This review originally appeared on Reviewcenter.com in 1999.

Force 21 is far from your normal real-time gtrategy game. You don’t have a base where you begin — mining resources, building buildings, which in turn allow you to build certain units. No, it’s nothing like that. Force 21 doesn’t try to be that. It’s something much better.

Force 21, set 15 years in the future, has you in the middle of a war. I know that you may be thinking, “Oh, no. Not another futuristic WWIII scenario” but this actually seems to be possible. China, thriving off of its economic boom in the 1990s, has become short on natural resources and raw materials. On the other hand, Russia, economy falling from the breakup of the USSR in the 1990′s, is almost on the brink of collapsing. China, taking advantage of this, invades the Republic of Kazakhstan, for much needed materials.

“NUKE “ËœEM” is what you’re probably thinking, but that won’t happen. Apparently, missile defenses have been researched so much, that nuclear weapons have become obsolete. The only practical way to fight is by conventional warfare. China, obviously having the advantage over the tumbling Russia, was predicted to barge their way through the Russian army no problem. But the United States of America, trying to get in the middle of it, sends some forces into the area, hoping that they may dissuade China from invading. China decides to attack anyway. That’s where the game begins.

You can either choose to be the invading Chinese army, or the defending US army. Either way you decide to go, you have complete control over 16 different platoons from each army. These platoons are made up of tanks, surveillance, recon, helicopters, artillery, APC’s and electronic warfare units. In some missions, calling for air support is also permitted.

Each side has 15 missions in the campaign, with a briefing before each one, showing you the objectives. Next, you look at what units you are going to bring into the fight. You are also given approximate locations of where the enemy is. As nice as this can be, don’t set up an entire attack based on it. Always scout ahead. The enemy is prone to move around the area.

After all that is done, you are now in the game. You will find your units sitting nice in pretty in front of you. If you have ever played a RTS before, then you already know the basic commands. The only frustrating part of the setup of the game is that you can’t just click on a tank, or any other unit, and order it to do something. If you want to move just one unit around, you must separate it into it’s own platoon. While this is not a big thing to do, just a drag and drop, it gets quite annoying when, in the heat of the battle, you need to move just one unit around. Unlike most RTS games, you just can’t see anything on the map by clicking there. Your point of view is what the commander of the platoon would see. An interesting twist in the game is that requires that you do more recon than in other games.

Now, the grits of the game. The sound is quite good, but the voices of the units get repetitive real fast. The sound detail and quality make you feel like your there, but to take advantage of it, you’ll need a good set of speakers. The graphics in this game are absolutely superb. The detail of each unit is incredibly realistic, which add to the total realism of the game. Explosions are well done, not cheesy looking like a lot of games do. One of my only complaints with the graphics of this game is the distance that you can view off into the horizon. There always seems to be a layer of fog, limiting your visibility range. Sloppy work there takes away from the playing experience. I mean, if you were sitting in a tank, on relatively flat land, I would think that you would be able to see a little further than a couple of hundred of feet. Other than that, kudos to Red Storm on the realism.

The replay value of the missions is not the best, as the missions are mostly the same time after time, the only difference is the exact location of the enemy units.

The single player experience may be the best part of the game. Due to the unpopularity of this game (caused by a bad release date) there is a very small multiplayer base to play against. This is too bad, because this is the kind of game that’s really fun to play with a group of friends. The fact that there is hardly anyone to play with is very odd, seeing as how both Mplayer and Microsoft Gaming Zone support play for the game.

Overall, Force 21 has enough to satisfy both the people who like to sit down and play a realistic war game and those who just want to blow shit up. The ease of play is what really makes this game work. Also, I found absolutely bugs in this game, which is becoming more and more rare these days with companies over hyping games, then throwing crap programming in a box just to get it out.

Turn to page 2 if you want to see how the game ends. We also have a cool game demo available for download.

At a press conference Wednesday at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Electronic Arts announced the acting cast members for the anticipated strategy sequel Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.

The cast of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 follows (in alphabetical order by last name): Gemma Atkinson (the UK’s Hollyoaks), Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October), Andrew Divoff (LOST), Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King), Jenny McCarthy (Scream 3, former Playboy Playmate of the Year), Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale), Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno), Autumn Reeser (The OC), Peter Stormare (Prison Break, Armageddon), George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes), and two of the most recognizable names in competitive mixed martial arts Randy “The Natural” Couture (former UFC Heavyweight champion) and Gina “Conviction” Carano (Undefeated Elite XC fighter, American Gladiators).

“This is by far the most exciting cast we have in over 13 years of shooting live-action movies for Command & Conquer,” said Chris Corry, executive producer at EA’s Los Angeles studio.  “The caliber of the performances we received, both individually and collectively, have really raised the storytelling bar for the franchise.  We are really excited that we will be delivering such a high quality production that is on par with movies and television shows.”

“I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came in to work on a video game,” said Jenny McCarthy from the set of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3, while playing Tanya, Allied commando and the most beloved heroine in the history of the Command & Conquer universe.  “What I realized is Red Alert 3 is not just a video game, it’s absolutely an interactive movie.  This is where the people at home get to move the story forward, and where seeing the plot thicken is a reward for a job well done.  And that’s really cool.”

“I think video games are one of the new frontiers for actors and using live action is just another way to connect more easily to the gamer rather than CG or animation techniques,” said J.K. Simmons from the set of the game, who is playing the anti-Communist U.S. President Howard T. Ackerman.  “To be in a groundbreaking game like Red Alert 3 where we are using full on shooting of live actors and to be with Jonathan Pryce, Tim Curry and Peter Stormare, it was a great opportunity for a character actor like me to have some fun.”

EA is also offering die hard fans of the series a “Premier Edition,” a limited edition copy of hte game including a bonus DVD with extra video content, interviews and behind the scenes shots as well as extra content for the game like maps and tips and a beta key for a future C&C title.

Special features in the “Premier Edition” include:

• Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 – One of the most beloved RTS games of all time!
• From Fighter to Assassin – A featurette on EliteXC superstar, Gina Carano.
• Premier Edition Sneak Peek – Exclusive previews of Raising of the Iron Curtain, From Pens to Pixels, Command School, and BattleCast Primetime
• Red Alert Retrospective – A look back at Command & Conquer^TM Red Alert^TM, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer^TM: Yuri’s Revenge^TM
• Exclusive multiplayer/skirmish map for Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 when the game ships
• Exclusive Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 desktop wallpapers

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 ships in the fall for PC and Xbox 360.  For more, check out the beta for the game at http://www.ea.com/redalert/beta.jsp.

This review of one of the best games ever appeared on Reviewcenter.com in 1999.

Your adventure begins in the year 2100. Your job: colonize a hostile and unforgiving planet and save the future of mankind.

The problem: six other factions are out to stop you at any cost.

In Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, you play as one of seven ideological factions, battling against six others. Choose from The University of Planet, a science and information related faction, or Morgan industries, a faction bent on economic issues. You can also play as Gaia’s Stepdaughters, an ecology related faction, or the Spartan Federation, led by a great military power. You can also be the Lord’s believers led by Sister Miriam, the Human Hive, or the Peacekeeping forces of Brother Lal.

Every faction has its strengths and weaknesses. You really have to find your niche in this game, and that can take time. In Alpha Centauri, the follow up to Civilization II, Sid Meier has created the ultimate colonization and battle game.

We’ve never seen graphics as stunningly good as these in any game. The 3D rolling terrain is awesome. The military units are well shown, and the videos are just as good. Each faction fights for technical superiority, and we’ve never seen a tech-tree as cool as this one. All the technologies are based on ones today. Make your way up the tree, as you concentrate research in different areas. You reach your peak when you make Transcendence: The next step in human evolution.

This game is infinitely playable. There are so many variables available. You can choose from one of many levels of difficulty, randomized terrain and map sizes. You can pick your faction and even design your own map. I think that this game is difficult, yet fun. It offers a challenge to all those who get bored playing typical build and conquer games. Games can last lots of time. I found myself immersed in a game for over ten hours one day. This game is truly a step above and beyond typical games.

Another good element to this game is Diplomatic Relations. You must maintain a constant balance between friends, choosing allies and enemies carefully. You must vote on different planetary issues, including the UN Charter, planetary governor, and whether to salvage the ship you crashed on. This element of the game is very difficult, and makes the game even more interesting.

The units in this game are simply amazing. They range from simple conventional troops with conventional weapons to specially trained amphibious marine troops that can drop out of the sky that carry chaos guns. You can choose from infinite variables to design and implement your own troops or naval units. Use these troops to crush your opponents or defend your borders.

I totally recommend this game, for those who own high-end Pentium based computers. Although I did play this game on my minimal P133, I recommend at least a P266. The graphics are infinitely better, and the game play is much faster. You should also have a computer stocked full of RAM. I again recommend at least 32 MB.

There is only one true gripe I had with this game. You could only quit when it was your turn. This leads to waiting a few minutes before you can quit. If you have your own PC, great, but if you share it with a family, they’re bound to get mad at one point or another. But, in my experience, I have never seen a better build and conquer game than Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ye Olde System Requirements

• Pentium 133 MHz
• 16 MB RAM
• 60MB hard drive space
• 2MB video memory

Lighthouse Interactive and Vertex 4 released update 1.08 for SunAge, their sci-fi real-time strategy game for PC. The new update adds several new enhancements, an auto-updater, bug fixes and above all, new multiplayer features.

Features in update 1.08:

• Re-balancing of several in-game units, an added enhancement given community feedback
• Multiplayer game lobby with chat functionalities
• Master server and improved online functionalities
• Improved firewall support and “punch through”
• Auto-updater functionality (future patches or fixes will be downloaded automatically upon startup of the game).
• Heavily reduced network traffic; rework of the network protocol, now UDP

Download the SunAge 1.08 patch free from Blast Magazine

About the game:

Earth is a desolate wasteland destroyed by the radiation and heat of the sun. Humankind, known as the Dome Confederacy, have been forced to retreat into shielded cities enduring constant attacks by the Raak-zun cult; a sect of religious outcasts who live outside the dome. An age long war has ensued as both races battle for the limited resources of the dying planet. Amidst the havoc, the gateway to a bold new planet is unlocked. Hope is on the horizon, but this Mecca is teeming with lethal Sentinel drones who will not hesitate to annihilate any life form that gets in their way.

Game features:

• 3 Distinct Races – Human, Raak-zun and Sentinel – each with their own units, buildings, technological advantages and disadvantages.
• Unique Upgrades – Alternate modes can be researched for all units, unlocking dual functionality for greater tactical depth.
• Graphics – Stunning sci-fi environments from vast industrial cities and devastated wastelands, to a lush alien planet. While displaying rich graphical environments and visual effects, SunAge is very playable on lower spec PC’s and laptops.
• Tactical Landscape – All units and their alternate modes are crucial to the overall strategy. Exploit weaknesses in the enemy’s network while strengthening your own connection lines.
• Formations – Squad concept combined with long distance camera views allows a large number of units to be fighting onscreen with a clear overview of the battleground. Singleplayer – 25 campaign maps with compelling plots for each race.
• Multiplayer – LAN and Online – Classic multiplayer with focus on gathering4 different kinds of resources and outsmarting the opponent in battle. 10 maps created uniquely for multiplayer mode.
• Command Queuing – Command your units to prone, build or attack where you want them and when you want them to do so.
• Indirect Intelligent Targeting (IIT) – Order your units to focus on pre-selected targets.

For more information about SunAge visit the game’s official website.

See also: Blast Magazine puts out the first preview for SunAge.

This article originally appeared on Reviewcenter.com in 1999 during an explosion of real-time strategy games.

After many battles, a former kingdom has been divided into many small principalities and earldoms. The king’s troops were pushed back into one last royal province, and the rulers of the other provinces waged terrible, destructive wars against one another. The whole land fell into a state of chaos and now the former royal capital itself is under siege by the armies of the rebel lords. You belong to the last remaining group of loyal king’s men, and have been commanded to go to the king in view of the imminent attack.

In my reading of a latest magazine, I had found that it had given Knights and Merchants a poor review. In the advertisements and previews I had seen, however, I found it to be a game deserving of a much higher rating. That is why I rushed to review it, to prove that magazine wrong, or at least to try.

Well, I was right. Knights and Merchants gets a four star review from me. If the game were less complicated, it would have been perfect. The game’s battle system is very complex. A setup like that ought to be its own game. When you throw in the kingdom management, the game becomes very frenzied. Otherwise, it is the greatest detail I’ve ever seen in a game. Until it, Age of Empires was the best. But in Knights and Merchants, your little people do exactly what they should be doing. My favorite was the farmer on the vineyard. He put a basket on his back, walked out into the fields, and he picks the grapes off the vines. Then, he gets back to his house, pours the grapes out into a huge well, removes his shoes, and stomps on the grapes, making wine. That is exactly the kind of game that this is. Everything makes a whole lot of sense. Soldiers and servants need bread, sausage, and wine for food, and the serfs are expected to bring everything to them. Builders require wood and stone as they are working, and they will stop until they get these things from the serfs.

Another good thing about the game is the amount of people needed. In traditional RTS games, there is one servant/peon that will do all your day to day tasks. In Knights and Merchants, serfs only bring commodities to building sites, food to hungry troops, and other things like that. Then, builders only will construct your needed buildings, which are also very numerous. For wood, you need a saw mill; for bread, a windmill and a bakery; etc. There are so many different variations in this game. However for people who don’t like these complicated games, I wouldn’t recommend Knights and Merchants, but if you want a new style of Real-time Strategy, go buy Knights and Merchants.

Download the demo free from Blast Magazine.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Interactive Magic
Developer: JoyMania
Platform: PC CD-ROM
Genre: Real-time strategy
Players: 1
Launch Date: 1998

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
User friendly: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
Ratings were determined in 1999

Ye Olde System Requirements

• PC Pentium 133
• 7 0MB Disk space
• 24MB RAM or more
• 28.8 modem for net play

After playing a late beta of SunAge, I am convinced that the upcoming real-time strategy PC game can be a great one if the American version — due in early 2008 — doesn’t skimp on anything.

The game was originally conceived 11 years ago, the developer said on its blog. It went gold on November 21 and was released for direct download in UK, Scandinavia, Benelux and Italy December 2.

A patch came out three days later.

That’s disappointing but not surprising. I played v0.9-1 and encountered plenty of issues, particularly in point of view movement. Unlike most strategy games, SunAge doesn’t let you slide around with the keyboard arrows. You have to drag the cursor to the edge of the screen, and the map automatically moves.

That is a terrible, awful way to control a strategy game. The last thing you want to happen when you’re reaching to control your units is to have the map move around on you. Fix that. It’s a 2D strategy game. The keyboard isn’t too retro.

Getting past the controls and beta bugs, SunAge is a 2D post-modern strategy game with wonderfully crafted elements of cyberpunk, fantasy and military. Unlike early reports, the game is largely based on Earth, with an alien planet added. Earth. in an Al Gore-like prediction, is no longer hospitable for humans, who have retreated to secure domes.

You get to play as any of three races, the Federals, the Raak Zun, and the Sentinels.

“The Federacy was an organization born out of necessity. As conditions on Earth became increasingly hostile, humanity was faced with a difficult decision. Adapt, or die. The Federacy was formed, an international entity formed of many collapsing governments, to protect the remnants of a dying race,” and that’s the pseudo-noble human race you can control. Very post-mod, post-apocalyptic.

But — “When mankind retreated into the domes they also committed an act of grand betrayal – abandoning many of their peoples to perish in the toxic wastelands. But not all perished. Suffering decades of mutation and hardship, a new race was born with the instinct and brute force to survive the dangers of the wasteland: the Raak-Zun.” — They tend to look a lot like orcs.

The game uses four different kinds of ore and elements, Nitrium Ore, Plutonium, Zirkonium and Iberium Rods that let you produce units, vehicles, aircraft and advanced tech. It’s sort of like the original Star Wars strategy games where you’re seeking out futuristic materials to build your futuristic military units.

Just think of Zirkonium as chopping down trees for wood in Warcraft.

The game uses a lot of units and a traditional commander role on point.

SunAge has a good story, solid races and units and an RPG-type element with pop-in conversations and monologues that reminded me of what I used to see in Phantasy Star IV, one of the best RPG’s of the 16-bit generation. If they hold true to that — maybe some cut-scenes? — it’s a great feature.

I picked up the gameplay elements with a little effort. Grouping units together is intuitive and they will open fire on all hostiles. In my version, my units didn’t flock to a far-away enemy if I targeted it. They needed to be in range to respond to the attack command. The full version will improve on this with “combat queuing,” letting you issue batches of orders to your men. You can also formate your units in different ways depending on the enemy.

The game is 2D, but don’t get your shorts in a knot over that. The scenery elements look great and elements are detailed. There’s full voice acting and good character development as the story unfolds.

There’s some work to be done. The game is getting decent feedback on forums so far, but it is being criticized for a steep learning curve.

“This game keeps handing me my ass even in the early missions. It seems like you guys got so proficient at the game you forgot to see if us noobies could handle it,” said nailernforce on the Vertex4 boards.

I like SunAge. I think there’s room to improve it and make it ready for an ADHD American market. I also haven’t heard anything about unit or map editors yet — so we’ll have to see about mods and editing.

So let me put Lighthouse Interactive and Vertex4 on notice: You don’t get any second chances in the United States. Fix the bugs and controls before you put it out here. If the game can’t be played without some sort of bug or freeze-up, it will fail here. God dammit, you put 11 years into this one. Don’t let a month’s worth of bug testing eff it all up.

Features:

• 3 Distinct Races – Human, Raak-zun and Sentinel – each with their own units, buildings, technological advantages and disadvantages
• Unique Upgrades – Alternate modes can be researched for all units, unlocking dual functionality for greater tactical depth
• Graphics – Stunning sci-fi environments from vast industrial cities and devastated wastelands, to a lush alien planet. While displaying rich graphical environments and visual effects, SunAge is very playable on lower spec PC’s and laptops
• Tactical Landscape – All units and their alternate modes are crucial to the overall strategy. Exploit weaknesses in the enemy’s network while strengthening your own connection lines
• Formations – Squad concept combined with long distance camera views allows a large number of units to be fighting onscreen with a clear overview of the battle ground
• Singleplayer – 25 campaign maps with compelling plots for each race
• Multiplayer – LAN and Online – Classic multiplayer with focus on gathering 4 different kinds of resources and outsmarting the opponent in battle. 10 maps created uniquely for multiplayer mode
• Command Queuing – Command your units to prone, build or attack where you want them and when you want them to do so
• Indirect Intelligent Targeting (IIT) – Order your units to focus on pre-selected targets

System requirements:

• OS: Windows ME / 2000 / XP / Vista
• CPU: 1,2 GHz Intel® Pentium® III or equivalent AMD® Athlon processor
• RAM: 512 MB (1 GB Recommended for Windows Vista)
• Video Card: 128 MB 3D accelerated video card
• PC CD-ROM: 4x (or PC DVD-ROM drive)
• Sound: DirectSound compatible (Sound Blaster X-Fi series sound card recommended)
• Available Hard Disk Space: 1 GB
• DirectX: 9.0c compatible
• Other: Mouse, Keyboard and Speakers
• Multiplayer: LAN or 56K (or faster) Internet Connection

Quick hits:

Publisher: Lighthouse Interactive
Developer: Vertex 4
Platform: PC CD-ROM
Genre: Real-time strategy
Players: 1
Launch Date: Q1, 2008

Playability: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 3 out of 5 stars
Sound: 5 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars (Based on the Beta. As Homer Simpson said to Maggie: Prove me wrong Silent Bob)

Downloads:
Wallpaper

Zoo Hospital is a plot-driven collection of mini-games that makes you a summer intern at your aunt’s zoo

The adventures unfold as you learn how to treat 40 kinds of animals including mammals, reptiles and birds. It’s your job to diagnose and treat the creatures and return them to their habitats healthy and well-adjusted.

Features:

• Explore the amazing world of animals and learn about animal care, and endangered and exotic species. Budding vets can become experts on their favorites!
• Use the Touch Screen and stylus in medical mini games to treat varied illnesses. Administer injections, apply ointment, pull teeth, remove deadly microbes, X Ray organs and much more!
• Treat 40 different patients from the bird, mammal and reptile families. Start with 10 unlocked animals including: eagle, kangaroo, jaguar, zebra, chimp, panda, hyena, male lion, fossa and cobra.
• Discover how best to calm stressed species through soothing touch.
• Develop new skills via observation, problem solving and motor control that help you successfully decipher a patient’s body language, perform a thorough examination and then determine the most appropriate treatment.
• Consult the Doctor’s Observational Computerized Clipboard (DOCC) to learn what’s ailing your patient while checking vital signs and statistics.
• Get help from, or help a friend in, 2-player cooperative multiplayer!
• Earn award plaques for your trophy room as you become an expert vet.

Get to work from tigers to mearcats as Zoo Hospital tests the DS’ touch screen capabilities in this fun-for-everyone title.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Majesco
Developer: Majesco
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Strategy/Mini-game collection
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: October 23, 2007

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Bubblegum pop princesses Aly and AJ Michalka make their video game debut on one of what appears to be hundreds of Nintendo DS games launching this holiday season.

The Aly and AJ Adventure is a collection of 15 minigames that take you throughout London, Tokyo, New York and Hollywood, including a dance-off multiplayer mode.

The girls need a new assistant, and that’s where you come in, helping the girls sing their way through a series of adventures.

It’s a cute game, very kiddie. It follows the mantra of “mini games are all the rage” that we’re seeing late.y

This is a benign game that’s great for tweens — it’s 100 percent for girls, so make sure that when your son asks for Orange Box or Halo 3, you don’t grab the game with the two pretty blond girls by accident.

Features:

• 15 Unique Mini-games
• 4 exciting locations – London, Tokyo, New York, and Hollywood
• Help record a music video or rehearse a new song, while Aly & AJ dance and sing on the top screen
• Free-form play allows you to play whatever you’d like – and replay to achieve high-scores
• Go head-to-head with a friend in a “Dance-Off” in multiplayer mode
• Use the stylus for all mini-games
• Fans and new-comers will love the Aly & AJ music and imagery
• Creative art style will be appreciated by the whole family
• Bonus Features include 7 Aly & AJ songs that can be enjoyed anytime – songs include the hits “Chemicals React”, “Insomniatic”, and “Potential Breakup Song”

Quick hits:

Publisher: DSI Games
Developer: DSI Games
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Mini-game collection
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: October 15, 2007

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 5 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Fish Tycoon is another one of those tycoon simulation games where your job is to make money by raising, building, birthing or otherwise developing animals, people or infrastructure.

This Majesco title stretches the capabilities of the Nintendo DS touchscreen. There are more than 750 different varieties of fish you can raise and sell using genetic crossbreeding and different chemicals and foods to healthily rear your fishies.

There are also seven “magic fish” you can create using the proper genetic mixtures.

The DS version of Fish Tycoon was inspired by the original PC version, and this portable, touch-screen version may find some support in what’s shaping up to be a strong holiday season for portable game titles.

But I got bored of Fish Tycoon quickly. For me it was like playing a screen saver, repeating tasks over and over to raise good fish and attract customers. If you really like fish and aquariums and all that, give it a shot. This is a classic DS port, and youngsters will enjoy it.

Features:

• Extensive use of touch screen features
• Seven exclusive fish to the NDS version yield over 750 possible fish types
• Enhance your fish with special plant types and chemicals
• Based on the leading online and PC game from Big Fish Games that won 2006 iParenting Media Award
• Simulated real-time experience – chooses from 4 speed options

Quick hits:

Publisher: Majesco
Developer: Majesco
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Simulation
Players: 1
Launch Date: October 16, 2007

Playability: 3 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars

Lighthouse Interactive and developer Vertex 4 released a teaser trailer for SunAge, a new real-time strategy game coming in January. SunAge will be playable on a variety of configurations, including lower-spec systems.

Features:

• 3 Distinct Races – Human, Raak-zun and Sentinel – each with their own units, buildings, technological advantages and disadvantages.
• Unique Upgrades – Alternate modes can be researched for all units, unlocking dual functionality for greater tactical depth.
• Graphics – Stunning sci-fi environments from vast industrial cities and devastated wastelands, to a lush alien planet. While displaying rich graphical environments and visual effects, SunAge is very playable on lower spec PC’s and laptops.
• Tactical Landscape – All units and their alternate modes are crucial to the overall strategy. Exploit weaknesses in the enemy’s network while strengthening your own connection lines.
• Formations – Squad concept combined with long distance camera views allows a large number of units to be fighting onscreen with a clear overview of the battle ground.
• Singleplayer – 25 campaign maps with compelling plots for each race.
• Multiplayer – LAN and Online – Classic multiplayer with focus on gathering 4 different kinds of resources and outsmarting the opponent in battle. 10 maps created uniquely for multiplayer mode.
• Command Queuing – Command your units to prone, build or attack where you want them and when you want them to do so.
• Indirect Intelligent Targeting (IIT) – Order your units to focus on pre-selected targets.

System Requirements:
OS: Windows ME / 2000 / XP / Vista
CPU: 1,2 GHz Intel Pentium III or equivalent AMD Athlon processor
RAM: 512 MB (1 GB Recommended for Windows Vista)
Video Card: 128 MB 3D accelerated video card
PC CD-ROM: 4x (or PC DVD-ROM drive)
Sound: DirectSound compatible (Sound Blaster X-Fi series sound card recommended)
Available Hard Disk Space: 1 GB
DirectX®: 9.0c compatible
Other: Mouse, Keyboard and Speakers
Multiplayer: LAN or 56K (or faster) Internet Connection