Game Zone: The latest trends, tips and reviews on video games

By Jae-Ha Kim and Misha Davenport
Chicago Sun-Times
 

September 5, 2003

TRON 2.0
4 stars
Buena Vista Interactive; PC, $49.99

        "Tron 2.0"--a sequel to the cult 1982 Disney film "Tron"--is simply so gorgeous to look at, you're afraid to touch the keyboard --less you disturb
the art.  Once you get past the jaw-dropping, sumptuous visuals, you're also treated to great gameplay and a storyline that builds and expands on the mythology created in the film. You play as Jet Bradley --the son of Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner, reprising his role from the film). Dear old dad has
disappeared --possibly into the computer-- and one of his programs digitizes you to save both the cyber and real worlds. Game play is a mix of first-person shooter, puzzle-solving and --recreating the best part of the original film-- light cycle racing. "Tron 2.0" is a textbook case on everything that can be done right with a game based on a movie. (T for teen)

--Misha Davenport
F-Zero GX
2.5 stars
Nintendo; GameCube
$49.99 

        Are you feeling the need for speed? If your learning curve is fast and your patience is long, the latest in Nintendo's racing franchise may win you
over. If not, you'll get frustrated fast. Building your racing vehicles and racing them can be a blast--literally. But trying to get through all the levels can be a trying experience for the novice player. The controls seem almost too touch sensitive at times and the gears shift almost at whim. FYI: There's no such thing as friendly fire here, so keep your eyes peeled for enemies. They're everywhere. (T for teen)

--Jae-Ha Kim
NCAA Football 2004
4 stars 
EA Sports; PlayStation 2
$49.99

        Between Madden and EA Sports' football game franchises, is there really a need for competitors to even bother? This game rocks. The game controls are the same as before, but the game play is stronger, faster and better. Before, you could bump a player and that counted as a tackle. Now you have to legitimately tackle your opponent for it to count. The pass defense is much better as well and even the fumbles are more realistic. There's some
added fluff that's not crucial to the game but is nonetheless fun. As players run out of Notre Dame's locker room, you see a poster that says, "Play like a champion today." Now maybe they will. (E for everyone)

--Jae-Ha Kim
CHICAGO'S TOP TEN
The hottest games sold in Chicago on amazon.com as of 
September 12, 2003
ESPN NFL Football 
Sega; reviewed for Xbox; also available for PS2: $49.99 
4 stars

        It's no "Madden" but you gotta give Sega's "ESPN NFL Football" props for being innovative. The game puts players where they've never been before: in a first-person viewpoint that shows the field from the inside of your helmet. It's a perspective that takes some getting used to, but it's especially wicked when playing bone-crushing defense. Graphically, "ESPN" actually bests "Madden" in players' facial renderings. The game also benefits from the great use of the ESPN license, which brings the cable network's SportsCenter to your console.  It may be a rookie franchise when compared with "Madden," but "ESPN NFL
Football" is one rookie with promise. (E for everyone)

--Misha Davenport 
Alter Echo
THQ, PlayStation 2, $49.99
3 stars

        It is the future and if you're a shaper, you've got it made. Using a substance called plast, shapers may create anything they want-like weapons of mass destruction, space-age style. You play as a fledgling shaper named Nevin. It's your mission to stop power-hungry Paavo from trying to wipe out the human race with an uber substance he has developed called echoplast. Like the power of the ring in "The Lord of the Rings," this echoplast is heavy stuff. The cartoon-style graphics aren't up to anime standards, but they're not bad. The thumping music is well suited for the game and the voices are appropriately theatrical. "Alter Echo" will provide plenty of fun, especially if you're a good combat fighter. (T for teen)

--Jae-Ha Kim
 Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire 
Nintendo; Game Boy Advance; $34.99        2 stars

        Just how easy is Nintendo's latest pinball game? Apologies to The Who, but a deaf, dumb and blind kid could still play a mean Pokemon. The pinball is the familiar red and white "monster ball" used to catch Pokemon. Hit targets or run certain ramps and you unleash one of 200 Pokemon that you then need to hit three times with your ball before the timer runs out. Pinball enthusiasts will miss such game standards as multi-ball and the ability to tilt if you nudge the board too much. Worst of all, the popular, yellow character Pikachu is completely wasted as a left and right alley ball saver.
(Rated E for Everyone) 

--Misha Davenport 
CHICAGO'S TOP TEN 
The hottest games sold in Chicago on amazon.com last week:

1. Madden NFL 2004    PlayStation 2 
2. Madden NFL 2004 Xbox 
3. Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance    Game Boy Advance 
4. Soul Caliber II    GameCube 
5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds    Xbox 
6. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City    PlayStation 2
7. F-Zero GX    GameCube 
8. Silent Hill 3    PlayStation 2 
9. All Star Baseball 2004    GameCube 
10. MLB Slugfest 20-04    GameCube 

Biz bytes

     Let's just say Activision is having a Marvel-ous year. Activision has not only inked a deal that gives the company exclusive use of Marvel Comics' "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "Fantastic Four" and "Iron Man" franchises through 2009, it also has signed Stan Lee--the comic book writing legend who created many of the characters--to consult on future video games based on his characters. 
September 19, 2003
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Konami; Game Boy Advance; $49.99    4 stars

        With its epic storytelling and battles, "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance" can best be described as a cross between Michael Ende's classic novel The
Neverending Story and Mel Gibson's 1995 film, "Braveheart." 
        Marche is the new kid in a small country town called St. Ivalice. The first mission - a snowball fight in the schoolyard - not only gets you accustomed to the game's controls, it also immediately reveals who are your friends. They include Ritz, the sassy, strong-willed tomboy, and the often-picked-on Mewt.
        After finding and reading from a tome named after the gang's favorite game, "Final Fantasy," Marche finds himself transported from the normal world of St. Ivalice into the mythical world of Ivalice.
        As you try to find your way back to the realworld, you must complete missions (sometimes quests, but usually fights) to earn money that you then
use to upgrade your skills and those of your fighting clan.
        "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance" is a turn-based combat game that also happens to be the the best-looking title out for the GBA right now. Since it offers 30-50 hours of game play, you'll find yourself - like Marche - getting lost in the colorful world of Ivalice. (Rated E for everyone.)

--Misha Davenport
GameDay 2004
(989 Sports, PlayStation 2, $39.99)    2.5 stars

        GameDay is kind of the Jan Brady of football games. It's not bad, but it's still a few steps behind the Madden franchise. That said, kudos go out to 989 Sports for improving its line. While the gameplay is similar to last year's version, the graphics and sound are much improved. 
         The players' faces
pop on screen as they grunt through the game. But if you're not well-versed at the rules of football, you may run into some problems because this game
isn't forgiving to newbies. It won't assume you meant to intercept a pass unless you actively go for it with the controls. (Rated E for everyone)

--Jae-Ha Kim
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb 
Lucas Arts; Playstation 2; $34.99   3 stars 

        Indiana Jones never fought this well, or dirty, in his feature films. Yes, there's a threadbare storyline involving our good doctor, an ancient Chinese
secret (in this case, a priceless artifact that has the ability to control people - kind of like the precious ring in "the Lord of the Rings") and Nazis who want to thwart his quest. 
        But this game is all about the action. Kick! Punch! Attack! Down goes a Nazi. Oops, same for the Chinese gang thugs. You'll travel to exotic locales like Prague and open up a can of whup-ass there, too. (Rated T for Teen) 

--Jae-Ha Kim 
CHICAGO'S TOP TEN 
The hottest games sold in Chicago on amazon.com last week:

1. Soul Caliber II GameCube 
2. Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance Game Boy Advance 
3. WWE Raw 2    Xbox 
4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City    PlayStation 2 
5. F-Zero GX    GameCube 
6. Ghost Recon: Island Thunder    Xbox
7. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker    GameCube 
8. Simpsons: Hit and RunPlayStation 2 
9. Madden 2004    PS2 
10. Soul Caliber II    Xbox 
 
 

What's your game... Rick Nielsen?

"I have and play video poker, and I still don't win very often. I have a
pinball machine in my basement that I bought when I was 15. My kids play Tiger Woods 2003 and Splinter Cell (on XBox)."

-Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist for Cheap Trick


September 26, 2003
Boktai 
Konami; Game Boy Advance; $34.99    3.5 stars 

     Finally, a game that gets avid players off the couch and out of the house! Literally.
     You play as Django -- the last in the line of vampire hunters. You've been dispatched to kill all of the immortals. Your weapon of choice? A gun that actually harnesses the sun.
     Game play is a cross between the dungeon searches seen in the "Legend of Zelda 2" and the stealth and ammunition aspects of "Metal Gear Solid." The latter comes as no surprise, as the game was designed by Hideo Kojima who also created "Metal Gear Solid 2."
     The characters are all well animated, and the game's hues are soft and almost watercolor-like. Even though the game as a whole is rendered very well, you'll still find it's all about the sun sensor.
     "Boktai's" greatest asset -- the tiny black chip built into the game cartridge that detects sunlight -- is also its Achilles heel. While you needn't be outside (sunlight coming in from a window suffices), the sensor can't be fooled by flashlights and lamps. Nothing is quite as frustrating as when you're just about to defeat a level boss and a cloud rolls in and essentially blocks your access to ammo. 
Still, clouds pass by and when the sun's out, "Boktai" shines. (E for everyone) 

--Misha Davenport
Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure
Activision; PS2; $39.99  2 stars

     Let's call this game Tony Hawk Lite. Designed for newbie players who aren't yet up to the task of grinding like Hawk, this Disney title offers easier tricks with some fun novelty value. 
     You get to take on the persona of characters like Buzz Lightyear, young Tarzan and even Simba. Is it realistic that the future Lion King is extreme skating? No, but then again he's a talking lion. 
     Unlocking new levels will make you feel somewhat accomplished. But winning new clothes for your skaters is a neat little perk. The graphics pop and the sound is surprisingly realistic. (Rated E for everyone) 

--Jae-Ha Kim
Starsky and Hutch
Gotham Games; Xbox; $19.99   2 stars 

        This mission-based racing game faithfully recreates the feel of the '70s TV show. Game play consists of tooling around the streets of Bay City in your bitchin' red Ford Torino, firing at perps and performing various death-defying stunts to keep the "ratings up." If viewership falls to zero, you're sent to cancellation city, baby. It's an interesting hook, but not enough to save such a jive game. 
     The graphics are cartoony and portions are unpolished. To top it off, there are long load times. Still, it's worth a rental. When's the last time you got behind the wheel of a Torino? 

--Misha Davenport 
CHICAGO'S TOP TEN 
The hottest games sold in Chicago on amazon.com last week:

1. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness PlayStation 2 
2. Splashdown: Rides Gone Wild PlayStation 2 
3. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 PlayStation 2
4. The Simpsons: Hit and Run PlayStation 2 
5. Madden NFL 2004 PlayStation 2 
6. F-Zero GX GameCube
7. Madden NFL 2004 Xbox 
8. NBA Live 2004 PlayStation 2 
9. WWE Raw 2 Xbox 
10. The Simpsons: Hit and RunGameCube 
 

What's your game ... Carlos Bocanegra?

"I like 'Halo' on Xbox because you can play up to 16 players at once. We usually play four at a time and just kill each other. It's fun."

-- Chicago Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra

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