Console Watch 2002: Xbox
April 30, 2002
For the past year or so, Microsoft have taken a lot of heat as they have attempted to break into the home console market. But their entry, the Xbox, is nothing but a mass of pure gaming goodness. The Xbox is large, heavy, and it boasts more power than any other platform on the market. I’ve often heard people discuss just how powerful the Xbox is, and if games are really any better on it. Make no mistake about it, the Xbox is a workhorse, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that any particular game will be better on the Xbox. It is true though, that all games will consistently look better on the Xbox if the developers take the time to bring it up to speed on the system. Obviously, if a game is a straight port, with no updates, then it will look the same on the Xbox as it did on the PS2 or whatever system it’s coming from. However, the Xbox has the capability to make any game better. Read more
Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
April 30, 2002
Ecco the Dolphin is a very poor game. Being a re-release of a Dreamcast title of the same name, it’s behind its time in terms of graphics, gameplay, and most importantly, fun. Its original feel is almost the only good quality of the game. Read more
Ultimate Ride Coaster Deluxe
April 29, 2002
I have to admit that this game was more fun than I expected. It’s an upgraded version of the original Ultimate Ride. It includes everything that the original had, plus new track types, props, and puzzles. For those of you who don’t know, this game is not like Roller Coaster Tycoon. That game focuses on the economic side of building and maintaining an amusement park, as well as designing roller coasters. Ultimate Ride Coaster Deluxe focuses on designing your own roller coasters for just for fun, or to complete certain objectives. Read more
Driven
April 29, 2002
Let’s just be honest, who wouldn’t want the opportunity to go 200+ mph. while driving down the highway? It would be a pretty sweet feeling, wouldn’t it? Well, thanks to the folks at Bam Entertainment you can now reach speeds of over 200 mph on the FIRST true racing game available for the Nintendo Gamecube. First of all let me set up the story for you: Motor racing sensation Jimmy Bly is having a tough season. He’s begun to crack under pressure and his team is losing points. Step in, Joe Tanto, seasoned racing veteran, scarred by a terrible accident from seasons ago. Can Tanto come to terms with his past in order to help fix Bly’s future in time? Does the story sound a little familiar? Well don’t worry you aren’t going crazy… this game is based on last year’s movie of the same name starring Sly Stallone. But fear not, this isn’t just another movie-to-video game. Bam Entertainment takes part of the movie (for the story-based mission… but we’ll get to that later), plus adds multiplayer racing with Arcade racing to create a really unique game! Read more
Soldier of Fortune Gold
April 29, 2002
Soldier of Fortune Gold is a brute force, solid FPS that allows you to blow-up your enemies with a wide assortment of artillery. Unlike the more cerebral shooters like Dues Ex, or Half Life, SoF is all about combat and excitement. Pulling levers and throwing switches will be the extent of puzzle solving that you will be required to perform. Tearing off an opponents arm with a shotgun blast is particularly satisfying in SoF and the lack of thinking that is required to progress gives this game a distinctively visceral feel. As John Mullins, you will play the part of hired gun for the American government charged with successfully completing top-secret missions in exchange for a butt-load of cash. You’ll also be given access to an assortment of high-powered weaponry to aide you in your tasks. Read more
Virtua Fighter IV
April 28, 2002
A few years ago Soul Caliber hit the shelves, and set a new standard for fighting games. There were many hopes that this would usher in a new age of fighting games, but nothing appeared that could compare. Finally a new game has hit the market that may just be able to compete, and it’s coming from an unlikely source, the historically mediocre Virtua Fighter series. Read more
Judge Denies First Amendment
April 26, 2002
A federal judge in St. Louis, Stephen Limbaugh, has ruled that video games are not constitutionally protected forms of speech. Before making the decision, Limbaugh said he reviewed four different video games and found “no conveyance of ideas, expression, or anything else that could possibly amount to speech. The court finds that video games have more in common with board games and sports than they do with motion pictures.” He went on to deny a request by the video game industry group to throw out a St. Louis County ordinance regulating access to arcade and home video games. Read more
RoboForge
April 24, 2002
If you are a fan of the robot fighting television shows like Robot Arena, then you’ll probably enjoy trying your hand at RoboForge. Just like the shows you try to build the granddaddy of all bots and battle it against all takers to prove who has the biggest set of servos on the block–well, on the net. Instead of controlling your bot remotely, you have to preprogram it with an artificial intelligence (AI) to govern how it will break bad on your competition. Read more
Console Watch 2002: GameCube
April 24, 2002
As of late, it would seem that it’s become somewhat fashionable to bash Nintendo’s purple, handled console. In fact, I have done my fair share of rippin’ on the old ‘Cube, and truth be told, the system has earned those complaints. Here it is five months after launch, and there still is not a single title that I consider a “must buy.” I haven’t touched my ‘Cube in well over three months. Meanwhile, the PS2 has been churning out mega-hits left and right, and even the newcomer Xbox had some absolutely stunning games at launch. However, I do believe that 2002 may be the year of the GameCube. Read more
Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance
April 24, 2002
One game that really ate a lot of my quarters when I was younger was the game entitled Gauntlet. It was a relatively simple game — all you had to do was move your character around, hit the Attack and Spell buttons, and try not to get killed. But something about the game made it so much fun. Don’t ask me why — the graphics were not good and the game was next to impossible — yet I still threw in my quarters like there was no tomorrow. And with many attempts to make Gauntlet a home video game it just wasn’t the same. It just didn’t have the fun that it did back then. Read more