@database "CD32bits.guide" @author Matthew Legg @wordwrap @width 72 @node Main "Front Page." CCCCCCCCC DDDDDD 33333 22222 CCC CC DD DD 33 22 TT CC DD DD 33 222 BBBBBBB T @{"Introduction" link intr} CC DD DD 33 22 BB B TT CC DD DD 33333 22222 BB BB II T CC DD DD BB BB II TT CC DD DD BB BB TTTTTTTTT SSSSSS CC DD DD BB BBBBBB T SS SS CC DD DD BB B II TT SS S CC CC DD DD BB B IIII T S CCCCCCCCC DDDDDD BB B II T SSS BB B I TT SS @{" Gossip " link goss} BB BB I TT S @{" Games " link game} BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB IIIII TTTTTTT SSS @{" Hardware " link hard} SS @{" Movies " link movie} SSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSS Compiled by Matthew Legg - mlegg@freenet.scri.fsu.edu @endnode @node intr "Welcome........" Welcome to the first issue of CD32Bits. The essential guide to all matters concerning the CD32. It will deal mainly with reviews of newly released, and upcoming titles for the 32bit wonder machine, but will also cover hardware issues and Full Motion Video titles as they become available. This, the first issue will cover the backlog of titles that already exists for the CD32. The guide will be published every two months until more titles start to appear. You can get CD32Bits at :- Internet - src.doc.ic.ac.uk and it's mirror's Fido - /X\ostly Harmless 2:251/41.0 (+44 705 614824) I can be E-Mailed on mlegg@freenet.scri.fsu.edu Feel free to submit your own work to me at the above address, and it will be included in future issues. @{b}© M.Legg 1994@{ub} @endnode @node goss "The latest information........" The CD32 went on the market in August '93 and since that day has sold more than 75,000 units. It was the first 32bit console ever, and hopes were extremely high. It was perceived as the machine that would either destroy Commodore, or return it to some of it's former glory. It was Commodore's first entry into the console market since the days of the C-16 console. Although greeted with great enthusiasm by the press, existing Amiga users were much more sceptical. After spending many years trying to convey the Amiga as something more than a games machine, it was felt that Commodore had gone and produced something of exactly that nature. It soon became apparant though that it was more than a games machine, although Commodore did their best to cover this up, the CD32 was an A1200 in disguise. With the use of the @{"Microbotics SX1 Expansion Card" link sx1}, you can turn your CD32 into an A1200, with the added bonus of a CD drive, and full CD32 game compatability. By February 94, Gallup were reporting that CD32 software was the highest selling product on the CD format, easily outselling both Sega Mega CD, and PC CD ROM. This is a trend which is set to continue with the imminent arrival of some eagerly awaited games like TFX and Rise Of The Robots. As for existing Amiga owners who want to play CD32 games, well, there is good and bad news. A4000 owners will soon be able to buy a CD32 module for their machine. It will come with FMV on board, and will allow you all the benefits of both worlds. That it, quality applications, and also very high quality games. It will undoubtably open up the world of CD based media to many users, as all ISO960 standard CD's can be used. It will allow Amiga users to access the already huge catalogue of utilities etc that exist on CD, something which CD32 users will not be able to do unless they purchase the SX1 add-on module. The unit is expected before the end of spring, and should not cost too much considering that most of the needed chips are already on the 4000's motherboard. As for A1200's, there will not be CD32 compatability unless a third party developer produces a unit. Commodore have abandoned all work concerning the unit due to too high production costs (the unit would cost more than the CD32 itself), and the inability to have Full Motion Video on-board. A matter which Commodore feel is vitally important. Anyway, that about covers everything on the rumour mill at the moment. Future editions will deal with the matter of the Vapour-ware CD-64. Will it ever exist????? To find out, see the next issue of CD32Bits. @endnode @node game "GAMES!!" At the press release of the CD32, Commodore announced that there would be approximately 50 titles available by Christmas 93. However, the presently available catalogue has still not reached this figure. The failure of the titles to appear seems to be the fault of the development companies, who were unwilling to commit themselves in light of Commodores shaky financial situation. Those companies who did commit continually missed release dates, and the title that Commodore was using as the flagship game to promote the machine, @{b}Microcosm@{ub}, only appeared in the first week of March, nearly five months behind schedule. The existing titles were mostly re-releases of floppy based games, with no real enhancements apart from the occassional digital soundtrack. @{"Available Titles" link avail} Reviewed games will be marked with a number of stars according to how good they are. @{fg highlight}*****@{fg text} - Unmissable **** - Very Good *** - Good ** - Fair * - Tragic The rating system takes into account graphics, sound, playability and cost. One last thing. The joypad supplied with the CD32 is diabolical. It is awful to use, and wherever possible, a normal stick/pad should be used. @endnode @node avail "CD32 Games presently available....." Here you will find short reviews of all of the games released so far.. @{" Alien Breed/Qwak " link alie} @{" Alfred Chicken " link alfr} @{" Arabian Knights " link arab} @{" Castles 2 " link cast} @{"Chambers Of Shaolin " link cham} @{" D-Generation " link dege} @{" Dangerous Streets " link dang} @{" Deep Core " link deep} @{" James Pond 2 " link jame} @{"John Barnes Football" link john} @{" Labrynth Of Time " link labr} @{" Liberation " link libe} @{"Lotus Turbo Triology" link lotu} @{" Mean Arenas " link mean} @{" Microcosm " link micr} @{" Morph " link morp} @{" Nick Faldo's Golf " link nick} @{" Nigel Mansell " link nige} @{" Overkill/Lunar C " link over} @{" Pinball Fantasies " link pinb} @{" Pirates Gold " link pira} @{" ProjectX/F17 " link proj} @{" Seek and Destroy " link seek} @{" Sensible Soccer " link sens} @{" Sleepwalker " link slee} @{" Super Putty " link supe} @{" Trivial Pursuit " link triv} @{" Trolls " link trol} @{" Whales Voyage " link whal} @{" Zool " link zool} Apologies for the shortness of some of the reviews, but this guide would have been huge if I had properly reviewed every game (See Microcosm). I felt it neccessary to cover all of the existing titles in the first issue, so that they would not clog up future issues with out of date material. If I have missed any titles, many apologies. E-Mail me with your own review, and I will include it in the next issue. @endnode @node alie "Alien Breed Special Edition and Qwak" @{fg highlight}@{b}Alien Breed / Qwak Team 17 £25@{fg text}@{ub} Team 17 will not be releasing any CD32 specific titles until they have a suitable project to work on. For the time being, they are concentrating on re-releasing compilations of their existing catalogue onto CD. This means that you get two games for the price of one. Not bad!! The prices were originally set at £15 a disk, but for some reason, Team 17 have opted to add another £10 to the price. This doesn't make the games particularly expensive, but when you consider that the floppy version are available as budget releases for about £10 each, things get put into perspective. @{b}Alien Breed Special Edition@{ub} is exactly the same as the original Alien Breed, but with more levels. The aim of the game is to wander around a deserted space station, and wipe out everything that moves, with the eventual task of destroying the station, and all of it's alien inhabitants. Along the way, you collect money to buy bigger, and better weapons, which believe me, you will need. The game features fantastic sampled speech, and is by far the better game of the compilation. @{b}Qwak@{ub}, although quite entertaining initially, is unlikely to hold your attention for a long period of time. The game is best on the two player option, so get another joypad. The object of the game is to run around the screen and collect items and keys to allow you access to later levels. As with all Team 17 games, the graphics are gorgeous, as are the sounds. Alien Breed is brilliant, and Qwak is OK, so the disk is still worth getting despite the price. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node alfr "Alfred Chicken" @{fg highlight}@{b}Alfred Chicken Mindscape £26@{fg text}@{ub} Alfred Chicken is one of those cutsy games which everyone likes at first, but soon gets bored with. The game is just too slow, and monotonous. The object of the game is to guide Alfred through various scenarios, collecting items to reach the level exit. The graphics are pretty average, with a control method to match. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} ** @endnode @node arab "Arabian Knights" @{fg highlight}@{b}Arabian Knights Krisalis £15@{fg text}@{ub} This is your standard arcade adventure, where you run around, collecting diamonds, and solving problems. The game is quite entertaining, and will keep you busy for a long while. The graphics are good, but not spectacular, which is also the case for the music and sound effects. For the money, this game is a bit of a bargain. It is not fantastic by any means, but is well worth a look. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node cast "Castles 2" @{fg highlight}@{b}Castles 2 Interplay £30@{fg text}@{ub} Well, its another one of those games where you play god, although not a particularly good one (game that is, not god!!). Graphics and sound are pretty standard and the control method is very fiddly. It could most be compared to PowerMonger for game style. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} ** @endnode @node cham "Chambers Of Shaolin" @{fg highlight}@{b}Chambers Of Shaolin@{fg text}@{ub} Hahahahahaha! What an absolute pile of crap. This game is absolutely awful. Crap graphics, crap sound, crap gameplay, crap controls and even a crap CD sleeve. What a waste of a CD. This is definatley not what the CD32 needs to succeed. It really should be withdrawn, as it's the sort of stuff that used to be produced for the original Nintendo. Buy it on pain of death. If you have the money to waste, send it to me. @{b}CD32Bits Rating@{ub} * (on a good day!) @endnode @node dege "D-Generation" @{fg highlight}@{b}D-Generation Mindscape £26@{fg text}@{ub} D-Generation is a 3D perspective walk around arcade adventure game. You are a messenger boy, and supposed to be delivering a parcel to the Boss of a large company. On your journey, you come up against many obstacles, and mental problems to solve. The game control method leaves little to be desired. I have always had problems getting to grips with movement in 3D games, but this took the prize. The controls are switchable, but neither of the available options made any difference, and the save game option always takes you back to the start of the particular level. This aside however, if you can get to grips with the controls, the game has a lot to offer. Although the graphics and sound are particularly uninspiring, the gameplay is fantastic, and will keep you coming back for more. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node dang "Dangerous Streets" @{fg highlight}@{b}Dangerous Streets Flair/MicroValue £30@{fg text}@{ub} This game comes free with the new CD32 packs, but it is available to buy if you are sad enough. It is a particularly bad beat-em-up, trying to run on the back of Streetfighter. The extrememly large sprite is badly animated, and the backgrounds are too bright, and clash, often diverting your eyes from what you are actually doing. The sound effects are resonable, but nothing to get excited about. My suggestion here would be, if you are desperate for a beat-em-up game, wait for the imminent release of Team 17's Body Blows Galactic. Both games cost the same, but only one is remotely worth the money. Guess!! @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} * @endnode @node deep "Deep Core" @{fg highlight}@{b}Deep Core ICE £26@{fg text}@{ub} I must confess that I really like this game, although it does not have any save option, or passwords. This is a major problem, because the game is huge, and having to restart the game from the begining every time is a pain. The game is exactly the same as the floppy version, so if you have played it, you will know what you are in for. For those who don't, it is a scroll along platform game which is similair to The Bitmap Brother's GODS in many ways. If you like platform games and lots of shooting, then this is the game for you. You will play it to death just to try and get a bit further than last time. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} **** @endnode @node jame "James Pond 2 - Robocod" @{fg highlight}@{b}James Pond 2 Millenium £30@{fg text}@{ub} Well, you must have played this game before. If not, you play James Pond, the underwater agent, codename ROBOCOD. Your mission is to travel around a castle, collecting the evil Dr. Maybes exploding penguins, with the ultimate goal of preventing him stopping Santa delivering the Xmas presents.!?!?!? The game is in the scrolling platform format, and along the way, you can collect many items which allow you to do more things. For example, if you collect angels wings you can fly. The game is extremely large, but no different from the original. The only difference in fact, is the animation at the start, which is not particularly impressive anyway. Apparantly there is some FMV in the intro, but I have not managed to find it. Perhaps it is a rumour to try and sell the game, which is ovepriced for such an old title. All this aside, it is still quite good, and if you havn't played it before, you can do worse than to get it. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node john "John Barnes Football" @{fg highlight}@{b}John Barnes Football Krisalis £30@{fg text}@{ub} Probably the worst football game in history for the Amiga. The only thing that it has going for it are the amazing samples. Ball control is all wrong, and it is virtually impossible to score a goal against the computer. Not because of the players, but more to the fact that the goal-keeper is far too good. You can play any length of game up to 90 mins (YAWN!!), plus you can pick from a wide range of surfaces. That's about it. If I was John Barnes, I would be embarassed to have my name on this. It's a real dud, and far too expensive!! @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} * @endnode @node labr "Labyrinth Of Time" @{fg highlight}@{b}Labyrinth Of Time Electronic Arts £25@{fg text}@{ub} Wow, this game looks absolutely amazing. A graphical adventure where every image is ray-traced and every sound is perfectly sampled....... So, where's the problem then..... Well, what a surprise, it's the gameplay. It plays like a turkey. It is sooooo slow, and totally impossible to play with the CD32 controller. Connect a mouse straight away!! There does not seem to be any point to this game. Basically, you start off in a train carriage, and from there on, you are lost. For example, walk into the first maze you come to, and you will regret it. All the scenery is exactly the same, and if you don't turn around immediately, you will end up having to reset the machine, because it will only be pure luck if you ever get out. It is also very difficult to pick things up, and even moreso to find anything in the first place. The introduction is absolutely awful, and you have to watch it every time, so it will be doubtful if you play this game often. Show it to your friends to impress them, but don't let them play it.. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} ** @endnode @node libe "Liberation - Captive 2" @{fg highlight}@{b}Liberation Mindscape £30@{fg text}@{ub} This game opens with a ten minute long animation, which sets the scene nicely, although unlike the Microcosm intro, you will not want to watch it everytime you play the game. The game itself is very similair in style to Hired Guns, with exactly the same screen controls as in the original Captive. One nice feature which it has above Hired Guns is that you can look up and down. The control method is simple, and easily grasped. As for the graphics, well they are adequate, but nothing special. Certainly not to Hired Guns standard. The sound is perfect, nicely moody and creates an air of apprehension. Now, the price. Mindscape announced that they felt the price was fair for a title which would only exist on the CD32, and in that they may have been right. The only problem with this is of course that it is now available for the A1200. The game was evidently too small to be just CD based, because there were hard disk installable pirate versions available (without the digital soundtrack of course) within a week of its release. The price should really be dropped now that it is not solely for the CD32, and I am sure that quite a few copies would sell. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} **** @endnode @node lotu "Lotus Turbo Triology" @{fg highlight}@{b}Lotus Turbo Triology Gremlin £30@{fg text}@{ub} This set of games is the best value of all those available at the moment. All 3 Lotus games are a lot of fun to play, and will keep you going for a fair while. I will not go into details of the games, because I am sure that everyone has had experience of them. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} **** @endnode @node mean "Mean Arenas" @{fg highlight}@{b}Mean Arenas ICE £30@{fg text}@{ub} There is no difference between the CD and floppy versions of this game, so the extra money charged for the CD version is unforgivable. It is basically a re-make of the classic game PACMAN with different characters and guns. The graphics and sound are very basic, but this does not stop the game from being a lot of fun, albeit a little hard. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} ** @endnode @node micr "MICROCOSM" @{fg highlight}@{b}Microcosm Psygnosis £45@{fg text}@{ub} This game is supposedly Commodores flagship game, but has only just arrived on the scene......... This is it, the one you have all been waiting for, but is it worth the attention that it will undoubtably get??? Well, the answer is yes and no. Yes for the gorgeous graphics, animation and sound but no for gameplay. The old problem of good looks, but nothing under the surface is painfully apparant. The object of the game is to fly around the bodies internals killing all the nasties that you encounter.... That is it.... Great Plot!! The game opens with a very impressive animation, which will be unrivalled on any other platform. It sets the scene perfectly, showing you how it is exactly that you managed to get injected into your poor victims body. It lasts a good five minutes, and you will want to watch it everytime that you run the game, guaranteed. In fact, if you have ever got into arguments with PC and console owners over which platform is the best, show them this. It will stop them in their tracks. That is of course, if you don't let them see too much of the game! because all the graphics in the world cannot make up for a game with no variation. When you start the game, you are given the option of going to various parts of the body such as the skeleton, lungs and brain, and if you manage to blast your way through a complete section, you meet an extra large end of level nasty, which is always very difficult to beat. If you do manage this, and only the luckiest players will, you are presented with a different part of the body which has now become accessible. This format is continued throughout the game with the ultimate goal of destroying the enemy There are various problems with this game, and they all revolve around the gameplay. Firstly, the game is just too hard. You have three lives, and when you die, you do not start at the point were you left off, you are taken all the way back to the options screen, which is extremely annoying, especially as the levels are all extremely long. Also, there is no real skill involved. Basically, you just hold down fire, and move about madly until everything is destoyed. If you stay in one place, and try to aim, you will die very quickly. This erratic movement is none to comfortable on the silly CD32 joypad, so you are very much inclined to just give up, and watch the intro again, whilst nursing your sore thumb!!! Next, the matter of price.... Although I am sure that a lot of money as been spent on this game, it is just too expensive. We are constantly being told that CD software should be cheaper because of the reduced problem of playground piracy, and for certain, this game will not be pirated. It is just too large. It's nearest overpriced rival is Liberation, and that is a full £10 cheaper.... In summarising, if you have the money, definatley get it. If only for the sumptuous graphics. I am sure that when a proper joystick becomes available for the machine, this game will be given a whole new lease of life. If the gameplay had been slightly better, it would have got full marks, however 4 stars is the most that I feel I can give this game, which is a pity, because the potential is huge. Let's just hope that Microcosm 2 fixes these niggles.... @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} @{b}****@{ub} @endnode @node morp "Morph" @{fg highlight}@{b}Morph Millenium £30@{fg text}@{ub} You play a spherical lump, very similar to the character in Putty. Here though, you have the ability to morph into four different forms: gas, liquid, rubber or solid. You must make your way through the level, morphing into whatever state is neccessary to pass an obstacle. For example, you can pass through grids by morphing into a liquid, and then float up a pipe by turning into gas. The levels are quite easy to complete, and the graphics and sound are a complement to an overall entertaining game. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node nick "Nick Faldo's Golf" @{fg highlight}@{b}Nick Faldo's Golf Interplay £30@{fg text}@{ub} Out too late to review. Will be in next issue!! @endnode @node nige "Nigel Mansell Racing" @{fg highlight}@{b}Nigel Mansell Racing Gremlin £30@{fg text}@{ub} This is an outrageously easy game, that should keep anybody who is totally innept at race games happy for at least a short while. For those of you who do not fall into this category, I would suggest giving this game a wide berth. I am sure that Formula One Grand Prix will come out eventually for the CD32, and that will be much more worthy of your money. The game is too frustrating to be an arcade driving game because of the maniac other drivers steering into you as you go to pass them, yet far too little skill is involved to win a race for the game to be classed as a simulator. I suppose it is somewhere in between the two. It looks nice, and the sound is OK, but all in all I do not feel that the game has any real staying power. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} ** @endnode @node over "Overkill / Lunar C" @{fg highlight}@{b}Overkill / Lunar C Mindscape £30@{fg text}@{ub} This disk contains two games, both of which are quite good. The first, Overkill is a take-off of the old classic Defender, whereas the second, Lunar C is a horizontal shot-em-up in the style of R-Type and more recently Project X. Both have good sound and graphics, especially Overkill. The same could be said for gameplay. The price is quite reasonable, but if you after this type of game you could do no better than to get CD32 Project-X. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node pinb "Pinball Fantasies" @{fg highlight}@{b}Pinball Fantasies 21st Century £33@{fg text}@{ub} If you liked the floppy version of Pinball Fantasies, you should like this, because it is exactly the same. The tables are enhanced to 256 colours, and there is a digital soundtrack. The in game music is still the same as the original, which is a bit of a dissapointment, because it is bloody annoying, but you can always turn it off. The control method is great, much better than the original keyboard controls in my opinion, but if you have a keyboard connected to your CD32, you can use it in the same way as the original, plus, the original's typed in cheats also work. The game is very good and highly enjoyable, but far too expensive. It should have been no more then £20, because it is getting quite old now. Had 21st Century included Pinall Dreams on the disk, it would have been a sure-fire hit. The only other niggle is that the high-score save uses up a lot of space on the flash-rom, which could be a problem if you have a lot of games which save in that way. @{b}CD32Bits Rating@{ub} *** @endnode @node pira "Pirates Gold" @{fg highlight}@{b}Pirates Gold Microprose £30@{fg text}@{ub} Hmmmmmm, bit of a strange one this!! It is a strategy graphical adventure, based around the lives of pirates. This version is AGA enhanced, as the original version was first released 3 years ago. For this reason, it is a bit overpriced. It's quite fun though very easy to get to grips with, and not very mentally taxing at all!! @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} ** @endnode @node proj "Project-X / F17 Challenge" @{fg highlight}@{b}Project-X / F17 Challenge Team 17 £26@{fg text}@{ub} @{"Team 17's" link alie} second compilation contains the brilliant Project-X, and the not so brilliant F17 Challenge. @{b}Project-X@{ub} is a horizontal shoot-em-up in the style of R-Type. The only difference between the two games, is that Project-X is much, much better. It's graphics and sound are top notch, and the gameplay is excellent. @{b}F17 Challenge@{ub} is by far the worse of the two games on this disk. For gameplay, it is on a par with Nigell Mansell. The graphics are OK, but the sounds are abysmal. Not a good racing game at all. This compilation is worth buying just for Project-X, which is the best shoot-em-up available. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node seek "Seek And Destroy" @{fg highlight}@{b}Seek And Destroy Mindscape £26@{fg text}@{ub} In this game, you are the pilot of a helicopter, in a style very similair to Desert Strike. The only difference being that the game is viewed from above, whereas Desert Strike is viewed on an angle. The game is no different from the floppy version, but the graphics are still OK. The sound effects are especially good, with the radio messages particularly coming to mind. There is only one problem with this game, and that is the difficulty graduation. Levels 1-3 are easy, but after that, it gets very difficult, very quickly. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node sens "Sensible Soccer 92/93" @{fg highlight}@{b}Sensible Soccer 92/93 Mindscape £25@{fg text}@{ub} Everyone in the world has seen Sensible Soccer. It is the best Football game available at the moment. Unfortunately, the conversion to CD32 has done it no favours. It is a direct conversion, and will work on the CDTV as well, so obviously there are no great graphics to talk about. The gorgeous samples from the floppy version have, for some reason, been either removed, or changed for the worse, and the control method which has been converted to the CD32 pad is very bad. All in all, this release is a bit dissapointing. It is still vastly superior to the awful John Barnes Football, but is now just sitting exposed, waiting to be knocked off its pedestal. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node slee "Sleepwalker" @{fg highlight}@{b}Sleepwalker Ocean £30@{fg text}@{ub} THE PLOT: You are a dog, and you must walk around, kicking your sleepwalking master over obstacles, and guiding him past hazards!! Boooooring!!! Just because the game was produced for charity, it doesn't mean that it will be any good. In fact, it is awful. The game is far too difficult, due to the crappy control method, and this problem has just be heightened when the CD32 pad is in use. Besides all this, the game gives you no desire to actually try and work at it. A lot of the tasks require split second timing, and that is just not possible with the pad. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} ** @endnode @node supe "Super Putty" @{fg highlight}@{b}Super Putty System3 14.99@{fg text}@{ub} Super Putty seems the same as the floppy based Silly Putty, but with more levels. You play a lump of blue putty, and the object of the game is to make your way through the levels, absorbing items, morphing into other shapes, and punching the baddies. Although it sounds strange, the game is very absorbing (no pun intended), and will keep you busy for a long while. It looks nice, and has really good sound effects. The only thing wrong with it is getting to grips with the control method. For £15, this is a bargain. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} **** @endnode @node triv "Trivial Pursuit" @{fg highlight}@{b}Trivial Pursuit@{fg text}@{ub} I have not seen the CD32 version of Trivial Pursuit yet, but have been assured that one does exist. I would presume that it is the same as the CDTV version, but with AGA graphics. If it does not exist, the CDTV version will work, and it is worth a look anyway. Unfortunatley, the game relies on honesty. It asks the question, then gives the answer, and asks you if you were right or wrong. It then adds any wedges that you may have won. The questions are posed to you by a really annoying parrot, which fortunately can be turned off. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node trol "Trolls" @{fg highlight}@{b}Trolls Flair £30@{fg text}@{ub} And the prize for worst value game goes to........... TROLLS. Yes, you already have it, Trolls is Oscar in disguise, and all CD32 owners should have Oscar because it comes free with the machine. The only noticeable difference is that the main sprite has a shocking pink mohican haircut. Only for the cranially challenged!!! @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} * @endnode @node whal "Whales Voyage" @{fg highlight}@{b}Whales Voyage Flair £30@{fg text}@{ub} This is a graphical adventure that is very much in the style of Elite with the addition of nice graphics. It has the occassional ray-traced scenes, that make you want to get further into the game so that you can see some more. The sound is nothing to talk about. You fly around in space, you sell things, you buy things, you shoot people, and people (try) to shoot you. That is basically it. It's quite fun though, and definately better than the highly overated Frontier. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node zool "Zool" @{fg highlight}@{b}Zool Gremlin £30@{fg text}@{ub} Well, you have all heard of Zool, so there is no need to explain the plot. The game is AGA enhanced with some really bright backgrounds, which often interfere with your line of view, and it has a really nice ray-traced introduction for you to show off. A tried and tested format, but with no real features that put it above the floppy version. @{fg highlight}CD32Bits Rating@{fg text} *** @endnode @node hard "Full Motion Video" There follows information on the new CD32 add-on hardware.. @{"Microbotics SX1 Expansion Slot" link sx1} @{" Commodore FMV Module " link fmv} @endnode @node sx1 "Turn your CD32 into an A1200" Yep, you add it to your CD32 and its an A1200! with a CD ROM drive. Wow! But it's not available yet, because Microbotics have sold out. When it does arrive though, expect to pay around £140. Not bad considering you are left with a totally new machine. However there is a snag it costs a further £45 for the keyboard and £60 for the disk drive although any existing one will do, providing that it works with the A1200 (some have been known not to work!). It allows you to have a printer, increase the ram address space to 8MB and parnet the unit to another Amiga, with the plus point that the FMV module can still be used in conjuction with this unit. This is of course dependant on whether you have managed to get your hands on the @{"FMV" link fmv} module. I would suspect that the unit will considerably increase the size of the CD32 but for conformation we will have to wait until release. Originally the SX1 will only be available from: Indi Direct (+44 543 419999). @endnode @node fmv "Watch Films On Your CD32" FMV is undoubtably the most exciting thing to hit the home computer market in years. MPEG encoding techniques enable 74 minutes of digital footage and soundtrack to be pressed onto a single CD. The FMV add-on module for the CD32 was released in the first week of January 94, but before anyone was aware of the fact, Commodore had recalled all of the units due to inherent problems. As far as I know, they have not been re-released yet, at least, they still are not available in the shops. However, I was one of the lucky few who managed to purchase one before they were withdrawn, and as far as I can see, there are no major problems with it. The rumour was that, once installed, the CD32 was unable to read disks, but this seems unfounded, because mine works perfectly. The initial release date was delayed, because Phillips had signed a deal with Paramount, which meant that the first 50 movies released would only work on the CD-I. Obviously a market ploy on their part for shifting a few machines. Commodore apparantly re-worked the module with CD-I code included, and CD32Bits can confirm that all of the presently available CD-I movie titles work perfectly with the FMV module. Right, the facts. Installation of the unit could not be simpler. You just unscrew the back plate of the CD32, and push the module into the slot provided, and screw it in. You can now discard the original back plate, because you will never need it again. The unit, when fitted correctly, sticks out of the back of the CD32 by about 1cm, but this is not a problem. If you connect a mouse, and hold down both buttons, you will be presented with the boot options screen. Upon clicking on Expansion Board Diagnostics, you will be told that the board is present and working. Now comes the exciting bit. Watching your first Video CD. Unfortunately, there was no CD supplied with the original units, but hopefully, Commodore will include one when they re-release the unit. It is expected to be a compilation music video. However, if when you bought your CD32, you received the Dangerous Streets / Wing Commander disk, there is a small FMV demonstration of the CD32 television advert. This I suspect will not hold your attention for long though. Your next move is to go out and buy your first Video CD. This has to be Top Gun, because it is the best title available at the moment. All you need do then is load the CD in the normal way, and wait. After about ten seconds, you are presented with a menu screen. On all of the movie's, there are only two choices. The first being to view the copyright warning, and the second being the actual film. On the CD-I, you can jump to specified parts of the film, which are indexed in the CD sleeve. However, this has not been implemented in the Commodore version. Selecting PLAY on the contoller starts the film, and then all you need to do is connect the CD32 to a stereo system, pump up the volume and sit back. The film can be fast forwarded by holding down the relevant button, and a single tap of the button will advance the film 5 minutes. It can also be rewound in the same way. Pressing PAUSE results in a rock steady frame, which could be easily grabbed with no loss at all. Once paused, you can advance the frames one by one, or play the film in slow-motion. It is not possible however to play the film in slow-motion reverse. Another button gives a display of where you are in the CD, plus the sound can be muted, and switched between the first, and second channels. The picture quality if far better than that of VHS, with the added advantage of the CD's never suffering loss of quality. The films are best watched when the CD32 is connected to a TV, because slight pixelation is apparant when run through a monitor. As far as I can see, the FMV Module for the CD32 is the best computer product that you can get. It is not overly expensive (£199), and nor are the CD's (£15). If you stare hard enough, you can sometimes see the frames jump, but I would suspect that this is purely down to the CD encoding. Rest assured, it will not spoil your viewing. I would recommend to anyone, that if you have a CD32, you must get the FMV Module. It is absolutely amazing!! @endnode @node movie "Films on Video CD" Here is a list of the presently available Video CD's, and also some future releases!! Available now!!! An Evening With Bon Jovi Black Rain Bryan Adams - Waking Up The Neighbours Joy Of Sex Naked Gun 2½ - The Smell Of Fear Patriot Games Premier Collection Encore - Andrew Lloyd Webber Star Trek 6 Top Gun Waynes World Available Soon!!! Beverly Hills Cop Fatal Attraction Ghost Hunt For Red October Indecent Proposal Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom INXS - Live Baby Live Lovers Guide Raiders Of The Lost Ark Star Trek Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales The Untouchables Witness @endnode