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Software for fun
By DAVE GUSSOW Links 2003
You can teach an old game new tricks. I don't play golf, but my brother-in-law does, both on real courses and with the popular Links 2003. His report: Links 2003 improves graphics from previous versions of the simulated golf game, particularly when it comes to the virtual courses. Player graphics also are good, though not quite as crisp. It converts courses from previous versions with no problems. A negative: He had a hard time following the flight of the ball. The classic play mode is comparable to previous versions, but he said the real-time alternative, which forces you to do an actual eye-hand coordination for a swing, was very realistic, especially when putting. Be prepared to spend some time learning real-time mode, particularly mastering the swing with the mouse. Fortunately, 2003 offers a lesson section, which is helpful for learning the real-time swing. You also can play on the Internet, which my brother-in-law says is easy to set up, but he hasn't tried it. Law & Order: Dead on the Money
Good detective work takes patience. Playing this game takes a whole lot of patience, too. Based on the popular TV show, this game starts with a body found in Central Park. Your job is to gather evidence, interview witnesses and build the case, then turn it over to prosecutors. The voices of Jerry Orbach (Detective Lennie Briscoe), S. Epatha Merkerson (Lt. Anita Van Buren) and Elisabeth Rohm (assistant district attorney Serena Southerlyn) add a dose of TV realism, though the animation for the characters is pretty stiff. While the TV show can wrap up a case in an hour, and the game is relatively easy to navigate, plan to spend a lot of time to solve the mystery. And note that you're also playing against the clock. -- DAVE GUSSOW, Times personal technology editor
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From Tech Times
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