Dice PC Games
Offers
Reviews
Dice PC Game Reviews
 |
Sim Tower (PC)
by thole09 "SimTower: The Vertical Empire" is a video game which was released by Maxis in December 1994. It follows closely with the other "Sim" branded video games wherein the user must manage available resources and develop systems based on the objective of the game. Here, players must construct a skyscraper in aims of ... achieving the game's lucrative five star rating. In the United States the game received a rating of "E" which deemed it suitable for all ages. The game is now approaching its 15th anniversary since issuance and I'm pleased to report that the title is still fully operable on the Windows XP operating system. As the game was released in 1994, the system requirements to run it seem quite menial but include: Computer: 100% IBM Compatible Processor: 386 33 MHz or higher Memory: 4MB of RAM Drives: 2X CD-ROM Sound: Recommended 100% Sound Blaster Compatible sound card Video: SVGA with 256 colors Controls: Keyboard / Mouse Operating System: Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, and Windows 98 DirectX: N/A Multiplayer: N/A Players initially begin this game with a $2M budget and must start their construction with a lobby. The entire design is very similar to that of a typical hotel but, as the player progresses through the star ratings, eventually unlocks luxurious locations such as upscale restaurants, shops, cinemas, doctor's surgeries and underground parking. The newly added features are critical to the player's success as the tower's tenants will have increasing demands as the star ratings increase. Some outside influence is also exerted on the tower. For example, terrorists may ring up with a bomb threat and demand a ransom sum but the player may use his or her security force to uncover the bomb. Strategic financial management is a necessity as one much be aware of the economics of construction management when designing his or her tower. Items such as elevator maintenance, hotel suite cleaners, tube stations and waste management facilities all incur charges which must be offset by sales from flats, office space, cinema tickets and meals at the restaurants. There is also a strong sense of elevator management skills required for success in the game. Many of my towers have perished due to the tenant's stress levels; represented through deepening shades of red. As each individual queues for the elevator his or her stress levels may rise as the waiting time extends. As more tenants reach higher stress levels, they will eventually leave the tower and this lowers the accessible population which is needed for star rating progression. Each star rating is achieved through certain milestones which always include a fixed population target being reached, but also depends on features being constructed such as hotel suites and security depots. The game is not inherently difficult but it does exercise the player's ability to think ahead and plan accordingly. The graphics are presented as a two dimensional flat image with differing images representative of different items. An office space sports a typical telecommunications look whereas the condominium looks like a functional living space housing a small family. Each feature is also accented by various sound effects such as a beeping car horn within car parks. Constructing identical buildings too close together does eventually lead to some clashing and looping sound effects which I find strenuous on the ears. In a large section of office buildings, for example, there is a constant ringing of telephones and fax machines which can become very tiresome to listen to. Some features were quite cleverly designed and one that immediately stands out to me is the cinema. In a cinema the player has access to a wide range of film titles which each feature their own graphic on the silver screen and accompanying sound effect, such as kissing lips for a romance film or a shrieking woman for a horror film. SimTower is a very simple game in design but is flawless in execution. Despite the game's much older age I still find myself regularly playing and enjoying it, and it is one which I would recommend to prospective buyers without hesitation. It may not be found suitable for younger children who lack critical thinking skills but adults may find themselves immersed within what SimTower has to offer. Read the complete review |
 |
Lemmings for Windows (PC)
by collingwood21 "Lemmings for Windows" was first released in 2002 and combines two classic PC games - the original "Lemmings" and the sequel "Oh No More Lemmings" - in one inexpensive package that will appeal widely to retro game fans. I succumbed to a nostalgic urge to play lemmings again when I saw it included in a 3 ... games for £10 special offer in GAME. "Lemmings for Windows" is a wonderful antidote to many modern games that prize slick graphics and fancy sound above all else; it is aesthetically very basic, easy to learn and easy to play, and puts originality of design and addictive gameplay first and foremost. It kind of has to though, given that the original lemmings dates from 1995 (positively archaic in PC terms) and has the pixellated graphics and synthesised soundtrack to prove it. The appearance of lemmings will come as a bit of a shock to those gamers used to more recent releases, but within the space of a couple of levels I was enjoying myself so much that I soon didn't care how basic it appeared. This is usually the point where I would list the specs needed to run such a game - but this is such a simple one that there aren't any, other than to say it will run on Widows 95 and later versions on pretty much any PC, no matter how basic. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the lemmings games, let me explain. It is an elegantly simple 2-D platform game based around the myth that lemmings are stupid creatures, best known for hurling themselves off high cliffs en masse for no better reason than they were all following each other. The lemmings in the game are fuzzy and cartoonish, simple creatures with bright green hair that will march across the landscape of each level, not stopping until they either reach safety or die. The player therefore has to act as a god-like figure, interceding in the march of the lemmings to save as many as possible before they walk to their doom - you will need to save a certain quota of lemmings to pass each level. The lemmings drop into each level through a mysterious trapdoor, and immediately begin wandering to the right; your task is to guide the relentless creatures to safety, represented by a doorway that might be unassailably high, splatteringly low or behind a series of obstacles. So how do you save such stupid creatures? The answer is that you need to give your lemmings skills and instructions so they can forge a safe passage to the exit doorway. There are a range of skills you can attribute to your lemmings - climber, floater, builder, basher, digger, miner, blocker and bomber - that are available in limited supply at the start of each level (for example, you might only have 5 climbers available when you have 20 lemmings in the level). Clever use of these skills mean you can utilise lemmings to bash tunnels through walls, build bridges over ravines, block unsafe paths, and dig towards safety, so that fellow lemmings can walk blindly through a safe path across the level. Some lemmings may have to be sacrificed for the greater good of lemming-kind, but you will need to be careful how many lemming martyrs you create, because if too many die, you will need to reply the level again. It sounds quite simple doesn't it? Yet as the levels grow more complex and the number of times you can use each skill lessens, the challenge increases and you will need to scheme quite carefully to be able to save these strange little creatures from themselves. This increasing challenge is reflected in the way the levels are grouped. The first few are "fun", the next ones "tricky" and later ones are labelled "taxing" and "mayhem" in the original game - in the sequel, you get "tame" followed by "crazy", "wild", "wicked" and "havoc". It is possible to cheat and skip through levels if you find you absolutely can't solve the puzzle, although I wouldn't recommend using this tool too much as it spoils the challenge of solving the levels for yourself. Each level is timed and only lasts a few minutes, but with over 200 levels available in this game, there is considerable longevity to be had - in fact I keep on going back to it several months after buying it, and still have many levels left to solve. The challenge of solving the puzzle with limited resources and limited time is surprisingly addictive! The interface is as simple to pick up as the gameplay. Below the level there is one button for each skill (simply click on the skill and click on your chosen lemming to activate it), an overview of the level so you can see the bigger picture, a fast forward button to move through the slower parts of the level, buttons to speed up and slow down the lemming drop rate, and a "self destruct" button to kill all lemmings and end the level if you have messed it up beyond repair. You can also use the menus to chose a different level, pause, action replay, turn the music and sound effects on and off, restart the level and to access help menus (good for hints and tips if you have never played lemmings before). All control is with the mouse and so can be picked up very easily, although you can also use keyboard controls if you wish - these are listed in the help menus. The game has an ELSPA rating of being suitable for ages 3+, as the lemming "deaths" are so cartoonish it is suitable for children. In the hours of gaming fun (and frustration) I have had since buying "Lemmings for Windows", I think I have more than got my money's worth from this title; great value for money, and I just hope that the other games I bought in this offer are as good! Recommended. Price and availability: Currently on Amazon Marketplace for less than £1: http://tinyurl.com/449ygm Currently on WHSmith for £4.99: http://tinyurl.com/3k8c2b http://www.lemmings.tv/ Read the complete review |
|
|
Sim Tower (PC)
by shroud Shortly after Maxis' release of SimCity 2000, the firm acquired the license to the Japanese company OPeNBooK Co., Ltd's computer game, The Tower, and released it as SimTower in 1994.The premise of the game is quite simple: you are building a skyscraper, and must use the options available to garner star ratings, which are rather like ... hotel stars and reveal the quality of the service and facilities on offer. Each star rating advance opens up a new set of choices you can build into your tower in order to add enough variety to attract consumers and businesses, and advance to the next star rating level. Initially, all you can build are lobby space, offices, fast food outlets, condominiums (flats), stairs, and lifts (called elevators in the game). Simply clicking on the ground floor will place a simple one storey level lobby, although there is a knack to get two and three storey lobbies that are ever more grand in nature,. To get a two storey lobby, simply press the shift key when placing the first piece of lobby, and to get a grand three storey lobby that gets fancy spiraling stairs when stairs are place, hold down ctrl + shift when placing the first piece of lobby. You can only get the enhanced lobby on the ground level, and any other lobbies you place, which can be at 15 floor intervals, will be the normal type lobby. Other options that appear later in the game, according to star rating achieved, include shops, fast food joints, restaurants, security rooms, hotel suites and service staff rooms, cinemas, party halls, and even a wedding chapel. Once your tower reaches a certain size both in stature as well as population, you will also need to consider placing services such as Express elevators, recycling centres, a hospital, parking bays, and even a station to link you to the underground metro. Accomplishing 5 star status in order to gain the highest rating and get a cathedral on top is not all that easy. You have to keep an eye out on the happiness level of your tenants and adjust rent levels accordingly, and adjust services. You will be able to tell if interior transport is an issue as people waiting for the lift will show as shadows, and turn red when they are getting impatient waiting for their turn on a crowded lift.You also will encounter the odd terrorist trying to extort cash from you, offering to reveal where they have hidden a bomb for a large amount of money, and fires occur from time to time that you must deal with.All of the features you can add in, and the maintenance costs of the building must be factored in as well, as you get money from selling condos, renting office space, shop space, etc, and from cinema takings. You can help maximise these earnings not only by running a well maintained and efficiently designed tower, but by making sure that your movies are varied and changed often, to encourage attendance. Pretty well much, then, you are actually building a very modern mega structure that is basically a self contained community, where people can live, work, holiday, shop, eat, and get entertainment all in one place. Doing it well can be tricky, and the variations to doing it well can vary enormously as you try all sorts of different tower designs with different combinations of services. One of the nice technical aspects of this game is the low spec requirements. Designed for Windows 3x and 95, it has a very low memory requirement and can actually be installed from its disc so that the entire game is on your PC or laptop, with no need to put the disc in to play afterwards. being an older game, the graphics are not as slick or modern as more up to date Sim games, but have a reasonable slightly cartoonish look to them, with movements of the people in the rooms a bit jerky, and very repetitive. This does not matter, though, as they are mere background. This is not about the people, but rather about the tower itself, and the humans in the game relegated to mere details to be checked on every now and again as needed. The sound effects are also pretty basic, with a general low conversational babble from the people when it is occupied, a rooster crow when dawn breaks, and the hum of the lifts as they go up and down. Being for Windows 3x and 95, if you have an original disc of the game, you will have to play in compatibility mode if using XP. Original game cd roms for this title are not currently for sale in retail shops, though you can buy them fairly cheaply from EBay. You can also purchase the game as an enhanced download from the British website Classic Gaming Presents, found at http://www.classicgamingpresents.com/. The version featured on their website has seen the gaming code updated to play without any issues on XP, and being a download, is readily available on demand. Either way, loading time is insignificant, as it unzips in mere seconds and is ready to play. It's a nice little game, and uncomplicated, but fun, and is strangely addictive. I find myself returning to play it again, and again, and my husband has it installed on his laptop for those days when he is waiting in a long queue to get his lorry loaded/unloaded, or is parked up somewhere rather remote.My six year old and four year old also enjoy playing this game, and have learned a lot about budgeting as well as community needs, so it is also slightly educational. Though rated for ages 3 and up, my four year old initially had to have quite a bit of help understanding he needed money to build things, and to understand what the little messages said when they popped up on the screen (demands from terrorists, a note saying a VIP was visiting, etc). so while the gamplay play is simple and straightforward, and the material unobjectionable in content, it is perhaps best left for players who can read. Read the complete review |
Dice PC Game |
||
|---|---|---|
|
1 review Manufacturer: Dice / PC Game / Genre: Simulation - What's green-haired lovable and looking for trouble? Sounds like a Lemming and you've got your hands full of 'em trying to rescue thousands of the clueless little critters from gaping chasms roaring furnaces and swirling rivers. Keep'em climbing flo... |
|
|
2 reviews Manufacturer: Dice / PC Game / Genre: Family & Entertainment / Strategy - Build your real estate empire from the ground up. As owner and landlord of the building, your objective is to construct and develop a balanced and profitable commercial property by leasing space inside for apartments, offices,... |
|
|
2 reviews PC Game / |
|
| Dice PC Game Recommendations 1 | ||
| dooyoo Results 1 - 3 of 3 | ||
