textfiles/games/REVIEWS/gnorm.rev

 GREG NORMAN'S SHARK ATTACK! THE ULTIMATE GOLF SIMULATOR

 A golf game called SHARK ATTACK? Pro golfer Greg Norman's nickname is "The
Great White Shark," presumably for the way he plays golf. And now he's given his
name to a computer game that could well devour the competition. (This review is
based on the IBM-PC version.)

 SHARK ATTACK can be played on many levels. At its simplest, it's a mere
arcade-style sports game. But at its most complex, it becomes a rich, detailed
simulation that requires intense concentration and thought, much like the real
game. I'm not even sure I can describe all of its many features in this review,
but I'll give it a shot.

 Let's talk about players. The game comes with a database of ten pre-defined
players, each rated on factors such as experience, skill, grip, stance, swing,
fitness, and handicap. You can add more players to the database; up to 50 can be
saved. Depending on the type of game you select (Practice, Strokeplay,
Matchplay, Singles, Fourball, Foursome, Greensome, or Texas Scramble), you can
have up to four players. Each player can be either "human" or
computer-controlled. You can also choose whether to have a caddy. (The caddies
make many decisions for you -- generally recommending the best option -- but you
can override them.)

 After selecting your clubs, you'll move on to the first hole. Detailed
information about the weather is available, including wind speed and direction,
grass wetness, and so on. Although you're initially viewing the course from the
tee, clicking on "MAP" on the top menu bar allows you to obtain an overhead
view. You can choose to "WALK" the course to study it first, turning to look in
each direction.

 Your caddy will recommend a club, and you can accept or ignore that
recommendation. Next, you can adjust backspin, sidespin, and swing arc. An
information menu on the right-hand side of the screen keeps you updated on
distance to the hole, par for the hole, number of strokes already taken, wind
speed, and weather. (It also lets you restart the hole, replay the shot, and
change to another hole.)

 Finally, you're ready to take the shot. Press the fire button once to start a
line ascending on the "power bar." Your second press will determine how much
power is used -- anywhere from 0 to 112%. Now your eye should quickly jump to
the meter, beneath which is a direction indicator. Your third press of the
button "aligns" the shot: Will it go straight, hook, or slice?

 I know; if you're a novice or armchair golfer, all of this sounds a bit
daunting. But you can always opt to accept the caddy's recommendations and just
concentrate on the shot itself. Almost anyone can play a complete round within
minutes of opening the instruction manual. However, the golf expert is sure to
revel in the way each parameter of each shot can be so precisely adjusted.

 About the only thing SHARK ATTACK seems to lack is the ability to design your
own courses. The game comes with two complete 18-hole courses, and the
capability to load in others. Presumably Virgin plans to offer more courses
(purchased separately) in the future. The manual says nothing about importing
courses created by other golf games, so there's apparently no compatability with
such programs.

 The IBM-PC version of SHARK ATTACK comes on two 5-1/4" floppies that can be
installed on your hard disk. A manual copy-protection method is used, but I
should state that I often found it difficult to match up the color view of the
course shown on my screen with the tiny little gray drawings in the booklet.

 The simulation can be played from the keyboard, with a joystick, or with a
mouse. Graphics support is provided for CGA, EGA, and Tandy 16-color modes. No
support is provided for any soundboards; audio is limited to sound effects when
the ball is hit or items on the menus are tagged.

 The EGA graphics were slightly disappointing. The course has a graph-like
appearance to it, which occasionally obscures details. (I once found myself
gaining only one yard per stroke, until I finally realized I was on the side of
a hill and needed to adjust my stroke to make it over the top. It was also
occasionally disconcerting to be lining up a shot, with the ball positioned just
_off_ the bottom of the screen.)

 Still, GREG NORMAN'S SHARK ATTACK! THE ULTIMATE GOLF SIMULATOR is a rich,
multi-leveled experience that should appeal to both casual and diehard golf fans
alike.

 GREG NORMAN'S SHARK ATTACK! THE ULTIMATE GOLF SIMULATOR is published by
Melbourne House and distributed by Virgin Mastertronic.

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