Welcome to the ____ / ___) *StarShip* 5-MINUTE Weekend Newscast / (_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / ___) / (__ very weekend the *StarShip* on GEnie presents a new 5-MINUTE Weekend (_____) Newscast in Communications Room 10 in the Real-Time Conference Area. Featuring late-breaking stories from the Amiga community, these dynamic, scrolling newscasts cycle every 5 minutes, so you can stop by between 6PM and 3AM Eastern time on Friday, or 3PM and 3AM Eastern time on Saturday or Sunday and learn everything that happened during the preceding week. Industry news, product announcements, upgrades, rumors, special *StarShip* activities, trade show reports, GEnie usage tips, humor, recommended files to download... ... the works -- and it ONLY takes 5 minutes! Each 5-MINUTE Weekend Newscast is available on *StarShip* Menu #10 during the following week. Periodically, newscasts are combined and made available for downloading from the *StarShip* Library. ____________________________________________________________ // \ || -*- IMPORTANT! -*- | || | || As long as individual stories are kept intact and credit | || is given, this material may be reproduced in ALL or PART | || on a privately owned BBS or in a user group newsletter. | || See wording for proper credit at the end of this Newscast. | \\____________________________________________________________/ || | || | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks to Denny Atkin, Editor, COMPUTE's Amiga Resource, for his generous input. Here we go!... DateLine: February 12, 1993 This 5-MINUTE Newscast presents the following stories: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. UK's Rombo Productions' Vidi-Amiga 12 Digitiser 2. PHASAR for 1992 by Marksman Technology 3. Tax Break Returns to Oxxi for Tax Year 1992 4. Next Week's *StarShip* Amiga Conferences 5. SMPTE & Toaster Modules for SunRize Industries Studio 16 6. Bill's Tomato Game from Psygnosis 7. Oxyd (General Edition) Game Available *StarShip* NEWS *Flash* 1st of 7 Stories UK's Rombo Productions' Vidi-Amiga 12 Digitiser ____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / _ ) Livingston, Scotland -- February 1993 / _/ / /\ \ (_/ \_)ombo Productions Ltd, annouces USA availability of their best-selling Amiga color digitiser, Vidi-Amiga 12, at a suggested retail price of $179.00. If you want the ultimate quality images at a price you can afford then there is only one choice... Vidi-Amiga 12. The video digitiser that all the others follow! Compatible with ALL Amigas, the Vidi-Amiga 12 now supports all the new A1200 modes, and software upgrades will be available to existing users. What's causing all the stir in the UK, is now available in the US. Yes, you've guessed it! Vidi-Amiga 12 from Rombo Productions is the best and most affordable color digitiser ever! This isn't just our opinion, it's also one of every UK Amiga journalist... "Vidi 12 gives unequalled results or anything within 200 pounds (or $300) of its price. Forget the competition. If you can afford Vidi 12, buy it. It you can't aford it, borrow it from someone who can." Mat Broomfield, CU Amiga, January 1992 issue "Vidi Amiga 12.. The best value digitizer on the market." Jason Holburn, Amiga Format, December 1992 issue "I compared the Rombo and Digiview digitisers extensively. To summarize them, I judged the Rombo results to be more consistent and to have the edge on quality." Alan Puzey, Amiga User Int., January 1992 issue Vidi-Amiga 12 is without doubt one of the most exciting peripheral breakthroughs on the Amiga platform ever. It has brought the world of video captures and its applications within reach of any Amiga owner and is compatible with all Amigas. Version 2.00 supports most new 1200 modes. For more information, contact your local Amiga dealer or Rombo Productions Ltd., Kirkton Campus, Livingston, Scotland EH54 7AZ, phone (44) 006 414631, fax (44) 0506 414634. -*- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash* 2nd of 7 Stories PHASAR for 1992 by Marksman Technology ____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / _ ) Brookline, MA -- February 1993 / ___/ / / (_/HASAR 4.0 is the award-winning home accounting system that reviewers and users consistently find to be the easiest to use and the most logically organized money manager available. Easily step through account and ledger windows to complete your transactions with a click of the mouse. Manage your tax expenditures by viewing your tax liability at any time and take the hassle out of preparing your tax return at year-end. Easily access all of your budgeting information with the incorporation of powerful HYPERTEXT functionality. Minimize your typing with PHASAR's artificial intelligence parser that predicts input. Plus... Transactions Establish up to 999 expense/income categories Establish up to 250 accounts Create up to 200 common payees for repetitive entries Perform up to 1500 transactions per month Automatically transfer between accounts Perform split-category transactions for expense and revenue allocations Use on-line calculator with 5 level memory buffer Produce checks using extensive check printing functions Receive instant context-sensitive help Taxes Includes 1992 Tax forms Design your individual tax forms Calculate final taxes and expected taxes during the year Generate customized financial reports Reports and Analysis Create graphs or easy monitoring of expenses and revenues Analyze loan/savings plans Print clearly formatted reports, account summaries, category summaries, net worth statements, tax calculations and more Sort all financial information in any order for maximum flexibility Display and print total income/expenses, monthly or year-to-date Budgeting Create and view budgets for any period you define: monthly, quarterly, year-to-date See actual and projected budgets side-by-side Display budget transaction details on-screen Carry budgeting information from year to year All information accessed on-line and in real time Date and Address Organizer Store up to 250 names, addresses and phone numbers Print neatly organized full-address list or phone number summary Store special occasions with automatic reminders Expert's Choice Award for Personal Accounting "No contest... Phasar has features that some of the professional-level packages would do well to emulate." AmigaWorld, January 1992 Available for IBM compatible, Amiga and Atari ST computers. IBM compatible and Atari ST computers: requires 512K. Commodore Amiga: requires 1 Meg. Upgrade for PHASAR Upgrades from versions of Phasar older than version 4.00 (3.9 and older) are $29.95 and $5.00 shipping and handling ($34.95 total). This upgrade includes a new manual, the newest version of Phasar (version 4.08), and standard shipping via UPS ground. Upgrades from versions of Phasar 4.00 and up are $19.95 and $5.00 shipping and handling ($24.95 total). This upgrade includes a disk containing the new executable. All dollar amounts are in U.S. funds. Checks should be made out to Terrific Corp. If paying by credit card, don't forget to include your billing address, your shipping address, the expiration date on your credit card, the name of the credit card, and your phone number. To upgrade, please send payment (in the form of check or money order for the appropriate amount, or a Visa or Mastercard charge number) plus ONE of the following: o A photocopy of your disk labels, clearly showing your serial number and disk format. o Your original disks. o The title page of your manual, or the front cover of your manual. o A photocopy of the title page of your manual, clearing showing the Phasar logo and version number (or copyright notice, in some manuals). For more information, contact Terrific Corporation, 29 St. Mary's Court, Brookline, MA 02146, telephone 617/731-3553, Fax 617/731-8379. -*- Remember your SweetHeart on Valentine's Day! .- - - - - -, `""""""""""; .;;;, .;;;, .;;;, .;;;, `""""""""; .;;;,;;;;;,;;;;;,.;;;, .;;;.,;;;;;,;;;;;,;; ///"""""; ;;;;oOOoOOoOOoOOoOOo;;;. .,. .;;;oOOoOOoOOoOOoOO ///. `"""; .,,.`oOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOo,;;;;;,oOOoOOOOOOOOOOO#OoOOo;',,. `"' ;;;;oOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOo;oOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO##OoOOo;;;; `;;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO##OOoOO;;' ,;;,OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO##oOoOO,;;, ;;;;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO##OOoOO;;;; ``.;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO##OOoOO;,'' ;;;;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO///oOOOOOOOOOOOOO#OOoOO;;;; ```.;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO///oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOO;,''' ;;;;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOO///oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOO;;;; ```,;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOO;,''' ;;;;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOO;;;; ````,;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOO;, ''' .////;;OOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOO;;;; .////' ````,;OOoOOOOOOOOoOO;,'''' .////' ;;;;;OOoOOoOO;;;;; .////' `````;;OO;;''''' .///' `;;;;' ///' *StarShip* NEWS *Flash* 3rd of 7 Stories Tax Break Returns to Oxxi for Tax Year 1992 ______ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / __ ) Long Beach, CA -- January 1993 / / ) / / /__/ / (______/atamax Research Ltd. has placed the publishing rights to the Amiga version of its US tax preparation program with Oxxi beginning with the tax year 1992. Datamax marketed the program under the name DataTax and will continue to use that name for the PC version of the program. Tax Break '92 will continue to utilize the same user-friendly features that have made DataTax the leading tax preparation program for the Amiga. Supporting schedules and forms can be opened with a click on the summary line on the Form 1040. Refund or taxes due are constantly updated and displayed during data entry. A context-sensitive on-line IRS manual is also available by press of the Help key. Registered owners of both Tax Break and DataTax will be eligible for updates to the tax year 1992. Updates are $29.95 plus $5 postage. California residents should add $2.47 sales tax. A mailing has been sent to registered owners outlining updating information. Tax Break '92 will list for $79.95 and is available at local Amiga dealers. JoAnn Houston, Vice President of Oxxi, commented, "Tax Break is a joy to use and we are pleased to welcome this fine product back to our line of productivity software for the Amiga computer." Based in Long Beach, California, Oxxi, Inc. is one of the leading publishers of productivity software for the Amiga computer. In general, business productivity products are sold by Oxxi, while graphics, entertainment and sound-related products are sold by Oxxi's Aegis Development division. To learn more contact Oxxi, Inc., P.O. Box 90309, Long Beach, CA 90809, or call 310/427-1227, fax 427-0971. -*- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash* 4th of 7 Stories __________________________________________________________________________ | | | *StarShip* Amiga Conferences | | ____ _ | | / ___) / ) | | / (_ ____ / /_ ___ __ __ ____ ___ __ __ | | / ___)/ ___)/ _ )/ __)/ / / // _ ) / __)/ / / / | | / / / __) / (/ // / / (_/ // (/ / / / / (_/ / | | (_/ (____)(____/(_/ (_____((_____)(_/ (___ / | | ___/ / | | (____/ | | | | Except where noted, Conferences begin at 10PM Eastern Time in the Amiga | | Conference Rooms at Page 555;2. Amiga Programmers meet Wednesday nights | | at Pro/Am on Page 670. Amiga/GEnie HelpDesk EVERY Night at 9PM Eastern. | |__________________________________________________________________________| | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Humpday |Thursday | Friday | Saturday | | Help@9EST| Help@9EST|Help@9EST| Help@9EST|Help@9EST| Help@9EST| Help@9EST| |__________|__________|_________|__________|_________|__________|__________| | 14 | 15 | 16 |\ | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |5-MIN News| | _| | | | New |5-MIN News| | 3PM-3AM | DeskTop | (_) | AmiGames |vv-Video!|*StarShip*|9:Hardware| | -*- |Publishing| Mad | ------ | with | 5-MINUTE | Clinic | |10PM: | Night | Music |Programing| Yury & | Newscast |10: Amiga | | Graphics | | Night |at Pro/Am | Guests | 6PM-3AM |PartyNight| |__________|__________|_________|__________|_________|__________|__________| HelpDesk *EVERY* NIGHT @ 9PM Eastern Time! Got a problem? If you have questions about learning to use your Amiga, the *StarShip* or GEnie, we have answers! Stop by Conference Room 4 ANY EVENING from 9 to 10 EST for live, on-the-spot help. -*- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash* 5th of 7 Stories SMPTE & Toaster Modules for SunRize Industries Studio 16 ____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / ___) Campbell, CA -- February 5, 1993 ( (__ \__ \ ___) ) (____/unRize Industries has just introduced three optional modules for Studio 16. They include: SMPTE Output A combination SMPTE generator/monitor that also outputs LTC time code on the Amiga's audio out. Toaster Handler - AD1012 Allows you to play one or two tracks while performing a Video Toaster transition. Toaster Handler - AD516 Allows you to play one or two tracks while performing a Video Toaster transition. SunRize has also shipped their new completed Studio 16 Users Manual to registered owners of the AD1012 and AD 516. It is complete with diagrams and screen shots, and all original appendices have been updated. There are additions to the chapter on trouble shooting and a brand new appendix on using Studio 16 with Bars & Pipes Professional. SMPTE Output Module The first in a line of expansion modules for Studio 16, SMPTE Output is a software only addition to Studio 16 that provides capabilities not included in the base Studio 16 package. SMPTE Output allows Studio 16 to stripe time code onto a tape, or generate time code in real time. One result of this is that Studio 16 can now act as a master. Your external VTRs or ATRs can lock to Studio 16 (an external synchronizer is required to do this). SMPTE Output combines the SMPTE generator and SMPTE monitor with the ability to generate LTC time code out of our Amiga's audio out jack. o Stripe your tapes with SMPTE time code o Multiple (4) reset/set points for quickly jumping to new time code o Locks to video sync (requires Amiga genlock or Video Toaster for this feature) o Type directly into SMPTE monitor o Fast forward, rewind, play, and pause buttons o Drop frame or non-drop frame o List Price $249.00 Video Toaster Handlers Although Studio 16 multitasks fine with the Video Toaster, the Toaster turns off multitasking while performing digial video effects. This will cause Studio 16 audio to stop playing during the transition. These new Toaster Handlers replace your existing software device drivers, allowing you to play one or two tracks while simultaneously performing a Toaster effect. Available for both the AD516 and AD1012, these drivers configure your card to buffer more data in the card. This allows the Amiga to disable multitasking for several seconds while Studio 16 audio plays. The result is that you have fewer playback tracks (only one or two), but you can play audio during many of the Video Toaster effects. The AD1012 Toaster Handler also includes two 128K RAM chips to enlarge the buffer on the AD1012. The AD516 already has 128K RAM chips standard. The AD1012 and AD516 Video Toaster Handlers are sold separately. List price is $249.00. Special offers through March 31, 1993 Studio 16 / AD516 $1495.00 Studio 16 / AD1012 595.00 SMPTE Output Module (*) 139.00 (Regularly $249.00) AD1012 Toaster Handler (*) 139.00 (Regularly $249.00) AD516 Toaster Handler (*) 139.00 (Regularly $249.00) (*) The SMPTE Output and Toaster Handler offer is available only with the purchase of an AD516 or AD1012, or to registered Studio 16 owners. For more information contact SunRise Industries, 2959 S. Winchester Blvd., Suite 240, Campbell, CA 95008 USA, phone 408/374-4962, fax 408/374-4963. -*- *StarShip* NEWS *Flash* 6th of 7 Stories Bill's Tomato Game from Psygnosis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _ __ _ Brookline, MA -- January 1993 ( \/ \/ ) \ / \_/\_/hat a pair of tomatoes! Terry and Tracy are two of the hottest tomatoes in their patch. Freshly picked and off to be canned, they escape to pursue their dream of marriage and little cherry tomatoes. But as luck would have it, an evil squirrel has foiled their plan, capturing Tracy and stashing her high atop his vine-top home. Can love conquer all? It's up to you and Terry to save the fair Tracy, solve challenging puzzles and brave the many dangers that lie ahead. And you thought tomatoes couldn't climb trees!! Bill's Tomato Game Features: o Over one hundred levels of Tomato tossing play. o Tricky Tomato traps and squishers designed to puree the unsuspecting Terry o Deadly wasps and flying pigs to pester Terry's progress. Trampolines that bounce him out of danger. o The turbulent Tomato fan for guilding Terry through the lethal labryinths o Wild and crazy cartoon style graphics o Wacky, animated intro and intermission sequences o 45 different toe tapping Tomato tunes Bill's Tomato Game is pure tomato entertainment! List price: $49.95 Requires 512K and joystick, Kickstart 1.2 or higher. A playable demo version of Bill's Tomato Game is available for downloading from the *StarShip* Software Library, file 18348 TOMATO_GAME.LHA For more information contact your local Amiga dealer or Psygnosis, 29 St. Mary's Court, Brookline, MA 02146, phone 617/731-3553, fax 617/731-8379. -*- *StarShip* Amiga *Flash* 7th of 7 Stories Oxyd (General Edition) Game Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Special Note: This game is available from the *StarShip* _ Software Library in File 18452 ONYX.LZH. / \ The first 10 levels are freely playable. / - \ / ___ \ (_/ \_) terrible thing has happened to the world inside your computer: Overnight the life-supporting Oxyds have closed up. Without the oxygen emitted by the Oxyds, the unique world of bits and bytes is threatened. Your help is needed desperately. You're asked to go on a risky expedition into the mysterious landscapes of Oxyd and open the Oxyds in order to save this wonderful world from imminent destruction. The Adventure Begins What may initially look like a modern version of the classis memory game turns out to be a gripping challenge in creativity, hand and mind corrdination. Using the mouse, a black marble is guided through elaborate mazes. Anytime an Oxyd is touched by the marble it opens up, revealing its hidden pattern or color. Two Oxyds within a landscape will carry identical patterns. When the Oxyds of the same pattern are opened sequentially they remain open. If no match is made, the previously opened Oxyd closes again. Once all its Oxyds have been opened, a landscape is saved and the player advances to the next one. In this way, 100 (!) single-player landscapes and the same number of dual-player landscapes have to be solved. Although the game mechanics are easiy understood there are no quick fixes or simplisic approaches to the intricate puzzles presented in Oxyd. Every landscape introduces new game elements which may be explored and studied in a playful way. Weeks of fun and many sleepless nights are the likely result. In the initial landscapes the Oxyds are easily accessible, but they become more and more difficult to reach as the player progresses. Objects inside the maze have to be moved and puzzles solved in order to open secret passages to the Oxyds. Laser beams may be reflacted by mirrors and prisms in order to touch an Oxyd. One-way streets and traps are frequently encountered as are the Death-heads and flying rotors that will destroy the marble instantly. Oxyd offers a fascinating variety of objects and technical effects which may or may not contribute to the solution of a particular puzzle. Great fun and excitement comes from the multitude of surfaces encountered throughout the game. These may consist of tiles differing in texture, curvature and the amount of friction generated as the marble moves across them, as well as swampy and icy areas, deep chasms, raised or sunken passage ways. A number of objects may be pricked up by rolling over them with the marble. There's a sledge-hammer which lets the player break down certain wall sections to gain access to adajacent rooms. The hammer may also be used to create other useful tools, but that's for the player to find out. Mediation Landscapes Every tenth level is a mediation landscape presenting the player with exciting challenges to hand and mind coordination. No Oxyds need to be opened in these levels, instead there are four steel balls which have to be placed in pits provided on the game board. The tricky part is that mouse movements affect all balls simultaneously. Depending on the surface friction encountered some balls are accelerated more than others and it takes a lot of practise to keep them all under control. Before you know it, one of them has fallen off the edge of the board. Ramps and parabolic surfaces, electrical charges, magnetic fields and black holes can play havoc with the steel balls but these same effects may be employed in solving the puzzle. The Linked Game Oxyd is even more fun when two computers are linked via MIDI, modem, null modem cable or Appletalk, and the dual-player mode is used. The linked game provides 100 additional levels where one player receives the black marble and his/her partner controls the white one. The two-player landscapes have been specifically designed for this purpose, giving the players an additional game at no extra cost. Unlike other linked games, Oxyd requires that the players cooperate in order to solve levels and ultimately win the game together. The linked game provides each player with a view of the area surrounding his/her marble, making it possible for the players to explore different areas of a particular labyrinth and share the information. Somtimes a marble may have to be sacrificed if this lets the other player finish the level successfully. Technical Realization In conjunction with the appropriate sound effects, Oxyd achieves a surprisingly realistic feel for the physical effects like friction, collision, gravity or magnetism. Super precision mouse controls make pushing the marble around the different levels an extra-sensory experience. Dongleware Distribution The Oxyd game software is distributed as "Dongleware." Anyone may copy and distribute the Oxyd disk containing the complete game, 100 game levels and 100 dual player levels. The first 10 levels of Oxyd may be played free of charge. After that, the player will need the 176 page Oxyd Book to continue playing. The Oxyd Book contains useful hints and information about Oxyd as well as the secret magic formulas with which the Magic Tokens can be removed when they are encountered in the game. Magic Tokems have a tendency to appear in certain bottle necks within a level, effectively blocking the player's path. When a secret formula is cast at them, the Magic Tokens vanish, thus opening a passage. Hardware Requirements Oxyd "General Edition" is available for the following configurations: o IBM-PC with HGC (286 and above, 640 x 300), EGA (286 and above, monochrome 640 x 300) or VGA (386 and above, 2.5 megabyte RAM and 256 KB VGA, 640 x 400, 16 colors), digitized sound output via internal speakers, centronics port or Soundblaster available with EMS-RAM only. DOS 5.0 and mouse required. o NeXt, (680xx systems) monochrome or color (640 x 400, 16 color) o Amiga (1 megabyte and above, 2 megabytes and above when run from hard-disk, 320 x 200, 32 colors) o Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon monochrome or low-res color (320 x 200, 16 colors), TT and Falcon high-res color (640 x 400, 16 color) o Apple Macintosh monochrome and color on all models. The linked game can be run on computers of the same family of processors and using identical screen resolutions. Oxyd may be played in English, French or German language modes. Landscape Impressions While you're in the main meu of Oxyd, pressing the ESC button will start a randomized slide show presenting Oxyd landscapes. Prices The Oxyd Book (General Edition) ISBN 3-829278-12-6 $39.00 Oxyd Disks (General Edition) 4.00 Available for NeXT (HD), Amiga, Atari ST color, IBM-PC (HD), Macintosh (HD), Atari ST monochrome, Atari TT/Falcon. The Oxyd game software may also downloaded from GEnie, CompuServe, Delphi, Internet, the Boston Computer Society BBS, and other major networks. Distributors You may order the Oxyd Book at your local bookstore, your computer dealer, borrow it at your public library or order direct from Dongleware Publishing: US & Canada Dongleware Publishing, Inc. P.O. Box 391829 Cambridge, MA 02139-0018 Phone & Fax 617/497-1130 For toll-free orders call: 1-800-228-OXYD Add $3.00 shipping and handling (total $42.00) Massachusetts residents add 5% sales tax (total 44.10) Australia, Dongleware Publishing, Inc. New Zealand and P.O. Box 391829 Pacific Rim Cambridge, MA 02139-0018 USA 617/497-1130 Add $6.00 shipping and handling. Payment by international money order or credit card. Great Britain CACHET UK, Inc. P.O. Box 10 Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 3NG 0795-435594 France Application Systems Paris 18, Rue Germain Dardan F-92120 Montrouge Fon (1)40.92.80.81 Fax (1)40.92.15.97 Germany Dongleware Verlags GmbH Postfach 1163 W-6903 Neckargemuend Fon, Fax & BTX 06112 / 8740 Fon 06112 / 72113 _______________________________________________________________________ | | | Amiga Culture | | | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | December 1992 The Amiga Users Group | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | Reviews and Updates | | | | Gaming | | by Cary Wasserman | | | | Oxyd is a slightly different kind of shareware since the game itself | | is essentially 10 free levels, with 90 more that can be accessed | | through a code book ordered for the fee, with ordering information | | available within the program itself. Oxyd is a game developed over | | the last ten years by Meinolf Schneider that's available on all | | major platforms. It's an arcade-style game with elements that | | suggest Arkanoid and Roll-On at times, pattern and maze oriented | | with satisfying sound effects. There are laser lights to switch on | | and off and dynamite and bombs to explode to clear paths. Sometimes | | the problem with a level is figuring out what the problem is, some- | | times its a matter of speed and sometimes just a matter of | | coordination. A responsive trackball can help -- "mouse-trak" is | | superb. Every 10 levels there is a meditation level that requires | | an extra degree of muscle control. | | | | Unlike some games with multiple layers, this one doesn't seem to | | aspire to the impossible, with each level more difficult than the | | next. Each has a different kind of problem and visual design, and | | builds on skills and knowledge gained as early as the first layers. | | Oxyd allows a "quit and save" option which, if you've noted the | | level number in the past 10, allows for a direct return. Oxyd can | | also be played as a 2 player game by null-modem or on-line (the | | screen resolutions must match). | | | | Copies of the Oxyd Book are available from the BCS Amiga PD Library. | | | |_______________________________________________________________________| -*- Over a GIGABYTE of Amiga files in our Library! Catch your limit of Fred FISH Disks from the *StarFish* Library. If you are after a SINGLE PROGRAM on a Fish Disk, SEARCH for it before downloading the disk. Most are available separately! _______________________________________________________________ | | | | | Permission is hereby granted to quote ALL or PART of this | | Newscast on a privately owned BBS or in a user group news- | | letter (*) provided you include the following credit: | | | | Reprinted by Permission from the 5-MINUTE Weekend | | News Network, a *StarShip*(tm) Production on GEnie(R). | | * /\ / | |_________________________________________________ ___/ \___ _| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \ oo / ~ . \ \__/ / _ (*) We would like to know about it / \ if you do, and you can tell us \ /\ / *FREE* by leaving Feedback to / \/ \/ \ the SysOps on GEnie Page 555. *StarFish* Librarian February ViewPort, the *StarShip* Online Magazine! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Available FREE on GEnie*Basic Menu #9 on GEnie Page 555. Get YOUR copy before they're gone! The current and all back issues of ViewPort are available for downloading from the *StarShip* Library. Search on the keyword VIEWPORT to get a list from which you can choose.