IO Software both developed and published Stereolusions in the middle nineties and released it for use with the Windows operating system on the personal computer. Stereolusions is considered a gaming title because it is fun, but it is actually more of an application or even a type of edutainment. One thing is certain: regardless of how it is classified, IO’s Stereolusions is definitely interesting and unique.
The basic premise of Sterolusions involves making some very cool three dimensional pixilated images out of any clip that the user has in his or her library.
There are a great many graphic formats supported, so really any picture the gamer has on hand may well work with this application. The user begins with a simple screen and a small and basic tool bar located near the top. Beyond that, the game screen is just gray, and it actually has the appearance of a computer crash, at first glance. The user will access the menu and choose an image to load, and then will watch as the program converts the image into the three dimensional oddity that will be the finished product. At first glance, the image will appear to be a blocky, pixilated bunch of colored garble, but once the user
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relaxes his or her eyes, the old image will come into focus. This is a replica of those awesome “Magic Eye” creations that were so popular in the nineties. IO Software capitalized on this popularity by releasing Sterolusions in 1994 at the height of the Magic Eye craze. While everyone was in love with Magic Eye, they were positively enraptured with the idea of making Magic Eye images of their own. Granted, some images work better than others, and the player will have to experiment to see what works the best. There are also some fun effects, such as color versus black and white, the gamer will be able to play with to create some different images.
Aside from being a fun tool for making these interesting three dimensional images, Sterolusions also offers a brief but informative commentary that explains the history of this art and how it is accomplished through the use of computer technology. This is an interesting tidbit of trivia, especially for those interested in computer graphics or are deeply into Magic Eye.
Overall, this is a dandy little application that will interest gamers of all ages. It is more fun than Kai’s Power Goo or other similar applications and will enthrall any gamer who gives it a try.
