MORE INFO ABOUT THE FALCON

                    By Claire Dyard

When I wrote my first article on the FALCON, I was using a
standard ST colour monitor.  But, as you know, the FALCON can be
connected to a colour TV, a RGB monitor, a VGA/SVGA monitor and,
of course, a monochrome monitor.  And some programs which would
happily run on a TV or RGB monitor refuse to run on a VGA monitor.
Now, I've got an SVGA monitor, so more info:

GAMES running well on the FALCON:

  * ALL the games I told you were compatible with the FALCON run
well even on an SVGA. The old Magnetic Scrolls games have a minor
problem:  the first screen (the one depicted on the box) is a
complete mess.  Don't start worrying, just press a key and all
will be OK, the text appears normally, the pictures are beautiful
and you can play without any problem.

  * DUNGEON MASTER:  a golden oldie, runs perfectly well on all
colour monitors.

  * HACKER II: a strategy game. Don't forget to put your computer
in ST mode, low resolution and all will be well.

  * FRONTIER (or ELITE 2):  this wonderful game is a joy to play,
it runs smoothly and fast (VERY fast!).  I haven't seen the PC or
Amiga versions but I doubt if they play faster.  Now, if you have
a hard disk and your game freezes after the introduction, it means
that you have a program in the AUTO folder or an accessory the
game doesn't like.  You have two choices then: if you want to
install the game's icon on your desk so you can play by double-
clicking on it, just rename the extension of the offending
programme in PRX for example (ACX for an accessory), reset your
computer and all will be well. You can also press the CONTROL key
when switching on your computer or resetting it; this time, you'll
have to install the icon of the relevant partition.

  * SCRABBLE DE LUXE (Virgin): no problem.

  * AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (Syntax PD Disk 87):  a good game
which runs well on a monochrome monitor only.  Even on an SVGA in
ST mode, high resolution, all you have is a black screen!

  * ELECTRONIC JIGSAW PUZZLE (Syntax PD Disk 85):  with an SVGA
monitor, you can't use the "DISPLAY PICTURE" option but, when you
play, you can PEEK at the picture (after having used the right
mouse button). And the DSLIDE.PRG works well.

  * HACK!  (SynTax PD 5):  this game runs without any problem on
the FALCON but there is a more advanced version (NETHACK 3.13)
with real, nice graphics.

  * WORLD (another SynTax PD game):  a text only adventure, which
can be copied on your hard disk and runs well in 80 columns.

  * OXYD:  this game comes in many versions:  ST (colour and
monochrome), TT&FALCON (VGA).  You can play ALL versions with a
FALCON but the VGA version on an RGB monitor flickers slightly so
it can be painful for the eyes.  But if you have a VGA/SVGA
monitor, do yourself and your computer a favour and play the VGA
version. By the way, pressing ALT + E right at the beginning will
give you the English version (ALT + F, the French version and ALT
+ D the German version).

  * BLOODY BLADE ADVENTURE (SynTax PD 311):  this game runs well
and as it's written in HiSoft Basic, you don't have to put your
FALCON in ST mode.

  * THE DARK CASTLE: (SynTax PD 312): the game seems to play well
but I had problems understanding the rules...

  * DDST (another SynTax PD game): on an SVGA monitor, you've got
the monochrome version of the game even in medium resolution, ST
mode. I think this doesn't happen on an RGB monitor.

* PREMIER MAHJONG 2:  a Shangai game, one of the best I've ever
seen. It can be played in either mode apart from the True colour.

The game adapts itself to your monitor (but, of course, you can
choose to play it in monochrome on a colour monitor...).


And now, the ST games which run using BACKWARD:

* The STAC games (providing they're in an AUTO folder).  The SAVE
option is awful:  you can't move the pointer and change the name
chosen by the author.  So you need many disks, one for each saved
position...But at last you can play your game.

* ISHAR 1 and 2 (the ST versions, of course): you can't install
the games on your hard disk but you can play them.  I didn't try
the SAVE option of the first game because, as you know, it'll cost
you some money; but on the second game, I had no problem.

* TIME AND MAGIC:  the games play well but with an RGB monitor (or
colour TV) only. On a VGA monitor, you've got bombs, as usual and
that's the end of it.


     The  games  which  don't run:
     - All the AGT games.
     - JIM MCBRAYNES' games.
     - All the Level 9 games, apart from TIME & MAGIC (but I
       didn't try SCAPEGHOST as I've only got the Spectrum
       version).
     - WHIPLASH & WAGONWHEEL.
     - THE MAGIC SHOP, written with TALESPIN, and I think, all
       games written with this utility.

Even with BACKWARD, these games seem hopeless...I even tried a
more sophisticated version of this program, which creates a mini-
desk:  useful for games who can't be played from an AUTO folder.
Alas, the results were the same.

Of course, as you may well imagine, there are many other games
which would run on the FALCON, games I don't own so I can't test
them.  And new games will have a FALCON version, like the ISHAR
series or ROBINSON'S REQUIEM.

Other PD utilities running well on the FALCON:

MAPPER (SynTax 158), ST WRITER, ART OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (548),
FILE COPY III.














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