Ken Urben, GiN Staff

Recent Posts

Day Two 2001

With the oohing and aahing of the first day out of the way, Ken and Todd can focus in on the real issues that face our industry – lookey-lous (blame the cahannel 13 newsfor that one). As they round the far corner, the two racers are neck and neck, each edging the other out, only to have the other gain. here they are entering the home stretch… E3 DAY 2: ROCKSTAR STRIKES BACK By: Todd Hargosh, GiN Director of Product Testing I want to start off my take on E3 Day 2 by thanking my good friends at Saitek for … Continue reading Day Two 2001

Pre-Show Madness

Early this morning at separate pre-E3 press conferences, both Nintendo and Microsoft revealed the plans behind their respective entries into the next generation console wars – the Gamecube and Xbox. Both consoles are scheduled to launch within days of one another, and both will come out before previously announced according to the respective companies. Both companies expect to launch challenge Sony’s Playstation 2 in about six months as the X-Box has a tentative launch date of November 8. However, in a rather surprising announcement, Nintendo plans to launch the Gamecube three days earlier on November 5. While Nintendo refused to … Continue reading Pre-Show Madness

To Your Corners

The three major combatants in the console wars went head-to-head-to-head in the E3 keynote address as representatives from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft discussed and debated the state of the video games industry. With somewhat sarcastic barbs and a healthy dose of conceited commentary, Sony President Gus Wright, Executive Vice-President of Nintendo Peter Mayne and Chief Xbox officer Robbie Bach each sung the praises of their own consoles, while giving their thoughts about the video game industry and its future. Interactive Digital Software Association President Doug Lowenstein introduced the keynote speakers in a speech declaring the video game industry “very strong” … Continue reading To Your Corners

Final Fantasy IX Keeps the Edge

The final, Final Fantasy on Playstation is a wonderful reminder of everything that Squareoholics hold dear about the seminal RPG series. Littered with references to previous installments, a gameplay system reminiscent of former FF games and an overall feeling of nostalgia, FF IX is a wonderful trip down memory lane in what will probably be a very different series from here on. While the game, certainly isn’t perfect, it is a tremendous addition to the FF ranks. Sporting some of the most likable and endearing characters the series has ever seen, this band of a charming thief (Zidane), a doubting … Continue reading Final Fantasy IX Keeps the Edge

Vagrant Story is perfection in motion

Well, it finally happened. After over a year of reviewing games for GiN, I found a game worthy of a perfect score – 5 GiN Gems. Playing like a medieval Metal Gear Solid, Vagrant Story delivers a perfect combination of adventure, RPG gameplay and one hell of an awesome story (get it, story — oh, never mind). With graphics rivaling anything seen on a Playstation and a plot nearly equaling Xenogears, Vagrant Story sucks you in from moment numero uno and never lets go. Everything about this game is top-notch and Square couldn’t have picked a better leadoff hitter for … Continue reading Vagrant Story is perfection in motion

Street Sk8er 2 styles on PlayStation

The skateboarding game is a genre that has taken off in the past year, most notably with the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. And while Street Sk8er 2 doesn’t quite live up to the heights of that game, it does leave you with a frantic, fun experience. Picking from a select group of skaters, you grind through the amazingly detailed and long courses of Washington DC, Moscow, London, Miami, and San Francisco. Five courses may not seem like a lot, but as your skater racks up extra skill points by winning competitions, they can access previously out of reach … Continue reading Street Sk8er 2 styles on PlayStation

MTV Music Generator rocks

My name is Grandmaster Sexay and I’m here to say, that Codemasters has created a game that’s here to stay. It may not be large with graphics and eye-candy, but making your own music is fine and dandy. The preceding intro to this review should give you an idea of my musical talents, but for even a complete novice like me, MTV Music Generator is a fun ride into musical creativity. The game (if you can really call it that, it works more like a program) consists of a huge library of riffs, baselines, vocals, etc. that you combine in … Continue reading MTV Music Generator rocks

Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home is stuck in the pits

When the powers that be here at GiN first gave me Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home to review I thought that Christmas had arrived early. What red-blodded American male could resist finally being able to live out their boyhood dreams and play as Bo and Luke Duke driving around in the General Lee battling Boss Hogg and Roscoe? I’ve been told I said something like, "This is the happiest day of my life!" before racing off to the testing center. Oh how wrong I was. The crux of my review for Dukes of Hazzard lies in four words — … Continue reading Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home is stuck in the pits

Medal of Honor is the Saving Private Ryan” of PlayStation”

War, uhh, good God y’all. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again. Well, I can’t say it again because without war, I would not have had the privilege of playing Medal of Honor (MOH), which by the way is about as close as I ever want to get to real warfare. MOH is DreamWorks’ (you know the guys who brought us Saving Private Ryan) first foray into the world of gaming. The same level of realism they brought to that movie is clearly evident throughout MOH. While, not a straight shoot-em-all-up ammo-fest and not a stealth dominated … Continue reading Medal of Honor is the Saving Private Ryan” of PlayStation”

Hot Wheels Turbo Racing zooms to your heart

The worst mistake a gamer could make is to dismiss this game as just for kids and take a pass on it. While the game holds all the standard fare for a racing game, the nostaglia involved in playing, not to mention the pure fun you have makes this offering from Stormfront Studios (published by EA) one of the best games in the racing genre. Let’s face facts — we all played with Hot Wheels cars growing up. We had the funny cars, the buggys, and of course the Scooby Doo lookin’ Mystery Machine van. One of the best parts … Continue reading Hot Wheels Turbo Racing zooms to your heart