JEO 34/46
1998 looks like being a good gaming year, what with the upcoming
release of F-Zero X (hehe) and, as I read in the latest Edge, a couple
of potentially great updates of some old classics - in particular, two
games that I have often wondered why nobody got around to updating
them because they were both firmly ahead of their time when first
released. These games are Sentinel, which Geoff Crammond originally
wrote one day back in the 80's when he had a mental aberration and
decided not to do a racing game - the result was a marvelous, weird
and spooky game unlike any other that I look forward to playing again;
and (hallelujah!) Virus, which was known as Zarch on the Archimedes,
where it originated. Virus is basically a cross between Thrust and
Defender in 3D. Slated by some on account of it taking more than
thirty seconds to learn to fly the ship, which looked like a flying
Northerner's flat cap, if you put in the practice and learned to fly
successfully, Virus was an excellent 3D blaster. Reaching the point of
being able to handle yourself in a dogfight with a great herd of nasty
Mutants and emerge victorious was deep videogame joy. The graphics
were good for their time, although they would be considered plain and
overtly polygonal today, back then polygons were shiny and new, and
the game looked quite impressive, moving fluidly and having some tidy
particle effects to boot. Doubtless in Virus 2000 (for this is what
the new game will be called) the graphics will be llovely, and they
have modified the control of the ship to make it easier for those
wimps who didn't have the male reproductive spheroids or the tapered
transparent cylindrical liquid container to handle the learning curve
of the original game. Should be very cool.
Of course, the game I am most eagerly looking forward to is the one
that is taking shape on my little Sony monitor :-)
Now that my demo is safely in the bag, I can get down to the serious
business of properly settling in here - I haven't really done much at
all except code since I got my arse in the door here, and now I can
get back to a more sane work pace, I can allow myself the occasional
evening to sort out something important - namely, establishing myself
in a decent drinking- establishment. There are a few pubs around here,
none of which are as close as the Fox used to be in my old place, but
there are a few within walking distance (if you don't mind a bit of
exercise). One has the reputation of being a bit rough, which I am not
sure would suit me, since I am a non- pugilistic geek who values the
continued occupancy of his teeth in his head. One has the reputation
of being a bit strange, in that they apparently will not serve you if
they don't like you, and getting to be a regular there is a bit like
joining the Freemasons, you have to be invited and then they have to
not loathe you. I haven't been there yet, although apparently there is
somebody willing to "propose" me, so I will reserve judgement there
until I have been and decided whether or not I like them.  There is a
third pub which I have been to a few times, which is nice but which
involves a stiff walk along a section of road that is a bit scary -
it's the main road from Carmarthen to Lampeter, and the bit I have to
walk down is twisty with no edges to speak of, and the cars zip past
at an alarming rate. I think I will have to invest in some luminous
armbands like cyclists wear if I decide to go down there, which will
make me look a proper prat I am sure, but not so much of a prat as I
would look splattered all over somebody's vehicle with my spleen
flying through the air. Anyway, if you see some long haired
sheepish-looking git who looks a bit of a prat wearing luminous
armbands when you are driving down the Lampeter road, please give him
a wide berth or that Project X game might never get finished!
... catfish@wingnet.net or http://surf.to/troy >480 hits!
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