BAR GAMES 

 Anyone who's ever been to the local pub, tavern, or watering hole
will appreciate the effort put forth by the folks at Accolade. BAR
GAMES has enough of what makes bars fun to satisfy everyone -- from
the die-hard "barfly" to the most conservative teetotaler. The
program consists of five games in one, as described below. Each game
allows you to play either a single event, or a tournament of all
events. One to four players may participate in either mode. High
scores are kept for tournament play. (This review is based on the
IBM-PC version.) 

 LIAR'S DICE 

 This is the classic dice game played for fun and/or profit
(depending on your state's laws) in bars from coast to coast. The
object of the game is to bid the highest set of dice (two sixes, 
three fours, etc.) in both your hand (which you can see) and the
bartender's hand (which you can't see), without falling short on the
bid. You may also bid more than you think you have, attempting to
force the bartender to bid more than she has so you can "call" her
and catch her in a lie. Of course, if she really makes her bid, you
will lose. Not to worry, though: It's all in fun and no money
changes hands; the bids are for chips only (this is a respectable
place). During the course of the game, you are privy to the
bartender's thoughts, and you're also the butt of her derisions
regarding game play. Don't get distracted, and you just might put
her in her place. 

 AIR HOCKEY 

 You must play a best-of-three set against four opponents of both
genders to win this one. Each player becomes successively more
skillful while the goals on either side of the table get smaller. 
The animation and game play are smooth and challenging, but be
prepared to use a joystick. Keyboard control on this one -- unlike
the other games in this package -- is practically impossible. 

 WET 'N' WILD 

 This game is by far the most enjoyable in the group and worth the
price all by itself! The object is to soak the contestant on the
stage with a bucket of water from a catwalk above. You have a
maximum of 16 buckets of water and 60 seconds on the clock. If
you're able to get the person on stage at least 80% wet without
running out of time or water, you can move on to the next
contestant. Each contestant gets more attractive and wears flimsier
clothing, producing more "revealing" results when totally soaked. 
There are eight contestants in all, and you may choose between
either male or female contestants (lest someone think this game is
sexist). Each contestant gets a little harder to hit with the water
and is more erratic in his/her stage-walking. In addition, you must
contend with electric "chaser-lights" that shock you when water
touches them, and former contestants who come up on the catwalk and
knock off your buckets! The joystick and keyboard interfaces are
both excellent in this game. 

 PICK-UP ARTIST 

 Okay, I know I just said the game isn't sexist, but this particular
segment could be considered so. It's certainly the poorest
implementation of the group. When the game starts, it's Wednesday
and you have just received a note informing you that a girl at the
bar is watching you with interest. You'll know her by the flower she
wears in her hair. When you get to the bar, all the women have their
backs turned toward you, so you must talk to each of them to find
out who has the flower. After selecting which girl you'll talk to, 
you have to converse in the form of three question-and-answer style
conversations. If you successfully ask the right questions and give
the right answers (and the girl is wearing the flower), you'll
return on Thursday night for a one-on-one drink. The conversation
continues the second night, and if you are flawless again, you'll
have dinner on Friday. If dinner goes all right, your next encounter
will be at the beach on Saturday, and finally, the big "Weekend
Reward" (as the manual so eloquently states). 

 All of this is fine, and even addictive at first; however, the real
downfall of the game is that the same girls respond to the same
questions every time you play. Once you know which questions and
answers are correct, you'll be able to get all the way through the
game each time. I was able to solve the mystery of all three women
in just over an hour, so I'll probably never play it again: What
would be the point? Perhaps an option should have been included that
would shuffle the responses; then the challenge could begin all over
again. Since this game is so easily solved and is targeted toward
only one gender, it has very limited appeal. 

 LAST CALL 

 The object of this game is to serve all the patrons at a
three-tiered bar all the beer they want and to try to meet your
quota in one simulated hour of bar time. Sound easy? Don't believe
it! It gets busy. It gets confusing. You must watch the sequence in
which customers order their drinks and serve them in that same
sequence. You must slide the drinks down the bar just right: too
slow and they fall off the bar before reaching their target; too
fast and they tumble over the customers' outstretched hands, 
spilling. You are limited to a certain number of glasses, so be
careful. This is a very challenging game with good animation. After
your shift behind the bar, you'll feel as if you've just run
yourself ragged for an hour. 

 The IBM-PC version of BAR GAMES supports EGA/VGA, CGA, Tandy
16-color, and Hercules MGA. It employs off-disk copy protection in
the form of a non-copyable sheet displaying pictures of glasses that
you must identify at the start of the game. (JACK NICKLAUS GOLF
owners take note: This is _much_ easier to read than the similar
protection used in that game!) 

 BAR GAMES from Accolade is a well-conceived, well-planned, and
well-executed piece of gaming software. It is an excellent value, 
considering that you get five packages in one (even if "Pick-Up
Artist" falls short). The game carries a "recommended for mature
audiences" warning label, due to the revealing nature of "Wet 'n' 
Wild," as well as a few voluptuous women in "Pick-Up Artist." The
documentation is short, entertaining, and easy to understand. 

 So sit back, have a cold one, and get ready for lots of bar fun. 
Hey, where are the hors d'oeuvres? 

 BAR GAMES is published and distributed by Accolade. 

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253