Category Archives: Reviews

GameCube Gets Hit

The Nintendo Gamecube has worked up a bad reputation as being a system for the kids. Compared to the Xbox and Playstation 2, Gamecube has very little mature games that appeal to older gamers. Nintendo has tried several times to get third party developers to make mature games for the Gamecube, and has been relatively successful. However, most third party developers have been scared away because they don’t want to compete with Nintendo’s excellent first party games. Eidos released Hitman 2 on all platforms, but it was released on the Gamecube a few months after the other systems. By releasing … Continue reading GameCube Gets Hit

Beautiful Barbie

If you haven’t been paying attention, the Barbie doll that you grew up with has been branching into new areas of late. This beautiful doll has now developed a personality of her own and has recently been found expressing herself in the form of classic fairy tales and Tchaikovsky ballets including Barbie as Rapunzel, Barbie in The Nutcracker and most recently Barbie of Swan Lake. All of these were released in a video format but, being a woman of the 21ST centaury, Barbie has also begun to make her mark on gaming industry with related CD-ROM releases. The Barbie of … Continue reading Beautiful Barbie

Humorous Hauntings

Ghost Master is a simulation where you do your best to scare the heck out of unsuspecting mortals. Those of you who have played Dungeon Keeper will feel right at home here. You have all the same type of irreverent humor, and you get to play on the flip side of where most games begin. Not that you are a bad guy as the leader of a ghost army, but you do have a different perspective on things. The game is divided up by a series of missions. Each mission has a goal that must be achieved, and you can … Continue reading Humorous Hauntings

Knights Rule

When I was growing up, my friends and I would be the first in line to buy any new games put out by Lucas Arts because we knew they would be a lot of fun. Over the past couple of years, if I was not reviewing the game, I have found myself waiting to see what my fellow reviewers had to say before deciding to go to the store. Playing Knights of the Old Republic reminds me of the good old days when I would be waiting in a long line at the game store. This is the best game … Continue reading Knights Rule

Fire it up!

Flaming ‘ell. Remember when the only thing you wanted to do was become a fire fighter, but your mom wouldn’t let you because it was too dangerous? Well, now you can be the fire fighter you’ve always wanted to be. Emergency Fire Response puts the men of the 615th Fire Station at your disposal, as all manner of lethal, hot under the collar situations ensue. This game isn’t just about putting fires out, oh no, there’s much more to it than that. Fortunately you have access to water ladders, pumps and ambulances to help you in your efforts. Each fire … Continue reading Fire it up!

Grand Theft Auto: Springfield

I love the Simpsons. Very seldom do I watch network television these days, but the Simpsons has always been a tradition for me. I even watch it at work when I am closing up for the night, and I even have my own favorite episodes in mind (Some of my favorite episodes include Cape Fear, featuring Sideshow Bob’s ordeal with the rakes, and Bart Sells His Soul, where we hear the sissified Todd Flanders yell out "Ow, my freaking ears!"). On the other hand, I also love the GTA series. Whether it is the open ended gameplay, the engrossing storyline, … Continue reading Grand Theft Auto: Springfield

Curse of Atlantis is quite to my Viking

Since the Adventure Company has spawned off of its parent Dreamcatcher, it has retained the ability to keep pumping out a good supply of adventure/puzzle games. I couldn’t be more pleased with this development, especially when the offerings are of a caliber as Curse of Atlantis: Thorgal’s Quest. The adventure starts with Thorgal, a young Viking, stuck in a seaside village because a storm is keeping him from taking his boat to the island he calls home. He swears an oath to his wife and two children that he will be home soon. The village is nearly empty, but you … Continue reading Curse of Atlantis is quite to my Viking

Evil is so Good

When I first heard that the classic Temple of Elemental Evil D&D module was being made into a computer game, I was enthralled. This was a module that took about an entire summer vacation to complete, back in school when a summer vacation meant an entire summer off, and not just a week or two. Starting at first level, our entire group was at least fifth by the time we were done. So of course I was ready to return to Greyhawk and find out if everything was as I remember it from those many years ago. The biggest change … Continue reading Evil is so Good

Conspiracies Plots a Good Time

I remember sitting back in my college dorm with about 10 people gathered around my 386 PC. We were all moving a man in a trench coat around the screen and trying to solve a mystery. The man was Tex Murphy, and I believe the Tex Murphy adventures inspired the developers of the world’s newest adventure game, Conspiracies. Conspiracies is set in the future, in a very dark future. You play a down on his luck private investigator named Nick Delios. I am not sure why all the detectives in these games are down-on-their-luck loser types, but Nick fits the … Continue reading Conspiracies Plots a Good Time

Return of the Payne

A four year development time is usually a kiss of death for a heavily hyped title. (remember Daikatana? And where the heck is Duke Nukem Forever?) Fortunately when Max Payne came out in 2001, the wait was well worth it, as the game was well praised by the masses with its unique Bullet Time gameplay, immersive story, and non-stop action (except maybe for those stupid nightmare sequences). In fact, we gave it our award for Most Innovative title for 2001 for good reason. I wasn’t able to play the PC version until earlier this year, but I took pride in … Continue reading Return of the Payne