The Mystical Magic of MYST
A Review of MYST Screen Saver
by Grace Smith, Ph.D.
Until MYST II arrives, the next best thing to the original game is Broderbund's latest
surrealistic treat, the MYST Screen Saver. A special collection of
slide shows, the MYST Screen Saver consists of eight modules containing more than
200 images from the original MYST. This stunning collection of images,
accompanied by music from the original soundtrack, is After Dark® compatible
and uses After Dark slide show-screen saver technology.
The After Dark control panel lets you configure the MYST Screen Saver in a
number of ways. You can
determine the amount of sleep time,
select which module will be displayed when your screen falls asleep, and
display help
and credits information.
You can also use password protection, activate a sleep hot key, and
mute the sound box to
prevent sounds or music from activating. Another neat feature is the System IQ®
box which detects activity on your system. If SystemIQ detects too much activity,
After Dark will be prevented from activating.
The MYST Screen Saver modules include Highlights, Tours, the Making
of MYST, and New Views.
The Highlights module includes 25 of the most beautiful scenes in the MYST game.
The Tours modules are based on each of the ages: Myst Island, Mechanical Age, Stoneship Age, Selenitic Age, and Channelwood Age. If you never did make it through the ages, here is your chance to take a 35-slide walk through a particular age to see what you missed the first time!
The Making of MYST module portrays what went on behind the scenes while making the original MYST. This module shows the development of 10 of the scenes, from sketch-to wireframe-to full image.
The New Views module reveals never-before-seen images from MYST. Included are close-ups of favorite scenes, new angles, and scenes that were edited from the game.
Along with digitized sounds and music, fantastic images, and memorable scenes from
the game, the MYST Screen Saver offers several advanced options. For example,
you can update your module list, reset your module settings, save in DOS sessions,
and receive Wake Up Banners to inform you when a program sends an alert dialog to your display.
The MYST Screen Saver can be installed to either Windows, Windows 95, or Macintosh systems.
Like other screen savers, the MYST Screen Saver protects your monitor from screen
phosphor damage by sensing that the display has been inactive for a period
of time. But most screen savers, are not so beautifully intriguing as this
one. Do you think that Broderbund and Cyan are teasing us
until part II comes along? Probably! And what a glorious way to wait!
Multimedia Cafe Scorecard
| Product: |
MYST Screen Saver |
| Company: |
Broderbund Software, Inc.
|
| Cost: |
$9.95 |
System Requirements:
386 or above, 4 MB RAM or 8 MB RAM with Windows 95, CD-ROM, WIN 3.1 or 3.11 or Windows 95,
MPC compatible sound card, VGA or above display with
256 colors, hard drive, mouse
Breakdown:
Entertainment Value 5
Concept 5
Depth 5
Interface 5
Overall Score:
Copyright © 1997 InfoMedia, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.