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RISC World

Games World

Paul Brett with the latest gaming news.

It's been a slightly quite couple of months in the RISC OS gaming world although there have been a couple of new games released and one exciting new announcement has been made, but let's get Dave Bradforth to tell us more.

APDL re-launch Fourth Dimension games

APDL-ProAction are pleased to announce that The Fourth Dimension's VFM range is being relaunched. This value for money range was launched in 1997 by Rick Sutcliffe, just before The Fourth Dimension relocated to the Isle of Man. The VFM range is shortly to incorporate virtually every title from the range - APDL are contacting the authors individually to discuss terms.

We're pleased, therefore, to announce that the following titles will shortly become available once again:

  • Holed Out Compendium
  • EType Compendium
  • Apocalypse
  • Powerband
  • Virtual Golf (incorporating the extra courses)
  • Black Angel
  • EType 2
  • Stereoworld

APDL have also partnered up with Chronosoft, the renowned supplier of retro gaming, to take over the distribution of the individual 4D titles. Not all will necessarily be available, but the intention is that over time the majority of the titles will become available at a price point that won't break the bank.

Chronosoft will be handling the latest versions of the RISC OS software and they'll only be offering software that has been verified to run correctly on RISC OS 4 with a StrongARM card. If it runs on that setup, it'll run correctly on virtually anything else.

The price for all Archimedes titles will be £4.99.

Additionally, APDL have made plans to relaunch the classic BBC/Electron titles. The fixed price point for these titles will be 2.99ukp; but they need to source copies of each game in its original format to produce packaging, etc. If you can help please email me 4d@apdl-proaction.co.uk.

APDL also hope to issuing special compilation CDs containing several games, although time scales are tight the first of these should be Technodream/Neveryn. (We hope to have a review next issue - ED).

Rick Dangerous

The ever busy Unix Porting Project have been working hard again with Alan Buckley porting XRick to RISC OS in June this year. !XRick is a GNU clone of the 80's game Rick Dangerous that was available on a number of platforms (including RISC OS). Rick has crash landed in the jungle and must explore a number of cave systems whilst escaping an Amazonian tribe. My advice is to watch out for the Indiana Jones style first level with its large rolling boulder, just run as fast as you can!

Rick can be equipped with a number of weapons.

Dynamite
This may be laid in order to trigger traps, blow away walls, enemies and generally do some damage all of which allow our hero to continue his quest. This also has the added feature of being VERY DANGEROUS when lit, so our hero must get away from it as quickly as possible before it detonates!

The Big Stick
This can be used to jab the enemy.

The Gun
There will be a limit to the number of bullets that this holds. By killing a badie a bonus may be left behind which when collected will replenish the supply. This means the player may have to go back and put himself yet again in danger. Use your ammunition wisely remember the gun is often a trigger to activate a trap, rather than to just kill the enemy.

There are a number of badies waiting to thwart Rick, and a number of traps. In order to avoid both you need to be resourceful like Rick. The traps are devious. You may need your stick, gun, dynamite or simply your wits to survive, depending on the nature of the trap. There are no instructions as how each trap is triggered or avoided so be careful - think ahead, things are not always what they seem........

Controls
There are a number of controls for Rick, these are:

  • Cursor keys - move left and right
  • Cursor up - Jump
  • Cursor down - Duck
  • Space - Fire
  • Toggle Fullscreen - F1
  • Zoom in and out - F2 and F3
  • Mute - F4
  • Adjust Volume - F5 and F6
  • Cheat modes - F7, F8 and F9

I hope you enjoy playing Rick Dangerous as much as I have, and now something slightly different.

Aleph One (Marathon)

Another slice of gaming action from the Unix Porting Project, Aleph One is an Open Source 3D first-person shooter game, based on the game Marathon 2 by Bungie Software. It is set in a Sci-Fi universe dominated by deviant computer AIs and features a well thought-out plot. To load Marathon double click on the !Marathon application, make sure that the !Aleph1 resource application has been seen first.

Controls

  • KeyPad8 - Walk forward
  • KeyPad5 - Walk backward
  • KeyPad4 - Turn left
  • KeyPad6 - Turn right

  • Z - Sidestep left
  • X - Sidestep right
  • D - Look up
  • C - Look down
  • V - Look ahead

  • A - Glance left
  • S - Glance right

  • Space - Fire weapon, primary trigger
  • Alt - Fire weapon, secondary trigger (e.g. grenades)
  • KeyPad7 - Select previous weapon
  • KeyPad9 - Select next weapon

  • Tab - Action (open doors, flip switches, log in to computer terminals)

  • Shift - Sidestep
  • Ctrl - Walk slowly/swim

  • M - Overhead map

  • - - Zoom overhead map out
  • = - Zoom overhead map in
  • \ - Toggle FPS display
  • Esc - Quit game/leave terminal
  • Alt-Q - Quit game
  • Alt-C - Quit game (use this under BeOS because Alt-Q will quit
  • the whole Aleph One application without warning)
  • Alt-P - Pause game (press Alt-P again to resume)

  • F1 - Decrease screen size
  • F2 - Increase screen size
  • F3 - Toggle high/low resolution
  • F4 - Reset OpenGL textures
  • F5 - Make the chase cam switch sides
  • F6 - Toggle chase cam
  • F7 - Toggle tunnel vision
  • F8 - Toggle crosshairs
  • F9 - Screen dump (saved in ~/.alephone/Screenshot_*.bmp files)
  • F10 - Toggle position display
  • F11 - Decrease gamma level
  • F12 - Increase gamma level

  • , - Decrease sound volume
  • . - Increase sound volume
  • [ and ] - Scroll player inventory view

  • Backspace - Switch player view in replays
  • [ and ] - Adjust film replay speed

As a quick tip on the very first level make sure you find the sliding door in the darkened section, so with the volume turned up head along the walls till you hear the door open then head through it. Kill the guards as they come at you, then access the computer terminal with the TAB key, from then on you are on your own!

See you again next issue.

Paul Brett

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