The 3DO Software Directory
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     Welcome to the essential update to every review from 3DO magazine
     issues one to eight...

3D Atlas

Electronic Arts, TBA

A huge geographical, political and environmental guide to planet earth,
this uses excellent stock footage, good 3D graphics routines and
brilliantly edited news sequences to seduce almost anyone into enjoying a
traditionally dull subject. Even the inevitable quiz show game is fun.
Overall, simply excellent edutainment.

issue 2, Rating: ****

Alone In The Dark

Infogrames,39.99

A considerable advance over the original in terms of graphics, violence and
size, but slowdown makes a very tough game even more demanding. Newcomers
should definitely start with the original, but both games demand almost all
the 3DO's NVRAM.

Issue 8, Rating: ****

Another World

Interplay,39.99

Originally an Amiga game, this was a welcome twist on the platform genre.
Rotoscoped sprites and stylish cut sequences achieved a uniquely cinematic
feel. The 3DO version doesn't tamper with the game's fundamentals, but adds
256 colours to freshen it up a bit.

issue 1, Rating: ***

Ballz

BMG,39.99

While the fighters are made of just a few balls, they turn out to be
brilliantly animated characters. Combat is in full 3D with plenty of
imaginative moves. Although not as precise or satisfying as SFII, it's
highly original, very playable and totally hilarious.

issue 6, Rating: ***

Battle Chess

Krisalis,39.99

A worthy attempt to make chess exciting for beginners, its 3D graphics
aren't as flash or funny as they might be. However there's an impressive
chess engine under the hood while a 2D board is a model of clarity and
simplicity.

issue 1, **

BattleSport

Studio 3DO,49.99

Quite simply one of the best two-player games ever. The splitscreen action
is blisteringly fast, with masses of weaponry and power-ups adding plenty
of spice to 3D, goal-scoring action. 50+ levels and tough, varied opponents
mean one-player action is brilliant too.

issue 6, Rating: *****

Blade Force

Studio 3DO,44.99

A bravura demonstration of fast, detailed 3D in which the environment is
the star. Huge, fabulously detailed, heavily defended landscapes provide a
considerable challenge with each level taking about an hour to complete.
One for hardened, tactically-minded blast-'em-up fans.

issue 7, Rating: ****

Burning Soldier

Panasonic,39.99

This follows where Microcosm and Novastorm trailblazed, with interactive
sprites overlaid on an uninteractive, pre-rendered backdrop. Naturally that
makes for linear gameplay, but manga-esque graphics and a simultaneous
two-player mode provide limited compensation.

issue 1, **

Cannon Fodder

Virgin,44.99

The sprites may be tiny, but there's a huge number of levels and gameplay
is incredibly addictive with masses of enemies, buildings and vehicles to
destroy. Somewhat similar to Return Fire, it has a superior structure (more
challenge) but sadly there's no two-player mode.

issue 3, Rating: ****

Captain Quazar

Studio 3DO,49.99

An incredibly fun, cartoon-styled mega-blaster. One or two heroes must
shoot their way through to capture three crimelords, each with their own
personal planet consisting of huge, sprawling isometric levels. Absolutely
everything can be blown to pieces with more mind-boggling explosions than a
Warner Bros cartoon.

issue 6, Rating: *****

Crime Patrol*

American Laser Games

The Mad Dog II formula is successfully applied to the considerably more
violent scenario of modern day America. The sleazy strip joint scene is a
PG classic, while gameplay is tough but fair.

issue 3, Rating: ****

D

Panasonic,39.99

A young woman arrives in Los Angeles to find a hospital massacre somehow
connected to her father. Cut to a spooky house complete with chained up
skeleton and ghoulish traps. The challenge may not be enormous in this two
CD adventure, but the letterboxed FMV features some of the most stylish
pre-rendered graphics yet seem. The sense of atmosphere is brilliantly
conveyed and the puzzling gameplay is highly involving.

3DO Gold, Rating: ****

Daedalus Encounter, The

Panasonic,49.99

This four CD epic looks better than most Hollywood sci-fi movies with
stunning sets, special effects and mega-babe Tia. Cleverly integrated into
this FMV epic are a series of logic puzzles - disguised as alien door
locks, system repairs etc. - which really get the old grey matter working.
If you like that sort of thing, you'll love this and, even if you don't,
the slick presentation and excellent control interface could well convert
you.

issue 5, Rating: ****

DeathKeep

SSI/Mindscape,39.99

The 3D is some of the most sophisticated and fast yet seen in a Doom-style
game, but this Slayer sequel doesn't make things easy for you. It takes
time to figure out the sprawling 3D mazes with no automap, especially as
you must also fight lots of very tough, very vicious monsters. Magical
effects, including the ability to fly and light-sourced fireballs, are
highlights for those who persist in this intelligent, demanding game.
Issue 8, Rating: ****

Demolition Man

Virgin,49.99

This is a glorious showcase both for the technical capabilities of the 3DO
(great FMV, glorious presentation) and the growing clout of videogames (the
movie crew actually shot extra scenes for it). Gameplay is a clever mix of
genres with beat-'em-up, Doom, car racing and even Op Wolf-style blasting.
It makes for a very playable package with a tough challenge.

issue 2, Rating: ****

Doom

Art Data Interactive,39.99

A classic of run-and-shoot action is marred by slowdown and a poor save
system. Veterans of the PC version won't find much to enjoy, but newcomers
will find the addictive gameplay still survives despite the problems.

Issue 8, Rating: ***

Dragon's Lair

Elite,39.99

More of a cartoon than a game, Sullivan Bluth's arcade classic wows those
who watch the game, but frustrates those who are actually playing it.
Gameplay is restricted to pressing the correct button at exactly the right
time. This gets very tedious.

issue 1, **

Drug Wars*

American Laser Games,44.99

The most lavishly produced ALG game yet with car crashes, exploding boats
and even a runaway bus. Varied locations include a small Southern town,
Chicago and South America. The sense of humour is still going strong, but
there's no new gameplay elements and the difficulty level is the fiercest
yet.

issue 7, Rating: ****

Escape From Monster Manor

Electronic Arts,39.99

Developed in an amazing four months, this early Doom clone has some neat
tricks with translucent sprites, gorgeous texture maps and spooky sonics.
The atmospherics of a haunted house are there, but gameplay is rather
ghostly.

issue 1, Rating: ***

Family Feud

Gametek,39.99

The American inspiration for Family Fortunes, this suffers from culturally
specific questions you're unlikely to know the answers to, a lousy control
interface and poor, minimally animated graphics. In the shadow of Twisted,
Station Invasion and Zhadnost this is a very small thing indeed.

issue 2, *

FIFA International SOCCER

Electronic Arts,44.99

The most stylish and visually impressive soccer game ever. From the superb
FMV intro, spliced with in-game action scenes hardly distinguishable from
real-life, to the multitude of camera angles, slow motion controls and
sound FX, FIFA International is a game that looks good enough to eat. A
six-player mode is ideal party fun.

issue 1, Rating: *****

Flashback

US Gold,44.99

As with its Another World prequel, Flashback's highly stylised, rotoscoped
Amiga graphics and elegant gameplay have adapted easily to numerous
formats. The 3DO version adds 256 colours, better sound and enhanced, 3D
Studio cut sequences. The excellent platforming puzzles are as absorbing as
ever.

issue 4, Rating: ***

Flying Nightmares

Studio 3DO,44.99

The first superconsole flight sim really does allow you to soar on your
3DO. The sensation of flight is impressively conveyed, especially with a
Flightstick Pro joystick, while the Harrier jumpjet is fully capable of all
its famous hovering stunts. The actual game revolves around a three-day
campaign to liberate the island of Barcala, a task comprising over 30
different missions - most with primary and secondary targets. There's a
strong sense of atmosphere and the gruelling nature of modern air combat
will appeal to anyone seeking a serious challenge.

issue 5, Rating: ****

Foes Of Ali

Electronic Arts,44.99
The best boxing sim on any superconsole in terms of depth, atmosphere,
range of punches and realistic graphics individual boxes can be recognised
from their faces, which are slowly turned into bloody mush as fights
progresses. While demanding of newcomers to the sport, fans will find this
absolutely unmissable.
issue 8, Rating: ****

Gex

BMG,46.95

The 3DO's Sonic or Mario with bells on, Gex redefines the platform genre in
32bit, postmodern guise. The central Gecko sprite (rendered with over 450
frames of Silicon Graphic animation) can cling to just about anything; use
his tail as a whip and collect power-ups with a long gelatinous tongue.
Five big and varied worlds provide a reasonable challenge, while non-stop
quips voiced by Dana Gould make this fun even for those who thought they'd
outgrown this tired genre.

issue 3, Rating: *****

Gridders

The 3DO Company,39.99

This challenging puzzler was designed around the 3DO chipset with its
intricate puzzles rendered in full 3D. 36 torturous levels provide a big
challenge that will seduce many puzzlers.

issue 1, Rating: ***

Hell

Gametek,44.99

The scenario is an inspired blend of medieval demonology and hi-tech
cyberpunk, while the voices of Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones and Stephanie
Seymour (who also appears in digitised form) add star appeal. The gameplay
isn't so hot, revolving around too many long-winded conversations that get
irksome, but great visuals and a mature, adult oriented approach provide
some recompense in this provocative adventure.

issue 5, Rating: ***

Horde, THE

Crystal Dynamics,39.99

A brilliantly original game designed for the 3DO system, this seamlessly
merges hilarious FMV, intense arcade action and thoughtful strategy into an
irresistible package. In the game you play Chauncey, a young knight charged
with protecting various villages against the superbly greedy Hordlings. You
must speedily organise village defenses - and finances - before quarterly
attacks by the loony toon-style Hordlings. Chasing after them with a huge
sword is brilliant fun, while interlevel FMV is exceptionally witty with a
great pay-off right at the end. It's what your 3DO was made for!

issue 1, Rating: *****

Icebreaker

Panasonic,39.99

Graphics are hardly stunning and scrolling is less than smooth, but this
stylish blast-'em-up is still good fun. 150 levels, 18 background tunes and
abstract, pyramid graphics make it a unique experience with plenty of
challenge.

issue 6, Rating: ****

Immercenary

Electronic Arts,44.99

Despite an innovative visual style, this novel Doom variant fails to live
up its promise. The control interface is poor, while weapons are unexciting
and 3D surroundings repetitive. Persevere and the game can become addictive
but, sadly, the more progress you make, the easier it becomes. With some
restructuring this could have been something special - instead of a cult
oddity.

issue 4, Rating: ***

Incredible Machine, THE

Sierra,39.99

A compelling collection of puzzles, which although unenhanced for the 3DO,
remains as much fun as it ever was on the PC. Building the eponymous
machines requires manipulating a wide range of bizarre objects to wondrous
effect. A superb learning curve makes play utterly addictive, and the
ability to design and build your own puzzles to fox a friend makes this a
highly rewarding package.

issue 2, Rating: ****

Iron Angel OF THE APOCALYPSE

Panasonic,39.99

A bizarre, Japanese Doom variant, this titillates with its fantastic FMV
intro, only to implode with a poorly programmed, dingy exploration game.

issue 2, **

Jammit

BMG,39.99

A lazy conversion by GTE of an ancient MegaDrive one-on-one (or two)
basketball game. Despite the general ineptitude of the coding and lame
animation, this still has some merits in two-player mode, with the
simplistic format providing furiously competitive play. Hardly essential,
but pretty good fun in short bursts.

issue 2, **

John Madden Football

Electronic Arts,39.99

Inarguably the best American Football game on any format ever. EA's
masterpiece merges together incredibly detailed, beautifully animated
sprites, stereo sound, slick FMV and sublime gameplay. It also comes with a
plethora of options allowing the complete beginner and football pro alike
the perfect level of competition. Brilliant in one player mode, absolutely
unmissable in two, this is an unbelievably impressive product.

issue 1, Rating: *****

Killing Time

Studio 3DO,44.99

An inspired riff on the Doom genre which has you exploring a huge haunted
house packed with all manner of zombies. The soundtrack is brilliant -
genuinely spine tingling - while the graphics are unbelievably realistic.
The framerate does suffer some slowdown, but imaginative puzzles and a far
more realistic environment, allowing you to choose your own route through
the house, more than makes up. Simply unmissable.

issue 7, Rating: ****

Kingdom: The Far Reaches

Interplay,39.99

An ancient Laserdisc title is uncermoniously resurrected for 3DO with
little success. While the cartoony graphics and intriguing adventuring
gameplay will please youngsters, the tendency for sudden, unfair deaths
will soon turn them off.

issue 6, **

Lost Eden

Virgin,34.99

An imaginative, B-movie plot about dinosaurs and humans co-existing allows
for some nice FMV visuals, while music is excellent. Adventuring gameplay
isn't quite so hot, but not bad for the price.

issue 6, Rating: ***

Lost Files Of Sherlock

Holmes, THE

Electronic Arts,39.99

One of the first `multimedia' releases to appear on the PC, this now seems
well past its retirement date. Tiny FMV windows interrupt rather than
complement the adventuring, while the plot is distinctly linear. It'll take
time to solve it all, but overall most people will wish the files had
remained `lost' on 3DO.

issue 1, **

Mad Dog McCree*

American Laser Games,44.99

While a big hit in the arcades, subsequent games have made the original
appear rather small and linear - especially for home use.

issue 3, **

Mad Dog McCree II: The Lost Gold*

American Laser Games,44.99

A huge leap over the original Mad Dog introducing a branching structure
within a considerably bigger and, for its type, more sophisticated game.
The Wild West scenario allows for plenty of laughs and it's all good fun.

issue 3, Rating: ***

Mazer

American Laser Games, TBA

A nice idea - Gauntlet with bigger, digitised sprites - but fatally flawed
by appalling gameplay and miniscule levels. Depressingly poor.

issue 6, *

MegaRace

Mindscape,39.99

Originally a heavily hyped PC CD-ROM title, this has been cleverly reworked
for 3DO. Both in-game and TV-style FMV presentation is far more colourful
and impressive. Sadly, actual gameplay is a lot less flashy and ultimately
repetitive.

issue 1, Rating: ***

Myst

Panasonic,TBA

A huge hit on the PC, the near photorealistic imagery generated an
alarmingly convincing alternate world of IQ-straining puzzles and an
intricate storyline. The 3DO version retains all the gameplay and much of
the atmosphere, but joypad control and TV-style resolution do blur some of
its appeal. Still, if you're the quiet, patient type there's little to
touch this brainy masterpiece.

issue 3, Rating: ****

Need For Speed, THE

Electronic Arts,44.99

Superb graphics, fantastic Dolby audio, eight of the world's most exciting
supercars, three absolutely huge routes to race on, an unbelievably
comprehensive replay mode, jaw-droppingly spectacular crashes, a smarmy
opponent, lots of speed cops and, of course, the most realistic car
handling ever in a videogame. Take the time to get into it, and you'll be
rewarded with one of the best games ever.

issue 1, Rating: *****

Night Trap

Virgin,39.99

Oh dear. Originally developed for the MegaCD, Nightrap is a sad little
exploitation title that goes for the adolescent audience by offering the
player the chance to view semi-clad girlies running about a besieged house.
The FMV is of a high standard - much better than the acting - and
presentation is very slick, but it matters little when gameplay is so dire.

issue 1, *

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