Heroes of Might and Magic Gold

Age Group: Age 8 and Up, Adults Type: Thinking Games, More Fun Price: $20

Description:

If you've been looking for a computer game that your older kids will enjoy (most of them, anyway), and doesn't involve graphically-portrayed violence, crude language and skimpily dressed females, then look no further, this is it!

New World Computing has a series of critically acclaimed Role Playing Games entitled Heroes of Might and Magic, with their latest installment, Heroes of Might and Magic VII, just out. Along with this highly successful series, NWC has another equally as successful series of strategy games, peopled by the characters from the RPG series.

So what makes this game so good? Many things! Beautifully drawn backgrounds and characters, catchy music and addictive gameplay all make for an excellent gaming experience that is sure to keep you up nights. A main factor in the appeal for kids is the 'cartoony' appearance of the creatures, not drawn in the manner of Saturday morning animation, but definitely not realistically drawn. The gameplay is another ingredient in making this program attractive to kids: challenging, yet easy enough in the first levels for anyone! The turn-based plays ensure that there is more than enough time to decide where you want to move your Hero, both in combat and on the general map.

The main idea behind the game strategy is to build up your castle, which in turn increases the number of recruits for your army, which then allows you to fight other enemies in your path and move your heroes further afield and gather more cool stuff. To win, you must take over all enemy castles and defeat everyone, with different win qualifications added to different scenarios. The variety of fantastic creatures is enormous, ranging from unicorns, sprites and elves, to orcs, iron golems and medusas. Each creature has its own qualities, which is a major consideration when choosing recruits for your army. Moving around the map gathering items is also great fun, and requires planning ahead.

The Gold edition includes HMM2, the expansion pack, plus 25 "best-of-the-Net" player maps and a map generator.

Features:

• Beautifully drawn graphics
• Addictive gameplay
• Unique music
• Broad age appeal
• HMM 2, expansion pack, 25 additional maps and map generator
• Online manual with tutorial in .pdf format
• Multiplayer option

Technical Aspects

Report and Conclusions:

The reputation this series has for being addictive is well earned, as I've been staying up loooong nights ever since I got this game. The format is simple, yet effective, and will keep you thinking about the game even when not playing.

This game, more than any other strategy game, holds immense appeal to children. Many readers responded to the Strategy column on Games Domain Review about favorite strategy games their kids liked to play, and HMM2 topped the list! Parents should be aware that there is death involved, albeit a bloodless kind, which means this game is best-suited for ages 10-up. However, if your kids are bugging you to play games like Warcraft, this is a much tamer choice.