Ok..When I was contacted and asked if I would like to review the New Amiga Arena Games CD, There was certainly no hesitation on my part. Finding NEW Amaga material to review is next to impossible these days, and although I have a love hate relationship with Compilation CD's, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this latest offering.
To often in the Past I have spent out my hard earned cash on various Compilation CD's only to find (a) They were crammed full of Public Domain Software (Most of which is readily available to download free from the Internet) OR (b) The games inclued ...Either would not work ..OR ..You have to find and install special software or tools to get them to run, Only to find that 95% of the games, Wouldn't hold your attention for more than 30 minutes. In fact I do have 5 or 6 of these types of CD's lying around my Computer area, comsigned to the dusty top shelf, Probably nevt to see the light of day again.
So when the New Amiga Arena CD plopped through my letter box, I really didn't expect to much. However after ripping off the Packaging, i was comfronted with a very nice CD box, and excitement started mounting when I flipped to the back cover and started to read what was on offer.
Acid Software (Roadkill, Seak&Destroy, Kiros Quest, Woodys World u. a.)
Applaud Software (Blockehaed I/II, Mobile Warfare u. a.)
Austex Software (Uropa2 CD Version)
Blue Lemon Studio (Exklusiv Beambender)
Black Legend (Embryo, Wheelspin, Fussball Total, Der Seelenturm, Der Trainer, Fatman u. a.)
Mellon Design (Jimmys Fantasic J.)
Revolution Soft (Lure of the Temptress, Beneath a Steel Sky CD32 Version mit Sprachausgabe)
Sayonara Soft (Hollywood Manager, Flamigo Tours, Samba Partie Serie, Samba Partie Worldcup - CD Version/Sprachausgabe u. a.)
Scorpius Soft (Burnout, Blade und Hilt II exklusiv Deutsche Version u. a.)
Roketz, Sharks, BallMaster, Boulderdäsh, Doktor, HBMonopoly, myLocomotion, Mahjongg, Tiles, Imperium Terranum II u. a.
Shareware "WHDload" Installer
Well! .. Not your usual load of Public Domain games, But several OLD TIME Classics, And very good games at that. Who could forget the Brilliant Uropa2 / Lure of the Temptress / Beneath a Steel Sky, To name but a few. (OK... I am an adventure game fan ..But there is plenty of great games on this CD regardless of what type you prefer) So check out the FULL listing below.
Action Games
Burnout
Developer: Mark Sheeky-Genre:
Car racing
Bonus: Installation
Behind the Iron Gate
Developer: Black Legends
Genre: 3D Shooter
Bonus: Passwords
Cybernetix
Developer: Vision Software
Genre: Shooter
Embryo
Developer: Black Legends
Genre: Flysimulation
Fussball Total
Developer: Black Legends
Genre: Soccer
Hilt II
Developer: Mark Sheeky
Genre: Action
Renegardes
Developer: Wayne Ashton
Genre: Action
Roketz
Developer: The Farm
Genre: Shooter
Roadkill
Developer: Vision Software
Genre: Car racing
Bonus: Passwords
Sharks
Developer: Christian Steiner
Genre: Action
Seek and Destroy
Developer: Vision Software
Genre: Shooter
Uropa
Developer: Austex Soft.
Genre: Action
WheelSpin
Developer: Black Legend
Genre: Car racing
Adventure Games
Blade
Developer: Mark Sheeky
Genre: Action RPG
Bonus: Hints
Benath a Steel Sky
Developer: Revolution Soft.
Genre: Adventure
Der Seelenturm
Developer: Black Legend
Genre: RPG
Lure of the Temptress
Developer: Revolution Soft.
Genre: Adventure
Board / Mind Games
Awaking
Developer: Frank Abbing
Genre: Quiz
Blockhead I
Developer: Applaud Soft.
Genre: Mind
Bonus: Codes
Blockhead II
Developer: Applaud Soft.
Genre: Mind
Bonus: Codes
Ballmaster
Developer: Damir Ahr
Genre: Action / Puzzel
Bonus: Codes
Chaos
Developer: James Conwell
Genre: Board
Doktor
Developer: Remy Muller
Genre: Puzzel
Dawn Video Poker
Developer: Richard Fhager
Genre: Poker
Fancy Fuxies
Developer: Michael Christoph
Genre: Board
HBMonopoly
Developer: Holger Beer
Genre: Monopoly
Kiros Quest
Developer: Vision Software
Genre: Action / Puzzel
myLocomotion
Developer: Michael Christoph
Genre: Action / Mind
Mahjongg Tiles
Developer: Geoffrey Whaite
Genre: Board
Risiko
Developer: Frank Abbing
Genre: Board
Spaceball 2000
Developer: Richard Fhager
Genre: Board
Manager Games
Hollywood Manager
Developer: Sayonara Soft.
Genre: Economy
Flamingo Tours
Developer: Sayonara Soft.
Genre: Travel
Samba Partie
Developer: Sayonara Soft.
Genre: Football
Samba Partie Pro.
Developer: Sayonara Soft.
Genre: Football
Samba P. World Cup
Developer: Sayonara Soft.
Genre: Football
Tactical Manager
Developer: Black Legend
Genre: Football
Platform Games
Boulderdäsh
Developer: Guido Mersmann
Genre: Acade
Gnome
Developer: Vision Software
Genre: Platform
Crazy Sue II
Developer: Hironymus J.
Genre: Platform
Fatman
Developer: Black Legend
Genre: Platform
Bonus: Cheats
Jimmy Fantastic J.
Developer: Melon Dezign
Genre: Platform
Monty the Wolf
Developer: ASP
Genre: Platform
Woodys World
Developer: Vision Software
Genre: Platform
Bonus: Codes
Wizz
Developer: Steve Eaborn
Genre: Platform
Editors Note
The Above listings were taken from the Amiga Arena CD .."Read me" File. For some strange reason games like
Mobile Warfare
Cygnus
Tower of Souls
Babeanoid
Beambender
Trainer
Blockhead
do not appear in these lists, However they are of the CD. I suppose with the vast amount of software available on the CD it is not surprising some got overlooked, Perhaps even I have missed some :)
Easy of Use
Sadly only 2 games in this collection play directly from the CD. Sambe World Cup and Beneath a Steel Sky. Samba worked perfect on my system, However it took quite a bit of "Tweaking" for Beneath a steel sky to run, Simply as the game was demanding a full 2 meg of chip ram (My heavily tweeked system has eaten into that). However do not dismay, as Two versions of this game is supplied on the CD. So the second in ADF format can be uncompressed to disk, then installed to your Hard Drive.
Most of the Games on the CD are either Hard Drive instalable or in ADF format. However Amiga Arena have supplied not only Installers for a lot of the Games, But also several helpful tools to assist you in getting them up and running (Including ADF-Blitzer/NoAGA and WHDLoad)
Conclusions
This CD must bring a tear of remembrance to even to most "Diehard" Amiga fan. I admit that a lot of the games included on the Amiga Arena Cd, I bought either as Floppy or CD Versions, However like many of you, These games, for one reason or another have been consigned to the "Great Cardboard box in the sky" ...Well the Loft actually. To have these games available on the CD and have the bonus of being able to install most to the harddrive is excellent in its self. The "Read me" file on the CD gives you the option to view "screenshots" of various games, A nice touch allowing you to view what your getting prior to either unpacking them or installing them.
All told this is a "Superb" addition to any Amiga fans software collection, At last a compilation CD that delivers high quality software.
Should I wish to "Nitpick" then the only fault I could possibly mention, Was the fact that the CD is plain and unmarked on both sides, Therefore lazy people like myself, Removing the CD and not returning it to its box, Can become slightly comfused about the correct way to replace it in the drive. Hardly the fault of Amiga Arena ...Just my laziness :)
To order Amiga Arena 2002 CD - 10 Euro's
http://www.funtime-world.de
