Catalog Cavalcade: SSI Fall 1988 / Winter 1989 Brings the Retro Want List

Strategic Simulations, Inc (SSI for short) brought AD&D goodness to the world with the Gold Box series of games, but they also were well known for being masters of wargaming. Back in 1988 you could put your order in through their catalog service for multiple platforms: Apple II, Apple IIGS, Atari 8-Bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64/128, Commodore Amiga or IBM PC.

Want to play Roadwar 2000 on your Apple? No problem, it’s just $39.95 + tax and shipping! ($44.95 + tax and shipping for the GS). Want to play Pool of Radiance on your Apple II, C64, as well as your IBM PC? You got it – just fill out your order and get your credit card ready!

And the good news was that the catalog was included in the box with every new purchase!

Check out all the offers by clicking on the image of the front page (below)!

Yesterday’s Copy Protection Schemes – Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All the Girls

Who remembers playing pc games where the importance of getting the main character bedded drove the storyline? Not every titillating game was a winner, but the Spellcasting series by Steve Meretzky certainly were! The quest to get Ernie Eaglebeek hooked up with Lola Tigerbelly, graduate his first year of Sorcerer University, and solve the mystery of what happened to the Sorcerer’s Appliance, made for a fun text graphic adventure to play in the 1990s.

Like many games published in this time, the copy protection was the treasure hunt model, where you had to find the right word or phrase in special documents designed for this purpose. Woe to you if you lost those documents!

Good news! Below are the two critical copy protection documents used in Spellcasting 101 (the Sorcerer University Registration Form and the game map showing the land of Peloria), brought back to life for the use of anyone who may need them!

Obsolete Comic Review: Darkseid vs Galactus The Hunger

The history of comic books from 1961 to today has been a struggle between the two large comic book publishers: Marvel Comics and DC Comics (National Periodicals).  There have been blips on the radar, such as the hype-driven debut of Image Comics in the early 1990s, but such blips did not last, and the struggle between the two comic leviathans quickly resumed.  Most years the competition for readers was fierce, with no quarter given, such as the recent controversial ”Comics For Comics” Flashpoint exchange program.  However, there have been rare moments of détente, where both DC Comics and Marvel Comics cooperated to bring their separate universes together for an inter-company crossover.  Spider-Man has met Superman, Batman has fought The Hulk, The Avengers have battled the Justice League, but one of the most interesting “team-ups” has been the meeting of two galaxy-class threats in the 1995 epic crossover, Darkseid vs Galactus: The Hunger.

Darkseid vs Galactus: The Hunger

John Byrne could be called a superstar comic creator, and has been on board for many “hot” projects, such as his Uncanny X-Men run, his six-year stint on the Fantastic Four, and the relaunch of Superman with both the Man of Steel miniseries and the company flagship title Superman in the 1980s.  He has a reputation for being strong-willed and a tendency for expressing his opinions without concern for the consequences, but both Marvel and DC have always been willing to overlook his shortcomings as his work tends to be well-received by the comic-buying populous.  I enjoy reading most Byrne comics, but I’ve always thought Byrne to be similar to Frank Miller in that he needs the right inker for his art to shine.  Without someone capable of cleaning up some of his backgrounds, the foregrounds and backgrounds tend to blend into each other.  Add to that his propensity for verbosity, and the comic can quickly become to ponderous to read.  However, with the right inker, his work can be absolutely stunning.

For his work on The Hunger, Byrne fills the role of both writer and artist, and is inked by Rick Taylor. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the coloring Taylor did on this book.  Perhaps it’s because Byrne just doesn’t draw straight lines, perhaps it’s because Taylor didn’t seem to be able to use effective colour shading.  Whatever the reason, I did not think that Byrne and Taylor made a compelling art team, and the comic suffers for it.  Perhaps the worst artistic decision: Galactus wears a short-sleeved shirt and a skirt with bare legs.  Or are those short pants? (For a brief digression into the mind of John Byrne, visit his forum wherein he discusses Galactus as well as the various shortcomings of his detractors.)  At least Darkseid is rendered without a skirt…but I digress.  Even so, there are still some amazing pages in this book, with Byrne’s epic artistic vision shining through mediocre colouring.

A word of caution: the next paragraph will discuss actual details of the storyline, and spoilers will inevitably manifest. However, Darkseid vs Galactus: The Hunger was published in 1995, and if you haven’t read this comic, what are you waiting for?

The story itself belongs on any comic buff’s “must read” list.  New Genesis is warned by The Source to hide their world, which they do, which predates the arrival of the Silver Surfer by only moments.  As a consequence, the Surfer finds Apokolips, and after a brief battle with Darkseid’s parademons, signals Galactus that a world awaits.  The World Eater’s arrival spurs Darkseid to engage him from afar using Apokolipian technology, while Orion battles the Silver Surfer through the skies of Apokolips.  Their battles make up the bulk of the comic, slowly escalating to the point where Galactus’ energy-draining machine is complete and the process of consuming Apokolips begins, and Darkseid and Galactus physically face off against each other in the Main Event.  The ending is a bit of a twist, and Byrne gets full marks for ingenuity on resolving the conflict in the only way both villains could win in a manner consistent with their portrayals in their respective comic universes.  

Final thoughts: Darkseid vs Galactus: The Hunger has its faults, but for anyone who likes a good story with the villains taking center-stage, this is the comic for you.  Thumbs up!

What is a SLASH Re-Release Game?

HISTORY
Based in Minneapolis, the SLASH Corporation was a game company which repackaged and resold classic 1980s PC titles from such companies as Sierra On-Line, LucasArts Entertainment, Electronic Arts, The Software Toolworks, and others.  Its President (founder?) was Charles F. Bond, and it existed as an independent company from 1991 to 1995.  In June of 1996, GT Interactive Software Corp purchased SLASH, and reintroduced it as part of their Value Products Division.  Mr. Bond was given a seat on the board of directors and the title of Vice-President, SLASH Division.

HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE
So how can a collector of classic games distinguish between an original PC game and a re-published SLASH version?  Well, this guide would be fairly pointless f it couldn’t answer this question, wouldn’t it!  In fact, there are FIVE (5) distinguishing features of a SLASH product.  (Note: not all characteristics will be common to every game; some will have one or two features from this list, some more, some all.)

1. The Box
2. The Label
3. The Box Cover Art
4. The Diskettes
5. Manuals & Other Documentation

1. The Box:  SLASH re-releases come in cheap, white, one-piece cardboard boxes with flapped openings on either end.  Original releases are usually come in higher grade cardboard boxes, often with the company logo affixed in some way upon them.

2. The Label: Most system requirements labels for older games were affixed onto the box or slipcover casing AFTER it had been manufactured.  This permitted companies to use the same box for different platforms (such as MS-DOS, Apple II or Macintosh).  SLASH re-releases have their labels as part of the box itself.  Further, SLASH re-releases often use black lettering on white labels, whereas original releases will have color within the label or graphic images (such as the company logo).  For those SLASH re-releases that use the original system requirements box on the cover, and not the white background/black print, the lettering is difficult to read.  The reason is:

3.  The Cover Art: Original releases often have crisp, breathtaking covers.  Due to the inferior quality of computer graphics of the day, covers were not of game images, but of conceptual art.  A SLASH re-release uses those same covers, but since they are reprints of scanned images, the quality is somewhat poor.  SLASH covers seem out-of-focus, fuzzy and difficult to read the printing.  Often, the black print/white label stands in stark contrast to the cover image, appearing to have been placed over the original release cover, scanned in, and then reprinted.  

4. The Diskettes: The 3.5″ and/or 5.25″ disks found in original PC game releases usually have color labels, company logos or graphic art.  SLASH re-releases use plain black lettering on a white label.

5. Manuals & Other Documentation: SLASH re-releases use photocopies of the original game documents, printed in monochrome on cheap paper, clearly in an effort to keep the cost of their reproduction as low as possible.  No special brochures, high-quality glossy covers, or any other extras that the original PC game releases used!

One last thought: if your goal is to play one of these classic games, a SLASH re-release is one of the least expensive methods of acquiring a physical copy of it.  Don’t forget that your new computer may not be able to play those ancient games, though!

Obsolete Comic Review: Justice League of America: Crisis on New Genesis

A few years ago I wrote a series of Obsolete Comic Reviews for a website that has since itself become obsolete. The good news is that nothing is truly ever lost on the Internet. Below is the recovered review from 2011.

Justice League of America 183-185: Crisis on New Genesis

With the excitement surrounding the new Justice League relaunch as part of the 52 lineup, sometimes it’s easy to forget about how many versions of the DC Comics superteam we’ve read over the years.  Everyone has a favorite: the Grant Morrison/Howard Porter JLA relaunch in 1997; the Keith Giffen/Kevin McGuire Justice League (later Justice League International) series in 1984; even the original Gardner Fox/Mike Sekowsky Silver Age years.  I’ve liked them all, and perhaps it’s just nostalgia, but when push comes to shove, it’s the Dick Dillin years that I remember most.

Dick Dillin started out in Fawcett Comics (the home of Captain Marvel, the Big Red Cheese), but eventually left for Quality Comics, where he penciled the popular Blackhawk comic, which chronicled the adventures of a team of “Ace” fighter pilots.  (Quality Comics was also the home of Plastic Man, Quicksilver -aka Max Mercury – and the Freedom Fighters…but I digress.)  In 1956, Quality Comics ceased operations, leaving Dick Dillin without work.  As DC Comics had already purchased the rights to most of Quality Comics’ characters and catalog, Dillin approached DC looking for work, and he was put right back on Blackhawk.  There he stayed, until the title was canceled, and after a bit of this and that, was given the Justice League of America assignment.

Quality Comics’ Blackhawk (Dick Dillin, artist)

Dillin stayed on the Justice League book from 1968 to 1980 for all but six issues (from #64 to #183).  He was a perfect fit for a comic based on the greatest heroes of the DC Universe.  Dillin-drawn heroes looked heroic.  When they were shown in action, Dillin drew them in such a way that the reader had a sense of speed and purpose.  Even a panel showing the heroes drinking tea at a social gathering looked like anything could happen (and frequently did).  Of course, Dillin also had the benefit of penciling great stories; during his tenure he worked with Gardner Fox (briefly), Martin Pasko, Gerry Conway, and Len Wein.  He drew the return of the Red Tornado, the reintroduction of the original Quality Comics’ Freedom Fighters (“Crisis on Earth X!“) and Fawcett Comics’ Marvel Family into the DC Universe (“Crisis in Eternity” featuring the title bout of Captain Marvel vs. Superman!), crossovers with the Justice Society of America of Earth 2, even the murder of the first Mr. Terrific (during one such JLA/JSA event).

Justice League of America #64 (1st Dick Dillin)

Those JSA/JLA meetings were usually memorable, with unique heroes such as Dr. Fate making appearances, as well as Golden Age versions of Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash.  Usually the villains faced were dangerous enough to bring grief to the multiverse, requiring a combined effort to repel, such as Mordru (“Crisis in the 30th Century!“) or the Injustice League/Secret Society of Super Villains.   Dick Dillin penciled them all, but it was in his last issue that he was able to tackle the most dangerous villain of the DC Universe, the Lord of Apokolips, Darkseid.

Justice League of America #183 (Last Dick Dillin)

Darkseid was the creation of the great Jack Kirby, and had been originally introduced as part of Kirby’s Fourth World concept he brought to DC Comics in the early 1970s.  However, by the end of the decade, Darkseid’s essence had been scattered to the cosmic winds (in the classic 1978 Adventure Comics #460), and was presumed deceased.  Of course, in comics, no one is ever dead, and even if they are, death is merely a stopgap to the next big storyline.   Which brings us to the three issue arc, “Crisis on New Genesis” (issues 183-185).

Justice League of America #184

This story was epic in the traditional sense of the word.  The heroes of Earth One and Two gathered once again for their annual party, only to find themselves shanghai’d onto the strangely depopulated New Genesis.  Off to solve the mystery went Earth One’s Superman, Green Lantern, Firestorm, and Batman, as well as Earth Two’s Wonder Woman, Huntress, Power Girl, and Dr. Fate.  Along the way they found a most unhappy and unwilling-to-be-disturbed-without-consequence Orion, the ever-enigmatic Metron, the Granny Goodness Home For Orphaned Youth graduate Big Barda, and the God of Escape, Mister Miracle.  Eventually the investigation took the heroes to Apokolips, where they discovered that the Injustice Society of Earth Two (the Fiddler, the Shade, and the Icicle) had been subjugated by the spirit of Darkseid, and are were using their powers and technology to bring the dark lord to life.  Now the group had two objectives: find the missing New Gods and prevent the rebirth of the greatest villain in the DC Universe.  But it got worse!  It turned out that Darkseid’s plan included bringing Apokolips into the physical space of Earth Two, which would utterly destroy that Earth. Yikes!

Justice League of America #185

Could the combined efforts of the Justice League, the Justice Society, and the New Gods locate the missing inhabitants of New Genesis, prevent the destruction of Earth Two and prevent Darkseid from making his triumphant return from “death”?  Well, duh, of course they would, but it was the elegance of the process that made the issues so fun to read!  Unfortunately, Dick Dillin was only able to draw the first issue of this titanic struggle.  Dillin suffered a fatal heart attack after completing issue 183, and had to be replaced by George Perez (who turned out to be an able replacement, and one of the few artists capable of coherently drawing multiple villain and hero stories).  It was unfortunate that after penciling so many DC Comics heroes and villains, Dillin was never able to draw the arguably greatest DC villain of them all in more than just a quick flashback sequence.  Regardless, the three issues arc is among the best Justice League stories of all time, and well worth a read!