Shorts Computer Game Update Special Feature:Doom Doom is a first person 3-D game by id Software. It is similar to id's Wolfenstein, though much better in graphic and all other means. Wolfenstein was a game that looked more like a cartoon, while Doom is very realistic. id Software has improved in many ways in making Doom and a million advantages over Wolfenstein. id has developed a very needed advantage over The game of the 80's to make The game of the 90's. Wolf wan't really made in the 80's but it sure looks like it after playing Doom. The advantage I'm praising so hard is the way the levels are built. Wolfenstein has simple, one floor, interior, levels with all corners a 90 degree angle. Doom, is very different. Corners are now of every possible angle. If you see a helpfile for a level editor, you can see that now different floor and ceiling altitutes can be set for different sectors. With this technology, staircases can be made, and you can leave the building in Doom, providing theere is a door leading there, but don't worry, Great Outdoors fans, this happens in most Episode 11 levels. But, I know what you're thinking. Is this just another shooting game, and should I bother? The answer is, well, YES, BY ALL MEANS! This is not another shooting game, this is a breakthrough in computer techs. Get this game unless you're a wimp and an activist for PBVGC. PBVGC stands for Peace Between Video Game Characters. Top Downloads For This Game From America Online 1: Barney Doom For all Barney haters, this patch will make all Demons look like Barney. You need V1.2 for this patch to work. 2: 1.1 to 1.2 This patch will make V1.1 into 1.2. It will not work with 1.0. 3: Level Updates A level in Doom is a WAD file. WAD files can be downloaded from AOL, to run them at the DOS prompt go C:\GAMES\DOOM\> doom.exe -file ********.wad Then, get youself to the level the WAD file acts for. 4: Codesheet Somewhere out there on the Stratus hard disk, I saw it. If there isn't, I'll upload it peronally. 5: DooMusic Download MUS files and use them instead of the regular Doom music. Special Report Poor Customer Service For Maxis Gamers This is a game that does not feature excellent gory graphics. Nor does it feature a great selection of deadly weapons. It features $20,000 and a city that has yet to be built. You must, of course use your money wisely, unless you like letting your budget take nose dives. If you're against the idea of only having $20,000, get a large population, you can get cash off of excellent tax collection. There is also a code you have with a hex editor, but I am not going to tell you guys, since some computer programmingis involved. Or, you can get a cheat program like Money, which gives any saved city a two and a half billion dollar budget (that's Billion, with a B). This game is an excellent choice. However, let us tell you about Maxis, the guys who built it. Maxis computer games are the makers of all the SimGames. SimAnt, SimCity 2000, ElFish, to name just a few. So, all of these games are great! What's the bad news? Here it is: Maxis has the poorest customer support I have ever seen. The Maxis area on America Online has a message board flooded with unanswered questions. I have people's complaints about unanswered e-mail, messages, and of course, the representative says that he looks through the board every day. He also said he answers every single question. But, most questions were left without answers anyway. What about the e-mail messages? I sent a piece of mail labeled "Question , Not Complaint". It was answered the very same day. So, that probably means he was online that day. Why didn't he answer the other mail? The complains are growing. Many mistakes are in the programs. I do not know the truth behind the unanswered questions, but I think it is because Maxis does not want anybody to know that these problems exist. To Maxis: Get a life! Join the 90's! With poor customer support like this, I am never buying another of your games again. I have personally never experienced many problems with this game, but other gamers have, and they require customer support. SimCity 2000 was the last Maxis game I bought. To ensure you that I'm not making this up, here are a couple off messages copied straight off the boards. I will not releasde the names of the people who posted the messages. 1: Don't wast your money on this game, it's loaded with bugs!!! For example; When you save to hard disk it gives you an I\O error and either loses your game or locks up, also, it locks up after you access the newspapers Personally, I am sick & tired of these software companies that rush these games out on the market without extensive testing!!! You would think that they would realize that they lose a lot of business by not making sure thier product is compatible with most computer systems!!! yes I'm mad ! and I tired of these greedy companies taking my money and giving me crap for customer support. Anyone else agree with me? 2: I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't had problems like yours, but I have had mouse trails. I have posted several messages about it under the screen name Blades 41 but they won't reply. They have VERY poor customer support. I will never buy one of their games again and they can go to he!! as far as I am concerned. 3: Hey I may be sniveling but I have good reason to! I am sick of all the software companies ripping off the gamers! I agree that they can't test every system configuration, but they can at least reply to my messages. I even sent them E-Mail and I still haven't had a reply. They could at least try to help me. 4: I couldn't agree more Mark MAXIS SUCKS! First they need to admit the problem is with the software and not our computers. As far as giving them a break I will when they admit the game needs a serious patch. Who cares if the game is the best game I have ever played, its riddled with all kinds of *&%$$#@# errors! Other Computer Game Greats Mortal Kombat PC The game had to come to PC's sometime! An excellent conversion off the arcade, unlike the Sega Genesis version. The only thing that is missing is the screams; the only time you hear a scream is when Johnny Kage ;) does his devastating BALLBREAKER PUNCH. All other attacks are answered by an unsatisfied grunt, or complete silence. This is bad news to a torture lover, like most of my friends. But, providing you have a SoundBlaster and VGA-SVGA, it makes up for it. Advantages over the Sega Genesis version are incountable. The arcade's announcer returns! His style of announcing Sub-Zero when you select a charater, or Raiden Wins! Followed by the parameters Flawless Victory , Fatality the voice has not been that much anticipated in the arcade, but after seeinf the low-class Genesis version , it is the sweetest voice you've ever heard, unless you're the dead guy. The graphics on Sega were just plain crappy. A problem taken care of, provided you have VGA or better. I have not tried it with EGA yeat, but will announce the results in the October issue. I only have oe problem: about once in a million rounds, I get a redhead, which is not Al Bundy's favorite thhings in a video game. It just turns to red. Thankfully it's not just a red curtain, you can still see. The ending sequence is back, with the sound and visual effects, and voice. But, I can't really put in a two page report for this game, because everyone knows MK. I pointed out the goods and bads, but there's just one bad, so.... Judge for yourself, but I give it a perfect ten! Small Game Of The Month You don't need an array of 50-Megabyte graphics to make up a good game. People program games themselves all the time, not to mention big companies making them, and some of them are better than big-time games. I decided to devote a section to The Greats That Get The Minimum Amount Of Attention. Barney Shoot'em Up John E Bryant programmed this game and a good job he did. Everyone to whom Barney was more than just annoying, will LOVE this. SoundBlaster owners will adore it even more. It opens with this song: I love you, You love ... ratatatatatatata ahhhhhhhhhh SPPLATT! With real machine gun and Barney voice effects , a lot of time must have been put into these sounds. The game over is a sign displaying the message held up by two dancing Baby-Bops. When you start the game, a Frech accent announces the fact that "You may fire when ready", followed by the appearance of Barneys all over the screen. Kill for five points, miss to lose two. Another reason to kill: the good feel of seeing him explode into a pool of blood and guts. Gore level: somewhere between Mortal Kombat I and Jason Lives (Part VI, FriThe13th.). On exit, a guy declares "Uhhh, I like to blow up lizards" answered by an old-timers annoyed "Uhhh, yeah, right". In short: Excellent choice, download today. Gamers Suggest. 1- X-Men's Kombat 2- The terminator's Revenge 3- Jason Lives: The Revenge 4- Revenge of the Mad Gunner 5- Nose Diver (Flight Sim) Next Month In Here: Doom II: Hell On Earth And of course, another Special Report