
 

					      
					       
	  	 	 	[Pred 94]
	                  
	 ۲   ۲   ۲۲   ۲۲ ۲ ۲ ۲ ۲  ۲   ۲
	 ۲   ۲  ۲۲   ۲۲  ۲ ۲ ۲ ۲  ۲  ۲
	 ۱  ۱   ۱۱ ۱ ۱ ۱ ۱
	 ۱   ۱ ۱ ۱   ۱۱  ۱ ۱ ۱ ۱  ۱ ۱
	 ۰   ۰  ۰  ۱ ۰  ۰ ۰ ۰ ۰  ۰  ۰
	 ۰   ۰   ۰ 	۰   ۰ ۰ ۰ ۰ް   ۰

		    C O N S O L E    M A G A Z i N E
		FRoNTiER magazine is (c) copyright 1994

			     December 1994
			 EDiTOR: Gordon Craick

3Do  	Jaguar	  Genesis    CD-i  	CD32    GenesisCD    Super Nintendo
			 and all other consoles
 

			   iNDeX TO iSSuE 6
			   ******=/\=******
Welcome
Updates
Changes
Feedback

News
* The Playstation vs Saturn battle begins
* 32X Released
* 32 bit addon rumoured for SNES
* X-Band modem network

Commercial Advertising

Features
* Hardware Review: Sega Saturn and Virtua Fighter
* Hardware Review: The Sega 32X
* Sony Playstation FAQ 1.01
* Sony Playstation upcoming releases

Editorial/Opinion
* The Sony Playstation: Will it go the way of the Betamax?
* The Sony Playstation: Has Sony got it right?

Reviews
* Road Rash 3D (3DO)

Mini Reviews
* Donkey Kong Country

The Cheater's Den
Trading

Support sites/distribution
How *YOU* too can help out Frontier
How to contact Frontier
Credits/Thanx

	-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

	 
	         	 ۲
	        	       
	        	          
	      
         

     CHRiSTMAS is upon us again, with the usual rush by the video game
     companies to get their new games, and even new systems out, trying
     to persuade us all to purchase what they have to offer. The holiday
     season is definitely what all the video game companies have been
     aiming for when their major releases, when a buying frenzy for the
     latest games is greatest, and profits equally so. In the last three
     weeks we have seen the release of a phenomenal four new consoles:
     the Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Sega 32X, and the introduction
     of an integrated NeoGeo CD machine - a huge growth in the market.
     It will be a while before some of these machines hit our shores,
     but with the knowledge of their power, the wait will definitely be
     worth it.

     While things have changed, news on some developments have dropped
     away significantly. Atari has suddenly gone quite over their CD
     drive, which many attribute to them not even have one completed
     title available for it yet - and the ultimate future of Atari in
     general doesn't look too healthy. Nintendo have also suddenly gone
     quiet over their shadowy Ultra64, despite the big manufacturers
     such as Sony and Sega reaping the rewards of having new consoles on
     the market. Will we see Nintendo with anything new at all in 1995?

     Frontier brings you a pretty big exclusive this month, with
     hardware reviews of the new Saturn, 32X and lots of news on the
     latest developments. While the magazine has been delayed quite a
     bit, this is almost an unexpected bonus -- allowing us to include
     news on the Saturn, 32X, and PSX releases before newer issues of
     many 'off-the-shelf' mags are even released. This trend will be
     continuing with the co-operation with many such as those who helped
     Frontier out greatly by writing some excellent contributions! Hope
     you find all of the news and reviews interesting in this December
     edition, as I'm sure you already do......

     Don't be tempted to spend too much :)

	      Gordon Craick (Editor -> FRONTiER magazine)
                        < December 15th, 1994 >

	-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     UPDATES
     **=/\=*
     ALTHOUGH Frontier aims to make fewer mistakes than some other
     magazines, it would be naive to think there wouldn't be any. In
     earlier issues, several people have pointed out some inaccuracies
     or clear mistakes. Thanks to those people who did so, if I don't
     know about it - I can't correct it :) No one has reported any
     obvious errors in issue 5, so there are no updates this month, but
     let me know if you find anything that needs updating next issue.

     * Please note the changes to the address in the FairLight ad.
       Place any orders or queries to only this address.

     * Also note the correction in phone number for the X-treme BBS.
       This has been incorrect for a while unfortunately, sorry to
       anybody who has been trying to call!

     CHANGES
     **=/\=**
     For those who are just wanting to throw a few words together (say
     100-300) on a particular game, Frontier now includes a "Mini
     Review" section for these types of reviews. This should hopefully
     expand the number of reviews that we get in Frontier, as often
     people don't have that much time to throw together a full review.
     Full reviews will of course be preferred, but if you don't want to
     take the time then this is fine.

     - Recently I have spent a bit of time and set up my own far from
     completed WWW home page. This contains some quite a few links to
     many video game sites I am aware of, plus latest revisions of my
     Saturn/32X FAQ, but is not based solely around that. Rather than
     describe it in too great a detail, you're probably better off
     having a look for yourself at: http://zikzak.apana.org.au/~pred


       
        
	     	         
	   	    
	        ۲
       
FRONTIER has been very grateful to the readers who have taken their time
to write to the magazine and express some ideas and opinions. I'm
_always_ after any sort of feedback, so whether you like everything, or
something really annoys you let me know. If you're willing to express
and opinion that you wouldn't mind publishing (maybe you've been
expressing an opinion in some of the console newsgroups) here's your
chance to let everybody else know what _you_ think.
   If you feel like a conversation on the console industry (or in fact
anything!) send my some email, the best ones will be published in
Frontier for others to join in on.


		   
		      	 ۲
		          	 
		            
		      
		   

     THE PLAYSTATiON vS SATURN BATTLE BEGiNS
     *****************=/\=******************
     Late November/early December marked a definite change in direction
     in the 32 bit console battle -- bringing the hottest ever game
     consoles to the home video game market at last. No longer do
     players just have to decide between the 32 bit 3DO and 64 bit
     Jaguar, which they have had to in the last 12 months, but the very
     hot newcomers, the Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn, and 32X (although
     to a smaller extent).
        Both consoles measured phenomenal sales in just the first few
     days of release in Japan, recording combined sales greater than the
     worldwide sales of 3DO and Jaguar in their entire 12 months of
     sale.

     The Saturn was initially released in limited numbers on November
     22nd to Japanese consumers, coinciding pretty much with the 32X
     release in the United States. Sega reports that in the first 30
     minutes of sale, over 150,000 Saturn machines were sold, a heavy
     indication that Japan is really ready to move to 32 bit. Many
     Japanese stores sold out of the machine, production of the machine
     not up to the massive demand. Up to 1.5 million machines have been
     ordered by Japanese retailers, with an expected 2 million Saturn
     machines sold by the end of 1995. Sega is quick to point out that
     100 Saturn titles are in production for release before the end of
     1995.

     Hot on the heels of the Saturn release was the Sony Playstation (or
     PSX for short), released on the 3rd of December to the Japanese
     consumer. There was slightly smaller demand for the PSX compared
     to the Saturn, the PSX selling 100,000 units in the first 3 days of
     release. When talking of such figures, these are of course
     relative, 3DO and Atari could only dream of such sales. The smaller
     PSX sales may have been partly due to the Sega saturation
     advertising seen on Japanese TV, slightly more prominent than
     similar advertising by Sony. Most gamers believe the Playstation
     has a slight edge technically over the Saturn, however the
     differences seen so far in games released have not been so great.
     Most likely it will come down to the number, and type of games
     released to decide which machine sells the greater machines in
     1995.

     Those in North America, Europe and elsewhere will have to wait
     until September 1995 for the local release of the Saturn, when a
     stack of titles will be available at the launch. It is around this
     time that the Playstation will also be out, with probably an equal
     number of titles to choose from. For those that just can't bare to
     wait, the Saturn, Playstation machines, plus many games are already
     available on import -- however it may be well worth waiting until
     the official release(s) to avoid any incompatibility problems.
 
     Judging on the massive initial success of both of these machines,
     Saturn and the Playstation are already looking to be two of the
     strongest contenders in the 32 bit console wars. Nintendo will just
     about now be starting to worry about even being able to enter the
     32 bit market in Japan, with such success by Sony and Sega a good
     six months before we even see the Ultra64. With so many titles on
     the way, and machines that once again change the frontier of
     gaming, players definitely have some exciting to look forward to in
     the coming year.

     32X RELEASED
     ****=/\=****
     While Japanese video gamers were in a state of almost hysteria over
     the release of the Saturn and Playstation, a more subdued release
     saw the 32X sell well in the United States and Europe. With around
     five games available at launch, and up to 50 more on their way in
     the next 4 months, the 32X provides a 32 bit upgrade to their 16
     bit Genesis machines. While the 32X doesn't quite provide the
     hundreds of thousands of polygons per second, or earth shattering
     CD quality soundtrack and effects of its big brethren, it does
     offer many of the features of the 32 bit machines that make them
     attractive -- at almost 1/3 of the price.

     The first batch of games did not excite many, but did show some of
     the power that the machine possesses. Some of the early titles show
     some signs of a rush-job and a few niggling bugs, however these
     will be rectified as developers get more used to the machine. Most
     seem to think the machine is quite a bit better than the Super
     Nintendo, but with rumours of a 32 bit SNES addon still going
     around, soon that may change again.

     It looks as though the 32X will be mainly targeted at the North
     American and European markets, although the 32X has also been
     released in Japan. This is mainly due to the relatively small
     number of Genesis owners in the country, which never really took
     off with the success of the Super Nintendo. Without strong Japanese
     software support, the future of the 32X elsewhere may be well
     reduced. Most Japanese developers are either concentrating on the
     Saturn or the PSX at the present time, which leaves Nintendo still
     languishing in the wings.

     The 32X is available now in North America, and some parts of Europe
     and for a RRP price of $149. For those who don't have much more to
     spend, but are looking for something to keep their Genesis going
     for at least another 2 years, the 32X should make a worthy
     investment.

     32 BIT ADDON FOR SNES RUMOURED
     **************=/\=************
     Talk of a 32 bit addon for the SNES has faded in and out over the
     last 6 months, but this talk has not yet been quashed by Nintendo,
     which is a good sign that such a machine will in fact be released
     quite soon. This may be as early as March next year, leaving a
     further 3-4 months for Ultra64 to be completed (which is apparently
     far from that), and giving Nintendo further hope of maintaining a
     large hold on the video game market.

     What has been stipulated has been a similar device as the 32X for
     the SNES, without any form of CD storage, and at a price of around
     $150. It would be expected that this would enhance the SNES
     graphics engine, and also beef up the processor to a large extent -
     allowing pseudo-32 bit games to be released, on par with many 32X
     titles. This would be using some of Nintendo's left over
     development from the failed Sony-Nintendo CD addon, which was
     apparently only a month from release before being dropped.

     Word from developers has been quiet so far, but this may be due to
     a moratorium placed upon them by Nintendo. There has been talk by
     some close to the industry that Nintendo has been trying to push
     developers to port existing titles to the format by loosening some
     of their very tight development rules. Several other indications
     also seem to point to this: Nintendo neither confirming or denying
     the device, some titles being mysteriously held up, and talk of
     further FX2 games (such as Wild Trax) which were initially promised
     being quietened.

     Much of this is as the title suggests "rumoured", which Frontier
     tries not to include too much, especially in the general news
     section. If such an addon is in fact released, it is big news - and
     may keep Nintendo fans from a downward spiral into depression :)
     Any sources to find firm news on it are hard to find, but Frontier
     is still looking!

     X-BAND MODEM NETWORK
     ********=/\=********
     Just released on the market by Catapult technologies is a unique
     accessory that allows Genesis and soon SNES players to play against
     friends or against unknown assailants from just across the road, or
     right across the country. The X-Band modem is similar to a standard
     modem, except that it allows players to link up their SNES units up
     across the phone line to play against each other.

     Once you have connected to your local X-Band provider (via a
     standard phone call), you are presented with a main menu which
     allows you to write mail to other users, read the local newsletter,
     update your playing information (age, phone number games, stats,
     etc), or offer to play someone across the network. After the
     network has found someone suitable to match you with, it logs off
     the network and then automatically connects to your chosen or
     network selected player via your standard phone line. Once you are
     connected via the modem connection, you can play the selected game
     against your assailant for as long as you wish.
        One of the best features of the X-Band modem is that it works
     with many two player existing games such as Mortal Kombat 2, NHL
     94, NBA Jam, many more, and more to come. What the modem does is
     control your machine through the joypad port as if a standard
     controller were connected to it, allowing just about any two player
     game to be 'X-Band compatible'. This truly makes it a unique, and
     very promising service.

     The X-Band network operates on the use of a credit system. Once you
     pay the required fee, you are given a number of credits that you
     can use on the network.
        Each time you ask the network to look for a suitable player, you
     will be charged one credit. Once connected to that player, you are
     allowed to play as many games as you like with them without being
     charged further - which is pretty good value considering!

     A SNES version of the X-Band modem will be available in early 1995,
     at a RRP of $69.95. Monthly connection charges to the X-Band
     network runs at around $7.95, which allows you 32 online credits.
     There is also talk of a X-Band Modem being developed for the 32X
     and Saturn machines for release mid next year.

     OTHER NEWS
     ***=/\=***
     - In a surprise move, Sega has purchased a large 40 million dollar
     stake in Atari. The exact reasons behind this are still unsure,
     possibly Sega even feeling slightly sorry for Atari's failings at
     selling their machine so far. Whether this is just to be able to
     contain another large stake in the video game world or for other
     reasons is still not really known.

     - Approximately 130,000 3DO machines have been sold so far since
     release. This is encouraging news for the 3DO company, who are
     already assured of at least maintaining a reasonable share of the
     console market. With many good games already available and on their
     way from big names, but still with GoldStar's and Samsung's machine
     not yet available. Prices of the 3DO is expected to drop to around
     $299 and remain steady at that price until the release of the 3DO
     'mark 2' standard.

     - Atari owners may actually have something to save up for this
     Christmas, with five new titles that have been delayed and delayed
     again now released just before Christmas. These include Zool 2,
     Kasumi Ninja, Bubsy, Iron Soldier, Val d'Isere Skiing and
     Snowboarding. These will all sell for $59.95, except for the $69.99
     Kasumi Ninja.

     RUMOURS
     **=/\=*
     Again, remember that this section is nothing more than it
     indicates, and simply rumours from other magazines, talk, media
     sources and the internet newsgroups. It is up to you how seriously
     you take these rumours.

     - Ultra64 may be again struggling to reach the market in time to
     remain competitive with the rising growth in 32 bit game systems.
     Sources close to the industry believe that Nintendo is having
     troubles in produce even an early prototype. So far, all players
     have had glimpses of is of mock-ups running under the expensive
     power of Silicon Graphics Onyx work stations. This is all that
     developers have had been given use of as development stations, and
     many have been told to develop for the Onyx, and then worry about
     making it adaptable to the Ultra64. This might be fine for those
     who own a $120K Onyx station, but for regular game players, other
     machines are beginning to look more and more popular.

     - Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo on the 3DO has been delayed until
     later in January by Capcom, to allow them to work on the game
     Darkstar on the PSX and Saturn. Rumours are that Capcom already has
     decided that 3DO will never remain one of the top three 32 bit
     consoles, and would rather concentrate most of its efforts on the
     very promising PSX and Saturn.


			 COMMERCiAL ADVERTiSING
			 *********=/\=*********
OVER the last couple of months I have received a couple of requests for
advertising of a commercial type nature in Frontier. If you own, or are
part of a console retailing or mail order company, please contact me via
one of the methods mentioned at the end of the magazine if you wish to
organise an ad.
   Frontier offers a great way to help promote and sell your product
through a potential audience of several thousand in many different
countries world-wide. Your ad may include borders, ascii logos, etc to
draw attention to your product or business, but must be under 300 words.
   While readers may protest this as a form of commercialism that
Frontier has stayed to try clear of in the past, I don't consider it as
moving too much in this direction. The move is basically to help pay for
some of the games I buy or hire for review purposes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
					    	
			      	    	   		
    	                       
                  	   	     
          	            	 	    
   	                    
	    					    	
	     		       T R A D I N G	   	
						     
	United States * Netherlands * Sweden * Belgium * Croatia

      Exclusive worldwide distributors of the Super Wild Card DX and
		       Super Magic Drive systems

The NEW Super Wild Card DX(tm) and Super Magic Drive(tm) for Super
Nintendo(tm) and Sega Genesis(tm) respectively allow users to:

	   * Develop their own games
	   * Use special cheat codes
	   * Backup cartridges onto 3.5" diskette, thus saving on the
	     general wear and tear of the original cartridge

Some of the other special features of the Super Wild Card DX and
Super Magic Drive include:

	   * DOS format disks (for development on MSDOS(tm) systems)
	   * Built in high density 3.5" disk drive
	   * 32mbit (4meg) of high speed RAM as standard
	   * Upgradeable to 128mbit
	   * Multi-speed slow motion replay
	   * Many more features than similar machines
	   * Multiple configuration + much more

The RRP for the Super WildCard DX unit is $449US. If you are interested
in more information on these systems, or in fact wish to purchase one or
more of these units, please contact FairLight by one of the methods
indicated. FairLight is also looking for exclusive distributors and
re-sellers for these exciting video game products!

In the United States  1-800-FAIRLIGHT
International	      +1-619-282-5311
Fax		      "  619-282-1780

Postal		      Fairlight Trading WorldWide, Inc.
		      P.O. Box 900008
		      San Diego, CA 92190   U.S.A

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

       
          ۲
	               
	          
	            
       

     HARDWARE REViEW: SEGA SATURN & ViRTUA FiGHTER
     ********************=/\=*********************
     .\ by Matthew Martin (sibeling@u.washington.edu)

     Price: Approximately $570 US (MIPS Company, ljs@eznet.com)
     Sega Saturn Rating: 98%
     Virtua Fighter Rating: 95%

     FIRST LOOKS

     After I paid the UPS driver the COD fee, I eagerly tore open the
     packing box to find a small, rectangular golden box inside.  The
     Sega Saturn box is very small, just big enough to hold the machine,
     1 controller, a power cable, a composite/stereo AV cable, a small
     lithium battery, and the documentation.  Everything is packaged in
     a recyclable egg-carton material which shows Sega is committed to
     being environmentally correct.  The documentation, though all in
     Japanese, is well laid out and non-Japanese speaking people can
     follow the diagrams for setup.

     The Sega Saturn itself is very small, about 9 inches wide by 8.5
     inches deep, by 2 inches high (similar to the Sega Genesis 2).  The
     case is a dark grey with 3 purple buttons: power, eject, and reset,
     and there are also 2 joystick ports on the front of the machine.
     The CD is top loading and "pops up" gently when the eject button is
     pushed.  The reset button is a nice feature, it actually restarts
     the machine and loads the CD from the beginning.  Gone is the
     clunky AC adapter; the power supply is built into the main unit and
     only a 2 plug power cord remains.  Both the power cord and AV cable
     are completely separate from the machine. The S-Video cable
     (optional) plugs into the same proprietary port that the
     composite/stereo AV cable fits into.  There is also a small port
     labeled "communications" -- don't ask, as I have no idea what this
     does. The trap door contains the socket for the lithium battery
     (which you must install yourself) and a purple button which appears
     to reset the system parameters kept by the battery.

     The controller that comes packed with the Sega saturn is great. It
     is shaped much like the Genesis 6 button controller, but is a bit
     more natural feeling.  It also has 2 buttons on the top of the
     controller like the Super Nintendo joypads.  There are labels for
     each button: A, B, C, X, Y, Z, L, and R and also smaller labels for
     playing an audio disc on your Saturn.  The control is very nice,
     diagonals are not a problem, and pulling off "special" moves are a
     piece of cake.  Sega did a wonderful job on these.

     Cardboard boxes are no longer used to hold the CD games; a standard
     CD jewel case is what remains.  Inside the case is a small booklet
     with all the moves and character information.  This is also very
     well done, and stores nicely among your other many audio CDs.

     POWER ON

     When you first power on the Sega saturn you are greeted with a mass
     of grey polygons flying through space which come together to form
     the Sega saturn logo.  Though useless, the effect is nice, and it
     hints towards the power behind this little grey box.  You then get
     to set the date and time, all in Japanese of course.  After you've
     fiddled around with the operating system a bit, you can set the
     language to 1 of 6: Japanese, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, and
     of course, English!  Once in English, everything becomes clear.

     The "main screen" consists of what looks like a cockpit view with
     your controls in front which control the playing of CD, CD&G, CD&GE
     (CD & Graphics Enhanced), and Sega Saturn CD discs.  You have all
     the standard CD controls which can be operated by selecting the on
     screen control, or using the labeled buttons on the controller -- a
     very nice feature.  There really is no on screen visuals except for
     2 geometric shapes throbbing to the beat of the music.  You can put
     it on a screensaver mode which has a nicely textured map spaceship
     flying around.  It looks nice, but has no real value.  After you
     look at all this, it's time to play a game.

     VIRTUA FIGHTER

     Since this is an arcade conversion, the best way to review it is to
     compare it to the arcade.  After the flying Sega saturn logo goes
     away, that old awful 4 color SEGA logo comes up for a few seconds,
     then a "Loading...  Please Wait" appears at the bottom of the
     screen.  This only takes a few seconds also and then the Virtua
     Fighter screen comes up. Looks nice, just like the arcade.  You
     have 3 options: Arcade, Verses, or Options.  When in options, you
     can select player level, number of rounds, play time, handicaps,
     control layout (4 preset layouts only), music test and sound test.
     After you have set your options, it's time to play.  Hit Arcade or
     Verses and you are treated to the "Loading...  Please Wait" only
     for a few seconds and then you can select your character.  What can
     I say, looks great.  Select your character and you get the
     "Loading... Please Wait" once again for only a few more seconds and
     then you're set.

     The playfield is beautiful -- the backgrounds are rich in color.
     The characters look complete, they have a high polygon count though
     perhaps not as high as the arcade.  The animation of the characters
     is very fluid, and the moves are extremely lifelike.  They have
     removed the polygons from the floor and replaced it with one big
     texture mapped square which looks okay, but not as good as the
     arcade.  Also during the replay mode, every now and then the heads
     and torsos will flicker in and out, an obvious bug that they didn't
     have time to squash.
     
     CD quality music sure is nice, and it is awesome in Virtua Fighter.
     The sound tracks are complete from the arcade, and sound excellent.
     All the voice samples, kicking and punching noises are intact and
     of high quality.

     What really shines about this game though is the playability. It
     has some of the best control of any fighter (the arcade was
     excellent also) for any console.  With the Sega Saturn controllers
     you can flawlessly pull off every move with deadly force.

     Overall, this game lacks because of it's rushed development time,
     but Virtua Fighter fans will NOT be disappointed.  It is an
     excellent conversion, and shows off the great potential of the
     machine.  If you can get over the few bugs, you will find yourself
     totally enjoying this game.  Now if I could only find a 2nd
     controller to play 2 players!

     CONCLUSION

     Considering the higher price of an import system, the fact that the
     warranty is no longer valid on a brand new item, and the lack of
     games (a problem every new system seems to have), the Sega Saturn
     is a great investment.  In comparing this to other popular 32 bit
     consoles like 3DO, the Sega Saturn clearly has the upper hand on
     power and graphics.  The design of the Sega Saturn is also (IMHO)
     much more thought-out than the 3DO or Jaguar.  Also, being that
     this is made by Sega, it will have a lot of their high quality
     arcade comes being converted for it like Daytona USA, Virtua
     Racing, and Virtua Fighter 2. If you are deciding between a 32X and
     a Saturn, and cost is NOT an issue, you don't need to look any
     further.  The Saturn is the clear winner.  I really feel that Sega
     has done a wonderful with this machine, and cannot wait for more
     quality titles to be released.

     ---- many thanks to Matt for allowing us to use his review ---


     HARDWARE REViEW : THE SEGA 32X
     *************=/\=*************
     .\ by The Big Kahuna (simonds@ucsu.Colorado.EDU)

     ------------------------------------------------------------
     ----- SNAPPLE FOR EVERYONE! --------------------------------
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     THE 32X upgrade for the Sega genesis is Sega's move to keep it's
     ageing 16 bit console, the Genesis, alive in the new era of 32-bit
     and beyond.
        I picked up my 32x at the local Electronics Boutique for
     $159(US). I even had a hard time steering strait on the drive back
     home because I could not keep myself from looking at the touted
     savior of my aging Genesis!

     I am now home!  I've already got the box torn apart and am looking
     at something I've been waiting months for (as with any new game for
     my Jaguar!). I pick it up!  Lo and behold, it feels like a Game
     Gear. It is a bit smaller, but heavier actually, and it doesn't
     feel cheaply made. The 32X unit is pretty sleek looking, and
     doesn't clash with the overall setup of my Genesis, though it does
     triple the height of it. You get 2 metal brackets that slide into
     the Genesis cartridge slot and seem to guide the 32X in. they don't
     seem to contribute to stability, though there really is no problem
     with that anyway.

     The only gripes I have are the lack of a pack-in, and the need for
     an extra electrical socket, since the 32X unit itself does have
     it's own power supply. The video input comes from the Genesis,
     through the 32X and finally to the TV.  This makes me wonder if
     there is the possibility for an information bottleneck between the
     Genesis and the 32X.
        It should also be noted that when using the 32X with the
     originally styled Genesis console, a separate cable for the video
     must be purchased, as the new and old consoles use different types.

     For $159(US), this little add-on would seem to be the least
     expensive ride to the next level of gaming.  But does the 32X take
     you that far? When playing the pack-in game, VRD, many will be
     asking themselves this very question

     ------------------------------------------------------------
     ----- VIRTUA RACING DELUXE! --------------------------------
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     After popping in VR deluxe, I was firstly impressed by the feeling
     of speed.  The sound effects were alright, but didn't really leave
     me in awe for what I expected. The only thing that was really
     disheartening was the way the polygons are drawn very close to you
     instead of growing smoothly from the distance. Having objects
     disappear from view and then pop back the very next second can be
     quite annoying! These should improve with more programming
     experience with the system, seeing as VRD was the first game
     written for the 32X
        I am really impressed with the new tracks, but just can't get
     the hang of the new cars. The music is equally impressive, but when
     turned off, a race can sound like a kazoo concert. However the buzz
     of getting lapped by an opponent is a really nice effect.  Keep the
     music on....trust me!

     This game is not the coin-op, but where it suffers graphically, it
     makes up for in other areas such as music, track variety, and
     vehicle choice. I believe that it is actually more fun than the
     coin-op version. And the most important part of this evening was
     that Virtua Racing Deluxe was fun for myself and the crew I invited
     over after I set the 32X up.  This game is a keeper.  A very good
     first generation game for the 32X!

     Star Wars arcade is another game I had for the 32X briefly, but I
     have since returned it.  This was not a bad game, but it was not
     spectacular, and was simply too easy.  I have to admit, though,
     that I didn't care too much for the sound effects.  But the
     nostalgic nature of this title kept it alive for me, at least for a
     few days.

     ------------------------------------------------------------
     ----- SO HOW DOES IT STACK UP? -----------------------------
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     To compare this system to others is somewhat difficult, because it
     doesn't fit easily with the other so called 'next generation'
     systems on the market. Specifications point to it being inferior to
     it's main competitors, the 3DO and the Jaguar.  Of these two, it
     has a better chance of overtaking the Jaguar in my opinion.  The
     3DO has far too many titles and software supporters to go down
     easily, while my beloved Jaguar has only begun show any of its true
     colors.

     The number of titles can be a very misleading statistic to base a
     system purchase on.  With over a hundred titles by Christmas, the
     3DO would seem to have the advantage.  But the actual number of
     good games is debatable, anywhere from three to fifteen.  The
     Jaguar, on the other hand, now has 11 titles, with many on the way.
        Unfortunately for Atari and many Jag owners, it had been rotting
     at five titles only 2 months ago. The 32X _already_ has 5 at the
     present time, with Cosmic Carnage, Doom and Space Harrier in
     addition to the two mentioned earlier, with more on the way like
     Metal Head - a game with a similar premise to Iron Soldier for the
     Jag but with much more detailed graphics. Also on the way in the
     one many have been waiting for, Mortal Kombat II.
        I think Metal Head will be a good benchmark test between the Jag
     and the 32X because they both employ different solutions to a
     similar premise. Though the 32X, thus far, seems unable to compete
     with the 3DO graphically, it has the potential to best this monster
     system with sheer gameplay and fun factor, as these had managed to
     effectively elude the 3DO for awhile.

     ------------------------------------------------------------
     ----- THE FUTURE FOR THE 32X -------------------------------
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     The biggest question which only time can answer, is the life span
     of this peripheral.  It is difficult to determine how long the 32X
     will be around, considering the large amount of extra competition
     now around. If support is any measure of the longevity of a system,
     it will at least five games out in the US by Christmas.  That would
     seem to give it a fighting chance at least the next year or so, in
     light of the Jaguar's persistence.

     But what then?  It's big brother, the much heralded Saturn, is
     flying off the shelves in Japan from what I hear.  It's US release
     has been proclaimed sometime before Christmas '95.  This would not
     bode well for the 32X since they would seem in competition with
     each other, and the two are completely incompatible (ed: Sega is
     still working on a 32X/Genesis cartridge addon for the Saturn).
        The question that many will be asking is: is the 32X just filler
     for the time between it's own release and that of the Saturn here
     in America? SEGA has proclaimed that the two are aimed at two
     different markets which, if true, would warrant support of both
     machines.....but for how long?

     It is hard to find the logic in Sega's strategy because all signs
     point to a dead 32X in less than two years.  However, for the
     players out there who do not wish to write off their initial
     investment just yet, I would have to recommend buying the 32X if
     they like the games that are either presently released, or under
     development.
        My advice is to buy a system when it has the games you like
     already out. Speculative buying is not a good practice, as some
     disgruntled Jaguar owners may tell you. If you don't like the
     games, I would recommend against buying the 32X, simply because it's
     future is somewhat dubious.


     SONY PLAYSTATiON FAQ
     *********=/\=*******
     .\ Contributed by Will McBee (mcbee@ucsuc.colorado.EDU)

     This file has not been including in the actual main text because of
     its relative size, and due to it largely being a standalone text.
     However, you will find it in this archive as PSXFAQ.101  This FAQ
     is maintained by Will McBee, so please contact him rather than me
     if you have any additions or suggestions.

     Unfortunately, Will may be 'internetless' for a while, and in the
     mean time will the FAQ will be maintained by "The Big Kahuna"
     (Maximillion Simonds) simonds@ucsu.Colorado.EDU. Try emailing Will
     first, and then Kahuna if you receive no reply.

     The latest revisions of this FAQ, along with my Saturn/32X, plus
     some other information and links can now be found at my new WWW
     home page. To get access, connect via your Web software to
     http://zikzak.apana.org.au/~pred and have a browse!

     Thanks again to Will for allowing Frontier to include his excellent
     FAQ, it really has everything you would want to know about the PSX!


     SONY PLAYSTATiON UPCOMiNG RELEASES
     ***************=/\=***************
     .\ by Will McBee (mcbee@ucsuc.colorado.EDU)

     Look out for further updates to this list in future releases of the
     PSX FAQ.

     --------------------------------------------------------------------
     TiTLE                 PUBLiSHER     PRiCE (in yen)    TYPE
     --------------------------------------------------------------------
     DECEMBER 3rd (already out)

     Ridge Racer           Namco             5800          3D Racing
     A.IV evolution        ArtDink           7800          Simulation
     A.IV evolution ^1     ArtDink          12800          Simulation
     Heaven Parodius       Konami            5800          Shooting
     TAMA                  TWI               5800          Action
     Nekketsu Oyako        Techno Soft       6950          Fighting Action
     Mahjong Station       SUN SOFT          6000          Mahjong
     Majin
     Crime Crackers        SCE               5800          3D RPG
     Mahjong Goku          EAV               5800          Mahjong
     Tenjiku

     ^1 = limited version with mouse and memory card
      * = estimated

     DECEMBER 9th (maybe out)

     Twinbee Taisen        Konami            5800          Puzzle
     Puzzle Dama           Konami            5800          Puzzle
     Pachislot Hunter      Forum             6800          Pachislot
  
     DECEMBER 16th

     King's Field          FromSoftware      6300          RPG
     Motor Toon Grandprix  SCE               5400*         Racing
     Twin Goddess          Poligram          ----*         Fighting
     Houma Hunter Lime     Asmik             5800*         Digital Comic
     Jikkyo ... Baseball   Konami            5800          Baseball
     Cosmic Race           Neolex            6800*         Racing

     DECEMBER* (around December)

     MYST                  Softbank          7800          Adventure
     Falcata               Gust              6800          Simulation
     Kakigi Shogi          ASCII             7800          Japanese Chess

     JANUARY 1st*

     Toshinden             Takara            5800          3D Fighting

     JANUARY 13th*

     Space Gliphon VF9     Panthersoft  ----*   3D action RPG
     Victory Zone          SCE          5800    Pachinco
     Raiden Project        SEIBU        ----*   Shooting
     Cyber Sled            Namco        5800*   Action
     Kilek the Blood       SME          5800*   Shooting Adv
     Geo Cube (3D Tetris)  TechnosJapan 5800*   Puzzle

     AFTER JANUARY*

     PSX-BOXING            NEW          (?)     Boxing(Sports)
     Hyper Mahjong         ASK          (?)     Mahjong
     Game no tatsuji       Sun Soft     (?)     (?)
     Taikyoku Shougi Kiwame  LOG        (?)     Shougi
     Hyperion              TAITO        (?)     Shooting
     IGO PS-X              ASCII        (?)     Igo
     Shichu-Suimei Pita    Datum Polystar 6800  Fortune telling
     Hissatu Pachinco      SunSoft      (?)     Pachinco
     Formation Soccer      Human        (?)     Soccer
     Star Flight Fantasy   TAITO        (?)     (?)
     Tokyo Shadow          TAITO        (?)     (?)
     BLACK OUT             TOEI SYSTEM  (?)     (?)
     Hyper IGO             ASK          (?)     Igo
     Poporo Crois Story    SCE          (?)     Adventure
     Red Plasm             SCE          (?)     Action
     Fujimaru Gigoku Hen   SCE          (?)     RPG
     Ark the Rad           SCE          (?)     RPG
     1950 American Dreams  SCE          (?)     Board Game
     Gensou Suiko-Den      Konami       (?)     (?)
     VR Mahjong            Nichibutsu   (?)     Mahjong
     Dead Heat Road        Nichibutsu   (?)     (?)
     Super301 S.Q.         Nichibutsu   (?)     (?)
     Princess Maker 3      Gainax       (?)     Simulation
     Holidays of Aqua-note Artdink      (?)     (?)
     Kanaderu              Success      (?)     (?)
     Sofel Fantasia        Sofel        (?)     (?)
     TOKYO 2020            Rainbow Japan (?)    (?)
     Virtua Mahjong        Map Japan    (?)     (?)
     Vampire     ^2        Capcom       (?)     Fighting

    ^2 = known as Darkstalkers in the US
     * = estimated

     UNCERTAIN&

     Blue Forest Story     Right Staff  (?)     (?)
     The 11th Hour         Virgin Games (?)     Adventure
     BLOXX                 Technos Japan (?)    (?)
     Dirby Starion PS-X    ASCII        (?)     Simulation
     Takano's how to read maps  Insider (?)     Database?
     Demolition Man        Virgin Game  (?)     (?)
     Indycar Racing        Virgin Game  (?)     Drive Sim
     Cyber Sled            Namco        (?)     Action
     Star Blade Alpha      Namco        (?)     Shooting
     PSX Pachio kun        Coconuts Japan (?)   Pachinco
     Pachislot             Coconuts Japan (?)   PachiSlot
     Cyber War             Coconuts Japan (?)   Sim(?)
     Casino Special        Coconuts Japan (?)   Table Games(?)
     Soccer Special        Coconuts Japan (?)   Soccer
     Live Remix            Pro Fire     (?)     (?)
     Gundam                Bandai       (?)     Action
     Zero Devide           Zoom         (?)     Action
     Motocross             Coconuts Japan (?)   Sports
     Toushinden            Takara       (?)     Fighting
     Race Drivin'          TWI          (?)     Driving Simulation
     Kireak the Blood      SME          (?)     RPG
     The Rayman            UBI Soft     (?)     Action

     Since these are Japanese release dates, some titles will no doubt
     be available when the PSX is released in the US.


             
		    ۲
		        
		      
	          
	     
IF you wish to express an opinion in an editorial style article, please
let me know. Frontier aims to be a focus point for intelligent debate on
the console industry so you should be willing to backup your opinions
from readers. If you strongly agree or disagree on an editorial,
consider writing one of your own with some opposing or contrasting
opinions.

This month, we take a unique approach, offering two contrasting opinions
from Will McBee and myself about the future of the PlayStation. Mine is
largely in response to Will's - a unique approach I like to think not
yet seen in a mag! :) I think this approach works very well, so anybody
else wishing to do the same (possibly the other way around, you replying
to my opinions) should contact me ASAP.


     THE SONY PLAYSTATION: WILL iT GO THE WAY OF 'BETAMAX'?
     *************************=/\=*************************
     .\ By Will Mcbee

     WITH the label, Sony, visions of well-made CD players, car stereo
     equipment, video cassette recorders (VCR), 'Walkmans', and the such
     appear; but behind these glorious products stand the dark horse
     products, the betamax and the minidisc.  These two items portray
     the failed attempts by Sony to create a new standard.  Will the
     Sony Playstation fall into the same category as the aforementioned
     failed status?  Lets hope not...

     The Sony Playstation, so far, has not made the same mistakes as the
     betamax and minidisc; in other words, the Sony Corporation is not
     claiming <yet> that the Playstation, or PSX hereon, will be, set,
     or become a video gaming/electronic media standard.  The Sony Corp.
     will leave that to Trip Hawkins and the 3DO Company.  The PSX does
     represent a good deal of planning, and technology that may very
     well make it the envy of the other video gaming consoles - it must
     be already be working, the 3DO, the upcoming 3DO M2, the Sega
     Saturn, the Atari Jaguar, the rumored Atari Jaguar II, and the
     Nintendo Ultra 64 either compare their respective hardware specs,
     or their upcoming hardware to the PSX.  Plus, the PSX has the
     software support that usually makes a video gaming console survive,
     thrive, and succeed.  The Sony Corp. claims over 400 software
     developers have signed on, but with names like: Capcom, Konami,
     Namco, Psygnosis (which has been recently acquired by Sony), Taito,
     Technosoft, Takara, SunSoft, Williams/Midway, among many others;
     pretty much seals at least one 'hit' from each of those proven
     developers - enough to keep me busy for a year.  So, it seems that
     the Sony Corporation. has the hardware, and the software support.

     What about the future!?  Well, it seems that Sony has thought ahead
     as well.  The PSX, on its back compartments, has audio/video
     outputs of just about every kind (SVHS, RGB, RF, etc.) and a hidden
     compartment, accessible by removing a screw that reveals... well,
     lets just say an expansion port (PSX II maybe?).  And since the
     Sony has already spent over 500 million of the PSX, and
     developments that surround the PSX (i.e. the recently made Sony
     Computer Entertainment of Japan and Europe, the acquisition of
     Psygnosis, the advertising of the PSX, etc.), I truly do not think
     that the Sony Corp will abandon the format soon.

     So, in essence, the PSX represents a well thought out, future
     expandable, fully supported, blockbuster of a machine, destined to
     attack the video gaming arena... with some funny looking
     controllers :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   -the above represents my views and opinions, which are not <usually> 
  incorporated into the Sony Playstation (PSX) FAQ that I maintain; thus 
            regard the above only as an editorial - WiLL McBEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


     THE SONY PLAYSTATION: HAS SONY GOT iT RiGHT?
     ********************=/\=********************
     .\ by Gordon Craick (me - the editor :)

     Slightly over ten years ago Sony existed as a relatively small
     electronic company based in Japan. How things have changed! The
     1980's saw Sony extend themselves across every area of the
     electronics market, raising itself to become the largest
     electronics manufacturer in the world today. Sony's success has
     been so great, that almost in itself it has has been one of the
     catalysts that have driven the Japanese economy to where it is
     today. The Sony corporation, along other innovative companies such
     as the American Microsoft, have probably been one of the greatest
     technological success stories of our century.
        While Sony has for a while held a strong hold over just about
     every possible electronic device, the one massive arena that has
     eluded them has been the video game market. Their last leap into
     the video game market ended in failure, with their 32 bit SNES
     addon and co-operation with Nintendo dropping out at the 11th hour.
        Since then Sony has re-grouped, putting a large amount of their
     resources into the PSX, which we (or mainly Japanese :) saw for the
     very first time in the box earlier this month. The PSX has all the
     initial seeds of being a great success:

     1) Large software support
     2) Exciting upcoming titles
     3) An apparently developer friendly system/support
     4) The company listens to what its players want
     5) Recognition
     6) Above all, a machine technically superior to anything else

     To be successful, a video game console cannot afford to neglect any
     one of these things, or it is going to suffer heavily. With Atari
     it is suffering because of just about all of them. With Nintendo so
     far it has been mainly 3, but also 4 and now 6 with U64 a long way
     off. 3DO - some extent 2, also 5, and now 6. The other big name
     however, Sega, has just about all of those things going now, and
     has adapted itself in the last couple of years dynamically to
     achieve them - so remains probably these strongest contender to the
     PSX at present.

     While I agree with much of what Will has said, I believe the video
     game arena is fairly different to the earlier battle of the 1980's
     of VCR vs Betamax. Then there was one format: "movies", and it was
     a tiny matter to convert them over. Video games are much more
     diverse, and much more varied than that. Why Betamax probably
     failed in such a way was because at the time videos were more an
     'instant' thing - you watched it for a while, and then just sold,
     traded or took it back to the video library. People didn't want to
     bother with the two standards, especially if you were not going to
     be using the media of that format for too long - therefore the VCR
     standard took over quickly.
        In the video game market, it has already demonstrated that it
     can easily hold two different formats (SNES and Genesis) quite
     effectively, despite the frustration it can cause some developers.
     It also looks as though it can hold many more, especially with the
     quality of titles being released across many machines. There is
     always going to be games that you will be only able to get on one
     system, which will ensure that a number of formats can do just as
     well.
        Taken into consideration also has to be the 'entertainment
     dollars per hour' so to speak. These days, after you have purchased
     a few games you are paying more than the system anyway, so it is
     mainly games that decide a gamers purchase. You want games that
     last for a long time, having paid for them accordingly.

     Will's comments about Sony thinking ahead are quite accurate too.
     They have spent the time deciding how they can keep the machine
     going across an ever shrinking lifetime, knowing that consumers
     don't want chopping and changing standards every two years. They
     want a machine that will still be playable after 4-5 years, even
     when the technology will be second-rate. An expansion port is a
     definite plus, and as long as they have designed it to actually be
     adaptable enough for future developments, they are on the right
     track there too.

     The final thing I believe is the greatest sign that PSX is set to
     remain long into the 90's is Sega and Sony not proclaiming bitter
     enemies of each other, but willing to let each other give the
     market their best shot. They are also beginning to create a large
     division within the development area too, by pulling many
     developers away from Nintendo with a much nicer attitude and
     approach. Already there seems to be growing a PSX/Saturn developer
     crowd, and a Nintendo developers crowd, with very little
     interaction between the two. This is very bad news for Nintendo,
     not only have they began to alienate their players, they are also
     alienating its two massive rivals, Sony and Sega - who appear to be
     united in a common goal...to drive Nintendo out. With the combined
     prowess of many years of sales, and millions of dollars to back
     their machines up, they just well may be able to do that in the
     next 3 years.


	   
	        	۲
	            	
	           
	     
	   
THE review section is not an integral part of Frontier, though an
important one. What is the use of talk on consoles, without reviews to
assess the quality of games that are available? If you wish to write
reviews for Frontier for any console, please check out the section: How
*YOU* too can help out with Frontier. While reviews of new games are
preferred, reviews of games up to around 6 months old will be published.

For those who are just wanting to throw a few words together (say
100-300) on a particular game, Frontier now includes a "Mini Review"
section for these types of reviews (see after the main reviews). This
should hopefully expand the number of reviews that we get in Frontier,
as often people don't have that much time to throw together a full
review. Full reviews will be preferred and remain a part of Frontier, but
if you don't want to take the time then this is good alternative. Should
only take maybe 10-20 minutes of your time, so even if you've only
played the game for a short while, get a "mini" review into Frontier
ASAP!
   Format for these mini reviews are pretty much open (include any
details that you like!), but try and include at least an overall
percentage - often that is all that some people look at anyway.


     ROAD RASH
     ***=/\=**
     .\ By David King (David.King@arts.monash.edu.au)

     TYPE ................ Racing/knock 'em down
     FORMAT .............. 3DO
     DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER . Electronic Arts
     RELEASE ............. July 1994
     PRICE ............... $70
     SIZE ................ 1 CDROM

     LEVELS .............. multiple tracks
     DIFFICULTY .......... Variable
     PLAYERS ............. 1/2
     EXTRA INFO .......... comes with a free music sampler!
                           MPEG version also available

     Whilst it is reasonable to expect that a new platform will require
     exploration of its capabilities, this is little consolation for
     those who have already purchased. After what could be described as
     some mediocre software (esp. Jurassic Park Interactive) the 3DO is
     at last starting to come into its own. Electronic Arts have
     continued this trend with their adrenaline pumping conversion of
     the 16-bit racing/combat game, Road Rash.

     The first thing that you notice about the game (after the pretty
     hip packaging) is the introduction. This one is cool. With the
     grungy tones of Soundgarden's Rusty Cage filling your lounge room,
     and the reasonable (if not strangely coloured), fill motion video
     accompanying it, one might expect a damned reasonable gaming
     experience to follow. However, the keen console gamer then recalls
     the flashy pre-game entertainment of some of the afore mentioned
     3DO flops, and the cynicism takes over. Start game. Oh the relief.

     The game is split into two racing modes: thrash mode and full game
     mode. When entering Thrash mode, the player receives no options
     except the choosing of a track and jumps right onto the bike and
     races. However for the real Rashers, full game mode is the way to
     go. The choosing of one of a bunch of really ugly bikers can be
     followed by a browse in Olley's Skoot-A-Rama and a look at the 15
     bikes available for purchase. There's plenty of other options and
     as you move through the options screens, the accompanying music is
     supplied by some of A&M Records' hottest alternative bands.
     Soundgarden, Paw, Swervedriver are just a few of the bands that
     supply tracks to give this game one of the most brilliant (and
     certainly most appropriate) soundtracks ever in a home videogame.

     But onto the road. From the moment you bike begins to accelerate,
     the aspect of the visuals that will most astound you are the eye
     catching, texture-mapped backgrounds. These move so smoothly, and
     give such a realistic 3D effect, that you may find yourself wincing
     in pain as your rider is ejected from his or her bike, and heads
     over the cliff. The packaging claims that there are 600
     photo-realistic course objects to negotiate, and whilst I was
     unwilling to count them, they certainly add a great degree of
     realism (and a lot of malicious fun!) to the 5 new courses. With
     weapons, nitros, cops, excerpts of live-action music video and a
     great sense of humour this game has all the elements of true,
     violent, videogame escapism.

     This two-wheeling bruiser is fun to the extreme! Even after
     finishing in the top three on all 5 courses, across the 5 levels,
     you'll still come back again to swing that chain and hear the
     THINK! of your fellow racers hitting the sidewalk. Don't get mad,
     get RASHED!


     Final analysis
     -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
					GRAPH				SCORE

     Sound effects      |****************************                    70%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     Music              |***************************************         97%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     Sprites            |**********************************              85%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     Backgrounds	|************************************** 	 95%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     Playability        |*******************************                 88%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     IQ factor          |************                                    30%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     Fun factor         |**************************************          96%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     Overall graphics   |************************************            90%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
     OVERALL            |*************************************           92%
			+___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I___I.
	   Percentage % 0  10  20  30  40  50  60  70  80  90  100

     Extra Comments
     -=-=-=-=-=-=-=
     SOUND FX    : Effective thuds, screeches and cries
     MUSIC       : Brilliant throbbing soundtrack adds the appropriate
                   leather/flannelness
     SPRITES     : Well drawn. Great to see oponents fly towards you in
                   3D
     BACKGROUNDS : Lovely varied texture-mapping that looks especially
                   good at 150MPH!
     PLAYABILITY : Easy controls, with handling varying between bikes
     IQ. FACTOR  : Very little, more necessary is a love of carnage
     FUN FACTOR  : Oh my yes!
     OVERALL GFX : The smooth rolling landscapes are lovely to look at,
                   dotted with a variety of objects
     OVERALL     : excellent ride, with everything you would want.

     IMPRESSIONS : good
     CONVERSION  : not given


     MiNi REVIEWS!
     *****=/\=****
     Game        : Donkey Kong Country
     Reviewed by : The editor
     Publisher   : Nintendo
     Format	 : SNES
     Type        : Platform

     DONKEY KONG Country has been the game that everybody has been
     raving about, ever since a near complete version was shown at the
     SCES. Luckily here in Australia, we were the first to be able to
     buy the game, which has been accompanied by a series of DKC ads on
     our TV screens. As soon as my friend mentioned he had it, I was
     over at his house 20mins later and playing it eagerly :)

     The plot in DKC is a simple one. All of Jr's bananas have been
     stolen by your typical evil fiend and scattered everywhere. Of
     course, a monkey without a banana is obviously not a happy one! so
     you, with some help from dad go off on a search to collect all of
     the bananas that you can find.
        Roaming across many different levels, ranging from rain-forests
     to mines, you must collect all of the bananas that possibly can.
     Many different bad guys have been put there to stop your path, such
     as birds and other vermin. One of the good features of DKC is that
     JR often has to rely on some of the actions of his father, by
     jumping on his back to reach certain locations, etc. This really
     adds an interesting level to the game, even more so than in the
     Sonic & Tails type scenario in Sonic 3,

     Like everybody else that has even glanced at the game, you quickly
     decide that the graphics in DKC truly are some of the best graphics
     ever seen before in a platform video game. Everything has been
     pre-rendered on the power of Silicon Graphics work stations, and by
     some miracle has been managed to be squashed on the one 32mbit
     cartridge. Everything is also brilliantly animated, from the
     movements of Donkey and Jr, to all of the enemies that you must
     overcome.
        Sound is just as awesome to behold, with excellent sound
     effects, and the addition of comical digitised speech such as
     "ouch!" every so often to keep you laughing.

     DKC definitely IS as nearly everybody seems to be saying, one of the
     best games ever released on any home video game system. It contains
     plenty of challenge, a bit of thinking, lots of humour and above
     all brilliant presentation. The other welcome news is that because
     it is produced by Nintendo, it costs $20 or so less than most other
     SNES games. How Nintendo managed to get so much onto the one
     cartridge is still hard to tell, and in many parts looks as though
     it has been taken straight from CD. DKC is the hottest SNES game of
     the year, and if you don't get your own copy soon, you'll be looked
     down upon forever :)

     * So far, I have only played the game at my friends house, so I was
       a little reluctant doing a full review on the game, only having
       played it for a few hours. Look out for a full review most likely
       in the next issue of the mag!


			 The Cheater's 
			   
			         
			         
			   ۲
			
FRONTIER hopes to include a variety of different cheats, hints,
solutions, etc for systems and games of all different types. The aim is
to produce new information that has not been published before, though
this of course cannot always be guaranteed. If you have discovered a
secret level, willing to contribute some accurate playing hints, just
finished a game and are willing to produce a solution, or for that
matter anything that will help out gamers, Frontier is after them!

     - (repeated for those who missed it last issue). For all Game Genie
       owners, here is an internet service you will probably find
       invaluable for finding codes to all of those games that you
       became stuck on. To learn how to use the service, email to
       game-genie-serv@nvc.cc.ca.us with no subject line. In the first
       line of your message, type:

       send help
       index
       quit

       This will send you a list of all the games which have Genie Codes
       on the server, as well as tell you how you can get be sent the
       individual codes via email! Very useful for Genie owners :)
       Thanks to Stan Olson for mentioning this great service.

       - Mortal Kombat 2 (SNES and Genesis). To pull off a "Fergality",
       apparently named after one of the developers, play as Raiden on
       the armory screen. Kill your opponent using just kicks. Do this
       for _both_ rounds. After you are instructed to "Finish him!",
       move just outside sweeping distance and press BACK, BACK, BACK,
       BACK quickly. On the screen it should say "Fergality" and your
       defeated enemy will turn into a little man with a large head!
       This apparently has been tested by quite a few people.


	   
	    ۲
	          	   	
	           	  
	         	  	
	   
IF you have something console related you would like to _privately_
sell, contact me and I will include your add for free in the next and
subsequent issues.

Atari 400 system.  Sell all or part: upgraded console, disk drive, about
15 carts -- all the classics like Pac Man, Centipede, Missile Command --
plus some disks. Inquire for more details to: Eric Balkan, 14704 Seneca
Castle Ct, Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA; ebalkan@ppbbs.clark.net; PP BBS:
301-294-0756.

Supercom Pro v2 Backup Unit for SNES for sale  -  Includes 1.6MB disk
drive, 16MBits RAM upgradeable to 32, power supply, and com I/O pass-through.
$200 ono  1 yr old.  Contact Pete at 313 386-5214  MI, USA
email:	bsc@tiamat.umd.umich.ed


SUPPORT SITES/DISTRIBUTION
***********=/\=***********
THE following places are the first to receive Frontier each month, and
also carry previous issues. If you are after the latest issue of
Frontier, these places are where you will find it:

     VIOLENT CRIMES (BBS)
     Melborune, Australia (BBS)
     +61-3-562-1737
     Sysop: David
     Extra: Leave David or me a message and mention Frontier

     CHEMiCAL GENOCiDE (BBS)
     Melbourne, Australia
     +61-3-558-27xx (email me for the number)
     Sysop: Messiah
     Extra: logon as 'frontier' with pw 'frontier' for just the magazine

     EMPIRE (BBS)
     Melbourne, Australia
     +61-3-591-0020
     Sysop: Matthew Clemants
     Extra: This is still being worked on, issues are distributed here
	    Fidonet (3:632/530)

     CUBENet (BBS)
     Munich, Germany
     +49-089-149-8811
     Sysop: Peter Koehnkow
     Extra Info: 44 lines! One of Europe's biggest BBS
		 Fidonet (2:2480/66)

     X=Link BBS
     Singapore
     +065-345-2083
     Sysop: Melvin Chia
     Extra Info: 24hrs (Sat/Sun/Singapore public holidays)
		 1200-0000 (Mon-Fri : Singapore Time)
		 Fidonet (6:600/638)

     Packet Press BBS
     United States
     +1-301-294-0756
     Sysop: Eric Balkan (balkane@eon.com)
     Extra Info: None applicable - just call!

     -+-*/ X-TReMe BBS /*-+-
     Steenbergen, The Netherlands
     +31-1670-64414
     SYSoPS: The DoCToR & PYGoR (U055231@HNYKUN11.UCI.KUN.NL)
     Extra Info: General support BBS (too much for one line!)

     Continental Drift BBS
     Sydney, Australia
     +61-2-949-4256
     Sysop: Andre Lackmann (Andre_Lackmann@drift.apana.org.au)
     Extra Info: Fidonet (3:714/911)

     FTP
     ftp.digex.net in /pub/access/spatton/frontier_magazine/
     Admin: contact Scott Patton (spatton@access.digex.net)
     Extra Info: Only the latest issue of Frontier will be available
		 here due to limited archive space.

     FTP (non-official)
     California, United States
     wuarchive.wustl.edu in /pub/msdos_uploads/frontier_magazine/
     Admin: archive@wugate.wustl.edu
     Extra Info: At present only on a temporary basis and is not
		 official (could disappear at any time). I know, its not
		 DOS related, but where else does it go?

     * Frontier is looking for somebody who can set up some sort of
     internet list-server so that Frontier can be sent via email to
     people who don't have FTP access. Contact the editor if you are
     willing to provide this.

     * You too can become a support site and be added to this list. All
     that is required is for you to hold the current and back issues of
     Frontier, and be able to FTP each issue as it is released.
     Simple...


HOW *YOU* TOO CAN HELP OUT FRONTIER
***************=/\=****************
FOR a magazine such as this to prosper, Frontier needs regular
contributions from its readers. From general articles, new releases, to
reviews and opinions, Frontier needs them all. Even small pieces of
information which you feel may not or may not be important, don't
hesitate to send them in. Most likely, if it hasn't been mentioned, we
don't know about it!

If you wish to become a regular reviewer for Frontier, drop me a line
stating the consoles you own, and which game(s) you want to review and
I'll email you the 'Frontier reviewer's guide'. This guide should cover
everything you need to know about writing a review for this magazine, or
for those who have never written a review before and want to.

The following things are specifically needed at present:

     - More reviewers: Although many have asked for and have been sent
       the reviewer's guide, I have heard very little back in the way of
       reviews from those people. Please get those reviews in if you
       intend on having them published!

     - More cheats: A lot of the cheats as you may notice are reprints
       of those that have appeared in other magazines. I am trying to
       stay away from this, so if you have an original cheat or hint
       please send it in.

     * For information on where to send any material or contributions,
       see the following section.


HOW TO CONTACT FRONTiER
*********=/\=**********
IF you need to contact Frontier for any reason, to ask a question, to
pose a question, to comment on the magazine or industry in general, or
for any other reason, don't hesitate to mail! (as it were).

     * Gordon Craick (chief editor) *

     .._@/` Post: Gordon Craick       For those who do not have access
		  16 Gums Avenue	      to the internet
		  Belgrave, Victoria
		  AUSTRALIA	3160

     Email: pred@zikzak.apana.org.au   For response within a few minutes
						 to a few days!
	    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
     NOTE! This address will most likely be changing soon due to closure
     of my internet provider. Hopefully this will NOT be happening
     before the next issue, however if your mail bounces you will know
     what has happened. Watch out in the console newsgroups for any
     updates of address.

     .:. If I don't receive your mail, try sending it again. If i
         *still* don't receive your message, try posting a 'where are
         you?' post in one of the console newsgroups (which I regularly
         monitor) and I should be able to get back to you. Otherwise,
         don't worry, I'm probably just dead :)


CREDITS/THANKS
*****=/\=*****
KEEP up the great support everybody! Specific thank you's go to:

     . Since the list has grown rather large now, thanks go out to _all_
       who have offered to be a support site. Keep up your support!
     . Will McBee for his many Playstation contributions
     . Matthew Martin for his excellent Saturn & Virtua Fighter review!
     . The "Big Kahuna" for his 32X and Virtua Racing review
     . David King for his Road Rash review
     . YOU for reading the magazine!

     * Unless otherwise indicated, all articles are written by Gordon
       Craick.

     That's about it from the sixth issue of Frontier! Look out for
     issue seven out in mid-January with lots of cool information...

	-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     COPYRIGHT INFORMATION - FRONTIER MAGAZINE AND ALL ARTICLES
     CONTAINED WITHIN REMAIN THE LEGAL PROPERTY OF THE AUTHOR(S) UNDER
     EXISTING WORLDWIDE COPYRIGHT TREATIES AND IS (c) COPYRIGHT
     1994/1995. NO PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE DISTRIBUTED SEPARATELY
     OR SOLD FOR PROFIT WITHOUT EXPLICIT PERMISSION FROM THE EDITOR AND
     RESPECTIVE AUTHOR'S.
	ALL COMPANIES AND NAMES MENTIONED IN THIS MAGAZINE REMAIN
     TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES.
	FRONTIER CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSSES INCURRED FROM
     INFORMATION IN THIS MAGAZINE, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY. WHILE
     CARE IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURATE INFORMATION, FRONTIER CANNOT BE
     HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSSES INCURRED AS A RESULT THEREOF.

	-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
