System: Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher: Bam! Entertainment
Reviewer’s rating: B
ESRB rating: Everyone
Game type: Racing
Kind of like: “F-Zero” (1991), “XG3: Extreme G Racing” (2001)
Best feature: Thumping techno soundtrack (Orbital, Future Sound of London, BT, Utah Saints, etc.) gets the adrenaline flowing sufficiently.
Worst feature: Questionable code — the game locked up twice before we raced our first lap.
The bottom line: Back in the day, there was no better reason for owning a PlayStation. Firing up the original “Wipeout” and its successors (1996’s “Wipeout XL” and 1999’s “Wipeout 3”) was like putting the machine on steroids. Or acid. Or speed. Or all three at once.
Where we expected automobiles, we got anti-gravity hovercraft. Instead of paved, circular tracks, we found ourselves racing along colorful courses that wound, looped and coiled around richly detailed, futuristic cityscapes. And our opponents didn’t just cut us off — they blew us up.
This sequel’s strength is also its weakness: “Wipeout Fusion” is more of the same. You can’t help feeling you’ve played it before, even if the tracks are longer and, in some cases, tougher; the weapons are more plentiful and powerful; and there are more drivers per race.
It’s definitely a case of “more is less.”
Where previous installments were known primarily for their exhilarating sense of speed, “Fusion” tends to be a bit more stop-and-go. The tracks are clogged with computer-controlled drivers, each one hell-bent on slowing you (and each other) down with proton cannons, plasma bolts and gravity bombs.
As if handling a hovercraft traveling at 700 mph along a serpentine course wasn’t challenging enough.
System: Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher: Midway
Reviewer’s rating: B
ESRB rating: Everyone
Game type: Soccer
Kind of like: “2002 FIFA World Cup”
Best feature: You can unlock a team of ninjas, and the only thing cooler than a ninja is a soccer-playing ninja.
Worst feature: The button-down commentary of the British announcers (ubiquitous in soccer video games) sets a decidedly lugubrious tone for the proceedings.
The bottom line: Midway’s high-energy, no-rules versions of football (“NFL Blitz”), basketball (“NBA Hoopz”) and hockey (“NHL Hitz”) bore only a passing resemblence to the real thing. By comparison, “Red Card 20-03” is straight-up soccer.
The gameplay is still exceptionally aggresive, fouls are rarely called and players have the ability to perform outrageous moves that defy conventional laws of physics.
But skill and strategy still come into play, and the 50 international teams (many of them including actual players) keep things real.
System: Sega Dreamcast
Publisher: Sega
Reviewer’s rating: B
Game type: Sports
Kind of like: “NHL 2002”
Best feature: You can pick up and play right away, then work on advanced controls (dekes, saucer passes, shot blocking) after you’ve mastered the basics.
Worst feature: It’s the very last Dreamcast game scheduled for release. (Oh, and you can’t fire coach John Tortorella.) Sigh.
The bottom line: Hockey returns at long last to the Dreamcast with “NHL 2K2,” just in time for the regular season’s home stretch, the console’s last gasp and (Sega hopes) to capitalize on the sport’s popularity at the Olympics.
There is an international mode, by the way, but this game reflects the North American style with plenty of physical contact and relatively few goals. Of course, having Nikolai Khabibulin standing on his head every game doesn’t hurt.
The benefit of coming to market this late in the season is that the team rosters are completely up-to-date, including rookies (the Bolts’ lineup includes Jimmie Olvestad, Sheldon Keefe and Nikita Alexeev, among others) and recent acquisitions (Dan Boyle and Zdeno Ciger are there, too; you’ll have to deal Kevin Weekes to Carolina for Shane Willis and Chris Dingman yourself).
Of course, there’s a great create-a-player feature in case you need it. (Dieter Kochan, anyone?)
Once you’re on the ice, “NHL 2K2’s” gameplay doesn’t seem appreciably different from that of its two-year-old predecessor (“NHL 2K”). Basic controls are tight, responsive and easy to learn. The player and puck physics are every bit as realistic as the artificial intelligence.
Individual players’ strengths and weaknesses are supposed to mirror their real-life counterparts, so Lightning winger Fredrik Modin has a huge slapshot and defenseman Pavel Kubina skates like he’s got a refrigerator strapped to his back. There are exceptions, of course (blueliner Jassen Cullimore, as in real life, is vastly underrated), but if you’re familiar with your team you should be able to effectively pick lines and set up game strategies.
The game’s presentation is disappointing only in comparison to other top-notch Sega sports titles, such as “NFL 2K2” and “NBA 2K2,” where the graphics and player animations are disturbingly lifelike. (Here, they’re merely very good.) The crowd noise is just plain lame and the TV-style announcers’ commentary tends to lag behind the action even when they’re repeating the same lines ad infinitum (including outdated — and erroneous — “factoids” about erstwhile Lightning players and the team’s former arenas).
Still, few sports translate as well as hockey to the video game arena and “NHL 2K2” is as fun to play as they come. Besides, how can you pass up the chance to take the Lightning to the Stanley Cup finals? It’s amazing what you can do with no payroll restrictions.
System: Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher: Sega
Reviewer’s rating: B
Game type: It’s a “musical shooting game,” whatever that means.
Kind of like: That really trippy part at the end of “2001: A Space Odyssey” set to trance music. And you get to shoot stuff.
Best feature: The game’s quirky controls and visual design are a breath of fresh air.
Worst feature: The gloss of novelty dulls rather quickly, leaving you with a rather ordinary shooter.
The bottom line: Judging from the back of the box, the bedrock of this futuristic shooting game is the fairly intriguing notion that its rhythmic soundtrack should sync with the player’s actions.
You’d create your own music by shooting enemies to elicit a snare-drum sound or a burst of synthesizer as needed.
Of course, it doesn’t quite work out that way. You get no bonus for obliterating your foes on the beat, and even when your shots are syncopated they’re automatically “released” in time with the pulsating music. In short, the interaction between gameplay and soundtrack is tenuous, at best.
But the game’s stylish sensory overload of light and sound — and the resulting frenzy of button-mashing — is not without its charms. The controls, while extraordinary, are easy to master and the 50 levels combine the better elements of old-school shooters with an abstract, postmodern design.
System: Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher: Rockstar
Reviewer’s rating: A+
Game type: Action
Best feature: Steal a cab and you can make some extra cash by picking up passengers and delivering them to their destinations.
Worst feature: The game’s theme (violent crime) certainly isn’t for everybody. (Kids, in particular.)
The bottom line: While “GTA III” most notably chauffeurs the series into the third dimension, masterful mission design and clever gameplay enhancements quash any thoughts that this is just “GTA2” with a facelift.
The basic premise remains unchanged: You’re a small-time criminal with big-time aspirations in a corrupt city where seven rival gangs offer plenty of odd jobs to anyone willing to get his hands a little dirty.
But your work tends to be more engaging here, mainly because of the way it’s presented. Dramatic cut-scenes make it clear these tasks are part of a larger story arc rather than just a random series of unrelated objectives.
Between errands, take time to explore the game’s huge 3-D metropolis, steal a few cars, shop for new weapons, trade punches for pocket money or just soak up the stunningly realistic sights and sounds of the city.
System: Xbox
Publisher: Microsoft
Reviewer’s rating: A+
Game type: First-person shooter
Kind of like: “Half-Life,” “GoldenEye 007”
Best feature: The multiplayer feature will have you taunting friends for days and days.
Worst feature: The load times can be a little long.
The bottom line: There are two video game staples for college-age males: “GoldenEye 007” and “Madden (insert year).” James Bond is about to take a back seat. This game is a clean dorm’s worst nightmare.
The single-player mode reminds us of the movie “Aliens.” A bunch of Marines kicking some alien butt with major weaponry.
But “Halo” has so many multiplayer scenarios it will make your head spin, including “Deathmatch,” “King of the Hill” and “Capture the Flag.”
Both analog sticks are used for movement and the shoulder buttons are reserved for lobbing grenades and firing your main weapon. The button layout is fairly easy to master.
With one Xbox, four players can duke it out. For a major melee, you can connect four Xbox consoles and four televisions to fit a total of 16 players in the same arena.
The graphics are amazing and the sound is great. If you have an Xbox, this is the game to own. Some critics have hailed this game as “The Best FPS Ever.” It’s hard to argue.
System: Sony PlayStation 2
Also available for: Windows PC; coming soon for Xbox
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Reviewer’s rating: A+
Game type: Sports
Kind of like: Well ... hockey
Best feature: New “saucer pass” lets you flip the biscuit over a defenseman’s stick.
Worst feature: Realistic player attributes mean the Lightning suck as bad here as they do in real life.
The bottom line: Last year’s PS2 debut was underwhelming only because our expectations of this franchise are so high. But ” NHL 2002” rebounds spectacularly, easily making up for whatever its predecessor lacked.
As always, all the teams and all the players are included excepting rookies and a few last-minute signees (never fear — the create-a-player feature is excellent). The on-ice action is top-notch, embellishing a mostly realistic simulation of the sport with a few arcade-style touches that make it more fun to play.
In addition to the saucer pass, other gameplay enhancements include the dramatic “breakaway cam,” variable puck control that depends on a player’s stickhandling skills (good players will reach back for the puck on a misguided pass, or kick it up to their stick) and the addition of collectible “trading cards” that unlock cheats and bonus features in the game.
Player AI has been tuned up, particularly for goalies, who learn from and adjust to your offensive tendencies.
Perhaps best of all, everything can be customized so whatever features you don’t like can simply be turned off.
System: PlayStation 2 (also available for Windows PC, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color; coming soon for GameCube and X-Box)
Publisher: EA Sports
Reviewer’s rating: A+
Game type: Sports
Best feature: Take your pick — everything about this year’s “Madden” rocks.
Worst feature: Addictive gameplay quickly leads to frequent heavy sighs and eye-rolling whenever your mom/roommate/significant other enters the room.
The bottom line: Every year, as the summer draws to a close, we look forward to two things: Another season of Buccaneer football and the latest version of “Madden.” The difference is that “Madden” never lets us down.
Now in its 12th year, the best football video game of all time just keeps getting better. Everything that seemed perfect in “Madden 2001” — the graphics, the sound, the gameplay and the seemingly endless list of options — has somehow been improved.
All the real-life NFL players and teams (even the Houston Texans) are included, and if that’s not good enough, you can create your own. Playbooks, uniforms and stadiums are customizable, too.
Collectible “Madden cards” (earned with extraordinary on-the-field achievements) unlock legendary teams and players as well as useful “cheats.”
System: Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher: Sony
Reviewer’s rating: A
Game type: Racing
Kind of like: “Gran Turismo,” “Gran Turismo 2”
Best feature: Take your pick.
Worst feature: Ummm ... it’s got a lot fewer cars than “Gran Turismo 2” had. But that’s being nitpicky.
The bottom line: Like its predecessors, “Gran Turismo 3” blows the doors off the competition with revved-up graphics and more options than you can wave a checkered flag at.
So many options, in fact, you may spend more time buying new cars, tuning them up, upgrading parts and even getting them washed and detailed than you will racing them.
Impatient gamers will prefer “arcade” mode, where you can hop behind the wheel without all the fuss, but the heart of “GT3” is its reality-fueled “simulation” mode. After you earn a driver’s license, you’ll need to shop for a decent used car and then add modifications at a garage or trade your way up to better vehicles with your race winnings.
“GT3” includes more than 150 cars, based on real makes such as Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Dodge, Chevrolet and Aston Martin. (Sadly, no Ferarris or Porsches.) Each model has unique, complex handling characteristics, so there’s a lot more to winning than just flooring the accelerator.
As for the (hundreds of) races, there are single runs for best time, endurance races, rally races, cup races, league championships and more. They take place on no fewer than 34 different tracks, presenting a variety of challenges.
Throw in a soundtrack that shifts gears from Jimi Hendrix and Judas Priest to Raekwon and Snoop Dogg and it’s clear this franchise is only getting better.
NBA Hoopz (Midway): We knew it was only a matter of time. Given the state of the NBA, it was inevitable.
A few years ago, game developer Midway prefigured the XFL with its “NFL Blitz” video game. It was all pomp and little circumstance, glamorizing football’s garish side with over-the-top antics such as bone-crunching body slams, obnoxious taunts and celebratory dances.
It was a huge hit, of course. So now they’ve applied the formula to basketball. Talk about your no-brainers — even the WWF could learn a thing or two about showmanship from today’s NBA.
The cover of “Hoopz” (a game so x-treme, even spelling rules couldn’t tame it) features a heavily tattooed Shaquille O’Neal, looking either angry or constipated (it’s hard to tell which) and holding a flaming basketball, which is one of the few things that would make us tune in to an NBA game these days. The package reads, “The results don’t show up on a scoreboard — try the Richter Scale!”
Right.
Sadly, the ball is extinguished before you hit the hardwood. But there are still plenty of fireworks.
Gameplay consists of three-man teams trading trips up and down the court to execute tomahawks, windmills, 360s or alley oops. Anything but a simple jumper or high-percentage lay-up.
Not that risky shots are a concern. The first time we played, our team hit 62 percent from the floor (most of our misses were desperate three-pointers near the end). Our opponent hit 68 percent.
We quickly learned that in the “Hoopz” universe, Kobe Bryant boasts a 72-inch vertical leap. And so does Shaq. Heck, even Rick Fox leaped over the backboard for a thunderous double dunk. (Somewhere Dean Smith shakes his head in disgust.)
Purists beware. But smack-talking fans of show-timey b-ball will think this game rules.
Make that “rulez.”
Also available for PSOne, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color
OK, it’s time to talk about Mario. And, no, we don’t mean the plumber.
” NHL FaceOff 2001” is the only PlayStation 2 hockey game to include recently un-retired old-guy Mario Lemieux and his aching back as part of its standard team rosters. He’s on a special all-star team, and you can trade him over to the Penguins with just a few button presses. It’s that simple.
But don’t do it. Just don’t. “FaceOff” is bad.
Bad “FaceOff.”
Don’t trade Mario, don’t buy the game. Don’t even think about it.
Are you thinking about it? Stop. Now.
That’s better.
It’s a shame, really, because 989 Sports does a lot right. Check it out: Lecavalier skates into the zone, drops the puck at the line for Modin, who fakes a slap shot and sends a pass across the ice to Kubina who one-times it into the net.
You can’t do that on EA Sports’ ” NHL 2001,” can you? Nope. In addition to drop passes and fake shots, “FaceOff” includes give-and-go plays and hip checks along with the ability to redirect shots and make on-the-fly changes of your defensive pairs and forward lines separately.
Pretty cool.
But in every other way — and we mean all of ‘em — ” NHL 2001” makes “FaceOff” look like a joke.
“FaceOff’s” graphics are just plain awful (on the PS2’s next-generation hardware, no less), the player models are pudgy, the arenas are bland, the sound is dull and the goalie AI is horrendous (there are goals galore — Gary Bettman would love this). Options are limited and the game’s interface (menus, etc.) is among the worst ever.
We could go on. And on and on. If we had the space.
On the up side, rosters are current enough to include Lightning rookie Brad Richards. On the down side, they’re clueless enough to consider unproven Bolts winger Jaroslav Svejkovsky (now in the IHL) a second-liner.
Oni (Rockstar): In the wake of “Tomb Raider,” “Fear Effect” and the last couple of “Resident Evil” games, it’s tempting to write off “Oni” as the latest attempt to cash in on the popularity of female characters who pack as much attitude as ammunition.
But “Oni” uses its heroine to introduce an innovative control scheme that makes up for anything else the 3-D adventure might lack. And that’s a tall order when you’re working with a hackneyed futuristic plot, an utterly generic collection of gameplay arenas and an arsenal of impossible-to-aim weapons everyone’s seen a zillion times before.
In the face of all that predictability, “Oni” manages to make its mark as a satisfying third-person beat-‘em-up with a blend of hand-to-hand and weapon-based combat that’s unlike anything you’ve played before.
Konoko, the game’s main character, is a special agent of the Technology Crimes Task Force, a law enforcement arm of the authoritarian government that controls 80 percent of the world’s countries in the year 2032. Her task is to infiltrate an underground “Syndicate” that continues to undermine the empire.
As you might expect, that involves plenty of the usual run-and-jump routine, sneaking around, battling enemies and solving puzzles.
The fights themselves, however, are an absolute blast. Konoko boasts such an amazing array of moves, you’re likely to leave your weapon in its holster whenever possible. Onlookers will marvel as she evades foes and finishes them off with a seamless combination of slides, spins, punches and flying kicks. The controls are so responsive, Konoko’s many maneuvers seemingly blend into a single fluid motion.
Given the complexity of the controls “Oni” has a fairly steep learning curve, but it’s well worth the time and effort. With a little more attention to everything else (mainly the deadly dull levels), “Oni 2” could be brilliant.
Also available for Windows PC
If you’re paranoid and read ESPN the Magazine, it sounds like Tampa Bay’s pro soccer team could be a thing of the past unless someone steps up posthaste to take over the Mutiny.
What, you don’t have $25 million?
How about $49.95?
With its unbeatable graphics, fluid animations and fast, realistic gameplay, “FIFA 2001 Major League Soccer” is much more than a cheap alternative for aspiring sports moguls. It’s arguably the best soccer video game ever.
Most efforts have been dogged by the same old problems — many (if not all) of which stemmed from the fact that their developers simply didn’t understand the sport.
EA Sports understands. Well, mostly.
A customizable camera view allows big-picture playmakers to “zoom out” from the action, making it easier to watch the flow of the game as it develops. There’s also an optional onscreen “radar,” useful for unleashing transition attacks with long balls from the back.
“FIFA 2001’s” tight, responsive controls are as good as any we’ve seen, and yet they still seem limited at times. It’s difficult to lead players with a pass into open space — one of soccer’s most fundamental and effective plays — particularly for a quick give-and-go.
We’d also love to see drop passes (just ask the “NHL” developers how they did it last year) and an optional icon-based passing system for close-quarters ball movement.
Still, “FIFA” offers loads of complex moves, including one-timers, through passes, headers, bicycle kicks and dribbling maneuvers, such as flicks and 360-degree spins.
Real-world teams (from 16 countries, including the English Premier league and Italy’s Serie A) and players pump up the authenticity level. Individual clubs’ stadiums aren’t represented, but uniforms and rosters are mostly accurate.
Players’ skill ratings in various offensive and defensive categories are supposedly modeled after their real-life attributes, but those aren’t always right, either.
Also available for PlayStation and Windows PC
“NHL 2001” reminds us of Wayne Gretzky’s 1991-92 season, when the Great One “slumped” to a mere 121 points. By anyone else’s standards, it would be a career year. But when you’ve been that good for that long, nothing short of mind-blowing will do.
During its 10 years, EA Sports’ pro hockey title has dropped more jaws than Chicago Blackhawks winger/thug Bob Probert has broken. And while this year’s version for the spanking-new PlayStation 2 boasts the series’ most gorgeous visuals yet, the on-ice action seems strikingly same-old, same-old.
But, hey, it’s not like major improvements were needed — after all, this series still ranks among the greatest sports games of all time.
We had to perform minor surgery on “NHL 2001’s” settings to get a realistic simulation of pro hockey. The default scheme results in a slow game with few rules, fewer penalties, players that never tire, passes that never miss and a tight camera view that makes it virtually impossible to watch the play develop.
On the other hand, the fact that all those things are customizable is a major plus. You can tinker with everything in this game, right down to the puck’s elasticity and friction.
Maddeningly, “NHL 2001” still lacks drop passes and the ability to change defensive pairs independently of your forward line. And for some reason, the give-and-go option and the useful “icon passing” system introduced last year are missing here.
But let’s be fair. The development team behind “NHL 2001” could take the next few years off and still have the best hockey game on the market — that’s how far ahead this series and its superb gameplay engine have always been.
Artificial intelligence is top-notch: Your forwards won’t needlessly stray offside and your goalie won’t play the puck behind the net when you could get an icing call.
And players are modeled after their real-life counterparts, so you’re not likely to make a serious run at Lord Stanley’s Cup with a ragtag bunch like, well, the Lightning.
It won’t hurt your chances, though, to use “NHL 2001’s” exceptional create-a-player feature to add rookie sensation Brad Richards to the Bolts’ lineup.
Also available for PlayStation and Windows PC
Publisher: EA Sports
Players: 1-8
Why: Now in its 11th season, “Madden” is the first name in football for both console and PC gamers. With “NFL 2001,” this franchise does it all, and does it better than the competition. Why aren’t we surprised?
Probably because that’s business as usual for EA Sports.
“Madden NFL 2001” simply looks better, sounds better and plays better than any other football title available for PlayStation, Nintendo 64 or Windows PCs. (Although the latter shows some weaknesses.)
The game’s controls are tight and responsive, the artificial intelligence is second to none and there are more options than you can shake a telestrator marker at.
Everything — and we mean everything — is customizable. The game’s play editor and in-depth create-a-player feature are as good as any out there.
Collectible “Madden cards” unlock legendary teams, players and more in the console versions. PC owners can compete against friends or strangers online.
Why not: The only conceivable reason not to buy “Madden NFL 2001” is that you don’t like football. And even then it’s questionable.
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