by Don Engstrom

I remember coming across a demo of Gridz a few years ago when I was running a computer lab at a local elementary school. I was looking for a game that students could play during lunch after earning a "game pass." Games had to be non-violent but still hip and competitive enough to hold the students' interest, no easy task. Gridz filled both criteria quite well and in its most recent incarnation, sports some nice improvements as well.

The Premise: You are pitted against other players, computer or human, vying for control of "NetSpace" a grid of luminescent green lines. You control NetSpace by planting nodes at line intersections and sending out builder ToolBots (pictured on right and below) to activate them. Activate four nodes around a square and you claim that section of netspace as your own. Claimed territory earns energy points which you use to activate various ToolBots. In addition to builder ToolBots, there are Hackers which attempt to destroy enemy nodes and Strikers that attack enemy ToolBots. You start the game with one of each type, but these initial 'Bots are lacking in strength and intelligence. Hey, what do you want for free?! You can buy better ToolBots by collecting tokens that are scattered throughout NetSpace. ToolBots can be given basic instructions (hunt, guard repair, patrol, etc) by option clicking on them. You win a level when your Hackers take out all enemy base stations (pictured above).

Solo Gameplay: For such a simple premise, Gridz is surprisingly addictive. I found myself playing, "just one more level" on several occasions trying to collect enough tokens for better ToolBots. The game is set up quite well for a combination of keyboard and mouse action. Use the arrow keys to scroll through NetSpace and the mouse for just about everything else. There is no music other than a non-intrusive techno beat inthe background. There are a number of auditory clues, however, that alert you to attacks, claimed tokens and other game elements. Leave the sound on as these serve you well during gameplay. Game grids range from 8 x 8 up to 32 x 32 and the number of opponents is varied as well. Collecting tokens and buying better ToolBots, especially strikers, is essential to survival as you progress to higher levels. This raises one complaint I have with this game. Gridz provides no information about the energy requirements of the various ToolBots. This is true during 'Bot selection as well as gameplay when an overly "extravagant" ToolBot purchase may cost you the current level. The problem is amplified by the fact that Gridz includes no printed or pdf based documentation. The documentation incorporated directly into the game is enough to get you started but doesn't eliminate the need for a printed reference.

Network Gameplay: While Gridz has supported network play for a while now, version 1.3.1 (a free update) has added support for Green Dragon's own in-house game server where you can list your own or join an existing game. I swung by several times looking for a game to join but left empty handed each time. Fortunately, there are other options including AppleTalk for LAN play and TCP/IP (assuming you know the address of your opponent) for playing over the internet. Gridz includes 3 additional serial numbers for installing on other computers to act as game clients. These clients cannot play solo or host a game of their own but can join a game that is being hosted. Each hosted game can accommodate up to 8 players. We fired up a game on our LAN and all work ground to a halt! Gameplay was smooth and the folks at Green Dragon say Gridz 1.3.1 has been improved to remove any unfair advantages the game host may have had. I believe it! It would be nice if there was an option to send messages to the other players but this is a minor quibble as there isn't a lot of spare time for chatting. One feature unique to network play is the ability to recycle active nodes for an additional 10 energy points. This may allow you to buy additional needed 'Bots, but it also weakens your territory so use with caution!

Conclusions: Gridz is highly addictive and a good deal less violent than your average Sunday morning cartoon as well. The game is simple enough to work for kids but challenging enough to appeal to adults as well. If you are looking for a refreshing change of pace from first person shooters or civilization building check this one out.

Product: Gridz 1.3.1

Company: Green Dragon Creations

MSRP: $25

Hits: Simple but addictive, non-violent, smooth network play, good integration of audio cues.

Misses: No printed documentation, ToolBot energy cost is not made clear, Gridz game server appears to be a ghost town.

Rating: (5 possible)

Requirements: - PowerPC or 33Mhz 68040 - MacOS 7.5.1 - 16MB of RAM (24MB Recommended) - 640x480, 256 colors - 29MB of disk space - CD-ROM Drive for install and network game hosting