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                              "MADNESS" by CREAM
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system... ST, Fo3o, 1MB or 2MB for running from harddisk, RGB

size..... 6oo KB on harddisk

code..... CANDYMAN, ABYSS, TAO
grfx..... A.-T-
msx...... TAO

Yes, since their forthcoming ST demo project "HEFTIG" is delayed  much more they
tried to shorten  the waiting time  with this demo. Ok, it was  already released
in summer 1999 and we  still wait for  the "HEFTIG" demo, especially  after this
one...

Normally you need to create a bootdisk out of the MSA file, but as already known
the CREAM guys are trying to shorten your own work while helping you out a bit.
So since their good old first try from 1996, "SONGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM 2" you
don't really need MSA, because  the program  is able to create  the demo disk by
itself and  furthermore, if you have  enough RAM (at least 2MB) you  can run the
demo straight from disk/harddisk.

That's the first pluspoint for the demo, even if it hasn't started really atm ;)
And because  I runned the demo on my Falcon I just smashed F1 to  check the demo
out without too much dj work... and while TAO's kewl buzzing music still runs in
the background and the first menu  was passed a new one  appears, funny made and
camouflaged as "Lamer Identification", where you can switch the internal speaker
on or off... I don't need that fucking queeker either and so the show starts...

A nice black loading screen appears and after  that the known blue background of
the old THALION intros and... that's  originality in my eyes, CREAM's version of
that intro and as flashback to the ACF intro for "JUST BUGGIN'" as well, appears
on the screen, with a remix of the sound, made by TAO, ofcourse with kewl noises
and stuff. And  there are no rainddrops or something  running downwards the blue
background... nope, the  parts of  the  Thalion logo appeared  a texture  mapped
vectors on the screen, overlayed by a small CREAM logo...

Uhhh... again  the CREAMies matched  it to kick several  butts... after that the
loading screen  appears and with the first  noises of the  Future Sound composer
version of  the "Wings Of Death" melodie, the demo  reveals itself  as new music
demo at all. But this time we can listen to the great Amiga versions  of several
game tunes that  exist on ST as well, but without any  doubt, the Amiga versions
sound more powerful in my eyes... er... ears. Esp. the drums and so on came much
clearer and sometimes  the tunes sounding like a strange  mix of chip noises and
chip modules as well. Cool stuff...

The  demo  offers the  game tunes  of "Chambers Of Shaolin", "The Seven Gates Of
Jambala", "Leavin' Teramis" (Oh  man, what I have played that  game!), "Rings Of
Medusa", "A Prehistoric Tale" (Kewl  platformer... still  like the  dinos), "The
Last Ninja", "Enchanted Land" and  last but  not least "Lethal Xcess" (joystick-
killa!). To every tune a coarse  pixeled screenshot is presented  in the back as
well. Unfortunately the menu screen only  features a scroller and  nothing else,
giving the usual information and craptalk.

Ok... after I listened to  the songs again  and again it was  time to quit... no
spacebar... no escape... just reset! And  there the last  kick came. As it seems
the CREAMies are  the last people  who cultivate  still the  tradition of making
Reset demos  on Atari today. And meanwhile  another great  TAO tune is played in
the background some nice sunblobs are making their rounds on the screen together
with the credits, that appear static and distorted again and again...

End... another reset took me back to the desk, to write the...

Final words...

What can I  say... at one  hand  it's a  music demo, presenting future  composer
soundtracks on the ST. But those soundtracks are bound onto the ST as well, coz'
they belong to several ST games as well. At  the other hand this demo  is a pure
mixup of  old feelings and  new effex. For that, the  point to  remember to some
old productions of Thalion and ACF as well as giving some newschool effex to the
scene, accompanied with  the latest noises possible on the ST, this  demo is one
of the most  original ones I  saw in the  last time. For those  parts, intro and
reset screen it is just great in effex and music, the mainpart isn't as blasting
for me... sorry, but  still nice done. But after  all, with those  little coding
killers this demo is going to make me mad in waiting for "HEFTIG"...

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originality...  9o % - Woah! Alone the idea with the intro is a blaster!
effex.........  8o % - Only a few but really stunning stuff! Cool mapping...
grafix........  6o % - Some ripped game screenshots, not much work by A.-t-...
musix.........  8o % - Great games musix, kewl Tao-noises!
design........  75 % - Nice intro and reset demo, but something is missing...
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all in one ...  78 % - Great demo but A.-t- should have done more...
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.tSCc.                                                                   moondog
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