Gaming Winter Preview

 It's Christmas season again, and to most parents that means one thing: Nintendomania is about to swing into high gear. Hard-to-get game cartridges will once again top the wish lists of millions of kids throughout the country, while their harried parents will once more be frantically searching discount stores hoping that the games are in stock.

In the last year, Nintendo has ingrained itself in the American consciousness-especially that of Americans under 12. Its characters have inspired a Saturday morning cartoon show (Super Mario Bros.), and there is even a Nintendo cereal (sounds nutritious, doesn't it?). Nintendo has become the dream of little boys and little marketing men everywhere.

Little girls dream of Nintendo, too, though perhaps not in the numbers that boys do. Until recently, most game cartridges have appealed to more violent and destructive tendencies than girls usually evidence. A welcome development has been the release of cartridges like The Adventures of Lolo that attempt to appeal equally to members of both sexes.

More good news for game players has been the development of books of hints and guidebooks to help you when you are stuck. For example, "Mastering Nintendo Video Games," by a father-and-son team named Judd and Joshua Robbins, gives help on more than 100 cartridges, including such favorites as Super Mario Bros. 2 and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link. The book retails for $7.95 and can be ordered by calling Hayden Books at 800-257-5755.

In addition, Kodak has released a videotape series called "How to Score More Points on Nintendo Games." Each tape in the series costs $14.95 and offers hints on solving five popular games. They can be ordered by calling 800-331-6839. The tapes are narrated by Skip Rogers, who is identified as World Video Game Champion but is really just an actor. Warn your kids; otherwise they might grow up hoping they, too, can be World Video Game Champion.

To help with your game gift buying, here's a roundup of the hottest Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) releases, as well as a look at what Sega, the main pretender to the game-machine throne, has in store for the season. Expect to pay about $50 a cartridge-if you can find it. Some of the more popular ones will be especially hard to find as Christmas approaches.

For kids

Mickey Mousecapade (Capcom). This is a rather standard game of running, jumping and climbing that is notable because of its use of the Disney characters. Kids should be enthralled by the colorful action. Though Minnie and Mickey dodge knives throw by Pegleg Pete, the rest of the game is mostly nonviolent fun.

Ducktales (Capcom). In this other new Disney-oriented release, Scrooge McDuck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie go on a madcap treasure hunt. Good fun for the young 'uns.

Ghostbusters II (Activision). The computer game version of the first Ghostbusters movie had a whopping sales total of more than 2 million units. Though the movie sequel wasn't nearly as good as the original, the game sequel far surpasses its predecessor. The graphics are far superior, the sound is better, and the game is simply more fun to play. Kids will love this one.

Sports games

Magic Johnson's Fast Break (Tradewest). This simulation of two-on-two basketball offers plenty of action at five levels of play. Slam dunks and alley-oops are all here, as well as a feature that says a lot about the state of professional sports these days: Your goal in this game is not only to win games but also to increase your salary.

Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off-Road (Tradewest). This racing game gets the award for longest title of a game cartridge. It's also the first NES cartridge to allow for simultaneous four-player action. The game works by taking advantage of a new peripheral called the NES Satellite, which allows four controllers to be hooked up at once. Thus the entire family or a group of friends can compete at the same time.

Kings of the Beach (Konami). As another Chicago winter sets in, dreams of California beaches begin. This graphically superb game takes you there for the fun of professional two-on-two volleyball. Everything is here-spikes, skyballs, crushers and even string bikinis. Awesome, dude.

Action games

Code Name: Viper (Capcom). Most Nintendo action games have little connection to reality, but the premise of this one is real enough: A Latin American drug cartel has kidnaped several U.S. citizens. Your job is to infiltrate the drug lord's lair and release the hostages. The game offers plenty of action. It's not for the faint of heart.

Wild Boys (Bandai). You have to admire the marketing at this company: It sure knows its audience, the teen and preteen boys who make up the majority of NES players. This package features four heavy-metal rockers on its cover and urges kids to "join Keef, Jay, Slash and Axle as they rescue their hostaged girlfriends." Slash and Axle? Let's hope Guns N' Roses gets a royalty check.

The Battle of Olympus (Broderbund). Instead of inventing new monsters, this game brings alive some of the great mythological creatures of antiquity, including the Hydra, Cerberus, the Bull of Colchis, Talos, the Minotaur and many more. Set in ancient times in the Peloponnesus and Crete, this adventure offers a painless way to introduce your child to some classic characters.

The Hunt for Red October (Hi Tech expressions). As in Tom Clancy's bestselling novel, this action game puts you in the role of a Soviet submarine captain who wants to defect to the United States. Adults who liked the book might enjoy this game, if they can pry their kids away from the control pads.

The Game Boy

Nintendo's Game Boy system, a hand-held version of the NES, debuted this season, accompanied by a blizzard of high-powered hype. Sadly, the system doesn't live up to its billing. The screen display is not in color, which is bad enough. Worse is that the display is so hard to read that it could cause terminal eye strain. Players who absolutely need to have a portable game machine should wait for Atari's new color system, coming soon.

Sega games

As No. 2 in the dedicated game machine industry, Sega continues to try harder. Its hot new Genesis machine is far better than anything Nintendo has to offer, and an average Sega game has much better graphics and sound than the average Nintendo offering.

That's the good news for Sega. The bad news is that Nintendo has a stranglehold on the market, and as long as Nintendomania keeps up, it won't matter that a superior game system is going unnoticed by millions of players. Keeping up with the Joneses is especially important to kids, and most Joneses have the NES system, not Sega.

However, if you're not afraid to march to a slightly different drummer, the Sega is a real bargain. Even better, it doesn't have a cereal named after it. What it does have is a bumper crop of new releases. Here are the best of them: The Sega Genesis

Sega's new Genesis system is an astounding game system that finally delivers what manufacturers have been promising for years: arcade-quality games in your home. Try out the Genesis system and you'll probably be putting your Nintendo away in the attic forever. There are currently just a few titles available for the Genesis, but they are stunning.

Tommy Lasorda's Baseball is by far the best arcade-style computer baseball game ever, with spectacular 3-D graphics and great sound. The Genesis allows you to plug in headphones for full stereo sound.

Altered Beast, Ghouls 'N Ghosts and Last Battle are three other Genesis action games that focus on an all too familiar video-game theme (kill, kill and kill again), but even the most nonviolent players will be in awe of the startlingly sharp graphics and the fluid game play. Other Sega titles

The rest of these Sega games can be played on standard Sega units, or on the Genesis if you purchase a special attachment. Though they lack the pizazz of Genesis sound and graphics, these games are still the equal of anything available for the NES.

Walter Payton Football is a fun version of nine-on-nine football. But it's hard to see what if anything Sweetness contributed to this game besides his name. Still, the game is enjoyable enough, especially with two human players. You'll need all your joystick finesse and flair to advance to the Super Bowl.

Casino Games takes you to Sega Royale, a gambling haven that lets you bet on poker, blackjack, baccarat and slot machines. If the betting becomes too hectic or if you blow your wad, you can relax with a game of pinball.

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap is the latest release in the delightful Wonder Boy series, a group of games that girls as well as boys find appealing. In this game a nasty surprise awaits you: A dragon's curse turns you into a lizard, and you must find a way to undo the spell.

Wanted! is a Western shoot-'em-up that puts you in the role of a sheriff who needs to clean up his town pronto. Guess how you're going to do it? Yep, with your trusty Sega Light Phaser gun. Just the thing to send the bad boys to Boot Hill.

Cloud Master is an odd and intriguing game, a sort of Super Mario Bros. on acid. Bizarre landscapes, flying cat heads, pigs with guns, levitating bowls of soup and more await you in this spaced-out trip.

Tennis Ace is Sega's answer to Nintendo's popular tennis cartridge, whose main failing is that it doesn't allow two players to compete against each other. The Sega version lets you play against either another human or the computer in singles or doubles. There's even a password feature so you can save your standings in a tournament. CAPTION: