MSR: Majestically Superb Racing

Metropolis Street Racer follows two trends in gaming. The first is that this is the latest in a dominant series of Dreamcast racers (Sega Rally 2, Sega GT, the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series, Ferrari F355 Challenge, Test Drive Le Mans, etc.) The second is that like many other great titles (Starcraft, Half Life DC, etc.) it is constantly delayed. What was supposed to be launched in the spring of 2000 just came out late January 2001. I had a taste of MSR at last year’s E3, and once again on a demo disc last November. Both were quite uneventful, as … Continue reading MSR: Majestically Superb Racing

Phantasy Star Online is Ultima for Console

Ok, it’s no secret to anyone out there; I don’t like RPGs! I do not see how anyone can sit there for hours on end watching FMV look-alike characters getting slaughtered by opponents who use the cheap all out attack (cough, Super Nova, cough, Final Fantasy series, cough) over and over again. Not to mention that I hate having to stay in one small area all day beating foes that cheaply pop out of nowhere in order to get a high enough level to beat a boss. I will admit that some RPGs I do enjoy (Grandia 2 instantly comes … Continue reading Phantasy Star Online is Ultima for Console

Tokyo Road Rage Continues

Tokyo Xtreme Racing was definitely a surprise hit when the Dreamcast launched last year. Granted there was much not variety in courses (there was only one, but it was big). The feeling of racing on the actual streets of Tokyo was quite a thrill. Considering that it reminded me so much of the DC Beltway, I felt quite at home with the first title, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Tokyo Xtreme Racing 2 follows the same formula. There still is just the one course, but it is three times larger than before, involving more offramps to use and more shortcuts. Cars … Continue reading Tokyo Road Rage Continues

Nightmare Creatures II is Bloody Good

Nightmare Creatures 2 is a single player action slasher game. Adam Crowley, an evil sorcerer, is on the verge of merging with an entity of horrific power. It’s a power that will give him immortality, and entitle him to reign supreme over a new hell on earth. Herbert Wallace was once a prisoner of Crowley’s and subjected to the sorcerer’s torture and experimentation. Well, it’s time for some payback. Players control Herbert as he exacts his revenge on the evil Crowley, and, saves the world. The player guides Herbert through asylums, sewers, catacombs and castles on his quest for retribution. … Continue reading Nightmare Creatures II is Bloody Good

4×4 Evolution is Evolved Muddin’!

Recently my fellow GIN-mates asked me, "Hey Jevon man, so what do you want for Christmas this year?"Â To which I humbly responded, "My friends, my friends, take heed to this wise parable. These kind of answers take time and careful thought. I mean you just can’t go blurting random Christmas wish lists right off the top of your jabroni with hardly any serious thought at all. I mean think about it. This great holiday only falls on us every 365 days. Therefore in order to achieve the true inner peace and happiness of receiving gifts during this special time … Continue reading 4×4 Evolution is Evolved Muddin’!

Dreamcast Q3A-Fragging Heaven for High Ping Victim

As a veteran of Quake 3 Arena on the PC, the term "Low Ping Bastard" comes greatly into play. LPBs, as they are commonly known, have the luxury of playing games such as Quake 3 behind the safety of a T1 line, meaning that they can easily pick off sorry 56K modem users without any trouble whatsoever. LPBs claim that it’s their skills that win, and not their connection. That is obviously not the case. Take a look at all the killboards on any server. No matter whether the server is based in Washington, DC, or in San Francisco, CA, … Continue reading Dreamcast Q3A-Fragging Heaven for High Ping Victim

Shenmue: Vast World, Vast Game

I want to make something perfectly clear right now…YU SUZUKI IS A GENIUS! Forget Miyamoto or that guy who designed Final Fantasy…Suzuki-san should be walking away with the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award with all the stuff he has developed. His resume is filled with many exceptional titles: Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run, Virtua Racing, Daytona, Virtua Fighter, and Ferrari F355 Challenge to name a few. With so many great titles on his wing, I can only wonder why he has not received as much credit as he deserves. Now with his latest venture into gaming, Suzuki-san is diverting away from … Continue reading Shenmue: Vast World, Vast Game

Madden Crushed by NFL 2K1

As one of the Dreamcast’s launch titles, NFL 2K came away as the runaway hit of the system. It was so good in fact that GiN gave it the title of Best Sports Game of 2000, being the only other game (besides the godlike High Heat Baseball series) to beat out EA Sports for this title. There were some small problems that prevented it from being the be-all, end-all of football games. The running game was pretty weak (usually getting gains of only 3 yards, 10 yards if you’re lucky), and aside from the season and fantasy modes, there was … Continue reading Madden Crushed by NFL 2K1

WWF Royal Rumble is WCW Clone

As I write this review, I am in the middle of watching the World Wrestling Federation’s Summerslam pay-per-view. In typical WWF fashion, the production is top-notch, with nary a hitch. Their rival, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) has taken a major fall from grace, and their last pay-per-view, New Blood Rising, is a perfect example. WWF and WCW video games seem to follow the same story. While I was impressed with both WWF Wrestlemania 2000 on the N64 and Smackdown! on the PlayStation, I did not like WCW Mayhem for either N64 or PlayStation. When I heard that THQ (who made … Continue reading WWF Royal Rumble is WCW Clone

Aerowings 2’s Friendly Skies Get More Deadly

CRI’s Aerowings was one of the launch titles for the Sega Dreamcast. Featuring a very realistic flight model and graphics that could rival the high end PC flight sims, it was impressive. In fact, it could be considered the first true console flight sim. However, despite being a good title, the squad-based flying became more of a chore, and gamers were looking forward to a little combat. It is now a year since the monumental Dreamcast launch, and now we’re seeing sequels to these launch titles. Aerowings 2: Air Strike is one of those titles, and yes, it does provide … Continue reading Aerowings 2’s Friendly Skies Get More Deadly