PC CD-ROM minimum system requirements: Pentium 75mhz; 16MB RAM; 20MB hard disk space; Windows 95; Dual speed CD-ROM drive; SVGA £24.99
Golf, golf, golf! Everywhere you look these days it's golf. On the TV, in newspapers and magazines . . . and almost everyone seems to be taking the game up. What is it about this game?
Well whatever it is, it is giving a lot of people a lot of enjoyment, not only on the golf course but also at home and in the office. And with the recent inclement weather the only way to really enjoy a round (without the fear of getting pneumonia) is to crank up your computer and let it rip on one of the many golf sims available.
To really compete with the masters, Sierra Golf must be able to take on the current trend-setters, Links LS and PGA Tour 97 - and that is a tall order indeed. Initially, things look good with the endorsement of the 1996 British Open Champion, Tom Lehman. Coupled with that, you have Pete Dye, one of the world's leading course-designers, on board. And if that wasn't enough, Sierra has also employed Vance Cook, the lead designer of the original Links games.
Together, they have come up with a novel way of striking the ball. Thanks to their TrueSwing (mouse-based swing control), you now get a far better feel for both the movement of the club and the player swinging it.
Although you can revert to the traditional triple-click control method, the TrueSwing gives you a lot more control over the ball - although this can be difficult at first, just like the real thing, when you take an air shot or fall off balance, which can be as much fun as it is annoying.
Also included is a host of different formats in which to play and one particularly nice idea is the one called Bloodsomes, in which your opponents decide which ball in play you have to take on.
Another excellent feature is the practice facility. It's just like being at the driving range with a bucket of balls except here you are on the course and you can see exactly where each ball has landed. This gives you automatic goals to achieve and will no doubt help you to learn the TrueSwing.
Bar a 19th hole, Sierra seems to have included all the trump cards required for a top class golf game, and is snapping at the heels of Links LS. Graphics: 90% Gameplay:
Game CheatsFirefight; PC CD- ROM
While playing, hold C, W, and the + key on the numeric keypad at the same time. You should hear a voice saying "cheater". Then use F12 to access the cheat menu. Now you can choose Restore Shields, Full Weapons, or toggle Invulnerability.
POD; PC CD-ROM
In the options menu, type VALAY, then change the difficulty and damage level. During the game, type CRASH to play without collisions. Hold down ALT and type "TAC CHEAT". Alternatively, hold down ALT and press any key other than "T". You will get visual confirmation that the cheat mode has been activated on the message bar. Then enter the following:
Cancel cheat mode - ALT + ESCAPE; Training mode - ALT + T; Hidden terrain - ALT + H; Hidden units - ALT + V; Kill all enemy units - ALT + K; Invincibility - ALT + I; Weightlessness - ALT + W.
Address any correspondence to Game Zone, The Irish Times, 13-15 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 or alternatively by e-mail to games@irish-times.ie
Top 10 Games
This week's 10 top-selling Sony PlayStation games at Virgin Megastore are:
1 V-Rally
£44.99 2 Rallycross
£34.99 3 Syndicate Wars
£44.99 4 International Superstar
£44.99 5 Tomb Raider
£44.99 6 Soul Blade
£39.99 7 Rage Racer
£39.99 8 Micro Machines V3 £34.99 9 Die Hard Trilogy
£44.99 10 Super Puzzle Fighter 2
£29.99