writing

cd-rom reviews

    (written for CNET: the computer network, for http://www.cnet.com/, approx. 1995)

    The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

    The Complete MAUS: A Survivor's Tale, tells the heartwrenching story of a family man caught in the Holocaust. This moving memoir is now available on CD-ROM. Using words and pictures, Spiegelman proves to the world that the "comic book" can be used to portray any subject matter, even the persecution of Jews during World War II.

    This Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel begins with a young mouse named Art learning the meaning of friendship from his father. The use of animals as characters (mice for Jews, cats for Nazis) may shock you at first, but hold on - the tale is a gripping one. The story toggles crisply between present and past as you witness Art as an adult mouse interviewing his father and then scenes of his father's life before, during, and after his internment in a POW camp.

    This CD-ROM contains the entire novel (volumes I and II) and oodles of supplementary material, including preliminary sketches, drafts, historical documents (maps, photos, etc.), audio from interviews between Spiegelman and his father, and a QuickTime video of Art Spiegelman, the man, on the making of MAUS. All this information is well organized in a user friendly interface. Read the book and then explore the introduction and supplementary materials, using the straightforwad Table of Contents. Or, use the resource icons appearing alongside the comic to access the supplement any time. Easy zoom and grab functions will enlarge the comic and move it around the screen.

    The Complete MAUS: A Survivor's Tale is a thoroughly engrossing and poignant CD-ROM. Check it out!

    Dazzeloids by Rodney Alan Greenblat

    "All right!" It's the Dazzeloids! Created by computer artist Rodney Alan Greenblat, this zany CD-ROM is jam packed with fun for children and even some adults. Dazzeloids begins at a well organized and colorful table of contents providing you with a variety of fun options. Start with 'Help' where Yendor Talbnerg shows you how to use the CD-ROM. Go to 'Meet the Dazzeloids' - Anne Dilly Whim, Stinkabod Lame, Yendor Talbneerg and Titan Rose - and learn about their history, and personalities presented in animated cartoon shorts.

    There are three original stories to read with branching storylines and oodles of interactivity. In "A Child is Bored" and "Banker, Spare that Petshop" the stories are presented with a text box above clickable cartoon pictures. Be sure to click on everything - you can make phone calls, change channels and make all of the characters speak. Rodney narrates as a yellow band highlights the words. Vocabulary building words, real and made up, are highlighted in red and green. A definition box pops up when you click on them and a silly voice reads the definition. The third story choice, "Dazzeloid Dreams", offers you a combination of high quality Quicktime videos and animation. Watch the dreams of the Dazzeloids and their foes, the Mediogre and Pin Bleeper.

    Dazzeloids is a CD-ROM you don't want to miss. Its wacky stories and goofy songs and sound effects are guaranteed to entertain you. How can it not? It's a Center for Advanced Whimsy Production!

    Elroy goes Bugzerk

    Grab that glass jar--it's bug hunting time! Join Elroy and his dog Blue on a wacky bug hunt, in Elroy goes Bugzerk. This adventure-filled cartoon, the first in Headbone Interactive's new series, What the Heck will Elroy do next?, offers hours of animated fun.

    The game begins with a seven minute introduction narrated by sarcastic dog Blue. Elroy's parents are sending him to the country to visit "the Farmer". It's your job to help Elroy catch the coolest, grossest bug to win the 10th Annual Insectathon. But Blue ate the Farmer's cake, so what do you do first--get an egg to bake a new cake; or, go for the bug? Sound easy? Don't be fooled. Every action has a consequence--enter the "locust room" and get covered in insect excrement; or check out the cow in the barn and have snot blown on you. Gross! And don't forget the Farmer--if he catches you, your adventure is over and you must start again (hint: save your game often).

    Elroy goes Bugzerk is loud, goofy, zany, and gross. The animation is simple yet cleverly combined with photo backdrops. The interaction is somewhat passive (you watch a lot of clips in between clicking and playing around) but the dialogue is snappy, the plot twists surprising, and the smattering of bug facts are sure to please every bug loving kid. Another plus--it's easy to install and takes little space on your harddisk.

    If I were ten years old, I would love this CD-ROM. As an adult, well, it beats playing with REAL bugs. Y-U-C-K. ;-)

    Headcandy

    Grab a friend, turn out the lights, put on your prismatic glasses and get ready for a passive journey on the psychedelic highway. Headcandy takes you into a kaleidoscopic, pulsating landscape of surreal visuals. Spirals, starbursts, a swirling cosmos, gyrating snowflakes, dancing rings, and more jump out of your computer screen in neon colors, thanks to digital recording of analog video feedback. The graphic quality of the videos is average, so be sure to put on the "3D" glasses which come with the CD-ROM to improve your trip. You should also seat yourself 7 to 20 feet away from your computer screen for maximum effect. There are five visual episodes in all, represented by clickable spheres bouncing around the screen. Click on one and blast off!

    The soundtrack of Headcandy is as important as the visuals. Brian Eno, the father of ambient music provides the outstanding soundtrack of five entrancing songs (also the titles of the episodes): "Castro Haze", "Manila Envelope", "Spunk Worship", "Beast", and "Alloy Balcony & Jets Overhead". These synthesized tracks are haunting and will enhance your sensory experience.

    Headcandy is a digital voyage into light and sound. Go ahead, let yourself be mesmerized!

    Jewels of the Oracle by Eloi Production

    Get ready for an incredible expedition into the haunting world of Jewels of the Oracle. Enter the heart of an ancient complex built by a civilization of superior intellect and almost immediately encounter the Oracle who tells you, "It has begun. You shall go with me. Our city and our ways shall you embrace." Thus, your journey to "greatness" begins. To achieve this state, you must put your logic and reasoning skills to the test - solve the puzzles scattered throughout the complex and collect the Jewels of the Oracle. There are more than 20 puzzles waiting to be solved, (you may set them to easy or difficult), accessed by meandering throughout the massive complex or by magically teleporting via a mystic well which displays each puzzle when you touch the correct stones.

    The Oracle is your ever-present guide in this 3D animated world. You may consult him at anytime with a click of your mouse, or if you wait, his haunting voice WILL speak to you and perhaps entrance you as will the outstanding, atmospheric soundtrack. This CDROM comes with 4 animated versions in varying sizes, as well as a still mode version. An excellent READ ME file helps you troubleshoot and get started easily and quickly. The graphics are posterized at times, but the colorful lensflare transitions and the well-crafted 3D animation make up for it.

    Jewels of the Oracle is guaranteed hours of intriguing fun. If you like logic puzzles set in a mystical environment, you won't regret checking this one out!

    Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer

    Just Grandma and Me is a delightful children's CD-ROM. Part of Broderbund's Living Books Series, Just Grandma and Me tells the story of Little Critter and Grandma's trip to the beach, using animated, cleverly drawn pages. The pages are organized in an easy to use interface simulating a real book with forward and back arrows allowing you to "turn pages".

    The fun begins at the opening page. Little Critter welcomes you, points out your options and dances while he waits for your choice. There are two story choices, 'Read to Me', for passive entertainment, and 'Let me Play' for interactive fun. If you get tired of watching the story, 'Let me Play' is accessible at any time during 'Read to Me' by hitting "p" on the keyboard. Make sure you click on everything when in 'Let me Play' mode. Everything moves and makes a sound - a starfish giggles, a purse coughs, a seashell says hello, and more!

    This disc is an effective language learning tool. Each animated page has a text box at the top. Little Critter reads the text which is highlighted for you to follow along. Text can be repeated by clicking on a beach ball next to the copy. The stories are available in three languages on one CD-ROM: English, Japanese; and Spanish. Parents and language teachers alike should check this out.

    Just Grandma and Me is an excellent CD-ROM. You owe it to your children to give it a try.

    The Manhole: CD-ROM Masterpiece Edition by Rand & Robyn Miller

    Ready to explore a whimsical world? Enter The Manhole! Brought to you by Cyan, the creators of the award-winning Myst CD-ROM, The Manhole is sure to please game players. This delightful CD-ROM takes you on a fanciful adventure into a magical environment rendered in excellent 3D animation.

    Your journey begins at the manhole, your gateway to a strange land. Enter it and travel up and down the beanstalk, along secret passageways, under water, and other fun places. You will meet many friendly characters during your meanderings, including Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Walrus, and Mr. Dragon. Don't be surprised if they offer you food and drink - Mr. Rabbit makes a nice cup of tea. Make sure you click on everything to see what happens: you may be transported to a new place, hear some silly sound effects, or witness something zany (sorry, I can't reveal all of the secrets. Check it out for yourself!). Don't limit your exploration - there is no time limit and you can not die, so take your time and have some fun!

    The Manhole was created for children of all ages. If you have children, or, a curious inner child, give it a try.

    Myst by Rand & Robyn Miller

    Attention adventure lovers! If you haven't explored the surrealistic world of Myst, now is the time.

    This title has an engaging, non-linear storyline with no time limit, allowing you to wander wherever you want at your leisure. You are blissfully free from the typical game distractions such as control panels or inventory lists. The adventure begins as you pick up an old book you've discovered, open it and begin to read. Suddenly, you are transported to an alternate reality created by Atrus, a man with the fantastical talent of writing books which teleport you to amazing, atmospheric worlds comprised of compelling, photorealistic 3D animation. Your first stop is Myst Island. From there, you access wondrous places including Channelwood, the Stoneship Age, and the Mechnical Age. Realistic sound effects (water flowing, doors opening and closing, etc.), some QuickTime videos, and a compelling, haunting musical score by Robyn Miller enhance your experience, further anchoring you into the surreal environment. As you wander through the ages, you notice they're all strangely empty. What happened to Atrus and the inhabitants of these wondrous places? It's your task to unravel the mystery.

    Myst is one of the superior adventure games on the markey today and a must for your CD-ROM library. Don't miss it!

    Puppet Motel

    Take a weird, wild, wacky ride into the mind and art of performance artist extraordinaire, Laurie Anderson, as she makes her CD-ROM debut with Puppet Motel. Anderson and designer Hsin Chien Huang have created a cyberspace environment where you are audience and performer -- acting, interacting, and reacting to the sights and sounds of Puppet Motel.

    Anderson doesn't just blur the lines between reality and fantasy -- she erases them, with your help. 33 connected rooms await your exploration, made of stunning 3D graphics and animation. You'll discover many wonders, including video documentary, spoken-word performances, and over an hour of avant-garde instrumental electronic music including performances from Anderson's albums Bright Red and The Ugly One With the Jewels. The interactivity is endless -- record a message on the answering machine; create a constellation; reshape the human ear; play the viophonograph or the tape bow violin; ask questions of a ouija board; watch videos with a puppet -- you'll find it hard to pull yourself away from this stimulating experience. As an added bonus, Puppet Motel allows you connect to the World Wide Web and download video clips from Anderson's Web site (located at http://www.voyagerco.com/LA/VgerLa.html) to view as you play the CD-ROM.

    In short, Puppet Motel is so cool words just don't do it justice. If you're new to Anderson's work, this is the perfect introduction for you. If you're a fan, you can't live without it.

    Return to Zork

    "Congratulations! You are the Grand Prize Winner in IT&L's Vacation Sweepstakes!" That's you, in Return to Zork, a spin-off game from the original text-only adventuring game, Zork. You've won an all expenses paid vacation to the Valley of the Sparrow, a sparsely populated area where the IT&L Corporation claims to have found the Underground Empire of Zork. Your task is to find your way through the Valley and to Zork. During your journey, you meet and interact with eccentric characters; live actors superimposed in the animated cartoon-ish environment - the lighthouse keeper, the mill owner, the mayor, etc. Talk to everyone, collect anything and everything in your portable inventory - rocks, plants, keys - you never know what will be essential to your adventure. The inventory interface is intuitive and easy to use. Click on an item - your action choices appear as text options.

    This adventure game is not for the impatient or the easily frustrated. Although this CDROM seems aimed at a youthful audience with a storyline and look of a Saturday morning cartoon, the puzzles you encounter (what to do with your inventory items, etc.) can be daunting and you can die easily and unexpectedly, even by the mere flick of a light switch! Save your game frequently - otherwise you will start from scratch every time.

    P.S. This reviewer would never have made it through the game without the "Return to Zork - Complete Walkthrough", written by Remo Williams and the Mad Butcher, available on the World Wide Web: http://wcl-rs.bham.ac.uk/GamesDomain/walkthru/rt.html.

    Rodney's Wonder Window by Rodney Alan Greenblat

    "Woo woo!" Take a wild ride into the wacky world of Rodney's Wonder Window! This zany children's CD-ROM is a must have for children ages 4 and up. Twenty four interactive episodes are set in an easy to use graphical interface of wild colors, silly graphics, crazy music and goofy sound effects. The episodes range from somewhat passive enjoyment to highly interactive fun. Click on "Fun" and watch a neon rainbow fill your screen. Try "Wiggle Life" and see a bowl of flowers dance. Learn the mating habits of the "Tooli Bug". Decorate a Christmas tree and light the hannukah candles. Celebrate your birthday. Create your own "Houseplant" - and don't forget to spray for bugs!

    Parents, be sure to visit "Art Gallery" with your children. You will find over a dozen pictures accompanied by stories for you to read to your children. There is no room for boredom when using this CD-ROM. Even the loading procedure has graphics and fun sounds for you and your children to follow along as the disc loads onto your computer. The credits, too, are entertaining, accompanied by kooky sound effects and a little pac man-like character who eats words.

    There's no doubt - Rodney's Wonder Window is a wonderfully silly CD-ROM and guaranteed fun for you and your children.

    the 7th Guest

    Parental Discretion Advised Not recommended for individuals under the age of 17 Fascinated by haunted houses? Enter Stauf's mansion, and be "the 7th Guest". This CD-ROM combines an Agatha Christie-esque plot with an original soundtrack and a variety of puzzles to produce an engaging exploration game. 36 minutes of full motion Quicktime videos featuring live actors unravels the mystery of the guests as you explore the 22 rooms of the two story mansion, led by a beckoning skeleton hand.

    Although the puzzles are unoriginal (mazes, chessboards, the Othello game), they are presented in a new way, hidden in clever places throughout the mansion. Stauf's eerie voice will taunt you as you play, but do not be discouraged - clues can be found in a book in the library. Each time you solve a puzzle, more rooms in the house become accessible. To view a map of your progress, access the ouija board menu. This interface blends well with the theme of the story and makes it easy for you to view the map of the mansion, save your games, restart a game and quit.

    This CDROM comes with another CD-ROM containing the original musical soundtrack. A book is also included, entitled "The Stauf Files. Read it from cover to cover - it provides background details for the storyline and significantly contributes to the realism of the game.

    The 7th Guest, along with Myst, are the founding fathers of interactive CD-ROM adventuring. Although some may find the ending anticlimatic, it is a solid product and worth your game time.

    The Yukon Trail

    It's Gold Fever! In 1897, the United States was suffering from a severe depression when gold was discovered in the Yukon area of northwestern Canada. Now, you and your children or students can experience the Gold Rush by playing The Yukon Trail.

    Your task is to journey from Seattle to the Gold country and stake your claim. To accomplish this, you must interact with the people you meet - ticket vendors, stampeders, townsfolk, storekeepers, etc. Clickable graphic buttons allow you to chat with them to learn historical information and get advice. Your first job is to pick a partner, and then go buy boat tickets and supplies. You can keep track of your experiences, supplies and financial situation in your journal. Your movements are entered automatically at regular intervals during the game but you can add whatever you want at any time.

    Teachers and parents, The Yukon Trail is an excellent learning tool aimed at children aged 10-16. It can be used at home or as part of a history/geography course curriculum. Your children will work on their problem solving skills by deciding what actions to take to accomplish their journey. Reading skills are enhanced by interacting with the characters. Entering information in a journal encourages writing practice. You owe it to your kids to check it out!