News Ultima VII: I just read a review update in PC Review. Originally ---------- the game was given an enthusiastic preview in Issue 2. Now it's been given a rating of 4/10! The reason - a couple of bugs, some minor, but some major ones which render the game almost unplayable. One which they rated 'harmless' turns the screen red (doesn't sound very harmless to me). One major one can result in your losing vital items from your inventory at random moments. Evidently this is caused by a clean-up routine used by the program to ensure the player isn't carrying lots of useless objects but unfortunately strips vital objects, especially keys, from you too. Origin are working on a new version that will not contain this problem but until then - beware! - and store items like keys in a container when you rest so they don't vanish. On the other hand, PC Format have just given it a rating of 92% .... Not fed up with Wimbledon?: Mindscape are plugging World Tennis -------------------------- Championships. Design your own player characteristics, practice and perfect your stokes, climb the rankings and earn loads of prize money. Extra features include the ability to select any perspective or use an instant video playback. Or you could try Tennis Cup II from Loricel. It features a split screen option so you can have both fore and rear views. Or you could buy a tennis racket and play the real thing... Air Bucks: Shades of Railroad Tycoon - only in the air. Starting --------- in the 1930s with you in proud possession of a mere Dakota, can you build up an air fright empire? Eternam: Now out for the PC from Infogrames, priced at œ36, it is ------- set in the future where the whole of Earth has been turned into a gigantic theme park where life-sized reconstructions of past ages are inhabited by bio-technological creatures. You receive an invitation to visit Eternam. Will it be the trip of a lifetime or might things take an unexpected twist? Maxis: Future Maxis products will be released by Mindscape, not ----- Ocean as previously. The first two products to hit the shelves will be Sim City for Windows (already available on import for œ50) and A-Train. A-Train was briefly mentioned in last issue's news section. Further details of the game have emerged - there will be six scenarios, each providing a playing area, cash and building supplies. Your aim is to build an efficient city based round a railroad system and make a healthy profit. It now has a release date of early September. Start saving ... SSI: SSI have two games on offer. The first is Conflict: Korea, a --- wargame based on the 1950s US Army's war in Korea (natch). It has four scenarios. Three are The Dragon Wakes, Operation Chromite and Cold Steel, based on real events. The fourth scenario is a hypothetical one - what would happen if the Korean War was renewed in 1990 when the USA had more limited resources due to other conflicts? The second game, Midnight Sons, due out in July, is an RPG using a new graphical system. An undercover team must free a group of kidnapped diplomats from the distant planet of Monsoon. MUD: Now run by The Wizards' Guild, there have been a few recent --- changes. First the price is being reduced due to an increase in the number of players. 10 hours now cost œ1.75/hr and the price drops in steps according to how many credits you buy so if you purchase 200 hours playing time, the price drops to just œ1.00/hr. Soon MUD will once again be accessible via PSS link, initially only at weekends/Bank Holidays. Finally, The Wizards' Guild are currently talking to authors of another MUA with a view to running it alongside MUD. For more info contact The Wizard's Guild at "Drachen Fels", 2 Mayfair Avenue, Pitsea, Basildon, Essex, SS13 1QG - Tel: 0268 728889. MUD can be accessed on 081-478 4488 (300-1200-2400 MNP5) or 081-553 3155 (1200/75). Remember, you haven't lived until you've died in MUD! Darklands: Set in 15th Century Germany, this is 'the first --------- realistic fantasy role-playing game', say MicroProse. Quests cover over 90 cities, mine shafts and witches' covens and it should be out any time. Adventions: is the new name being used by Dave Baggett and DA ---------- Leary of Unnkulian fame for their future releases. They have no fewer than 6 games slated for release over the next year or so and will be switching to a more commercial distribution scheme, though not raising the cost of their games too much. They're also switching to the new version of TADS, v2.0, which is currently in alpha test because Unnkulia Zero became too big for TADS 1.2! See last issue for more details of their forthcoming games ... more info as it comes through. Space Crusade: The follow-up to Hero Quest. Using a similar ------------- layout, the design is said to be better but it is also reported to be a much harder game and on the ST will need 1 meg to run. Dungeon Master: The PC version should be out soon from Psygnosis. -------------- Better late than never ... T-Zero: Look out for a review of this American shareware PC text ------ adventure in SynTax soon. The unregistered version is available through the disk library on PD 286 and Graham Cluley, author of Jacaranda Jim and Humbug, has agreed to accept registrations on the author's behalf. Registration costs œ12 and entitles you to a new disk with added files plus an optional walkthrough. For more details, contact Graham at 'Malvern', Seaton Road, Camberley, GU15 3NG. Some recent releases (1) software: --------------------------------- Aces of the Pacific - Dynamix - PC œ40 Bush Buck - PC œ36 Castle of Dr Brain - Sierra - Amiga œ35 (joins PC version) Crisis at the Kremlin - Spectrum Holobyte - PC œ40 Dark Queen of Krynn - SSI - PC œ33 D/Generation now reduced to œ20 on ST and Amiga Discoveries of Columbus - Impressions - Amiga œ30 Dune - Virgin - PC œ40 Gateway - Accolade/Legend - PC œ35 Global Effect - Millenium - Amiga œ35, PC œ38 Indiana Jones/Fate of Atlantis - Lucasfilm - PC œ38 Lure of the Temptress - Virgin - ST & Amiga œ31 Planet's Edge - New World Computing - PC œ41 Police Quest 3 - Sierra - Amiga œ35 (joins PC version) Shanghai II - PC œ36 Ultima VI - ST œ31 Warriors of Releyne - Impressions - Amiga œ30 (2) Books --------- Civilization (or Rome on 649K a Day) - Prima - œ17.45 Indiana Jones/Fate of Atlantis - Lucasfilm - œ10 Powermonger - Electronic Arts - œ7.50 Sim City - Strategies and Secrets - Sybex - œ7.99 Ulitma VII - cluebook - œ9 Ultima Underworld - cluebook - œ9