HARD NOVA

 "Elsewhere in the galaxy, beyond the frontier of the core worlds, an ancient
sun is dying...."

 If those words don't set your heart racing and your keyboard tingling, don't
run right out and buy HARD NOVA. Wait a week. But _do_ get HARD NOVA, in any
case. There's something for everyone in this game. (This review is based on the
IBM-PC version.)

 If you are an adventure lover, there are puzzles galore. If you fancy yourself
a great conversationalist, there are NPC interactions with a real flair -- you
don't even have to be polite!

 As with most adventures, you must hone your communications skills.
Conversations are displayed, and you can choose your remarks from among several
alternatives. What you say, and to whom you say it, can weave wonderfully
intricate twists into the plots.

 For the CRPG fanatics, there is logical character development and enough
skill-building selections to set lords a-leaping. Only the compulsive
cartographers among us will miss the secret doors that infest most CRPGs, and
decry the absence of such vast indoor areas as found in the prequel, SENTINEL
WORLDS.

 For the strategist, there are two full-blown story lines with lots of neat
little sub-plots. A vast library of crew permutations for both ground and air
makes configuration strategy an integral part of gameplay.

 For the arcade experts, HARD NOVA offers three types of real-time combat:
ground, air, and space. None of the three is beyond the capability of those of
us with less than fantastic manual dexterity. All three challenge our abilities
in strategy and decision making. The space-combat mode is not just shoot and
scoot. You have at your command both defensive and offensive technological
wonders: Jam the enemy's radar or fool them into thinking you are one of them;
select their poison from among missiles, lasers, big guns, or small; or shoot
and scoot, if you really want to. Thanks to the high-tech tools at hand
(including a targeting computer), a cool eye is not as important as a cool mind!

 For the munitions buffs, armament selection and use is like hog heaven! As in
most CRPGs, weapons and character class matchups are very important. Unlike most
CRPGs, the detail lavished upon the graphics depicting the weapons and
ammunition is astounding, and the graphics are outdone by the applications. War
gamers will want this game just to analyze the weapons.

 And speaking of graphics: Wow! From the glorious title screen to the endgame
smasharoo, you are in for a real treat. Meticulous detail and stunning artwork
make every screen a delight. Going through a stargate is almost as much of a
trip as 2001!

 HARD NOVA may well become the gold standard of space opera on disk. We have a
grand synthesis of most of the major game categories and state-of-the-art
compatibility. And, too, we have the first fully developed _female_ lead
character, Nova herself. If you insist upon a macho game, there is an
alternative male lead, Stark, better at brawn but less adept technically than
Nova. Whether you choose Stark or Nova to lead your party, you have a _game_
afoot. That is G-A-M-E...all caps and playable!

 Now for the mandatory technicalities:

 HARD NOVA was designed by Spaceport Malibu for Electronic Arts. The creative
cadets at Malibu include Karl Buiter, Game Designer and Programmer, who added
some computer art, too. Mark Dickenson did Computer Art, Scott Fisher was Tools
Programmer, and Peggy Brennan, Cynthia Hamilton, and Michael Lubuguin did
additional Computer Art. Music Composition by Jon Medek, and Music Technology by
Rob Hubbard resulted in the Sound Technology by David Worhol. Based on an
original concept by Karl Buiter, story writing and implementation of HARD NOVA
were by Eric Lindstrom and Jeff Haas. Producer Christopher Erhardt has presented
us with a gem.

 HARD NOVA is supplied on four 5-1/4" disks and can be played from seven 360K
floppies, four 3-1/2" 720K floppies, or three high-density floppies (either
3-1/2" or 5-1/4"). Compatible with DOS 3.0 through 4.01, HARD NOVA can and
should be installed on a hard disk. (At least 2.4 Mb of free disk space is
necessary on the hard drive.)

 HARD NOVA requires 512K of RAM, and TSRs are not recommended. Compatible
hardware includes IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/1, PS/2 Family, Compaq, Tandy 1000 Family,
3000, 4000, and 5000. Mouse and keyboard are supported, as are AdLib, Roland,
and PS/2 sound systems; Tandy and PC speakers work with the game, too. Graphics
support includes EGA, MCGA, and full 256-color VGA.

 The 3-1/2" disk version can be ordered from Electronic Arts for $7.50 (includes
$2.50 shipping and handling). A hint book, THE STARKILLER MERC COMBAT JOURNAL,
is available from Electronic Arts for $12.95. According to the package insert,
this is a mercenary must-have -- and Nova _is_ a mercenary! An 800 number is
provided for ordering, and mail orders are available for an additional $3.00.

 There is no on-disk copy protection, but the full color galactic map supplied
with the game amounts to a token level of off-disk protection. The map is
absolutely lovely and shows several star clusters and constellations, as well as
a map of the game galaxy. Locations of planets and stargates are included, as
are statistics relevant to the images that border the map. These statistics
serve as the copy protection: The game demands one stat every time you boot up,
and if you answer incorrectly, you are dumped back to DOS. While annoying, this
is not such a bad protection scheme.

 Gameplay begins with a glimpse of the world where the sun is dying. A last
ditch attempt at rekindling the star has failed, and the Typhons are desperate
--- they need their star or they need a new home. Will you flick your Bic or
will you bash and dash? Play HARD NOVA and find out.

 HARD NOVA is published and distributed by Electronic Arts.

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