1988 Winners
Eliminator
Publisher: Hewson
Developer: John H Phillips
Original PC Platform: ?
Ported Platforms: Sinclair Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, C-64,
Atari ST, Amiga
Collecting Fact: N/A
Summary:
Twas the night before 3D accelerators and all through the land, graphics
were simple, and scaled sprites were grand.
Eliminator is a simple
game in the mold of Roadwar, RoadBlaster and Buck Rogers (the original Sega
Arcade machine). You hover along
paths of light winding through the cosmos, blowing up aliens and picking up
power-ups. So why is this bad-boy
here in the hall of fame known as GOTCHA? Because it did it like no game before. The graphics were fast and smooth, the enemies diverse, the
maps well balanced and enough quirks were added with each passing level that you
never knew what would come at you next.
The game consists of 8 levels, each with a theme all its
own. The first one is a simple straightforward track, the second
has a blue river running through it that will signal your doom, the third
introduces a bi-level design allowing you to jump from one level to the other at
times.
Is this the highest budget production of all times?
By no means. Did this game
make us go “ooo-aaahhh” with its astonishing graphics? Not really. Did
it redefine gameplay? Not a chance.
Was it the funnest little shooter you could get your mittens on in 1988?
You Betcha!
-- Trantor
Black Lamp
Rainbird, © 1988
IK+
System 3, © 1988
Battlehawks 1942
Lucasfilm Games, © 1988
TV Sports: Football
CINEMAWARE, © 1988
Speedball
Image Works, © 1988
Carrier Command
Rainbird, © 1988
Project Firestart
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Dynamix
Original PC Platform: C-64
Ported Platforms: N/A
Collecting Fact: Seldom heard of or seen title by Dynamix before their buy-up by
Sierra.
Summary: All contact with the research vessel Prometheus has been lost. It
floats silently in orbit around one of Saturn's moons, where it was conducting a series of
experiments known as Firestart. You are a crack storm sent in to investigate what
happened to the crew.s The government hasn’t given you any detail on what the
experiments were supposed to be, your mission is merely to recover the science lab logs.
Too bad the horrible truth about Firestart is about to be revealed.
The game is, upon initial inspection, nothing more than a sidescrolling action game
with a handful of puzzle elements. This simple guise however hides the true depth of
the game, which could for all practical purposes be deemed the first truly cinematic
survival-horror game. The well placed cut-scenes, twisting and turning story, the
anxiousness built up by the sparse ammunition, the unexpected "Thing" encounters
and moody graphical atmosphere lead to a true cinematographic experience seldom seen in a
game (then or now). This program shows the story telling talent of Dynamix, which
would later be further shown through such titles as Rise of the Dragon and Heart of China.
-- Trantor
Pool of Radiance
SSI, © 1988
Zak Macraken
Lucasfilm Ltd., © 1988
Balance of Power 1990
Click to Enlarge
Click to Enlarge
Publisher: Mindscape
Developer: Chris Crawford
Original PC Platform: Apple Macintosh
Ported Platforms: Intel
Summary: Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition is an update to the classic Balance of Power released
in 1985. Chris Crawford had always resisted making sequels to his games, but the
demand for a new edition of Balance of Power
was so overwhelming, that he finally caved in. The basic objectives of the game remain the same, but the political climate has changed and
there are some added features. For a complete rundown of the basic game, please see the
summary in the "1985 Winners" section.
Of the added features, the most significant is the addition of a "Multipolar" level. In this level,
the actions of every country in the world impacts the course of the game. Smaller countries can go to war
with each other, with or without prodding from one of the Superpowers. Say, for example, Iraq decided to
invade Kuwait. What would you do? To help discourage countries from making unwise policy decisions,
there is a "minor country crisis" feature that can be used to "persuade" minor countries on a course
of action. There are additional displays showing the state of all aid and troops
going into and out of a country, and players can take advantage of trade policies, making this an even more
complex game than the original.
Other enhancements include:
