The Games Machine Issue 9

This Issue...

• I Accuse
  Was Darth Vader really born a long, long time before Star Wars? Are today's SF hits chips off the old blockbusters? Mel Croucher Investigates
• Disney Spells
  Years ago, Dragon's Lair was a celebrated coin-op experiment. Microdeal would like you to take part again, at home. TGM explains how the laser disc game works
  

Regulars:

• News
• Previews
• Reviews
• Getting Adventurous
• Fantasy Games
• Competition Results
• Play by Mail
• Confrontation: Coin-Op
• Going Overboard
• Music Matters
• Mercy Dash
• Reader Classifieds
• Readerpage
• Information Desk
• Endpiece
  

Features:

• I Accuse
  Mel Croucher discovers some famous films which have borrowed their themes
• Tears in Rain
  Part Two of our Cyberpunk feature - the seminal films
• The Biggest Poster
  Deluxe Photolab is latest in a line of Amiga colour production processors
• Disney Spells
  Microdeal are selling the laser disc game Dragon's Lair. We tell you what to expect
• Gismo Video
  Part Two of Mel's delve into video and computers looks at peripherals
• Capcom Countdown
  GO! is releasing three major Capcom coin-ops and computer game versions simultaneously - exclusive preview
• Machine Spooks
  Are ghosts learning to hack computers? TGM investigates the hauntings
• Games Championship Progress
  Update on the exciting National Computer Games Championship sweeping Britain
  

Competitions:

• Better Dead than Alien
  Electra all-expenses-paid VIP days at the 1988 PC Show for 11 people, plus £100 spending cash for the winner
• Alien Syndrome
  Win a singing alien hat, plus copies of the hit game from ACE
• Where Time Stood Still
  No time to lose, Lautrec, if you want a giant Swatch Clock from Ocean, plus other goodies
  

Reviews:
Lead Reviews:

• Where Time Stood Still
  Denton Design use their expertise learned on the successful Great Escape and come up with the ultimate 'movie' game: Where Time stood Still. Set in a land that time forgot you are pitted against prehistoric man and beast in a desperate attempt to return your marooned party to civilisation. This one's going to be a monster.
• Sentinel
  This addictive strategy game transports itself onto the Amiga this month. Complete with a suitably eerie sound track, Sentinel will have you absorbed . . . for hours
• Dark Side
  It may be the slowest of all the versions but Dark Side on the Commodore 64/128 remains one of the best games of the year so far. And wait till you hear the music.
• The Empire Strikes Back
  Help the rebel alliance as they battle against the Empire in Domark's Star Wars sequel. Destroy the Probots, trip the AT-ATs and dodge asteroids in this vector graphic epic.
• Hawkeye
  Control a Synthetic Life Form and fight your way through hordes of aliens in an effort to save the world from the deadly Skryskis. Super-smooth scrolling and incredible sound FX - the trade marks of Thalamus - combine with great gameplay to provide hours of finger bustin' blasting.
• Barbarian II
  Journey to the depths of Drax's dungeons hacking and slaying vile creatures as you go . . . until you meet the dread sorcerer face to face. Take the role of either the wig-wielding Barbarian or provocative Mariana in your quest to free the land of Drax's menace.
• Virus
  The Archimedes version (titled Zarch) blew our minds (which explains a lot) and we raised our eyebrows when news reached us of an Atari ST version. Curse us for having doubts! Virus is incredible, hardly discernible from the BBC original - you won't believe your eyes.
  

Reviews Summary:
Spectrum 48/128:

• Alternative World Games
• Bionic Commandos
• Football Manager II
• Hopping Mad
• Marauder
• Mickey Mouse
• Shackled
• Skate Crazy
• Starring Charlie Chaplin
• Street Fighter
• The Empire Strikes Back
• The Flintstones
• The Fury
• The Realm
• Where Time Stood Still
  

Commodore 64/128:

• Barbarian II
• Dark Side
• Dream Warrior
• Hawkeye
• Hopping Mad
• Marauder
• Mindfighter
• Shackled
• Skate Crazy
• Street Fighter
• The Flintstones
• The Games (Winter Edition)
  

Amstrad CPC:

• Hopping Mad
• Impossible Mission II
• Shackled
• Starring Charlie Chaplin
• Street Fighter
• The Flintstones
• The Fury
  

Atari ST:

• Better Dead Than Alien
• Bionic Commandos
• Corruption
• Deluxe Scrabble
• International Soccer
• Killdozers
• Lords Of Conquest
• Mindfighter
• Night Raider
• Peter Beardsley's Football
• Quadralien
• Shackled
• Side Arms
• Sidewinder
• Virus
  

Amiga:

• Annals of Rome
• Better Dead Than Alien
• Black Lamp
• Buggy Boy
• Deluxe Scrabble
• Faery Tale
• Football Manager II
• Peter Beardsley's Football
• Phantasm
• Return to Genesis
• Sentinel
• World Darts
  

PC:

• Brix II
• Impossible Mission II
• Reach for the Stars
• Starring Charlie Chaplin
• Skyfox II