Sports

Whether you're the next Tiger Woods or a person who doesnt know a putter from a hockey stick, Hot Shots Golf 3 will almost certainly appeal to you on some level. Ive never stepped foot on a real golf course, but that hasnt kept me from jumping around the living room after making a difficult putt. Hot Shots Golf 3 is a game not unlike chess--it takes a few minutes to learn, but quite some time to master.

Well, after reading Dale's review and considering some of his points, I must admit that I had a little change of heart and felt compelled to lower my rating on Smackdown 2. The game definitely has major issues that I needed to emphasize more.

Its no secret that developers dont have the best track record when it comes to producing videogame sequels. Some will attack the problems that plagued the original in a deliberate attempt to improve upon the playing experience. The rest will just add the prerequisite bells and whistles fans are demanding without giving much thought to how the entire package will fit together. That appears to be the case with Yukes sophomore WWF release, WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence, Mature Sexual Themes, Mild Language

Game Description: Licensed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), this sequel to the popular WWF SmackDown has made several improvements upon its predecessor. There are now more than 50 wrestlers from which to choose, including the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Chyna. New gameplay modes include Ladder Match, Hell in a Cell, Casket Match, and Tornado Tag-Team Match. To mimic the TV show's format even further, plots are developed through cutscenes that feature the voices of the superstars. You can create your own wrestler or even a new pay-per-view event. Season mode includes more matches, events, and pay-per-view events than did its predecessor. It all adds up to a fast and furious virtual version of the real thing.

When it comes to sports games, Electronic Arts is the proverbial 800-lb. gorilla. If you can think of a sport, it's likely that EA Sports has come out with some high-profile game for it. In some cases, this results in game franchises that dominate their market. One of these franchises is the FIFA series. If you live in the U.S. and you like to play soccer games, it's more than likely that you've spent some time with a FIFA title. Always very popular, FIFA games have also been pretty much decried by any true fan of the sport. Offering unrealistic and unsatisfying gameplay, previous FIFA titles have racked up huge sales while remaining a negative blot on the American soccer consciousness. Recently, it's become increasingly obvious that other franchises, including Konami's high-quality series of soccer games, have been steadily eroding FIFA's grip on the market. In response, EA has come out with FIFA 2002, a groundbreaking game for the FIFA series.

Game Description: FIFA 2002 is here and it's packed with features sure to make gamers and soccer fans happy. With all-new open passing, you have more control and precision than ever before. Find a breaking forward with a perfect 40-yard ball into open space, embarrass the tightest defense with cunning one-twos, or fool any keeper with deep swerving crosses. With deeper customization, FIFA 2002 is set to dominate the competition.

Game Description: NFL Blitz 2002 has been completely reinvented by the original creators of the NFL Blitz arcade game to take advantage of the powerful PlayStation 2 platform. All of the 3D player models, NFL stadiums, and over-the-top animations have been re-created, along with the team-specific plays and intense sound effects. The over-the-top gameplay features players leaping, soaring, diving for passes, stiff-arming, the bulldozing and railroading of would-be defenders, and precision passing. Intuitive, fast-action, extreme-style controls allow for quick-response gameplay. The game is equipped with the original NFL Blitz point-'n'-pass system and icon passing. Dynamic camera angles capture all of the deep crossing routes and monster sticks by the linebackers.

My experience with NFL Blitz goes back to 1997, when it was introduced into arcades everywhere. I remember watching players complete 60-yard passes on offense and deliver some brutal hits on defense that I only thought Id see on a pro wrestling telecast. I had heard that Blitz was the brainchild of Mark Turmell, the same Midway programmer who spearheaded Midway's other immensely popular sports title, NBA Jam.