CHOOSING which system to buy for all your game-playing needs has never been easy. But this year it will be slightly easier than last. This is due mainly to the fact that nature has taken its course and culled the weaker machines. Where last year people could be lulled into buying an Atari Jaguar a Panasonic 3DO, Amiga CD32 or - horror of horrors - a Phillips CD-I, this year the only real options are a PC, the Sony Playstation and perhaps Sega's Saturn. And purchasing any of these systems isn't that big a gamble as all are more than adequate.
The only real risk is that Nintendo's Ultra 64 machine will be available early next year and some of its games look stunning.
Time magazine was so smitten by it on its release in the US last September that it awarded it machine of the year. Nintendo's SNES and the Sega MegaDrive will also be available at cut price with games bundled with them and will provide plenty of entertainment for younger kids.
But right now the only real players are the Sony Playstation (£199 or more depending whether or not it includes a game) or an IBM compatible PC (prices vary - average £1,250). Both are superb gameplaying machines. And with devices such as the Microsoft Sidewinder gamepad now available for the PC, arcade games normally not associated with it can be enjoyed to the full.
But if choosing the system is a little easier, choosing the games to play on it is as tough as ever. Thankfully some of the better games have appeared on both the Playstation and the PC. These include Tomb Raider, Doom, Syndicate Wars and Broken Sword. However this week we'll concentrate on some of the best games on the PC, and next week the Playstation.
Arguably the biggest release of the year was Quake, the sequel to Doom. While this long-awaited 3D shoot-'em-up was a huge hit, it didn't impress everybody. I suspect this was because not everybody could play it in multiplayer mode (over the Internet, modem or network) because not everyone (as yet) has access to such facilities. The only other worthy game of this nature was Duke Nukem 13D. While the multiplayer option wasn't as strong, for a single player it was hard to beat. In Duke not only did you run around killing baddies - you had to time your actions and you could interact with your environment. This involved catching a train, or blowing up a building or wrecking a cinema, bar or bookstore.
For a calmer experience and a golf lovers' paradise, there was Links LS. Almost everything you could want in a golf game is here. The graphics are simply amazing, and I am sure would make a weather weary golfer's day all the better. And, of course, even gameplayers who wouldn't dream of picking up an iron would enjoy it tremendously.
From the tranquility of the golf course to the gut-wrenching noise of car racing, there are plenty of games in this category so the competition is tough. Three of the best are undoubtedly Formula One Grand Prix 2 (FIGP2), Screamer 2 and Microsoft Monster Truck Madness.
For the Grand Prix fanatic who likes to get down to the nuts and bolts FIGP2 is the absolute king. It's as much a simulation as it is a game - this point was proven when Jaques Villeneuve attributed one of his successes last season down to the fact that he'd been learning the particular track on Microprose's masterpiece.
IF you don't want to get your hands dirty adjusting gear ratios and whatnot, Screamer 2 is very impressive. The tracks and cars are fake but if you want a break from reality and like the idea of hurtling your car rally-like around deserts, countryside or forests of snow then Screamer 2 is for your.
In Microsoft's Monster Truck Madness you get the opportunity to really lose it. You can mimic those crazy people across the Atlantic who like nothing better than to use trucks the size of houses to crush cars and mobile homes. All the real trucks are here including Bigfoot, and you get to race them around tracks where there are few rules and just keeping four wheels on the ground is a challenge.
For the more experienced and serious gameplayers it was certainly a year for sequels with Civilisation 2, Warcraft 2 and Command and Conquer - Red Alert all vying for the top spot. While all are unique, all three provide a stern challenge to gameplayers who like to test their battle strategies against computer or human opponents.
If point-and-click adventures take your fancy the cartoon caper with Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) Toonstrk and the innovative Normality are both very strong.
For total immersion into a game and again for hardened gameplayers Daggertall is the ultimate role playing game - so much so that it's a way of life. The game unfolds entirely by your decisions, and characters in the game react to you according to your way of life, manner and status.
No matter what type of game you choose, any of the aforementioned is sure to please. On a cautious note, ensure your machine's system specifications at least match the game's requirements and, for a more enjoyable experience, that it does so with ease.