旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 컴� This text comes from IMPHOBIA Issue XII - July 1996 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� NAID 96 DEMO REVIEW Allright, another edition of the North American International Demoparty has passed, and with it a new set of compo entries. There were 17 demos entered this year, plus one shown that was entered too late. This fairly high number wouldn't have been possible if they didn't extend the demo entry deadline from 6pm to midnight on Saturday. While some of these took months of effort, many others were kludged in a few days. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Name : Trans Cheddar Express� : Group : Da Cheez Brigade : � Country : Canada � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � Snd Support : GUS and nosound � : Size (unzip): 3695Kb : : Release Date: 06.09.96 : � Rank : First Place � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 DCB released a "preview" of their NAID '96 demo, which threw everyone off guard with its humorously poor quality. Following their 2nd place demo from last year (still unreleased) these guys blew the crowd away with this year's entry! TCE starts out with someone moaning "oohh, DCB!", then enters the first scene, a 3D texture mapped space colony reminiscent of the scenes from the Saturne 96 demos "Contrast" and "Bomb". The lighting changes when the camera moves in and out of the sphere surrounding the "city", very cool. The next effect is 3D B-splines which form twisted torus-like shapes in various colors. The third effect got the NAID crowd's attention. A 3D mech walks around, causing each of its footsteps to shake the ground to the beat of the music. Following this is translucent "ultratextures", a cube with holes of light pouring through and circling around, gas flow, and a dual-layered spinning textured tunnel. Pros: The effects, of course! But what can you expect, Snibble/DCB is from France :). Also, the music by Vip is very good. Cons: Not much in "graphics", and the effects themselves last on the screen for a long time with little transition Overall: If you have ever doubted the coding ability of North America, get this demo and your mind will be changed. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Name : Infinity � : Group : Craw Productions : � Country : Canada � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � Snd Support : GUS, SB and no sound � : Size (unzip): 1606Kb : : Release Date: 06.13.96 : � Rank : Second Place � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 This was another group attemping to follow up on their NAID demo from last year. Craw Productions is still a two- man group, LakEEE and PsychoMan. Infi- nity is another thematic piece, with each part based upon the concept of, you got it, infinite things. Actually, it's hard to say "part", because each effect somehow transitions to the next without break. There are many effects, so I will just try to list the highlights without re- membering the order. The whole demo is in black and white (like Eden by PM) with some red accents in various places. The first object of the demo is a moebius strip. There is also an hourglass and a vector "clock". One cool object scene is a platform spin- ning around, with an "infinite" number of insects walking on the top surface of it. There are other various throws to the theme too, like looping code, pi, and of course, tunnels. But, except possibly the intro, each one moves on to another before getting boring. Infinity managed to accomplish more, really, in 800k zipped than many of the NAID96 demos did in twice that size. Pros: Excellent design and transitions of course. Fairly smooth/efficient coding. Cons: Some people may be unimpressed with the "effects" that are basically just text. Also, while the music is better than in Opticron, it loses its impact toward the end of the demo. Overall: A big improvement over the "thematic" demo of NAID'95 which took first place. Maybe not a shocker effect-wise, still, but it will defi- nitely keep you interested this time around. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Name : Explicit � : Group : Hornet/OTM : � Country : USA � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � Snd Support : GUS, SB, and PAS � : Size (unzip): 2972Kb : : Release Date: (not yet released) : � Rank : Third place � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 This demo is a joint effort between Trixter & Stony/Hornet and Phred & Tek /OTM, both American-based groups. It starts out with some familiar 3D, like a bouncing duck, transparent torii and a school of large transparent "phish". It also has a juliamorph refracted through a 3D object. A cool "history" chart scrolls by, with different kinds of objects made over the years. This is followed by "HTV", with video sequences of people (from "The Grind") dancing in beat to the music, also with multiple video cubes moving around and a large motion blurred video cube following those. The compo version ends here: hopefully the final one will have more although the demo is already compressed into almost 3MB. Pros: Nice music by Tek, kind of demo- funk-techno thats worked well in Euro- pean demos. The video stuff by Trixter is cool, hopefully we'll see more of it in Grind Player v2.0? :) Nice tex- tures, the backgrounds in the object parts keep it interesting. Cons: The end pic by Stony is screa- ming to have greets or something placed to the left of it. Also, ducks and donuts are getting kinda old, guys c'mon. :) Overall: Very nice for a first demo by the hardest working scene group out there. And you thought they just made a newsletter and sold CDs. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Name : Arise � : Group : Beyond : � Country : USA � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � Snd Support : GUS, SB, PAS & no snd� : Size (unzip): 2761Kb : : Release Date: 06.05.96 : � Rank : Fourth place � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 This five-man group from the Chicago area was formed mostly from Pure Resi- stance. Their debut demo at NAID is in SVGA, VBE2.0 is recommended (UnivBE 5. 1 will do nicely). It features many 3D objects like a weird, colorful lizard- creature and a nice phong env-mapped flying beast. There is also a textured tunnel with a wavy object inside, and rippled 2D. Pros: Nice colors, good design, plus good music by Freejack. Cons: Not much variation in effects, quite slow on a 486 (although with its 640x480 mode this is excusable). Overall: This group has a LOT of potential. It's great to see this kind of skill coming from midwest American college students. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Name : Dream Cycle � : Group : Vertigo : � Country : Guatemala � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � Snd Support : GUS and ?? � : Size (unzip): 1336Kb : : Release Date: 06.05.96 : � Rank : Sixth place � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 Yes, I couldn't believe it either when I read the info file. If they still live there, then this is the first group from Central America to enter a demo compo (with one Spanish member). The demo features many non-vector ef- fects, like text rippling in water, landscapes, tunnels, and motion blurring. Pros: Original effects and managing to make a 2D-only demo without spinning plasma. :) Cons: This demo is VERY slow on any- thing less than a Pentium. The music is rather awful as well. Overall: Well, I wouldn't have ranked this demo as high as 6th place myself, but it's unique, and that was the group's goal. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Name : Emergency � : Group : The Surrounders : � Country : Canada � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � Snd Support : GUS and no sound � : Size (unzip): 2744Kb : : Release Date: 06.10.96 : � Rank : Seventh place � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 This Quebec group returns after their somewhat unknown demo from NAID'95, "Dark Purpose". A lot of time was spent planning "Emergency" for this year's compo, but did it pay off? The demo starts off in a Warp/2nd Reality- esque manner, with stars and ships flying around planets. It then has some effects such as warping, poly- landscape, and curving texture tunnel. The ending has a humorous twist (spoiler, stop reading if you want to be surprised! :) A fake Windows 95 session starts, showing a bomb count- down. The "user" tries to deactivate it with one of the programs, but a GPF occurs, and the city is smothered in a red blast. And that's the end of the demo. "Emergency" features Dolby surround sound, but a 1024k GUS is required for it. Actually, a 1024k GUS is required for the demo to run anyway, I found out. If you do not have one, you can run "emerg nosound" and the demo will run without music (a little less exci- ting). Pros: Good music, well orchestrated and fits the demo. Good storyline. Cons: The effects in the demo are rather outdated. Overall: This is a pretty good produc- tion, although maybe not so much for several months work. Check it out if you have the time. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � Name : The Lynch � : Group : Nuclear Meltdown : � Country : USA � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � Snd Support : GUS, SB and no sound � : Size (unzip): 950Kb : : Release Date: 06.07.96 : � Rank : Eighth place � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 This demo was pratically complete almost a year ago, but it still brought a smile to the NAID'96 crowd's faces. It's about an American "lamer" who codes a QBasic scroller demo, and uploads it to ftp.cdrom.com. An "elite" Finnish scener gets the demo, watches it, and reports it to the "demo council", who declares its coder "guilty" and goes on a "lynch bus trip" to America to deliver the punishment. The Lynch had Necros/FM, one of the demo judges, cracking up, so maybe it'll work on you too. :) Pros: The funny storyline, and the screens showed during it. But they didn't get too goofy; the demo is put together nicely. Cons: Well, it's hard to find faults with a non-serious demo. Better drawn gfx, maybe? I can't say... Oh yeah, the Finnish flag should be blue on white, not vice versa. :) Overall: Another successful demo-with- a-theme, which shows you don't always need amazing effects to please people. - - - - - - - - - - - There were a few good entries that weren't even entered (because they were too late or didn't work on the compo machine), such as "Pill" by Opiate, "Babylon" by Psychic Monks and "Signal" by Satire/USED. Hopefully these will all be released later. That wraps up the reviews. You can find these demos at ftp.cdrom.com, in /pub/demos/alpha/1996/(first letter)/, or /pub/demos/incoming/NAID96/demo or ftp.arosnet.se/demo/demo/NAID96/demos, if it's not too late. - Phoenix[Hornet/Kosmic] (phoenix@kosmic.org)