Digital Domain: March 2002
By Dave Gerardi -- Playthings, 2/28/2002 9:01:00 AM
Eidos Eidos will bring Japanese titles to hardcore gamers in the United States under its new Fresh Games brand. The spring lineup will kick off with Mister Mosquito (in which the player must suck the blood of a human family while avoiding the invariable swat), Mad Maestro! (an orchestra conductor must save Concert Hall by performing music with Frequency- or Parappa-style gameplay), and Legaia 2: Duel Saga (a martial arts-based RPG).Electronic Arts New from Electronic Arts and Westwood Studios, Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat is an under-hyped sleeper hit in the making. In the role of a benevolent pirate queen (Katarina the Black Kat), players battle dastardly pirates and savage island creatures is two modes: as Kat and as captain of any one of a dozen ships from gunboat to man o' war.
As Kat, the game plays out basically like a typical platform adventure. Kat hacks up enemies, finds keys to open up locked treasure chests and locates various buried treasures (a unique but jittery experience by which the vibration rate of the controller increases as Kat walks closer to the hidden chest). Along the way, Kat may pick up various magical artifacts and swords to aid her in battle. New swords open up new attack combos to keep combat interesting.
The ship to ship combat, however, is the true star. Some ships only fire from the port side, some from the bow. Players can customize their vessels with more cannons, powder kegs, chain shots (to tear through the enemy's sails) and rare magics. Combat resolves not with button-mashing but with skilled maneuvering. As in historical battles, the one who crosses the `T' (sails perpendicular to the opponent's bow thereby opening up all his cannons on the ill-positioned opponent) will, more often than not, win the contest.
A two-player ship-to-ship combat mode significantly adds to the title's long-term gameplay.
As realistic as Saving Private Ryan was, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault actually puts players on the beaches of Normandy in one of over 30 harrowing levels. (I found myself ducking bullets in front of the PC screen.) It's not for the feint of heart, but the realism and multiplayer options keep the gameplay interesting and always challenging.
In April, EA Sports will ship 2002 FIFA World Cup. The soccer title holds the exclusive FIFA World Cup and World Cup stadiums licenses and has licenses for national teams and players.
EA Big's over-the-top basketball title, NBA Street, is now available for GameCube.
LucasArts Much more engaging than the actual Podrace in Phantom Menace, Star Wars Racer Revenge is a smash-up competition featuring a variety of high performance Podracers with which to run the opponents into the assorted walls. A key element (aside from the spectacular courses and vicious AI) is the damage meter. Players must watch their armor damage on either side; once you crash, the race is over-no respawning two seconds later.
To be released in the spring, LucasArts' Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast for PC is an FPS featuring lightsaber and gun combat. To be sure, puzzle elements make up key segments of the game, but the highlight is the multiplayer mode that pits lightsaber-wielding combatants against each other in a wild free for all.
LucasArts has signed developer Planet Moon Studios (of Giants: Citizen Kabuto fame) to produce "an original humorous action title" for next gen systems. Separately, LucasArts tapped The Collective to develop the next Indiana Jones game for next gen platforms and PC.
Microsoft Like NFL Fever, NBA Inside Drive 2002 is an exclusive Microsoft-developed title for the Xbox. For a first effort, it's a splendid game. The playability is terrific. The defensive AI even on the rookie level is savvy enough to thwart primitive offenses. Two standout features are the games sophisticated fake options and the player streaks. With the ball, players have more than a dozen fakes in their arsenal, from hesitation dribbles to jab steps to crossovers. The controls are intuitive so there aren't many buttons to memorize. The player streaks feature is also a nice touch. Hit enough jumpers or make some key defensive plays, and a player can catch fire (though not literally as in Midway's quirky sports titles) and be unstoppable in the fourth quarter. Conversely, miss enough open shots, and even Alan Iverson may have to ride the pine.
What the game lacks, unlike its competition (Sega's NBA 2K2, EA's NBA Live 2002) is a franchise mode. With the Xbox's huge hard drive, a franchise mode could really shine unlike the simplistic versions in competitors' games. For the time being, the best franchise simulators are made by Sports Mogul, a small PC publisher that allows the user the opportunity to read scouting reports and even change ticket prices. Inside Drive 2002 is a good start, but expect next year's version to be a more complete challenger to Sega and EA.
Microsoft also has a new action-adventure out, Nightcaster. Gameplay revolves around a heavy dose of real-time spell combat and exploration. It plays pretty much like an RPG. The protagonist ages and gains skills and magical abilities throughout the game. The Robotron-style controls (walk with one analog stick, aim with the other) are rare but a welcome addition.
On the PC front, MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Expansion adds to a venerable series the only thing missing: more salvageable equipment. The combat simulator of giant robots (based on the FASA tabletop game-WizKids, founded by FASA co-founder Jordan Weisman, will be making a new version of the tabletop classic complete with detailed miniatures) has been a pleasant alternative to typical first-person shooters for many years. This expansion pack adds more Mechs, vehicles, a black market to buy and sell salvaged equipment, and multiplayer options.
Midway Blitz 20-02 is Midway's over-the-top style football game aimed more at the casual gamer than the stat-crunching fanatic who pledge their allegiance to the Madden or Sega Sports series. It feels more like a pick-up game on a Saturday afternoon. The eight-on-eight format alternatively leaves the quarterback exposed to the rushing linebacker and opens up the middle of the field for the deep slant.
Nintendo Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 for Game Boy Advance has launched. It recreates all 96 levels from Super Mario World on SNES. The 1991 title first introduced Yoshi. Super Mario Advance 2 adds a new twist by giving players the option of choosing Luigi, who jumps higher and glides farther than Mario.
The next Mario title is Mario Sunshine for GameCube and will hit Japan this summer. No U.S. date has been announced. Mario wears an H2O pack to keep his world clean. Metroid Prime, on the other hand, does have a scheduled release in the U.S.: Q3 2002. The first-person adventure is the first in the series since Super Metroid for SNES.
Sega The now venerable Sega Sports brand offers NHL 2K2, a total revamp of the original that features smooth gameplay, slick graphics and, most importantly, big-time body checks.
If any game deserves an in-store demo, it is Sega's visually spectacular Rez. Essentially an FPS, the music beat and screen colors change according to the player's style of play. It's easy to pick up-the controls are simple-and players won't put it down until their thumbs are sore. A truly unique experience.
One of the most anticipated titles for the GameCube, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, doesn't disappoint. The high-octane gameplay is still front and center, but the number of two-player and mini games has been greatly expanded. In the main storyline, players can also choose between heroic and evil characters. The cable link with Game Boy Advance lets players take their Chao (little creatures hatched during segments played in-between missions: they will grow to be good or bad depending on the player's treatment) along for bonus training missions only available on the GBA.
A quick word on NBA 2K2: The best basketball game for next gen systems has finally arrived on the PS2 and Xbox. The defensive AI is greatly improved-no more 60-point blowouts. The game's crossover dribbles are so far ahead of anything else on the market, and the street courts have all undergone a stunning makeover. It's the first must-have game of 2002.
One of the more unique titles for Dreamcast comes to Xbox with Jet Set Radio Future. The graphics have been totally revamped, and they are as dynamic as ever. Players must skate and tag their way through more than a dozen environments. Its predecessor was the first major effort to tie extreme sports to a plot.
The feature-length film The House of the Dead, based on Sega's popular arcade and console franchise, begins shooting in May. Sega is prepping The House of the Dead 3 exclusively for Xbox.
Sega just signed Yankees slugger Jason Giambi as spokesperson and cover athlete for World Series Baseball, a May 2002 ship exclusively for Xbox.
Sony Positioned as a party game with an equally entertaining one-player game, the sequel to the quirky hit Parappa the Rapper adds new songs, characters and multiplayer fun. The concept is simple: press controller buttons in conjunction with the beat of the music. It's a formula Sony applied to licensed music from popular artists in Frequency, a title released between the two Parappas. The gameplay is simple enough for the youngest of gamers, but the music is hip enough to extend the audience appeal to twenty-somethings. If you didn't know you were playing this on a PS2, the unique 2-D character art in a 3-D world might fool you into thinking this was a Nintendo game. Parappa is such a distinctive character, he may become Sony's Mario in a way that Crash Bandicoot never really did.
Hot Shots Golf 3 is Sony's latest walk on the greens putting an emphasis on fun gameplay without losing the realism of other licensed titles. Players choose from a variety of colorful players and caddies. All have unique personalities and put-downs. The game's putting system, a particle grid that displays the speed of the green at any given sector, is the most intuitive approach ever put to the digital links. It's a game that can appeal even to those who don't normally swing the irons, although the sheer volume of unlockable features can be intimidating. Tees off March 12.
Take Two Interactive On the heals of Grand Theft Auto 3's success (top selling game four months running according to NPD), Take Two releases State of Emergency. The action title pits the player in the midst of a riot against an oppressive security force. The missions are accomplished based in part on the player's ability to manipulate the crowd.
THQ The 10th release in the WWF franchise, WWF Raw for the Xbox is the most graphically sophisticated of the bunch. This is why people bought Xboxes. If WWF Smackdown was good (and it was), Raw is simply stunning. The varieties in gameplay are almost endless, between the different matches, rules options and create-a-superstar alternative. Players also have the new freedom of attacking opponents on the way to the ring.
Coming this summer for PS2 and fall for GameCube, Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights enlists the title character to find clues to track down the rest of the kidnapped Mystery, Inc. gang. The soundtrack borrows heavily from the TV show, and the Scooby character animation captures the same familiar quirkiness. It targets the 6- to 12-year-old audience, but the retro appeal will also bring in older, nostalgic gamers who grew up on the show. It also includes the voice talent of such classic guest stars as Tim Conway and Don Knotts.
Hot Wheels is a mission-based combat racer featuring 45 classic Hot Wheels cars. Imagine if you could buy all the Mattel Hot Wheels track on the shelves of any given Toys R Us, set it up and then could actually get behind the wheel of your favorite 1:64 scale car (while blasting opponents of the track). This is the next best thing. Pulling various tricks off jumps and loops powers up weapons. The courses are huge and conceal shortcuts and power ups. Cars also run up walls (not unlike certain Mattel sets) and take damage.
Rugrats 2002 and Rocket Power 2002 are platform adventures that generally follow the recent trend of incorporating a fair number of vehicles and variety of gameplay elements. The moon level in the former, for example, takes place in a giant moon buggy and includes lunar physics. The latter, of course, relies on a healthy does of extreme sports elements. Based on the success of games based on this license for the Game Boy and PS One, both should hit across genders.
The next logical step from Sega's Space Channel 5 is licensing. Enter Britney's Dance Beat. Players audition to be a back-up dancer for Britney Spears (or go head-to-head against a friend) in the foreground and clips of Britney's videos play behind the stage. The on-screen characters move to the music and the controller (the game is dance pad compatible). If successful, the game could usher in a spate of licensed dance games based on any one of a growing number of interchangeable teeny bopper bands. Can Mary Kate and Ashley be far behind?
Virgin Interactive
As part of Virgin's "anytime, anywhere, $20" push to publish inexpensive but high quality games, Nightstone is a very solid RPG offering the rare combination of non linear missions, complex dungeon crawls and a level editor (with which players may create dungeons, castles and outdoor environments). It's not easy. Players take three characters (starting from three disparate map points) and wade through waves of monsters. For $20, the endless gameplay via the level editor is the clear selling point.
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