@database "CD³²bits.guide" @author Matthew Legg @wordwrap @width 72 @node Main "Front Page." @{fg highlight}@{b}JULY 1994@{fg text}@{ub} CCCCCCCCC DDDDDD 33333 22222 CCC CC DD DD 33 22 TT CC DD DD 33 222 BBBBBBB T @{"Introduction" system "vt logo.jpg"} CC DD DD 33 22 BB B TT CC DD DD 33333 22222 BB BB II T CC DD DD BB BB II TT CC DD DD BB BB TTTTTTTTT SSSSSS CC DD DD BB BBBBBB T SS SS CC DD DD BB B II TT SS S CC CC DD DD BB B IIII T S CCCCCCCCC DDDDDD BB B II T SSS BB B I TT SS @{" Gossip " link goss} BB BB I TT S @{" Games " link game} BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB IIIII TTTTTTT SSS @{" Letters " link lett} SS @{" Hardware " link movie} SSS @{" Non-Game " link nong} SSSSSSSSSSSSSS Compiled by Matthew Legg - mlegg@freenet.scri.fsu.edu @endnode @node goss "Gossip In The World Of The CD32" @{"CD1200....." link cd12} @{"The Logo...." link logo} @{"Commodore...." link como} @{"Competition..." link comp} @endnode @node CD12 "CD For The A1200" At the time of writing, there are two PCMCIA CD-Rom drives due for release. The first at the end of June, and the second some time in July (Zappo). The first to hit the shops is manufactured by the same company that produces the Overdrive, and uses the same technology to access the CD as it did for the hard drive. It is said to be 90% compatable with the current range of CD32 games, and comes with software which will allow it to read PhotoCD disks straight away. Naturally it will not be possible to have FMV. Because it uses the PCMCIA slot, all internal trapdoor expansions such as Accelerators and Ram Expansions will still work. One would speculate that if the Commodore CD1200 ever arrives, it now might be hard pushed to sell any units, because the main complaint seems to have been rectified by the third party companies.. Price at the moment is set at £200 Expect a full review upon release! @endnode @node logo "CD32Bits New Logo" CD32Bits now has a new @{"logo" system "vt logo.jpg"}. It was created by the renound Amiga Ray-Tracer/Artist Carmen Rizzolo. He can be reached at CarmenR@cup.portal.com and is available for commissionable work. Thanx Carmen!! @endnode @node como "Commodores Future!" Rumours are still flying around about who the buyer of Commodore will be. Although everybody is shouting Samsung, it seems that they may now be out of the running!! From the same source comes the nasty comment that Phillips are still in the running. If this is the case, and Phillips do buy the technology, it is highly likely that the CD32 will be thrown into a big hole straight away. Phillips are sure to drop the CD32 due to the fact that it is CD-I's major source of competition, and it is also likely that they would use the AAA technology in the new generation of CD-I machines.... This is a truly worrying thought, because thousands of CD32 owners will be left in the lurch. As far as any buyout is concerned, Phillips would be by far the worst prospect for the machine. The problem lies in the fact that The Bahamian Courts have told C= to sell to the highest bidder. If the likes of Sony or Samsung pull out, there is no one left with the financial 'oompf' to outbid Phillips and a very grey day could be with us. Let's hope it never comes to that!! @endnode @node comp "Competition!!" For the first time this month, we have a competition :- There are 6 @{"Serial Links" link seri}, and 6 @{"CD Exchange Volume 1" link cdx1} CD's to go to the senders of the first E-Mail to reach the address below on or after this issues day of release!! Please state whether you would like a Link or the CD in your mail, and naturally include your full postal address, including country. The address to send your E-Mail to is : @{b}lsherry@cix.compulink.co.uk@{ub} All prizes provided by @{"The CD Exchange" link cdex}. Good Luck!! @endnode @node game "GAMES!!!!" Welcome to the CD32Bits Games section >>> CD32Bits now carries the Game Chart for the previous months sales on the CD32 format. Also this month, we preview the next title from Sales Curve International - CyberWar... Choose a button :- @{" Reviews " link revi} @{" Preview " link comi} @{" The Cheat " link chea} @{" The Chart " link char} @endnode @node revi " Reviews Of The Latest Games To Hit The CD32 " Here are the games that have been released for the CD32 this month!! @{" Battlechess " link batc} @{" Battletoads " link batt} @{" Heimdall 2 " link heim} @{"Impossible Mission 2025" link impo} @{" James Pond 3 " link jame} @{" The Lost Vikings " link lost} @{" Sabre Team " link sabr} @{" Sports Football " link spor} @{" Wembley Int. Soccer " link wemb} All of the titles reviewed were kindly supplied by @{"Viking Computers" link viki}, Ardney Rise, Norwich. @endnode @node batc "BattleChess" BattleChess £26 Interplay The alltime best chess game for the Amiga finally makes it's way onto the the CD32. Unfortunately, it seems to be the original version that was released for the CDTV a couple of years ago! For innovation, the most that can be said about this game is that it has a very long demo which introduces you to all of the pieces in a chess game. The pieces possible moves and strategic uses are fully explained with a voice over from the piece in question, and without a doubt, if you had never played chess before, this demo mode would be enough to teach you the ins and outs of the game to a satisfactory standard to actually play. The major problem with this game is naturally going to be the price. Battlechess is a very dated game, and consequently does not really warrant the conversion to CD32. The original floppy disk version was no more than 400K, so there is a lot of space left, and you may well feel slightly put off at the thought of paying so much for so little. If you have the money to burn and you are also a fan of chess, then BattleChess is a worthy title for your money. However, if like most people once you have seen all of the pieces animations you get bored, this would be a definate title to avoid!! CD32Bits Rating: *** @endnode @node batt "BattleToads" BattleToads Mindscape £30 Imagine the sort of game that you used to see on the original NES, and you have BattleToads. It comprises awful, uncontrolable sprites with awful backdrops and awful sound. It even has a game plot to match! Battletoads is absolutely terrible. It ranks alongside Seven Gates Of Jambala for the worst CD32 game. Theres nothing else I can say about it appart from DON'T BUY IT!! CD32Bits Rating: * @endnode @node heim "Heimdall 2" Heimdall 2 Core Design £30 As a simultaneous release with the normal floppy versions, Core Design have released Heimdall 2. The original Heimdall, released two years ago was an incredible success due to it's combined use of action and strategy elements. Does Heimdall 2 live up to the original? Well, the short answer is yes. The same elements are then, but far more polished than in the original. For those of you who do not know what Heimdall is all about, well he is a Viking, and it is his mission to rid his land of evil. The game takes on a 3D grahical approach, and uses both a joystick and a mouse for control. If you donot have a mouse, the CD32 controller can be used, but it is far more awkward. You have the choice of controlling one of two characters. One of the problems with the original was that there were far too many characters to have to juggle with whilst playing. Thankfully this problem has been solved. The game does have some dissapointing aspects. Core had promised an intro, but there is no evidence of one. It is just a straight port of the A1200 version, with some music. It would have been nice if some speech had been added because in game SFX are very lacking. There is plenty of room on the CD afterall, considering the floppy version comes on seven disks... The final point is that it comes in a double CD case, which is a pain if you stack your CD's in a rack.... Apart from those few points, Heimdall 2 is a good choice for your collection!! CD32Bits Rating: **** @endnode @node impo "Impossible Mission 2025" Impossible Mission £30 Microprose At long last comes the sequel to the C64 classic.. Impossible Mission was a 1986 smash, and now Microprose try to repeat the success with a revamped 90's edition!!! But, does it succeed? In @{"Impossible Mission 2025" system "vt imposs.jpg"} you play a man whose mission it is to escape from a planet inhabited by killer robots!! You must travel around the huge platform levels, solving puzzles which allow you to leave a level and access the next. The backgrounds and sound are great, although the sprite is rather badly drawn and animated. The puzzle element is hard enough to keep players thinking, but not so hard that you end up throwing the disk in the corner after a few hours of not getting anywhere. You can pick from three characters to control, each with specific abilities to help you complete levels. All in all the game is a well polished effort which will keep you hooked for a long while. Unfortunately, it is a direct port from the 1200 version, but with such a game, that doesn't really matter. As an added bonus, you also get the original C64 version included, and the only problem I could really find was the dissapointing introduction. If Microcosm and Impossible Mission 2025 were combined, we would have a sure fire hit on our hands!! CD32Bits Rating: **** @endnode @node jame "James Pond 3 - Operation Starfish" James Pond 3 £36 Millenium If you,liked James Pond two, you'll love this. In a style very similar to Mario, James Pond 3 continues where number two left off! It, like many others before it is a sometimes puzzle solving platform romp. Where it stands out though is the playability. This is not one of the platform type games that you get bored of very quickly, James Pond 3 is sheer enjoyment. It has all of the elements that have made Mario one of the most popular games in history. It has cutesy graphics, dull backdrops, nice sound and loads of levels. The gameplay is not too hard, but with a difficulty level that will keep you coming back for more. The control method is even good, when using the supplied CD32 controller, which comes as a welcome suprise. Now. There @{b}are@{ub} minus points, and two major ones at that!! Firstly, it is ridiculously expensive. Secondly, there are no enhancements over the floppy version. The only difference between the two is the CDXL anim at the beginning, and even that is identical to the one seen on the CD version... The price is just far too high. Had it been a more reasonable ten pounds cheaper, it would have scored another mark, but at that rediculous price, it has to be penalised. CD32Bits Rating: *** @endnode @node lost "The Lost Vikings" The Lost Vikings £26 Interplay This is the second offering from Interplay this month. Once again, it is a direct port of the floppy version. Same intro, same sound, and same non-AGA graphics. You could question why this was not released very early on in the CD32's life, because there is no excuse for non-AGA games to appear anymore. They have had plenty of time to convert it, so why haven't they?? In The Lost Vikings, you control three vikings, all with specific abilities whose task it is to make their way through the puzzle ridden platform levels to try and return to their home. There are tasks along the way which you have to complete to procede any further, and to do these, you have to combine the Vikings various skills. The Lost Vikings is pretty standard in all departments. It really has no distinguishing features which would lead me to recomend it above any other CD32 platformer. As i've said before. If you are a fan of the genre, you'll probably be happy with the game, however, if you're not, you will hate it. CD32Bits Rating: ** @endnode @node sabr "Sabre Team" Sabre Team £30 Krisalis Hmmmm, heres a strange one!! Sabre Team, is a game in a similar style to Blue Bytes releases, Battle Isle and Historyline. You control a team of four soldiers whose task it is to wipe out all of the baddies and save mankind. You control each of your four men independantly, and once each has made a move, the computer makes the bad guy's moves. The graphics are nothing special, although they are AGA, but the games distinguishing feature is that it has loads of sampled speech. This always adds a much more involved feel to any game, so I don't know why more programmers do not use it at the moment! The game action can be very boring at time, the controls are bad with the CD32 controller, and the game is quite buggy!! As with most games, half the price and a couple might sell, this is far too expensive for what it is... CD32Bits Rating: ** @endnode @node spor "Sports Football" Sports Football £30 Commodore Heh, look, it's a CDTV title, rebadged and re-released as a CD32 game.... What a cool idea, I don't think!! The game even says CDTV in a booming voice when you load it up. Basically, the game is TV Sports Football (American Football that is) with interspersed action and commentary shots!! A bit of a turkey really, and probably only worth about five pounds in real life, but then again, C= don't live in the real world do they?? CD32Bits Rating: * @endnode @node wemb "Wembley International Soccer" Wembley International Soccer £30 Audiogenic Now here's what we need, another football game. As if we hadn't got enough of them already, along comes yet another, that claims to be the best one that you have ever seen. But is it?? Well, it's certainly the best one on the CD32 so far, although a bit difficult. It features a number of international teams, and all of the sprites are large and colourful. The game makes use of the extra buttons on the CD32 controller and, all in all,the control method is quite good. Now, most people would say that Sensi has to be the best Football Sim available, but the CD version has crap sound. In comparison, WIS's sound would seem like actually being there. I am not a fan of football games, but of the one's available for the CD32 at the moment, this is by far the best. CD32Bits Rating: *** @endnode @node viki "Viking Computers" Viking Computers Ardney Rise, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 3QH Viking is Norfolks leading Amiga specialists. Amiga 4000/040, 1200, 600 and CD³² on display. Viking offers a mail-order service on most Amiga hardware and software as long as stock exist ;-) For further details phone Martyn (0603) 425209 (3 lines) @endnode @node comi CyberWar @{"Cyberwar" system "vt cyberwar.jpg"} is the follow up to the highly successful PC CDRom game The Lawnmower Man, which is unfortunately now cancelled as a CD32 project. Due for a Christmas 94 release, Cyberwar ia a visual as well as interactive feast and is certain to become a CD-Rom success. You take the role of Dr. Angelo as you pit your strength and ingenuity against the seemingly unstoppable might of Cyberjobe from within the cybercomplex of the VSI mainframe computer. Your mission: to seek out and destroy the VSI weapons system left behind from your last encounter. Explore and select your own unique path through a variety of mind-bending levels, featuring amongst other things, breathtaking flight and weapons simulations, mind-bending puzzle logic sequences and some of the most awesome enemies you are ever likely to encounter on CD-Rom. CYBERWAR also features full colour footage from the film, stunning interactive ray-traced 3D graphics, full screen interactive video gameplay and the real Cyberjobe... all in 256 colours. In fact, the game is so big, SCI claim to have had a job fitting it on to 3 CD's. Whether this is the case, we will have to wait and see.. Expect ma comprehensive review upon release!! @endnode @node lett "Letters from readers" Three letters this month: @{" FMV RAM " link carm} @{" TFX " link tfx} @{"PC CD-ROMs" link inca} @endnode @node chea "Game Cheats" @{"Brutal Sports Football" link brut} @{" Bubba N Stix " link bubb} @{" The Chaos Engine " link chao} @endnode @node brut "Brutal Sports Football Passwords" Here are some passwords to help you get through Brutal Sports Football : LCCRTLO1X 9TLGKRX0F 7KNBD1555 FCV62H444 VJT8!PKKK 4WYFVR2!8 DD7073!74 BV12C4R2K R3PF463QN 55H!DM000 ICTY5NJJY !B256D999 86JY70HHH Z701VWR1! HV3!LZRQ5 QBCLFRWWW GCV022333 SW16PX999 F3C5Z5DDD @endnode @node bubb "And The Last Code Is......." Continuing on from last month, we have the code for level 5 on Bubba N Stix..... It is: LR95GIJK45 you should be able to finish it now! @endnode @node chao "Chaos Engine Passwords!" Here are the level passwords for The Chaos Engine in both One and Two player mode :- One Player Two Players World 2 L7KLW7CSS7Y# M7GPZQZNYGHN World 3 TK8V535NT94F W3PUN5R8YGXK World 4 260J23OK2S63 SDTBK4J263GW If some of the codes do not work try substituting the 0's with O's!! @endnode @node char "The CD32 Chart!" 1 - Gunship 2000 (Microprose) 2 - Frontier (Gametek) 3 - Chaos Engine (Renegade) 4 - Striker (Gremlin Graphics) 5 - Liberation (Mindscape) 6 - Ultimate Body Blows (Team 17) 7 - Pirates Gold (Microprose) 8 - Zool 2 (Gremlin Graphics) 9 - Fire and Ice (Renegade) 10 - Sensible Soccer (Renegade) @endnode @node carm "Letter For Carmen Rizzolo" I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed your last issue of CD32bits (June '94). I'm an american, and I don't have a CD32 quite yet, but I hope to have one soon. I'll be getting the FMV cart too, not because I want it, but because I may be developing for CD32. Question: Does the FMV cart give CD32 another meg of FAST RAM? I've heard this as a rumor, and if it's true I'll be delighted to buy it. A meg of FAST RAM would really speed up 3D games on CD32. Kind of expensive just for a meg of ram tho. Keep up the good work. Carmen Rizzolo - Crazed Artist CarmenR@cup.portal.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Carmen, Right, as for the FMV module.. AFAIK, the module comes with 2Mb of Fast Ram on board, but this can not be used by the CD32 when the cart is not being accessed!!! A great shame, I know. For the extra RAM, your best bet is going to be to get the SX1 expansion slot when it is released (should be soon). This will allow you to have 8 megs of Fast on board, although you can only have another 4 if you have the FMV attached!! You will also be able to attach an IDE HD, external floppy, keyboard and Genlock if you wish.. That unit should be available in the next few months. It would have been out ages ago, but the company (Microbotics) that was producing it has sold out to another company (Paravision). At the moment, there is an alternative called the CD32x which gives you all the same features as the SX1, but does not look anywhere as nice. For 1140ukp, you can get The CD32, FMV, Expansion Dock, and A Genlock. The Dock on it's own is 450ukp, which is much more expensive than the projected price for the SX1. There should be a complete review if the SX-1 expansion slot in next months CD32Bits, as it was released too late for review! Matt @endnode @node tfx "Letter From Alain Ducharme" Hey nice job! Thanks for putting your electronic magazine together. I don't actually own a CD32 but heck I'm just as interested. Actually I'm kinda hoping the CD/FMV module for the A4000 can finally make it out the door one day. I have actually had a chance to test drive the CD32/FMV for a period of about four days, we have a wonderful store here in Canada (there name is actually Wonder Computers!) which is renting everything from the CD32 to CD games and FMV titles. In your last issue, in the "Coming to a CD32 near you" section, I noticed there was no mention of T.F.X.! GASP! They've been advertising for years (ok, many, many months, over one year), is it ever going to be published on any of the Amiga platforms? Alain Ducharme Ottawa, Ontario Ducharme.Alain@istc.ca ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Alain, Whoops, I think that apologies are in order. Imagine me forgetting TFX! Anyway, it is still on track for a '94 release, but I would not expect anything before Christmas. That should also be the case for Inferno and Rise Of The Robots. Expect amazing things from October onwards! Matt @endnode @node inca "Letter From Kevin Baker" My friend's just bought a CD-ROM for his PC, and got a CD called Incarta with it. It's a sort of encyclopedia on a disk (by Microsoft). It's got bit's of FMV (although only in a small window of course) on it and all that. Sounds really good. There's a bloke that talks you through experiments to do with light particles and everything. If you could get something that good on a CD32 (or a A1200 CD add-on) I'd sell my grandmother to buy it. To be honest, I'm not that interested in games. Kevin Baker (2:251/41.8) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Kevin, Thats the problem at the moment though!!! The majority of CD32 programmers are only interested in the games side of the machine.. There are a couple of serious releases dedicated to the 32, but these are few and far between. There is a Guiness Disc Of Records, which is pretty awful and quite a good Electronic Encyclopedia, but that £100!! There are also a couple of serious FMV titles.... One for Dinosaurs and the other about planes!! It's probably just animations that come up on the window on the PC because not many people have ReelMagic so it is not viable to put it on. To get proper FMV, PC owners have to get that, and a proper 24Bit card, or they have to watch in 256 colours which they might as well do from a normal anim. As far as Multimedia disks go, I think that the PC and MAC will control the field for a very long time.. Some of them are really good, but then again, those machines have been using the CD media for ages compared to other platforms. I should think that the CD32 will catch up, (if it survives), but as with all things, you just have to wait! @endnode @node chea "Hot tips and cheats for CD32 Games!!" CD32 Bits now has hints, tips and cheats for your favourite CD32 Games!! If you have any that you feel the world should know about, send them to the E-Mail address given in the Introduction..... This month, we have tips for :- @endnode @node movie "Linking Hardware" This month, replacing the usual FMV reviews, I have decided to do a run-down of the various methods that you can use, now or in the near future, to link your CD32 to another Amiga so that the CD can be used as a file server. Next month, there will be a head to head comparison of each of these methods of linking!! @{"The Serial Link " link seri} @{"The SX-1 " link sx-1} @{"The Communicator" link comm} @endnode @node seri "The Serial Link" Name : The Serial Link Supplier : The CD Exchange Unit D5 Hi-Tech House Blackfriars St Norwich NR3 1SF Price : £29 The serial link is a cable which allows direct connection of the CD32 to another computer, be it Amiga or PC format. Unlike the cable reviewed in the June issue of Amiga Format, this cable comes ready to run, and is a lot better value. The cable has had the Null Modem Lead (required to run the transfer software) built into it, so there is no extra expense after purchase. The cable connects between the AUX port of the CD32 and the Serial port of the remote machine. It also features a pass-thru' socket on the CD32 end which allows a keyboard to still be connected. Once linked up, a software package such as TwinExpress or Sernet must be run to allow access. By far the best program to use at the moment is TwinExpress, but this is far from perfect. It is a Cli based application which takes a little getting used to before any real use can be made of it. It also suffers terribly from errors, in that, if you make a mistake, the program will quit at both ends which can be a real pain. For the price, The Serial Link does it's job well, and for the user on a budget, it should suffice. The only thing that causes any real problems is the initial setting up of the connection, which, without the correct software is very cumbersome. This though, can be easily solved with the appropriate software. The problem lies on the CD32 end, in that, there are very few disks which have a properly working verison of TwinExpress on them. To solve this problem, I would suggest also purchasing the @{"CD Exchange Volume 1" link cdx1}, also from the same company which tackles the problem admirably. See review elsewhere in this issue!! @endnode @node sx-1 "The SX-1" Name : SX-1 Supplier : Most retailers, but distributed in the UK by :- ZCL Unit 1 Ringway Industrial Estate Eastern Avenue Litchfield Staffordshire WS13 7SF Price : £200 The SX-1 will not be available until the beginning of July, so a concise review cannot be included yet. What I can tell you though, are it's published specs.... The SX-1 is said to be able to turn the CD32 into a fully fledged A1200, with a CD-ROM drive. It features all of the ports found on an A1200, plus more. It has parallel, serial, disk drive, internal and external IDE interface, RGB output and a slot for up to 8Megs of fast Ram. It also has an audio in socket for audio mixing.. There will be various options available with the unit, such as keyboards and power supplies, although what these will be used for I cannot confirm. I have included the SX-1 in the linking round up, because it allows you to use ParNET. As soon as a review unit becomes available I will put it through it's paces. @endnode @node comm "The Communicator" Name : The Communicator Supplier : Eureka Adsteeg 10 6191 PX Beek(L) The Netherlands Price : 220DM or 130DM for Communicator Lite Coming from Eureka in the Netherlands is The Commmunicator. The Communicator enables the CD32 to communicate with any Amiga or PC. It allows you to use the CD32 as a 2 way CDRom drive, view PhotoCD's (with supplied software), make FMV or audio presentations and view various image file formats such as GIF and PCX straight from CD. It will even allow you to view AGA images that are on a Non-AGA machine. The Communicator also has support from Scala and MediaPoint, allowing you to use audio or MPEG tracks in your Multimedia creations. In addition, there is also a cut down version, The Communicator Lite, which is the same unit without MIDI, keyboard throughport and expansion capability. Natuturally, this unit retails at a slightly lower price. The Communicator plugs in the CD32 AUX port and the Amiga/PC serial port and allows data transfer at 115200bps. One of the best features of this package is the ability to view PhotCD's. Eureka's viewing software Photolite is included with both models and does the job perfectly. The Communictor also has built in presentation tools. In a similar style to Scala, you can create demo's etc from the material on your CD's. It can use CD Audio and MPEG and is capable of cutting between different MPEG streams to genlock text over the top of it. All of these features including wipes, pages and transparency are controlled by the remote Amiga. To conclude, The Communicator is a great solution to the linking problem plus it also has many specialized features which keeps it one step ahead of the competition. For speed of data transfer, it has no real advantages over using the much cheaper Serial Link, But it is the ease of actually making the transfer that will undoubtably become it's selling point. @endnode @node nong "Non-Game Software" With the introduction of the various methods of linking the CD32 to a normal Amiga or PC, it has become neccessary to review the non-game titles. This month we have :- @{" CD Exchange Volume 1 " link cdx1} @{"Groliers Encyclopaedia " link grol} @{"Guiness Disc Of Records" link guin} @{" Video Creator " link vide} @endnode @node cdx1 "CD Exchange Volume 1" CD Exchange 1 @{"CD Exchange" link cdex} £20 CD Exchange 1 is a ShareWare/PD CD containing a vast amount of software including - Games, Graphics, Animations, Music Modules, Sound Samples, Adobe Fonts, CG Fonts and Clip Art. The CD can be totally controlled using the CD32 pad, and a custom menu system has been included to allow ease of use without having to actually go through the disk via workbench. The disk has full transfer support, and is invaluable for anyone using the Serial Link Cable. It includes TwinExpress, Parnet and Sernet. Obviously Parnet has been included for use when the SX-1 becomes available. To solve the problem of the CD32 booting everytime the lid is opened, scripts are included which mount a RAD disk containing either TwinExpress or ParNET. Once rebooted, the CD32 boots from RAD and allows you to change disks and access them without the machine resetting. This is a very welcome addition and will save hours of frustration. This feature also allows access of non-booting CD's and therefore you will be able to use PC CD-Roms, and transfer files from it to the remote machine. If you plan to use any type of Serial Link Cable I would strongly suggest that you buy this disk at the same time. CD32Bits Rating: ***½ @endnode @node grol "Groliers Electronic Encyclopedia" Groliers Electronic Encyclopedia £100 The first thing you notice about this title is it's enormous price tag. But when you consider the price of serious PC CD-ROM titles, it starts to look a little less daunting. Now, what can you say about an Encyclopedia?? Well, not much really!! This disk is jam packed full of useful, and pointless information that you may need in the course of your life. The user interface for accessing the huge database of facts, is very easy to use, and you quickly find yourself flying around the disk grabbing useful snippets of information. The disk has a large number of picture files which are associated with the text, and also a small amount of speech samples to accompany the pictures, such as The Martin Luther King speech. These are by far the best feature of the disk, and the sample quality is flawless, (something which cannot be said for the CDTV encyclopedia). For practical purposes, the disc is much more geared to a young American audience, with a lot of the facts being much more relevant to life in the U.S, but that doesn't stop the disk being one of the first titles to actually exploit the CD media in an appropriate way. If you look hard enough, you'll be able to find the disk for about thirty pounds less (See Viking Computers), and if you have the money, this is a worthy investment. CD32Bits Rating: **** @endnode @node guin "The Guiness Disc Of Records" The Guiness Disc Of Records £40 Written by the same team responsible for The Encyclopedia and in a very similar style comes The Guiness Disc Of Records. The only diffence us, that this one is absolutely pointless. I'm sure a lot of hard work went into the CD, but it is unlikely that it will appeal to the masses. I suppose it's a worthy challenge to buying the book version, but as a standalone CD32 produce, it doesn't really cut it! CD32Bits Rating: ** @endnode @node vide "VideoCreator" VideoCreator £40 Almathera Now here is one of the titles that everyone has been waiting for since the CD32's release. All I can say is, the wait has been worth it. VideoCreator is exactly what the CD32 needs. You will find nothing as good as this on any other format.... VideoCreators purpose is self explanatory, but for those of you who are only interested in games, well here is an idea of a product that you must buy!! VideoCreator is a CD32 only title which allows the synchronising of large amounts of video effects with digital soundtracks. It has no real purpose, but it is brilliant and utterly absorbing. If you have ever watched rolling demo's and wished that you could do it, well now you can, and better one's too!! The CD is crammed with various images, animations and the like for you to add to your favourite CD tracks. When the SX-1 unit becomes available, you will also be able to include your own pictures and animatons in your demo's, or, if you cannot afford one, you can send your work off to Almathera for inclusion into the various update disks that have been planned. Constructing your demo's is easy via a simple point and click interface. Everything is set out so that the novice user can create simple shows straight away. Included on the disks are some example files which show you what VideoCreator can do. There are sample scripts to accompany CD soundtracks by Madonna, Prince, Bryan Addams and even the Commodore FMV advert!! There is also a great feature called Random Raves which randomly adds pictures and anims to any CD soundtrack that you choose.. This feature would be great at parties, as you could have accompanying graphics any piece of music that you choose. That said, VideoCreator is slightly pointless at this moment in time. Until the SX-1 becomes available, there is no way of saving your work, so anything you do will be lost. Also the size of your demos is heavily influenced by the CD32's memory, but once again, the SX-1 will solve this. All in all, VideoCreator is a masterpiece. If you intend to buy an SX-1, it is essential that you buy a copy of this, and if you don't, well buy a copy of it anyway..... It's bloody good fun, and better than any of the games available at the moment!! CD32Bits Rating: ****½, @{fg highlight}*****@{fg text} with an SX-1 @endnode @node cdex "The CD Exchange" CD Exchange Unit D5 Hi-Tech House Blackfriars Street Norwich NR3 1SF United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)603 662066 666202 All international orders taken. @endnode