ARCade

A survey of the games software scene for the Archimedes compiled by Peter Rochford.

When the Archimedes was first launched some eighteen months ago, there was little software around to go with it, least of all games. If you wanted to thrash a few aliens with your 32-bit wonder machine, you had no choice other than Lander on the Welcome disc.

The first games release came from Superior Software in the shape of Zarch (£19.95), an enhanced version of Lander featuring extra graphics and sound. Following Zarch, Superior then released Conqueror (£24.95), a game that owes much to the graphics in Zarch. It features a not dissimilar 3D scrolling landscape, but used now in a tank battle simulation. It was OK if you had a taste for that kind of thing, but the Zarch-like graphics gave that feeling of deja vu.

Since those two games were released nothing much has appeared until the last few months, when several new games have surfaced.

Minerva has done much to support the Archimedes with serious software, and they have also released several games too. Their first was Minotaur (£14.95), an unremarkable 3D maze-type game that involves plodding round seemingly endless corridors trying to find a way out. Graphically abysmal, and about as exciting as a wet Sunday afternoon. Sorry Minerva!

Their follow-up release was Missile Control, a game that appeared in the arcades years back, with versions for many machines including the Beeb. The game involves destroying missiles that travel down the screen, aiming to destroy the cities below. The graphics in this are crude when you consider what can be done on the Arc, and playing the game turns out to be just as much a mega-yawn as Minotaur.

Redemption for Minerva comes in the shape of one of their latest releases, Orion. This is a much enhanced version of the classic arcade game Defender that appeared on the Beeb as Planetoid. It is a horizontally scrolling, shoot-em-up game, where you have to save the little men on the planet's surface as they get abducted by the aliens dropping down from above, at the same time avoiding or destroying a whole host of other nasties. Orion is a brilliant version of the game with a classy presentation, and excellent graphics and sound. Highly recommended!

Freddy's Folly is another offering from Minerva, but aimed at the younger Arc user. The game scene is a harbour where your castle is built overlooking the sea. The idea is to prevent your castle from being bombed by the balloons that fly overhead by shooting them down with a cannon. You must also destroy the ships which are shooting at you as they sail into the harbour. The game is preceded by a little story that has some rather amusing animated sequences as illustration. The whole thing is well thought out and nicely implemented, although I thought the text in the story should be left on the screen longer for youngsters to read. Otherwise, a good game with lots of appeal.

The latest Minerva game is Jet Fighter, a version of yet another computer favourite that was most popular on the Spectrum under the name Jet Pac. You have to fly your spaceman around the screen collecting parts to construct a space rocket that will transport you to the next level for more of the same. It's pretty mundane stuff, with graphics comparable to versions of this game on lesser machines.

Impact Games' first and as yet only release for the Arc is Quazer, a frantically fast, vertically scrolling, death and destruction shoot-em-up. The game makes good use of graphics with hordes of colourful sprites hurtling down the screen accompanied by a host of noisy sound-effects. A thoroughly enjoyable and frenetic alien bash, with lasting appeal and definitely recommended.

Dabs Press has now entered the games software market with Alerion for the Arc. Like Quazer, this is a vertically scrolling shoot-em-up that is frantic and noisy. The graphics are good, and it features digitised sound effects too. My own personal preference between the two similar games would be Quazer. But Alerion is challenging and enjoyable. Worth considering if you like this type of thing.

A totally different kind of offering from Dabs is Arcendium, a collection of computer versions of four popular board games, Backgammon, Reversi, Draughts and Quadline (Connect-4). These are nicely written, featuring some neat graphics, and are played under mouse control. If you like board games then Arcendium is worth buying, but be warned, the computer plays a mean game!

Gem Electronics, a new name in the games software world, has released two Arc games to date. The first is Star Trader, a strategic space adventure that can be likened in some ways to Elite, and shares many of its features. However, Elite it is not, and the combat elements in particular do not in any way compare. It is a brave attempt though, and is an involved game that can be entertaining and absorbing to play.

The other release from Gem is Word-Up-Word-Down, a 3D scrabble game that really is excellent. It has delightful graphics and it all works beautifully, mostly under mouse control. The program features a 30,000 word dictionary and digitised speech. Up to six people can play, or you can play against the computer: highly recommended.

Just when you thought that Repton had at long last been laid to rest with the final(?) ultimate Repton Infinity on the Beeb, up it pops again for the Arc as Repton 3. If you like Repton, all well and good, but this is just identical to the Beeb versions, and to my mind an unwarranted release from Superior.

Rainbird is a software division of the great British Telecom. They have now entered the Arc games market, and it is encouraging that one of the 'biggies' has sat up and taken notice of the machine. They have released two adventure games. The first one is Corruption (£24.99), set in yuppie-land where you take the role of a partner in a broking firm. The plot is in the name of the game - corruption.

The second game is called Fish! (£24.99), with an unbelievably zany plot. You are a goldfish and your first task is to escape from your bowl. Having done so, you are transformed into a fish scientist, Mr A. Roach, and from then on you are the leader of The Project, a secret undertaking to conserve water. You must prevent The Project from being sabotaged. Crazy!

Space does not permit a detailed review of these games but take it from me, they are both brilliant. From the amazing opening music, to the superb graphics and the game-play itself, it is all first class stuff. Buy them both!

Finally, two games from a company called Grand Slam. Pacmania is a 3D version of the old favourite Pacman. You may stop yawning at the thought of more Pacman! Pacmania is a whole new slant on the original, and features probably the best graphics and music yet on the Arc. There are four different 'worlds' to negotiate, at ever higher levels of difficulty. The animation is truly brilliant from the superb 4-way screen scrolling to the amusing cartoon-like features that appear between each level.

Terramex is the other release from Grand Slam. This is an animated graphic adventure where you have to travel across deserts and through caves, collecting items to help you in your search for the mad scientist, who is the only person who can save the world from being destroyed by a meteorite. The plot may be a bit corny, but the game is delightful and amusing. It is also very challenging, and this reviewer is still struggling! The graphics are truly excellent and the game is incredibly addictive. You must forgive my gushing enthusiasm for both Pacmania and Terramex, but they are of the quality Arc owners have been waiting for, and do some justice to the machine itself at long last. Need I say more!

COMMENT

In this survey, I have only looked briefly at most of the games yet released for the Arc. In the future I hope to provide fuller reviews of most major games as soon as they are released. There are now good signs that the games scene for the Arc is improving at long last. Games like the Firebird and Grand Slam releases are converted versions of Amiga and ST software which is good. If they sell well enough I am sure that many more will follow. Anything you can do on the ST and Amiga you can do just as well or, better on the Archimedes.

Which brings me to my final point. As good as Pacmania or Terramex are, and they are the best around for the Arc, they still do not exploit the full potential of the machine's speed, graphics and sound capabilities. The true fact is, that until the Arc has sold in even greater numbers, sadly no one is going to invest the time and money in a mega-game that does. But the Arc is selling better than ever now, and the future is looking brighter all the time. We live in hope. See you soon!

NOTE: All games referred to in this survey are available from BEEBUG, and at 5% discount to RISC User members - see retail catalogue.