. I Games and Internet PC
Lemmings Revolution (Take 2) £29.99 a: #1 1t it
Oh those crazy Lemmings. They are back again, With only y0ur mind and some JUdICIOUS mouse manipulation to stop them flinging themselves into the great beyond. This time however, they are marching round the OutSide of a Cylinder, trapped into endless near- death by some irrelevant eVil weasels. Although the new cylindrical levels are initially pleasmg, spinning round With a gentle push of the mouse, it is not often that the posSibiIity for endless, continual levels is explored.
All too often it feels like the same old levels presented in a fancy way. And, indeed, not the best way. Even the ability to zoom in and out of the platformed tower does not prevent some poor camera posmons and fiddly control. Pausing and zooming soon becomes frequent and sometimes interferes With the infectious panic that makes the game so appealing. For aficionados of the Lemmings series, this Will be moderately annOying, Otherwise Lemmings Revolution is a hugely playable puzz!er that shows yet again Why fancy graphics are nothing compared to a solid gaming idea.
(lain DaVidson)
Sim City 3000 World Edition
(Maxis) £29.99 * tr * tr
Just in time for Frank Dobson, Maxis releases its latest Sim City title, World Edition. Actually, this is more of an update of the original Sim City 3000, offering more in the way of frills and exactly the same in terms of actual gameplay. Not, it has to be said, that this is bad thing. Sim City 3000 is one of the most accomplished games out there, doing exactly what it says on the tin. World Edition offers two more sets
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PC Starlancer (Microsoft) £34.99 a a 2-r i It is a hard job being a pioneer. Take Erin and Chris Roberts, creators of the Wing Commander series. Are they remembered for their daring experimentation into high production value Full Motion Video? Or for going close to proving that video games are not interactive movies? Or for the simple feat of bringing Hollywood to the PC? Not a bit of it. They are renowned for giving Mark Hamill his most famous role since Star Wars. Lesser humans would have given up after such a trial.
Luckily for us, they have not given up and are now plying their space combat simulations in the form of
the excellent Starlancer. However, it would appear that past path-forging experiences have burnt a few fingers because Starlancer is anything but innovative. Anyone
who has played an X-Wing - TIE Fighter game will slide
easily into the Starlancer cockpit.
The story might be different, featuring the hackneyed East versus West, Commies versus Free World plotline instead of an evil, asthmatic sorcerer, but everything else is pure X-Wing. Combat consists of that glorious juggling act of engine-shield-laser power management. If you want more speed, the shields will suffer. More power to the weaponry and you’ll fly slower. This constant reassessment of priorities adds a beautifully strategic edge as you struggle to remember your
A beautifully strategic edge to an irresistible package
mission objectives and keep the enemy sucking vacuum. Also standing out is the effectiveness of the
environments. Gracefully depicted, with blinding
explosions and floating debris, each starfield, asteroid
belt and flotilla of Starships is easily navigated and it is
(lain Davidson)
rare that you feel lost. Which is handy, as mission objectives have a nasty habit of changing from second to second. A ranking system ensures that there is constant advancement in weaponry and ship, plus the ever-popular Kill Board that will have you cutting up your colleagues to bag that straggling bad guy.
Starlancer offers nothing new, but offers it in such a slick and appealing fashion that it is irresistible.
of bUildings, European and Asian, as well as the opportunity to build your own and fOur new disasters to tear it all down. There are thirteen new scenarios to tackle and an added editor With which to bUIId your own scenarios, swapping them wrth similar minded indivrduals
Indeed, it is hard to think of anything else they could have done to improve the game further. It is Just a huge pity that this cOuld not have been released as an add-on. Those who have the original may not want to shell out for mainly cosmetic extras. However, those who don’t have Sim City 3000 should get World Edition now. (lain Davrdsoni
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122 THE LIST 8—22 Jun 2000
Cricket 2000
(EA) £34.99
With Wind and rain hon-.Iling through the flooded plains of sOuthern England it must be cricket season again And if there’s a sport, EA Sports will simulate it. Cricket 2000 is, by and large, a re- release of World Cup 99 Cricket The graphics are the same, the gameplay is the same, zndeed if you didn’t look at the box you would have a hard Job finding a difference bet‘.'.ieen the two titles.
Cricket 2000 features night gaines, an extra dimension to the batting control and a few extra cricket grounds to whack the ball from And that’s :t Still, it is by far and away the best cricket simulation out there It looks great, plays well and the commentaiy by Ric hie Benaud and Davrd Clover is top class. It is just a shame that cric ket itself is not really a coniputer-friendly sport, resulting in Cricket 2000 appealing to enthusiasts only If gullies, slips and sguare-legs mean anything to you then this \VIH not disappoint Everyone else will soon bore of sending balls and bails into the middle of next week (lain Dayidsoi‘l
Evolva
(Virgin Interactive) £29.99
Since the early days of computing, the promise of Artificial Intelligence, and its iisui'per Artificial Life, has rarely lived up to its reality Particularly in games, it is rare to find a programme that geiiiiinely exhibits that elusive
blend of randOmness and order. Evolva 's the latest l)"(—?i(‘.”‘.(f6‘l Essentially a team action-ad\.ienture game, Evolva consists of guiding four geno-hunters across an alien landscape, clestrOying much in il‘C‘ll path, and sucking up genetic materials to be used for mutation It looks fantast:c, utilising Computer Artworks legendary organic style, and (werything moves with a purposeful s‘.'.agge7'
Unfc‘n‘tuitatelv the taro areas where Al, III the case of gene-hunter control, and AL, producing random mutation, are used Evolva fails It is not uncommon to \.‘.'atc.l‘. your team shoot eac l: other LII) as you try to organise in combat while the mutations, the method of character specialisation and advancement, produces results that could have been achieved \.'-.ith a much simpler system That sa:ci, rt .s a very ll)(fl‘.'l(ftlcil, and not unappealing, game that has a lot of play ng in it With a little more thought Evolva 2 might rock the rafters llcilll Da‘~.'idson~
PLAYSTATION
Ronaldo V-Football (lnfogrames) £34.99
‘With a poke of streets and a cheeky “wee smile Ronaldo is a fti ' Yes, we all knox‘. the song But is the game featuring Ronaldo, lui/ Na/ario De Lima to his mates, as infectious and fun as that little ditty” Well, following if) the footsteps of its Gameboy predecessor, not to iiientiort the Bra/ilian football team, it has a lot to