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Maelstrom High Score Contest

Ambrosia Software, Inc. is running a Maelstrom high score contest! When you get a high score in Maelstrom 1.3, you'll be given a 10 letter high score code that'll allow you to enter your score in the contest!

The contest is underway and will end December 31st, 1993, so get your score codes in quick! See below for more contest information. Now onto a breakdown of this month's top scorers in the Maelstrom High Score Contest:

Rank      Score             Name                

  1      820,920          Ben List
  2      744,550          Kurt Gutwein 
  3      714,520          John Roberts
  4      708,970          Bart Zandbergen
  5      684,040          Gary Mines
  6      643,190          Toshi Takeuchi
  7      575,290          Harald Timm

8      571,260          Shane Looker
  9      567,920          Dan Harkavy
  10    560,690          Darin Takemoto
 .....
 50     361,240          Tony Deneka

There is still plenty of time to enter the contest, so crack your knuckles and get those codes in!  You can mail, fax, or e-mail them to us; see below for our address, fax, and e-mail information.  You must be using Maelstrom 1.3.1 to get the high score code, and should send in just the code (not your score), and your name/address that you used when you registered for Maelstrom.

The top 50 scores will receive a cool Maelstrom/Ambrosia T-shirt; cash prizes go out to the top 3 scores as follows: 1st place: $300.  2nd place: $100.  3rd place: $50.  Send in as many score codes as you like; we’ll use only the best score you submit.  You must be a registered user to enter the contest, so please include your name/address along with your score code so we can check our database to make sure you are registered.

Andrew Welch
Ambrosia Software, Inc.
PO Box 23140
Rochester, NY 14692

America Online: AmbrosiaSW
Compuserve: 73424, 1226
Internet: AmbrosiaSW@AOL.com
Fax number: 716.475.9289

New Macs From Apple
Ok, OK, so it’s not about Mac games, but we thought you’d like to know about the new Macs anyway. On October 21st, Apple released the following Macs with ApplePrices, the company’s new pricing strategy:

• The Quadra 605 (in an LC case) includes a processor direct slot and a 25-Mhz 68LC040 (no FPU). ApplePrices - Quadra 605 4/80 for $969, Quadra 605 8/160 for $1,289.

• The Quadra 610 is identical to the Centris 610 but comes with a 25-MHz ’040. ApplePrice - Quadra 610 8/160 for $1,439.

• The Quadra 650 replaces the Centris 650 and comes with a 33-Mhz ’040. ApplePrice - Quadra 650 8/230 for 2,349.

Attention Powerbook Users!
       There's good news for Powerbook 165c, 180, and 180c owners. Apple will soon
            releasing a patch (Extension) called the “Powerbook 160/180 ADB Patch”
            version 1.0.1. The patch will be included in the new release of the MouseStick II software (version 3.2.3), which will include the ADB patch, several new Game Sets, and some bug fixes. The software upgrade will be available for downloading from Gravis’ CompuServe support section in the Macintosh D Vendor Forum (Go MacDven).

Special offer from High Risk Ventures.
Buy Space Madness direct from High Risk Ventures and pay only $20!  That’s sixty percent off the suggested retail price!  But hurry!  Offer ends December 1, 1993. Call High Risk Ventures at (800) 927-0771. (See the July ‘93 edition of Inside Mac Games for a review of this hot game.)

Pop Rocket Joins NEC Strategic Software Partnership
Pop Rocket Inc., a developer and publisher of interactive CD-ROM titles, announced participation in NEC’s Strategic Software Partnership. Pop Rocket plans to incorporate enhancements in their upcoming title, Total Distortion, as well as future products to take full advantage of NEC’s 3X MultiSpin CD-ROM drive technology. Pop Rocket sees NEC 3X MultiSpin technology as a great step forward in giving CD-ROM based interactive entertainment enhanced speed and playability.

Mac Games Chats on America Online and GEnie
Weekly Mac games chats are held on popular online services like America Online and GEnie. They’re a great way to talk live to game publishers and programmers, get gaming advice, and finding out about new Mac games. Here’s a round-up on when they’re held and how to find them.

America Online Mac Games chats are held every Friday night at 7:00 pm Pacific Time (10:00 pm Eastern) in the Mac Games Conference Room. Every Monday Night at 7:00 pm Pacific visit the Flight Sim Chat in the Mac Games conference room (hosted by yours truly, Tuncer Deniz). And every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm Pacific, AOL holds a Playmaker Football Chat in the Mac Games Conference Room. KEYWORD: MAC GAMES

To find the Mac Games Conference Room on AOL, look for this icon after ->
entering the Mac Games Forum.

GEnie holds weekly Mac games chats every Wednesday night at 7:30 pm Pacific. Join host Bart Farkas November 3 when guests from Changeling Software talk about Pax Imperia, and November 17th for a chat with New World Computing. GO MAC, Real Time Conference, Room 3.

Bit Jugglers Ships UnderWare
Bit Jugglers, Inc. announced the shipping of UnderWare, a new Macintosh software product that combines traditional screen-saving capabilities with desktop animation and desktop pattern customization.

Here’s what UnderWare has to offer:

A) A Dynamic Desktop. This mode runs UnderWare’s animated modules and After Dark modules on the Macintosh desktop. The difference between UnderWare’s Dynamic Desktop and traditional screen savers is that UnderWare runs while the computer is being used — under your windows and icons — while products like After Dark only run when a computer is asleep. Thus, with UnderWare it is possible for users to see Flying Toasters running on their desktop. B) A Screen Saver. This mode runs UnderWare and After Dark modules as conventional screen savers. Screen saver modules run on top of the screen, blanking out layers underneath and preventing screen burn in. UnderWare adds more to the conventional screen saver: animation that interacts with your Macintosh environment. UnderWare knows the location of icons and windows on the desktop, so animation can include scenes like a fire-breathing dragon melting your trash can, footballs bouncing off your icons, and folders standing up and walking off your screen. C) A Desktop Pattern. Marble, oak paneling, water drops, and barn siding are just a few of the custom desktop patterns users can choose from with UnderWare. Users can choose from a wide assortment of included patterns, or add their own patterns to UnderWare.

UnderWare provides a user-configurable System Activity Monitor that checks to see if your Macintosh is busy with background activities such as network access or print jobs. This prevents module animation from interfering with your work. UnderWare is a control panel device. It requires at least a 68020 Macintosh, 4 MB of RAM and System 7. The suggested retail price of UnderWare is $59.95.