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January 2002 Charts
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What a surprising month! The Xmas Number One, Age of Empires 2 Gold Edition, unassailable only last month has been beaten into second place by the all-time heavyweight strategy game from Sid Meier, Civiliation 3. To be fair to AoE2 it was a close battle all month with just a handful of sales deciding the title.
It was another month with strategy titles dominating sales. The highest positioned arcade game being Oni and a lowly 12th position. January saw the release of Myth 3 The Wolf Age after many delays. It checked in at a respectable number four. Once the buyers discover the delights of the Myth world we expect sales of Green Berets to increase as it is powered by Myth 2. The pre-sales of real-time God strategy game, Black & White, means that it enters at a very worthy number eight, which bodes well for when it is released next month. Pre-sales of Return to Castle Wolfenstein got it up to number 13 and it may be the arcade title to end the dominance of the strategy games in our Chart.
So what will be Number One next month? Will AoE2 fight off the Civilization 3 challenge? Or will it be Black and White that kills 'em both off? Will Harry Potter finally make it to the Mac? If so are UK Mac users Harry Potter crazy? Will the charm of Harry make him number one or will he be pushed aside by the brutal Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which has all the charm of a severed head? In truth February's charts could be one of the most interesting in a long, long time.
Perhaps we take the quantity and quality of games available for the Mac for granted these days. It's not just about which games are in our top twenty, it is also about the quality of the games that couldn't make our top twenty that tell the story of the improvement in quality and quantity of Mac games now available in the UK. Aspyr, Feral and MacSoft all deserve a favourable mention for keeping the Mac flag flying high over a number of years. So keep buying the games and they'll keep making them!
Simple isn't it? See you all next month.
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| Top 20 Games
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1, Civilization 3
The third installment of Civilization from its creator Sid Meier. Now there are new ways to win, new pathways to explore, strategies to employ and more powerful tools to build and manage. Check out the screen shots...
2, Age of Empires 2 Gold Edition
The sequel to Age of Empires. Includes the Conquerors Expansion pack which was sold separately on the PC. Classic real-time strategy game. Features medieaval civilizations, troops, technology and warfare. Campaigns and random scenario generator. Different styles of games, including against-the-clock. Excellent graphics. Will keep you engrossed for hundreds of hours. Brilliant and a bargain.
3, Championship Manager 01/02
The very latest incarnation of the top soccer management game. Updated and expanded database. Includes database editor. Improved game engine, computer AI and commenttary.Improvements include, attribute masking mode, time to be added at the end of the game is now displayed on screen, the addition of a game diary where you can make notes about players and set reminders. So when you are scouting there is no need for pencil and paper, plus you can set reminders about contract renewals etc. Loads more.
4, Myth 3 The Wolf Age
Prequel to the original Myth The Fallen Lords game and is set approx 1000 years before the coming of The Fallen Lords. Fully 3D, squad-based real-time strategy fantasy game that follows the life of Connacht the Wolf. 25 single-player levels. 40 different units. Multiplayer options. Recreates the epic battles. Cast spells, gain experience, collect items and build ingenious devices to defeat your enemies. Deformable terrain.
5, The Sims
Build, design and furnish dwellings; populate with Sims, guide their careers, help them make friends, and find romance. Fast becoming THE game to have. MacFormat 90%
6, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (due Feb)
Be Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, learning to master all things magical in a world filled with wizardry, fun, and danger. The adventure begins as Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
7, Baldurs Gate 2 Shadows of Amn
Your story begins anew in the exotic southern kingdom of Amn, amidst the opulence of the sinister capital city of Athkatla. Journey through the fierce, unforgiving wilderness of Amn, and through the treacherous caverns of the Underdark, in your quest for artefacts of awesome power and treasure of inestimable wealth.. even challenge dragons, if you dare. Such is the life of a legend. Scored 100% in IMG review
8, Black & White
Black & White is a god game. Packed with strategy, it gives you control of the destiny of an entire world. You must use your godly powers to rule over and look after your people. As you do so they pray to you and worship you more and more, and you use this power, this belief to carry out Miracles and to extend your influence over the world.
9, The Sims - Livin Large
This expansion will double your gameplay with new objects, furniture, architecture, custom skins, characters and new jobs. Makes The Sims a much bigger, better game. Far more challenging than just the original game. IMG review score 9/10
10, Tropico
Graphically stunning strategy game flavoured with Latin American political intrigue. Uses the excellent Railroad Tycoon II, 3rd person, 45 degree rotated perspective landscape engine. With so many game options, the replayability value is tremendous; no two games will be alike. Over 85 unique structures. Keep the populace, the capitalists, the church, the miltary, the Americans and the Russians happy... oh and stay alive!
11, StarCraft & Brood Wars Bundle
One of the most challenging real-time space strategy games together with its add-on pack. 92% MacFormat review score. MacGold 'Must Buy' Rating!
12, Oni
Excellent Japanese manga-style graphics. 3rd person all fighting action/adventure game. Close Quarter Combat all the way. MacFormat score 9/10 - 'Must Have'
13, Return to Castle Wolfenstein (due Feb)
You are a highly decorated Army Ranger tasked with escaping and then returning to Castle Wolfenstein in an attempt to thwart Heinrich Himmler's occult and genetic experiments. Through genetic engineering and the harnessing of occult powers, Himmler hopes to raise an unstoppable army to level the Allies once and for all. If you played the earlier versions take a look at the screen shots of this one!
14, The Sims - House Party
Create the ultimate theme party with Cowboy, Rave and Luau design sets, 5 new dance styles, new characters like cake dancers and celebrity guests. 100+ new items, including a mechanical bull, dance cage, campfire and bubble maker.
15, Rogue Spear (inc Urban Ops Mission Pack)
Sequel to Rainbow Six. Lead your team of agents in counter-terrorist operations. Now with full sniper support. Strategy & real-time action game. MacFormat score 8/10
16, Star Trek Voyager Elite Force: Expansion
Includes an interactive tour mode of U.S.S. Voyager. Plus 21 new multiplayer maps, new characters (including Captain Janeway as Borg!) and new single-player missions with new alien creatures and a new 'Borg Slayer' game.
17, Unreal Tournament
Best 1st person shooter on the Mac. Play Grand Tournament or Deathmatch, each with their own maps and rules. 3D graphics and plenty of gore! MacFormat score 95%
18, Red Faction
The player assumes the role of Parker, a worker toiling in mines run by the Ultor Corporation far beneath the surface of Mars. The miners are suffering from inhuman living conditions and a strange, deadly disease called the Plague that is suddenly sweeping through their ranks. The miners rebel. The player's goal is to stay alive long enough to bring down Ultor and solve the mystery of the Plague.
19, Tomb Raider: The Trilogy
Includes, Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider Gold, Tomb Raider II, The Gold Mask (never released on CD),Tomb Raider III and The Lost Artifact (never before released).
20, StarCraft Brood Wars Expansion
Expansion pack for StarCraft. The Zerg, Protoss and Terrans continue their struggle for survival in three new campaigns, with new weapons. Over 100 new multiplayer maps. IMG score 4/5
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