A long time ago multiplayer computer gaming meant going over to a friend`s house and jostling for space on the same keyboard while playing classics like Double Dragon, Caveman Ughlympics and Firepower. Those were the days of CGA graphics, 640k memory, tinny PC speaker sound and floppies (lots and lots of floppies).
Barring a few notable exceptions like Sierra`s "Quest" range and titles from the MicroProse fold (do Sword of the Samurai and Railroad Tycoon elicit fond memories?), the majority of PC games were arcade-style action fests. We didn`t need flashy graphics and orchestral sound to make the games enjoyable. In those days we simply used our imagination to fill in the gaps that the technology of the time could not fill.
Of course the necessity to bash on the keyboard as quickly as possible to beat the other player meant two things. Firstly, we went through keyboards the way most people today go through burning CDs. Secondly, being an obviously loud experience due to the aforementioned keyboard violence, multiplayer gaming was something you could not really participate in while your parents were trying to sleep.
Move forward to the present and you have games such as Age of Mythology, Unreal Tournament, Mafia, The Sims and Warcraft III. The majority of new titles push current technology boundaries to the limit by trying to create as immersive an experience as possible. Most people will not even consider playing a title that is even a couple of months old due to the dated graphics and sound engine. However, some games, through sheer bloody-minded addictiveness, defy the norm and still get played today.
One of these is Worms. For the uninitiated, Worms hit the PC world in 1994 and allowed up to 16 people to control small squads of, well, worms in turn-based combat. Many argue that Worms grew from the success and popularity of another turn-based team combat game of the time, Scorched Earth. Having said that, Worms did add a fresh dimension to the genre by allowing the player to move his/her worms around and even manipulate the scenery in his/her goal to destroy the other players.
A sequel soon followed that had better graphics and featured a new sound bank editor where players could add new voices for their intrepid worms. Worms 2 also introduced what was to become many players` favourite weapon, the sheep (a bleating bomb on four legs if you will).
Seeing that we are only a few months away from heralding in Worms 3, local Ubi Soft distributor MegaRom Interactive has released Worms Battle Pack. The Battle Pack includes three titles, Worms 2, Worms Armageddon and Worms World Party. Each of these games can be played separately. However, if you are interested to see how the Worms saga evolved as the years went by, play the games chronologically (Worms 2, Worms Armageddon and Worms World Party).
Worms 2 is dedicated to battles that pit you against other players or computer-controlled teams. Concerned animal (or should that be invertebrate?) lovers will be glad to find out that there is no graphic depiction of exploding worms.
Armageddon and World Party introduce missions and training scenarios to the Worms milieu. These two titles also feature detailed information on how well a team is doing in battles, missions and training scenarios.
While I found the missions and training scenarios useful to get reacquainted with Worms, the fun of the game lies in the battles with other squads. Just listening to some of the dialogue floating around in the heat of battle is hilarious and is sure to see the game win appeal with gamers unfamiliar to the series. A word of warning though, anyone looking for a game with state-of-the-art graphics and sound must not buy Worms Battle Pack.
However, the Battle Pack is an excellent value bundle that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Learning how to play the game is simple and even younger children should find some enjoyment in the game (even if it is somewhat masochistic).
One of the benefits of the dated graphics and the turn-based combat are that you do not need to worry about a fast connection to enjoy online play (Counter-Strike beware!).
Okay, time to use my trusty Banana Bomb on that hapless little worm down in that valley...
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