If you're tired of forking out for the latest games, The 3D Game Maker may be just the thing you are looking for. Essentially it's a piece of software that allows the user to create simple games.

After installation, a menu is revealed at the top of the screen from which you choose all the elements for your game. The style of the game must be chosen first, followed by the locations, adversaries, weapons, and obstacles. This is all done using icons arranged at the top of the screen.

Once you have selected all the elements you want to be included in your game, all that remains is to click on the big green button and see what the finished article looks like. The result will be previewed on-screen but the vast number of permutations will virtually guarantee that the first few attempts will look pretty naff. With a bit of perseverance and forethought, however, some good results can be achieved.

We were very pleased with the interface which breaks down the complex game-making process into a few simple steps. It really couldn't have been much easier to use and you can create a game in seconds if need be.

Once you've created your game, you can alter the opening titles and export it as a standalone game to send to some mates. Personalising the creation by adding your own sound and image files is also easy.

The downside is that nothing you make with this package will really cut the mustard. If you are used to the polished delights of Black and White or Operation Flashpoint, The 3D Game Maker won't have you gasping in awe.

One of the selling points of this product was the promise of one million new games for the price of one. That's great, but they will all be fairly poor and you'll soon get bored playing them as you'll have been tweaking them for hours to get them right.

The 3D Game Maker is a great package but suffers from producing pretty old-fashioned results. We would love to see it updated and capable of a better end product.

Contact
Focus Multimedia: 01889 570156 www.focusmm.co.uk

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Computeractive, Issue 58