Category Archives: Reviews

F-ing Amazing, but Challenging

Not since Metroid Prime have I been able to enjoy a GameCube title as much as I enjoy F-Zero GX, and yes that even includes Zelda: the Wind Waker. F-Zero was always one of my favorite Super Nintendo titles, even if back then it was basically a showcase of the system’s Mode 7 scaling engine. Nonetheless, it was a very enjoyable racer for its time and I still go back to it on my emulators on occasion. Sad to say I never had the opportunity to play the N64 sequel, so I cannot really comment on it, and the GBA … Continue reading F-ing Amazing, but Challenging

Italian Job Spins Out

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

Colin Rallies Again

Another year and another Colin McRae Rally comes along which, so far, has been no bad thing. This year, Codemasters are bringing 3 to the Xbox for the first time and luckily it got passed my way. I have worked for the organizers of the British Rally, been to a rally and played every previous incarnation of Colin McRae Rally, so I reckon I’m qualified to judge. The question is, can Codies produce a game that a) surpasses their previous successes and b) survives my expert scrutiny? The Colin McRae titles are renowned for looking gorgeous and CMR 3 is … Continue reading Colin Rallies Again

Racing with a Story

I will admit that I have had very little experience with Codemasters’ racing titles. Most of the racing that I have done on consoles has either been through Gran Turismo on the PS1 and 2 as well as EA’s excellent NASCAR Thunder series. I know Codemasters has a strong track record with both their Colin McRae Rally and TOCA Championship series, but this is the first title I have been able to try out. Pro Race Driver is actually the latest in the TOCA series (in fact it is called TOCA Race Driver in Europe, but for this version, a … Continue reading Racing with a Story

Take it to the Maxis!

Maxis and EA Games have released Sim City 4, the updated version of its hugely successful Sim City series. I will now go over the basics of Sim City game play just in case you’ve been in a cave the last decade or so. In Sim City 4 you are the mayor/city planner. The goal is to take a plot of land and build it up from a one-horse farming town to a bustling mega-city. To do this you have to zone the land for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. You have to supply the zones with water and electricity. … Continue reading Take it to the Maxis!

The Sims Online is Addiction Squared

Adding online playability to the immensely popular Sims series is like throwing gasoline onto a bonfire. For fans of the game, it is an excuse to permanently enter the ranks of the addicted. Maxis has created an inviting and friendly online world, more so that I have ever experienced before. The world’s rules are completely stacked to foster cooperation between players. The end result is that it is unlikely that you will have a bad experience when you start playing. When you first begin your Sims experience, you will have to first create the person, your avatar if you will, … Continue reading The Sims Online is Addiction Squared

Robotech: Battlecry is Anime Action

Revival is a word becoming more and more common in the game industry. TV series that have gotten canceled are continually seeing their stories continuing through the art form that is video gaming. Such is the case with Dark Angel, the Fox sci-fi series that got the hook unfairly some months back. It’s getting a game continuation of its storyline. A similar case has been speculated to happen with Farscape, another sci-fi series that suffered the same fate as Dark Angel. There is currently one Farscape game on the market, though many people hope there will be a story-based sequel … Continue reading Robotech: Battlecry is Anime Action

Freekstyle is Motorcycle Madness

Back when the PS2 launched, many were disappointed by the lack of quality to be found within the game’s launch titles. One of the few exceptions was EA Big’s revolutionary snowboarding game, SSX. Since that time, EA Big has churned out many fast-paced extreme sports games much like SSX. Some, like Sled Storm, didn’t live up to expectations. Others, like SSX’s follow-up title SSX Tricky, were simply astounding. The latest in this string of EA Big titles is Freekstyle, an SSX-style game with motocross as the main sport as opposed to snowboarding. Freekstyle’s main mode is Circuit. Inside Circuit mode, … Continue reading Freekstyle is Motorcycle Madness

F1 2002 is Bood, But Not New

Electronic Arts has always been praised for its great sports lineup. Starting in the Genesis days (when EA was exclusive to that platform) games like Madden and Bill Walsh football ruled the day. Sales were so good for these games in fact, that many believe EA’s support of the Genesis is one of the main reasons that system succeeded like it did. Now though, here in the year 2002, a lot has changed. EA is no longer exclusive to Sega, as Sega no longer are in the hardware business. Further more, EA no longer limits itself to just football games, … Continue reading F1 2002 is Bood, But Not New

Gentlemen, Stop Your Engines

Monster Truck events are very enjoyable. There’s just something entertaining about watching a vehicle the size of a house run over a tiny Volkswagen. As the sport has grown in popularity, gathering a devoted cult audience, the demand for a good Monster Truck video game has increased. Hoping to appease this audience, developer Inland productions, along with publisher Ubi Soft, have released Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction. Unfortunately, the game’s many problems prevent it from being anything above mediocre. Monster Jam’s main mode is Season Mode. Inside Season Mode, you’ll have to pick one of three game modes (Death Match, Cash … Continue reading Gentlemen, Stop Your Engines