What many people might not realize is that when the original Tron movie came out in 1982, deep within its glitzy (for the time) computer graphics and backlit settings simulating a video game world, it was all just another gladiator movie. It was Spartacus of the digital age, where "programs" are portrayed as slaves forced to fight to the death in gladiatorial combat on the Game Grid under the watchdog eyes of the Master Control Program. Only a devout religious belief of their gods, a.k.a. "Users," can bring a sign of hope. Tron’s visuals were state of the art for … Continue reading Greetings Again, Program→
The Italian Job as a movie wasn’t anything particularly amazing, but it was still a fun ride. The writing was clever and occasionally humorous, the acting was superb, and the car chases and heists provided ample adrenaline rush for your movie going dollar. Now though we have a game based on that movie, which seems to have been developed for no other purpose than to remind us how mediocre most licensed games are…and to teach us how to smash our heads against the wall in boredom. The game’s plot is told through a series of shrewd cut scenes narrated by … Continue reading Italian Job Spins Out→
As movie sequels go, Pirates of the Caribbean is not too bad. I played it on the PC and despite little flaws, managed to have a pretty good time. My review will be based solely on my PC experience. However, I want to put up front that the Xbox version of the game is nowhere near as good. It was pretty buggy, with disappearing quests and crashes during FMV sequences. In fact, our Xbox review console broke while playing the game. We won’t blame Pirates for this, but the combination of an old Xbox and a disc-intensive game was apparently … Continue reading Pirates is Ships and Swordplay→
So there I am"a superhero. I always wanted to be one"ever since I was little. I wanted superpowers, an adolescent power fantasy, the works. Picture me in junior high thinking ‘Man, if I were the Hulk I’d just stomp that bully.’ But I never pictured that I’d have such a casual disregard for human life"and that I’d like it so. Yes, folks, I’m playing Wolverine’s Revenge by Activision. And I’m really enjoying it. I’m usually a bluenose about gratuitous violence in games (to the point where the GiN editors were all ‘are you SURE you want this one"we can find … Continue reading Hungry like the wolf→
Scooby Dooby Doo…where are you? Ah, the sound of my youth. I remember back in the days when I didn’t have to worry about homework, keeping my room clean, girls, or any of the other countless "important" things that bog my day when all I had to do to be happy was park in front of the TV and turn the dial to Cartoon Network. I admit it, I spent many an afternoon watching TV instead of playing out in the sun, but how could I go outside? These mysteries were always so interesting, and I just HAD to find … Continue reading Scooby Doo Haunts the PS2→
Silent Hill 3 is one of the best, and best-looking, games I have ever played on the PS2. It has the right mix of action, thinking and horror. It’s as good as or better than any horror movie and will suck you right into the middle of the action. It will have you looking over your shoulder and fearing the things that go bump in the night.
There are few series that ended as terribly as the Rocky series. Bad acting, Sly not even fighting, and a Don King look-alike? Sylvester Stallone said he was thinking of making a Rocky VI, but I don’t know how he could top the crap he showed me in the series’ 5th outing. The series one blunder and my jokes about it aside, the Rocky movies were some pretty good stuff. Though on the surface it looked like just showcases of some intense boxing action, in moments of the movies excellence they could unbelievably raw views of the human spirit at … Continue reading Rocky Wins by Knock-Out→
In the deep recesses of space, a man has come looking for answers and seeking revenge. The man is Mace Griffin, a former member of the elite Ranger squadron has just returned from prison after being framed for the loss of his team ten years earlier. Mace takes work as a bounty hunter in an effort to gain information on who has set him up. The game unfolds in a series of missions that are punctuated by cut scenes as missions are assigned at various locations such as space stations that are teaming with activity. Innovatively blending the action of … Continue reading Mace Marries Shooters and Space Flight→
I was addicted to the game Tropico for a long while when it first came out, so it was natural that I would get to take a first look at Tropico 2: Pirate Cove when it came out. If you are familiar with Tropico then you will be able to hop into Pirate Cove without much transition. If you are unfamiliar with Tropico, have no fear, just like the first one, the learning curve is not bad at all. By the games very nature, you can learn as you go. Tropico began in 1950 and you were the newly ‘elected’ … Continue reading Be King of the Pirates→
The backlit EluminX keyboard from Auravision is without a doubt the coolest keyboard any gamer can buy. By daylight the keyboard looks like a fairly normal input device. The only real clue as to its special nature is that the keys are clear plastic instead of a solid color. The lettering is black and easy to read. Something really cool happens however when the lights are dimmed. You notice that the keyboard is actually glowing faintly. The glow is there the entire time, but it’s subtle enough that you don’t really notice it in normal lighting conditions. But who plays … Continue reading Lighting up the night→
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