Commandos 2 Die For

Real-Time Strategy games rarely appear on consoles. Though the games are huge successes on PC’s, the genre has never really successfully crossed over to the console format. Attempts have been made of course, but the only one that ever really sold well was Starcraft for the N64. Despite all of this, companies still periodically make attempts to bring RTS’ to the console format, as is the case Eidos’ latest offering, Commandos 2. The game, developed by Pyro Studios, is a great entry in the RTS genre, although it is plagued by many of the same things that have held console … Continue reading Commandos 2 Die For

It’s Miami Vice 2002

Over the previous weekend, I was treated to perhaps two of the greatest gangster movies of all time: Goodfellas and Scarface. However, both stories are completely different. Where Goodfellas depicts the story of Henry Hill’s rise to power in the Mafia and sudden disappearance into the Witness Protection Program, Scarface’s Tony Montana rises up from a poor Cuban immigrant to a powerful drug lord, ending his reign with a shotgun blast to the back. The same thing will apply to Grand Theft Auto 3, which dealt more with the Goodfellas side of the storyline involving the Leone family and how … Continue reading It’s Miami Vice 2002

One Game to Bind Them

When you first load up Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers on your Playstation 2, you will be treated to the first battle scene from the movie, recreated using the PS2’s DVD capabilities. Suddenly, the movie will fade into the game and just that quickly, you will become part of Tolkien’s world, or at least the Hollywood adaptation. You actually have to kick yourself to start moving and fighting, because the game is so good looking you will want to just watch things unfold. Thankfully all the original actors from the movie have come along to voice their roles … Continue reading One Game to Bind Them

Egg Mania is Eggcellent

Puzzle games are one of those genres that has decreased in popularity over the years. Like fighting games, puzzle games used to be a premiere genre back in Tetris’ heyday. Now though, a constant stream of copycat games and a general lack of originality in the genre have made the genre much smaller than it once was. With the ushering in of the 128-bit era, puzzle games have become even fewer in number. In light of the new technology, it seems that companies have been more intent in putting their money into graphical showcases that will grab public’s attention, rather … Continue reading Egg Mania is Eggcellent

Run and Gun with Endgame

When I play shooting games on the PS2 like Medal of Honor, I sometimes just wish I had a real gun to make all the shooting easier. A controller is just not as realistic as having a real gun in your hands. So it was with surprise that Empire Interactive sent in Endgame for review. Of course since we did not have a gun in the lab, they also sent along a giant green .50 Desert Eagle light gun. The gun itself is pretty interesting, and looks and feels just like a real .50 hand cannon, other than the fact … Continue reading Run and Gun with Endgame

Barbarian is Capable Carnage

Barbarian is the latest arena fighting game for the PS2 platform. Players can take the role of one of ten different characters as they battle for supremacy in different environments across the world of Barbaria. If you are looking for an innovative break-the-mold type of title, then Barbarian is not going to be it. However, if you want one of the best fighting games out there, then Barbarian will fit the bill nicely. The various arenas in Barbarian are very well done and have a lot more interesting elements than even the much touted Dead or Alive series on the … Continue reading Barbarian is Capable Carnage

2002 Football Report Card

Finally after a long, slow summer fraught with talks of baseball strikes, boring tennis matches where we already know the Williams sisters will win before the first serve, and a downward NASCAR season where Jeff Gordon finally won his first race of the year at Bristol, the return of football is upon us. Unlike last year when I had the heavily underrated XFL to hold me over, this year was a longer cross to bear. Don’t even mention Arena football to me, as I do not believe a real football game can be played in only 50 yards. A couple … Continue reading 2002 Football Report Card

College Ball Touchdown

Football is one of the most difficult sports to participate in. Aside from the obvious reasons (how many of you had mothers who wouldn’t let you play?), there are several other reasons football is one tough cookie. Having played on a football team for eight years, I can tell you from experience that some people just can’t take how rough the game is. Fortunately, for you people who couldn’t join a normal team for whatever reason, EA has come through to offer you NCAA Football 2003. Don’t worry about not being able to play football though, because NCAA Football 2003 … Continue reading College Ball Touchdown

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