Online/Multiplayer

Walk by a couple of young kids debating their favorite sci-fi shows and youll likely find yourself dumbfounded. One kid, a zealot Trekker (Star Trek fanatic), will praise how the whole universe created in that series takes on a life of its own. Hell talk about the wondrous technology and great characters, but, much to your amazement, the next kid, a devout Babylon 5 fan (a relatively new franchise that has been consistently stealing Star Treks thunder and fans), will say the same thing about his favorite show. Their loyalty to one show over another can be puzzling to the layman because they sound as if theyre talking about the same show and few of their differing reasons are about anything substantial. Lets be honest, most of this comes down to far more simple rationale that range from personal preference to having found one show first and sticking with it.

Going multiplayer was part of John Carmacks grand experiment and I commend him for it. Whenever I cruised to some of the Quake specific web sites, there were always loads of new Quake mods available, created specifically for online Deathmatches and CTF games. This was telling proof that gamers were hungry for deathmatch-specific levels and Im really not surprised that a game like this was made for them.

Game Description: This is the highly anticipated next installment in the Quake series of adventure games. Quake 3: Arena continues the action of the earlier two games but adds more intense action, surreal graphics, and a phenomenal multiplayer mode. Three player classes (light, medium, and heavy) with their own strength, speed, and armor levels, together with new characters and weapons (plus old favorites, such as the BFG), make this a thrilling first-person shooter game. The game also features body armor and health kits to help keep you alive. Quake 3 makes for an exhilarating single-player game, but to truly discover what makes this game great, try out the mulitplayer mode for up to 32 players in one-on-one matches or group conquests.

Videogames have also been considered another plain old recreational activity, but with the release of the much anticipated online multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS), Quake III: Arena (Q3A), that perception may finally change. The activity of Deathmatching (dueling to the death in cyberspace), which was popularized by FPS games like Q3A, may finally be considered a legitimate sport; digital or otherwise.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood & Gore, Animated Violence 

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence

Its almost heart warming to see Capcom come up with such a wonderful game given their history of releasing quasi-sequels with rehashed and dated gameplay mechanics. A release like Power Stone is so full of personality and innovation that I would hope it isnt overlooked simply for its arcade look and feel. With the next-next-generation hardware, Capcom has found a way to offer a game that is a throwback to the days of 2D arcade brawlers but with new school 3D freedom. Its a clear sign of the times that hardware limitations are becoming less and less restrictive.

Game Description: Jump into the action with Capcom’s first pick-up-and-throw-anything game. That’s right, in Power Stone, every object in the environment is fully interactive, meaning you can use chairs, tables, and plants along with more traditional weapons to help you whoop your competition. And with the aid of the Power Stones, you can power-up and morph into a stronger and more dangerous alter ego to inflict even more damage on your opponents. Whether it’s in the single-player game or with up to three friends in multiplayer, Power Stone puts a new twist on fighting games.

If Jackie Chan were a videogame (other than his own upcoming Stuntmaster), hed be Power Stone. Much like Chans renowned style of comedic martial arts filmmaking, Power Stone is a two-player competitive fighting game that allows players to freely roam about the stage with the ability to pick up, hurl, swing, or hang from nearly everything in it.

Game Description: In a twist on its predecessors, Turok: Rage Wars ditches some of the involved storyline to bring you more unadulterated combat. Start in Scenario mode, as you try to unlock 14 different characters in your training for battle. With 19 ranks to achieve, 25 player skins to unlock, and 50 medals to attain, you’ve certainly got your work cut out for you. There are 17 playable characters in all, as well as 13 different Universal power-ups this game isn’t going to get boring any time soon.