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A Would-be Apollo Astronauts Dream

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 36 / 36
Date: November 30, 1999
Author: Amazon User

It was with great excitment that I discovered this game. I don't particularly like computer games but I had to have this one. Overall, it's a little crude graphically, compared with many games. I also had some problems with the program crashing at important points in the game (this was remedied by downloading a better movie player from the net and reducing the graphics card accelerator function to minimum. I found out about this by phoning the helpline).

This is an adults game since it requires studying of the CSM and LM systems. This is done via the indepth manual and training disc which is included. All procedures are initiated from vocal prompts from Mission Control Centre. Typically, during a launch, all one can see is a control panel and changing numbers as the Saturn V inserts into earth orbit. This is interspersed with the odd crude external view of the Saturn V staging and igniting the new stage. It can be a little dull unless, like me, you're an Apollo nut-case. The lunar landing section is frustrating because the coordinates for the landing site as radioed to the LM, are half missing and the manual has the X and Y the wrong way around. It took a lot of trial an error to suss this out (it could be part of the game but I don't think this is likely).

My main criticisms are: Only being able to see one of three control panels in the LM or CSM at anyone time. This make "emergencies" diffcult to deal with; Having to do three astronaults work. Could they have assigned two virtual astronauts along with the mission? If one does produce a fatal error, there is no facility to start again at the point of destruction- you have to do the whole time consuming launch again even if you made your mistake on the lunar landing. My joystick didn't respond very well with the program which meant i had to use the on screen buttons and the mouse, which is a little disappointing. The space suit provided with the game was too tight for me (that's a joke if you hadn't guessed!).

Over all the game is disappointing when it could have been absolutely great. I suspect they makers cut corners in the R and D because of the limited appeal of this game. What a shame! It gets 3 stars only becaue I love anything to do with Project Apollo. Objectively, it probably only deserves 2 stars. But then it's only a game!

Buy this only if you're a fanatic who can bear frustration!

I Finally Did It !

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Apollo 18 is one of the toughest games or simulators out there. Eventhough I don't think that the game is on the market anymore, it has taken me about 2 years to conquer every problem in the mission and be so good at it that I have been on 20 straight sucessful missions and never get aborted. I'm a 42 year old male and grew up with the Apollo program. So, like the other reviews in this section, I was also very excited to get the game back in 1999. I became fustrated and many times left the game for weeks at a time, then I would think of another way I could play it and another part of the mission I overcame. There are special techniques in some sections that are not in the manual. The landing sequence is easy now, but there is only one way to land and it took me about a year and a half to figure out the best way to be right over the target and land every time with plenty of fuel. If you have had this trouble, you can e-mail me and I can tell you the sequence for seccess on every step of the game. Why? Because like so many people, it's so ##@@!!%% difficult that I hate to see an expensive game sit dusty in a cabinet. Once you overcome all of the problems, then the game is fun. But, it would not load on my new computer that I bought in October of 2000. It likes to run flawlessly on my old pentium 120 1994 computer. But who knows, there might be someone out there that would like to get some fun out of this tedious game and enjoy it! You don't need to complete any tests if you don't want to. I by-passed all of the written and simulator tests when I reloaded the game on my old computer when it wouldn't work on my new one. Many people have watched me play it and it's enjoyable to even watch when the entire mission unfolds. From start to finish by my stop watch, it takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete, and there is no pausing the game. I don't consider it a game, it's more of a simulator and not for kids unless they have a co-pilot that can explain how Apollo actually flew to the moon and they know what they're doing. Microsoft's Space Simulator that I still use, has great missions to play and even teach kids about orbital machanics. That came out for one year in 1992 and I haven't seen it since. But that too is not a game for fast shoot'em ups or action. I hope that this has been some help.

Crash Down

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Game crashed my computer, had to wipe the entire hard drive. Never touched it again except to sell it at a yard sale.

BEST SPACE RELATED SIMULATION SINCE SPACE CAMP

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: January 18, 2000
Author: Amazon User

very comprehensive but not for people who like shoot-em-up games this is a mission to the moon which has many outcomes dependeing on how you act under "pressure"

Don't buy this game until they fix it.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Mission control is trying to give you instructions and the information is overlaping. Ps2 burn data is wrong and then you are forced to abort the mission. I tried reinstalling the game and it wouldn't work at all. It is now at some landfill. What I did get to play of the game was great. Too bad they didn't follow through with a great idea.

Apollo 18 more like Apollo 13

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: May 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

When I saw this game in the store during the christmas(2000) holiday I was filled with joy and on christmas morning there it was, Apollo 18! I quickly headed for the computer trying to install the game. The game installed great and was happy as could be. But when I tried to play the game it wouldn't work, nothing would. So I deinstalled the game I had wanted since I first heard about it. Then later on Apollo 18 still had fun with my system, seems like it screwed up some files, and thus I had to get a new hard drive!!! If this game would work I would of rated it a 5 because I could of enjoyed the game, but I give it a 0 (the minimum here is 1). The box looks great, but the game, I haven't seen it yet...END

Apollo 18

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: January 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Using Apollo 18 for me was much like being in orbit without Mission Control, and multi-system failures. E-mailing Project2 Interactive produces no response and the helpline is a cellular phone that no one ever answers. The game won't run beyond the first video clip. After waiting a year for this game, I can't tell you how disappointed I am in the manufacturer. Thank goodness it was purchased through a reputable company like yours.

Exercise in Tedium

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This piece of software hardly qualifies as a game. I spent a week trying desperately to successfully land on the moon. Between random crashes, mis-identified landing coordinates, skimpy documentation, and yes, my own inadequecies as an astronaut, I was absolutely unable to complete my mission. What was most frustrating, is I thought that this simulation would not only give me the opportunity to virtually experience the thrill and pressures involved in manned space flight, but it would also give me an insight into *why* systems worked the way they do. Unfortunately, the only experience I received was more along the lines of, "And the monkey flips the switch".

I ended up giving the game away for free, and I still feel guilty about inflicting it upon another. If you buy it, make sure you can return it.

lune

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: April 05, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The only down fall about this softwere is that you have to do hall the step that they ask you to do with out taking a brake. It creat a lots a pression and you make misstake.

apollo 18 review

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game and it worked for 5 minutes then it ruined my whole computer. If anybody is thinking about buying this game, DON'T!!!!! I hope this game never ruins anyone else's computer. This game belongs in the trash!

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