THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 21, 1994 TAG: 9412210014
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
IF SHAQUILLE O'NEAL showed half the moves on the court as he does in ``Shaq Fu,'' he'd be in the Hall of Fame tomorrow.
If Shaquille O'Neal had me calling his plays instead of Orlando Magic Coach Brian Hill, he wouldn't have a career long enough to qualify.
This became all too clear after strapping on the Interactor and I/Shaq went one-on-one with Voodoo then Diesel and the other Dennis Rodmans of the underworld who manhandle the big man in his new martial arts video game.
Enough about Shaq.
Aura Systems Inc., a little company in little El Segundo, Calif., bills the Interactor as ``virtual reality gamewear.'' Made of sleek black plastic and worn over the small of the back with nylon shoulder straps, it looks more like a prop Commando Cody used in ``Radar Men on the Moon,'' but here's the idea:
Sound waves created when a combatant lands a punch or kick are picked up by an actuator, a device that turns electronic signals into mechanical movements, then distributes the bass-heavy vibrations throughout the Interactor. Imagine standing too close to the speakers at a George Clinton concert - only power and filter controls let you determine intensity and location.
It's an easy contraption to hook up, plugging into any video-game system, stereo or TV in a few minutes. And it sells for around $80, not a whole lot more than ``Shaq Fu.''
Which brings up something that doesn't come with the Interactor, something you really need to get a feel for - hand-eye coordination. This too became clear after the razor-nailed Beast efficiently turned me/Shaq into ground round.
The cavalry came in the form of Brian Peate and his bud Jason Weipert, both 13 and eighth-graders at Plaza Middle School in Virginia Beach.
``Whoa, I feel like I'm a bass drum,'' said Brian, who is learning jazz trumpet. ``It's a lot better with the volume down. You don't hear as much of the bass and stuff. It's pretty cool.''
Jason concurred. ``Major punch effect! It's a lot better than playing regular because you can feel it.''
They were right. With the volume down, and someone skilled at the controls, you can feel what was going on - not in a way that is even close to painful, but with a rumble that starts around the kidneys and dances up the spine.
One thing: You can't exactly kick back with the Interactor; you have to sit on a stool or turn a chair around. One other thing: It's noisy, so use it with a friend.
``Al Unser Jr.'s Road to the Top,'' a game that puts you behind the wheels of go-carts, snowmobiles, IROCs and Formula 1 racers, gave it a different spin. The engine hums in the pit of your stomach; when you bump a wall, slip through a turn or plow into the competition, you feel that, too. ``Donkey Kong Country'' was less successful, mostly because the hot Nintendo game is so noisy it's hard telling a drumbeat from a body slam. Still, when D.K. makes his way through the quiet of Winky's Walkway, his movements are a lot clearer.
The game that got the heartiest thumbs-up was Sega's ``Lethal Enforcers 2: Gun Fighters.'' In this one, you shoot it out with desperados armed with six-shooters, shotguns and even cannons. There are showdowns in the street, a bank and a runaway stagecoach. But watch out for the innocent bystanders. Brian and Jason seemed willing to sacrifice the points.
``I still feel like I'm vibrating,'' said Brian, handing over the Interactor.
``I'm asking for this for Christmas,'' Jason added.
Since the Interactor also hooks up to stereos - an adapter snaps it right into the headphone jack - I ran through a stack of discs. Because we have neighbors, I plugged my headphones into the other jack.
The rule to follow here is simple: Go with what moves you. Junior Brown's country twang, a Haydn cello concerto (gotta have some bottom) and the rock-steady reggae of the Morgan Heritage were smooth; Bad Religion and the Chris Duarte Group, a hot Texas blues outfit, not so smooth. Bassist Norman Bates and drummer Joe Morello made me an even bigger Dave Brubeck believer.
My favorite, though, was funky Rick James, who revealed another side of the Interactor. After a long day, my back was aching, but eight minutes of ``You and I'' and it felt great. James Brown ought to be a gas.
TV didn't fare as well. Bob Seeger on VH-1, Cox Cable's Irvine Hill and a Telemundo Radio Shack ad pretty much registered the same.
I surfed into ``Monday Night Football'' with higher hopes, but could feel nothing of what was happening between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. Al Michaels rumbled in nicely, though. So did Dan Dierdorf. But while Kathie Lee might disagree, Frank Gifford didn't move the needle.
Warning: Don't try this with local news. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by L. Todd Spencer
Brian Peate, 13, plays with the Aura Interactor
by CNB