Category Archives: Game Review

Winter Heat can help Saturn platform go out with a bang

A few months ago I wrote a review of Konami’s Nagano Winter Olympics 98. Still, I am haunted by the mundane graphics and just plain God-awful gameplay. Fortunately though, I tested out Sega’s answer, Winter Heat. For me, it did a good job at cleaning out the rotten aftertaste that Nagano put in my mouth. Winter Heat is the sequel to one of the Saturn’s better, and most underrated, sports games ever released: Decathlete. Decathlete was itself was Sega’s answer to Konami’s Track and Field way back in 1986. Winter Heat follows up to Decathlete’s character selection, offering eight different … Continue reading Winter Heat can help Saturn platform go out with a bang

Microsoft Force Feedback Control is one cool shootin’ iron

Force feedback was something I had always wanted in my computer game environment. I first thought I would get it with a Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak, but basically all that is, is a little vibrator which doesn’t accentuate each force independently. Lately, I was able to get my hands on Microsoft’s new Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro joystick, and let’s just say that from the pack-ins alone, I am hooked. It’s strange that a company that just got in the gaming business when they released Windows 95 has created a controller of such extraordinary abilities. A 16-bit 386SX microprocessor works in … Continue reading Microsoft Force Feedback Control is one cool shootin’ iron

Another great notch in LucasArt’s Lightsaber

Is LucasArts’ Mysteries of the Sith just a Jedi Knight add on? Or is it a lot more? Let’s put it this way: if more companies designed add-on packs like this, then the games they are based on would be greatly enhanced. Mysteries of the Sith takes place five years after Kyle Katarn disposed of Jerec and the Seven Dark Jedi. As he is training Mara Jade, herself a former Emperor’s Hand seen in the Timothy Zahn novels, Kyle discovers a possible location for a hidden Sith temple and is compelled to discover its mystery. As he departs for the … Continue reading Another great notch in LucasArt’s Lightsaber

NHL Breakaway ’98 scores for Nintendo 64 gamers

Now that the Winter Olympic games in Nagano, Japan are finally over, the NHL can resume again. That means that we will be hearing more and more about how great Dominic Hasek is, just because he led his Czech Republic team to Olympic gold. So far this season, we have seen the king of hockey simulators, EA Sports’ NHL 98, shine on the PC and on the PlayStation. Up until now, the Nintendo 64 had to make due with the sub-par Gretzky trilogy (Gretzky 3D, Gretzky 3D ’98, and Nagano Hockey 98), which basically is just the same game in … Continue reading NHL Breakaway ’98 scores for Nintendo 64 gamers

Konami’s NBA In The Zone ’98 fouls out

I would like to know just what is wrong with Konami these days. I remember how it used to be about ten years ago, when their name was synonymous with quality. After all, who can forget their innovative NES series such as Contra, Castlevania, and Gradius. This tradition of greatness went on during the era of SNES and Genesis, with 16-bit releases of their classic series. That, like many other legacies, are destined to change. When Konami started creating games for the PlayStation, they suddenly obtained this new desire to make nothing but sports games. Sure there were some good … Continue reading Konami’s NBA In The Zone ’98 fouls out

Fighters Destiny helps catch up N64 as a fight game platform

While the Nintendo 64 might be a good system for racing games and remakes of classic NES and Super NES games, fighting games seem to have been left behind. Those that are made, however, went from relatively average to just plain awful. While the Saturn had quality fighters like Virtua Fighter 2 and Dead or Alive, and the PlayStation had is superior Tekken lineup, the Nintendo 64 was left with worthless junk such as Mortal Kombat Trilogy and War Gods. It’s been a year and a half since the N64 was released, and there hasn’t been one great fighting game … Continue reading Fighters Destiny helps catch up N64 as a fight game platform

Cyclone Studios blows standard hybrid-game idea away

Hybrid games usually don’t work. A game company comes up with an idea in which two different genres are combined into one game. It might be an ambitious concept, but the execution almost always falls short. Cyclone Studios decided to take a shot at this trend. They thought "What if we took the first person action of Quake 2 and combined it with the strategic elements of Red Alert?" and came up with their latest release, Uprising. In turn, not only is it an innovative idea, but it’s also a pretty enjoyable combat simulator. Rather than showing the action in … Continue reading Cyclone Studios blows standard hybrid-game idea away

FIFA 98: It’s a kick to play, but no goal scorer

EA Sports’ FIFA International Soccer (http://www.ea.com) series has had its share of ups and downs. Starting off as a fairly decent Genesis cart in 1993, the series reached its peak when it was released on the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. It was this game, in fact, that was responsible for the 3DO receiving a following as a mildly successful gaming system. The next year’s version for the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation also faired very well. But then came the ’97 lineup. It was this version that made gamers wonder what went wrong. The gameplay was very sloppy, and the … Continue reading FIFA 98: It’s a kick to play, but no goal scorer

Myth: The Fallen Lords is a bar-raising medieval hackfest

Finally someone has the guts to create a real-time combat game about, of all things, combat. Myth: The Fallen Lords is not a game for the diplomatic game players among us. In Myth, players are assigned a small cadre of troops for each mission, be it multiplayer against human foes online or undead computer armies. Armchair generals have to figure out how to direct their force’s strengths against opponent’s weaknesses. Sun Tzu would be proud. Farming, mining uber-minerals, diplomacy and constructing bases have all been delightfully left out of Myth. With all their energies directed at making realistic hand-to-hand combat, … Continue reading Myth: The Fallen Lords is a bar-raising medieval hackfest

Solo action puts new twist on Command and Conquer

Ever wonder what it’s like to be one single cannon fodder-like unit in a game of Command and Conquer? Now you can find out. Westwood Studio’s Sole Survivor is the latest release to the Command and Conquer lineup. However, if you are expecting the usual "process ore, build base, build units, destroy the enemy" foray, you’re only have part of the equation right. The only thing listed above that would describe Sole Survivor is "destroy the enemy." Sole Survivor is an online-only game where you control ONE UNIT and attempt to destroy all those around you. Units range from foot … Continue reading Solo action puts new twist on Command and Conquer