Oni (Ghost)
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 25 APR 2001 by Scott Parrino
Inspired by the anime (or 'manga') cartoon genre, Oni (roughly translating from Japanese as 'ghost') is a third-person action game in which the player assumes the role of Konoko, a young girl unaware of her past or of her destiny. Despite being over-hyped at its release and suffering many scathing reviews, Oni was not a disappointment for me. Instead it was a very enjoyable, hectic and exciting trip into the world of martial arts, gunplay and political corruption.
The Wargamer Hosts Steel Panthers: World War II, Version 4
PRESS RELEASE posted on 17 APR 2001 by Scott Parrino
The Wargamer is proud to announce its newest content addition as official host of Steel Panthers: World War II, Version 4.0 (SPWW2), an exhaustive mod designed by the SP Camo Workshop to expand and enhance the venerable classic computer wargame Steel Panthers II: Modern Battles, originally designed by Gary Grigsby and Keith Brors, and published by Strategic Simulations.
Half Life Counter-Strike
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 16 APR 2001 by Scott Parrino
Half-Life: game of the year in over forty publications and arguably one of, if not the best, first-person shooters ever made. The game has sold millions of copies and won many awards. Many attribute its success to the compelling single-player, the convincing environments and the clever AI. However, it is a great irony that many people have bought this game for none of the above reasons, but instead because Half-Life has become more than a game: it has become a development platform for the next best thing. That "thing" is end-user game modifications that extend the game or change it into an entirely new game. One of those modifications, Counter-Strike, will be the focus of this review.
Napoleon’s Russian Campaign
PC GAME PREVIEW posted on 14 APR 2001 by Scott Parrino
I believe this game will be an outstanding addition to the wargamer interested in Napoleonic warfare. Rarely does a game come along that makes me want to re-familiarize myself on a subject… usually it’s the other way around. In my opinion, Napoleon’s Russian Campaign is such a game. And what’s more, we are likely to see several more of these Campaign Series of Napoleonic Battles created, with wargamers gleefully picking them up. The only question I have is: "…How come this wasn’t done sooner?!"
Starseige Tribes 2
PC GAME PREVIEW posted on 30 MAR 2001 by Scott Parrino
Approximately six months ago, I was given the opportunity to join the beta team for the sci-fi first-person shooter Tribes 2, the successor to the Starsiege: Tribes legacy. The beta progressed until December, at which point the game went internal once more. In February, Tribes 2 was released again to a select set of second stage beta ("meta") testers, who have since helped to iron out the final bugs before release. Based on this meta-release, the following preview examines Tribes 2, one of the most wildly anticipated titles of 2001.
Combat Command 2 - Danger Forward!
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 20 MAR 2001 by Scott Parrino
Overall, the game is a highly playable simulation of combat on the Western/Mediterranean Fronts. While not the most accurate simulation available, it has no glaring errors that detract from the value of the product. Combat Command 2 - Danger Forward! is a successful design that portrays both tactical and operational combat at a playable level. Mr. Erickson is currently also working on an additional scenario disk and a patch to clear up a few problems noted above, among other things.
Battle Isle - The Andosia War
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 12 MAR 2001 by Scott Parrino
Battle Isle - The Andosia War is an interesting mix of turn-based tactical combat and real-time strategy (RTS) that offers an ultimately satisfying series of bloody slugfests for those gamers patient enough to work through multiple patches and scanty documentation.
Interview with BoKu Strategy Games' David Erickson
INTERVIEW posted on 6 MAR 2001 by Scott Parrino
With the announcement of two new games, BoKu Strategy Games' David Erickson is a busy man these days. We would like to thank Mr. Erickson and Richard Arnesen of Shrapnel Games for taking a few minutes to answer some questions regarding these upcoming projects. Fans of 18th Century warfare, rejoice!
Age of Sail II
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 28 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
Despite some problems, Age of Sail II has the potential to be a truly superb fighting sail wargame and the preponderance of this review details some of the very special innovations that appear in this game. Age of Sail II forges boldly into areas no one has yet attempted for a game of this genre; the graphics are breathtaking and actual play in the game is very rewarding to the devoted fan of nautical fiction from the tall ships era.
Gaugamela 331 BCE
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 27 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
The battle that was the Waterloo of the Persian Empire has been the source of historic myth for centuries. Arrian, in his The Campaigns of Alexander, estimates the Persian army at Guagamala as 1,000,000 infantry, 40000 cavalry, 200 scythe-chariots, and a few elephants. Alexander has 7000 cavalry and about 40000 infantry. No elephants! When the battle was over and Alexander was victorious there lay on the field of battle about 300,000 Persians. Persian prisoners greatly exceeded that number. On the Macedonian side about 100 men were killed. Arrian notes that over 1000 horses, most of them from the Companions, died either from wounds or from exhaustion, chasing the Persians in the rout! There is no mention of whether the elephants were among the casualties.
The 2nd Battle of Cremona 69 CE
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 25 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
In June of 68 CE, the Emperor Nero, the last of Julio-Claudians, was dead, and another had already claimed the title of Emperor - Servius Sulpicius Galba. Governor of Hispania Tarraconensis from AD 61-68, Galba didn't arrive in Rome until October of 68, and did not live beyond January of 69. He was murdered by Marcus Salvius Otho, Governor of Lusitania AD 58-68. Otho was in Rome as Galba's follower, but had him murdered. Otho was proclaimed Emperor in January of 69. But by then another had already claimed the title, Aulus Vitellius, Governor of Lower Germany, who's legions proclaimed him Emperor for no better reason then he was their commander.
Fleet Command Scenario: Strait and Narrow
AFTER ACTION REPORT posted on 17 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
Aboard the Princeton, Captain Russell surveyed the tactical display screen as his SAG steamed north at full speed to rejoin the CVBG. No new threats were sighted and he ordered a stand down from battle stations. He congratulated the crews of all three vessels on a job well done, as both they and the Aegis system had passed their first real test of combat. But he could only wonder how many more there would be in the coming days. Saber rattling had led to armed confrontation and, for the first time in fifty years, the Eagle and the Dragon were at war with each other.
Warfare in Feudal Japan
HISTORICAL ARTICLE posted on 16 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
To Westerners, "Shogun" is a naughty word that conjures up images of a brutal warlord encased in layers of in shiny black-lacquered armor waving a bloody samurai sword over his head and shouting “Banzai!” As politically incorrect as this vision may seem, it is not that far from the truth.
Star Trek: StarFleet Command II
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 7 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
Anyone who has played, or who has wanted to play Star Fleet Battles, or who has ever wanted to command starships in battle in a Star Trek universe, should get this game. The tactical combat system is just that good. While the campaign game, to put it mildly, is extremely frustrating, confusing and disappointing, it does serve a purpose as a random mission generator. If taken as that, and not as a campaign game, it can generate some great tactical problems to intrigue the player.
The Phalanx in Great Battles
STRATEGY AND TACTICS ARTICLE posted on 3 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
Historically the phalanx was an awesome fighting formation. When confronted by the ultimate ancient war machine, the Roman Legion, the phalanx could give a creditable account of itself, even after having passed its peak. Having held sway over the western way of war from the time of the early Greeks, through the conquests of Alexander, and on to the conflicts of the Diadochi (Alexander's successors), the phalanx was gradually giving way to smaller, more maneuverable units.
Close Combat: Invasion Normandy
STRATEGY AND TACTICS ARTICLE posted on 1 FEB 2001 by Scott Parrino
Battles within a campaign are spontaneously set up with the appropriate forces, terrain, logistics, and other contextual campaign elements. This is a significant departure from other wargames where a campaign is simply a series of linear, pre-built battles, to be fought in sequence.
Homeworld Cataclysm
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 24 JAN 2001 by Scott Parrino
In Homeworld: Cataclysm, the player finds that fifteen years have passed since the end of Homeworld. The colonists have been busy building cities and repopulating their new home. Unfortunately, resuming the ancient clan system has not been generous to all of the various clans. The players find themselves in one of several clans that got the short end of the stick. They have to mine asteroids and buy most technology from other races.
Combat Mission: Desert Fox. Desert Rats Mod
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 21 JAN 2001 by Scott Parrino
Battlefront.com’s smash hit Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord has brought modifications (MODs) to the wargaming world. This seems inevitable when looking at the game as a meshing of the finest elements of a turn-based wargame with the appropriate elements of a first-person shooter (FPS). Battlefront.com and Big Time Software (BTS) have fully welcomed the MOD community, even going so far as to provide a link to the Combat Mission HQ website. The website desert fox. desert rats. (dfdr) is the repository for the new CMBO MODs devoted to the desert conflicts fought during WWII.
Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 20 JAN 2001 by Scott Parrino
Microsoft’s Combat Flight Simulator 2: Pacific Theater is one of the best World War II air combat simulations to date, and perhaps the best Pacific air war simulation ever. Out of the box, CFS2 is a very stable, fun, and realistic flight simulation with a fun atmosphere that should satisfy the tastes of even the most well versed armchair veteran or the virgin pilot.
Sudden Strike
PC GAME REVIEW posted on 15 JAN 2001 by Scott Parrino
Sudden Strike is a fast moving and challenging game. During the review, considering the size of the forces engaged, it was felt that it moved too fast at times. Another disappointment was the lack of unit designations and combat organizations. It was hard to maintain any unit cohesion during operations because no unit designations are employed. At times, the gamer will find themself moving unrelated groups of various typed units toward the enemy force or other objective with no real organization. A situation found in real combat. Organizing for combat is a principal that a commander can never take for granted. For those who desire historical scenarios, the game will be a disappointment. Lack of a scenario editor in Sudden Strike will also disappoint many armchair generals. But when all is said and done, Sudden Strike has great graphics, depicts numerous types of forces and plenty of action that results in enjoyable play.
