, Game Playing Aids from Computer Gaming World COSMIC BALANCE SHIPYARD DISK Contains over 20 ships that competed in the CGW COSMIC BALANCE SHIP DESIGN CONTEST. Included are Avenger, the tournament winner; Blaze, Mongoose, and MKVP6, the judge's ships. These ships are ideal for the gamer who cannot find enough competition or wants to study the ship designs of other gamers around the country. SSI's The Cosmic Balance is required to use the shipyard disk. PLEASE SPECIFY APPLE, ATARI OR C-64 VERSION WHEN ORDERING. $15.00. ROBOTWAR TOURNAMENT DISKS Diskette #1 contains the source code for the twelve entrants in CGW's Se- cond Annual Robotwar Tournament. Diskette #2 contains the seventeen en- trants in the Third Annual Robotwar Tournament. Muse Software's ROBOTWAR`" required to use these diskettes. Please specify which diskette when ordering. $15.00 each or $25.00 for both. Vol. 4 No. 6 December 1984 Features CARRIER FORCE REPLAY 10 The Midway Scenario Floyd Mathews WHEN SUPERPOWERS COLLIDE 18 An Overview Jay Selover MAIL ORDER GAMES 22 A Visit to the Classifieds John Besnard STRATEGICALLY SPEAKING 26 Our New Strategy Tips Column PANZER-JAGD 30 Review Jeff Seiken GOING Berserk 34 Galactic Gladiators Scenarios Johnny L. Wilson Departments TAKING A PEEK 6 Screen Photos & Brief Comments SCORPION'S TALE 13 Cutthroat Hints Scorpia NAME OF THE GAME 16 Should You Turn Pro? Jon Freeman COMMODORE KEY 33 Adventure Games Roy Wagner MICRO-REVIEWS 36 Return of Heracles After Pearl Dreadnoughts Breakthrough The Ardennes F-15 Strike Eagle DISPATCHES 40 Porting Dan Bunten READER INPUT DEVICE 46 GAME RATINGS 47 Access Software is well executed and will appeal to those Then you will have achieved Zenji. Off 925 East 900 South that have seen the movie. C-64. course the things of "this world" (flames Salt Lake City, UT 84105 PARK PATROL: Arcade game in which of desire and illusions) hinder you. The THE SCROLLS OF ABADON: Billed as you, as the park ranger, keep the park clean game is an interesting combination of an "arcade adventure", TSOA utilizes the and safe. You must battle giant ants, mental exercise (figuring how to aline the 3D view found in such games as Realm of poisonous snakes, deadly swamps, and sections) and arcade reflexes (avoiding the Impossibility (ex-Zombies), Jupiter 1999, killer turtles, not to mention litter. Atari, desires and illusions). C-64. and Space Cowboy. You must clear each C-64. ZONE RANGER: Based on the old level of jewels as you wander through en- SPACE SHUTTLE: A pilot's seat view Asteroids theme but with a lot more detail. chanted chambers. You discover scrolls greets you in SS as you blast off in a nice In addition to a variety of enemy vessels that aid you. For example, after picking up launch sequence. Once in space you dock and the ubiquitous asteroids, there are a jewel an arrow appears which limits the with a satellite. Then you return to earth blackholes that transport you to new loca- direction in which you can traverse that and land your craft on a desert runway. OK tions and mazes. C-64. "square". However, you may find a scroll as an arcade game, but not as realistic or Avalon Hill Game Company that shows you how to overcome this travel educational as RENDEZVOUS by Edu- 4517 Harford Rd. limitation. Off course, there is a stable of Ware/Peachtree. C-64. Baltimore, MD 21214 nasties that attempt to thwart your pro- RIVER RAID: Commodore disk version CLEAR FOR ACTION: A game from the gress. C-64 and Atari. of Activision's popular strafing arcade age of fighting sail. Up to eight ships can game. Destroy enemy tankers, helicopters, be in a game. Each ship can have its own Activision Inc. fuel depots, jets, hot-air balloons and captain. Highly playable, this is one Avalon 2350 Bayshore Frontage Rd. bridges before your jet crashed or runs out Hill's best releases. Atari. Mountain View, CA 94043 of fuel. EPYX 1043 GHOSTBUSTERS: Based on the movie, ZENJI: This is the most interesting title in Kiel Court GB showcases the graphics and sound the Activision group for strategy gamers. Sunnyvale, CA 94089 capabilities of the C-64. You are granted a The theme is loosely based on Eastern BREAKDANCE: All right guys and gals, Ghostbusters franchise. You use your initial religion or mysticisim. You must turn you finally get to figure out how they do the $2000 to purchase a vehicle and equip it various elements (which create pathways) moonwalk! Here's a "fresh" game that lets with ghostbusting hardware. The program in such a way that all paths are connected. you "boogaloo" by the bytes. Three games are included: Hot Feet Dance Contest, Bat- SLB. Both look and play similar and good son. The game has a realistic feel to it. Just tle the Rocket Crew, and Perfections Dance entries in the "beer and pretzel" league. the thing if your real match is rained out. Puzzle. Additionally you can choreograph First Star Software 18 East 41st St. New Lance Haffner Games your own dance and play it back on the York, NY 10017 P.O. Box 100594 computer. And if you are really bold, you SPY VS. SPY: MAD Magazine's famous Nashville, TN 37210 are given the instructions on how to per- spies battle it out in a split level game in form the steps in actual breakdancing. which you and your opponent set traps for 3 IN 1 FOOTBALL: A text-only simulation Here's the editor of CGW moonwalking one another. Using what First Star calls of college and pro football. The game around the Consumer Electronics Show; Simulvision® and Simulplay® , players comes with 95 college teams from '83, 18 fresh, man, fresh. C-64. each play on their own screen teams from the '83 USFL, and 28 teams MONTY PLAYS SCRABBLE: From one simultaneously. For one or two covert from the '83 NFL. The '84 college and pro to four can play in this computer version agents. The one player version features five teams will be available by Christmas ($12). of the board game classic. Monty (the com- separate levels of computer intelligence. The offense has 12 plays plus the kick- puter player) can be set at one of four skill C-64. ing game to choose from. The defense can levels. The game is by Leisure Genius but Gambit choose from six formations. A scouting is distributed by Epyx. C-64. P.O. Box 70858 report allows you to see the strengths and PITSTOP II: Exciting racing game that Houston, TX 77270-0858 weaknesses of the teams. The end game pits you against a friend or against the WEREWOLF!!: A hi-res adventure game stats are very detailed and can be sent to computer. The split-screen gives separate with animation. Speech and sound the screen or a printer. You can play against views for each driver. C-64. enhanced if you are using a a human or against the computer (however, the computer coach isn't all that bright). We WORLD'S GREATEST BASEBALL Mockingboard® . Written by the author of would have liked to see a probabilities chart GAME: With a title like that, you're just Expedition Amazon, Werewolf incor- as was included in COMPUTER asking to get shot down. Ok, bang! What is porates Pythonish humor. Apple. QUARTERBACK. However, at $24.99 this billed as a statistics baseball game is, in Gamestar, Inc. Apple game is not a bad buy (especially as 1302 State St. reality a close cousin to the pure arcade a two-player game). STAR LEAGUE BASEBALL(SLB). The Santa Barbara, CA 93101 only stats that are considered for batters ON-COURT TENNIS: Very nicely done Infocom are batting average and home runs. For tennis game for the C-64. You can choose 55 Wheeler St. pitchers, all that is considered is W/L one of four basic tennis players (who are Cambridge, MA 02138 record and ERA. loosely modeled after famous pros). You As a stat game WGBG is disappointing. also choose court type (grass, clay, hard). CUTTHROATS: Another exciting game But as an arcade game it is on par with Play against the computer or another per- from Infocom (see Scorpion's Tale in this issue for tips on Cutthroats). Infocom has Signal Computer Consultants, Ltd. always been known for their innovative P.O. Box 18222 packaging. However if you own more than Pittsburgh, PA 15236 a couple of their games you know what a pain it is to store those multi-shaped and SONAR SEARCH: A strategy-action sized products. (Has anyone found a de- game based on the battle of the North cent way to store Starcross?). With Cut- Atlantic shipping lanes during WWII. The throats, Infocom has gone to a new book- player directs a search and destroy mission like packaging that we applaud. The against five enemy submarines (using three package is small and compact (compared destroyers). There are five play levels. An to their old products). Zork, Starcross, and average game lasts 15 to 30 minutes. C-64. Suspended are all in the new packaging. $29.95. Before the end of the year the entire prod- uct line will be be "converted". Where do A game that we send our old games to get the updated TRAIN DISPATCHER: version of the package (hehe)? simulates control of railroad operations over a 150 mile territory. The player, as Dispatcher) must, during his eight hour shift in the Centralized Traffic Control Of- Motivated Software Inc. fice, maneuver up to 12 trains across the 80 Rancho Dr.