CompuServe Messages

3D0 is an impressive machine. I finally got to see one, and play with it for a couple of hours. (Thanks Mark!) General impressions: 1. The graphics are all Lo-Res just like all the reviews report, but it doesn't matter, because the overall level of detail is so high, and everything moves so fast that you just don't notice it. The still pictures you see in the magazines look pretty lame, but when this thing is up and running, its impressive as hell! The pixel interpolation thing that is touted in all the reviews actually seems to work in the still shots, but it must be software controllable, because I don't see it in anything in motion. 2. This box is nearly capable of FMV without the FMV module installed. I watched about 10 minutes of "Batman The Animated Series" playing from the Demo CD, and I couldn't tell that I wasn't watching it on TV. I saw the occasional artifact, but the overall quality was better than what I see on my TV set. The need for the FMV module shows on anything that comes from a camera, but the quality is still the best I have seen without dedicated FMV hardware. 3. CD quality sound is a real plus. The "ST-TNG" demo uses it, and it was the only one to do so besides "CPU Bach" It makes a NOTICEABLE difference in the gameplay. (My perception, others may not pay as much attention) All the others used 8-Bit sound with noticeable distortion due to the low sampling rate. Maybe these guys grew up on cheesey Soundblaster sound and don't know any better, but this stuff really grates on my nerves. EVERY Amiga game I can remember playing sounded better than these! LISTEN UP AMIGA DEVELOPERS – USE 16 BIT SOUND!!! (The difference is that noticeable, even on a 1084S) 4. The standard lame demo software that comes on the demo CD's is in many cases better than the best Amiga games I've seen in the same category. This is not due to the quality of gameplay, or the whether or not the game in question has any of the qualities to get it rated 90% or better in any rating system. This is entirely due to the capabilities of the platform! The demos I've seen of actual games blow away their Amiga counterparts. Some of the best Amiga games could be mind blowing if ported so as to take advantage of the capabilities of this platform! 5. 3D0 has all the major game developers lined up with many major game releases set for the near future. Ask Mark Manes if you want a good list of current and expected titles. CD32 has to rely primarily on the Amiga developer community who can't possibly match the $$$ and manpower of the developers lined up for 3D0. 6. 3D0 has TWO expansion ports – one for the FMV module, and the other for who knows what. We may see the 3D0 people producing a peripheral to turn the 3D0 into a home computer or into a TV Set-Top Box. Who knows? Time for the disclaimer;^) I am one of the loyal Amiga fanatics who has used both of the other major platforms. I freely admit I haven't seen any CD32 software beyond the Pinball game. (I WANT!!! I'm HOOKED!!!) I hope that the Amiga developers have something good up their sleeves because I would like to see the Amiga prosper. I have seen both versions of the CD-I, and while it will make a good movie box, I don't think it is a serious contender in the CD game machine wars. I have yet to see a Jaguar, so I reserve judgment on it 'til I see one. I know that the CD32 is capable of great things, and while all the above review of the 3D0 makes me sound like a rabid 3D0 fan, I want to wait and see what the Amiga developer community can produce before I decide which one to buy. Dominick Fontana, since you own a Jaguar, could you please post a review for the rest of us? And, could one of the European CD32 users post a review of the CD32 for us? I'll be playing more with the 3D0 (If Mark lets me) so I will be posting a more in depth review in the future. I see my personal biases showing in my dismissal of the CD-I, so someone please post a review of this platform as well. I am going to see if I can enlist the aid of my local dealer to test all four systems under identical conditions to get a less biased and more informative review for the AmigaFora. Please feel free to make recommendations about anything from good methods of review to good titles to review. Stuart