From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: alt.games.lynx,rec.games.video
Subject: Lynx reviews! DIRTY LARRY, DRACULA, JOUST!
Date: 23 Dec 1992 17:35:09 -0800
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

Now waitaminute, I'm sitting there reviewing TWO Lynx games and ANOTHER one
comes in? Not that I'm complaining, but you do wish Atari would get them out
a little earlier before Christmas...

==============================================================================
DIRTY LARRY: RENEGADE COP
1 player, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$34.95
Stereo? Yes


OVERVIEW:
    The story sounds familiar, almost like it came from a movie: Detective
Larry has just gotten chewed out by the chief, then sent off to bring in Mr.
Snuff, first lieutenant to the city's kingpin of crime. The big man doesn't
like this, though, and sends his legions of psychopaths and gang members to
stop the cop. Larry's got a simple answer to crime scum -- he wields his .45
and blows it away. But can even "Dirty" Larry survive long enough to deal with
Mr. Big once and for all?

    That's Larry, not Harry, but you get the idea. DIRTY LARRY: RENEGADE COP
puts you in the shoes of a hard-boiled gumshoe who walks, jumps, and ducks
through seven side-scrolling stages, fighting everyone in sight. Larry's fists
are always available, but he's equally proficient with handguns, rifles, and
grenades. You have one life to live, and once you lose it, the game ends. For
your sake, Larry can take a number of hits, and icons found along the way will
restore some of his health.


GAMEPLAY:
    There's a difference between game pace and game speed. Someone at Atari
got the two confused, and decided to make DIRTY LARRY a high-speed title, a
move that effectively ruins the game balance. The computerized criminals
attack far too quickly, and Larry has no effective way to protect himself or
dodge attacks. His only recourse, therefore, is to shoot the criminals before
they come close, meaning that Larry's fine as long as he has ammunition. Once
he's out, he gets trounced.

    Larry himself is also too fast; a typical player can fly through a scene
in three minutes or less. The game has only seven levels, and the criminals,
extra ammo, and health icons all appear in a fixed order. Combine all of these
factors, and this card soon becomes a test in how well the player can memorize
appearances and conserve bullets. A savvy player can finish this title without
too much effort, but that same player would not care for the game's too-short
duration.


GRAPHICS/SOUND:
    Weak as the game is, the graphics in DIRTY LARRY are no slouch, and put
some other titles to shame. The sprite animation is only average, but the
graphics feature incredible use of color and detail: shadows in the alleys,
lights rushing by in the subway, torn wallpaper, and lots more. A few animated
intermissions advance the plot as well. Sound effects, though, are not half as
impressive. The title theme is above average, but actual game sounds consist
mostly of gunfire, assorted thuds, and a few miscellaneous effects. On the
other hand, there's a nice use of stereo throughout.


SUMMARY:
    Conceptually, DIRTY LARRY had the ingredients to be a easy, no-nonsense
action title. Unfortunately, the game balance got thrown out of sync, and the
final result lies in video limbo: young players will be turned off by the
difficulty of the game, and experienced gamers will finish it too quickly.


                GAMEPLAY:        5.5
                GRAPHICS:        8.5
                SOUND:           5.5
                OVERALL:         5.5

  Rating values  10 - 8   Great! This game can't get much better.
                  7 - 5   Good. Average game, could be improved.
                  4 - 2   Poor. For devotees only.
                      1   Ick. Shoot it.

==============================================================================
DRACULA THE UNDEAD
1 player, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$34.95
Stereo? No


OVERVIEW:
    If Bram Stoker were alive today, would he have written "Dracula" as an
interactive novel? Atari thinks so, and their reinterpretation of the horror
classic is DRACULA THE UNDEAD, a gothic adventure for the Lynx. You play the
part of Jonathan Harker, who is visiting Count Dracula to conduct real estate
business. As the story begins, Jonathan has awakened from an overnight sleep
at Dracula's castle, ready to work. However, the Count has affairs to attend
to, and will be gone until the evening. With a day of waiting and no Lynx to
spend the time, Jonathan decides to explore Dracula's quaint home. In your
travels, you will discover many unusual secrets; your goal is to escape with
evidence proving that Dracula is a danger to mortal men and possibly destroy
the Count himself. Of course, Castle Dracula is filled with danger, not the
least of which is its tall, imposing owner...


GAMEPLAY:
    As the plot summary attests, DRACULA THE UNDEAD is not your ordinary video
game. If nothing else, its gets credit for diverting from the usual sword-and-
sorcery fantasy scenario. Game control is similar to the method in computer
adventures such as KING'S QUEST and THE ADVENTURES OF MONKEY ISLAND: each room
is a graphic image, and you use the joypad to move Jonathan around and explore
it. Complex actions are done by choosing verbs and nouns from a scrolling
window to form commands like "examine drawers", "open door", or "use lamp with
tinderbox". Room features that you can interact with are indicated by having
its name appear on-screen when you pass by it. You can also talk to people by
selecting your dialogue from a number of sentences.

    The actual adventure is a fairly challenging affair, though a little bit
linear. Many times, there are several possible goals, but usually only one
will lead to progress which advances the plot. Puzzles are not easily solved,
and often nothing can be done without a certain item that you haven't found
yet. Hints are few, coming from Jonathan's musings and an occasional
narrative from Bram Stoker, and red herrings abound. It is also possible to
finish the game without winning it, since Jonathan must make enough notes to
build a convincing case against Dracula. The game assumes a little knowledge
of vampire lore, but nothing too complex, while dialogue and descriptions are
brief but appropriate.

    There are only two weak points with DRACULA THE UNDEAD, the first being
the control scheme. Each room is shown from a single viewpoint, with the LCD
screen being one of the walls, so some features are unseen, either because
they're off-camera or part of the screen "wall". Since their names appear when
Jonathan approaches them, it's only a minor nit, and enforces the need to
explore rooms thoroughly. The greater flaw is the lack of a save-game feature.
You must finish this game in one sitting; the game disables the automatic
shut-off feature of the Lynx, but if you haven't finished this title already,
it's best to play with an AC adaptor.


GRAPHICS/SOUND:
    DRACULA THE UNDEAD is drawn in shades of brown and tan, using impressive
"brownscaled" images that look almost like digitized aged photographs. Most of
the animation comes from Jonathan walking around, with a little gratuitous
scaling as he moves towards and away from the player. The game is sprinkled
with animated scenes, such as the conversations with other characters, and
Bram Stoker flipping pages while reading the latest plot twist.

    Sound effects are a respectable mix of machine-generated and digitized
effects, such as creaking doors and the howl of wolves, but they are few and
far between. Instead, the game's most consistent sound is a moody background
tune that plays continuously. It can be disabled with the Option 2 button if
it proves wearisome, however.


SUMMARY:
    DRACULA THE UNDEAD offers traditional adventuring fare with an unusual
premise, with enough challenge and appeal to satisfy most adventurers. The
inability to save a game in progress hurts, but dedicated players who are
willing to live with this flaw are encouraged to give the Count a visit.


                GAMEPLAY:        7.5
                GRAPHICS:        9
                SOUND:           6
                OVERALL:         7.5

  Rating values  10 - 8   Great! This game can't get much better.
                  7 - 5   Good. Average game, could be improved.
                  4 - 2   Poor. For devotees only.
                      1   Ick. Shoot it.

==============================================================================
JOUST
1-2 players, horizontal game
Shadowsoft, for the Atari Lynx
$39.95
Stereo? No


OVERVIEW:
    It's arguable who made the best video games in the early days of arcade
gaming, but one firm commanded awe from all players: Williams. Their early
games had simple rules, lots of strategy, and a take-no-prisoners challenge
that only the best could master. JOUST for the Lynx is a version of the
Williams classic title. The player rides a flying ostrich, engaging in combat
against enemy riders. Two riders joust by colliding, and the winner is the one
whose lance is higher. The arena is a cavern of platforms, which can be walked
on or flown around.

    A few extra wrinkles make the game more interesting. Defeated enemies turn
into eggs, which hatch into more aggressive fliers if they're not retrieved in
time. Later levels introduce the lava troll who snatches riders overhead, a
nearly-indestructible pterodactyl, and vanishing platforms. Two players can
play together with the ComLynx cable, working cooperatively or competitively.
Some stages have special bonuses, such as extra points for not losing a life,
or for unseating your partner first. You start with three riders, with extras
at regular intervals, and once they're gone, the game ends.


GAMEPLAY:
    This title is from Shadowsoft, the same folks who gave us their incredible
Lynx version of ROBOTRON: 2084 a year ago. I don't need to say much -- if you
liked JOUST in the arcade, you'll love the Lynx version! It's a perfect,
flawless translation that loses absolutely none of the original's depth and
excitement. What starts off as a simple exercise in dismounting opponents soon
becomes organized chaos. Your character is soon assaulted by riders on all
sides, with more aggressive enemies hatched and on the way, and a pterodactyl
ready to assault you for taking too long.

    This conversion also has a few extra features. There are ten difficulty
levels, where more aggressive enemies appear sooner and hatch quicker at the
harder settings. With two players, you can also play in "gladiator mode",
where you configure the arena, then try to destroy your opponent completely.
Throw in a high score table to track the top five players, and you've got a
"must buy" Lynx game for action/arcade fans.


GRAPHICS/SOUND:
    The sights and sounds of JOUST are just as faithful to the source. The
Lynx screen resolution causes a slight loss of detail, but nothing to get
upset over. The sprites are small but easily recognizable, with animation,
color, and visuals copied exactly in every detail. Similarly, almost all of
the sounds have been digitized or duplicated exactly. I only noticed one sound
effect from the original that has not been copied, but other than that, it's
all here.


SUMMARY:
    JOUST is another unbelievably excellent product from Shadowsoft. Players
who never played the arcade title will be captivated by its simple rules, deep
strategy, and fast action, while the legions of arcade JOUST fans will be in
video-gaming heaven!


                GAMEPLAY:        10
                GRAPHICS:        9.5
                SOUND:           9.5
                OVERALL:         10

  Rating values  10 - 8   Great! This game can't get much better.
                  7 - 5   Good. Average game, could be improved.
                  4 - 2   Poor. For devotees only.
                      1   Ick. Shoot it.

==============================================================================

  Okay, my Christmas is made...

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

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   Send whatevers to rjung@usc.edu    |      If it has pixels, I'm for it.
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Newsgroups: alt.games.lynx