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GAME REVIEWS
MADDEN 2004
MADDEN 2004
MAKER: EA SPORTS
SRP: $49.99 for XBox, Playstation 2.
Gamecube; $39.99 for PC
For years, it has been a game that has caused students to miss class regularly and has made virtually anyone an NFL expert.
This year's installment of John Madden Football, or Madden 2004 for short, brings you closer to the game than ever before.
This marks the 14th year that Madden, one of football's most notable voices, has stamped his signature of approval and added his commentary to what has become the crown jewel of football video games. Each year, there are small improvements made on the game, but this year, EA Sports went further than ever before.
The biggest additions have been a new and improved franchise option and the new "playmaker" controls.
The playmaker control is a nice add-on from last year, but it is a little confusing.
The goal of the new feature is to allow you to have more control over how a play develops in the course of a game. For example, telling who to block who on a quarterback scramble. While this feature is fun in principle, it is not easy to use. I've played Madden every year since I was in junior high, but I still cannot get the hang of the new playmaker feature.
Overall, with great commentary, smooth gameplay and amazingly detailed players and stadiums. Madden is an all-around winner. This year's game puts you so close to the game, you could get sucked in and never find your way back out.
—Ryan Greene
Grade : A-
MEGA MAN: NETWORK TRANSMISSION
PUBLISHER: CAPCOM
SRP: $39.99
18 jayplay
The Blue Bomber isn't a robot anymore? He's a computer program living inside a kid's little hand-held computer? Say it isn't so. Apparently it is so. A new Mega Man has appeared for a new generation. The new Mega Man for the Nintendo Gamecube was spawned from the Game Boy Advance game series: Mega Man: Battle Network.
In this version of Mega Man, you help your human counterpart, Lan, help take down the Zero Virus. Many of NetBattlers' Net Navis — the computer programs that fight in cyberspace — are infected by the Zero Virus and it's up to Mega Man and Lan to help bring a stop to it.
Some of the gameplay is still similar to the old Mega Man games. You still have your X-Buster to shoot your enemies, but this Mega Man's X-Buster lacks speed and rapid fire, unless you find certain Booster Cubes that let you upgrade Mega Man's abilities. The old days of blasting a foe with your X-Buster are gone. The player may have to quit in the middle of a mission and must go to the Chip shop and buy the necessary chips. This is also another thing that bothers me; Mega Man: Network Transmission has a currency system where you can buy parts for Mega Man. In the original Mega Man series, everything you needed for a level was in the level. If you needed extra energy, you had to do it the hard way and find an energy tank. Now you can just purchase it at the store.
The new Mega Man series needs to take a lesson from the days of the original Mega Man and Mega Man X series. Gamers need more of a challenge and a more fierce Mega Man. Mega Man no longer protects the world from evil forces. Now he roams around in cyberspace making it possible for your computer to still function.And I,for one,am disappointed.
—Chris Moore
Grade: C-
NASCAR THUNDER 2004
MAKER: EA SPORTS
SRP: $49.99 for Playstation 2, XBox and
Gamecube; $39.99 for PC
To be honest with you, I've never watched more than a tenth of a NASCAR race. Ive never followed the Winston Cup points standings. I've never purchased a bumper sticker of Calvin urinating on another driver's number either.
However, it doesn't matter who you are,NASCAR Thunder 2004 by EA Sports can grab your interest.
One area where this game greatly succeeds is catering to those who are not NASCAR savants such yours truly. Instead of having to learn about pit stops and when to pull in for gas, the game allows features such as auto-repairs to your car just by hitting one button or allowing you to have unlimited fuel and tire wear. Basically, the game is very user-friendly.
After playing this game for a couple hours, it was still tough to get the hang of the actual races as well as the strategy. Even at the rookie level, it's nearly impossible to win. Another thing is that for non-NASCAR fanatics, the game has a tendency to get old fast if you're playing by yourself.
For those NASCAR dreamers out there, the game also has a career mode, which allows you to become a driver in the Winston Cup series, as well as pick your pit crew, negotiate their salaries and design your own car.
This game is a glorified version of traditional racing games in the sense that it requires you to use more strategy instead of just driving with reckless abandon.
Overall, EA did a good job of making this game appealing to non-traditional NASCAR fans, but the game also caters to those who know what they're doing unlike me.
My favorite feature is driver retaliation, meaning when you nudge or run into another driver or drive recklessly, the driver will do his best to get back at you. This can make for some fun collisions.
—Ryan Greene
Grade : B+
SOUL CALIBUR II
SRP: $49.99 for Gamecube
The soul still burns on. The longawaited sequel to one of the most popular fighting game series has come to three separate systems, each with a special guest character. Soulcalibur 2 has a great 3D fighting system with a good blend of weapon combat.
Characters from the original Souledge, such as Mitsuragi and Taki, have returned once again on the quest to find either the cursed blade, Souledge, or the Sword of Heroes, Soulcalibur. You must fight through a slew of opponents until it brings you to your destined battle with a certain character — each character has his or her own rival to confront — and then you must fight for one or both of the coveted blades.
The 3D fighting system is fast-paced for a 3D-fighting game. The fighting system is still really similar to the first Soulcalibur, however a few of your hits can break through your opponent's other offensive moves. For instance, a vertical attack can break through a horizontal attack. The computer's artificial intelligence is also improved in Soulcalibur 2. If you keep repeating a move over and over again, the computer will now be quicker to counter it. This opts the player to try and change his fighting technique in the middle of gameplay.
Soulcalibur 2 comes out on three systems, and each has its own special guest character. The Playstation 2 has Heihachi from the Tekken fighting game series, the Nintendo Gamecube has Link from The Legend of Zelda series, and the Xbox has Spawn from the comic book series of the same name. Each character has their own unique fighting style and assortment of special attacks. I regret to say that I haven't played the Playstation 2 version, but from what I hear, the characters could be great in the hands of skilled fighters.
All in all, Soulcalibur 2 is a solid fighting game. The graphics are superb and the fighting system with weapon combat is a sight to see. Like any fighting game, the way you improve your skill is to take on as many opponents as you can.
Chris Moore
Grade: A
thursday, october 2. 2003