From: gloomboy@netcom.com (Chris Yaryan)
Subject: Yet Another MacWorld Games Report(LONG)
Followup-To: gloomboy@netcom.com 
Summary: MacWorld Games Report 
Keywords: MacWorld Games Report 
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 01:04:59 GMT

Well, I just got back from the MacWorld SF Expo, and here is my report for those
of you who couldn't make it...
 
CD-Rom seemed to dominate the show this year. LOTS of new games, although
given the cost of these items, I'm sure it's going to be very difficult picking & 
choosing who is going to get your $70-100...
 
Reactor was still selling "Spaceship Warlock", as well as "Virtual Valerie, the 
Director's Cut" (which didn't look any different to me) and "Virtual Valerie 2" 
which I didn't see. They were also still selling "Creepy Castle", which 
sucks (IMHO). They did, however have the "Screaming Metal" demo running, 
which looks amazing.
 
Joe Sparks from Pop Rocket was demoing "Total Distortion" which is another 
CD game.This one seems to have a lot more humor and imagination than some 
of the other CD offerings this year. It's got a rock-and-roll theme and there 
is a terrific demo available on the Electronic Arts CD sampler ($5).
 
A company called Warner New Media was showing "Hellcab", by Pepe Moreno, 
of "Batman-Digital Justice" fame. This one involves a time-traveling taxicab 
with some really involved Blade-runnerish cityscape scenes (Flying cars, etc.) 
This will ship "1st quarter '93".
 
Drew Pictures/Spectrum Holobyte was showing "The Iron Helix". This has you 
navigating your way through a derelict spacecraft in a probe device. A demo of 
this is also available on the Elect. Arts demo CD.
 
East/West Communications was showing "L-Zone" from Japan. Yet another CD 
of wandering around an abandoned city/labyrinth with robots and such. I see a 
pattern emerging with some of these releases...how many friggin derelict 
ships/cities etc. are people willing to spend $70 + to wander around?
 
Finally, Presto Studios is finally shipping "The Journeyman Project". This is 
probably the best-looking "wander-around-corridors-and-pick-up-stuff-game" 
The graphics are very well done, although, like the other aforementioned CD 
games, this theme is already getting tired.
 
If I had to spend my money on one of these (I didn't) it would probably be 
"Total Distortion", just because it isn't just "Spaceship Warlock" on steroids. 
"Screaming Metal" looked pretty good, but I'll have to see more than just a 
running demo.
 
On the non-CD game front...
 
Psygnosis had "Lemmings"; MacPlay was selling "Out Of This World" and 
the "Battle Chess" series; Inline Design had "Swamp Gas Visits Europe", "Cogito", 
"The Tinies", & "S.C. Out". Also, Casady & Greene had Pararena 2.0. Talked a 
bit to John Calhoun, who was a really cool guy. He said that "Space Station 
Hyperion" was still being worked on. 
 
The less said about the Spectrum Holobyte  booth (tiny), the better, because 
frankly, Graphic Simulation's "F/A-18 Hornet" makes "Falcon MC" look like a 
dried dog turd. Graph Sim was only running a timed demo, but it knocked me 
on my butt. Full screen support, blazing speed on a Quadra (MUCH faster than 
Hellcats), moving chase plane views, head to head combat over appletalk, 
improved explosions, a ridiculously complicated instrument panel, the works. 
It should be out in March or April (so they say). Spectrum Holobyte should 
just get the hell out of the Mac flight simulator market and go crawl into a 
hole and die...
 
I saw Velocity's "Spectre Supreme" which they were selling for $39.95. This 
looked and played great. Way faster, more vicious enemies, improved explosions, 
8-player linkup, new enemies, new weapons, something called "Negative 
Cyberspace", transporter gates, cyber mud, moving acid pools, etc. They 
also mentioned a forthcoming CD-Rom based version with Quicktime functions. 
There are also 6 network games: Maze Rally, Bitball, IT!, Superarena, Cyber 
Tic Tac Toe, and CyberSoccer.
 
Lots of MacPorn this time around. Everything from digitized nudie photos to 
interactive porno flicks with digitized slurping and graphics. Needless to say, 
these two booths were VERY popular. I tell you, you just haven't lived till you've 
seen 30 leering guys in suits drooling all over a Mac screen...
 
So what did I spend my money on? Tristan's "Eight Ball Deluxe". A pixel-perfect
conversion of the classic Bally pinball machine, digitized board, sound effects, 
etc. Waaayyyy better than the first Tristan Pinball. They say forthcoming will be conversions of other Williams, Bally and Gottlieb games, including "Funhouse". 
Keep an eye out for this game, if you like pinball.
 
That's basically it... other posts talked about "Spaceward Ho 3.0" and "
Pax Imperium" and the like so I didn't waste the bandwidth...
 
Take all of this with a grain of salt...if anyone wants further details, e-mail.
 
gloomboy@netcom.com

Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games