 Duke Nukem 3D |
mass-produced, oftentimes violent, and they foster antisocial, sedentary
behavior. But while many ill-fitting sweaters will no doubt be returned to the
Gap almost as soon as the wrapping has been recycled, a present which
transforms the regaled into a strategizing warmonger, a vintage private-eye, or
becomes yet another avenue in which to pursue America’s favorite dorknamic duo
will keep on giving, or at least keep on keeping them from school work,
housecleaning, or other not-as-amusing, post-holiday tasks at hand. So when you
finally cave in to the gift of the game (the whole giving thing is supposed to
be a selfless gesture anyway), avoid finding yourself bug-eyed in aisle 10 by
knowing what format the game is for (i.e., PC, Mac, Sony Playstation, Sega
Genesis) and how souped-up the machine is. Pay attention to the minimum system
requirements listed on the box — in fact, if the destination machine just
barely meets the requirements you probably ought to find a less demanding
title. The other obvious criteria include the type and quality of the game.
Here are a few of our favorites for you to consider…
Command & Conquer: Red Alert (Westwood Studios, $55) is a superb
follow-up to last year’s real-time strategy game Command & Conquer.
In Red Alert the player directs the onslaught of destruction for either
the Soviets or the Allies in a series of absorbingly tough missions.
Syndicate Wars (Bullfrog, $55) is another real-time strategy game, but
set in the future. The player leads a brutal squadron of highly trained killers
for either the corporate Syndicate or the ubiquitous Church of the New Epoch.
Yet another in this genre is the WarCraft Battle Chest (Blizzard
Entertainment, $70). It includes all three of the fine WarCraft games, a
sure winner if the recipient of your generosity doesn’t own any of them yet.
Each of these fast-paced games has multi-player support built in.
For pure action that really tests hand-eye coordination there are two
gore-filled shoot-’em-ups to consider: Quake (id Software, $50) and
Duke Nukem 3D (Apogee, $40). Quake is a dark battle against
countless hell-spawned beasts of indescribable evil, accompanied by an
appropriately disturbing soundtrack from Trent Reznor. Duke Nukem takes
a lighter view on its high-body count game by filling it with humor both
tasteless and insightful. Each includes a multi-player deathmatch mode. Another
sophisticated 3D action game has just come out entitled Tomb Raider (Eidos, $50). It does have some violence, but also emphasizes exploration and
puzzle solving. The graphics are superior on a high-powered computer, and its
one of the few games available with a female lead.
 Tomb Raider |
movie full of puzzles and mysteries set in Hollywood in the late Forties. The
game runs in black-and-white, giving it a distinctive look and feel. The
American Civil War (Interactive Magic, $50) is a turn-based strategy game
covering the entire period of the conflict. The game’s scope is tremendous —
the player must manage the economic, strategic, and political aspects of the
side he or she chooses to play.
If your screen-addicted dearest loves intensely accurate flight sims then
Origin’s AH 64D Longbow ($65) would make an excellent gift. The graphics
are fantastic, the flight model and mission design first-rate. Its a
challenging game, though; even the tutorials take several hours to get
through.
The new Nintendo Ultra 64 is the top as far as game consoles go; if you
know someone lucky enough to have one already there are several really great
titles out for it. In my opinion, Nintendo’s Mario 64 ($65) is one of
the best computer games ever made for any machine — a giant requiring
dexterity, imagination, and intellect. Mortal Kombat Trilogy (Midway,
$70) combines the characters from all three arcade games. Although MKT doesn’t break much new ground creatively or technologically, it will entertain
the multitudes of young men who’ve dropped quarter after quarter into the
arcade versions. Wayne Gretzsky 3D Hockey (Midway, $73) is an extremely
well done hockey game — the play is fast and furious, the levels of difficulty
and realism can be adjusted to the player’s taste, and the graphics are
spectacular.
A couple of final suggestions for the humorist: Fans of British comedy would
be thrilled to get a copy of 7th Level’s Monty Python and the Quest for the
Holy Grail ($50), a graphic adventure unlike any other wherein players must
face challenges such as “Catch the Cow” and “Spank the Virgin” in order to
succeed. And if you know someone who is wooed by the inane chattering and
torturous giggling of Beavis and Butt-head, then why not give them a copy of
MTV’s Calling all Dorks ($20), a collection of eight desktop themes for
Windows 95, including fonts, sounds, wallpaper, and animated icons of the toxic
twosome. Computer entertainment may not encourage PC potatoes to get off their
butts. But it sure is cool. (Huh-huh… he said “butts.” Uh. Yeah,
cool.)
This article appears in December 13 • 1996 and December 13 • 1996 (Cover).