It seems that the new iPad cannot catch a break. With news flowing around that preorders have been sold out, Signals Research reports that the new tablet may clog up 4G networks.

With the 4G networks of today being used very lightly, CEO of Signals Research, Michael Thelander says “The iPad is definitely going to be a challenge, and it will put a strain on the networks.” The new Retina display’s ability to output 1080p video will likely run up most people’s data limits and place a heavy load on the young network. At their present state, the 4G LTE networks are simply not ready for the massive bandwidth usage expected from the likely record breaking sales of the new iPad. The rise of 4G smartphones has been a gradual one, allowing for carriers such as AT&T and Verizon to prepare their networks. However, the high adoption rate for iPads will likely slow down the network, says Thelander.

AT&T’s network was torn apart by the introduction of the 3G iPhone a couple of years back. The network has since learned from that experience, yet the new 4G network is still not used to the traffic likely to be generated by the tablet.

Amit Malhotra, a vice president of Metrico Wireless, which helps test mobile device and network performance for carriers and manufacturers, says that “Most people are going to be limited by their data plans. One of the selling points of the iPad is the display; people are going to watch HD content, and that means larger files.” To add to the problem, Apple is now allowing 50 megabyte mobile apps to be installed on the App Store.

AT&T offers 3 GB of data for $30 dollars while Verizon offers 2GB for the same price. At those rates, one HD movie download will likely run up the monthly data usage for an average consumer. Verizon also offers 10GB for $80, but few people have adopted the plan. The new iPad will not be available on any other networks.

“What will likely happen is they will get very efficient at switching to Wi-Fi whenever there’s an opportunity,” says Malhotra.

Nintendo ushered in the new year this morning by adding a slew of new downloadable titles to the Virtual Console, WiiWare and DSiWare digital download destinations (say that three times fast!)

A total of seven new titles made their way to the three download spots including Hell’s Kitchen Vs. for DSiWare, Final Fight 3 from the SNES days on Virtual Console and a quintuplet of games I’m willing to bet you had no idea existed until today.

I could attempt to describe games I know nothing about, but I won’t. So here’s Nintendo’s official description of all seven.

Nintendo DSiWare

Trajectile
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Pointsâ„¢
Description: Trajectile is a puzzle game that’s as much about firepower as it is about brainpower, requiring you to line up your shot and launch a flurry of missiles at enemy targets. Three types of missiles are at your disposal, each one with its own characteristics – but all of them can bounce off walls on their path to smash, blast or drill through enemies and blocks. Along the way, you’ll find item blocks just waiting to be destroyed so that you can obtain special power-ups … and cause even more destruction. Be careful though, as missile type and position are predetermined and you get only a limited number of launches per stage. Complete multiple classes containing numerous individual stages, earning medals when you clear stages in fewer than the given number of turns. Are you ready to take aim at becoming a Trajectile master?

Animal Puzzle Adventure
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Animal Puzzle Adventure is a simple puzzle game where you have to lead various animals to their respective barns placed on the map, while avoiding pitfalls and cliffs and using the objects on the field to your advantage. There are 10 stages per level with a total of five levels, creating 50 stages in all. After clearing a stage, you unlock a piece of a photo. Once you clear all 10 stages in a level, the wallpaper for that level becomes unlocked and you can then view it in the gallery. With so many puzzles to unravel, you’ll find yourself immersed in the puzzle-riffic world of Animal Puzzle Adventure.

Hell’s Kitchen Vs.
Publisher: Ludia
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Hell’s Kitchen Vs. is based on the U.S. TV phenomenon where world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring chefs through rigorous culinary tests. The game recreates the show’s pressure-cooker atmosphere as two players battle head-to-head in an arcade-style kitchen challenge. Try to conquer your opponent in each time-management test, while taking the heat of Gordon Ramsay judging and rating your performance at every stage of the game.

WiiWare

Heron: Steam Machine
Publisher: Triangle Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Pointsâ„¢
Description: Heron: Steam Machine is a game about a factory where rubber duckies are being produced by a large steam engine. On this steam engine, there are four different gauges which you will have to watch carefully. By connecting the pipes, you will earn points and relieve some of the pressure, keeping the machine running just a little bit longer. If one of the gauges reaches its maximum, the machine will eventually blow up, and the game is over. If you were lucky enough to achieve a high score, make sure you enter your name in the list so other players can compete with you. In Multiplayer, you are able to cooperate with friends in maintaining the steam machine. When you play with two, three or four players, the screen is divided into sections with different background colors. Each player is able to solve his or her own part of the puzzle. Players are restricted to their own section of the screen, so you will have to work together to make the pipes fit properly. (Additional accessories are required for multiplayer play and are sold separately.)

Pub Darts
Publisher: Big Blue Bubble Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Pub Darts is a simple darts simulation which uses the Wii Remoteâ„¢ controller’s unique controls to mimic dart-throwing motion. The game is set in a local pub where the players will settle in to play some of their favorite dart games, including 501, Cricket, Around the Clock, Killers and Baseball. Controls function just like throwing a real dart. Players are able to create their own personal profiles, including selecting their avatar image from a collection of creative characters and the design they would like displayed on the dart flights.

Fast Draw Showdown
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Alcohol Reference, Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: When it comes to fast draw there’re only two types of people: the quick … and the dead! Now you have the chance to find out where you stand, or lie, as the case may be. You’ll go up against the best quick draws in the business, including one of the world’s fastest, Wes Flowers. Unholster your Wii Remote controller and show ‘em who the fastest draw really is, in this live-action shooter. You can even take on a friend in multiplayer modes, and see which of you has the quickest draw. You’ll need some serious speed and awesome accuracy to take on these gunslingers … so get ready for some real fast draw action.

Virtual Console

Final Fight 3
Original platform: Super NESâ„¢
Publisher: Capcom USA
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Following the defeat and subsequent disappearance of the Mad Gear Gang, a small group known only as “Skull Cross” is responsible for a new uprising of vandalism, terrorism and death. The government of Metro City is at a complete loss. Metro City’s mayor, Mike Haggar, and Guy are prepared to take on the new gang, but before they can act, the door bursts open, revealing Lucia, Cody’s old friend. “Metro City is under attack!” she shouts, “Skull Cross is loose, and they’ve got something up their sleeves.” But before any of them can move, a mysterious man appears in the doorway. “My name is Dean,” he says. “I know Skull Cross inside-and-out, and I hate them more than anything. I can help you, and you can help me. We must go!” All four fighters vow to bring Skull Cross down. It will be a tough assignment, and may even be their final fight!

Nintendo, in their usual weekly pattern, released new games onto their three-fold digital download service today, but really, all the attention is on one of them.

Final Fantasy, the original NES title from Square Enix, hit the Virtual Console this morning. Priced at 500 Wii Points and an undefinable nostalgic value, this one will likely fly off the digital shelves of the Wii Shop.

Falling in the shadows of Final Fantasy are‚  Thorium Wars (1,000 DSi Points) on DSiWare. This first and third-person shooter for the portable comes from developer Big John Games and pits you against waves of attacking Thorians.

Additionally, Word Searcher (500 Wii Points) on WiiWare comes from game-maker Digital Leisures, and is pretty much what it sounds like. A word search game with 100 themed puzzles for your continued enjoyment. Personally, I’ve always despised word searches. We had timed contests in elementary school and I like to take my time. Needless to say, it didn’t go well.

Have a look at the official game descriptions below, courtesy of Nintendo.

FINAL FANTASY
Original platform: NES
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points¢â€ž¢
Description: The world lies shrouded in darkness. The winds die. The sea rages. The earth decays. But the people believe in a prophecy, patiently awaiting its fulfillment. “When darkness veils the earth, four Warriors of Light shall come….” After a long journey, four young travelers did at last appear, and in the hand of each was clutched a crystal.

Nintendo DSiWare

Thorium Wars
Publisher: Big John Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Thorium Wars, you must stop the Thorions, a super species of Thorium-based machines, from destroying mankind. Blast through waves of Thorions by controlling an arsenal of tanks, skyfighters, hovercrafts, gunboats and starfighters with either the standard or touch-screen controls. In 12 exciting missions, navigate through a variety of combat environments while viewing 360 degrees of the battlefield, fully rendered in 3-D. Toggle between first- and third-person views to destroy the terrifying army of Thorium beasts, from swarms of Redeye Drones to the bone-crushing Manticore Walker. This man-versus-machine battle proves to be the ultimate test for the survival of the fittest.

WiiWare

Word Searcher
Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: You’ll need a sharp eye and a quick mind to complete 100 themed word-search puzzles. Word Searcher contains fun words from multiple categories including anatomy, world cities and U.S. presidents. With a huge assortment of subjects to choose from, there’s sure to be a puzzle for everyone to enjoy. Help improve your vocabulary, memory and problem-solving skills with these engaging puzzles. Track and try to beat your own play-through times again and again-words are scrambled every time you play.

Thank you to the good people are UpdateStar for licensing Blast to provide all its readers with this software in our November issue!

UpdateStar is a PC utility that lets you stay up-to-date just about all your other software titles.

This way you make sure you always have the most up-to-date software, maximizing the every-day user experience.

UpdateStar is for people who rely and depend on an efficient software setup on their computer in their daily life.

Features

• One-stop information place for the individual software setup including information, downloads and status
• Personalizes updates: can be configured according to the users needs
• Enhances the “Add or Remove Programs” experience
• Simple interface and simple to use

Download UpdateStar 2.4 free from Blast Magazine!

Released quickly after Doom, using a modified version of the same game engine, Heretic is a fantasy first person shooter designed by Raven Software, published by id Software, and distributed, along with everything else in those days, by GT Interactive in 1994.

Heretic introduced ambient noise — evil laughter and such — that was random, as opposed to Doom’s enemy-spawned noises.

Like the Doom story, Heretic has hellish elements, demons and tons of different weapons at your disposal. There were also plenty of cheat codes.

There has always been a ton of literature and source documentation on the Doom/Heretic/Hexen/Quake games, and I was able to dig up the original FAQ for Heretic, which is a fun, long read and will tell you just about everything you’d ever want to know about this ultra-classic title.

Heretic is a supernatural blast-fest that is the most realistic, action-packed fantasy combat computer game for the PC. Created by the graphic masters at Raven Software in concert with the technical gurus of id Software, Heretic adds new levels of play and graphic wonder to the tried and true DOOM gaming environment.

In the old days, PC games came in large boxes, twice the size of the puny ones they come in now. Even my original Heretic shareware CD came in a large box and cost money at Toys”R”Us way back when.

One of the best things about these games in the present is that their source code has been released, and modern, high-resolution, Direct3D versions of the game are being made available to breathe new life into games like Heretic. This is a fine example of “they don’t make them like they used to.”

Ye Olde System Requirements:

• IBM PC and compatibles/MS DOS (works on DOSBox)
• 486-33
• 4 MB RAM
• 10 MB hard disk space

Download Heretic shareware from Blast Magazine

Long before Takara developed their 2002 mixed-reviews tank sim, Epic Megagames was distributing Seek and Destroy, a PC action game that combined tank and chopper elements.

I first encountered Seek and Destroy in the July, 1996 issue of Interactive Entertainment (IE), the CD portion of Computer Games Strategy Plus magazine (previously called Strategy Plus, then called Computer Games, now sorta out of business, but it’s coming back.).

This CD was stacked — also including playable demos and shareware of Duke Nukem 3D, Zork Nemesis, Afterlife, Normality, Decathlon and Battle Arena Toshinden as well as video reviews of several games and textual archives of all 24 previous issues of the CD magazine. (It was based, fittingly enough, a CDMag.com)

The guys at IE gave Seek and Destroy a favorable review, and I wholeheartedly agreed.

From the publisher: Seek & Destroy combines elements of Choplifter, Desert Strike, and Return Fire. Pilot a chopper or a tank against hordes of enemies. Not too deep, but lots and lots of fun! This is the SHAREWARE version of the game, not a demo!

From the start, Safari Software — which Epic bought out entirely in 1997 — admits that Seek and Destroy combines elements of other fun, pick-up-and-go games. They weren’t really trying to do much different; you fly around in a chopper or drive around in a tank and shoot the hell out of everything. Sometimes they mix it up by incorporating a demolition expert you have to drop of and pick up or some other subplots, but in the end, Search and Destroy is the kind of game you can just play, and play and play again. The controls are easy, the weapons are massive and there’s plenty to shoot at. There’s no getting lost in a 36-hour developing plot. Start the game, shoot stuff.

Seek and Destroy is still technically available from Epic Classics, but I’m not so sure about the © 2000 on the site…

Here’s IE’s original video review of Seek and Destroy.

Ye Olde System Requirements:

• IBM PC and compatibles
• Minimum: 486, Recommended: 486/66
• 4 MB RAM
• 19 MB (CD version) or 4 MB (disk version) of hard disk space
• Dos game with Windows Installer

Download Seek and Destroy shareware free from Blast Magazine

Here’s another out of that old Aztech’s Super Games cd:

At the twilight of the Eastern-Han Dynasty of ancient China, under the reign of the frail and incompetent emperor Han-Ling, the country was in disarray when the government was run by a group of corrupted eunuchs-theso-called “Ten Attendants.” Hardship and famine finally threw the country into turmoil. The rebellion quickly spread over the country. The rebels were known as “Yellow Scarfs” because they covered their heads with yellow scarfs. To get the full support of the generals in the military regions, Emperor Han-Ling entrusted them with more military power to put down the uprising. The Yellow Scarfs were finally crushed but at the expense of the central government which saw its authority threatened by the generals turned warlords. One of these warlords, Dong Zhuo, on the pretext of dislodging the Ten Attendants, marched into the capital city Luoyang and then usurped the throne. Although Dong Zhuo was quickly defeated by other allied generals, the turmoil was far from over. As the weakened Eastern-Han Dynasty no longer had authority over the whole country, every warlord was watching for the opportunity to take over the leadership. After ten years of suffering from numerous battles between warlords, the people in northern China finally had some respite when Cao Cao, a Machiavellian strategist, eliminated all his opponents in the North.

Not content with his sucesses in the North, Cao Cao wanted to reign over the whole China by eliminating the rest of the warlords in the South. His first target was Liu Bei who, being a royal prince of the Eastern-Han Dynasty, has a legitimate claim to the throne. Though small in force, Liu Bei was well entrenched in the country of Jing, and he knew how to preserve himself by allying with a neighboring warlord Sun Quan. Together they engineered a serious b;pw to the ambition of Cao Cao when they defeated his great army in the Campaign of Chibi.

Having suffered a great loss, Cao Cao had no alternative but to retreat to the north. Taking advantages of his military success, Liu Bei went further to occupy the region of Sichuan so as to consolidate his position in the country of Jing. With the help of his five intrepid generals — Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Cao and Huang Zhong, he managed to build up an army strong enough to wrestle alone with Cao Cao. With the aim of restoring the Eastern-Han Dynasty, he now sets off to the North to confront Cao Cao. But Cao Cao is by no means a chicken. He also has many experienced generals like Duab Weum Xy Xy abd Xuahou Chn holding out in various fortresses.

Will Liu Bei over come all these obstacles on his way to the North? Will he finally defeat Cao Cao to restore the Eastern-Han Dynasty?

And that’s how 1993′s Sango Fighter is laid out in its original documentation.

Back then, a small Taiwanese company called Panda Entertainment set out to design a historically accurate 2D fighter. The result was Sango Fighter — which was supposed to be marketed as “Violent Vengeance” in the US, but the distributor went with the original name.

Sango Fighter was also a Sega Master title called Sangokushi. Released exclusively in Asia, the Master port was 8MB and one of the largest in size ever released on the console.

This is, of course, a Dos title, but it has amazing graphics, a loud MIDI soundtrack and 12 playable characters based on real 2nd century Chinese warriors. The controls are a little awkward, but Sango Fighter is an enjoyable play and works perfectly in Dosbox. The shareware version is limited to fewer players and the first part of the story mode.

Sango Fighter never took off in the US. Street Fighter was already in arcades by 1987 and Midway put out it’s own 2D fighter — you may have heard of it, Mortal Kombat — in 1992, and Acclaim was quick to put out a home version. Sango Fighter never saw any Super Nintendo or Genesis (Mega Drive) action, which may have helped.

Download 1993′s Sango Fighter shareware free from Blast Magazine.

Today’s Old Shoebox feature is a game that brought me a ton of joy in the mid-90s. The game is Raptor: Call of the Shadows and the CD I originally found it on is called “Aztech’s Super Games,” a red CD-ROM that came bundled with my first 4x CD-ROM drive many years ago. The CD first exposed me to Duke Nukem (which Aztech spelled Nuk’Em) I and II, Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, Biomence and a somewhat successful first-person shooter game called Doom.

Raptor: Call of the Shadows is one of the best Dos-based vertical shooters ever made. The concept was simple and quintessential to a period of gaming where you configured your sound card and never stopped shooting.

It was also fairly advanced for its April 1, 1994 release date. It had stunning graphics, background music and tons of individual sound effects from machine guns to missiles to explosions.

The plot was simple — you were a mercenary paid to eliminate “MegaCorp’s” competitors. Take it from 3D Realms: “In the future as a mercenary flying the super-tech Raptor, you’ll be sent on interplanetary missions to knock off top competitors of MegaCorp. Battle against hordes of relentless enemies. Spend the bounty you receive from their demise to expand your devastating arsenal, which can be upgraded with 14 hard core weapons!”

Raptor was mostly a keyboard-controller game but it supported mouse movement, joysticks and gamepads.

The came is divided into three sectors, giving you some new enemies and scenery in each: Bravo Sector, Tango Sector, and Outer Regions, with 9 levels in each region.

The first episode, the Bravo Sector, is largely urban/jungle, ending with a large enemy oil rig.

Tango Sector, the second campaign, includes some more variety including a chemical plant, farms, city environments and an airbase. In the final episode, Outer Regions, the player travels through moons, ice worlds and volcanic wastelands. The last two sectors also have a “night wave” where you fight at nighttime, adding to the game’s detail.

The Bravo Sector is the easiest of the three, and it allows players to save up money to weapon and shield upgrades to fight effectively in the other two campaigns later.

Raptor and many other classic titles are kept alive by 3D Realms/Apogee today. Developer Scott Host — whose company, Cygnus, worked on Raptor — now markets a windows version of the shooter.

Ye Olde System Requirements:

• 386DX/40 Computer (486DX2/66 strongly recommended)
• 2 meg of free memory (A 4 meg machine is recommended)
• 7.1 meg of Hard Drive Space (for shareware)
• 15.8 meg of Hard Drive Space (for registered)

Download Raptor: Call of the Shadows Shareware Edition free from Blast Magazine.

Updated: 12/7/07: Here’s a GREAT gameplay video.