NOT VERY AMAZEING
A Review of Maze
by Mark W. Frantz
Since civilization began, man has always been in intrigued with
games, challenges. The ancient Greeks, for examples, formed the Olympics
to show off athletic prowess. But it was the Egyptians, who, in an attempt
to challenge the mind rather than the body, created one of the first games,
the maze. Since then, man's fascination with mazes has grown and
developed, from simple mazes, to gigantic, complex labyrinths. It is a
unique glimpse into the intricacies of the human mind. Maze, from Meca
Software, attempts to chronicle that fascination, in an engaging
Multimedia presentation. But does Maze reach the end of it's maze of
expectations?
First things first. The program itself runs well. There is no
installation involved, it runs right off the CD. The interface is usable,
although some of the buttons are hard to locate. On the whole, though, it
fits its domain. I had no problems running the product, and never had a
lockup or GPF. The musical score is well fitting to the genre, and is
generally a benefit to the overall effect. Graphics are well rendered all
around, and the program is littered with hi res photos of various mazes
around the world. The 3-d Virtual Maze graphics left much to be desired,
however.
The multimedia aspect is the legends and mysteries of mazes. Included
topics include the mazes of old, such as the famous Minotaur in the
labyrinth. Other topics of interest include a complete history of mazes,
terminology and maze solving technique. In this aspect, the product does
very well, for it offers a complete and well rounded view of mazes.
A unique aspect of the product is the ability to print out many of the
mazes listed throughout the program, and have the chance to solve them on
paper. The mazes available (15) are a wide variety of styles, from the
somewhat simple to the impossibly intricate and beautiful. This feature
extends the usability and uniqueness of the product, and gives it a little
more substance to the overall rating.
Ah, but to the heart of the matter. The feature upon which the program
attempts to sell itself. The 3-D Mazewalk.
This interesting feature
reminds one of the groundbreaking Wolfenstein 3d of old. The unfortunate
part here, though, is there is no one around the corner to shoot.
Although the maze is an accurate portrayal of walking the maze would be,
the graphics are drab and uninspired. And, although there are 18 different
mazes to walk, they ALL LOOK THE SAME. The walls are the same color and
texture, and the mazes all tend to run together. The only saving grace
perhaps is the timing feature, allowing one to attempt to beat a previous
record. But, in general, the 3-d mazes lacked the Multimedia glitz that
we've all come to expect these days.
A final aspect of Maze is the gallery, cataloging 84 different man sized mazes around the world, with addresses and phone numbers to contact for information. It is an interesting feature, and also comes with many extra photos of the mazes.
So, all in all, Maze is a wonderful information tool, full of information on all aspects of mazes, their history, and their charm. Unfortunately, the product fails to hold interest for long and the Mazewalk is a good idea that just went sour.
Multimedia Cafe Scorecard
| Product: |
Maze |
| Company: |
MECA Software, L.L.C
|
| Cost: |
$29.95 |
System Requirements:
IBM PC or compatible, 386 mHz processor, 4MB RAM,
Single Speed CD-ROM, MPC-compatible sound system,
DOS 3.3 or later, Windows 3.1 or later. Mouse.
Breakdown:
Entertainment Value 2
Educational Value 3
Concept 4
Depth 2
Interface 3
Overall Score:
Copyright © 1997 InfoMedia, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.