Conflict: Desert Storm II Back to Baghdad
November 20, 2003
In 1991, the US and the armies of the world, backed by the UN, came to the aid of Kuwait by attacking Iraq and the armies of Saddam Hussein. This is the setting for last year’s Conflict Desert Storm title. Despite the first title receiving mixed results, a sequel was developed and is now available. Conflict Desert Storm II Back to Baghdad is set once again in 1991. If there are future versions of the franchise, I guess they may include the current Iraq conflict then. But before we begin speculating on the future of the franchise, lets take a closer look at Conflict Desert Storm II Back to Baghdad. Read more
Wrestlemania XIX
November 20, 2003
During the course of a WWE review, I guess I will have to admit to my past love of professional wrestling. I grew up watching the WWF in its prime. I saw many great matches, the introduction of many classic wrestlers, and watched the dawning of new shows like RAW and Nitro. For those of you wondering, I don’t keep up with the sport nearly as much. I personally feel like things are not as good as they used to be. However, that said, I was looking forward to playing Wrestlemania XIX on the GameCube. Read more
NFL Blitz Pro
November 19, 2003
I have very fond memories of NFL Blitz. When Midway frst introduced this game in arcades all over the us, I spent countless quarters in games against my buddies. The fun continued with faster, newer versions that were released year after year. When Consoles were finally able to offer an experience like the arcades, NFL Blit2 came home. Soon after that, the arcade industry in the us failed and NFL Blitz has continued to thrive on the consoles. Up to this point, The gameplay has not been Modified much. However, that all changed with the introduction of NFL Blitz Pro. Unfortunately, it is not for the better. Read more
Celebrity Deathmatch
November 19, 2003
I am not a huge fan of MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch. However, the times I have watched it, I have been entertained. With the popularity of the franchise, it was only a matter of time someone decided to make a game out of it. Developer Big Ape Production was given the task by Publisher Gotham Games to recreate the TV Show into a fighter. The end result is one of the most painful and horribly developed titles in years. This game is so bad, it is barely even playable. Read more
SSX 3
November 19, 2003
For as successful as the PlayStation 2 has been, the system’s launch games were a bit of disappointment. There wasn’t anything close to a Mario 64 blockbuster, instead of getting Soul Calibur it got a got a rehashed Tekken, and of course, Sony’s first offering was Fantavision. ‘Nuff said. But for those die-hard PlayStation fans who waited for hours in line and dropped $300 or the next big system, there was one original game that had gamers asking for more: EA Sports Big’s extreme snowboarder, SSX. A year later, gamers were offered a slight upgrade with SSX Tricky, which featured an enhanced trick system and remixed courses. Still, as fantastic as Tricky was, the game’s developers and fans both knew that major changes were needed to make the next installment a success. Thankfully, with SSX 3, gamers have gotten what they wanted and more. In fact, SSX 3 might be the best extreme sports title ever released and one of the best games in the PS2’s three year history. Read more
Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
November 15, 2003
When Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader was released alongside the launch of the GameCube, it amazed critics and gamers. It was one of the first GameCube games, yet it already had some of the most amazing graphics seen on any console. Bump-mapping, dynamic lighting, volumetric fog, self shadowing, and more were all abundant in Rogue Leader as people were only just then beginning to learn what those terms meant. It was new, and it was gorgeous. Not only that, but it provided some great expansion on the gameplay of the original Rogue Squadron. Perhaps even more amazing, Factor 5 developed the game in just nine months. If Factor 5 could make such a great game in nine months, than what could they do in the nearly two years that has passed since then? This is why Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike bears so much anticipation. Read more
Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge
November 13, 2003
One of the best Nintendo 64 games was Banjo-Kazooie. This title took what Miyamoto did with Mario 64 and further perfected the genre. A sequel was later released but it was closer to the end of the N64′s life-cycle. By then, people were growing tired of the console and ready to move on to different types of gaming experiences. So Rare sat on the franchise and it has not been seen since. The time without a new Banjo title has caused me to realize how great the series has been and what a great developer Rare is. Although Rare is now away from Nintendo and making Xbox titles, they have a few GBA games they are still working on. In a publishing contract with THQ, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge is the first game to appear under this new relationship. While it is hard to make a ground-breaking title with such old technology, Grunty’s Revenge is a solid title. Read more
Top Spin
November 11, 2003
For someone who hasn’t played any tennis games in the last ten years outside of Mario Tennis and Virtua Tennis, it’s very hard to imagine a tennis title that isn’t fantastic. That said, any tennis game that comes across my hands from this point on has some lofty expectations to live up to. So now that I have such snobby expectations of tennis games, I was very skeptical of Microsoft’s tennis debut, Top Spin – especially after I learned that model/tennis hobbyist Anna Kournikova would be gracing the cover. But unlike the lady who was beautiful enough to make Enrique lose the mole, Top Spin has style and substance. Read more