VW's Top 1000 Games

[falafel]

Dude, it's really not that hard. They even give you a basic rundown of useful commands at the beginning. Just try everything, it's not like you can actually fail.

Well, you can certainly fail to enjoy it, that's for sure.

(like what I did)

[vrailaine]

#882: Vib Ribbon

Developer: NanaOn-Sha
Format: PlayStation
Genre: Rhythm-Action
Year: 2000
Website: http://www.vib-ribbon.com (great site for its age)



Made by the developers of the ridiculously charming Parappa the Rapper, it isn't a huge change in style to that game, click the correct buttons as the line creates obstacles determined by some aspect of the music playing. This game had the slight twist/stroke of genius of making the game simple enough to be completely loaded onto the machines RAM, leaving the CD drive free for you to put in literally any song which will generate its own level.
A gimmick like that should've aged a lot worse than it has, which it hasn't largely thanks to the wonderfully basic imagery and NanoOn-Sha's talent at making likable characters(can they still do this? are they still around?). Had countless hours of fun finding which songs made easy levels and not. Didn't actually buy it myself til 2004 so the gimmick shouldn't have any serious nostalgic blinding anyway. Few better in-game moments than when you're the angel thing doing a series of really difficult bits during some brilliant crescendo, impossible to stay seated.
Another thing about the game was the the 7(I think?) original songs were all FANTASTIC, by some band called Laugh and Peace who haven't done anything else but I still listen to them alone occasionally.



I have no idea how this game hasn't been adapted for PSN, surely could be adapted to work and work well(particularly on the psp, short levels created by mp3s).

[Phil_A]

Well, you can certainly fail to enjoy it, that's for sure.

(like what I did)

Well, I dunno. You try and recommend something you think people might like, and they throw it back in your face! Bollocks to the lot of ya.

[falafel]

You come in here with your wordy games where you don't get to shoot people with guns in their faces and you expect to be welcomed? Tiff, puzzle, tash and poff.

In all seriousity, though, I don't think I got on with text-based games even when that was all there was. It tends to feel kind of like a guess-based programming language, rather than actual linguistic input, which always kind of killed it for me.

So Photothingummy is probably dead good like, sorry.

[rudi]

Well, I dunno. You try and recommend something you think people might like, and they throw it back in your face! Bollocks to the lot of ya.

That's a bit gnarly, dear.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

881. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2

Developer: Capcom (obviously)
Format: Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Genre: Fighting
Year: 2000


Where's Wally?


There are some folk who will advocate the streamlined simplicity of the earlier Capcom fighting games. Others who prefer the button bashing, skill free approach of the Tekken series and probably one or two freaks who think SNK are where it's at.

These people are wrong.

Marvel Vs. Capcom is the zenith of the one-on-one (or three on three, if you want to get picky) beat 'em up genre. It takes the best of what had come before it and improves on it in the only logical way - by offering more. There's little in the way of innovation here but, when a game is as much fun as this, who cares? You choose your team of three fighters, from a roster of over fifty - drawn from both companies respective histories - and set to knocking seven thousand shades of shit out of your opponents. As befits the Marvel licence, the action is fast, frenetic and over the top, with large cartoony sprites throwing comically oversized attacks at each other. It's fun enough to play with yourself but, like every example of the genre, it really comes alive with friends.

Due to some issues relating to the licence, the game was as rare as hens' teeth for a while (which became a real pisser when a so-called friend of mine lost my copy) but it has recently been made available on XBLA and PSN for a mere pittance.

So tell your folks; "Buy me Bonestorm Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, or GO TO HELL!"

[HappyTree]

It was always fun typing in swear words to see if the game had accounted for them or not. I remember Leather Goddesses of Phobos having some amusing replies in that regard. I think a special mention has to go to

#880 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Developer: Infocom
Publisher: Infocom
Designers: Douglas Adams and Steve Meretzky
Release date: September 14, 1984
Genre: Interactive fiction

This was the cream of the crop in text-based adventuring. It closely followed the style of the books and was hilarious in its own right. The puzzles were insane and compelling, but quite difficult. I ended up using a walkthrough in the end.

And just what was that thing that my Aunt gave me that I don't know what it is?

[j_u_d_a_s]

#879 Streets of Rage 2

Developer: AM7
Publisher: Sega
Release date: 1992-1993
Formats: Megadrive/Genesis, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Wii, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Walk Along Beat 'Em Up

When Nintendo's Super Famicom/SNES was released, one of the key launch games was a fantastic yet waterdown conversion of the arcade hit Final Fight. Allowing you only to play as Hagar or Cody in one player with Guy players having to wait until Final Fight Guy. In retaliation Sega released Bare Knuckle, or as we know it over in the west, Streets of Rage.

With its Hi-NRG soundtrack making brilliant use of the Megadrive's limited sound capablities, 2 player action and 3 playable fighters, Sega had the edge over Capcom. Despite its ropey graphics and simple gameplay, Streets of Rage won over a generation of gameplayers and was perhaps the first example of videogames being seen as cool.

Then Streets of Rage 2 came out.

SoR2 did everything it's predecessor did to the power of 10. The simplistic half-pint sprites and choppy frame rate were replaced with huge detailed characters smoothly roaming the excellently detailed mean streets. Not only was the character roster increased by one but each fighter had a whole new set of special moves ("influenced" by a certain other Capcom fighting game that had just came out then). Yuzo Koshiro delivered perhaps the highlight of all megadrive music with a pounding soundtrack that went from techno to house to hip-hop beats all squeezed out of a soundchip that was rapidly aging.

Playing SoR2 even today feels as fresh as it ever did. The responsiveness of the controls, the perfectly pitched challenge level. And most importantly the primal satisfaction of hearing your attacks connect. Each fighter is as unique as your playing style,  Blaze/Axel are excellent for the beginner but I love playing as Max and throwing punks around willy-nilly.
As subsequent Final Fight games fall to the law of diminishing returns, Streets of Rage 2 is the finest example of this genre and hasn't been bettered since.

Streets Of Rage 2 - Stage 1 - Axel

[Big Jack McBastard]

Gawwwd yes Streets of Rage 2 was/is awesome. When it first came out it was one of those games that just kept beating me but I kept going back to it like an abused puppy. The two player was a lark as well. This is giving me nostalgia, think I'm going to fire up the 360 and pootle through it, sure I downloaded it a while back on principle but never got round to seriously playing it.

[Lee Van Cleef]

#878 Power Stone 2

In a continuation of the beat 'em ups I'm going to offer this Dreamcast title.  The action itself was fast and fun, mainly because the freedom of the 3D fighting arenas gave you so much space to fly around in, and then floors would collapse underneath you and you'd be fighting your way through an Indiana Jones like escape from a giant rolling stone!  The weapons strewn around that can be picked up and used to batter people senseless was quite fun.  And then there were the power stones... collect a few and you turn into some ridiculously overpowered fighter with special moves that decimate the enemy.  It is one of those beat 'em ups that is just pure fun because it takes the simplicity of the genre, turns up the speed dial and gives you interactive environments that ratchet up the tension.  And the four player matches really made for great fun with mates.

Power Stone 2 Versus Mode 015

[The Boston Crab]

I only played that once but it was absolutely fantastic. Way better than Smash Bros, which I simply don't 'get'.

[Consignia]

Aye, Powerstone 2 was fantastic. Back when we were doing our GCSEs, after our exams, we used to pile around a Dreamcast with 4 controllers and indulge in the mania. The weapons in it were classic too, a favourite being the Frozen Tuna which was seemingly the most powerful weapon in the game.

[Lee Van Cleef]

The only thing I had against PS2 was that the original was a bit faster to play, but then that didn't have the environments or 4 player.  Minor quibble really as it is such a fantastic game and by far the most fun beat 'em up I ever played.

[The Boston Crab]

Funnily enough, I've never enjoyed any side-scrolling beat-em-up - aside from Turtles Arcade, which didsappointed me enormously on recent replay. I'm not sure whether I can identify any degree of skill to them whatsoever and the number of 'sudden death' events make me think they were cheap coin hogs.

[Still Not George]

I've been out of this for a while cos I simply couldn't decide what to do next. Medieval: Total War? Alpha Centauri? Warzone 2100? (You may be noticing a theme developing.) Hell, maybe I could travel back into my childhood - Trantor, maybe? I think someone already did Captain Blood, and Dizzy. Hmm. What to do? Can I think of a game that really changed the way I played games?

Oh. Oh my. Oh yes I can.

#877 Master of Orion 2 : Battle at Antares

The first Master of Orion (MOO to aficionados of the series) was a fairly tedious space strat in what had by that post-Star Control point become a pretty reliable subgenre. But then some kind of mad spark of genius went off in someone's brain at Microprose, and out of that came MOO2.

On the surface of it, it looks like pretty much any other space wargame:



And on that basis, when it first came out in 1996, I ignored it and went back to playing on my SNES (I think, I can't actually remember if I had a PS by that point).
Boy was I ever wrong.

See, it's not really much like Star Control et al. It seems like it is, but once you get playing you realise it's actually Civilisation... IN SPACE!!! The research system is magnificent and easily-accessible, you can build your own ships, and everything is just... intuitive. Take, for example, the citycolony management screen:


(sorry for the blurry image, I can't find a decent-sized one of this screen)

Now, you might think it looks much like any other Civ-type game. However, almost everything on this screen is manipulable; the planets and moons in the top-left corner can be clicked to easily flip between planets in this system (something that's never been done as easily in any other game), and the little colonists in the top of the screen can be clicked and dragged as stacks from one type of output to another, with the output of the city instantly updating.

The combat looks simple, but is also rather complex under the hood



Straightforward, no? But the range of different weapons, ship classes and so on was unknown at that time. Same applies to diplomacy, which used research treaties to a wonderful effect, which enabled you to see Sean Connery more often:



So why did this change the way I play? Because it essentially transformed me from a console-oriented action gamer into a crazed strategy-mad grognard, desperate for another chance to experience the utterly sublime feeling of finally beating the crap out of the Antareans. For everyone else, it marked the high water point of the space strategy game, the game to which every successor is unfavourably compared. Space Empires... Galactic Civilisations... Stars!... VGA Planets... Sins of a Solar Empire... none of them match up to this experience.

[dredd]

Well, I dunno. You try and recommend something you think people might like, and they throw it back in your face! Bollocks to the lot of ya.

I played Photopia and liked it! Particularly the bit when you notice

Spoiler alert

your feathers rustling

[close]

, that was beautiful. Will have to try it again as I skipped a few of the wall of text bits near the start when I was impatient to get out exploring.
A few tips: when I discovered the "talk to" command, things started to make a lot more sense. The most obscure verb in the game would have to be "rub" (not really a spoiler).

[Beagle 2]

Rescue on Fractalus




My first ever console was one of Atari's many failed ventures, the Atari XE.




It didn't last very long, nobody else I knew had one, but importantly it came with a keyboard and BASIC, and my dad fancied himself as a bit of a amateur programmer. Predictably, the only thing that ever got used for was when I laboriously copied out games from books I borrowed from the library (today's kids really don't know they're born), but it had its fair share of decent games as well. This was one of my favourites.





You played the part of an Ethercorps pilot, soaring above the mountains of an alien planet, looking for downed pilots to rescue and zapping the bad guys in gun placements and flying saucers. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the feeling of movement when I played it recently on an emulator. This vid brings back the familiar rush I felt when booting up for a sesh, that *zzssshhhwwwwaaaan* noise when the Lucasarts logo came up, the nail-biting excitement of zooming down a square vagina as you were shot out high into the atmosphere, ah you can keep yer bloody Avatar....

Atari XL/XE - Rescue on Fractalus [Lucasfilm games] 1985

However, what really elevates this game above any other is the fact it was the first to scare the living shit out of me. It had a nice touch whereby when you landed to pick up passengers you would wait as the little chap would scurry to the ship and knock to be let in. It was always a tense moment as you sat there under fire. It got even more tense the first time this happened. In fact I very nearly made a terrible mess.

Rescue on Fractalus (Lucasfilm) 1985 - Game Over (Alien)


It might not look much now, but I can tell you that's up with the dogs crashing through the window on Resident Evil for me.

It was a great game, made better by the wide-eyed nervousness of waiting to see if potential pilots were going to have green faces AND TRY AND SMASH INTO THE FUCKING COCKPIT TO GET YOU.

[fearofmusic]

#875: Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders

Genre: Graphic Adventure
Format: Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS
Year: 1986
Developer: Lucasfilm Games


To many there are perhaps more worthy shout outs for a classic Lucasfilm/arts adventure game. Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango... take your pick from their back catalogue; As long as it's title is not "The Dig" you're onto a winner.

The first Lucasfilm game I played was Zak McKracken, and in my memory it was my first experience in an important concept in computer games: behaving like a jackass. Attacking innocent animals, relentlessly ringing doorbells, clogging sinks, all working towards the ultimate goal of saving the world from some general alien threat. Before this game I was satisfied with discovering a text adventure programmer's prepared reaction to a cathartic swear, now I was delighted as newspaper stands in the game's many airports reported by dickish behaviour.

Without a quick trip to gamefaq's to get me unstuck it provided uncommon longevity for me compared to games made around that time. The wordwide and interplanetary stage gave the feeling of an expansive world which was fun to explore when completely baffled by the puzzles presented. It is a shame, though, the game is artificially lengthened by often unnecessary maze segments (often searching areas in darkness). The early SCUMM UI did not make these experiences any easier to enjoy.

I often see this as the lucasarts franchise that never was. That said, I have avoided recent remakes/fan made sequels to not spoil one of my most completely enjoyable adventure memories.

Zak McKracken Speedrun - 34 minutes

[biggytitbo]

Quite an amazing achievemt to get a decent version of that on the C64 too.

[The Boston Crab]

Fantastic game. Great choice. My mate had it on the ST and despite not being able to take a second plane/leave the airport (copyright protection in the manual - good old days) we must have played the opening ten minutes about five hundred times, just clogging up the sink with bog roll, exploding egg in microwave, angry stewardess...ahh, good country.

[Garfield And Friends]

#874: HAUNTING GROUND

Genre: 3D survival horror
Format: PS2
Publisher: Capcom
Year: 2005
Developer: Capcom Prod Studio 1



Fiona Belli must survive a horrible situation. After all, this is a survival horror game! The situation is being trapped in a huge dark gloomy mansion by an old loon who wants to impregnate her in order to somehow achieve immortality. Madness!

Hiding is a crucial strategy in keeping alive (Fiona is very vulnerable) so running to a well-hidden spot is essential, but don't use the same locations too often or the current enemy will surely sniff you out!

Luckily she is not totally alone in trying to escape the few (but deadly) nutters who are chasing her around the grounds. Hewie is her ally. He's a white German Shepherd dog and he can be put to many uses from attacking the weirdos who are after Fiona, to fetching keys from normally impossible-to-reach areas. Building a strong relationship between the two makes Hewie obey commands more readily, so praising and petting the doggy after he does something right is important.

The background audio is well eerie, and the interiors of the mansion are exquisitly forboding. I would love to see that place in real life. Some peerlessly freaky rooms therein!

A great concept in the gameplay is Fiona's distress level. When she is chased by a nutter, this manifests itself by the screen pulsing, stuttering, and turning occasionally to a sort of black & white filter effect. The more stressed she gets (such as when a nutter has caught her and is hitting her), the more pronounced the response (and more manic the background music). Enough of this kind of fright and Fiona will totally flip out for a while, running like a madwoman. A player has only one option but to stop the barely-controllable Fiona from bumping into things in order to have a chance of escaping her persuer. Succeed in this, and the screen will eventually become normal (and Fiona will stop and calm down). Fail, and it spells your doom at the hands of one of the mansion's crazies!

Gun-less survival horrors typically aren't my bag, but Haunting Ground is very well done indeed. That Capcom quality shines through.

Haunting Ground - Gameplay footage 2

[Garfield And Friends]

#873: STRYKER'S RUN

Genre: 2D run-and-gun shooter
Format: BBC Micro / BBC Master series
Publisher: Superior Software
Year: 1986
Developer: Chris Roberts



The Allied Nations have been stuck in a stalemate against the Volgan forces, but that could all change if you, Commander John Stryker, can take leaked plans of the Volgans' upcoming offensive to Allied Nations headquarters across miles of hostile terrain.

Akin to a cat, John Stryker has nine lives. Or at least, he can survive eight direct hits before coming a permanent lifeless cropper. Though his army-issued laser pistol and hand grenades can see him overcome standard enemy grunts, using the articulated tanks and helicopter gunships is essential in later stages of the mission.

Enemy troops get increasingly dangerous the further along you go, with some wielding bazooka cannons, others operating machine gun nests, and more still firing mortar shells. Eventually travelling by foot won't cut it, so taking to the skies in a commandeered helicopter is just what the doctor ordered. But beware! Enemy Volgan choppers roam the air too, and your vehicle may not necessarily be fitted with bombs or laser weaponry.

One of the key requirements in completing the game is maximising the limited flight time that the paltry fuel levels in your vehicles tanks give you. Running out of fuel in mid-air and landing into the path of machine gun fire is far from recommended! That said, the death animation where you turn into a skeleton is cool.

The enhanced Master 128 version of Stryker's Run features a longer area to traverse, a smashing title tune (a Martin Galway cover of YMO's "Rydeen"), and some sweet extra background graphics here and there too.

BBC Micro game Strykers Run

[Garfield And Friends]

#872: EXPLODING FIST +

Genre: 2D versus fighting
Format: C64 / Spectrum
Publisher: Firebird
Year: 1988
Developer: Beam Software



Hiiiiiiiiyahhh! There's nothing like smacking your chums in the gob and claiming victory in virtual karate. Enter stage left, Exploding Fist Plus.

Fist + is a straightforward versus fighting game set in the outskirts of a city, where the goal is to reach 10th dan black belt status without being eliminated from any round of competition. Each round lasts 60 seconds, but can be over in much less than that if the victor achieves 6 hit points under that round time limit.

Did I say straightforward? Ah hah! The twist is that there's always three fighters on-screen, each looking to knock out the other two. That's especially appealing because three human players can compete at the same time, or you can just fight solo against two CPU opponents (who fight amongst each other too). Whether against CPU or human player in Exploding Fist + , landing a high kick to a combatant's chin is so damn satisfying!

After every two rounds of battle the current champ gets a chance to rack up points by defeating ninjas that approach head-on while you try to dispatch them by hurling knives at them. If you let one get close to you it's bonus round over I'm afraid!

Back to the regular game, the fast animations are very nice for an 8-bit micro game, with big three-colour sprites cartwheeling all over the street, crunchy attack sound effects ringing out, and a goodly amount (a dozen or so kicks/punches for a single-button game) of strikes available, including a rear elbow which is dead handy for socking it to a foe sneaking up behind you!

Coke is it!

[Garfield And Friends]

#871: OKAMI

Genre: 3D action adventure
Format: PS2
Publisher: Capcom
Year: 2006
Developer: Clover Studio



You control Amaterasu, the sun goddess trapped inside the body of a white wolf. You are accompanied by a yelping little bug called Issun, and your goal is to rid Japan of a demon called Orochi, who has cursed the land.

The graphics are fan-bloody-tastic, with everything looking like a cell animation brought to life (most everything has a well-defined black painted outline). The music is similarly awesome - very oriental (of course, given the setting). Gameplay takes on two main forms - platforming/attacking with Amaterasu, and using your magic 'ink' powers to defeat opponents.

These ink powers are a novel idea. Basically you momentarily 'pause' the 3D scene before you and draw a basic 2D shape over an item/enemy, and once unpaused an associated action occurs. For example, drawing a horizontal brush line across a tree will cut the trunk, and drawing a circle in the sky will bring out the sun turning night into day! Naturally, intelligent use of these brushstroke techniques play a vital role in dispatching the numerous bosses you encounter through the long adventure.

Changing a cursed patch of land into a revitalised paradise never gets old.

Okami Game Play

[Garfield And Friends]

#870: THIN ICE

Genre: 2D strategy action
Format: Intellivision
Publisher: INTV Corporation
Year: 1986
Developer: Julie Hoshizaki / Mattel Electronics



Jerks have the most fun, especially when you're an ice-skating penguin called Duncan! Show these pretenders who the real emperor is by dropping rival penguins into the frigid polar waters.

Rival penguins are not as amphibious as your bad self, so they get frozen into ice cubes if you manage to cut (skate) a complete rectangle around the ice which they're waddling about on. Eliminating your four preys might be straightforward except for a pesky seal who re-SEALs your skates' cutting groove, and a polar bear who's not shy about belting you off the floe.

Like many home 8-bit titles of the day, the goal of Thin Ice repeats on a new screen (your penguin resets the ice by driving a Zamboni ice-spreader across), so the ultimate challenge is about high-scoring or until you lose all your lives.

I find this game very relaxing. There's something very pleasing about these silly animals wandering about in a low-resolution two-colour manner.

Intellivision Plug N' Play: Thin Ice

[Garfield And Friends]

#869: H.E.R.O.

Genre: 2D platformer
Format: Atari 2600 / Atari 800 XL / Atari 5200 / Colecovision / and more
Publisher: Activision
Year: 1984
Developer: John Van Ryzin / Activision



Some volcanic eruptions have trapped miners down the mineshafts in Mount Leone. There's only one man capable of saving these poor souls, and that guy's name is Roderick Hero. As Roderick, you must use your microlaser beam to zap nasty mine-dwelling creepy crawlies, and your propeller backpack to fly you down to give critical aid to the workers.

Yup, this calls for a Helicopter Emergency Rescue Operation!

Dangers come not only from the hostile fauna, but from crushing rock barriers, flowing lava, and scalding hot magma walls. All these obstacles and more must be overcome and each miner reached before your power gauge runs out. Succeed in helping a trapped miner and your power systems will be replenished ready for the next level of rescue.

John Van Ryzin is a ruddy genius for programming this game on the meek Atari 2600. For a simple one-button eight-way joystick, the controls are outstanding. Doing everything from 'hover-walking' over a hole in the ground, to planting dynamite by a fragile wall, to timing propeller engagement while on a raft is all so intuitive and perfect!

This is an utter classic, and one I play again and again. Sheer brilliance.

Atari 800 XL - HERO (H.E.R.O.) - Longplay - To Level 12

[Garfield And Friends]

#868: SPACE TAXI

Genre: 2D single-screen action
Format: C64
Publisher: Muse Software
Year: 1984
Developer: John Kutcher



"Hey, taxi!"

Speech samples on primitive 1980s sound generators in 8-bit microcomputer games were a rarity. Space Taxi has them (the voice in question is the programmer's, John Kutcher), but that alone would be just an agreeable peculiarity if the game was just a forgettable run-of-the-mill effort. Thankfully, Space Taxi is exceedingly keen in gameplay.

The game is simple to look at, and simple (but crucially, fun) to play. You're a taxi driver of the future, and you must guide your hover-cab over to passengers who hail you, and deliver them to the number destination platform they request. As you earn dollars for completing these trips, you must eventually refuel and pay for this out of your earnings.

There's 24 single-screen levels, each with a strange hypnagogic theme. Levels are grouped into 8 morning, 8 evening, and finally 8 night shift levels. Important to the game's appeal, gravity and inertia apply to your flying car so thrusting carefully to land gently on your deployed stilts is a must.

"Thanks!"

Space Taxi - Commodore 64

[Garfield And Friends]

#867: MIDTOWN MADNESS

Genre: 3D open-world racer
Format: Windows
Publisher: Microsoft
Year: 1999
Developer: Angel Studios (Rockstar San Diego)



Some games can be downright infuriating but still draw you back for more. Midtown Madness is sometimes like that. That's not to say it's all about luck winning the races. No, you definitely need skill too. Every other competitor in the game drives like a fucking arsehole, and you've got to join them in that in order to beat them!

The game is an open-world racer set in downtown Chicago (real landmarks are recreated), and features a range of different play modes, such as checkpoint racing, time limit destination seeking, lap races, and more.

Blitz time limit mode is an example of this just-one-more-go hair-pulling exercise. You've about under a minute to get from one side of the city to reach a baseball stadium, but you've tried 30 times, each occasion running out of time by a few seconds. How can this challenge be possible?! But then it hits you... maybe if you change your route (you've a mini-map) just HERE, maybe that'll shave off the three seconds I need. Bingo! That's it! I'm gonna make the finish line! Yeah! Then... BAM! Fucking CUNT Volkswagen Beetle pulls across the road in front of you just 100 meters from the goal. BASTARD! Aaaaagh!!! Annoying, but not enough to deter you from trying again. Finally after another 2 goes you nail it. Ha ha! Very very pleasing when you finally achieve the race challenge.

Microsoft insisted that pedestrians were un-run-over-able. Peculiar, given that the rest of the game is all about lawless dangerous driving. Still, at least you can smash those bloody pestering cop cars with your big rig in free roaming mode. A great game for playing intensely... and well as just insanely mucking about in.

Midtown Madness (PC) Gameplay

[vrailaine]

Why d'you do so many at once? I'm not bothered reading any of your ones when you're picking so haphazardly.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Midtown Madness was terrific- I might do the MM3 write-up a bit later if someone hasn't beaten me to it. Not sure whether MM2 deserves to be in though- I completed it in an afternoon, and while San Fran is very fun, London is a steaming bag of shit.