BALLISTIX 

 Recently, I went to a science fiction/fantasy convention and
gravitated to the computer room. There were three Amigas in the
room, one of which was always being used by someone to play STRIP
POKER. When I got a chance to use one, I sat down and loaded up
BALLISTIX, and suddenly all eyes were drawn to my screen. It's that
kind of game -- even more fun than pictures of naked women. 
Atari ST version notes follow.) 

 Play could not be easier. It is simply a type of hockey game in
which you maneuver the puck toward the opposing goal by shooting
metal marbles at it. You can fire the marbles one at a time, or in a
steady barrage. It is easy to learn, and a lot of fun to play. The
game can be played solo on a pitched field tilted toward your own
goal, which means you must keep blasting upwards to avoid losing to
the inexorable force of gravity. But it is best played by two
players, head-to-head, each with his or her own joystick. 

 A mere description does not begin to do the game justice, however. 
On the Amiga, the graphics are spectacular, and the game play is
quick and fluid. Bu the game progesses in difficulty. In the
one-player mode, there are 50 levels of play, and in the two-player
mode, there are 80 levels; all 130 are different. I never made it
beyond level 5 in the one-player game, but I look forward to seeing
more. 

 One feature I particularly liked was what I called the "land
mine." You hit it with a marble, and it shoots out dozens of balls
that have a decidedly randomizing effect on the gameplay! 
Occasionally letters appear which, when collected, spell the word
"ricochet." I imagine getting them all will give you some kind of
bonus, but I haven't quite managed it yet. I did, however, get as
far as "rico het." 

 BALLISTIX also offers an options screen that lets you tailor the
game to your own abilities. You can change the speed and number of
balls available, the number of games needed to win in the two-player
mode, and the amount of control you have over the number of balls
fired when you press the joystick button. 

 One minor complaint: Psygnosis's love for the grotesque is at work
here, so it's fair to describe the overall look of the game as "air
hockey in hell." The playing area is bordered by gruesome
creatures, and wait 'til you see the "Aliens"-inspired BEM that
drops the puck. I found this totally out of place in a pure sports
contest; once I began playing, I merely ignored it. Note, too, that
the game is copy-protected. 

 Overall, BALLISTIX is a great two-player game in a field where
there are too few of that caliber. 

 ATARI ST VERSION NOTES 

 The Atari ST version of BALLISTIX is more or less identical to the
Amiga version. The game looks fabulous, is highly playable, and is
not easily mastered. It's as much fun for two players as it is for
one. I would _like_ to recommend it to ST users: The truth of the
matter is, I wouldn't recommend BALLISTIX to my worst enemy. 

 The reason I can't recommend it is due to copy protection. The
scheme on the program disk is vile and paranoid; it's so obscene
that the drive head moves off the disk surface and bumps into the
plastic cover. This occurs each time a game ends and you decide to
restart. Although not all 50 (one-player) levels or 80 (two-player) 
levels are available, you can choose to begin on a level other than
00. To the protection scheme, the level on which you start and
restart doesn't matter. The program does a protection check on
_every_ restart, regardless from which level you choose to start. 
Eventually, your ST will bomb out. 

 BALLISTIX appears to sport the same protection as BARBARIAN: For
that game, I removed the cover from a 1040ST and _watched_ the drive
head move off the disk surface and bump into the plastic; 
BALLISTIX, if nothing else, certainly "sounds" as if it's doing the
same thing. This protection transforms an otherwise worthwhile
program into an insult from Psygnosis, and if you buy it for your
ST, you're asking for trouble. 

 BALLISTIX is published and distributed by Psygnosis, Ltd. 

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