Battle Master

Battle Master is a 1990 fantasy action adventure game designed by Mike Simpson and Simon Jones for PSS and distributed by Mirrorsoft. The game is a fantasy adventure in which the player controls a champion who must battle evil forces to conquer four kingdoms, uniting the four kings' crowns and presenting them to the Watcher in order to restore the world to peace.
Gameplay.
Battle Master is a squad-based action-adventure game viewed from a top-down isometric perspective.
After choosing a race - human, elf, dwarf or orc - and a Dungeons & Dragons-style class - warrior, merchant, archer or mage - the player is presented with a map, from which destinations are chosen. At each destination the player may choose to parley - giving an opportunity to purchase useful items from the destination, rather than having to find them - or may enter the destination.
At this point the player enters the area and must defeat a minimum of 75% of the hostile forces present in order to proceed. Combat is either close-quarters mêlée, using such weapons as swords and clubs, or ranged, using arrows or magic. In addition to the main player character it is possible to recruit up to four followers, who may be given rudimentary formations (row, column, wedge), positions (front, rear) and basic commands (rally). Defeating enemies and proceeding on from an area is the only way to unlock further destinations on the map.
Difficulty increases as the player progresses to new areas; to cope with this players may either find or buy (using looted gold) improved equipment such as armour and weaponry.
Story.
Following an age of conflict between the races of men, elves, dwarves and orcs that destroyed towns and cities and left the land decimated and impoverished, the mysterious Watcher came and settled in the Tower. The Watcher withdrew the power of magic, leaving remnants of magic only in artifacts created before his arrival, and cast a spell of apathy on the four kings. Then he spoke a prophecy: "Where there is chaos there will be order; where discord, harmony will flourish. From the south will come a hero to conquer the land and unite the crowns. Where there were fragments, there will be a whole. then will a new age begin."
Reception.
Critical reception of Battle Master was mixed, with scores ranging from 58% ("Zzap!64") to 83% (Amiga Format) for the Atari ST and Amiga formats of the game. Whilst Amiga Format praised its graphics, "clever design" and "instant and lasting appeal", Zzap!64 criticised it for having "too little depth" and "too little tactical meat", and although ST Format also criticised the graphics it considered its action to be "heart-racing" and its strategy "innovative".


Madden NFL 2000

Madden NFL 2000 (also known as Madden 2000) is a football video game. This was the second of the "Madden NFL" games to not solely feature John Madden on the cover in North America. The only other one was Madden NFL '95. Most versions of the game cover featured Madden prominently in the foreground, and a recognizable Barry Sanders in a background action graphic. The European PAL edition features only Dorsey Levens on the cover.
The video at the introduction on the CD-ROM versions of the game is an unnamed track by rapper Ludacris. It was the first "Madden" game to be released for the Game Boy Color. It was also the first Madden game to be released on both PC and Mac.
The Green Bay Packers had the best team overall in the game with a score of 94. The worst team in the game was the Cleveland Browns with a score of 68, although the Philadelphia Eagles were close with a rating of 72. The best offense in the game belongs to the Denver Broncos with a score of 97. The best defense in the game belongs to the Miami Dolphins with a score of 96. The best special teams in the game belongs to both the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons with a score of 97. A limited number of players or their names can now be either created or edited as modified rosters.
Changes.
Franchise mode had improved somewhat and multiple owners can now participate in the same season. Unlike the previous version, "Madden NFL 2000" allows the user to choose the computer to make off-season decisions, such as re-sign/release players, draft future stars, etc. For the second straight year, created players cannot be added to their respective teams, as well as to the list of free agents. Before a franchise can begin, the player must add all 31 coaches from the 1999 NFL season, but this is only exclusive to the PC download version.
Reception.
Greg Orlando reviewed the PlayStation version of the game for "Next Generation", rating it three stars out of five, and stated that ""Madden" loyalists will find more to love, but this franchise still plays second fiddle to "GameDay"."
The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms except the Game Boy Color version, which received "average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.
In the United States, the game's computer version alone sold 155,071 copies by April 2000.


REM (command)


Game Boy Micro

The Game Boy Micro is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in September 2005 as a smaller, lighter redesign of the Game Boy Advance. The system is the last console in the Game Boy line, alongside the AGS-101 model of the Game Boy Advance SP. Unlike its predecessors, the Game Boy Micro lacks backward compatibility for original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.
History.
According to Nintendo of America vice president George Harrison, the idea for a smaller version of the Game Boy was first discussed in 2004. Harrison explained that unlike the traditional console development process, Nintendo was always thinking about new ideas for the Game Boy, describing it as a "continuous process of invention". Developed under the code name "Oxy", the company tried many ways to see how small they could make the Game Boy, opting for a metallic casing that, according to Nintendo Co. Ltd president Satoru Iwata, was "unusual for Nintendo".
The Game Boy Micro was announced by Nintendo of America's vice president of sales and marketing, Reggie Fils-Aimé, at the company's Electronic Entertainment Expo press conference on May 17, 2005. The system was released in Japan on September 13, 2005, in North America on September 19, 2005, in Australia on November 3, 2005., and in Europe on November 4, 2005. It was released in China as the iQue Game Boy Micro on October 1, 2005, and later released in South Korea on November 9, 2005.
Design and specifications.
The Game Boy Micro retains some of the functionality of the Game Boy Advance SP, but with a more compact form factor. It cannot play original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games due to design changes. Although it still has the required LR35902 processor and graphics hardware necessary to run games from older Game Boy systems, it lacks other internal hardware necessary for backward compatibility. It is incompatible with the Nintendo e-Reader and other peripherals due to similar design issues. Additionally, it has a backlit screen with the ability to adjust the brightness. The shape itself is oblong, similar to the style of the Nintendo Entertainment System controller.
The Game Boy Micro features removable, decorative housing called a faceplate. Designs with special faceplates were sold as a customization feature. Faceplates for the Micro are made using in-mould decoration.
The Game Boy Micro has a two-way switch on its right side for adjusting volume. By holding down the L shoulder button, the switch can also be used to adjust the backlight between five levels of brightness.
Software and hardware.
The Game Boy Micro is compatible with Game Boy Advance games, including Game Boy Advance Video Game Paks.
The following games/accessories are not compatible with the Game Boy Micro system:
While Game Boy or Game Boy Advance Game Link cables and the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter are not compatible with the Game Boy Micro system, adapters and a Game Boy Micro-compatible Wireless adapter have been released. Nintendo also redesigned their Play-Yan music/video adapter to better fit the Game Boy Micro. This device is able play MP3 and digital video files from SD cards.
As with the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP systems, there are no regional lockouts on software, so North American games can be played on Japanese or European hardware and vice versa.
Packaging.
In Japan, the Game Boy Micro was released in four different base colors: black, blue, purple, and silver. Also available at launch was a limited edition version, based on the controller of the Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Famicom. In October 2005, Square Enix announced that they would be releasing a special faceplate, featuring artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, to promote their re-release of "Final Fantasy IV" on the Game Boy Advance. On November 17, 2005, Nintendo released a "Pokémon" version in Japan, featuring a red Micro with a black faceplate containing the silhouette of Pikachu. Another special edition of the Micro was released on April 20, 2006, which bundled "Mother 3" with a red Micro and a themed faceplate.
In the United States and Canada, the Game Boy Micro launched with two regular color choices, each sold with three interchangeable faceplates included: silver with black, "Ammonite" and "Ladybug" faceplates; and black with silver, "Flame" and "Camouflage" faceplates. The "20th Anniversary" edition was released on December 4, 2005, which was the Famicom controller-inspired version released in Japan.
In Europe the Game Boy Micro is available in four different colors, with one matching faceplate: silver, green, blue and pink. Game Boy Micro sold in Australia have the same colors (except Green which replaced by red color) as Europe.
There are reportedly no plans to sell additional faceplates in the US retail locations (as indicated in the letter page in issue 200 of Nintendo Power) or the UK. Nintendo of Europe cannot supply replacement faceplates of any kind, and the feature is omitted from the product's marketing, packaging, and manual in Europe. However, some third parties are manufacturing such faceplates for sale in the US and Europe, and some importers stock faceplates acquired from Japan. Nintendo of America sells some of the faceplates individually online.
Unit colors.
The Game Boy Micro had numerous colors and limited editions.
Release and sales.
Satoru Iwata stated that the marketing of the Nintendo DS may have hurt the Micro in the marketplace and admitted that Game Boy Micro sales did not meet Nintendo's expectations.
Price history.
The system retailed for US$99, compared to US$79 for the Game Boy Advance SP. The system was originally available in black and silver, and a red 20th Anniversary Edition was later released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Reception.
The Game Boy Micro's backlit screen, which is superior to the original AGS-001 (frontlit) Game Boy Advance SP model (a later remodel, the AGS-101, added a similar high quality screen to SP systems), has been praised for its visibility. Due to a finer dot pitch, the screen is more evenly lit, and the brightness is adjustable. The smaller dot pitch has also improved the apparent sharpness of the display.
The removable faceplates have also been praised because they allow for personalization and protect the high-resolution backlit screen.