My first reason for wanting a PS2.

Made from ex Rare employees who branched off to form Free Radical, Timesplitters immediately caught my eye as the PS2 launch game I wanted the most.

Those of you who have played Rare's superb Goldeneye and Perfect Dark will see many similarities in the gameplay, music and the overall feel of Timesplitters.

TS' storyline is pretty basic, and not very clear. It's something to do with saving humanity from some ancient evil race that travels time, or something to that effect. The game doesn't spend much time on story, and the single player gameplay is also very simple go get the artifact and return it to your spawn point without dying. It's pretty obvious that this game was rushed to meet the PS2's launch, and the single player mode suffers because of it. The single player mode is really just used as an extension of the multiplayer mode which is Timesplitter's main draw.

Despite the inclusion of a lagluster single player mode, and even a challenge mode (both of which are used to unlock new things in the multiplayer mode), Timesplitters was made as a multiplayer experience and in that regard it out shined every other game of it's time save those that had online MP. Taking the best element of Perfect Dark's much heralded multiplayer, TS will have you and three friends fragging away for hours in it's intense fast paced arcadey deathmatch action, and if you and your friends aren't competitive, or you have no friends, TS allows up to 10 bots to join in on the mayhem.

Not only is TS' deathmatch a top notch and fun experience, but it ups the ante by allowing players to create their own map. This makes for almost endless replay value for the game, because even if you get tired of the developer created maps, you now have the ability to create a million different maps for you and your friends to frag in. Now the map editor in both TS sequels may have more tiles, and allow for better maps, this version allows you to create the biggest maps in the entire series. It's a trade off, less tiles for more expansive maps. This version also doesn't allow you to create single player maps either like it's sequels.

The greatest multiplayer in the world would mean nothing if the game didn't control like a dream, and didn't have as smooth a frame rate. Even with four players, and 10 bots on screen, there isn't even a hint of slowdown in the game. In fact, the game was actually called Timesplitters because of it's immaculate 60 fps frame rate. The awesome frame rate does mean that there's a lack of graphical detail. Even when compared to Dreamcast games at the time, TS looks pretty bland, but it's a small price to pay for having such a smooth experience. It may look basic, but it's still one of the fastest FPS I've ever played, and it's still faster moving than either of it's sequels. I'll take smoothness and playability over pretty graphics and frame rate dips any day.

The only other complain that can be waged about the game is it's first gen PS2 load times are a little long, but it's worth the wait.

Bottom Line: Though it has in many ways been surpassed by it's sequels, the original Timesplitters is still a solid experience for FPS junkies looking for a great multiplayer fix. If you're a fan of the series, or a fan of Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, then TS is still a solid buy.

An average beat em up

Taking a cue from games like Streets of Rage, Fighting Force takes you to the streets to get down and dirty oldschool beat 'em up >

You assume the role of one of four characters who are each in their cliched beat 'em up roles. Smasher's the slow musclebound tough guy, Hawk and Mace are the two mid level characters, and Alana is the fastest and weakest one.

The gameplay is your typical run of the mill beat 'em up where you go area to area beating up any and everyone you see and rinse and repeat. As you can well guess, Most gamers won't be impressed due to the repetitive nature of games in the genre alone. Only fans of beat 'em up games will truly find this game to be worthwhile, but even then they'll also find it to be a pretty average experience by comparison to other games in the genre.

There's just nothing that really makes Fighting Force standout among it's peers in the genre. The fighting system is typical, characters are typical, and though the game offers a few branching paths, you'll still pretty much see everything the game has to offer in one playthrough. You can't even throw your enemies into eachother in this game. You can pick an enemy up and toss him at his buds, but he'll just go flying through them like nothing happened. That's one of the main things this game should have lifted off the brawlers of the past. On the gameplay merits alone, Fighting Force, though still relatively fun for fans of beat 'em ups, doesn't really do anything to standout. That being said, the game does have some good things going for it.

The control is great. Even though it's too old to support an analog stick, this 3D brawler game still controls like a dream with the D-pad. You won't have any trouble getting your character to go where you want them to. The only bad thing that can be said about the controls is that because the back attack button, and the grab button are the same button, you'll often times miss a grab, because your character will go into the back attack motion. It's a small complaint though considering that the rest of the controls are very responsive. It's also fun in the game to destroy many of the objects in the 3D world. Whether it be destroying a coke machine to get a drink, tearing a pipe off the wall, or even destroying a car, the game gives you a number of other items to destroy. You even get rewarded with extra points at the end of each level for your destruction. Also, those who don't like playing alone, can have a friend join them in the two player mode which adds some extra replay value.

Bottom Line: Fighting Force is just an average beat 'em up. If you never liked beat 'em ups, then you'll probably hate this game, and even if you do like them, FF won't be anything remarkable. The beat 'em up genre is probably the PS1's weakest genre, so pickings are slim for PS1 owners. However, if you don't have a Saturn with which to play Die Hard Arcade, or Guardian Heroes, then Fighting Force might give you a decent fix for your 32-bit beat 'em up needs. Otherwise Gekido is the better choice for PS1 beat 'em up fans.

Not as good as the PC version, but still good for an N64 shooter.

Released in November of 1997, the PC version of Quake II made huge waves in the PC gaming world. It later went on to be the most played online game of 1998. It was the Halo of it's day, and console ports were seemingly inevitable.

Almost two years after the PC version hit, the N64 finally got it's chance to get in on the Quake II action.

That begs the question, how does it stack up to the PC version, well, it really doesn't, but not in the way you think. You see, the N64 version of Quake II is nothing like the PC version weapons and enemies aside. It's actually like it's own Quake II mission pack because the developers decided to go with 19 original levels over just a simple port.

The game plays in the typical oldschool FPS fashion. You'll get different objectives to complete in each of the game's levels, but it basically just comes down to the old throw the switch, get the key type. However, Quake II was never about puzzle solving, and this port is no different. It's all about the action in Quake, and this game delivers it in droves.

Throughout Quake II 64, you'll be forced to deal with the hordes of enemies that come your way. This is no simple task, but thankfully, this port has almost all the weapons of the PC original which equip you to deal with all the baddies the Strogg throw your way. Also, if you get tired of fragging the not so bright A.I. enemies, the game has a pretty fun deathmatch for up to 4-players.

The game steals it's control scheme from Turok where you move with the C-buttons, and aim with the analog stick which works pretty well despite the N64's overly sensitive analog stick. There is a little bit lost in translation from PC to console where it'll often times take you a little extra time to line up your shots just perfect on an enemy which can cost you a few hits from the enemies.

Graphically, the game runs at smooth rate, but the enemy animations are extremely choppy, even with the expansion pack, and the music is also different from the original's. The music in the N64 version is now more ambient as opposed to the more adrenaline pumping tracks of the PC original.

Bottom Line: Though it's nothing like it's PC predecessor, Quake II on the N64 still manages to be a fun addition to any N64 gamer's FPS collection. If you've still got a 64, and want a good single player and multiplayer FPS game, then Quake II is worth a look. However, if you hate the oldschool of FPS, and need a story, and the highly scripted elements of modern day FPS games, then avoid this one.

This is a rewriting of my review under my Umaro account.

In an industry where developers are afraid to innovate, Pikmin is a showcase of what can happen when you try something new. In Pikmin you play as Captain Olimar who is a space traveler that crash lands on a strange planet after his ship collides with a meteor. Olimar has thirty days to recover thirty missing pieces of his ship before his life support system fails him. However he won't have to find said 30 pieces alone, throughout the game he is aided by little plant-like creatures that he discovers and names Pikmin.

There are three types of Pikmin to be used; the Red Pikmin are impervious to fire, and are the strongest attackers; the Yellow Pikming can be thrown the highest, and have the ability to pick up little bombs; and the Blue Pikmin have gills with which to breath under water. The Pikmin do a great many things throughout the game that range from carrying pieces of Olimar's ship that are spread across each of the game's five areas, to building bridges, and even killing large predators. Knowing which color of Pikmin is right for the job is key to Olimar's survival.

Controlling your Pikmin is a breeze. You move Olimar with the analog stick and the Pikmin with the C-stick. You also have the ability throw you Pikmin onto predators, or up to unreachable ledges for them to carry down items. Watching the little guys swarm a predator, kill it, and then carry it off victoriously to the Onions (the Pikmin's homes that also act a Pikmin Generators) to be turned into more Pikmin is one of the game's many delights.

Despite all the game has going for it, it does have it's few annoyances. Any time I went near water, my little Pikmin always seemed to find a way to drown themselves. They also sometimes stop to do things without you telling them. This can make it hard to keep track of them all. Calling them back to you is a simple one button affair, but there will always be stragglers that get left behind, and eaten at the day's end. Also, the days go by way too fast which ends up making the game go by too fast. If you aren't able to get every part of your ship in a timely fashion, not only will you be behind on days, but you'll be in a world of hurt come day 30.

Bottom Line: Pikmin is a short, but sweet adventure from the mind of Nintendo's most celebrated designer, Shigeru Miyamoto. If you're tired of the same old games, and want to play an "outside the box" game, then give Pikmin a try. You won't be disappointed.

Still a truly unique game.

Some strange happenings have been going on in Tokyo as of late. A shady organization known as the Rokkaku Group headed by Rokkaku Gouji is spreading it's influence all across the city. They own the police department, and have been getting their laws passed throughout the city. It's even suspected that they have their eyes set on city hall. It's time for you to join a local street gang, don a pair of rocket skates, and rebel against the man via using spray paint to tag your symbols throughout the city.

JSRF is a truly unique game that really has no game comprable game aside from the original Jet Grind Radio on the Dreamcast. I guess it'd be kinda like a Tony Hawk adventure game that instead of an emphesis on doing tricks, the emphesis is on using your skills to search out and tag the various grafitti markers placed thoughout each expansive city with spray paint cans you also collect throughout the city area while occasionally taking on rival street gangs (who themselves are about as hardcore as the gangs in West Side Story) for their turf. Your rocket skates let you grind rails for a relatively long time, and the game in general has a huge emphesis on grinding rails.

It's sufice to say that JSRF is a very unique game. It's pure Japanese quirk, but beyond the quirk packs a huge addictive gameplay punch that will keep you addicted for a long time. Another thing that makes it unique is it's cell shaded visuals. Though the cell shaded craze has come and gone, it was the original Jet Grind/Set Radio that started the craze, and JSRF carries on the tradition nicely. Due to the greatter processing power ot the Xbox, the city areas are now much larger, and much more populated than it's DC predesessor. The game also ads a few new abilities, like the ability to grind straight up poles, and also brings back the grafitti editor where gamers can use their creative sides to create their own custom tags for use in the game.

If I had any complaints about the game it's that they changed the grafitti system from the original. Now instead of completing the larger grafitti via using different motions on the analog stick, it's all now simply a one button affair. I guess it makes it easier, but I enjoyed the original's better. Also, the controls are a little more sensitive than the DC version making precision movement a little harder that it was in the first one. I also enjoyed the music in the original better.

Despite these small complaints, JSRF still manages to be one of the best games on the original Xbox for those looking for a fresh experience.

Bottom Line: Though it pales a little in comparison to the original, Jet Set Radio Future is still an awesome game. If you're tired of conventional games, and are looking for one of the most uniqe gaming experiences ever created, then set your sights on Jet Set Radio Future.

Note: The Jet Set Radio Future/ Sega GT double pack that came packaged in with countless original Xbox consoles is not 360 compatible, so if you buy that version, then you'll need an original Xbox in order to play it. If you buy the game buy itself though I do believe that's backwards compatible.