Game Reviews

Surprisingly, despite being in the capable hands of Reflections (the developers previously responsible for the Destruction Derby series), Driver comes up flatter than overnight Coca-Cola. Practically the only thing positive about Driver is the controls. To its credit, the cars handle great.

With an unparalleled quality of graphics and realism, Driver was supposed to be a marquee release for the PlayStation and extend its life into the next millenium. Unfortunately, Driver fails miserably short of expectations. The graphics are pixelated and everything in the game is a low-resolution mess. In this regard it's a total disappointment from such an accomplished developer.

So here we are with an analog controller with TWO joysticks and a built-in rumble (they call it "vibration") support and a new 3D platformer called Ape Escape. The game was supposed to be launched with the new controller but instead got delayed, so Sony bundled it with the new PlayStation systems and hoped for the best. So here we are half a year later with Ape Escape in hand.

I'm not going dispute Dale or anyone else about how innovative the control scheme is. Ape Escape brilliantly incorporates the Dual Shock controller much the same way Super Mario 64 did with the Nintendo 64 controller, but my praise ends there.

I agree with Chi about the Miyamoto-esque experience provided by Pokémon. It turns away all conventions of the industry. There are no naked women, no hulking heroes, and no smart-mouthed mascots. You are encouraged to simply play. Have fun and enjoy yourself at your own pace.

What I think should be stressed are the graphics in this game because they are phenomenal. Boss made a point to mention that they wouldn't be supporting the 4MB Memory Pak. In fact, they said they wouldn't need it. After seeing the game in action, I have to side with Boss; World Driver Championship needs no help in the graphics department.

I wasn't supposed to like World Driver Championship (WDC). Right from the start, the chips were stacked against it. Did the N64 really need another racing game to add to its already extensive library dedicated to the automobile?

All-Star Baseball `99 won the baseball wars on the Nintendo 64 a year ago and was deservedly proclaimed one of the best baseball games ever made. In fact it was considered to be pretty close to perfect and many wondered how Acclaim would top themselves. Now, a new season is upon us and All-Star Baseball 2000 has arrived, bringing with it high expectations and I can tell you that they have delivered.

You're not gonna get too many arguments from me here. In terms of pure ball-playing experience, no other game captures the look and feel of the game of baseball better than All-Star Baseball 2000 (ASB2000). The developers seem to have taken everything one step further than the competition. Whereas most other baseball games seem to only capture moments of realism, ASB2000 is simply real.

In the world of Nintendo 64 baseball, two franchises stand above the rest: Nintendo's very own Ken Griffey series and Acclaim's All-Star Baseball series. Thus far, it's been a heated rivalry and like most fierce competitors, neither will accept defeat or rest on its laurels. It's a new season and with it comes a new set of entries. This year's Ken Griffey is called Slugfest and it's time for us to see if developer Angels Studios made the right moves in the off-season. Batter up!