by Ken Horowitz
Many people own a computer and never play games on it. Some people buy a computer with only that purpose in mind. Whatever your reasons, the same question usually arises: what do I want to play, and how do I get started?
First of all, decide what types of games suit your needs. There are fighting games, racing games, role-playing games, shooters (games in which you pilot spacecraft and shoot aliens), side-scrollers (i.e., Super Mario Bros.), among many others. Any one or a combination of these may appeal to you.
One of the most popular game genres on the PC is the war simulation. Campaigns for titles such as Command and Conquer and Warcraft have become best sellers and are even online now. In these types of games, you command armies that attempt world domination, or to just kick a friend’s butt. Your local retailer should have literally hundreds of simulations from which to choose.
By now you’re probably asking yourself: Where do I start? That’s easy. Head down to your local retailer and browse a bit. You’re bound to find something that interests you. All games include system requirements on the packaging, and a salesperson can answer any other questions you may have regarding the installation of any game.
If you want to start out slowly, some publishers offer compilations (many games bundled together) for low prices. Lucas Arts and Interplay do this often, and their packages include quality games such as Dark Forces, Rebel Assault, and the Alone in the Dark series. Other compilations include old Atari 2600 games (by Midway and Activision). These are good to practice game installation and just “getting the feel” of playing games on your PC.
If arcade action is what floats your boat, publishers such as Eidos Interactive and Squaresoft have the games you want. Lots of their titles, including Tomb Raider Gold and the just-released Final Fantasy VII, offer state-of-the-art gameplay and graphics that will immerse you totally in the gaming experience. But by far, the leader in arcade-to-PC gaming is Sega Enterprises.
They have released a string of arcade titles over the last year, with hits such as Virtua Squad 1&2, Sonic, Daytona Circuit Edition, among others. New releases include the awesome House of the Dead (a light gun game) and the incredible Sega Rally 2. The latter is an off road racer that won’t be released on a console system for another year.
So that’s it, folks. When it comes to video games, Nintendo doesn’t own the lion’s share anymore. PC gamers are growing in number, and with the advent of on-line gaming, are poised to become the next big market for game software publishers. I recommend that you get in on the ground floor. There’s nothing better than seeing hot competition between publishers. By Christmas you’ll see an increase in game quality and a decrease in prices. If you’re like me, your problem won’t be finding a good game; it’ll be finding enough money to buy them all?
Until next month, keep those gamepads happy?
Ken Horowitz is a HAL-PC member and can be reached at BrisAssoc@aol.com
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.