`congrats' On Surgery 
Score, General Hospital 
Executives At Local Hospitals Get Pretty Testy About Their Institution's 
Quality. ``we're As Good As Any Hospital In The State,'' They Bristle When 
Told Of Some Patients' Conviction That Big-city Hospitals Are Better.

Aarp Offers Tax Help 
To Qualifying Seniors

By TOM OBRZUT JR.; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Sunday, February 06, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: THE REAL THING 





PLAINS TWP. -- T.J. Garvey, performed a mini-dance, flipped off his visor
and ran over to his mother screaming, "That was fun." The 9-year-old had just
left the high-tech world of virtual reality. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kramer Entertainment Agency of Grand Rapids, Mich., brought the
computer-generated world of virtual reality -- known as cyberspace -- to
Ertley Motorworld's 12th annual Winter Sale and Show Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Kramer puts on many shows, mostly on college campuses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fred Straus, vice president of sales for Ertley, said the virtual reality
demonstration was just one of the events planned during the dealership's
annual sale. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 More than 300 people took turns placing a 5-pound visette or display set on
their heads to take a trip into the unknown. The visettes contain two
miniature television screens that display a full-color, three-dimensional
environment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Four game machines -- two stand-up and two sit-down -- drew a steady stream
of people all day Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kramer's road manager Steve VanDerbaan describes the game as "wild." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "You become the person in the game," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One of the games featured Saturday -- Dactyl Nightmare -- is very
competitive because two people are fighting each other one-on-one through the
computer system. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Brothers Ed and Chris Konopki of Larksville played against each other in
Dactyl Nightmare. VanDerbaan said the participants have to avoid giant flying
dinosaurs as well as the other player. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Once the visette is on, the players search for their opponent in a room
with a checkerboard floor, steep steps and pillars. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As VanDerbaan yelled instructions like "Pick your head up," or "Get over to
the right" to help the players, the brothers dueled for five minutes. Each
held a hand in the air, grasping their control pads that look like a gun
without a barrel, the brothers spun around in 360-degree circles to avoid
getting hit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It feels like you were in the game," said Ed. His brother agreed. When the
duel was over, Chris was the winner. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Garvey took his chances with VTOL, Harrier jump jet flight simulator. In
the game, the player uses a variety of weaponry to shoot down opposing
aircraft. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I got to pull the trigger and fire missiles," the Plymouth resident said.
"I shot down a lot, about 10." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Matt Himlin of Wilkes-Barre also played VTOL. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "No matter where you look, you're in the game," the 15-year-old said. "It's
a lot more involved than a regular video game." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In addition to VTOL and Dactyl Nightmare, VanDerbaan said Kramer offers two
other games. Flying Aces is a World War I flight simulator where players score
points by shooting down enemy aircraft, Zeppelins or blimps and trains. Exorex
is a game in which players take control of a giant robot warrior in a
trial-by-combat battle with three enemies controlled by competing players. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/BOB ESPOSITO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mike Straus, 12, of Kingston is fitted with headgear for virtual reality
games that were at Ertley Motorworld's show Saturday. Helping Straus is Steve
VanDerbaan, road manager for Kramer Entertainment Agency of Grand Rapids,
Mich.

The Real Thing High-tech Wizardry Puts Kids Right In The Action