REVIEW: EXTENSOR by Richard Karsmakers

Originally  published in ST NEWS Volume 1 Issue  6,  launched  on 
November 15th 1986.

Rushware  recently supplied us with a version of a program  called 
"Extensor",  a real time 3D simulation.  Please note: I didn't add 
"working",  since the program tends to crash very often (at least, 
my version does so).

"Extensor"   really   seems  to  be  an   excellent   game,   that 
unfortunately  only works on monochrome monitors.  I had read  the 
user  manual,  which  said that the user was warned  that  certain 
versions of TOS were incompatible with the game.  I booted up  the 
disk,  loaded the program and saw a picture of "Golden Games". Not 
bad,  but also nothing to get stirred up about.  But the music was 
something  different:  I  didn't  believe my  ears  when  I  heard 
Commodore  64-like music on our simple music chip!  And it  turned 
out to be not the only tune included in the game.....
The programmer, Holger Gehrmann, certainly did his best here. It's 
no  wonder,  since  he used to program things like  SOPROL  (Sound 
Programming Language) back on the 64.  The music,  thus, was a big 
plus of the game. I even didn't mind it working only on monochrome 
monitors!
The  target of the game is really quite simple:  You must  enclose 
so-called Videodromes,  that build walls behind them.  And  that's 
not  the  worst:  You also build a wall yourself  behind  you!  Of 
course,  you  are not allowed to crash in such a  wall.  With  one 
Videodrome  to  enclose,  I got a score from 75.  Not  bad  for  a 
beginner, eh?
The game (as I already hinted) has one very big  disadvantage:  It 
crashes  all the time!  I even used my old TOS version (0.13)  and 
tried the game out,  but it also seems not to work with that one!? 
I know it is possible that certain programs do not work  perfectly 
with a certain TOS version, but I think it's really a bit too much 
if  the  program turns out not to work properly with  TOS  in  ROM 
(version 0.19) not RAM-TOS (version 0.13)!
Why did Holger write the first game with superb music,  but forgot 
to check it on more STs?  It doesn't work with mine,  anyway,  nor 
does it work with Frank's ST properly.  It's such a shame, because 
the graphics are not bad at all,  and the music is the best I have 
ever heard on the ST uptil now!


But  it might be possible that "Extensor" runs perfectly  on  your 
system,  so you still ought to try it out.  If it works well,  you 
have a very nice game added to your software library!
For information, please contact one of the following addresses:

Golden Games (Publisher)
Eckhard & Gehrmann GbR
Heinrichstrae 25
3000 Hannover 1
West Germany
Tel. 0511/344771
Mikrohndler GmbH (Distributor)
Robert-Koch Strae 1
4050 Mnchengladbach 1
West Germany
Tel. 02161/60041-43
Rushware Microhandelsgesellschaft mbH
An der Gmpgesbrcke 24
4044 Kaarst 2
West Germany
Tel. 02101/6004-0

Game Rating:

Name:                    Extensor
Design, Animation and
 Music (!) by:           Holger Gehrmann
Executive Producer:      Dieter Eckhardt
Produced by:             Dieter Eckhardt and Holger Gehrmann
Sound:                   9.9 (!)
Graphics:                8
Playability:             7.5 (provided it doesn't crash...)
During Attractiveness:   7.5
Overall Rating:          8.5 (provided it doesn;t crash...)
Remarks:                 An excellent game with superb music, but
                          unfortunately highly incompatible with
                          our operating systems; I hope it works
                          with yours...


