Asin: B00001WQIS
Sales Rank: 5217
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Action and Adventure    3. Nintendo 64 (Nintendo64)    4. N64    5. Action    6. Adventure   

Asin: B00004SR65
Sales Rank: 6633
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sega Dreamcast    3. Racing    4. Flying    5. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

Features

• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Genre: Action/Adventure
• Mission: Take on missions to build your reputation in the underground world, or wreak some havoc carjacking/hijacking 120 different vehicles using some of 40 weapons in your arsenal.
• Platform: Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000/XP

Asin: B00008JODN
Sales Rank: 180
Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Action    3. Adventure    4. Mechanized action    5. Computer Role Playing Games (Game, rpgs, rpg, crpg, crpgs)   

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Who said sequels are never as good as the original? Acclaim's Turok 2: Seeds of Evil blows that theory right out of the water. In this first-person shooter you will find yourself taking aim at a formidable army of dinosaurs while saving children, freeing prisoners, blowing up enemy ammo dumps, and more. Expect to devote a significant chunk of time to this title: the estimated completion time for this game is 45 hours, which rivals The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in game size. If you tire of a frustrating puzzle in the single-player mode, turn to your buddies to liven things up: Turok 2 offers three different game modes for multiplayer mayhem. --Hugh Arnold

Pros:

• Fantastic graphics
• Long play time, good replay value
• Enormous worlds to explore
• Never boring--plenty of challenging enemies and varied missions

• Graphic violence may be too intense for kids

Editorial Review

The South Park phenomenon leaps from the tube to the Nintendo 64 in this hilarious adult-themed game inspired by the hit TV series. A comet's close call with earth has unleashed a bizarre assortment of mutant turkeys and aliens on the mountain town, and naturally it's up to the kids to save the day. While you switch between the show's four main characters with the tap of a button, the kids battle the baddies on the outskirts of town using an arsenal of weapons ranging from snowballs (including the yellow variety) and sponge dart guns to toilet plungers and cow-firing bazookas.

Though South Park fans will love the 3-D translation of the show's signature flat animation style and original voices, hardcore gamers may tire of the single player mode's somewhat repetitive levels and overall lack of intensity. But for those seeking a playfully entertaining romp through South Park's ever-wintry world, this game delivers the fun. We spent the majority of our testing time playing in the multiplayer mode, a fast-paced free-for-all that kept us laughing into the wee hours of night. --Eric Twelker

Pros:

• All of the TV show's twisted humor without commercial breaks
• Fast-paced multiplayer gameplay
• Inventive weapons

• Repetitive speech
• Less intense first-person gameplay may disappoint hardcore shoot-em-up fans

Editorial Review

More often than not, when a game is in development for more than threeyears, it does not live up to the hype. Bungie's Halo is the exception.Not only does it meet expectations, it greatly exceeds them. This sci-fifirst-person shooter is a nearly perfect blend of gameplay, graphics, and sound.

The story revolves around the conflict between humans and an alien race known asthe Covenant. The aliens have discovered a powerful artifact--on the ring-shapedplanet called Halo--that will shift the balance of power, and it's up to theplayer to stop them. In addition to several first-person-shooter levels, thegame offers numerous opportunities to engage in vehicular combat. Both the enemyand allied artificial intelligence are extremely impressive. Enemies will usethe terrain and layout to put you in tight spots. Allies will know when to coverand aid you. For instance, if you hop into a jeep, an ally will know to jump inand man the turret on the back of it.

The graphics are exquisitely detailed, but only move at 30 frames per secondrather than 60. The sound effects and voice acting are superb. The level designis among the best ever; most of the game is engaging and challenging withoutbeing frustrating. There's also high replay value thanks to the built-insingle-player, cooperative, and deathmatch modes.

Much like the outstanding GoldenEye 007 for Nintendo 64, Haloraises the bar for console first-person shooters. All console action games willbe measured against Halo for years to come. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Outstanding game design
• High replay value
• Impressive AI

• Several maps are used multiple times
• Save functions could have been better implemented
• Graphics move at 30 frames per second, not 60

Asin: B00005YXUL
Sales Rank: 6729

Editorial Review

Nobody could have predicted the phenomenal success of humble, little Roller Coaster Tycoon. Such simple, addictive games had been tried before; even the whole amusement park idea had been done in Theme Park, but RCT exploded with unmatched success. Legions of gamers enjoyed the colorful graphics, the simple but ever-so-opinionated patrons, the easy-to-master financial model, and the thrill of building, testing, and then watching customers enjoy your own roller coaster--or watching with glee as they got sick after their first ride! Roller Coaster Tycoon had the winning combination of fun and mainstream appeal that catapulted it to the top of the charts and spawned two expansion packs, as well as a horde of imitators. (Just conduct a search here at Amazon.com for games with the word "tycoon" in them.)

Ironically, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 itself is an imitator of RCT. Perhaps in an effort not to spoil a good thing, or perhaps to guarantee success with low-system-spec mainstream fans, Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 plays almost exactly like the original game--maybe too much like it.

The graphics are still 2-D, and if you didn't know better you'd swear you were looking at the first game. This isn't good considering that the first game came out in 2000 and looked dated even then. But the ability to play the game at a much higher resolution does alleviate some of this disappointment, and a closer look reveals a greater variety of animation, more people, and a smoother overall look. The audio is, again, fantastic. It's that perfect mix of screams, giggles, grumbles, retches, and carnival music that brings the scent of cotton candy to your nose every time.

New structures are available as well as some new rides, but the biggest change is the addition of themes. Want a Haunted Park? They've given you the artwork to create one. You'll also find a Wild West theme, a children's theme, and more. The scenarios are grouped more logically by difficulty, and fans will be delighted with a sand box mode that allows limitless free play. RCT2 has a wide variety of new coaster designs, including a few famous coasters from around the world--mostly from Six Flags theme parks. A welcome addition is the ability to open a separate screen where you can test and build a custom coaster, without worrying about space or money, before buying and placing it in the game. Perhaps the best new addition is the ability to raise and lower ground en masse, removing one of the most annoying features of the first game.

Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 isn't a ground-breaking sequel, but it is an excellent game for fans of the series. We wish they'd done more with the concept, brought it into 3-D, or used higher-resolution artwork, but the gameplay remains the same. And that's a thrill ride on its own. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Same addictive gameplay
• New coaster-builder tool
• Improved graphics resolution

• The meager improvements don't really help already-dated graphics
• They could have done so much more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review