Shooting

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 

Game Description: Strategy fans, get ready Rainbow Six adds a new twist on gaming. Choose your character directly from the Tom Clancy thriller that inspired the game, and then put your thinking cap on, because you’re going to have to plan out this entire mission on your own. Once you’ve set everything up, sharpen your reflexes and jump into the fray, taking on terrorists, diffusing bombs, and freeing hostages. The 12 amazingly detailed missions ensure that the game will last a long, long time. There’s even a Two-Player mode that puts you and your friend on the same team!

On one level, never before on the N64 system has there been a game that achieves such a balance of depth, realism, maturity, and intensity the way Rainbow Six does. This is a game that may look like an FPS on the surface, but in actuality, its more a real-world simulation of squad-based tactics during 12 rescue or assault-type operations.

I have to admit that after trying my hand at the demo of the original Rainbow Six on the PC, I was so overwhelmed by the strategy and planning that went into it that I never gave the game much of a chance. Having played Rainbow Six for the Nintendo 64, I realize now that that was a huge mistake. Granted as Chi said, the game is more simplified, this is a good thing in my book because the controls were a lot more approachable and the planning phase didnt feel like homework.

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

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.