Release Archives: WEEK OF OCTOBER 12, 200410.12.2004 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door *PICK OF THE WEEK* Dev. Intelligent Systems Pub. Nintendo Systems: GC MSRP: $49.99 I admit, I have a soft spot for Mario. Who doesn't? And while he's already conquered tennis and kart racing, his most successful spinoff series may very well be his role playing games. Enter The Thousand Year Door - Mario's fourth role playing adventure (including the recent GBA title Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga). In this game, you control a 2D version of the world's most versatile plumber. Introducing a quirky combat system that not only centers around quasi real-time combat, but somehow has audience participation that ensures you fight with flair, this game makes sure you're never bored during your lengthy quest. Throw in mini-games where you control Bowser in more traditional platforming worlds and you have all the makings of another classic Mario game. BloodRayne 2 Dev. Terminal Reality Pub. Majesco Systems: Xbox, PS2 MSRP: $49.99 Fresh on the heels of her topless debut in Playboy, BloodRayne is being released yet again to the drooling masses in game form. In this sequel, you control a creature born from the unholy union of vampire and human. As BloodRayne, you can only quench your vampiric thirst by killing the children of evil Nazi's. Don't worry, I'm sure the children are Nazi's as well, and definitely evil. Added to this sequel is the ability to slice your opponents in half vertically. Take that Kung Lao. This game may not have the most original gameplay, but, my theory is: if it has vampires and Nazi killing, it can't be all bad. Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders Dev. Phantagram Pub. Microsoft Systems: Xbox MSRP: $39.99 To be honest, if Paper Mario wasn't coming out this week, KUF would definitely be the Pick of the Week. The game is possibly the closest thing to a real time strategy game you'll find on the Xbox, but don't worry about the lack of a mouse. This game is much closer to action RTS games like Herzog Zwei than the point, click and watch affair PC gamers may expect. While you have up to 100 troops at your command, you will find yourself fighting right alongside them in battle. But don't think strategy will take a back seat in this one. There are over 100 different classes of warrior for you to command, from Archers to Scouts and everything in between, and it's your job to keep them happy and keep them alive. If that wasn't enough to sway you, the game even has an online mode where you can match wits with people you've never met. Not even lack of money should keep gamers away from this one. Midway Arcade Treasures 2 Dev. Digital Eclipse Pub. Midway Systems: XBox, PS2, GC MSRP: $19.99 Sure, there are 20 classic games on this disc (APB, Arch Rivals, Championship Spirit Cyberball, Gauntlet 2, Hard Drivin', Kozmik Kroozr', Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, NARC, Pit Fighter, Primal Rage, Rampage World Tour, Spy Hunter 2, Total Carnage, Timber, Wacko, Wizard of Wor, Xenophobe, Xybots). But you can just forget about 18 of them - you'll never need to play them. Included in this compilation are two fighters that not only helped shape their own genre, but the world at large. Mortal Kombat III, the best game in the series, unleashed robot fighters on the unsuspecting populace. Grenade tossing, net wielding warriors made from steel and programmed to cause pain. The pinnacle of Midway fighters, though, was Primal Rage. For the first time gamers could take to the Cretaceous jungle to decide who truly was the greatest hunter ever - the T-Rex who could breathe fire or the T-Rex who could scream. For those that want something other than fighters, be sure to check out the charmingly titled Xenophobe. A Sound of Thunder Dev. Mobius Pub. Bam! Systems: GBA MSRP: $19.99 On one side you have Ben Kinglesy - academy award-winning actor best known for his portrayal of pacifist leader Ghandi. On the other, you have dinosaurs. Combine those two elements with a story that revolves, not around the dinosaurs, but around a butterfly whose untimely death changes the course of history, and you have an idea so amazing that every form of media needs its own version. First came the Ray Bradbury short story. Next spring, the movie will hit theaters around the country. This week, your GBA will take center stage. If video games are the digital embodiment of all the things we wish we could do in real life, SoT has to be the epitome of that idea. If you're still not sold on this game, remember one thing: though scientists have yet to prove it, it is believed in some circles that raptors rode upon the backs of tyrannosaurus rexes like a cowboy might ride his trusty horse. We're not promising that is in this particular game, but in a world where Ghandi and dinosaurs can coexist, isn't anything possible? - Tom |
