P82 PC
F1 2001 (Electronic Arts £39.99/E29.99) 000.
If yOu were to release a Formula One simulation. a game that brings yoti all the speed. excnement and strategy of the fastest sport in the world. when w0uld you launch it into the marketplace? Well. Electronic Arts has taken the brave. if COl'liLlSll'lg. deCision to wait until the end of the Ft season before releasing F 7 2007. Which is a shame because the title works well on both platforrris and truly captures the adrenaline-inducing thrill of the most famous of motor spons. Grapl’iically the game is superb. the cars handle beautifully and the tracks are stunning. The full chanipronsl'iip is available. supported by
PC COMMANDOS 2 (Eidos £29.99) 0000
I....- K‘ Grow your own Wrtual Sea-Monkeys
a very welcome challenge :nvolving victory over your team mate rather than the normal free-for—all. And for PC owners there is a bonus pack which includes Fl I‘t/i’aiiager. F7 2001 really is the asphalt ass-kicker and would normally roar off the shelves. Unfortunately. with the season over. who really cares about Fl at the moment?
PLAYS'lA'i ION MILLIONAIRE: SECOND EDITION
(Eidos £29.99) 0
l’l/ho lit/arts To Be A Miro/ra'r'(> may be a television gui/ show based on the idea of a single solitary player rising to a phenomenal mental challenge but it is a television show that is best viewed in a group. The screaming of both
Fans of World War II films, old and new, or indeed anyone who is watching the Band Of Brothers series will immediately feel at home in the world of Commandos 2. It is a grainy, misty world of subterfuge and sneakiness, it is knee deep in mud, duck and roll, silent knife hell where only the strong willed and properly prepared survive. Then again, some might be unable to shake the ghostly
presence of ’Allo ’Allo.
Commandos 2 is more of a fantastic expansion of its predecessor than a complete overhaul. The gameplay is essentially the same, as you guide a ragtag group of elite forces through dangerous missions in enemy-occupied territory. The isometric viewpoint remains, but has been given a complete wash and brush-up resulting in some impressively realised levels. The detail is stunning and the rotating camera works like a dream. And some thought has been given to the locations themselves, with the original uninspiring towns and outposts replaced by something a lot more engaging. Colditz makes an appearance, as does the bridge over the river Kwai, indeed each level is full of familiar environments that make the game that little bit more enjoyable.
There are also some new characters to play with, including a whore and an amusing thief, while the skill sets of each of the heroes are slightly more defined. However, this demarcation of skills leads to Commandos 2’s only real flaw.
Each level has been designed to utilise as many of the characters’ skills as possible. This means that any real sense of freedom soon dissipates as you learn to compete with the programmers rather than the game. Each step of a challenge has its own solution and when these are discovered, the level becomes a breeze. It is like learning a method for Rubik’s Cube — once you discover the correct moves the enjoyment disappears and all that is left is an anal race against time.
That said, the learning of the moves is a whole lot of fun and will take some time. Then, when you are a master, you can go on-line and show off your Black Ops skills to a whole new world of commandos.
(lain Davidson)
answers and insults at some boob on the tube is a joy enloyed by millions throughout the c0untry. bringing families and friends together in one glorious shouting match. This is its strength.
Now consider the strengths of the humble computer game. A time filler. a solo challenge. a lonely Joy. best enjoyed on a cold and lonely \‘Jll'TiCl‘S ever‘iing. This is why Mi'l/ionair'e: Second Edition is so woeful. Slow to load. slow to play. unsatisfying and as exciting as. well, a cold and lonely wrnter's evening wrth no computer game. Play it in a group and you will all be screaming all right. screaming at how dull this is to play. Still. it will sell as many millions as its pr'er‘lecessor. Go figure.
PC
THE AMAZING VIRTUAL SEA- MONKEYS (Creature Labs £24.99) 0..
Everyone who read a Marvel or DC comic during the 70s or 805; will be familiar with Sea- Monkeys. Almost every second page featured a massive selection of mirid-blowing gadgets. toys and general pocket-money wasters. And among the X—ray specs and fart cushions
is
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Stunning detail and great rotating camera
were these mysterious pond life. Pour the packet of dust into a bowl of water. add the food powder and. hey presto. your very own pet plankton.
And now the computer age has caught up on these weird. floating fauna. The Amazing Virtual Sea-Monkeys allows you to grow. play and teach your marine mates without stinking out your room with fetid water. Creature Labs are kings of this artificial intelligence lark and the Sea-Monkeys are fun and strangely independent. holding your attention for longer than you will admit to. There is no challenge. and very little to do. but the cheeky charm will have you drifting back to childhood in no time. (lain Davidson)
mm
Dune (P82 Acclaim $39.99) My bwother comes with many Fweman Wawwrors! Thunderhawk (P82 Eidos €39.99) Is it Airwolf good or Blue Thunder bad?
Spy Hunter (P82 Midway £39.99) A classic re- inCARnated.
Project Eden (PC Eidos $329.99) No. not the Cornish biosphere. Championship Manager 01-02 (PC Eidos £29.99) Are you Craig Brown's successor?
Inernet
internet@list.co.uk
STUDENT RADIO www.studentradio. org.uk
Ahh. student radio: where would we be without it? Essays. beans on toast. cheap wine. fags. missed lectures: what more perfect a soundtrack could you ask for? This is an A—Z of the nation's student airwaves and is packed full of advice for would-be broadcasters. At time of press. the west coast is looking a bit shameful as far as on-line coverage goes. but the east coast seems alive and kicking.
THE CEMETERY OF ROCK
www.geocities.com/Sun setStrip/Frontrow/2547
Come here. visit. and pay your respects to your fav0urite dead rock stars. They're all here. and none of them died from old age. Death certificates and surcide notes a-go- go. Only a little bit gruesome. It's better to burn out. than it is to rust.
TASTE
www.taste.co.uk
An on-line 8ainsbury's venture about food and drink. and an extremely good one at that. In an age where the TV chef is a modern-day Dionysus. we can't get enough recipes and wine guides. This site is large and informative. packed with recipe ideas. dietary guides. and food and wine matching ideas. Not to be visited on an empty stomach.
ASK DR TOAST
www.drtoast.com
But then. if breakfast is the most important meal of the day. and toast is one of the most popular breakfasts. then surely toast is one of the most important foodstuffs going? Everything you didn't realise you wanted to know about toast is here: history. recipes (baked cinnamon toast is a particular highlight) and
a forum in which you can ask the toasted guru anything about toast. But what's all the fuss? It's only burned bread. All answers here.
BOOK FORAGER www.readersonline— europa.com/forager
Thanks to technology you no longer need to rely on word of mouth for your next read. Using a system of categories and sliders. you can have a book recommendation at the drop of a hat. Choose up to four categories and the weighting attached to each one (eg Sex/No Sex. Beautiful ’Repulsivei. and it‘s as good as a chat wrth y0ur librarian.
THE JIM BOWEN APPRECIATION SOCIETY
www.jimbowen.co.uk
Not much to explain here. You can download pictures of Mr Bowen's beautiful features. He can calculate the compatibility of you and your loved one. choose lottery numbers or play Pong with him. Actually it's a pile of old tat. but it's very entertaining and deserves a look even JUSI for kitsch value.
THE DARWIN AWARDS OFFICIAL SITE
www.darwinawards.com
A real web ClaSSIC new and has been active for years. For those that don't know. it's a iuSuallyi posthum0us award for people that remove themselves from the gene pool by accidentally killing themselves in the most bizarre fashion. Marvel at the teenagers who tried to make money by hacking down an electric pylon to obtain sellable aluminium. Gasp at the man who
aCCIdentally blew his head off by answering his handgun after waking up when his bedside phone rang. (Steve Blairl
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l8 ()cl-l No\ I’tii‘l THE LIST 115