Sue's News from the Net Wargamers must be getting excited at the thought of some new games coming soon from Electronic Arts. First is: Battlefield 1942 ---------------- The Fiercest Battlefield Ever Created In Battlefield 1942, you will experience the heat of battle as you heroically storm the beaches of Normandy, drive a tank across the deserts of northern Africa, pilot a fighter plane during the Battle of Midway, command a battleship at Guadalcanal, or parachute and commandeer a jeep in operation Market Garden. It is the only first person, team-based action game that places you in the midst of a raging WWII battle with 35 "machines of war" for you to control. You'll arm yourself with the sidearm of your choice and get behind the wheel of a variety of vehicles, ships and aircraft to fight the war on land, sea, and air during some of the most famous and pivotal battles of the Second World War. The fighting in Battlefield 1942 takes place in all four theatres of the Second World War: Western Europe, Eastern Europe, The Pacific Islands, and North Africa. Using most robust 3D rendering engine available, the proprietary Refractor 2 engine, Battlefield 1942 recreates these theatres in stunning detail. In addition to the multiplayer experience, Battlefield 1942 offers intense single player action. Going against unscripted advanced artificial intelligence bots, you'll never play the same game twice. Battlefield 1942 is online, multiplayer gaming at its finest. Be brave and never falter. Your fellow soldiers are counting on you. Features Machines of War. Pilot a heavy bomber over the drop zone or engage in a dogfight in a swift fighter. Fire the guns of a mighty battleship or prowl the sea-lanes in a silent submarine. Charge across the desert in a powerful tank or transport troops into the heat of battle in an armored APC. Battle Online. Go online with up to 64 players to take part in a raging battle that requires teamwork and cooperation from each member in order to achieve victory. Choose Your Side. Enter the war as a soldier in one of five different armies - US, German, British, Russian, or Japanese. Specialized Character Kits. Enter the battle as one of five specialized character classes - assault, medic, scout, anti-tank, engineer - each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Arm Yourself for Action! Choose from 19 authentic WWII handheld weapons to take into battle, including 2 stationary machine guns. A Global Conflict. Wage war across 16 huge, highly detailed maps from 4 WWII theaters - North Africa, South Asia Pacific, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Unlimited Action. 3 multiplayer modes - Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Conquest -- as well as a robust single player experience. *** EA GAMES has also officially announced Medal Of Honor Allied Assault Spearhead --------------------------------------- This will be the follow up expansion pack to the popular PC-CD game Medal Of Honor Allied Assault. Currently scheduled for a November release, the expansion pack will include 9 new single player levels and 12 new multiplayer maps highlighting additional WWII battles from the Ardennes forest to the streets of Berlin. The expansion pack will also spotlight several user-created multiplayer maps that were submitted for the recent Medal Of Honor Allied Assault Level Editor Contest. Creative players waiting to build levels or mods will also be able to download a full software development kit (SDK) around the time the expansion pack releases. *** Also from EA comes the latest addition to the Sims' family: The Sims : Unleashed -------------------- The Sims have pets! Give your Sims the chance to add a furry friend to the family. Housebreak your pets, train them to do tricks, buy them toys, treats, and accessories, and do your best to keep them from destroying the house! This expansion pack requires the original 'TheSims' game to play. As fans of The Sims know, there has always been something missing from their virtual neighborhoods... pets. In The Sims Unleashed, players can now add furry friends to their Sims' families. An all new expanded neighborhood featuring parks, pet stores, cafes and markets will give the Sims and their new pets a variety of places to sniff, explore and meet their new neighbors. PETS: Visit a pet store and bring home a variety of creatures and accoutrements. Players will make a big splash with the addition of a lumbering Labrador or fickle feline to their Sim family. BIGGER NEIGHBORHOODS: Thirty all-new residential and community lots featuring new homes, lush parks, a hip new caf‚, cool shops and a farmer's market are available for Sims to explore. NEW CHARACTERS: Your Sims can teach Fido where to go themselves or hire an efficient Pet Trainer to do all of the dirty work. Sims can also enter their kitties and canines in the local Pet show. FIVE NEW CAREERS: Send your Sims down five new career tracks with 50 new jobs. Enter the world of fashion, take care of the neighborhood's pets, or run away and join the circus. GARDENING: Sims can now grow a variety of vegetables in their own garden plots using seeds purchased at the local garden store. 125 NEW OBJECTS: Redecorate your Sims' home for the new pet's arrival. The Sims Unleashed contains dozens of new objects for pets and people plus an all-new decorator set with a New Orleans French Quarter theme. *** Think 'Sims' and you probably think of where it all started - SimCity. Version 4 is on its way and here's some news about it: SimCity 4 --------- Your City Is Alive. In SimCity 4, you don't just build your city, you breathe life into it. With god-like powers, sculpt mountains, gouge riverbeds, and seed forests to lay the groundwork for your creation. Then construct the most realistic city you can imagine. Your city comes alive with the hustle and bustle of construction crews, the snarl of traffic and the activity of your Sims. Move your personalized Sim into your city and watch as he goes about his daily life. Build mansions on mountainsides, cross canyons with bridges, raise skyscrapers downtown, and compete for resources with neighboring SimCities. The impact of your touch will be immediate but not entirely predictable. Cap an erupting volcano to save your city, but don't be surprised if lava explodes from another source. If your citizens burst into a panic, throw down barricades and dispatch the police or send the Mayor's limo to quell the mob. Will your actions calm the crowd or contribute to chaos? With every decision you make, your city and your Sims will respond for better or worse. In SimCity 4 your city pulses with the life you give it. Put Your Sim in Your City - Move your personalized Sim into your city and watch as he goes about his life. Will he enjoy a blissful existence in an urban utopia or fight for survival in an inner-city slum? Watch your Sim carefully--he will provide valuable clues to improving your city. Connect Your SimCities - Connect your cities by transportation networks to form a massive region of SimCities that share and compete for resources. Each choice you make can result in a variety of outcomes so be sure to delegate your resources wisely. Bring Your SimCity to Life - Create and control the most life-like metropolis you can imagine. Sculpt Your World - Breathe life into your city right from the start. Form mountains, carve valleys, plant forests and raise oceans. New landscape creation features give you unprecedented control to lay the groundwork for your ultimate city. Experience Life in the Big City - From mellow traffic flow to commuter hell, noontime crowds to nighttime calm, partygoers to troublemakers, the movement in your city is ever-changing and unpredictable. Touch Your Creation - Feel the pulse of your city in the most responsive, personal, and satisfying SimCity yet. Whether booming with expansion, decaying through neglect, or left abandoned, SimCity 4's new simulation engine gives you immediate feedback so you can react to its every need. Protect Your Sims - Dispatch police cruisers to fight crime, wrestle control of a tornado before it strikes, or cap an erupting volcano threatening your citizens. You have ultimate power at your fingertips but don't be surprised if your efforts have unforeseen results. *** One game I'm REALLY looking forward to is the latest from Impressions, due out at the end of September. Emperor Rise Of The Middle Kingdom ---------------------------------- The Dragon Throne is waiting for the most able and deserving candidate - if your efforts in building and controlling Chinese settlements are notable - this very seat of Chinese royalty - and with it the rule of the land - could be yours. Control trade, levy taxes, employ new technologies, cement alliances, raise armies, and build monuments to your everlasting glory. Vie with neighbouring kingdoms for wealth and power. And take your city online to see if you are truly the world's mightiest monarch. Build and rule dozens of cities throughout more than 1000 years of Chinese history. Interact with every citizen in your city. Each has a name, job, and an opinion of you and how well you manage your city. Play against the computer or go online with up to 7 other players in both cooperative and competitive scenarios. Construct monuments and famous landmarks piece by piece. Collaborate with other players on huge projects. Conquer neighboring cities using catapults, establish trade and alliances, and hold off the barbarians using an enhanced combat engine. 25% more detail than graphics in previous City Building titles. *** I can't wait! Emperor comes from Vivendi Entertainment which includes Sierra Online. Another up-coming Vivendi game is: Diablo 2 Lord Of Destruction Expansion Set ------------------------------------------ In Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, players return to follow the path of Baal, the last of the Prime Evils, into the Barbarian Highlands of the north. Travelling with hordes of demonic minions, Baal intends to corrupt the powerful Worldstone, which protects the whole of the mortal plane from the forces of Hell. Players will face a new series of quests and challenges to prevent the vile minions of the underworld from destroying the world of Sanctuary. Featuring two new characters classes (the Druid and the Assassin), many new monster types, thousands of new weapons,armour and magical items, and an increased stash size. Lord Of Destruction offers a whole new experience to the Diablo II player. Features: > Two new character classes (the Assassin and the Druid) each with 30 unique skills/spells > Ability to play the new character classes through the original four acts of Diablo II > One new Act set in the Barbarian Highlands > Many new monster types, including bosses and uniques > Interactive environments, such as seige towers and fortified battlements > Thousands of new weapons, armour, and magical items, including class-specific quest items > New recipes for the Horadic Cube > Increased Stash Size *** The game is due out early September so should be in the shops by the time you get this issue. Due in October is another Zoo Tycoon add-on: Microsoft Zoo Tycoon: Marine Mania ------------------------------------ You'll make a huge splash by adding killer whales, manta rays, and other exciting marine animals to your existing zoo. Have a whale of a time as you combine land, marine, and prehistoric animals to build the wildest, most exciting zoo ever! With new attractions and exhibits you can create your own customized shows, and with more than 20 new marine animals your guests will be mesmerized! System Requirements: To play Zoo Tycoon Marine Mania you need: Zoo Tycoon (Marine Mania is an add-on product for Zoo Tycoon) Multimedia PC with a 233 MHz processor, 300 MHz recommended. Windows 95, 98, 2000, Me or XP operating system DirectX 8.0a (included) 64MB RAM for Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000, 128MB RAM for Windows XP (Does not support Windows 95) Minimum 650MB of available hard disk space 4x or higher CD ROM 4MB graphics card, 16-bit color capable, 16MB recommended Super VGA video display capable of 800x600 resolution Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device Audio board and speakers recommended *** I hope you've found some games here to look forward to! Sue - o -