95 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
95 lines
5.2 KiB
Plaintext
|
||
ARMOR ALLEY (IBM VERSION NOTES)
|
||
|
||
I played ARMOR ALLEY on a 16MHz 386 IBM PC equipped with VGA and
|
||
SoundBlaster cards. The ARMOR ALLEY packaging states that the game requires
|
||
DOS 2.11 or higher and 640K of memory. It worked fine with DOS 3.3 and 570K
|
||
of free memory. It also worked with DOS 5.0.
|
||
|
||
I found ARMOR ALLEY unusual right from the start. Most of the IBM games
|
||
have several different screen shots on the packaging attempting to depict
|
||
the superlative colors. ARMOR ALLEY only shows two pictures on the back of
|
||
the box. One shows two people playing against each other using a Mac and
|
||
IBM while the other shows a Mac screen shot. Both are very small and
|
||
aren't very enticing. Impulse buyers should be relatively safe!
|
||
|
||
Actually, color is one of the chief differences between the IBM and Mac
|
||
versions. Although the game supports CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA, Tandy, and
|
||
Hercules, no one bothered to state that it is also in 256 colors when using
|
||
VGA. That little fact was buried deep in the user's manual. Every other
|
||
game that sports 256 colors has the fact plastered across the front of the
|
||
box.
|
||
|
||
Even when playing with 256-color VGA, there isn't much color on the screen
|
||
(although the unit icons appear attractive). The Mac version permits a
|
||
choice of several backgrounds (white, mountains, scrolling mountains) but
|
||
the IBM version has no options at all. It is simply black. This isn't a
|
||
big factor, but ARMOR ALLEY would have been much more visually pleasing with
|
||
some type of background, especially since high-resolution VGA is supported.
|
||
|
||
My other complaint is that the icons used for the game units (tanks, vans,
|
||
infantry, helicopters, and missile launchers) are tiny. Infantry are no
|
||
more than 1/8 of an inch high (they appear to run though). The other units
|
||
are sized relative to the infantry being approximately 1/4 x 1/2 inch in
|
||
size. Once again, this isn't particularly bad, and may have been necessary
|
||
for displaying the correct amount of detail for game play. But it does seem a
|
||
waste of color and resolution.
|
||
|
||
ARMOR ALLEY supports both the SoundBlaster and AdLib sound cards on the
|
||
IBM PC. I tried the game with and without the SoundBlaster. As with most
|
||
programs, the SoundBlaster adds significantly to the enjoyment of the game.
|
||
There isn't a lot of sound effect variety, but what is available is quite
|
||
effective. The sounds range from _loud_ explosions as units are destroyed, to
|
||
the soft "snick" sound of a missile being launched. It's best to pay attention
|
||
to "snicks"!
|
||
|
||
This isn't a game for arcade players who depend on superb hand-eye
|
||
coordination and quick reflexes to win. The game actually moves at a rather
|
||
ponderous pace. Units are bought and form a single file moving towards the
|
||
enemy. The column is viewed from the side only. There is no ability to
|
||
rearrange units or change speed. The helicopter is the only unit under any
|
||
control. It is used to attack the opponent's forces (as described in the Mac
|
||
version review in TEG). The helicopter can be controlled by either the
|
||
keyboard, joystick, or mouse. I found the mouse to be by far the most
|
||
effective.
|
||
|
||
If the above comments appear to be leading to a negative assessment of the
|
||
game, that's not intended. I liked ARMOR ALLEY! It's just that there seems to
|
||
be so much that could have been improved to make it even more fun to play.
|
||
|
||
Since I have two IBM PCs sitting side by side, I couldn't resist the
|
||
option to direct connect the PCs and play against another person.
|
||
Connection was simple using a null modem cable, and I had several battles
|
||
with my 8-year-old son (I won't say who won). Each PC user must have
|
||
purchased a separate copy of ARMOR ALLEY to play a full game, otherwise
|
||
you're limited to a helicopter war. ARMOR ALLEY doesn't support network play
|
||
or multi-user play in the PC version. It does support both direct connect or
|
||
modem-to-modem play. This is a _great_ feature and should be mandatory for
|
||
all games!
|
||
|
||
A addendum to the manual describes how to play ARMOR ALLEY on CompuServe in
|
||
the Modem-to-Modem Games area (GO MTMGAMES). Once I get to the point where I
|
||
feel more confident, I plan to give this a try. It really looks like fun. The
|
||
addendum also points out that Three-Sixty Pacific provides online support in
|
||
CompuServe's GAMPUB Forum.
|
||
|
||
ARMOR ALLEY is not copy protected and can be played directly off two
|
||
floppies or a hard disk. A simple DOS COPY command is all that is required to
|
||
install on the hard file. As in the Mac version, each player must register
|
||
their adherence to Three-Sixty's license agreement before play. Although I
|
||
have the 5.25 inch floppy version (two diskettes), the box includes an offer
|
||
for 3.5 inch disks (costs $5.00). The manual is the same for both the Mac and
|
||
IBM. It is written primarily for the Mac and has exceptions listed for IBM
|
||
users.
|
||
|
||
ARMOR ALLEY is an enjoyable game with excellent play features. There could
|
||
have been more bells and whistles included, but that wouldn't have really
|
||
enhanced the play value. ARMOR ALLEY is simple to play, but hard to master,
|
||
especially if you select one of the higher play levels (Armageddon is
|
||
tough!). Other than the differences noted, game play is exactly the same in
|
||
the IBM version as on the Mac.
|
||
|
||
ARMOR ALLEY is published by Three-Sixty Pacific and distributed by
|
||
Electronic Arts.
|
||
|
||
|