What's New?
Pussy cat, woooah-oo-oah-oo-oah-woah-woah
Ideal world, right? We'd have Guilty Gear X2, Paris Dakar Rally 2, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, Capcom Vs SNK 2: EO (for the Live factor), MGS2: Substance, ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth, Evolution Worlds, Phantasy Star Online, Resident Evil Zero, Sonic Mega Collection, Master of Orion III, Phantasy Star Chronicles and Shining Soul. 13 games. Pretty good week, we'd say.
Actually, even the group of games we didn't include in our dreamy shopping list has some borderlines. On the PC, for example, O.R.B. is supposed to be a fairly enjoyable space based RTS, which Rob is in the process of hairifying. And Ultima Online: Age of Shadows - it's good to see fans of one of the oldest MMORPGs still getting support from EA and Origin. And we'd love to take the plunge on TOCA World Touring Cars on the GBA, but we're not quite that naïve.
The biggest news this week though is the face off between the young'uns. As the PS2 casually knocks out a 2D beat 'em up, a stealth 'em up and a rally racer (we think - Acclaim has this tendency to slip stuff unexpectedly), the Xbox and Cube both stick up three fingers' worth of entertainment with Capcom Vs SNK 2: EO providing some much-needed online beating, Substance bringing the MGS franchise to Xbox at long last and ToeJam & Earl III aiming to plug that platform gap - Kristan says it does so rather well, but we'll have to wait and see what his final verdict looks like.
The Cube makes an even greater impression though, with the launch of the online adapters (both broadband and modem) and Phantasy Star Online - the only game so far to support them. It'll be interesting to see how this sells (our money is on 'not very well'), as it's mainly a game we've all seen and heard before, with a little extra tacked onto the end. Along with Sonic Mega Collection it signals a week of nostalgia for Cube-owning Sega fans. Elsewhere on the system, Evolution Worlds has snuck behind our backs and onto store shelves, and Capcom's monstrous Resident Evil Zero has shocked and appalled us to the sound of two crisp twenties.
Anyway, a good week with an embarrassment of riches to consider. Unfortunately we can't offer you any recommended titles this week due to a technical hitch, but whatever your choice, it'll likely be £40 well spent. (Vote Tenchu!)