Top-Selling Software Titles By Units
Phantasmagoria
Sierra On-Line
Windows/DOS/Mac CD-ROM,
ESP:$69.95, Street Date: Now
This much-anticipated title is set up like a book: each of its seven — yes, seven — CDs serves as a chapter in this eerie interactive horror story. Players assume the role of Adrienne, who has moved with her husband into a mysterious house on a private island. However, the previous owner, a 19th-century illusionist, has left behind a malevolent presence that turns Adrienne’s dream house into a macabre nightmare. Phantasmagoria includes a 3-D rendered world, digitized filmed actors, a fully orchestrated soundtrack with a 135-voice choir, and a rating toggle that allows explicit scenes to be excluded for younger players.
Beyond The Wall
Magnet Interactive
Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM,
ESP: $49.98, Street Date: October 18
Beyond The Wall is both a tribute to and a compelling journey into the lives of the men and women who fought in the Vietnam War. Using rare home movies, audio tapes, snapshots, letters, songs and other personal memorabilia, this title gives a face to the war that divided the country. Among the areas to explore are: a Comprehensive Directory, which provides personal information — such as name, branch of service, birth date, date of casualty, hometown and location on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial — for each of the 58,000-plus soldiers; Vietnam Experience, which includes newsreel footage, photos, newspaper articles, letters and audio recordings; and Vietnam Women’s Memorial, which portrays the emotions and insights of the women who served in Vietnam. Other areas explore the design and construction of the Memorial and how the Wall is used today.
Battle Beast
7th Level
Windows CD-ROM, ESP: $49.95,
Street Date: Now
Containing more than 100 intense fight moves, 8,000 frames of hand-drawn animation, and a bone-jarring soundtrack, Battle Beast is a unique fighting game in which players must find and destroy an evil “toadman” and his minions. The game features great graphics, hidden bonus rooms, and a bevy of deadly weapons. Built-in artificial intelligence monitors a player’s progress, then adjusts the competition accordingly. Certain keyboard combinations allow players to “taunt” opponents with a variety of phrases, including some not suitable for printing here.
Ocean Explorers
Compton’s NewMedia
Windows CD-ROM, ESP: $39.95 (bundled with Zoo Explorers), Street Date: October 5
The first program in Compton’s Explorer series of edutainment and activity titles, Ocean Explorers uses puzzles, games, animated characters and learning segments to help children learn about the ocean and its inhabitants. The title includes six interactive ocean environments to explore, video footage of ocean creatures and habitats, puzzles, games, and an onscreen coloring book. Ocean Explorers is bundled with another Compton’s edutainment title, Zoo Explorers, an animated tour through a zoo.
Monopoly CD-ROM
Parker Brothers/Virgin Interactive
Windows CD-ROM/Mac CD-ROM,
ESP: $39.99, Street Date:
Now/December for Macintosh
The classic board game leaps into cyberspace with this CD-ROM version that includes an Internet play component. Featuring more than 800 3-D animations — including Rich Uncle Moneybags — and tokens with distinct personalities, Monopoly’s Internet capability allows both language translations and currency conversions done in real time, so, for example, a player in New York selling property to an opponent in London will see pounds converted automatically to dollars. Up to six players, each with a copy of the software, play via the Internet or on a LAN.
Cooking With
Dom DeLuise
Allegro New Media
Windows CD-ROM, SRP: $49.95
Street Date: Now
We knew he liked eating, but in this two-disc CD-ROM set Dom mans the spatula to whip up more than 200 of his favorite recipes. The title contains two hours of comical video, hundreds of color photos, and recipe-management software. Recipes include almost every food category, including appetizers, breads, salads, eggs, soups, vegetables, pasta, rice, poultry, meat, fish, sauces and desserts.
Inside The SAT
Princeton Review
Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM,
ESP: $50, Street Date: Now
Designed for college-bound teens, Inside The SAT features video lessons from Princeton Review instructors integrated directly into the text lessons. Thanks to proprietary software, the video instructors are able to provide advice tailored to each student’s answers. The main menu features comic book-style selection of doors situated along a typical high school hallway. Doors “open” to subject “rooms” such as Verbal, Math, General Strategies, Test and Guidance Counselor. Along with the lessons, techniques and strategies offered in the program, the title includes humorous, confidence-building comments and asides.
The Riddle of Master Lu
Sanctuary Woods
DOS CD-ROM, ESP: $59.95
Street Date: Now
Based on the adventures of Dr. Robert Ripley of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! fame, The Riddle of Master Lu is set in 1936, with the world on the brink of war. In the game, players have to guide Ripley and his companion, Mei Chen, to keep a powerful Chinese talisman — the Emperor’s Jade Seal — out of the clutches of the enemy. The title features a story line developed by Lee Sheldon, a Hollywood screenwriter, an original score, video-based animation, more than 30 video characters, and over 200 rooms to explore.
TOP 5 BUSINESS
PRODUCTIVITY TITLES
Avg.
Last This Retail
Month Month Title Publisher Price
* 1 Mosaic In A Box 2.0 Spry $15
(CD W95)
* 2 Mosaic In A Box 2.0 Spry $17
(W95 3.5)
2 3 Netscape Navigator 1.0 Ventana Com. $37
(WIN 3.5)
* 4 MS Office Pro w. Microsoft $134
Bookshelf Upg.(CD W95)
1 5 WordPerfect 6.1 Novell $72
Upgrade (WIN 3.5)
TOP 5 PERSONAL
PRODUCTIVITY TITLES
Avg.
Last This Retail
Month Month Title Publisher Price
2 1 Quicken 4.0 Intuit $19
(WIN 3.5)
1 2 Print Shop Deluxe Broderbund $70
CD Ensemble Software
(CD WIN)
5 3 Quicken 4.0 Intuit $32
(CD WIN)
3 4 Quicken 4.0 Deluxe Intuit $55
(CD WIN)
4 5 3D Home Design Expert $11
(WIN 3.5) Software
TOP 5 UTILITIES
Avg.
Last This Retail
Month Month Title Publisher Price
* 1 Norton Utilities Symantec $55
Trade Up (W95 3.5)
1 2 Uninstaller 3.0 Microhelp $35
(WIN 3.5)
2 3 Softram Synchronys $51
(WIN 3.5) Software
11 4 Magnaram Landmark $15
(WIN 3.5)
3 5 Remove It 2 Vertisoft $35
(WIN 3.5)
TOP 5 REFERENCE TITLES
Avg.
Last This Retail
Month Month Title Publisher Price
2 1 MS Encarta 95 Microsoft $80
(CD WIN)
1 2 Street Atlas 2.0 Delorme $77
(CD MPC) Mapping
4 3 MS Bookshelf 95 Microsoft $62
(CD WIN)
3 4 70 Million American $21
Households 95 Business Info
(CD MPC)
8 5 American Heritage Softkey $37
Talk Dict. International
(CD WIN/MAC)
Last This Average
Month Month Title Publisher Retail Price
* 1 MS Windows 95 Upgrade (CD W95) Microsoft $89
* 2 MS Plus! (CD W95) Microsoft $43
5 3 Mechwarrior 2 (CD DOS) Activision $42
* 4 Mosaic In A Box 2.0 (CD W95) Spry $15
4 5 Myst (CD WIN) Broderbund Software $45
3 6 MS Flight Simulator 5.1 (CD DOS) Microsoft $45
2 7 Ultimate Doom (CD DOS) GT Interactive $32
* 8 Phantasmagoria (CD MPC) Sierra On-Line $43
1 9 Star Trek Next Gen. Final Unity (CD DOS) Spectrum Holobyte $51
6 10 Dark Forces (CD DOS) LucasArts Entertainment $47
Last This Average
Month Month Title Publisher Retail Price
5 1 Mechwarrior 2 (CD DOS) Activision $42
4 2 Myst (CD WIN) Broderbund Software $45
3 3 MS Flight Simulator 5.1 (CD DOS) Microsoft $45
2 4 Ultimate Doom (CD DOS) GT Interactive $32
* 5 Phantasmagoria (CD MPC) Sierra On-Line $43
1 6 Star Trek Next Gen. Final Unity (CD DOS) Spectrum Holobyte $51
6 7 Dark Forces (CD DOS) LucasArts Entertainment $47
12 8 NASCAR Racing (CD DOS) Virgin Interactive $49
8 9 Virtual Pool (CD DOS) Interplay Productions $42
10 10 Links 386 (CD DOS) Access Software $31
Last This Average
Month Month Title Publisher Retail Price
5 1 Spanish (CD WIN) Sofsource $10
2 2 The Lion King Storybook (CD WIN) Disney Interactive $31
* 3 Complete Algebra (CD WIN) Sofsource $10
4 4 The Oregon Trail 2 (CD MPC/MAC) MECC $48
11 5 Spanish (WIN 3.5) Sofsource $10
3 6 Aladdin Activity Center (CD WIN) Disney Interactive $27
13 7 Math Blaster: Search On Spot (CD WIN/MAC) Davidson $34
6 8 Reader Rabbit 1 Deluxe (CD WIN/MAC) The Learning Company $41
10 9 Algebra (WIN 3.5) Sofsource $10
22 10 Algebra 2 (WIN 3.5) Sofsource $10
* Titles not ranked in last month’s selling list Source: SofTrends/NPD Group Inc. @ TWICE 1995
Information provided by SofTrends, a subscription-based service from the SPA and The NPD Group tracking software sales
from over 7,500 stores. For pricing and detailed subscription information, contact The NPD Group (516) 625-2294.
