Cheap Interplay 15th Anniversary Anthology (Software) (Windows Me, Windows 95, Windows 98) Price

Interplay's 15th Anniversary Anthology isn't the best collection of older games to be bundled together in a single box, but the few outstanding titles in the box are definitely worth the money. At the bottom of the grab bag you have incredibly old titles, like the Dragon Wars role-playing game, and a few games that just aren't good at all, like the boring Beat the House casino simulation and Redneck Rampage, a bland first-person shoot-'em-up.

In the middle of the fun spectrum are a lot of older titles that are still fun if you prefer gameplay to flashy graphics. Virtual Pool has an excellent physics engine that seems as fresh now as it was several years ago. The original Descent manages to excite, and Battle Chess, with its humorous animated pieces, is still a terrific way to introduce kids to the game. Norse by Norsewest is an entertaining (if tedious) puzzle game, and Conquest of the New World is a fun little strategy game. There really is something for everyone in this package.

At the top of the pile are some of the best games ever created in their respective genres. M.A.X. is an incredibly challenging strategy game that never got the credit it deserved. Don't miss it this time around. Fallout is an outstanding role-playing game set in a twisted postapocalyptic world instead of the standard fantasy environment. It's the spiritual successor to the Commodore 64 RPG classic Fallout and has become a genuine classic in its own right.

Still not interested? There are five other games in there we haven't even covered, and all are good for at least a few hours of fun. Best of all, the original manuals for each title have been bound into a single tome, so help is never far away. This is a nice touch, considering many bundles of this type come only with electronic documentation. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Some true classics included in the bundle
• Printed manual for all the games

Cons:

• The bad games in the bunch are real stinkers, and many gamers won't appreciate older games like Dragon Wars
• Some of these games still use copy protection that requires users to look up codes in the manual

PLATFORM:	Windows Me, Windows 95, Windows 98
CATEGORY:	Software
MANUFACTURER:	Interplay Productions
TYPE:	Battlechess Battle chess Beat the house Castles II (two 2), Conquest new world deluxe Descent Dragon Wars Fallout, Lost Vikings Norse by Norsewest MAX M.A.X. Redneck Rampage, Shattered Steel Solitaire Stonekeep stone keep Virtual Pool, Whiplash
MEDIA:	CD-ROM
ACCESSORIES:
UPC:	040421007097