Ultra-Realistic Armchair Thrills
Ultra-Realistic Armchair Thrills
By Cesare A.X. Syjuco [Video Troll]
Published in: The Manila Times, January 25, 1988
ALL systems clear you for takeoff as you taxi down the runway in your supersonic fighter jet. You clear the ground with ease, practising some fancy flight maneuvers in mid-air before joining up with the rest of your squadron for a "search and destroy" mission.
At 30,000 feet, the expanse of blue sky before you is suddenly peppered with enemy aircraft closing in at breakneck speed. The tension churns in your gut as [tore off part] Squadron Leader barks a [tore off part] on the intercom: "Here [tore off part] come, boys! Spread out and [tore off part] your stuff — you're on your own!"
Like Tom Cruise in Top Gun, you're teetering on the edge, your life on the line, with only your nerve and your razor-sharp wits to see you through.
You break free from the cluster, bank steeply to one side and barely escape a red-hot missile that roars by your cockpit. You guide your bird into a spinning dive, level off with your nose in the wind, then set your gun-sights on a feisty enemy aircraft that has just shot one of your buddies into a million little pieces. You squeeze the trigger for a short burst, holding your breath as tongues of fire trace the distance between you and the bogey.
VAROOOM! You let out a yell of relief and exhilaration as the enemy-plane lights up like a tinderbox. "Great shot, Ace!" your Squadron Leader radios in. "Now get out of there — on the double! A couple of bogies are gunning for you at 9 o'clock!"
Rolling with the punches, you go into an overhead loop — and not a moment too soon. A flurry of gunfire shakes your tail as the dog-fight roars its way to an exciting climax.
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Believe it. You just can't get any closer to the real thing than the new "ACTION MAX" video-game system from Worlds Of Wonder — the American toy conglomerate that made a handsome killing in 1985 with "Teddy Ruxpin," the first computerized talking bear. Live-action cinematic footage uses flesh-and-blood actors instead of animated computer graphics, and the "sensurround" audio feed provides yet another dimension of startling realism that will take your breath away.
Retailing in local appliance stores for about P2,500, the basic unit comes equipped with a pair of headphones, a piped-in electronic "gun," a free game cartridge and connectors. A standard RF switch couples with the rear end of your television set, while a rubber suction-cup attached to the bottom of the screen transmits electronic impulses from your end.
The system will still need further expansion if it is ever to lord it over the competition, and at the moment, has only a few game cartridges from which to choose. These retail for about P300 in Manila and include the more popular titles like "Sonic Fury," "38 Ambush Alley" and "Blue Thunder."
Ask for a free demonstration of "ACTION MAX" wherever video games are sold. In the very least, it's an impressive glimpse into the future of TV-compatible home entertainment.
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Cesare A.X. Syjuco, “Ultra-Realistic Armchair Thrills” (page 1 of 1), The Manila Times, January 25, 1988
