"Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance" For GameCube Nintendo Rated "T" for Teen $49.99 A-
American gamers can stop being jealous of the Japanese. Nintendo's tactical role-playing series "Fire Emblem" is finally starting to trickle into the West. "Path of Radiance" is the first game in the franchise to hit GameCube in the States, and it's an excellent debut for them.
While there's plenty of battling in "Fire Emblem," the turn-based fights are more akin to a good game of chess than a bloody "Kill Bill"-esque free-for-all. The game puts players in control of a band of mercenaries, and working as a team is the only way to make it on the battlefield. Players choose nearly every facet of their small army's strategy, including positioning, who to attack, what items to use and what orders to give. There's an amazing amount of depth to the system, but the "Path of Radiance" eases players into it so they don't get overwhelmed.
Unlike the average RPG, there is no exploration of towns or dungeons outside of battle. In between fights, players are treated to long cut scenes to perpetuate the story and menu screens to prepare for upcoming battles. For gamers who are more action-oriented, this may try their patience, but strategy fans should eat it up.
"Path of Radiance" doesn't have breathtaking visuals by any means, but they more than get the job done. The artwork for cut scenes, especially for the occasional computer-generated 3D movies, is top notch. Sound is likewise effective. The music, voice work and sound effects are nothing extraordinary, but it's hard to call them anything below solid.
"Fire Emblem" is a great buy for any GameCube owner looking for a good RPG or strategy title. The series has been a longtime coming in America; with any luck it's here to stay.
-ADAM BENDER
"Outlaw Tennis For Xbox, PlayStation 2 Global Star Rated "M" for Mature $19.99 C+
For those who enjoy tennis and don't really buy into all of that "women's lib" stuff that chicks are always rambling on about, "Outlaw Tennis" is worth a look. Stuffed to the brim with busty women and sexual innuendo, this video game reinforces an idea that emerged with the rise of Anna Kournikova: tennis is now and forevermore about hot bods and healthy breasts.
"Outlaw Tennis" takes this premise to a new level and adds ethnic stereotypes to the mix. The resulting characters are one-dimensional hacks like the Italian wannabe-gangster Vinny or borderline offensive Shawnee, a stacked Native American woman who is described as "a real Nava-ho." Sure, the folks at Hypnotix could have caved in to the wishes of the political correctness police or those out there that enjoy quality games, but instead they forged ahead and made a mediocre game chock full of hackneyed clich?s and lame jokes.
To its credit, the drills in Outlaw Tennis are enjoyable for the most part. To improve characters' skills, players can hit balls at a variety of things, including vicious robots, a conga line of butchers and even space invaders. Also, the actual tennis matches and gameplay aren't all that terrible. The game even demands from its players a respectable amount of skill if they want to succeed on the courts. If this game were just the tennis, it would be all right.
However, this game falls to pieces with all of the stupid little jokes and gimmicks. The matches are riddled with cut scenes that become annoying quickly. The quips of the announcer (performed by Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report") grow tiresome and repetitive in no time flat. On top of that, the quirks of the individual characters are so overused and heavy-handed that the joy of "playing tennis" is often overwhelmed by the shame of "playing tennis with these clowns."
The moral of the story: stick to real tennis games, like "Top Spin." Also, outlaws: stick to real thug sports, like golf.
-MATT KENT
"Operation Flashpoint: Elite" For Xbox Codemasters Rated "T" for Teen $39.99 F
Looking to fight some Commies this holiday season? Looking to be disappointed? "Operation Flashpoint: Elite" has all this and more. Developed by Bohemia Interactive Studio and adapted for Xbox from PC, "Operation Flashpoint" has promise but simply doesn't deliver.
Set in the paranoia-laden days of the Cold War, those pesky Reds are at it again. "OFE" gives players the opportunity to send Boris on a one-way trip back to Moscow. Essentially a combat simulation, the game features two campaign modes and a handful of solo missions to best make use of the multitude of weaponry and vehicles.
But "Operation Flashpoint" just ain't all it's cracked up to be. The controls are dodgy at best, and when the future of the free world is riding on your back, there's no time for error. The ability to switch between first person and third person is a nice touch, but there's simply not enough fluidity connected to the control pad to make the most use of either mode. Most disappointing however, are the graphics. A second look at the case reveals, yes in fact, the game was released in 2005; the graphics are 1999 at best. That's right, OFE would have been great for the Nintendo 64, but it fails miserably here on Xbox.
"Operation Flashpoint: Elite" is simply abysmal, and with the holiday season rearing it's head, don't spend any unneeded bucks on this stinker. Save up and buy a next generation console or some high quality eggnog instead. "Operation Flashpoint: Elite" deserves to be left out in the cold ... war, that is.
-J. WATTS
