ACE Issue 13

ACE issue 13

Editor

Publisher

Pages

156

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ACE Issue 12	ACE Issue 14

ACE issue 13 is dated October 1988 and priced at £1.50

News[]

Gremlins Autumn Blockbuster

Federation of Free Traders revealed.

Customised Games with STOS

Incentive Eclipsed

Incentive announce their next Freescape game Total Eclipse and ST and Amiga versions of Driller

Big Boys Go Budget

Biggest games of yesteryear to re-appear on budget: Bubble Bobble, Flying Shark, Uridium & Sanxion

Snippets[]

Battle Chess - Amiga, PC

One on One: Michael Jordan and Larry Bird - C64, PC

Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge - Amstrad, Spectrum, C64, Atari ST, Amiga

Extensor - Amiga, Atari ST

The Mars Saga - C64

Coming Attractions[]

B.A.T.

The Black Orchid

Fusion

Features[]

Graphics: Weather the Seasons

Pixel Profit! Part Two: Graphics

INTEC Video System

10 years of PCW shows

Great Games Milestones

Happy Birthday: One Year Old

Music: British Music Fair Live

Catch 22 - The Power Micros are on the way

Arthur King reports on the Acorn Achimedes as an entertainment machine a yera after launch.

Andy Wilton ponders the next generation of heavyweights just over the horizon...

Reviews[]

100 Top Games[]

Mini reviews, tips and targets for the Top 100 games of 1987/88.

Game Title	Publisher	Vintage Value
Addicta Ball	Alligata	635
Anarchy	Rack-It	795
ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighter	Digital Integration	944
Balance of Power	Mirrorsoft	950
Bionic Commando	Go!	838
BMX Simulator	Codemasters	760
Bobsleigh	Digital Integration	863
Bone Cruncher	Superior	920
Bubble Bobble	Firebird	915
Bubble Ghost	Infogrames	814
Buggy Boy	Elite	863
Captain Blood	Infogrames	860
Carrier Command	Rainbird	908
Colossus Mahjong	CDS	937
Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer	Electronic Arts	912
Conqueror	Superior	905
Combat School	Ocean	822
Cosmic Causeway	Gremlin	820
Dan Dare II: Mekon's Revenge	Virgin	805
Dark Side	Incentive	915
Defender of the Crown	Mirrorsoft	807
Deflektor	Gremlin	844
Diplomacy	Leisure Genius	949
Driller	Incentive	945
Dungeon Master	Mirrorsoft	949
Into the Eagle's Nest	Pandora	802
Enduro Racer	Activision	760
Falcon	Mirrorsoft	925
Ferrari Formula One	Electronic Arts	866
Flight Simulator 3.0	Sublogic	838
Flying Shark	Firebird	850
Gryzor	Ocean	743
Gunship	MicroProse	802
Helter Skelter	Audiogenic	856
Hunter's Moon	Thalamus	815
Impact	Audiogenic	866
F/A-18 Interceptor	Electronic Arts	934
Jet Bike Simulator	Codemasters	816
Karting Grand Prix	Anco	840
Leatherneck	Microdeal	880
Magnetron	Firebird	865
Mercenary	Novagen	823
Moon Strike	Mirrorsoft	740
Nebulus	Hewson	930
Night Raider	Gremlin	773
Ogre	MicroProse	650
Oids	Mirrorsoft	955
OutRun	US Gold	692
Phoenix	Infogrames	780
PHM Pegasus	Electronic Arts	820
Platoon	Ocean	715
Plexar	M.A.D.	805
Powerplay	Arcana	955
The President is Missing	Cosmi	785
Project: Stealth Fighter	MicroProse	849
Quadralien	Logotron	850
Rampage	Activision	692
Ranarama	Hewson	811
Quedex	Thalamus	845
Reach for the Stars	Electronic Arts	940
Rebelstar	Firebird	840
Red LED	Starlight	880
Arnhem	CCS	910
Desert Rats	CCS	905
Vulcan	CCS	930
Renegade	Imagine	641
Rockford	Melbourne House	674
Salamander	Imagine	823
Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo	Firebird	737
Skulldiggery	Nexus	883
The Sentinel	Firebird	963
SkyChase	Imageworks	785
Spidertronic	Infogrames	876
Spore	Bulldog	908
Super Sprint	Electric Dreams	783
Test Drive	Electronic Arts	721
Tetris	Mirrorsoft	956
Thundercats	Elite	816
UMS	Rainbird	907
Where Time Stood Still	Ocean	719
Whirligig	Firebird	868
Xenon	Melbourne House	865
Xor	Logotron	927
Zarch/Virus	Superior/Firebird	980
The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight	Electronic Arts	900
Beyond Zork	Infocom	910
The Bard's Tale III: The Thief of Fate	Electronic Arts	920
Border Zone	Infocom	825
Corruption	Rainbird	920
Deja Vu	Mirrorsoft	819
Gnome Ranger	Rainbird	815
Jinxter	Rainbird	905
King's Quest III	Sierra	895
Knight Orc	Rainbird	815
Legend of the Sword	Rainbird	815
Nord and Bert couldn't make Head or Tail of It	Infocom	895
Plundered Hearts	Infocom	905
Shadowgate	Mirrorsoft	840
Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels	Infocom	715
Time and Magik	Mandarin	919
Wasteland	Electronic Arts	915

Screen Test[]

Comments[]

Starglider 2 - 927

It's been well thought out and is full of superb touches that raise it out of the ordinary. Bob Wade

Fernandez Must Die - 784

Once you've found out how to survive for more than 10 minutes you'll find it hard to put down. Andy Smith

Overlander - 832

It's the best driving-blasting game of the current batch, combining the undulating twisty roads of OutRun with plenty of murderous mayhem. Bob Wade

Eliminator - 904

Once again John Phillips has come up with a game that will have you cursing him for putting in such wickedly tough problems - but you won't be able to stop having a go at them. Bob Wade

Empire: Wargame of the Century - 618 + 606

The repetitive nature of the game and the limited options mean you'll soon find that one war's much like another - and that kills off your interest quickly. Andy Smith

Summer Olympiad - 630 + 600

There have been dozens of these multi-event wagglers over the years and Summer Olympiad offers little apart from the nice graphic touches that hasn't been seen and done before. Andy Smith

Netherworld - 820

Though it's not an original idea, it's been nicely worked to make an enjoyable game. Andy Smith

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - 665

The Empire Strikes Back captures all the flavour and all the fun of the original coin-op. Unfortunately, the lack of variety and challenge means it doesn't take long to master the game. Andy Smith

Star Goose - 517

The overwhelming impression the game leaves you with is eccentricity. A host of unusual features make it stand out but to be honest they do little to encourage extended play. Andy Wilton

StarRay - 689

Long on addictiveness, short on originality, it's one for shoot-em-up freaks only - but isn't that most of us? Andy Wilton

The Games: Winter Edition - 653

The Games: Winter Edition has little that's original to offer, but it's well put together and is fun to play. Andy Smith

Barbarian II - 754

The beat-em-up genre may be a bit long in the tooth nowadays, but if you're a fan you'll like the variety offered in Barbarian II. Andy Smith

Super Hang-On - 892

In terms of a lasting challenge it's better than OutRun, although there's less variety in the routes you travel. Two-wheeled action at its best. Bob Wade

Zynaps - 642

It's a difficult shoot-em-up that will cause plenty of frustration and a challenge for months ahead. Bob Wade

Table[]

Game Title	Publisher	Format	Gra	IQ	Aud	Fun	Rat
Starglider 2	Rainbird	Atari ST	9	6	6	8	927
Starglider 2	Rainbird	Amiga	9	6	8	8	927
Fernandez Must Die	ImageWorks	C64	8	3	8	8	784
Overlander	Elite	Atari ST	8	4	6	8	832
Eliminator	Hewson	Atari ST	9	3	7	9	904
Empire: Wargame of the Century	Electronic Arts	Amiga	3	7	4	7	618
Empire: Wargame of the Century	Electronic Arts	Atari ST	3	7	2	7	606
Summer Olympiad	Tynesoft	Atari ST	8	2	7	7	630
Summer Olympiad	Tynesoft	C64	8	2	7	6	600
Netherworld	Hewson	C64	9	5	7	6	820
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back	Domark	Atari ST	6	1	6	7	665
Star Goose	Logotron	Atari ST	8	2	8	3	517
StarRay	Logotron	Amiga	8	1	7	6	689
The Games: Winter Edition	Epyx	C64	7	1	6	8	653
Barbarian II	Palace	C64	8	1	7	8	754
Super Hang-On	Electric Dreams	Atari ST	7	2	6	9	892
Zynaps	Hewson	Atari ST	6	2	6	7	642

Updates[]

Table[]

Game Title	Publisher	Format	Rat
Carrier Command	Rainbird	Amiga	927
Action Force	Virgin	Amstrad CPC	289
Gunship	MicroProse	Amstrad CPC	889
Mickey Mouse	Gremlin	Atari ST	790
Arkanoid: Revenge of Doh	Imagine	Atari ST	788
Barbarian	Melbourne House	C64	544
Mickey Mouse	Gremlin	C64	730
The Three Stooges	Mirrorsoft	C64	695
Desert Rats	CCS	PC	835
Dark Side	Incentive	PC	923
Roadblasters	US Gold	Spectrum	688
Virus	Firebird	Spectrum	631

Adventure[]

Comments[]

Ultima V - 928

It's a winner and no self-respecting Pilgrim should be without a copy.

Mortville Manor - 745

Like a number of high-tech adventures, however, this one is slightly short on locations and loses out in complexity of scenario where it gains in complexity of presentation.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - 695

An attractive character set, simple illustrations and an excellent prose style make this an impressive game for such a small company.