Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, PC CD-Rom, £29.99
Millions of fans around the world just couldn't wait to get their hands on this, the third instalment of the Command & Conquer series. Once again, the player can choose to command the Global Defence Initiative (GDI) or side with the dastardly Brotherhood of Nod in realtime strategy. World domination is the goal and each side has its own units and strengths, with the Brotherhood, for example, tending to use more "imaginative" artillery.
The concept of this type of game probably started many years ago with a game called Dune. Players have to mine and refine naturally occurring minerals, and convert them into money, which then funds their war machine. Targeting enemies' mines and refineries is a good way to win a battle, and not defending your own is suicidal.
After a relatively long wait since the last game, one could expect Tiberian Sun to have a host of improvements. While it does have some subtle enhancements, however, this version isn't radically different from its predecessors. It looks and feels rather more like a deluxe version of previous efforts.
The hype surrounding the game meant that it had a lot to live up to. The finished game may not meet everyone's exalted expectations, but fans of the original will love Tiberian Sun. It is a compelling game and provides a lot of entertainment for £30.
[Recommended: Pentium II/64MB/Win9x]
The date for the European launch of Sega's new Dreamcast console has been put back three weeks. Originally due in shops on September 23rd, it won't now be available till October 14th. The delay is not a marketing ploy to push the release nearer to the Christmas market, but instead is related to factors involving the console's online capabilities.
Outlets in Dublin have recently being taking pre-orders for the console, which was expected to cost £199. However it now seems more likely to come considerably dearer, at £249. In Japan the Dreamcast is now selling almost 60,000 units a week, following a price drop.
The price of the Sony PlayStation was reduced recently in Ireland and it can now be bought for around £95. When first launched, five years ago, it cost a hefty £299.
If you love playing PC games (that is a requirement) and are fluent in at least one other language (French, German, Spanish, Italian) Havas Interactive's Irish operation is offering what lots of gamers would see as a dream job. Havas is looking for people to play games, test them for bugs, and provide linguistic suggestions on titles currently under development such as Diablo II and War- craft II. The company employs 3,200 world-wide and 80 in Dublin. See www.havasint.ie for details.
LARA'S back! Eidos plans to release Lara Croft's fourth worldsaving adventure in November. The inventory system is being redesigned and there is more emphasis being put on puzzles and less on having to leap from platform to platform. Improved graphics mean Lara will look better with age and, although it is titled Tomb Raider 4: The Last Revelation, it is unlikely to be her last adventure.
To access Anakin Skywalker's Naboo Starfighter in Rogue Squadron, PC owners need to download a patch from www.lucasarts.com/products/rogue/rogue update.htm. N64 owners can access it by entering HALIFAX as a passcode and then selecting "Enter code" and typing in "!YNGWIE!" and selecting "Enter code" again.
games@irish-times.ie