Sardonyx/Reviews

From ExoticA

Ei Saa Peittää (1994, 06.08, 40k Intro)

Review by Glenn Lunder

This intro shows some competent design-to-be, though I can't help but feel this would have been better as three separate crack intros than a single 40k'er. There's nice design, you see, but not always THE SAME design. One part looks like this, another like this. Each on it's own is not bad, but they were never meant for each other, see?

The best part is without a doubt the DPaint plasma!

Tested A1200/030-50/2mb chip, 4mb fast/3.0.

SeenPoint #2 (1995, 31.12, AGA Multifile Diskmag)

Review by Glenn Lunder

Before you start reading, take a few moments out to listen to The Loop's "Icy Melodies". Hmmmmmm...... just beautiful.... Where was I? Oh yeah, this was supposed to be a diskmag review :) Done a few of these in my time, and I can't help but feel that this mag has everything going for it - audiovisual talent from the very top of the charts, and good code. I've never really been a fan of its aggressive editorial style, however, but history tells the clearest of all stories, and it's doubtless that RAW became the number one mag of its time through the same kind of tactics. Provocation - but I still feel that in Lord Helmet's case it was always with a wink of an eye, and tongue firmly in cheek. Fishwave seems more cynical - like he means every word. But then again, perhaps it's just me, what do I know, I'm just a poor reviewer... =)

This was TSK's first issue as a staff writer. Over half of the mag consists of philosphical rambling from Fishwave, which is less than interesting to me. I care about the truth, not how Fishwave feels about the truth. And frankly, his 'why should I respect the people who created the scene' opinions provoke me. What I most miss in this mag is the DEMO related material, the stuff that made ROM so great - the story behind top demos, f.ex. This issue presents four interviews, with SMT/Artwork (clearing up the misunderstandings that led to a negative article in the first issue), Enzo/Hellfire (sysop of 'SKY TOWER'), Data/Oxygene and TSK himself. No information is provided on the system requirements of SeenPoint, but I assume that it won't be a problem on any bog standard A1200. The mag does not multitask.

Tested A1200/030-50/2mb chip, 16mb fast/3.1.

SeenPoint #4 (1996, 18.11, AGA Multifile Diskmag)

Review by Glenn Lunder

The same main code and graphics from the previous issues were again used for this one - though the mag multitasks now! Music is still ok, but not exceptional. Pretty standard, calm magtunes. Then onto the problems: Fishwave. OK, this guy is getting on my nerves. His editorial style (the made-up story of how the Three Little Elks travel with a time machine to Mekka Symposium 99 to steal Azure's routines from the future is a particular negative highpoint) is just rambling, spiked with his own down-putting comments spat out right, left and center. The mag itself - the code, the graphics, the music - is very good, but GOD why couldn't we have gotten a different editor? Sorry Fishwave, but you brought it onto yourself. This issue looks good, sounds good, but is ultimately most of all just pathetic.

This was Sane's first issue as a contributor to SeenPoint.

Tested A1200/030-50/2mb chip, 16mb fast/3.1.