HERZOG ZWEI, DEFENDER, CHOPLIFTER...  ARMOR ALLEY

 HERZOG ZWEI, DEFENDER, CHOPLIFTER.... ARMOR ALLEY from Three-Sixty Pacific has
a little of all of them in its genes. The Macintosh version of the game (on
which this review is based) comes on one 800K disk in a handsomely packaged box.
It's compatible with most Macintoshes on the market, and can run in 16 colors.

 For the most part, the manual is well-written and concise, and includes a short
story that introduces you to this arcade-strategy game. It took me a little
longer than expected to learn the game mechanics, as Three-Sixty goes out of its
way to leave "...many of the subtleties of ARMOR ALLEY out of the manual." For
you folks out there who don't read manuals, or are having trouble beating the
computer, an in-game hint feature will guide you on your way.

 When you begin a game for the first time, you must register your name.
Registering your name allows you to continue games from the highest level you
have reached, and you have the option of password-protecting your
"registration."

 ARMOR ALLEY consists of ten levels to beat. Each level scrolls horizontally, as
in DEFENDER. Although you can only see a small portion of the scenario at once,
a heads-up radar is provided that shows your location, your enemies' location,
and all else on the map. As you progress to the higher levels, however, the
hostile helicopter is hidden from radar detection.

 Defeating each level consists of destroying the enemies' home base, as in
HERZOG ZWEI. Your base is at the far left end of the level, and your enemies' is
at the far right. You play the game as a small helicopter controlled by the
mouse, with a limited number of machine gun bullets, missiles, and bombs. A fair
amount of fuel is provided; to refuel, you must fly back to home base and land
on a small helopad. Your enemy is equipped the same way.

 To defeat the enemy, you must build ground forces for attack; weapons are
purchased using money, which you earn more of as you advance farther into
hostile territory. Ground forces consist of infantry (who can be loaded onto to
your helicopter for transport), tanks, missile launchers, engineers, and vans.

 To buy an item, just press its respective key on the keyboard. All the forces
you buy emerge from the left side of the screen, near your base. Slowly, they
advance forward toward your enemy, over the ground. They remain vulnerable to
attack from his helicopter and his ground forces. Numerous varieties of bunkers
can be found on the ground, as well, and your infantrymen can enter bunkers and
occupy them. Why occupy bunkers? Floating above the bunkers are large blimps on
tethers, which are dangerous to the opposing helicopters. Therefore, it's
important to gain control of as many bunkers as possible. Occasionally, a
balloon will break free of its tether and drift aimlessly across the screen.
Don't run into one.

 Infantry are purchased in multiples of fives and are very expensive. They are
the only ones who can occupy bunkers and destroy AA guns (to be explained
later), and are the only items that can be picked up and moved by your
helicopter. Release an infantryman in mid-air and he will parachute safely to
the ground. If you can manage to drop off infantrymen right in front of the
enemy base (no easy task since it is stocked with an unlimited supply of
missiles), the infantry will occupy it and give you control of all of his funds,
and vice versa.

 Vans are the most important items in this game: Get a van close enough to the
hostile base and it will electronically detonate it. Vans also have the ability
to jam the enemy helicopter's radar when close. Vans are also the weakest items
in the game, in terms of power: They sport no weapons of their own, and will
perish at a few hits from the enemy. You should escort vans in convoys to
protect them.

 Tanks are the most powerful things you can buy. Heavily armored, their sole
purpose is to destroy enemy ground forces.

 Missile launchers carry one missile, and will launch it at the opposing
helicopter. Missiles are very hard to dodge, but they do have a limited amount
of fuel.

 Engineers are purchased in twos, and have the same capabilities as infantry,
except they cannot occupy bases. Engineers are able to repair and gain control
of enemy AA guns (which fire rounds at your helicopter). These guys can become
very dangerous weapons if they make it to the opposing half of the level.

 You start out with three helicopters and lose one every time you are destroyed.
Extra helicopters can be purchased for an extortionate amount of money, so be
careful; unfortunately, your enemy has an unlimited amount of helicopters. On
the higher levels of the game, many surprises and new weapons await you; you
will need them to overcome the incredible difficulty on levels five through ten.

 As a bonus, you can compete with another player in ARMOR ALLEY through
Appletalk or via modem, adding another dimension to gameplay. Up to four players
(!) can play over AppleTalk, with the sole requirement being that all copies of
ARMOR ALLEY must be purchased separately. This is one feature sorely missing
from most arcade-strategy games.

 Three-Sixty Pacific has created a very professional-looking, smooth-playing
game, but is it worth the price? My answer is yes: It is very good -- not
outstanding, not excellent. Although gameplay runs at a slower pace than HERZOG
ZWEI or DEFENDER, it is far from boring. I really became involved when fighting
-- from the sense of urgency when the enemy helicopter attacked my convoy, to
the joy of discovering new secrets in the higher levels.

 Graphics and sound are wonderful on the Macintosh II, and very close attention
was paid to detail. You can even choose from two different backgrounds. For
example, landing your helicopter on the ground doesn't just occur immediately;
your speed is gradually slowed to a few "inches" per second, which closely
simulates the landing of a real helicopter. Land with your nose into the ground
and you are destroyed. Color is used sparingly but effectively, and graphics are
fine on a black-and-white Mac. ARMOR ALLEY is not copy-protected in any way, and
works fine from a hard drive.

 Strategically, the game is not as good as it could be. More variety should have
been provided when choosing ground forces: When buying an item, why not have a
set of specific orders to select from? And how about adding lakes or rivers to
the terrain, upon which boats could float? It would have been more interesting
to give the helicopter the ability to transport more than just infantry; this
would go right along with making the bunkers play a larger role in the game. In
HERZOG ZWEI, purchased weapons can be picked up from any friendly bunker on the
map, thus increasing their strategic value.

 Aside from these not-so-minor shortcomings, the game is fine. All dialog boxes
and menus are clearly laid out, and compatibility is excellent; the program even
runs under MultiFinder. The ability to play with four people over AppleTalk is
greatly appreciated, as is the modem option. Should you buy this game? If you
enjoy strategy-arcade games like HERZOG ZWEI, DEFENDER, or CHOPLIFTER, then
ARMOR ALLEY is a very good choice indeed.

 ARMOR ALLEY is published by Three-Sixty Pacific and distributed by Electronic
Arts.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253