Video and computer game reviews

CLOSE COMBAT: BATTLE OF THE BULGE Maker: Mindscape Entertainment Rating: 2 stars System: PC CD-ROM System requirements: Windows 95/98, 100MB free hard drive space, 32MB RAM,

Friday, March 24th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CLOSE COMBAT: BATTLE OF THE BULGE

Maker: Mindscape Entertainment

Rating: 2 stars

System: PC CD-ROM

System requirements: Windows 95/98, 100MB free hard drive space, 32MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, Pentium 200, SVGA video adapter with 4MB of memory.

Suggested price: $39.99
Number of players: Up to 2 via modem, LAN and Internet

Close Combat: Battle of the Bulge is the fourth in a series, and unlike its predecessors, it focuses on one battle. It takes place in December 1944, when the German army launched a last assault against the Allies in World War II. The battle turned the tide in the Allies' favor.

The other games focused on entire wars and scenarios such as the Russian front.

And perhaps that's why there just isn't a whole lot of variety in this game.

The main problem is that the war scenarios all seem too similar. Also, the control is often awkward, and visually there's nothing but flat maps of combat areas. Control over individual squads and armored units comes with pull-down menus that take up far too much time.
You have to go through a long tutorial just to learn how to move the characters.

Players are provided two perspectives of the action -- an overhead view and a strategic map showing friendly unit locations and known enemy positions. But even with these two views, the game is boring. You can only stare at maps for so long.

If you're a World War II buff, you may enjoy the game. But if you're not, this game isn't going to change that.

Suitable for ages 13 and older.

Rufus Coleman is a writer for the University of North Texas in Denton.

THE DUKES OF HAZZARD: RACING FOR HOME

Maker: SouthPeak Interactive
Rating: 2 1/2 stars

System: Sony PlayStation
Price: $40

Number of players: Up to 2

The classic early '80s TV show The Dukes of Hazzard is now a Sony PlayStation game. Hop inside the General Lee and relive the action of the show in this mission-based driving game.

SouthPeak Interactive did a good job in keeping the authenticity of the original TV program. All of the characters are here, including Cooter, Boss Hogg and Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane.

You even hear the theme song at the beginning of the game.

Unfortunately, SouthPeak opted to use computer-generated images instead of the real actors in the video segments.

There's plenty of variety in the different stages. You'll race against the clock, avoid the law and run down criminals in an effort to save Uncle Jesse's farm.

Sometimes you'll have to step out of the General Lee to drive other cars, such as Daisy's Jeep.

The game has a few flaws, though.

The scenery is monotonous -- you drive through areas that all look alike.

Play control is also a bit loose. And while the voices are dead on, they just couldn't get the General Lee's horn to sound right.

This game may not be as good as other racing titles such as Ridge Racer Type 4 or Driver, but it does provide a fun romp through Hazzard County with some laughs along the way.

Suitable for all ages.

Cary Woodham is a free-lance writer from Dallas.

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 2000

Maker: EA Sports

Rating: 1 star

System: Sony PlayStation

Price: $39.95

Number of players: Up to 4 with multitap adapter

In golf games, an avid player is looking for basic improvement of what is already available -- graphics, physics and the realistic swing of a club. But EA Sports missed the mark in all these categories.

On the plus side, EA eliminated the difficult-to-master Swing Meter that it introduced in Tiger Woods 99 PGA Golf Tour (PC version). The PlayStation version reverts back to the familiar, although very fast and hard to control, three-click swing that we have enjoyed for years. This is the first golf release that lets gamers control the fate of a golf shot with the analog joystick, which can fade, draw or angle your shot for the best approach.

On the downside, the game physics and graphics are absolute travesties. Regarding physics: From a sand trap on the edge of a green, I tried every club in my arsenal and every swing the game would allow, and I still couldn't get the ball over the lip. After nearly 20 swings, the ball had to be pitched out the rear of the hazard just to continue.

Unless you are a glutton for punishment, you will find that ball physics are equally frustrating when putting. A gentle tap is almost equivalent to a Sammy Sosa home-run swing at a baseball.

Not much effort went into background texturing, and most graphics are of mediocre quality. The players have hazy outlines, trees are choppy and the scenery textures are not smooth and enjoyable. It is common for a ball to pass through a tree trunk or, on the other extreme, hit a tree limb that isn't within 10 feet of the ball's flight.

Although the game has five tournaments on five courses and features five pro players, there are at least five other golf games with crisper graphics and smoother action at a comparable price.

Rated for all ages.

Harold E. Scull Jr. is a free-lance writer from Fort Worth.

Rolling, rolling nowhere

EXTREME MOUNTAIN BIKING

Maker: Head Games

Rating: 1/2 star

System requirements: Pentium 166 MHz, Windows 95/98, 32MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 6.1-compliant sound and video cards
Price: $24.99

Number of players: 1

The purchase of Extreme Mountain Biking is strongly discouraged for several reasons: There is no challenge, it is grossly overpriced and, above all, the graphics are so poor that they may cause severe eyestrain and watering.

Extreme Mountain Biking comes in a fantastic-looking container that boasts of eight bike models, more than 15 tracks, 12 riders, true three-dimensional graphics and multiple camera angles. The premise is basic: To win a race, you must pedal to go fast (click left) and brake (click right) to negotiate curves.

It is nearly impossible to distinguish any difference in the characteristics of the riders, their capabilities or the bikes they ride. The game requires minimal skill because you can virtually complete every race without removing your finger from the pedal button on the mouse.

This is one of those games that will soon appear in a sale bin at a grocery store near you.

Rated for all ages.

- Harold E. Scull Jr.

WILD WILD WEST: THE STEEL ASSASSIN

Developer: SouthPeak

Rating: 2 stars

System: PC CD-ROM

System requirements: Pentium 266 MHz, 64MB RAM, 200MB hard disk space, 8X CD-ROM drive, Direct X-compatible video card with 4MB VRAM

Price: $19.95

Number of players: 1

Wild West West, which involves a death threat to President Grant by someone claiming to be Abe Lincoln's true assassin, provides a more interesting premise in the game than in the film. Because it mixes up the game play with everything from logic puzzles such as those in Myst (extremely frustrating) to point-and-click gunfights, the game provides a refreshing range of challenges, especially for the intended audience of novices and casual gamers.

Most movies do not translate well to games and tend to just bring down the whole hype for the movie. This game is probably the best film adaptation put out thus far. The graphics are good, with detailed backgrounds, but during fast movements there is a lot of jerky animation.

The game's two voice actors do excellent mimicry of Will Smith and Kevin Kline, the stars of the show. The music and sound are nothing exciting (no Will Smith music tracks), but they fit the game well. The controls are mouse-driven (point and click) with a few simple keyboard shortcuts.

There are two weaknesses with the game: too much involvement in arcade-style gunfighting with hundreds of henchmen, rather than being goaded by the villains, and puzzles that are difficult and unrewarding. The most exciting thing about Wild Wild West is the reasonable price tag. Although it is polished and diverse, it will fall short in satisfying the seasoned adventure game player.

But for casual players who just like the idea of the series, it may amount to a decent diversion.

Rated for ages 13 and older.

- Harold E. Scull Jr.

GHOSTS 'N GOBLINS

Maker: Capcom

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

System: Game Boy Color

Price: $30

Number of players: 1

The arcade classic-turned-!Nintendo classic is now destined to become a Game Boy Color classic, thanks to a dead-on portable translation.

Ghosts 'N Goblins, much like its '80s arcade brethren, sends you on a quest to save a maiden in distress from evil monsters.

What sets this quest apart is its combination of arcade-quick challenge and Mario-quality level design.

Age hasn't made this title any less fun. It's still a challenging, unique game that plays extremely well as the side-scrolling action moves horizontally on the small screen.
Fortunately, the controls were tightened a bit from the Nintendo version so you won't have those frustrating missed jumps as often.

Other than the controls, you won't notice the difference. The game looks just like its 8-bit brother, although still not as good as the original arcade version.

Two complaints: While the password system is a nice addition, an automatic save option would have been better.

Also, the small screen occasionally limits the view too much. But these are nitpicks - side-scrolling fans need to get this game.

Suitable for all ages.

Sam Machkovech is a student at the University of Texas at Austin.

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