Re: ANN: One MHz Software CD-ROM

[CUTjefbla@bconnex.net (Jeff Blakeney)]

On 20 Feb 1999 04:52:31 GMT, supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) wrote:

>Ah, but on my Windows 95 unit, I run nearly exclusively Win95
>stuff.  That's sort of parallel to running just IIGS stuff on the IIGS.

I still have a bunch of DOS software that I use on my Pentium II as
well.  Some of it works okay under a DOS session under Windows 95,
others I have to start my machine in DOS mode or make a boot disk but
I still use this stuff.  I have some pretty cool games, some of which
I've never finished, just like the 8 bit stuff on my IIgs.

>The fact of the matter is that I find the IIGS to still have punch
>to keep me interested.  Out of this World on the IIGS is fun.
>Sound effects in IIGS games are cool.  And when I ran the
>sequel to Out of this World, Flashback, on my Windows unit,
>I didn't notice a huge jump in terms of gaming experience.

Well, you also keep telling people about the fact that Wolfenstein 3D
exists for the Apple IIgs but it pales in comparison to the PC version
and I won't even bring up the comparison to Doom, Quake, Unreal or any
of the other 3D games available for the PC.  :-)

>However, when I run Defender (which was written for an
>Apple II+), yuck!  I couldn't believe how bad the gaming
>experience and the sound was...

Have you ever played the fantasy role-playing game Phantasie?  This
was one of the best computer FRPGs that I've ever played but it has to
have the worst graphics of any game I've played.  :-)

>This is not to say that 8-bit software can't be good.  DHR
>stuff and productivity stuff like AppleWorks 5.1, ProTERM 3.1,
>Springboard Publisher, GEOS, and PublishIt! 4 are great.
>But 8-bit games leave a lot to be desired.

Well, as good as those applications might be, on a IIgs you'd be
better off using 16 bit applications for those tasks with the
exception of AppleWorks.

Why am I opposing my own argument here?  Well, I'm not really.  In
these cases, there are word processors, databases, spreadsheets,
communications, graphics and page layout programs available for GS/OS
that do these tasks in a much better way but there is no IIgs versions
of Wings of Fury, Airheart, Tangled Tales or Knights of Legend.

>I don't demand much of my games.  On the Win95 unit,
>I like to play Space Invaders.  Space Clusters for the IIGS
>has better sound and graphics than Space Invaders for
>the Win95 unit.  But both are SO much better than anything
>for the old 8-bit II+ in terms of sound and graphics.

Have you ever played Karateka or Prince of Persia?  That's just two
things that pop into my mind that have incredible animation and great
game play that are both 8 bit games.  Captain Goodnight had nice
graphics but the game play was a little easy.

Yes, the graphics and sound of the 8 bit stuff is a little simpler but
that has never been terribly important to me.  As long as the game
play is good and the game doesn't frustrate me too much, I'm quite
happy to play it.  Nice graphics and good sound is just a bonus.

But to each his own.  You can do as you wish.  I just don't understand
why anyone would want to miss out on good software simply because it
was written for an 8 bit processor.

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    Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University on Delphi
*** HyperCard IIgs course now in session in the A2Pro forum on Delphi