudos!" This month I'd like to thank all of the distribution sites for remaining with the newsletter. I really appreciate the support. Thanks to all those that read and supported CD남View. I really appreciated the suggestions I recieved. I'd also like to thank the few people that did send in their votes for naming the newsletter. Unfortunately, none of them really were what I was looking for. I think the new name gives the reader an idea of what one will find within this newsletter, don't you? @ENDNODE @NODE ERRORS "Whoops! We goofed." I forgot to update the list of previously reviewed games to include those reviewed in the final issue of CD남View. Those reviews as well as those from the first issue of AEM are included in this issue. @ENDNODE @NODE CREDITS "Credits" Amiga Entertainment Monthly Staff --------------------------------- Founder & Editor: Sean Caszatt This issues's contributors: -------------------------- Dieter Hirsbrunner Gary Stimpson Mike Brantley Tony Belding This newsletter is created on Amiga computers. It is worked on in various stages using an Amiga 2500 or an Amiga 3000T. It all depends on where I am sitting at the time I'm typing...and I'm always carrying a disk in my jacket with the most current version. Software used: MEmacs, the editor supplied with every Amiga. It's SIMPLY the best. I've tried others, but only MEmacs works for me. Hey, at least I don't use ED! Guide2Doc, by Bernd Koesling, is used to produce the ASCII/ANSI version of the newsletter. Thanks Koessi! BadLinks, by Roger Nedel, is used to test the links in the Amigaguide version of the newsletter. Thanks, Roger! @ENDNODE @NODE REVIEWS "GAME REVIEWS" GAME REVIEWS @{" Impossible Mission 2025 " link GAME1} - A look at all 3 versions! @{" Super Putty (CD남) " link GAME2} - A game filled with goo! @{" Elfmania (Amiga) " link GAME3} - WOW! ECS never looked so good. @{" Quick Capsule Reviews " link GAME6} - Games at a glance @{" Previously Reviewed... " link PREV} - Previous Reviews @{" Ratings Explanation " link RATINGS} - How we rate the games. @ENDNODE @NODE GAME1 "Impossible Mission 2025 Review" IMPOSSIBLE MISSION 2025 SYSTEMS: ECS Version - Amiga 500, 600, 2000, 3000 AGA Version - Amiga 1200 or Amiga 4000 only CD남 HARD DRIVE INSTALLABLE: Yes MEMORY REQUIRED: 1 MB or higher CONTROLLER: Joystick or Keyboard Workbench 1.3/2.x/3.x compatible Elvin Atombender is back! The evil S.O.B. that tormented gamer's minds and reflexes in the eighties has returned in a new game that combines elements of the first two (Impossible Mission I and II) while adding some new twists of its own. You are given the task of getting through 15 levels to stop Elvin's latest plot to destroy the world. You can choose one of three different characters to attempt this mission: RAM, a robot; Tasha, a gymnast; or Felix Fly, a soldier. Each level is full of obstacles, platforms, power-ups, sub-games and killer robots. The object is to find puzzle pieces (in the form of circuit boards), assemble them in the correct manner and then move to the next level. To make things more difficult, you have to beat a running clock. If you're familiar with the original IMPOSSIBLE MISSION games, then you'll have a fairly good idea of what's expected of you. If you're not, that's OK, because Microprose has generously decided to port the original game to the Amiga and include it in the package. You're actually getting two games for the price of one. The CD남 version of the game includes some nifty intro animations, but basically is not much different than either Amiga version. The AGA version looks nicer than the ECS version, but plays the same. (The original Impossible Mission looks the same on all three versions, but bogs down on the CD남 when more than a few robots are onscreen.) The graphics on all three versions of the new game are nice and rather atmospheric. The rotoscoped animations that depict your character's movements are well done. (They're not quite as good as those in OUT OF THIS WORLD (Another World) or FLASHBACK, but they're good nonetheless.) Actually, of the two games, I prefer the older version of the game. Aside from the "poor by today's standard" graphics, the gameplay holds up pretty well for a game that's over ten years old. The new version's flashier, but I like the older one better. That's not to say the newer game isn't any good, it just looks a little bloated next to the lean and mean IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. @{"Ratings:" link RATINGS} Impossible Mission 2025 Impossible Mission Graphics: 85% Graphics: 70% Gameplay: 80% Gameplay: 95% Control: 80% Control: 85% Sound: 80% Sound: 80% RATINGS: 81% 82.5% OVERALL RATING: 82% Manufacturer: Microprose, Ltd. The Ridge, Chipping Sodbury Avon, BS17 6AY UK @ENDNODE @NODE GAME2 "Super Putty Review by Dieter Hirsbrunner" SUPER PUTTY SYSTEM: CD남 Super Putty is a platform game with a unique central character. You control a blue lump of putty (no, really!) as you bounce around platforms absorbing or punching enemies. On each level you must absorb a certain number of confused robots and bring them to safety. Each level has a time limit and the levels are broken up into several graphical styles. Punching some enemies turns them into screaming babies which can then be absorbed for points. Absorbing enemies also keeps your energy level high. The main character (Putty) has various abilites. He can walk, jump, stretch between platforms and absorb various characters. If you flatten Putty , he cannot be hurt (keep in mind the clock does not stop when you do this). Putty can even morph into certain other characters in the game (the manual is not entirely clear on this.) The backgrounds are colorful and there is a lot happening on each screen. Using the composite output on the CD남 the quality was pretty good. S-VHS would be better. There are a lot of original characters such as samurai spacemen, Mr. Hotdog etc. (check out the psychotic terminator carrots!) Sound is limited to an introductory tune and some very nice in-game sound effects (psychotic carrots screaming "Uzi nine millimeter!", wailing babies, "Banzai" spacemen etc.). There is no in-game tune , but I don't miss one. This game is not nearly as fast as Zool, but I like it much better. It holds my interest longer than Zool does; There is some strategy involved in saving the robots (In early levels the robots are stationary, later levels they may walk off a platform and die.) I own a disk version of the game and use a suction-cup joystick. I like the CD남 pad controller better. This may be due to the joystick I have though. DISLIKES : I could not put my name on the high-score table, perhaps a keyboard is needed. there are no level passwords! The game is fairly short, 4 or 5 worlds with 3 levels each. A password after each world would have been nice. Supposedly the CD남 version has more levels but I have not been able to confirm this (I did not get far enough!) @{"Ratings:" link RATINGS} Graphics: 80% Manufacturer: Sound: 80% System 3 Arcade Software Gameplay: 90% 18 Petersborough Road Control: 85% Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 2BQ OVERALL RATING: 84% Video Mode: PAL This review contributed by Dieter Hirsbrunner. You can contact him via the Internet at drh@cherry-semi.com. @ENDNODE @NODE GAME3 "Elfmania Review" ELFMANIA SYSTEM: Amiga 500 or higher HARD DRIVE INSTALLABLE: No MEMORY REQUIRED: 1 MB or higher CONTROLLER: Joystick Workbench 1.3/2.x/3.x compatible Fighting elves? Oh, well, I guess it's just as believable as the scenarios in other beat-'em-up games. The scenario here is a little different than your standard beat'-em-up game, and so is quite a bit else. The king of the elf kingdom of Muhmulandia is prepared to give up his throne to the first person to beat six of his Champion Fighters and capture six counties on a 6x6 map-grid of the kingdom. Of course, beating the six fighters doesn't mean he just hands over the kingdom...you have to fight him too. Throw into the mix the ability to hire an army of fighters (so you don't have to control the same fighter throughout the game) and the awarding of coins with which to hire these fighters and you've got an interesting little game here. Of course, I haven't mentioned the graphics yet. They are the finest I've seen in an ECS Amiga game yet. The game looks AGA, but it's not. Only the graphics of STARDUST come close to the quality of those found in ELFMANIA. The sound, however, could use some work. The music is repetitive and annoying. The fighters sound like rabid chipmunks. The only real gripe I have about the game is the control methods used to do the moves. I've played the game with two different controllers and neither seemed to make controlling the game much easier. I can only fault the game for that. It doesn't make the game unplayable by any means, it just heightens the frustration level unnecessarily. I can only wish that the game was in NTSC so that all American Amiga owners could enjoy it. If your Amiga can't do PAL mode graphics, you're out of luck. Of course, this would be an excellent reason to upgrade! @{"Ratings:" link ratings} Graphics: 95% Manufacturer: Sound: 95% Renegade/Terramarque Gameplay: 85% C1 Metropolitan Wharf Control: 85% Wapping Wall London, E1 9SS UK OVERALL RATING: 90% Video Mode: PAL @ENDNODE @NODE GAME6 "Quick Capsule Reviews" This is a quick glance at some games I had a chance to play for a bit, but didn't get a chance to do a complete review of: THE LOST VIKINGS - (CD남) A direct ECS port from the Amiga version. Virtually nothing has been done to the game to set it apart from its computer incarnation. Although it's not a bad game, it's got two things going against it. 1) It's another platform game (albeit a more action oriented one) and 2) It's just as good as it's Amiga version, not better. It's still a lot better than some "CD남" games, so it's worth a look if you don't have the Amiga version. OVERALL RATING: 75% Video Mode: NTSC BATTLE CHESS - (CD남) The CDTV version of this game gets a bit of a facelift in terms of packaging and some slight changes in the controls. Other than that, it's the same game. If you find the CDTV version cheaper and can live without the slightly fancier packaging, you'll be OK with that one. Otherwise, this is a fairly good chess game with some humorous animation. It's a little on the slow side, but it's a solid, if rather old, game. OVERALL RATING: 80% Video Mode: NTSC @ENDNODE @NODE PREV "Previously Reviewed Titles" Here are the games we've taken at a look at so far: Title System Rating Date ----- ------ ------ ---- ALFRED CHICKEN CD남 65% 6/1/94 AMIGA CD FOOTBALL CD남 79% 4/1/94 ARABIAN NIGHTS CD남 60% 3/1/94 BATTLETOADS Amiga 25% 7/1/94 BENEATH A STEEL SKY Amiga 96% 7/1/94 BLUE AND THE GRAY Amiga 80% 7/1/94 BRUTAL FOOTBALL CD남 87.5% 5/1/94 CASTLES II CD남 50% 3/1/94 CHAOS ENGINE CD남 90% 5/1/94 D/GENERATION CD남 65% 3/1/94 DANGEROUS STREETS CD남 17.5% 5/1/94 DEEP CORE CD남 80% 3/1/94 DEFENDER OF THE CROWN II CD남 71% 6/1/94 DIGGERS CD남 45% 6/1/94 FRONTIER: ELITE II CD남 45% 5/1/94 GUNSHIP 2000 CD남 82.5% 6/1/94 INSIGHT: TECHNOLOGY CD남 80% 5/1/94 INTERNATIONAL KARATE + CD남 45% 4/1/94 JOHN BARNES EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CD남 46% 4/1/94 LABYRINTH OF TIME CD남 79% 3/1/94 LIBERATION CD남 90% 3/1/94 MEAN ARENAS CD남 75% 3/1/94 MICROCOSM CD남 91% 4/1/94 NICK FALDO CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF CD남 75% 7/1/94 NIGEL MANSEL CHAMPIONSHIP RACING CD남 85% 3/1/94 OSCAR CD남 80% 3/1/94 PINBALL FANTASIES CD남 90% 3/1/94 PIRATES! GOLD CD남 87.5% 3/1/94 ROBOCOD: JAMES POND 2 CD남 80% 3/1/94 SLEEPWALKER CD남 20% 3/1/94 SUMMER OLYMPIX CD남 54% 5/1/94 SURF NINJAS CD남 10% 7/1/94 TROLLS CD남 75% 3/1/94 ULTIMATE BODY BLOWS CD남 84% 7/1/94 WHALE'S VOYAGE CD남 3% 3/1/94 ZOOL CD남 80% 3/1/94 @ENDNODE @NODE RATINGS "The Ratings - Explained" We judge the games we review in four different categories: Graphics -------- This is pretty self explanatory. The higher the percentile, the better the graphics are. Sound ----- Another no-brainer. The higher the percentile, the better the sound. Although, this also relates to it's coordination with the gameplay. If the sound seems inappropriate for the type of game it is, the game will score lower in the Sound category even if the sounds are technically well done. Gameplay -------- The gameplay refers to the addictive quality of the game as well as the way the game plays. If you find your self sitting and watching rather than interacting with the game, the game will score lower than one that actually involves you. Control ------- This refers to how easy the game is to control given the standard CD남 controller. A game requiring a special controller that is not specified or not included will be penalized. A game that comes with a special controller or one that recommends that, say, an Amiga mouse might work better than the standard CD남 controller will not be penalized. @ENDNODE @NODE LGTM "Lame Game of the Month" This is an award presented to one game per month for being the worst of that month's issue. It's mainly to warn you, the consumer, about a game that's REALLY bad. If we have an issue with no really bad games...there'll be no award given. A game that wins this award DESERVES to win! @ENDNODE @NODE ANEWS "Amiga/CD남 News & Stuff" Amiga & CD남 News @{" Rumors/Rumors/Rumors " link NEWS1} - What's buzzing around. @{" The CD남 Game List " link NEWS2} - Gary Stimpson's list! @{" The Latest Amiga News " link NEWS3} - News of interest Columns @{" Hardware Corner " link COL1} - New CD남 Controller! @{" GameTips/Tricks " link COL3} - Game Tips & Tricks. Duh! @ENDNODE @NODE NEWS1 "Rumors/Rumors/Rumors" Rumors...oh, those nasty rumors: @{" AmigaWorld 1-800 # " link RUM1} - Information hotline! Please remember that all information found in this section is based on information from sources that may or may not know what's really going on. Rumors make for interesting conversation. Rumors make for active imaginations. Don't base purchasing decisions on anything other than something you've seen or know is true. @ENDNODE @NODE NEWS2 "Gary Stimpson's CD남 Games List" The following is Gary Stimpson's Amiga CD남 titles list. He compiles the list and posts it on FIDONet and USENET groups quite regularly. Although it's got some errors, (Examples: Mortal Kombat and TFX are NOT available for the CD남 yet) the list is quite good and very interesting reading. We present it here, complete and unedited, for your reading pleasure. __ . _:___________ _____________ _____/\_______________ /\_\ | ___ _ _________ ____ ___ \/_/ . _ __ | / _ \__ _ (_)__ ____ _ / ___/ __ \|_ /|_ | | _ _ . _ _ //\ | / _ / ' \/ / _ `/ _ `/ / /__/ /_/ //_