1869 lines
93 KiB
Plaintext
1869 lines
93 KiB
Plaintext
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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ÜÛÛÛÜ
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ßßß
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÜ ÛÛÛ ÞÝÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÜ [Pred 94]
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ÛÛÛ ÜÜÜ ÞÛÛ ÛÛß ßÛÛ ÛÛÛÞ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ ÜÜÜ ÞÛÛ ÜÛÛ ÞÛÛ
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ÛÛ² ÛÛ² Û²ÞÛ² ÛÛ²ÞÛ²ÞÝ ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÛÛ² Û²
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ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÜÛ²ÞÛ² ÛÛ²ÞÛ² Û ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÛÛ² ÜÛ²
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ÛÛ± ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛ± ÛÛ±ÞÛ± ÞÝÛÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛÛÛ±ÞÛÛÛÛÛß
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ÛÛ± ÞÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛ±ÞÛ± ÛÞÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛ± ÛÛ±
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ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛÜ ÜÛ± ÛÛ° ÞÞÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ßÛ° ÛÛ°
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ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ßÛÛÛß ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛ° ÛÛÛÛÛ°Þ° ÛÛ°
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C O N S O L E M A G A Z i N E
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FRoNTiER magazine is (c) copyright 1994
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April 1994
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EDiTOR: Gordon Craick
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3Do þ Jaguar þ Genesis þ CD-i þ CD32 þ GenesisCD þ Super Nintendo
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and all other consoles
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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iNDEX TO iSSUE 2
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*******/\*******
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Welcome
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Updates
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Changes
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Feedback
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News:
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* Saturn looks hot
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* Creative Labs obtains license for 3DO technology
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* Jaguar on the prowl
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* CD32 software hits home
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* SX1 expansion port for CD32
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* Sony's Playstation-X
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Features:
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* The Asian Connection - Part 2
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* The inside specs on the CD32
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Editorial/Opinion:
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* 16 bit - RIP?
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Reviews:
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* Cybermorph (Jaguar)
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* NBA Jam (SNES)
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* Super Turrican (SNES)
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* Wolfenstein (SNES)
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The Cheater's Den
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Trading
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Support sites/distribution
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How *YOU* too can help out Frontier
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How to contact Frontier
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Credits/Thanx
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
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ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛ²±°
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ÛÛ Û ÛÛÞÛÛÜÜÜÞÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛÞÛÝÛÛÞÛÛÜÜÜ
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ÛÛ Û ÛÛÞÛÛßßßÞÛÛ ßÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛßßß
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°±²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ
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úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
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Hi again from the editor of Frontier! This should be a lot smaller
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than the last one, the formalities of introducting the magazine
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out of the way. Issue one was received very well from what I have
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received from readers - and that was only the first issue. Things
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can only get better from here on, the more that here about the
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magazine the better so if you can, keep spreading the word. I know
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several people who have been which is good to see. Pass it on to
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BBS, FTP sites, your friends, relatives, family dog or whoever
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you think might find it interesting. I can't do that all on my own
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8)
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Sorry to those who were expecting issue two on the first of
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April, but I, like many others was wrapped in holidays, Easter, etc
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for the last few days. Such delays can't really be helped. In
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future I will aim for the first of each month, however if I am busy
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with other things it may be an extra few days. Don't worry though,
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each issue will be out at least in the first week of the month.
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There have been many developments in the last few months, the US
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CD32 rollout, increase in Jaguar support and sales, plus other
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developments on hot machines such as the Saturn, and PS-X. Late
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1994 looks like being the most exciting period in the industry,
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with all consoles set to be on the market around Christmas-time
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1994. One of the things obvious so far in the console wars is that
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consumers are not going to pay for machines that are going to cost
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tremendous amounts of money. $400 looks like being about the
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maximum limit that people will pay, forcing machines such as the
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3DO to lower their prices. The cost/quality of software is a factor
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also being taken into strong consideration.
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Issue two as you will probably notice includes quite a bit of
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news, and less features. This will probably be a trend with
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Frontier, if one aspect is increased (due to bursts of creativity,
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news, ideas, boredom, etc :) ), less time can be spent on some
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others. Hopefully by spreading things evenly Frontier will
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include enough of each to keep most readers happy.
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That's all I feel the need to say at the moment, if you want to
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have a more indepth chat about the console industry, send me some
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mail and we can start a conversation. Enjoy issue two!
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Gordon Craick (Editor -> FRONTiER magazine)
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< April 4th, 1994 >
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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UPDATES
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***/\**
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ALTHOUGH Frontier aims to make fewer mistakes than some other
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magazines, it would be naive to think there wouldn't be any. In
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issue one several people have pointed out some inaccuracies or
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clear mistakes. Thanks to those people who did so, if I don't know
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about it - I can't correct it :)
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- In the glossary it mentioned that 'Famicon' was the Japanese
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version of the Super Nintendo. That is close to the mark, however
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the Famicon is the name given to the Japanese version of the 8 bit
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NES. The Super Famicon is the Japanese model of the Super Nintendo.
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I was aware of that - brain must have been turned off when I wrote
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it :)
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- Another slight inaccuracy in the glossary of terms was the entry
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for NTSC. It stated that NTSC was a standard for the US only, but a
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reader pointed out the fact that it is a standard in Canada and
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other American continental countries.
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CHANGES
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***/\**
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Frontier aims to provide what readers want, and as a result of
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feedback after issue one, a few changes have been made as
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requested.
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- A left margin, creating a text which appears to be easier to read
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for many. It might make the magazine a bit larger K-size, but if it
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makes it easier to read why not..
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- Better paragraph structure and separation. Some have found that
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Frontier is a bit hard to read because of overly long paragraphs.
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English structure is not my strong point I must admit, but I have
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done my best to separate appropriate points into separate
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paragraphs.
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úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
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°±²ÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛ
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ÛÛ ÞÛÛÜÜÜÞÛÛÜÜÜÞÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÛ Ûß
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ÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛßßßÞÛÛßßßÞÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÜ
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ÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛßÞÛÛÜÜÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛ ßÛ²±°
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úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
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FEEDBACK from issue one has been quite amazing, though having to reply
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to 15+ Frontier related messages a week can take a fair amount of time!
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There weren't any one message that especially stood out, so rather than
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publishing some of them I have just answered the main points covered.
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If you feel like a conversation on the console industry (or in fact
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anything!) send my some email, the best ones will be published in
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Frontier for others to join in on.
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Q: Can I be added to the Frontier mailing list? Can you send me
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Frontier via email? I don't have FTP access, can you please send me
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issue one?
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A: The answer to that is unfortunately no. At present there is *no*
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Frontier mailing list, though I have been posting for people
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prepared to set one up adamantly. My site does not have the
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facilities to set up such a mail-server to send issues via email,
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so that support must come from an external source.
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I have however been recording all email addresses sent to me so
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that when somebody can offer to set one up they will be sent each
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issue. True other electronic magazines have this feature, but then
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again they have been going for a while longer than Frontier
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Q: I cannot find Frontier via FTP, where is it available?
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A: When Frontier was first released, I had spent so much time
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actually campaigning for the magazine and getting support, that I
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didn't have much time to consider adequate distribution. The FTP
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site organised fell through just before release, which made things
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more frustrating. As a temporary measure I uploaded the magazine to
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wuarchive.wustl.edu in pub/frontier_magazine - where it still as of
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issue two release for those still after issue one.
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Luckily through the resources of Scott Patton, a new official
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FTP site has been organised. FTP to ftp.digex.net via anonymous FTP
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and then change directory to /pub/access/spatton/frontier_magazine
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were more information is given.
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C (comment): Frontier offers a different perspective to all other
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magazines I have read, keep improving the magazine!
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R (reply): That is what Frontier has aimed to give in the
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beginning, so it is good to see that the magazine is coming across
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to readers as I intended. Frontier sure will keep up in providing a
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better electronic magazine, so keep reading!
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úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
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ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛ ÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÛ²±°
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ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÜÜÜ ÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛÜÜÜÜ
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ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛßßß ÛÛ Û ÛÛÝßßßßÛÛ
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°±²ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÛ
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úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
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SATURN LOOKS HOT
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*******/\*******
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As the months pass realistic specifications on the much hyped Sega
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Saturn is beginning to filter through, and by all indications is
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looking more and more impressive each time.
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Already there are reports of preliminary versions being shipped
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to major developers though all are under a non-disclosure agreement
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so second opinions are non-existent at this time :(
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What Sega representatives *are* keen to point out that the
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arcade board used for Virtua Racing is *primitive* compared to the
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Saturn's board. Now if this turns out to be true you can bet that
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thousands are already hanging on for Virtua Racing (Virtua Racing
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2?) and Virtua Fighting on the Saturn.
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While Sony is still at work on their PlayStation_X machine they
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have also helped Sega out in developing software for the Saturn.
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Rather than putting all their coins in the one slot :), Sony has
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taken the view that both giant companies can help each other out in
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a time of electronic and economic downturn in Japan.
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The Saturn is in no way backward compatible with either the
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GenesisCD or Genesis, Sega is quick to point out.
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Sega believes that their 32 bit machine will easily be as
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powerful as the 3DO and CD32, and even the Jaguar (though of course
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that comment is predictable :) ).
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Sega looks as though they have just about pushed Nintendo to the
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side at present, and have their sights firmly set on outselling all
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other 32 bit consoles by the end of 1995.
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What Sega is willing to let on is the basic specifications, which
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are by no means final at this stage:
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PROCESSOR : 32 bit ARM RISC running at 29.1mhz
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GRAPHICS : 24 bit, Palette of 16.8mil colours
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SOUND : 8 channel digital/16 channel synthesised,
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16 bit stereo sound
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STORAGE : Triple spin CD ROM drive, 450-500kb/sec transfer rate
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EXPANSION : Cable connection to Sega channel (where available)
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RELEASE : Japan - September 1994, US/Elsewhere - March 1995
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PRICE : $400 with software included
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Look out for a complete overview when the full specifications are
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known.
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CREATIVE LABS OBTAINS LICENSE FOR 3DO TECHNOLOGY
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*********************/\*************************
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Creative Labs/Technologies, makers of the popular Soundblaster
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range of sound cards for the IBM PC family of computers has obtained
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licensing from the 3DO company to include 3DO technology in their
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future products.
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Technology likely to be licensed includes the dedicated graphics
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RISC processors, and possibly 3DO MPEG/video technology and other
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chips. Creative Labs is planning on incorporated this technology
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into a special plug-in 'GameBlaster' card for the IBM compatible
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range of computers. Developers would likely need to write software
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specifically for the GameBlaster, meaning that GameBlaster games
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are not likely be compatible with non-GameBlaster equipped PC's.
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Despite what many might hope, this would only be an additional
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card for specific compatible software, and would NOT allow you to
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play 3DO discs on your PC :( However, it could mean a totally new
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game-playing experience on your PC.
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In the not to distant future, if Creative Labs proves successful
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with its hybrid 3DO/PC card, we may see the IBM compatible computer
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emerge as a very dominant entertainment machine. Building on the
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existing base of tens of millions of computer systems sold across
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the world, it seems unlikely PC owners would feel the need to
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purchase a console if they owned a GameBlaster.
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Imagine the power of a 486 combined with professional quality
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sound and graphical processing! Frontier estimates that the price
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of 3DO technology fitted PC cards may sell for $300.
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JAGUAR ON THE PROWL
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*********/\********
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March 7th 1994 - Atari has announced that 86 developers have
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currently signed up to produce hardware or software for the Jaguar.
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An additional 48 developers have been signed up since the beginning
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of the year, indicating a definite and continuing confidence in the
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machine.
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Jaguar distribution for Europe is currently said to be in June,
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however many are predicting full release in the last quarter of the
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year. Apparently some European stores are a little reluctant to
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stock the machine due to a broken promise of units shipping before
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1994.
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One of that will surely attract attention over 16 bit machines
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is that PAL versions will include a full-screen picture and be
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equivalent speed-wise to the NTSC. No more letter-box displays that
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we have had to put up with in the PAL SNES and Genesis!
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In other Jaguar news, Atari is adamant that their CD addon unit
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will be out in September 1994, with a RRP of $200 - bringing the
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total cost of a Jaguar+CD to $450. They have also announced plans
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to release the Jaguar with a RRP of $200 in late 1994 to make
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prices competitive with other new machines.
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Black Cat Design and ICD has developed the first hardware addon for
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the Jaguar machine. Named the 'Cat Box', the small unit (around
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15cm x 4cm x 2.5cm) plugs into the external DSP and AV port of the
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Jaguar. The box gives all external connections in an easily
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accessible fashion such as *two* stereo headphone jacks, SVHS port,
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composite video out, RGB out, left/right sound out, serial port
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output, DSP, ComLynx port and supposedly space for a modem/etc.
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Probably what the Jaguar should have included in the first
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place, however with a RRP of $50 it makes it affordable to all
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Jaguar players. The Cat Box will be start shipping in the US in
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May.
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CD32 SOFTWARE HiTS HOME
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***********/\**********
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While support for the CD32 looked rather disappointing when it was
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first released in Australia, Europe and Canada, increased developer
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confidence and licensing has meant a bright future for the machine.
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Around 50-60 developers are producing titles for the CD32, and a
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reported 100+ titles are to be released this year alone.
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Many top titles are being ported to the CD32, as well as a stack
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of new CD32 specific titles. All look very promising, though it
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will be several months until we begin to see the best of these
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titles appearing. It isn't just platform and arcade games CD32
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owners can look forward to either, top RPG's, adventure and
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strategy games are also on their way to the machine.
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Initial sales have been indicated to be 200,000-300,000
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worldwide and demand especially in the UK is high. During the
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Christmas period CD32 gained a 38% share of CD-ROM sales drives
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sold, well outselling the GenesisCD. It is too early to say of the
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success of the CD32 in the United States, only being a month since
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release there.
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SX1 EXPANSiON PORT FOR CD32
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*************/\************
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Microbotics has announced the release of a new expansion module for
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the CD32 that turns into a fully functioning computer. Plugging into
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the 32 bit expansion port of the CD32, it gives the CD32 a standard
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serial, parallel, and floppy drive port. An IDE interface is also
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included, allowing the connection of standard hard-disk drives.
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Maximum RAM expandable on the SX1 is 8 megabytes. For those who
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still want to maintain MPEG compatibility, a pass-through for the
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MPEG1 cartridge is included.
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Included in the price is software, a parnet cable and keyboard
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adaptor to allow the connection of standard PC compatible
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keyboards.
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Once you have the SX1, all that is needed is a floppy disk drive
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and keyboard to have a fully functioning computer. With new disk
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drives selling for approximately $45, and PC keyboards for $25 the
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cost of 'upgrading' your CD32 to a computer (including the price of
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the SX1) would be about $220.
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The SX1 module will be compatible with existing Amiga 1200
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software which makes it an even greater incentive for existing
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Amiga owners.
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SONY'S PLAYSTATION-X
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*********/\*********
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Sony, keen to enter the already bulging console market are planning
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on releasing their PS-X console in late 1994.
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Many would remember the Playstation, a co-operative venture
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between Nintendo and Sony. First planned to be released in 1993,
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the Playstation was due to be a hardware addon to the Super
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Nintendo. Adding a CD-ROM, powerful 32 bit processor and other
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enhancements, the future of the SNES looked assured for many years
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to come. Then, when everything looked exciting, a fall out with
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Nintendo and reported complications of interfacing the Playstation
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with the SNES meant its cancellation. Sony continued development on
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their own, and are hard at work on the PS-X, a dedicated 32 bit
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console.
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Boasting a RISC processor running at 33mhz, the PS-X from
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indications appears to be many times faster than other 32 bit
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machines. At the heart of the PS-X is a custom graphics
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architecture named the 3DGE (3D Graphics Engine) which can
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reportedly move around polygons and sprites a lot quicker than
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either the 3DO or Saturn. Sound will be CD quality, which will be
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in full stereo with multiple channels.
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Software wise, Sony has signed major Japanese developers Namco,
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Capcom, Konami, and in house developers Epic. All of these
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companies have PS-X titles in production, which will mean that
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when released players will have a fair library of games to choose
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from.
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While the Playstation looks promising, Sony will be entering a
|
|
market that is becoming increasingly competitive. Not only will
|
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they have to sell the machine at a cheap price, but to muster the
|
|
support of developers and most importantly the consumers. One thing
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|
is sure, the machine looks like being the most powerful of all the
|
|
32 bit machines, the 3DO, CD32 and Saturn. Even Sega admits that
|
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the Saturn will not be quite as powerful as Sony's machine....
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|
The PS-X will be out in the home market in approximately
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December this year, with incarnations appearing in numerous arcade
|
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machines soon afterwards.
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|
|
|
PROCESSOR : 32 bit R3000A RISC running at 33mhz
|
|
GRAPHICS : 24 bit, Palette of 16.8mil colours
|
|
SOUND : 16 bit/24 channel stereo (44.1khz)
|
|
STORAGE : Double spin CD ROM drive, 300-350kb/sec transfer rate
|
|
EXPANSION : MPEG, expansion to digital networks
|
|
RELEASE : Late 1994/Early 1995 (approx)
|
|
PRICE : $450 as estimated by Sony
|
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER NEWS
|
|
****/\****
|
|
- Panasonic has dropped the price of its 3DO R.E.A.L player to a
|
|
RRP $499 (including Crash and Burn). Commodore has also dropped its
|
|
CD32 price to $399 (including three CD games). Both machines are
|
|
now widely available in many stores.
|
|
|
|
- Doom will allow the linking of two Jaguar units for multi-player
|
|
games. 90% of the game is reported to be finished, with a predicted
|
|
release in May/Early June. 16 bit (64,0000) colour is also planned
|
|
on being implemented.
|
|
|
|
- For CD32 owners who have internet access, campaigning for a
|
|
specific CD32 newsgroup has been in progress. I would say without
|
|
much doubt that one *will* in fact be set up, as there is a big
|
|
need/demand for one. Keep looking, the CD32 group should be up
|
|
after tallying votes, etc some time this month. The proposed group
|
|
name is rec.games.video.cd32 so look out for it at your site soon.
|
|
|
|
- Laying rest to the rumour published in Frontier issue one,
|
|
Nintendo's Project Reality is in full development with the help of
|
|
Silicon Graphics.
|
|
SG has already offered several exciting demos of what it can do,
|
|
indicating "This is what our $50,000 work stations can offer, just
|
|
wait until you see the same technology in a home console for $200".
|
|
The marketing of Project Reality indicates a new direction from
|
|
Nintendo - and reports indicate that Silicon Graphics is going to
|
|
design the technology while Nintendo will be licensed to produce
|
|
and sell it. Silicon graphics will also receive a share of every
|
|
'Reality'? console sold, which could be as high as a 30-40% stake.
|
|
Project Reality is still scheduled for home release in 1996.
|
|
|
|
- Nintendo's new FX racing game, FX Trax has gone through several
|
|
changes to increase its appeal and capabilities - possibly to
|
|
ensure that SNES owners do not desert too quickly. Now named FX
|
|
Stunt Trax, it has enlisted the aid from the designer of the Mario
|
|
series to add that extra bit of appeal. As a result, many see it as
|
|
the sequel to Super Mario Kart. Players will now be able to choose
|
|
several cars: a 4WD, dune buggy and rally car, plus several
|
|
different driving conditions. Two player/split screen is also
|
|
implemented, which looks like a standard for the new super FX chip
|
|
(which Stunt Trax uses) so should make greater playing against a
|
|
friend. FX definitely looks a marked improvement over the rather
|
|
plain alpha version shown at the CES earlier this year and is one
|
|
title to look out for in 1994. The Super Nintendo is definitely not
|
|
dead yet.
|
|
|
|
- An adaptor that will allow you to play Gameboy games on SNES
|
|
machines will be released soon by Nintendo. The device will exist
|
|
in the form of a standard cartridge in which standard Gameboy games
|
|
are plugged in.
|
|
According to Nintendo, multiple borders will be selectable to
|
|
surround the main screen and fill the rest of the screen. Palette
|
|
and colour selection is also a function of the Gameboy adaptor,
|
|
allowing the player to adapt sprite colouring to their tastes.
|
|
Future Gameboy games will include new information on board to
|
|
automatically select possible colours, while still remaining
|
|
playable on standard Gameboy units.
|
|
A novel idea, but playing rather basic Gameboy games on their 16
|
|
bit Super Nintendo is not exciting for most. The Gamegear adaptor
|
|
will be priced at around $40
|
|
|
|
RUMOURS
|
|
***/\**
|
|
- While this sounds *very* rumoured, Sega is apparently at work on
|
|
an upgrade to the Genesis unit. When the upgrade board is plugged
|
|
into the Genesis, it will supposedly allow many more colours,
|
|
increased speed, sound and other enhancements. Technology is
|
|
rumoured to be 'left-over' from some older aspects of the Saturn
|
|
design.
|
|
This upgrade will be Sega's link between the upcoming Saturn
|
|
console, and existing Genesis/16 bit markets. The predicted price
|
|
of this addon is $100. As more news of this is available (I am
|
|
still quite suspicious of the news myself) Frontier will be
|
|
covering it.
|
|
|
|
- Despite the initial phenomenal support by developers for the 3DO,
|
|
some developers have apparently turned cold towards the machine.
|
|
While nearly 500 developers signed up to license games paying a
|
|
developers fee which is virtually free. Many see the initial support
|
|
as a marketing move designed to sell more 3DO units by using the
|
|
draw card of 500 developers. In real terms, only 80-90 3DO
|
|
development stations have been purchased, with many stating that
|
|
they will not develop 3DO games until the machine sells more units.
|
|
In a way 3DO is an a catch-22 situation - because of the high
|
|
price-tag of the machine it makes the 3DO out of the reach of the
|
|
average player and without good software/or promises of good
|
|
software, the machine won't sell :(
|
|
|
|
- While 3DO's feels it is a little early to announce sales figures,
|
|
3DO sales are estimated to be only in the tens of thousands in
|
|
United States. This figure is a lot less than Trip's original
|
|
planned sales. The main prohibiting factor appears to be the
|
|
hefty-price tag.
|
|
|
|
|
|
úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
°±²ÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛ²±°
|
|
ÛÛ ÞÛÛÜÜÜÞÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÝ ÜÛ ÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÜÜÜÞÛÛÜÜÜÜ
|
|
ÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛßßßÞÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÝ ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÜßÞÛÛßßß ßßßßÛÛ
|
|
ÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛ
|
|
úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
|
|
The INSiDE SPECS ON THE AMIGA CD32
|
|
***************/\*****************
|
|
Last issue we covered the Jaguar, and this month Frontier gives an
|
|
in depth overview of the CD32 machine. The CD32 made its debut on
|
|
March 1st in the United States, although it has been available here
|
|
in Australia and in the UK/Europe for several months.
|
|
Machines have been selling quite well so far (reports indicate
|
|
several hundred thousand in the first few months), but it will be a
|
|
few more months until an accurate assessment of world-wide sales
|
|
can be published. Material for this overview has been compiled from
|
|
various press releases, and published specifications from Commodore
|
|
and others.
|
|
|
|
MANUFACTURER/APPEARANCE: CD32 is manufactured by Commodore
|
|
(Business Machines Inc), makers of the popular range of Amiga
|
|
computer systems. For your $399 you get the unit, one game
|
|
controller, stereo audio cable, RF video cable, and the CD's
|
|
Pinball Fantasies (pinball), Oscar (platform), and Wing Commander
|
|
(space simulation/shoot 'em up). In some countries (such as
|
|
Australia) the bundled software is Oscar, Pinball Fantasies, James
|
|
Pond, plus a CD32 demo disc.
|
|
|
|
The unit is matt grey in appearance, with a slightly blocky look
|
|
(though not ugly) with physical dimensions of around 12"x3"x8" (or
|
|
311x181x212mm). On the left half of the machine there is the CD
|
|
drive, and on the right, the operating controls and main processing
|
|
unit. About the the closest comparison appearance wise that can be
|
|
drawn from the CD32 is the PC Engine Duo.
|
|
Unlike the 3DO's tray/drawer arrangement CD's are inserted
|
|
directly onto the spindle (the part that spins the disk), identical
|
|
to the design found in most portable CD players. This helps cut
|
|
down on costs though makes the machine a bit more prone to
|
|
'skipping' if the machine is moved during play - otherwise equally
|
|
as functional as a tray/drawer player.
|
|
On the top of the machine is the CD open, and volume control
|
|
settings and at the rear of the machine are the output sockets
|
|
(see: expansion). In simple terms, the design is quite neat, and
|
|
also accessible.
|
|
|
|
CONTROLLER: The controller bundled with the CD32 consists of four
|
|
'action' buttons, 8 way joypad and pause/select buttons. Some may
|
|
find it a bit hard to access some of the buttons during play as
|
|
comfortably as the SNES controller - this may vary between players.
|
|
Easy to hold in the hand, quite durable and that extra action
|
|
button (over some other machine's controllers) may come in useful
|
|
for future games.
|
|
|
|
PROCESSOR: The heart of the CD32 is the 32 bit Motorola 68EC020,
|
|
running at roughly 14mhz. This is similar to the chipset used in
|
|
Macintosh computers (somewhere in between the older and latest
|
|
models), and a remodelled version of that used in the Amiga 1200.
|
|
The CD32 is probably the last of the consoles to include a CISC
|
|
processor, which the 68020 is. Presumably it would be a simple
|
|
matter to emulate existing Amiga software because of this.
|
|
Secondary to the main processor are the AA (Amiga Architecture)
|
|
co-processors, which consist of the AGA (see: graphics), video
|
|
processor, sound processor (see: sound) and internal DMA (for
|
|
transferring data). Another important part of the CD32 is the new
|
|
Akido chipset, used as a form of secondary processor to
|
|
spool/process information off CD. Akido means that the CD32 is not
|
|
likely to jerkiness or slowdown due to poor CD access (such as the
|
|
3DO can suffer from)
|
|
All of this works in tandem with the 68020 to provide parallel
|
|
processing, taking the load of the main processor by transferring
|
|
specialised functions to the AA and Akido co-processors.
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: Similar to its Amiga counter-parts, the CD32's graphics
|
|
chips are highly programmable. Essentially if you can program it
|
|
the chips can do it.
|
|
Called the AGA (Amiga Graphics Architecture), it allows
|
|
resolutions from 320x200 to 1280x400 depending upon output used.
|
|
With overscan, a method which allows greater resolution than
|
|
normally possible by including extra scan-lines (a line of pixels),
|
|
a less squashed 800x600 format is possible. Out of a total of 16.8
|
|
million colours a maximum of 256,000 can be displayed on screen.
|
|
The AGA chipset sets the CD32 apart from older machines, and only
|
|
the newer Amiga 4000/1200 include this chipset.
|
|
One of the main disadvantages that lie in the CD32's AGA chips
|
|
set is that polygons and other display methods are not really a
|
|
natural function of the hardware. Unlike other machines, the
|
|
graphical chipset is basically one modified from the higher-end
|
|
Amiga computers, and has not been designed from scratch. Polygons
|
|
and shading are of course possible, but is a lot more reliant upon
|
|
the main processor than with other machines.
|
|
|
|
SOUND: Sound is maybe one of the main features below par with other
|
|
new consoles. Only 4 channels of sound is possible (2 pairs of
|
|
stereo channels) using a disappointing 8 bit DAC (digital to analog
|
|
convertor). This is the technology that has been used in Amiga
|
|
computers since 1986, and was very advanced back then - it is not
|
|
so now.
|
|
The redeeming feature of the CD32 sound is that sound can be
|
|
pulled direct from CD at a high fidelity 44khz using the 18 bit DAC
|
|
and Akido chip.
|
|
Due to the poor standard DAC and high quality CD DAC Commodore
|
|
is pretty much replying on audio being spooled directly from CD for
|
|
most games. This wastes a large amount of CD space, and means that
|
|
any real-time generation of sound can only be 8 bit. Audio wise, CD
|
|
playing from the CD32 is on par with better CD players, so hook the
|
|
CD32 up to your stereo and you have high quality CD sound.
|
|
|
|
EXPANSION/PORTS: One big advantage that the CD32 holds over other
|
|
machines (eg: the Jaguar) is that every type of output socket you
|
|
would need is built in as standard - not having to feel cheated by
|
|
being charged $30 just for a few plugs and wires which you can
|
|
quite easily make yourself.
|
|
Output includes PAL (or NTSC, depending on where you are),
|
|
stereo RCA (phono plugs), and SVHS with the bundled cables. A
|
|
stereo headphone socket is also standard, meaning that you can
|
|
listen to full stereo all the time, no matter what type of TV you
|
|
have. The two controller ports are standard digital which may be a
|
|
disadvantage for more precise control, but according to Commodore
|
|
able to accept mice, extra joysticks, virtual reality devices, etc.
|
|
At the rear of the machine is a standard serial port for the
|
|
attachment of either a keyboard, modem or link to other CD32s. Most
|
|
importantly a 32 bit expansion bus is provided for the addition of
|
|
hardware modifications - such as the MPEG module which is now
|
|
available.
|
|
|
|
Maybe one of the best things about the CD32, is that you are
|
|
basically getting a computer, as well as just a console. According
|
|
to Commodore, the keyboard, and (hard?) disk drive that is in
|
|
production will turn your CD32 into a fully functional 32 bit
|
|
computer for only a few hundred dollars more.
|
|
|
|
OPERATING SYSTEM: Like Amiga systems, the CD32 runs on a version of
|
|
AmigaDOS. AmigaDOS gives natural multitasking and a GUI interface
|
|
to those games which need it. The operating system is stored on a 1
|
|
megabyte ROM, which can be overridden by the use of a disk version
|
|
(for possible updates or emulation versions).
|
|
|
|
STORAGE/MEMORY: Of course the standard storage medium for the CD32
|
|
is CD-ROM, with capabilities to accept other storage interfaces
|
|
(disk drives, etc) so that the CD32 is not just limited to CD. The
|
|
CD drive, like most these days is rated double speed, and can
|
|
transfer data at either 150kb or 300kb per second. Included on
|
|
board the CD32 is a 1kbyte EPROM which can permanently store high
|
|
scores, save games, etc - though being limited to 1k means that you
|
|
aren't going to fit much from several different games. For
|
|
temporary saving of program information and the loading of data the
|
|
CD32 contains 2 megabytes of high-speed RAM.
|
|
|
|
MPEG1 MODULE: Purchased separately is the MPEG module, a device
|
|
that plugs into the expansion bus and provides industry standard
|
|
FMV from a single CD. Up to 74 minutes of 25 FPS (Frames Per
|
|
Second) video can be played from a single disc.
|
|
With all machines now, or soon including the capability to add
|
|
MPEG, the future of the standard looks bright. Something that needs
|
|
to be pointed out is that because MPEG is a standard, all machines
|
|
must be able to display the standard to be compatible - that is
|
|
16.8 million colours. Although the CD32 can only display 256,000 on
|
|
screen for software, 24 bit colour is used for MPEG display.
|
|
The MPEG module costs $249
|
|
|
|
RELEASE: Australia/UK/Europe - September 1993
|
|
Canada - December 1993
|
|
United States - March 1994
|
|
|
|
SUMMARY -
|
|
|
|
PROCESSOR(S):
|
|
- 68E020 (68020) CISC processor
|
|
- Clock speed of 14.19mhz
|
|
- 32 bit at a reported 4 MIPS (Millions Instructions Per Second)
|
|
AA co-processors consisting of:
|
|
- AGA processor (Amiga Graphic Architecture)
|
|
- DMA processor (for data transfer)
|
|
- FMV processor (for MPEG/animation)
|
|
- Sound processor (for 8 bit sound)
|
|
- Akido CD processor (for CD manipulation)
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS:
|
|
- 16 bit
|
|
- Resolution 320x200 to 1280x400 (more with software programming)
|
|
- Palette of 16,777,216 colours
|
|
- Maximum of 256,000 on screen
|
|
|
|
SOUND:
|
|
- 8 bit stereo
|
|
- 4 channel digital sound
|
|
- Software selectable volume
|
|
|
|
EXPANSION/OUTPUT:
|
|
- 32 bit expansion bus
|
|
- RF output
|
|
- Composite stereo
|
|
- Two digital control ports
|
|
- Serial port
|
|
- SVHS miniDIN output
|
|
- PAL or NTSC (depending on country)
|
|
|
|
CONTROL:
|
|
- Digital control pad:
|
|
- 4 action buttons
|
|
- Multi-directional control pad
|
|
- Pause, Select buttons
|
|
|
|
STORAGE:
|
|
- 2 megabytes of general RAM
|
|
- 1 kilobyte EPROM
|
|
- 1 megabyte AmigaDOS ROM
|
|
|
|
CD drive:
|
|
- 18 bit DAC
|
|
- 44.4khz
|
|
- 8x oversampling
|
|
- 150/350kb transfer
|
|
- 540 megabytes uncompressed data
|
|
|
|
COMPATIBILITY:
|
|
- PhotoCD (through software)
|
|
- Amiga? (through software?)
|
|
- CDTV (not all titles)
|
|
- CD&G
|
|
- Audio CD
|
|
|
|
PRICE: $399 (including the Oscar, Pinball Fantasies, & Wing
|
|
Commander games)
|
|
$249 (optional MPEG1 module)
|
|
|
|
The CD32 is possibly the underdog with regard to *expectation*,
|
|
though its technical abilities are quite on par with other
|
|
machines.
|
|
For $400 you are getting a pretty powerful computer simply
|
|
without the standard attachments such as a disk drive, keyboard,
|
|
monitor, etc. Most won't feel the need for the slightly expensive
|
|
MPEG adaptor - at least the ability is there for those who are
|
|
interested. The expansion port is possibly one of the most
|
|
comprehensive on any of the new consoles and through it even the
|
|
processor can be upgraded. If it is implemented successfully many
|
|
players will never have to worry about their CD32 being obsolete in
|
|
a few years time like many other consoles.
|
|
There is a wide range of software already in development from
|
|
previous Amiga and other PC developers, plus many big names such as
|
|
LucasArts, Electronic Arts, Microprose, Sierra, Psygnosis, and too
|
|
many more to mention here. The bundled games while not outstanding
|
|
are a fair indication of the CD32 and the games you are likely to
|
|
see in the future.
|
|
Many of the software since first release is disappointing (with
|
|
a few clear exceptions), most games consisting of CD ports of Amiga
|
|
software - not exactly what players are wanting for a full 32 bit
|
|
CD machine. Good CD games as many have probably noticed take a
|
|
while to appear after the console first does, due to the extensive
|
|
amount of extra time that has to be taken.
|
|
A suspected price drop to $300 later this year means that it
|
|
will be very attractive to existing Genesis/SNES consumers. What
|
|
the CD32 offers is a full CD machine for less than both the 3DO and
|
|
Jaguar/Jaguar-CD combination, which cannot be sniffed at. Software
|
|
may not have the initial jaw-dropping atmosphere as other new
|
|
consoles but games may in fact turn out to be more playable in the
|
|
long run.
|
|
|
|
Continuing the series next month we cover Panasonic's FZ-1 Real 3DO
|
|
player (now say that with one breath!). Just how does it compare
|
|
technically to the CD32 and Jaguar? find out soon in issue three!
|
|
|
|
|
|
úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÝÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÝ ÛÛ²±°
|
|
ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛ ÞÛÞÛÝÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÞÛÝ ÛÝÛÛÛÝ ÛÛ
|
|
ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛßÞÛÝÛÛ ÛÝÛÛÞÛÛÞÛÝ ÛÝÛÛ ÛÝÛÛ
|
|
°±²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÞÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛ ÞÛÛÛ
|
|
úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
IF you wish to express an opinion in an editorial style article, please
|
|
let me know. Frontier aims to be a focus point for intelligent debate on
|
|
the console industry so you should be willing to backup your opinions
|
|
from readers. If you strongly agree or disagree on an editorial,
|
|
consider writing one of your own with some opposing or contrasting
|
|
opinions.
|
|
|
|
16 BIT R.I.P ?
|
|
******/\******
|
|
IT has been six years since we first saw the world's first 16 bit
|
|
console, the Sega Genesis. Three years later we saw the arrival of
|
|
the Super Nintendo, Nintendo's much awaited answer. Several years
|
|
later these machines (and others) are now beginning to show their
|
|
technical age.
|
|
No longer is 16 bit or small cartridge facilities suitable for
|
|
the type of games that consumers want, and developers are moving
|
|
towards. The high speed race for interactive multi-media, CD-ROM,
|
|
multiple-player networks, professional audio and digitised video is
|
|
well upon us.
|
|
1993 saw the announcements for the new generation of consoles
|
|
that we are now beginning to see take off in 1994. We are talking
|
|
here of machines such as the 3DO, CD32, Jaguar, and Saturn. To
|
|
many, the future of older machines begins to look less and less
|
|
optimistic.
|
|
|
|
As the news and hype is announced more and more frequently
|
|
pertaining to the new generation of console machines, many existing
|
|
16 bit owners might now be feeling a bit left behind. What was hot
|
|
stuff maybe only a year ago now looks rather passe' and much of the
|
|
talk is beginning to shift to the new market. Most console owners
|
|
are not going to simply abandon machines that they have may have
|
|
invested many hundreds of dollars in. Why sell a collection of
|
|
still playable games to get a machine that may or may not have a
|
|
better selection of games?
|
|
|
|
Although many developers are going to be producing games for new
|
|
machines, that does not necessarily mean they have abandoned the
|
|
older formats.
|
|
Most are planning on releasing their new games on multiple
|
|
platforms, which still includes the 16 bit market. Nintendo is in
|
|
fact banking its continuing success on the format, having no
|
|
immediate plans for a new console until 1996.
|
|
|
|
Quite rightly too, the 16 bit era is definitely not dead - in fact
|
|
the reverse could be said to be true. Possibly we may see some of
|
|
the best games for these machines in the next year or two.
|
|
In my opinion, 16 bit owners are the ones that are going to
|
|
prosper the most from the introduction of these new consoles. As we
|
|
begin to see games that offer jaw dropping technically impressive
|
|
features on the new machines, 16 bit developers will need to remain
|
|
competitive by trying to match this. Games *will* become and *have*
|
|
to become more graphically impressive, more original, plus being
|
|
able to provide games which are immensely playable at the same
|
|
time. The failure to do this will only quicken the exodus to the
|
|
new systems.
|
|
If 16 bit games continue to improve significantly, people are
|
|
going to stay with their machines until the software and quality
|
|
begins to dry up. Prices will also have to drop immensely - when a
|
|
full 32 bit game which may contain megabytes and megabytes of
|
|
video, music, more levels, and other improvements that 32 bit can
|
|
offer costs $70 and the equivalent Super Nintendo game costs $90,
|
|
just which system are *you* going to stay with?
|
|
Unless Nintendo, Sega and other 16 bit developers can release
|
|
their software at a price of around $50, people are simply going to
|
|
abandon their existing systems in the tens of thousands. Only the
|
|
consumer can profit from the battle if they make their purchase
|
|
decisions wisely.
|
|
|
|
It is not really a question of 16 bit vs 32 bit, but a question
|
|
of what software we are going to see on these machines. 32 bit is
|
|
clearly superior, it is just the way in which these formats will be
|
|
utilised to the maximum extent.
|
|
True, 16 bit games may not contain the most impressive graphics,
|
|
jaw dropping soundtracks, or fancy hardware effects, but the
|
|
gameplay will essentially be equally as playable, if not more so.
|
|
Many developers have so far taken the easy way out on CD based
|
|
games, offering impressive visual effects to hide an essentially
|
|
poor game. CD deserves a lot better than this, and I don't yet
|
|
believe we have seen the best that CD can offer by a long stretch.
|
|
|
|
Despite the hype from some magazines (I admit it, possibly this one
|
|
to an extent) - the CD32 ($400), Jaguar ($350), and especially the
|
|
3DO ($500) are still largely out of the price range of many
|
|
consumers. Unless they can offer a competitive price and exciting
|
|
games people are simply not going to make the upgrade.
|
|
16 bit consoles will continue to stay prevalent for at least the
|
|
next two years, possibly even longer depending on the support
|
|
developers are willing to give. Super Street Fighter 2, Eye of the
|
|
Beholder, Rise of the Robots, Star Wing 2, FX Stunt Trax,
|
|
MegaRace, Rebel Assault, Xwing, Virtua racing, Elite 2, Syndicate,
|
|
and other hot possibilities are just *some* of the titles sure to
|
|
make your fingers itch for the controller in the next one-two
|
|
years. Many still are quite happy with their 8 bit machines, and it
|
|
has been almost a decade since *their* introduction!
|
|
|
|
Staying with your Super Nintendo or Genesis in the next year at
|
|
least may be in fact the best bet for the average owner - those who
|
|
don't have thousands to spend on what is simply an expensive form
|
|
of entertainment.
|
|
Wait until the console wars sort themselves out, and observe
|
|
which machines *are* going to succeed and those that clearly won't.
|
|
You are likely to get the cheapest prices, and even more likely to
|
|
get the more playable and lasting games/machine. With 16 bit
|
|
hardware prices likely to drop even lower (possibly even the $100
|
|
mark for the SNES), you may be in fact be better off with one foot
|
|
in both worlds.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
ÛÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛ ÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÛ²±°
|
|
ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÜÜÜ ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÞÛÛÜÜÜ ÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛÜÜÜÜ
|
|
ÛÛÛÛÜßÞÛÛßßß ÛÛ ÜÛÛÞÛÛÞÛÛßßß ÛÛ Û ÛÛÝßßßßÛÛ
|
|
°±²ÛÛ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛßÞÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛÛÛÛÛÛ
|
|
úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
THE review section is not an integral part of Frontier, though an
|
|
important one. What is the use of talk on consoles, without reviews to
|
|
assess the quality of games that are available? If you wish to write
|
|
reviews for Frontier for any console, please check out the section: How
|
|
*YOU* too can help out with Frontier. While reviews of new games is
|
|
preferred, reviews of games up to around 6 months old will be published.
|
|
|
|
Issue 2 also marks a few additions to the review system. Included after
|
|
the final ratings is a short series of comments for each of the
|
|
percentage categories. Thanks to Snoopy (alias Tim Wenas :) ) for using
|
|
this format and encouraging me to use it as standard.
|
|
In addition to that, new comments/and percentages are given for:
|
|
|
|
- Conversion. How it compares to to other versions, 100% being equal,
|
|
50% being half as good, 200% being twice as good, etc)
|
|
|
|
- Impressions. How if feels to play the game. Was it easy to get
|
|
enthralled or have an initial jaw-dropping atmosphere?
|
|
|
|
- Difficulty. A short note on how hard you found the game, and how
|
|
others are likely to. This complements the difficulty given at the
|
|
start of the review.
|
|
|
|
- Interest factor. Despite a games difficulty, would you be likely to
|
|
come back to it even after finishing it? Or alternatively is the game
|
|
too boring to even attempt finishing?
|
|
|
|
- Would you buy the game. (if you had the money!) If you have already
|
|
bought the game, do you regret it? If you have played a borrowed or
|
|
friend's game would you consider buying it for yourself at the price
|
|
listed? This is related largely to price vs value for money.
|
|
|
|
This rating system I believe gives the best and most complete seen in
|
|
any other magazine. Lets watch the others try and copy it :)
|
|
|
|
As promised in issue 1, Issue 2 includes many more reviews. With some
|
|
more help from readers, hopefully we can regularly have 4-5 reviews per
|
|
issue.
|
|
|
|
CYBERMORPH
|
|
****/\****
|
|
By Tim Wenas
|
|
|
|
TYPE ................ Shoot 'em up
|
|
FORMAT .............. Jaguar
|
|
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER . Attention To Detail/Atari
|
|
RELEASE ............. Same as Jaguar (approx March 1994)
|
|
PRICE ............... N/A (Comes with Jaguar)
|
|
SIZE ................ 16 megabit
|
|
|
|
LEVELS .............. 52 (actually 52 worlds)
|
|
DIFFICULTY .......... Not specified (average)
|
|
PLAYERS ............. One
|
|
EXTRA INFO .......... Uses password system to save position
|
|
|
|
<Drum roll>... This is it. The world's first 64 bit video game! And
|
|
the good thing is, it is very good. The Atari Jaguar, a very smart
|
|
piece of console hardware indeed, comes with this cart to
|
|
demonstrate its abilities.
|
|
|
|
In the mould of Starfox/wing on the SNES, Cybermorph is a
|
|
Gourard-shaded polygon based 3D shoot 'em up. The plot synopsis:
|
|
get through 52 planets by collecting enough pods on the planet
|
|
you're on. Perhaps not the most original idea we've ever seen, but
|
|
the difference here is the way it is done. Somewhat like the
|
|
classic Spindizzy, the pods you need are often well hidden, guarded
|
|
by nasty enemies or surrounded by force fields. To get to those pods
|
|
involves large amounts of death, destruction, flying, sex... just
|
|
kidding about the sex actually :^]. Oh yeah, you're in a
|
|
plane/helicopter type of thing.
|
|
|
|
Your craft is (strangely enough) called the T-Griffon, which
|
|
changes shape as your speed changes (Cool!). It also looks kind of
|
|
like the plane from Starfox. However, the choice of view is yours.
|
|
You can view the action from the pilot's seat, or from behind
|
|
(like...well, Starfox). You can also see the T-Griffon from the
|
|
left, right and even in front which is actually pretty useless.
|
|
Personally, I didn't ever use the right/left/front views. The
|
|
cockpit view is much like your average PC flight sim except for a
|
|
noticeable lack of complex controls, knobs and buttons. The main
|
|
features here are your radar in the top-right, and an altimeter in
|
|
the bottom right. The external behind view is less "real" than the
|
|
cockpit view, but a lot more arcade like. No matter what view you
|
|
choose to have, the radar and altimeter always stay visible. You
|
|
can even make the T-Griffon stop and go in reverse for a while,
|
|
shooting ahead all the time. The craft turns fairly quick, but
|
|
after getting used to it you'll be causing mass mayhem in no
|
|
time... There's also a message screen at the bottom that ticks off
|
|
how many pods are left to collect before you can move onto the next
|
|
planet...
|
|
|
|
The playing field (planet) that you skim over is really worth a
|
|
mention. Unlike the flat polygons you get in Starfox/PC flight
|
|
simulators, the ground in Cybermorph are beautiful undulating
|
|
mounds and dips, with the occasional towering cliffs and valleys.
|
|
And all this occurs in Gourard shaded 16 bit colour at a speed
|
|
which puts a 486dx2/66 to shame...
|
|
|
|
The speech here is perfect, spoken by your holographic assistant
|
|
called Skylar. This bald female lets out such literary gems as
|
|
"Ouch:, "Let's Go!" and even "Portal Now Open" (soon to be released
|
|
on CD and cassette). No joke though, the speech is really good.
|
|
Atmospheric laser blasts, explosions and growls set the mood, and
|
|
the frantic action hardly ever lets up...
|
|
|
|
Putting aside all the gorgeous graphics, great sound/speech and
|
|
speed, what are you left with? This is no strategy game, although a
|
|
fair amount of thinking is required to get to some of the pods.
|
|
This is action from the start, and thankfully each and every one of
|
|
the planets are a little different from the last, either in
|
|
enemies, background, layout, etc so you never feel like you're
|
|
playing one long level. 52 planets would take a long time to play,
|
|
so there's a password option after about 8 planets. In addition
|
|
there are a few secret planets to behold if you're good enough.
|
|
I've only found one, but it's a beauty, with power-ups aplenty...
|
|
|
|
Final verdict? This is one good game to be packaged with the
|
|
Jaguar. The machine is well ahead of its time, which is one thing I
|
|
can say for certain. This game does it justice, although there are
|
|
a few minor flaws in it. For example, despite the brilliant
|
|
graphics, a square building is still a square building. Not to
|
|
mention a purple square building with yellow square windows... The
|
|
pods are nothing special, just a yellow triangle shaped thingy, and
|
|
the enemies are nothing scary.
|
|
|
|
But when you're getting it free with the machine, I wouldn't
|
|
complain. When everything is being shifted fast by a couple of
|
|
64bit RISC processors in tandem, with a thumping Pantera track on
|
|
your CD player it's a 64bit experience that is not to be missed.
|
|
Now I have just got to decide whether to import a machine for
|
|
myself or wait for the (probably overpriced and retarded) local
|
|
Australian machine. I've heard that the Jaguar will have no country
|
|
protection in the cartridges, which is good news, but we'll have to
|
|
wait and see...
|
|
|
|
If all Jaguar games can match the standard that Cybermorph has set,
|
|
the Jaguar will be a hard machine to resist. Battlemorph
|
|
(essentially Cybermorph ][), a 2 player version of Cybermorph with
|
|
enhanced everything should be due out later this year. I can't
|
|
wait.
|
|
|
|
I played Cybermorph on my cousin's Jaguar which he bought in the
|
|
US. If you haven't seen the joypad, do! It's pretty chunky, but you
|
|
get used to it.
|
|
|
|
Final analysis
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
|
GRAPH SCORE
|
|
|
|
Sound effects |******************************** 80%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Music |************************ 60%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Sprites |************************************ 90%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Backgrounds |************************************ 90%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Playability |************************************** 96%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
IQ factor |************************ 60%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Fun factor |**************************************** 100%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Overall graphics |*************************************** 97%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
OVERALL |************************************* 92%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Percentage % 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
|
|
|
|
Extra Comments
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
SOUND FX : Good stuff.
|
|
MUSIC : Not really worth noticing, but functional.
|
|
SPRITES : Great Gourard shading you'll love!
|
|
BACKGROUNDS : Brilliant. See for yourself.
|
|
PLAYABILITY : Frantic arcade action all the way.
|
|
IQ. FACTOR : Some thought needed.
|
|
FUN FACTOR : I loved it! Kept me coming back for more.
|
|
OVERALL GFX : Everything works.
|
|
OVERALL : Excellent start for Atari's latest baby.
|
|
|
|
IMPRESSIONS: I was knocked out by the excellent graphics. The
|
|
gameplay was addictive, and on my cousin's large projection system
|
|
it couldn't be beat. Could this be Atari's "Mario" or "Sonic"? I
|
|
don't think so, but it's great anyway.
|
|
|
|
CONVERSION: N/A. Produced by ATD, famous for "Last Ninja" trilogy.
|
|
|
|
INTEREST FACTOR: 100% for arcade addicts, 95% for everyone else.
|
|
|
|
DIFFICULTY: How can you grade difficulty? This game's difficulty
|
|
level is not hard enough to put you off, but hard enough to make
|
|
you come back for "just one more try, honest!"
|
|
|
|
WOULD I BUY THE GAME: It's free with the Jaguar. It's definitely
|
|
encouraged me to buy the Jaguar though!
|
|
|
|
OVERALL: (though not specified by the author) I think Tim likes
|
|
it ;-)...
|
|
|
|
|
|
NBA JAM
|
|
***/\***
|
|
TYPE ................ Sports/Basketball
|
|
FORMAT .............. Super Nintendo (Genesis version similar)
|
|
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER . Acclaim/Midway
|
|
RELEASE ............. March 1994
|
|
PRICE ............... $100
|
|
SIZE ................ 16 megabit
|
|
|
|
LEVELS .............. 27 teams to play/27 wins to win the game
|
|
DIFFICULTY .......... 2-4 weeks (easy/normal/hard)
|
|
PLAYERS ............. One/up to four simultaneous
|
|
EXTRA INFO .......... Can use the multi-tap to allow up to 4 players
|
|
Password save for game position
|
|
|
|
It's a minute to go in the last quarter, the Bulls trail the Suns
|
|
64-65. The action is frantic, Pippen hurtles down the court with
|
|
the ball. He's blocked, he passes to Barkley. Barkley lays up,
|
|
leaps....camera's flash....JAM'S!! The crowd goes wild, the siren
|
|
sounds. The Bulls win by a point - what a game at the Arizona
|
|
Stadium. Such is the atmosphere in NBA Jam, you might actually feel
|
|
you were actually at a game.
|
|
NBA Jam first appeared in the arcades more than a year now, and
|
|
its popularity finally meant that people were talking about
|
|
something *other* than a beat-em up. The conversion to the SNES
|
|
(and Genesis) comes nearly a year later, but the game was well
|
|
worth waiting for.
|
|
|
|
Plug in the cartridge and you are greeted with the theme music
|
|
and listing of teams. The whole effect is *very* TV like, and
|
|
similar to what you would see on your favourite sports show. There
|
|
are two different ways to play the game, tournament or challenge
|
|
match. Differences in the two are not that great, one being to play
|
|
in a successive team 'season' and the other a simple team vs team
|
|
arrangement. In the options screen you can also set options such as
|
|
'Computer assistance' (or allow the computer to cheat), difficulty,
|
|
configure your player buttons, etc. Computer assistance makes the
|
|
game much harder, by letting the computer get more shots in and you
|
|
less when things get tougher - basically what the arcade machine
|
|
does all the time :)
|
|
|
|
Each of the 27 NBA teams is available to choose from, the game
|
|
being an official NBA endorsed product (no prizes for guessing that
|
|
one). From each of the 27 teams you can select two players, one for
|
|
you to control, and one for the computer to assist you. Two of the
|
|
better players have been selected from each of the teams.
|
|
One of the disappointing things about the conversion is that
|
|
some characters in the arcade are not included in the home version
|
|
(such as Shaq and others). Most of the important characters have
|
|
been though, so nobody can feel too ripped off. And before you ask,
|
|
not Jordan - he costs too much and is out of the game anyway (well
|
|
the NBA at least!).
|
|
Each of the characters and teams have their own strengths and
|
|
weaknesses but for my choice I choose the Hornets, having the best
|
|
all-round team.
|
|
|
|
In play, NBA Jam is excellent. Non-complicated and easy to get
|
|
the hang of it is instantly playable. There are your basic moves of
|
|
pass, shoot, block, etc and run but there are also the less legal
|
|
ones (and effective ones :) ) such as elbow, and shove.
|
|
|
|
You can control your player either defensively or offensively
|
|
depending on where you are on court. Block the oppositions pass (or
|
|
vice versa) and the ball is yours to score.
|
|
Get close enough to the ring and you can do the ultimate in
|
|
modern basketball, the slam. There are a number of different slams
|
|
available, depending on which player(s) you have on court. Some are
|
|
more impressive than others, such as spinning around and then
|
|
slamming it in, or slamming it in backwards. The overall result of
|
|
a slam is the same though, two points.
|
|
Score more than three goals in a row and your player is on fire.
|
|
Moving down the court without losing any speed, your player is much
|
|
better overall. If you can get it in without losing the point, the
|
|
net and ball will literally catch fire!
|
|
|
|
All the frivolities of basketball are there, such as the cameras
|
|
in the background flashing as a slam is attempted. One of my
|
|
favourite parts of the game is the board-smash. Slam it in during
|
|
certain parts of the game and the ring will shatter, splinters of
|
|
glass raining down on players.
|
|
At the end of each quarter summaries are also shown, giving all
|
|
the stats for the game. Half time is really one to watch out for,
|
|
the SNES giving its all displaying a short (2-3 second) digitised
|
|
animation from a real NBA Match. The novelty wares off after a
|
|
while, but it is an exciting taste of such animations that are
|
|
common in CD-based games.
|
|
|
|
Audio-visuals are possibly some of the best ever seen or likely to
|
|
be seen in a SNES game. All players are digitised, from their faces
|
|
to their bodies. Animation is smooth and realistic, unlike some of
|
|
the frame-chopped versions on other games. The court looks as it
|
|
should, and the same as you would see it on TV. As your players
|
|
move up and down the court the screen is scrolled, much like the
|
|
panning that the cameras do.
|
|
In addition to graphics, sound is on par with the best the SNES
|
|
is capable with only 16 megabits (2 megabytes). Speech is given
|
|
throughout the match from the "Boom, shaka, laka!", "He's heating
|
|
up", to the "Jams it in!" when you score. The crowd is realistic
|
|
too, bursting into applause whenever your player scores, or the
|
|
atmospheric "ooo!" as a player is knocked down. Music is not used
|
|
widely, however it doesn't detract that much from a game with such
|
|
good speech.
|
|
|
|
Despite all the impressive sound, graphics and gameplay, what many
|
|
would find is that NBA Jam doesn't offer enough. Really it is only
|
|
a simple one-on-one basketball match and with only four players on
|
|
court with the match kept simple. Although passing to your own
|
|
computer controlled player does not detract from your overall
|
|
ability to play well, it does take out a lot of important parts of
|
|
the game.
|
|
Another thing to point out is that in little ways NBA actually
|
|
indicative of a truly realistic game. Catching on fire and being
|
|
able to jump and slam from up to three meters into the air is not
|
|
what you are going to find in your average basketball match (not on
|
|
this planet anyway!). While these features make the game fun to
|
|
play, for serious sports fans NBA Jam is not recommended.
|
|
|
|
NBA Jam is very good and despite some of the negative features
|
|
pointed out, is still one of the best sporting games available for
|
|
any system. It will keep you coming back for more and more, and
|
|
with a friend the game is as exciting head-to-head as Street
|
|
Fighter 2. Everything is there that is needed to make a good game,
|
|
and players of all types will find NBA Jam a worthwhile challenge.
|
|
Now only if a company could combine the features of NBA Jam with
|
|
that of an accurate basketball simulation......
|
|
|
|
As a newer version of NBA Jam - Tournament Edition hits the
|
|
arcades, look out for it. Most Jaguar owners are crossing their
|
|
fingers for a Jaguar version of Tournament (Midway/Acclaim being
|
|
Jag developers).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final analysis
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
|
GRAPH SCORE
|
|
|
|
Sound effects |************************************** 95%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Music |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Sprites |************************************ 90%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Backgrounds |************************ 60%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Playability |************************************** 95%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
IQ factor |******************** 50%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Fun factor |************************************ 90%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Overall graphics |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
OVERALL |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Percentage % 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
|
|
|
|
Extra Comments
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
SOUND FX : The best digitised speech/effects seen on the SNES!
|
|
MUSIC : Fits the game, but there should be some during play
|
|
SPRITES : All the players look real
|
|
BACKGROUNDS : Boring! The main action occurs on-court
|
|
PLAYABILITY : Action is intense and very playable
|
|
IQ. FACTOR : Have to plan moves to a degree
|
|
FUN FACTOR : Good for a while, though the sameness gets boring
|
|
OVERALL GFX : Backgrounds could be better, otherwise excellent
|
|
OVERALL : A very good game, which needed more variety
|
|
|
|
IMPRESSIONS : Plug in NBA Jam and you are greeted with a very
|
|
television looking theme. It works well though, and once you get
|
|
into the game things get even better.
|
|
|
|
CONVERSION: 90% - Not quite as good as the arcade. Not as many
|
|
secret characters to play, plus many things are left out (such as
|
|
the nice women :) ). Could be better, though for a perfect
|
|
conversion look forward to the probable Jaguar version!
|
|
|
|
INTEREST FACTOR: Only a week or two really. I started getting bored
|
|
with the game after a few days continuous play. Leave it for a few
|
|
days though and it looks interesting again, especially with 2 or
|
|
more players
|
|
|
|
DIFFICULTY: I found the game *hard* even on the easy level. After
|
|
several hours play I could only defeat 3-4 teams and that was on
|
|
the normal difficulty level. Arcade machine addicts should find it
|
|
a lot more familiar.
|
|
|
|
WOULD I BUY THE GAME: Probably, though Nintendo's policy of
|
|
charging higher prices for games they think will sell is
|
|
frustrating!
|
|
|
|
FINAL COMMENT: NBA Jam is a game that looks simply excellent and
|
|
plays equally well, however underneath lies a game that is largely
|
|
overrated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SUPER TURRICAN
|
|
******/\******
|
|
TYPE ................ Platform/Shoot 'em up
|
|
FORMAT .............. Super Nintendo
|
|
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER . HudsonSoft
|
|
RELEASE ............. Approx December 1993
|
|
PRICE ............... $80 (ish)
|
|
SIZE ................ 12 megabit
|
|
|
|
LEVELS .............. 13
|
|
DIFFICULTY .......... Hard (selectable Easy/Medium/Very hard)
|
|
PLAYERS ............. One
|
|
EXTRA INFO .......... Dolby Surround sound supported
|
|
|
|
If you have ever owned (or still own!) a C64 or Amiga, you would
|
|
probably be familiar with the Turrican series. It has been quite a
|
|
few years since the first Turrican was first released, and many
|
|
have been waiting many years for a full 16 bit conversion. At the
|
|
time Turrican was a first, offering an excellent arcade quality
|
|
shoot 'em up with many new and exciting features. Now Super
|
|
Turrican hits the Super Nintendo in full 16 bit and old fans won't
|
|
find it a disappointment!
|
|
|
|
Like all shoot 'em ups, Turrican has about as much story-line as
|
|
your average tv-soap. Aliens take over planet, while the local
|
|
population pins its last hope on its only surviving warrior. In
|
|
this case you slip into your special Turrican armour, giving your
|
|
character super-human abilities and nice and massive firepower. The
|
|
rather poor introduction narrates this plot, and is one that is
|
|
even worth watching.
|
|
Your task is to eliminate all the enemies, plus the evil boss
|
|
aliens battling in the caverns, skies, cities of your world. Armed
|
|
with you basic weaponry of laser pistol, stun rifle and power-bomb
|
|
you must move through each of the nasty packed levels.
|
|
|
|
Super Turrican is pretty much your basic horizontal/vertical
|
|
shoot 'em up, jump on various platforms and objects while shooting
|
|
as fast and accurate as you can at the enemy. While you can only
|
|
shoot in one direction, by jumping or using multiple direction
|
|
bullets you can hit just about anything. Nothing new in that
|
|
regard, but there aren't *too* many shoot 'em ups set in a platform
|
|
environment - especially not as good as Turrican.
|
|
Turrican offers a number of impressive power-ups and weapon-ups
|
|
along the way. Gather the right coloured weapon packs and your
|
|
weapons can be transformed into a high speed laser, flamer or other
|
|
device. Your laser is good for general purpose firing, however for
|
|
the more difficult enemies your stun-rifle can allow you to disable
|
|
the alien while you blast it to pieces. Each offers different uses
|
|
for different situations, so often it is a good idea to swap
|
|
weapons for a certain section. In some places this is almost vital
|
|
to pass the level.
|
|
Switching between firing several different weapons can be a
|
|
difficulty at times, and often the ability to do so is important to
|
|
your success.
|
|
|
|
Each of the levels involves a different part of the world. From
|
|
being outside to travelling inside factories and underground, each
|
|
level is different in many ways. Each level includes some new
|
|
feature, such as conveyor belts, flying platforms, etc. Turrican
|
|
won't leave you the feeling of "done this, done that" because each
|
|
new area offers something new to try and get to grips with. It is
|
|
unusual for a plain shoot 'em up, and probably why Super Turrican
|
|
is initially very playable and also very lasting.
|
|
|
|
Pump the music in Super Turrican through your stereo and you are in
|
|
for one of the best orchestrated sound-tracks for ANY game on ANY
|
|
system that you are likely to find outside of a professional CD.
|
|
The SNES sound chips are shown in their full capacity, and with
|
|
audio like that who really needs pre-recorded CD-ROM music?
|
|
I didn't have a chance to evaluate the Surround Sound while is
|
|
part of the game (not having the DSS encoder in my stereo which is
|
|
needed), though most will tell you, sounds coming from many
|
|
different angles should add that third audio dimension.
|
|
While some might find the music irritating and a bit
|
|
melodramatic, it sounds good to me - if every game could include
|
|
similar quality sound then all players would be happy. Without such
|
|
thumping sound, Super Turrican just wouldn't be the same.
|
|
Sound effects are nothing spectacular, though from a shoot 'em
|
|
up point of view they are above that of most. Digitised speech is a
|
|
used a small amount - "Power Up" an example. Effects fit in well
|
|
with the soundtrack, meaning no annoying clashes with the music.
|
|
The trend in 16 bit games is of increasing graphics and keeping
|
|
them consistent throughout the game - Super Turrican is no
|
|
exception. My only complaint is that sprites (and the enemies)
|
|
could look a bit larger and include more detail. Every level
|
|
includes something different and a different look and feel, which
|
|
means that the urge to play on is even greater.
|
|
|
|
Super Turrican is a game that is exciting to play, and fortunately
|
|
offers a lot more variety than has been seen over the last few
|
|
years in shoot 'em ups.
|
|
Obvious comparisons can be made between Turrican and Super
|
|
Probotector (aka Super Contra Spirits in some countries), though it
|
|
was long before Probotector that we saw Turrican on a home format.
|
|
Both games are so good it is hard to judge which is the better.
|
|
Turrican offers more impressive sound and graphics, however
|
|
Probotector includes the cool two-player co-operative and
|
|
split-screen modes which makes the game more fun to play with a
|
|
friend. The most obvious difference I can think of is that Turrican
|
|
is much harder than Probotector. Whereas Probotector might take you
|
|
a few days, Turrican will take you weeks.
|
|
|
|
If you like shoot 'em ups I can recommend Super Turrican without
|
|
much doubt. Most other players will likely find it just as good as
|
|
any other SNES game, even if shoot 'em ups aren't quite their
|
|
thing. At the least, Turrican uses some unique elements which are
|
|
sadly lacking in most genre of games that have come out in the last
|
|
year...Definitely take a look.
|
|
|
|
Final analysis
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
|
GRAPH SCORE
|
|
|
|
Sound effects |************************************* 92%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Music |*************************************** 97%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Sprites |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Backgrounds |************************************* 92%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Playability |*********************************** 88%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
IQ factor |**** 10%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Fun factor |******************************** 80%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Overall graphics |************************************ 90%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
OVERALL |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Percentage % 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
|
|
|
|
Extra Comments
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
SOUND FX : Rather 'crashing' yet suits the game
|
|
MUSIC : Some of the best I've heard in ANY game!!
|
|
SPRITES : Could be bigger and a bit more thought out
|
|
BACKGROUNDS : Impressive scenery in most levels
|
|
PLAYABILITY : A bit hard to get to grips with
|
|
IQ. FACTOR : Mindless shoot 'em up.....
|
|
FUN FACTOR : but fun!
|
|
OVERALL GFX : Everything fits in well
|
|
OVERALL : A basic shoot 'em up, and a good one!
|
|
|
|
IMPRESSIONS: While the introduction is below standard, once you
|
|
get past the initial rigmarole, the game simply blasts you away
|
|
with the audio-visuals alone.
|
|
|
|
CONVERSION: N/A (though compared to the first Turrican 200%)
|
|
|
|
INTEREST FACTOR: If you're into shoot 'em ups you'll be playing for
|
|
at least a few months. Otherwise many players will be after
|
|
something more variety, and most will only get a few weeks (at
|
|
most) out of what is simply a *good* shoot 'em up.
|
|
|
|
DIFFICULTY: On easy level you will be able to pass the first few
|
|
stages with ease - it won't make the game easier in the later
|
|
levels however. Very hard is indicative - very hard!
|
|
|
|
WOULD I BUY THE GAME: Another of those games that you would prefer
|
|
not to buy for the price listed, until it came down another $30.
|
|
Since I find shoot 'em ups quite fun, I myself would but others
|
|
with different tastes probably wouldn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
WOLFENSTEIN
|
|
*****/\****
|
|
TYPE ................ First person/shoot 'em up
|
|
FORMAT .............. Super Nintendo
|
|
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER . ID Software/Imagineer
|
|
RELEASE ............. January 1994
|
|
PRICE ............... $80
|
|
SIZE ................ 12 megabit
|
|
|
|
LEVELS .............. 30
|
|
DIFFICULTY .......... Medium (four different difficulty levels)
|
|
PLAYERS ............. One
|
|
EXTRA INFO .......... Password save for each level
|
|
|
|
Just about everybody who has a PC would be familiar with the game
|
|
Wolfenstein that appeared in 1992. At the time the game set many
|
|
landmarks, offering a truly new type of game that was unlike any
|
|
others. It won many different awards for its ingenuity and also
|
|
playability, not surprising either!
|
|
The most remarkable aspect of Wolfenstein is that it was produced
|
|
by a relatively small software company called ID software, who
|
|
offered the game as shareware, meaning that you could freely
|
|
distribute the first episode (of six) and then purchase the rest at
|
|
a price much cheaper than other games on the market.
|
|
Since ID's initial success, the game has been surpassed by the
|
|
technically superior Doom, though even now during a dull moment I
|
|
can spend the time blasting away Nazi zombies in Wolfenstein.
|
|
Wolfenstein on the SNES breaks ID's philosophy of cheap and
|
|
immensely playable games, but I suppose that is more to due to the
|
|
pressure of the big players such as Nintendo that ID software's own
|
|
wishes.
|
|
|
|
For those unfamiliar with the plot, you as BJ are sent by the US
|
|
President to eliminate the Master State before they can raise their
|
|
evil army of un dead against the human race. The game takes place
|
|
across six different episodes, each consisting of an really evil
|
|
end of level bad guy to contend with. Complete each episode and
|
|
then you move on to the next one, until you have to battle the
|
|
leader of the Master State himself in the last level.
|
|
|
|
The action all takes place in a first person perspective, about as
|
|
close to virtual reality as you can get without buying an expensive
|
|
helmet. As you move or look around, the world scrolls in a truly
|
|
360 degree environment, causing you feel *really* there - rather
|
|
than sitting just watching. Your currently selected weapon appears
|
|
at the bottom of your screen, and as you fire it it flashes
|
|
appropriately. Below the actual viewscreen is your stats such as
|
|
health, points, usable objects, and even an animate of your face.
|
|
Each level consists of a dungeon, with lots of different stone
|
|
walls, plants, tables, lights, skeletons, bodies, scenery and other
|
|
items to give the world a truly homely feel :) There are also doors
|
|
and secret passages to navigate through along the way.
|
|
The world looks *fairly* real, but could be better in many
|
|
respects. Things look rather cartoon-like (while probably
|
|
intentionally) detracting from the realism. These are mainly due to
|
|
the relatively poor Super Nintendo processor than anything else.
|
|
The dungeon is not there just to look at though! and you've got
|
|
the Master State to contend with - eliminate them before they can
|
|
do the same to you. There are a number of different bad guys, from
|
|
the standard MS Soldier to un dead zombies and machine gunners. Each
|
|
one is not so tough on its own, but when they gang up on you you
|
|
are in trouble. One of the best features of Wolfenstein is that the
|
|
enemies aren't stupid, and actually react to your movements. If
|
|
they hear you firing your weapon they are likely to come after you,
|
|
or if you walk around the corner they aren't just going to stand
|
|
their staring at you!
|
|
|
|
There a number of different weapons to choose from in Wolf (as in
|
|
the PC version), such as a knife, single shot pistol, machine gun
|
|
and the ultimate, the (50 rounds per second!) chain gun. Added to
|
|
the SNES version is also a flame thrower (!!), missile launcher and
|
|
a backpack to carry extra ammo. The flame thrower is great fun, it
|
|
would have been good in the original version.
|
|
Another worthy addition is an auto-map, meaning that you can
|
|
never really get lost or walk around in circles (well that is the
|
|
idea anyway). It makes the game a lot less frustrating, however
|
|
also a lot easier.
|
|
Other items can be picked up in the game as you go along such as
|
|
weapons (you only start off with the pistol), ammo, lives, door
|
|
keys, bonuses, health, etc. Many of these are vital during some
|
|
parts of the game, and thankfully they have been placed where you
|
|
most need them.
|
|
|
|
The graphics in Wolfenstein seem to have suffered most in the
|
|
conversion from PC to SNES. Everything has a very chunky feel to
|
|
them, even from a distance. Speed and scrolling also seems to be
|
|
slow and slightly clunky compared to the PC version. Nothing runs
|
|
quite as well as the smooth 'gliding' of the PC, though it isn't as
|
|
bad as I first thought when I heard Wolfenstein would appear on the
|
|
SNES format. Comparatively, Wolf doesn't stack up that well to
|
|
other games on the SNES graphics-wise. If ID Software had included
|
|
the FX chip (which they did consider) to speed up the gameplay and
|
|
graphics the conversion (and overall game) could have been a lot
|
|
better.
|
|
|
|
The music has been ported almost perfectly from the PC and adds the
|
|
perfect atmosphere to the game. Even though it could have been
|
|
better considering the SNES' vastly superior sound processors, it
|
|
does sound good nonetheless. FX are excellent and many of it
|
|
digitised. Everything has been re-sampled in English though, and I
|
|
kind off missed the "mein leiben!" as the bad guys bit the dust.
|
|
There isn't as much speech as the PC version unfortunately, but
|
|
there is quite enough to keep you interested.
|
|
|
|
Probably one of the most disappointing features of Wolfenstein is
|
|
that a lot of the fun of the PC version has been removed. All
|
|
political references are gone, meaning that the game no longer pits
|
|
you against the Nazi's and Hitler but rather the Master State. Even
|
|
the pictures and Nazi symbols on the walls has been altered to
|
|
a more 'world-friendly' look.
|
|
Blood and guts is also absent due to Nintendo's censorship
|
|
policy, shooting the enemy is nowhere near as fun when they just
|
|
appear to 'flop' to the ground instead of splatter.
|
|
For those who have never played the game before these things
|
|
probably won't be noticed, but for those who have Wolfenstein will
|
|
be a lot more disappointing than the PC version.
|
|
|
|
Wolfenstein has been converted pretty successfully to the SNES in my
|
|
opinion, considering the many limitations the machine imposes. I
|
|
was kind of hoping for some large improvements on the original
|
|
game, however ID has opted to basically convert the game as it
|
|
appeared on the PC. Of course, that isn't a great problem for
|
|
players who have never played the game before.....
|
|
Despite many of the fun things that were taken out to comply
|
|
with Nintendo's no offense is good defense, SNES Wolfenstein retains
|
|
most of the charm which made the PC version a hit.
|
|
|
|
Final analysis
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
|
GRAPH SCORE
|
|
|
|
Sound effects |********************************* 82%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Music |*********************************** 88%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Sprites |****************************** 75%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Backgrounds |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Playability |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
IQ factor |****** 15%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Fun factor |****************************** 75%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Overall graphics |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
OVERALL |********************************** 85%
|
|
+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
|
|
Percentage % 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
|
|
|
|
Extra Comments
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
SOUND FX : Nice digitised FX and speech
|
|
MUSIC : Moody, though could be more evocative and 'thumping'
|
|
SPRITES : Not quite detailed enough
|
|
BACKGROUNDS : Not too much detail, quite repetitive
|
|
PLAYABILITY : A bit unresponsive to movement, etc
|
|
IQ. FACTOR : Move and shoot (tiny thought)
|
|
FUN FACTOR : Still fun to play despite censorship
|
|
OVERALL GFX : Good but is too chunky for my liking
|
|
OVERALL : A good game which could have been better
|
|
|
|
IMPRESSIONS: Hard to guage since I am very used to the PC version
|
|
and know how *it* plays. Exciting and something new for those who
|
|
have never played this type of game before.
|
|
|
|
CONVERSION: 70% - Too many things taken out for my liking
|
|
|
|
INTEREST FACTOR: Many weeks of exploring and shooting. You'll never
|
|
really get bored of it as there are many secret passages/levels,
|
|
etc to discover.
|
|
|
|
DIFFICULTY: On easy you can finish the game with no troubles
|
|
without really dying. Medium is a good challenge and hard is very
|
|
challenging unless you are a Wolfenstein addict (like me :) ).
|
|
|
|
WOULD I BUY THE GAME: If you have a PC I strongly recommend you go
|
|
for the slightly superior, cheaper, non-censored, and more fun to
|
|
play PC version over the SNES version. If you didn't have the PC
|
|
version I would probably buy it - being very different in style to
|
|
many of the boring games on the SNES.
|
|
|
|
|
|
úÄÄÄÄ The Cheater's ÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
ÛÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÛ
|
|
ÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛÜÜÜ ÛÛ ÛÛ
|
|
ÛÛ ÛÛÝÛÛßßß ÛÛ ÛÛ
|
|
°±²ÛÛÛÛÛßÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÞÛ ÛÛ²±°
|
|
úÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄú
|
|
FRONTIER hopes to include a variety of different cheats, hints,
|
|
solutions, etc for systems and games of all different types. The aim is
|
|
to produce new information that has not been published before, though
|
|
this of course cannot always be guaranteed. If you have discovered a
|
|
secret level, willing to contribute some accurate playing hints, just
|
|
finished a game and are willing to produce a solution, or for that
|
|
matter anything that will help out gamers, Frontier is after them!
|
|
|
|
NBA JAM (SNES and Genesis versions) - Here are some general tactics
|
|
that should help out first time players:
|
|
|
|
- To score frequent three pointers, the best place to score is from
|
|
about half-way along the arc of the three point circle. This is
|
|
the shortest distance to the ring and the easiest to get in.
|
|
|
|
- This might seem obvious, the best way to intercept the ball is to
|
|
get your player between the two opposition players then block and
|
|
elbow. Eventually if they don't manage to pass they will be
|
|
fouled, or in the least you should be able to force an error.
|
|
|
|
- For the best overall team, choose the Hornets! Although nothing
|
|
really stands out, everything is balanced evenly between the
|
|
different abilities
|
|
|
|
NBA JAM (SNES) - To play Bill Clinton!, at the password screen
|
|
enter A, then R and then move your cursor to the letter K but DON'T
|
|
press a key. Then press buttons L,R,X and then enter K.
|
|
Another cheat to move to the last match of the season - enter
|
|
the name DAN and then password Q4DPBGX ZXJBT3H
|
|
|
|
NBA JAM (Genesis) - Similar to the SNES version, to play Bill
|
|
Clinton enter A, then R, move to K and then press A and START, then
|
|
enter K.
|
|
|
|
PRINCE OF PERSIA (Genesis) - Here are the level codes for each
|
|
level:
|
|
Level 2 - EJKIDC
|
|
Level 3 - HJKVRE
|
|
Level 4 - OOPPVE
|
|
Level 5 - GEFRZH
|
|
Level 6 - APPYIC
|
|
Level 7 - WJKHCS
|
|
Level 8 - GPPEGS
|
|
|
|
FINAL FIGHT (GenesisCD) - For rapid-fire mode, at the options
|
|
screens move to exit, then hold A, B, RIGHT, and press START.
|
|
|
|
NIGHT TRAP (GenesisCD) - For some strange video, you will need to
|
|
finish the game. When it says "In memory of...." press UP, and A
|
|
five times.
|
|
|
|
ALIEN 3 (Genesis) - At the options screen, use controller 2 to
|
|
press C, UP, RIGHT, DOWN, LEFT, A, RIGHT, DOWN. Then during the
|
|
game, pause it and press C, A, B. Unpause the game to skip to the
|
|
next level
|
|
|
|
|
|
TRADiNG
|
|
***/\***
|
|
AT present this area has not been included, due to the fact that nobody
|
|
has contacted me wanting to place any private ads. If you do have
|
|
something console related you would like to sell, contact me and I will
|
|
include the section in issue three for your ad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SUPPORT SITES/DISTRIBUTION
|
|
************/\************
|
|
THE following places are the first to receive Frontier each month, and
|
|
also carry previous issues. If you are after the latest issue of
|
|
Frontier, these places are where you will find it:
|
|
|
|
VIOLENT CRIMES (BBS)
|
|
Melbourne, Australia
|
|
+61-3-562-1008
|
|
Sysop: Sudden Death
|
|
Extra: Mention Frontier to receive the magazine.
|
|
|
|
EMPIRE (BBS)
|
|
Melbourne, Australia
|
|
+61-3-591-0020
|
|
Sysop: Matthew Clemants
|
|
Extra: This is still being worked on, issues are distributed here
|
|
Fidonet 3:632/530
|
|
|
|
CUBENet (BBS)
|
|
Munich, Germany
|
|
+49-089-149-8811
|
|
Sysop: Peter Koehnkow
|
|
Extra Info: 44 lines! One of Europe's biggest BBS
|
|
Fidonet (2:2480/66)
|
|
|
|
X=Link BBS
|
|
Singapore
|
|
+065-345-2083
|
|
Sysop: Melvin Chia
|
|
Extra Info: 24hrs (Sat/Sun/Singapore public holidays)
|
|
1200-0000 (Mon-Fri : Singapore Time)
|
|
Fidonet (6:600/638)
|
|
|
|
FTP
|
|
ftp.digex.net in /pub/access/spatton/frontier_magazine/
|
|
Admin: contact Scott Patton (spatton@access.digex.net)
|
|
Extra Info: Only the latest issue of Frontier will be available
|
|
here due to limited archive space.
|
|
|
|
FTP (non-official)
|
|
California, United States
|
|
wuarchive.wustl.edu in /pub/frontier_magazine/
|
|
Admin: archive@wugate.wustl.edu
|
|
Extra Info: At present only on a temporary basis and is not
|
|
official (could disappear at any time).
|
|
|
|
* The Cardiff archives had to be cancelled as an FTP support site
|
|
at the last moment. Sorry for any inconvenience this might have
|
|
caused. Thankfully Frontier has set up a new FTP site which will
|
|
hold the current issue in its place.
|
|
|
|
* Frontier is looking for somebody who can set up some sort of
|
|
internet list-server so that Frontier can be sent via email to
|
|
people who don't have FTP access. Contact the editor if you are
|
|
willing to provide this.
|
|
|
|
* You too can become a support site and be added to this list. All
|
|
that is required is for you to hold the current and back issues of
|
|
Frontier, and be able to FTP each issue as it is released.
|
|
Simple...
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOW *YOU* TOO CAN HELP OUT FRONTIER
|
|
***************/\******************
|
|
FOR a magazine such as this to prosper, Frontier needs regular
|
|
contributions from its readers. From general articles, new releases, to
|
|
reviews and opinions, Frontier needs them all. Even small pieces of
|
|
information which you feel may not or may not be important, don't
|
|
hesitate to send them in. Most likely, if it hasn't been mentioned, we
|
|
don't know about it!
|
|
|
|
If you wish to become a regular reviewer for Frontier, drop me a line
|
|
stating the consoles you own, and which game(s) you want to review and
|
|
I'll email you the 'Frontier reviewer's guide'. This guide should cover
|
|
everything you need to know about writing a review for this magazine, or
|
|
for those who have never written a review before and want to.
|
|
|
|
The following things are specifically needed at present:
|
|
|
|
- Gameplay co-ordinator position: To compile a list of cheats,
|
|
hints and solutions for many games on many different platforms.
|
|
You should be an avid game player and be able to discover
|
|
material for yourself - eg: not taken straight from magazines.
|
|
|
|
- More reviewers: Although many have asked for and have been sent
|
|
the reviewer's guide, I have heard very little back in the way of
|
|
reviews from those people. Please get those reviews in if you
|
|
intend on having them published!
|
|
|
|
- More cheats: A lot of the cheats as you may notice are reprints
|
|
of those that have appeared in other magazines. I am trying to
|
|
stay away from this, so if you have an original cheat or hint
|
|
please send it in.
|
|
|
|
* For information on where to send any material or contributions,
|
|
see the following section.
|
|
|
|
|
|
HOW TO CONTACT FRONTiER
|
|
**********/\***********
|
|
IF you need to contact Frontier for any reason, to ask a question, to
|
|
pose a question, to comment on the magazine or industry in general, or
|
|
for any other reason, don't hesitate to mail! (as it were).
|
|
|
|
* Gordon Craick (chief editor) *
|
|
|
|
.._@/` Post: Gordon Craick For those who do not have access
|
|
16 Gums Avenue to the internet
|
|
Belgrave, Victoria
|
|
AUSTRALIA 3160
|
|
|
|
Email: pred@zikzak.apana.org.au For response within a few minutes
|
|
to a few days!
|
|
FidoNet: Netmail to 3:632/530 (Gordon Craick)
|
|
|
|
* Bradley Lascelle (new co-ordinator)
|
|
|
|
Email: bradley.lascelle@canrem.com - Canada
|
|
|
|
.:. If I don't receive your mail, try sending it again. If i
|
|
*still* don't receive your message, try posting a 'where are
|
|
you?' post in one of the console newsgroups (which I regularly
|
|
monitor) and I should be able to get back to you. Otherwise,
|
|
don't worry, I'm probably just dead :)
|
|
|
|
|
|
CREDITS/THANKS
|
|
******/\******
|
|
KEEP up the great support everybody! Specific thank you's go to:
|
|
|
|
. Tim Wenas - His article/plus Cybermorph review & extras ;)
|
|
. Peter Koehnkow - For being a Frontier support BBS
|
|
. Melvin Chia - For being a Frontier support BBS (Singapore - wow!)
|
|
. Scott Patten - For being a Frontier FTP site (at last an official
|
|
FTP site)
|
|
. David Mansell - For his many CD32 contributions.
|
|
. Bradley Lascelle - For being the news co-ordinator and hopefully
|
|
some reviews in the future!
|
|
. DiE productions - Distribution, support and more!
|
|
. YOU
|
|
|
|
* Unless otherwise indicated, all articles are written by Gordon
|
|
Craick.
|
|
|
|
That's about it from the second issue of Frontier! Look out for
|
|
issue three out in early May....
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
|
|
|
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION - FRONTIER MAGAZINE AND ALL ARTICLES
|
|
CONTAINED WITHIN REMAIN THE LEGAL PROPERTY OF THE AUTHOR(S) UNDER
|
|
EXISTING WORLDWIDE COPYRIGHT TREATIES AND IS (c) COPYRIGHT 1994. NO
|
|
PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE DISTRIBUTED SEPARATELY OR SOLD FOR
|
|
PROFIT WITHOUT EXPLICIT PERMISSION FROM THE EDITOR AND RESPECTIVE
|
|
AUTHOR'S.
|
|
ALL COMPANIES AND NAMES MENTIONED IN THIS MAGAZINE REMAIN
|
|
TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES.
|
|
FRONTIER CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSSES INCURRED FROM
|
|
INFORMATION IN THIS MAGAZINE, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY. WHILE
|
|
CARE IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURATE INFORMATION, FRONTIER CANNOT BE
|
|
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSSES.
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|