Title	:	Final Fantasy Origins
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation
Publisher	:	Square Enix USA Inc.
ESRB Rating	:	Teen
Game Rating	:	7.7
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

In sequel after sequel, many companies pay homage to their origins. But sometimes their memories don't mesh with the consumers', as evidenced with Final Fantasy Origins, a Square-Enix game for the Sony PlayStation. 

This single disc compilation contains Final Fantasy, originally published by Nintendo for the 8-bit NES, and Final Fantasy II, which has never before been released in the States. (The Super Nintendo game known to most Americans as Final Fantasy II was a translation of the Japanese game Final Fantasy IV.) FFI was one of the first role-playing games (RPGs) many Americans experienced, and is fondly remembered for starting a franchise that exists to this day. 

The graphic and sound components of both games have undergone facelifts, but remain firmly rooted in their 8-bit heritage and not on par with their 16-bit descendants. New features, such as artwork, bestiaries, and other collectable data, become unlocked as gamers progress through the adventures. 

Both games invite players participate in quests to save the world. As they explore dungeons and castles from a top-down perspective, random encounters with monsters will occur, initiating a turn-based battle system where orders are given to fight, cast magic, or flee, after which the consequences of each round are presented. 

Nostalgia is a strong selling point for this disc. If you give the first Final Fantasy to someone to whom Garland is a tree trimming, he isn't going to be impressed; those of us who spent the lazy summer of 1990 with Final Fantasy will be the ones plunking down cash to relive our childhood. 

Since Final Fantasy allowed gamers to create their own party of mute adventurers, it's hard to reminisce about these heroes; the most personification they've ever received is in the online comic strip 8-bit Theater. If you identify with those characters, then you'll be stunned by the name changes that have occurred in this restoration: Fighter is now Warrior, Black Belt's a Monk, even the land of Coneria is now Cornelia. Though these titles may be more precise and true to the original game, they will strike veterans as more blasphemous than anything. 

Many publishers package classic titles alongside modern remixes. Why the Final Fantasy we all know and love could not have been preserved, I don't know. Most of the updates are just superficial enough to be glaring instead of appreciated, much as "Transformers Generation 2" added many unnecessary, computer-generated sequences to an already fine cartoon. 

One fine addition is FFI's "Easy Mode" which, as a hardcore gamer, I prefer to call "Fast Mode". This option does away with hours of "levelling up", a tactic that, in the early age of role-playing games, filled the void of story and gameplay that then was not possible. In "Fast Mode", less experience is necessary to progress in strength, and equipment costs less money. Though some pacing is still required to preclude obliteration, this new mode makes an old game more playable. 

Final Fantasy II is more story-driven than its predecessor, with predefined characters and a plot that thrusts players right into the action. Each hero raises his or her individual attributes based on specific actions in combat. This method is a precursor to the progression method used in Final Fantasy X, which also isn't level-based. Although it grants players the freedom to customize their characters' strengths, it is also difficult to reference without a single number indicating their level. 

With the opportunity to stroll down pseudo-memory lane, and to experience new yet familiar adventure, Final Fantasy Origins is one last opportunity for what was once old to be new again on the Sony PlayStation. Gamers with access to the original versions of these games may find as much to like as to dislike in these revamped editions. Sometimes it's best to go straight to the source. 

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 Related articles: 

 
• Final Fantasy Chronicles 
• Old RPGs 

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This article is copyright (c) 2003, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Tech News, 22-Apr-03

Title	:	C-12: Final Resistance
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation
Publisher	:	SCEA
ESRB Rating	:	Teen
Game Rating	:	7.4
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

New video game consoles sentence their predecessors to the shadows, and eventually, the closets. These older systems often cling tenaciously to life, but their days are numbered. 

The original PlayStation, perhaps encouraged by its successor's backward compatibility, has now been around for two years beyond the launch of the PlayStation 2. It can postpone the inevitable for only so long, however, as proven with Sony's C-12: Final Resistance. 

C-12 is a 3D action-adventure in the style of Syphon Filter. Aliens (akin to Star Trek's Borg) have invaded Earth. Lieutenant Vaughan has been fitted with a Borg optical implant, allowing him to gather information about his surroundings. This minor device somehow makes him Earth's last hope. 

From humble beginnings comes a humble game. Players control Vaughan as he attacks a variety of aliens in dilapidated cityscapes. New and strange weapons can be acquired and, with experience, powerful secondary uses can be discovered. The occasional puzzle can be solved by collecting alien keycards or pushing crates into place. 

There isn't much to the storyline. The good and bad guys are clearly defined from the get-go, leaving the missions to focus on rescuing hostages, restoring allied bases, and capturing enemy materiel. Vaughan's eyepiece is overrated, as it gives minimal information on the setting. Unlike in Metroid Prime, his device is for observational purposes only, and does not interact with his environment. 

Controls are standard for this type of game, with primary and secondary attack buttons, crouch, and the like. The ability to target-lock an enemy is defeated by Vaughan's tendency to whip his weapon in whatever direction he's running. Thus, target-lock becomes most effective when Vaughan himself is a stationary target. 

Enemy AI varies oddly. Scout drones can detect Vaughan and summon reinforcements, prompting him to stealthily evade their sensors. But should Vaughan spot the shoulder of an enemy around a corner, the alien will stand there as his shoulder his filled with lead to the point of fatality. Two sentries may not acknowledge each other, especially if one should suddenly be riddled with bullets. The boss encounters, however, are challenging; not only does laser fire fill the air, but defeating the attacker will take some amount of brain as well as brawn. 

The effects wrought by these invaders' presence can be seen in the destruction of immediate surroundings. Players can't see very far ahead, though, and local surfaces have a habit of warping weirdly as Vaughan approaches — a visual, if not functional, anomaly. 

Most levels have no musical accompaniment, with boss encounters attended to by only minor fanfare. For the rest of the time, we get to hear perky British voice actors over the radio, reminding us of new and changed objectives. 

Sony's original PlayStation has been around for six years, and in that time, has defined and explored several genres. C-12 is a final entry in a fine area that's been nearly exhausted by the PlayStation's capabilities. There's little new here, suggesting it's time to stop resisting change and move on to another platform.

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This article is copyright (c) 2002, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 26-Aug-02

Title	:	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Xbox
Publisher	:	Activision
ESRB Rating	:	Teen
Game Rating	:	9.0
Review by	:	Evan Wade

It's hard for anyone to be successful at a major undertaking three times in a row these days. Don't believe me? Ask the post-Jordan Bulls. A company that puts out an excellent game is often hard-pressed to produce a sequel that matches or surpasses the first. 

Luckily, Activision's Neversoft team hasn't had this problem with their outstanding Tony Hawk series. The relatively obscure Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x notwithstanding, these once-unknown developers have made a name for themselves and, with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, have created the three best skateboarding games on the market, bar-none. [GameCube version reviewed here] 

A major component in the quality of any title is the gameplay, and THPS3 definitely does not lack in that department. Neversoft has managed to keep all three games from being too similar by adding small tweaks to their innovative engine, this time employing the "revert" trick. Want to add a 360-degree benihana to that 7000-point grind combo? Thanks to the revert, you now can. This move, which makes once-unheard of scores easily attainable, allows the player to link vert (ramp) tricks to combos usually reserved for flip tricks and grinds. A final (and helpful) new implement in the game is a revamped special move meter. No longer must we wait until after a big trick to do a special move, as the meter fills up mid-combo. The levels and goals are nicely varied, too. Skaters will go from a foundry to an airport to a cruise ship in this game, and a few skate parks in between, with the goals in each being refreshingly unique and fun to complete. 

If you're worrying about limited replay value here, well, don't. A roster of 13 starting skaters and eight hidden characters (including Darth Maul and Wolverine) awaits you, as well as four hidden levels and a plethora of cheats to unlock. The fine folks at Neversoft even gave the classic THPS level, Burnside, a spot in the new game, giving us all something to work for. The game's multiplayer option will also keep the skate action alive. Tag, Graffiti, and Horse modes, among others, are available to keep the gamer up all night with his friends. Be warned, however: the frame rate drops a bit in modes where two players skate simultaneously. 

Tight, easy-to-learn controls are a staple of the THPS franchise, and the third installment of the series is no exception. Oddly enough, one of the biggest criticisms about the game also stems from the controls. The GCN's smallish D-pad and B button provide an interesting, if not entirely fun, learning experience. Luckily, the game becomes second nature after a couple of hours, making those difficult secret tapes again a cinch to gain again. 

The GameCube is a next-generation system, and this game reflects that with excellent graphics. The levels, the most exemplary ones being Canada and the Airport, are amazing, and the character animations are excellent. The bails alone are almost worth the price of buying the game; who doesn't get a kick out of seeing Jamie Thomas unexpectedly (and painfully) straddle a handrail after botching a frontside 5-0 grind? The skaters fall down, roll their knees, smack their heads, and smash their boards quite a bit, providing many a chuckle for the sadist in us all. The attention to detail is also amazing in cases like when the light-up sign in Suburbia loses letters from a skater running into it. Finally, there is a much higher degree of interactivity with the levels than in the first two installments. Many goals involve changing or contorting a level, like the earthquake rails in Los Angeles. 

As good as the graphics are, the music isn't. While the soundtrack is extensive and varies from rap to rock to punk, the songs get old after a few hours. As much as I like hearing KRS-1 scream "WHAT YOU THOUGHT!?" every time his song comes on, well, I don't. There are some decent tracks, though, like CKY's "96 Quite Bitter Beings" and Guttermouth's "I'm Destroying the World." In contrast, the actual in-game sounds aren't shabby at all. The grind noises, sounds of wheels hitting a quarterpipe, and the sick thud of a skull smacking the ground are all realistic — not that I would know what that last one sounds like. The most irritating noise has to be the people with cameras that follow you around and say "What you got?" over and over. Too bad you can't swing the board at these irritating photographers. 

If you like the Tony Hawk series on any platform, buy this game. If you've never played a previous installment, rent it and see how you like it. If you were waiting to read a good review before you spent your fifty hard-earned dollars on it, step away from the computer and buy the game now. You won't be disappointed. 

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This article is copyright (c) 2002, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Gamebits, 20-Aug-02

Title	:	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation, Windows
Publisher	:	Electronic Arts
ESRB Rating	:	Everyone
Game Rating	:	7.1
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

The boy who turns video gamers into readers can work his magic both ways. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, an Electronic Arts game for PlayStation and PC, isn't quite as magical as the books, however. [PSX version reviewed here] 

Based on J.K. Rowling's first book, the video game follows young Harry Potter during his first year at the wizardry school of Hogwarts. Players control Harry in a 3D, over-the-shoulder platform games like many others. 

Few of the book's plot development details are observed in the PlayStation game. The gameplay takes advantage of the school setting to give Harry (and players) lessons in spellcasting, making a goal of getting to class and learning each spell. Between lessons, Harry may run errands for Hagrid the groundskeeper, have a run-in with the sinister Draco Malfoy, or rescue Hermione Granger from a rampaging troll. Quidditch matches, in which Harry mounts his flying broomstick in search of the Golden Snitch, occur occasionally. 

Although Hogwarts is a large place, locked doors keep Harry on a set path with little room for additional exploration. There are plenty of Every Flavor Beans and Famous Witches and Wizards cards to collect, but these are unnecessary to progress. 

In these details and other regards, the game imitates the novel's world - except in one important way. The game has a primary audience in younger gamers, but unlike the books, will probably not garner similar interest from an older crowd. The average gamer can guide Harry though his trials from beginning to end in under four hours, having found most of the secrets and suffering little damage. 

The environment similarly fails to captivate. The graphics are pleasantly free from any camera issues, allowing Harry to always get a clear view of even the most cramped surroundings. The soundtrack isn't John Williams, but is appropriately bewitching, preferring to make itself known only during climatic battles and cinematic expositions. 

The control varies depending on the situation while retaining a constant simplicity. One primary button searches or interacts with an item, while another casts a spell. Anything Harry wishes to bewitch can be affected by only one type of spell, so the same button can cast an offensive Knockback Jinx against an enemy, an Incendio fire invocation on a plant, or a levitation charm on a statue. 

The spells require exact timing, but players will otherwise be unchallenged by Harry's movements. Some trials involve jumping, which Harry does automatically when he approaches a ledge. Broomstick flying is also a simple experience, though also much drier than one might imagine. Whether in training or on the Quidditch pitch, players must guide Harry with increasing speed through a series of floating rings. The control is fast and loose, making it easy to lose sight of the target. 

The strongest feature of Harry Potter's PlayStation incarnation is the brand name. Electronic Arts has not applied the name to a weak game, but there's little about the game that's enchanting on its own.

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This article is copyright (c) 2001, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 19-Nov-01

Title	:	Dragon Warrior VII
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation
Publisher	:	Enix
ESRB Rating	:	Teen
Game Rating	:	8.4
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

Enix has not released a new Dragon Warrior game in America for nine years. The series has changed so little with Dragon Warrior VII for the PlayStation that it seems a much shorter time. 

This role-playing game (RPG)'s story begins innocuously, and develops slowly. Our hero is the son of a fisherman on the world's only island, who discovers that other continents once inhabited the oceans. Accompanied by his friends Maribel (who is not named after a prize cow) and Prince Kiefer (who isn't a Sutherland), the young lad ventures back in time to reunite the broken world. Yes, these are humble beginnings, and it will be a few hours before players battle their first Blue Slime. 

Dragon Warrior VII is akin to a chain of adventuring vignettes. Our heroes venture from island to solitary island, where they will solve a riddle or overthrow a monster and, in doing so, bring the island into synch with the rest of the world. Their rewards come as puzzle pieces necessary to access the next island. 

Experience with previous games in the series is unnecessary; Dragon Warrior tales are told in trilogies, with the seventh installment marking the beginning of a new epic. Veterans of the series will recognize familiar spells, monsters, and the modus operandi for staples such as item management and game saving. 

The battle system does not employ any gimmicks found in more modern RPGs. Players input commands using a menu system, then watch as heroes and monsters exchange blows turn-by-turn. General strategies can be automatically assigned to characters, helping novice players make wise battle decisions and saving time for veterans. 

Players will quickly become familiar with this battle system, as the ancient process of "levelling up" is required here. The game is paced such that you can't walk into a dungeon and expect to come out alive on your first try. Only by orbiting towns and clearing fields of minor enemies can enough gold be earned to outfit your party with the expensive equipment necessary to survive the next onslaught. This practice adds many hours to the game's length. 

It sounds simple so far, but there are some fun gameplay enhancements. Characters can learn classes, such as thief, mage, or shepherd, in which they acquire both magic spells and innate skills. Players can also build their own town and populate it with unique citizens, record a monster compendium, even collect creatures into a zoo! These unique additions help elevate what otherwise may be a mundane quest. 

As part of that quest, gamers encounter many townspeople and other figures. Their is no voice acting, but text-based conversations in which typos are rare yet glaring. Some characters have totally mismatched vocabularies, which I believe is intended to be humorous. It succeeds. 

The soundtrack has not evolved as much as one might expect. It is perfectly appropriate for an RPG, at times reminiscent of Final Fantasy II — a great game, but one released a decade ago. And unlike that series, Dragon Warrior lacks many variations on previous tunes, updating familiar themes for the 32-bit system. 

The graphics also recall simpler days. The characters are colorful, as are their enemies, who are swiftly animated in their attacks. Yet it's hard to explain the presence of occasionally pixelated backgrounds or blocky lighting effects that the PlayStation overcame years ago. The towns' and dungeons' 3D environments can also be cause for concern. By being fully rotatable, players are expected to view everything from many angles to find all doors, treasure chests, and people. 

Enix may add to or subtract from their basic formula, but the core never changes. With so much experience behind this premise, Enix has mastered what has become the Dragon Warrior series. Nobody does this kind of RPG better, but there are better, more innovative kinds of RPGs. Gamers looking to explore one of the most finely-executed, most familiar RPGs ever can set sail with Dragon Warrior VII.

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This article is copyright (c) 2001, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 12-Nov-01

Title	:	Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation
Publisher	:	Activision
ESRB Rating	:	Everyone
Game Rating	:	6.6
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

Spider-Man, Spider-Man. Makes all the mistakes a developer can. 

The original Spider-Man game for the PlayStation was developed by Neversoft, the team responsible for the blockbuster Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games. They worked equally phenomenal magic on the wall-crawler, creating possibly the finest superhero video game ever. Rather than demand a repeat performance, publisher Activision has given responsibility of the sequel, Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, to Vicarious Visions, who got their web in a knot and failed to follow Neversoft's act. 

As per the game's subtitle, Electro, Spidey's electrifying foe, has stolen a device to increase his strength by millions of volts. Only Peter Parker's alter-ego can save the day! This tour of the Marvel universe will send players toe-to-toe with some of Spider-Man's most nefarious nemeses, with cameos by other comic book characters commonplace. 

Players must become Spider-Man by learning the PlayStation controller in its entirety. Spider-Man can punch, kick, jump, and fire webbing fluid; this last aspect of his repertoire takes the most control. The shoulder buttons are used for taking aim and swinging Spider-Man from web lines. By combining the Triangle button with the directional pad, players can spin seven other forms of webbing, from a protective web dome to impact webbing. Mastering the timing of these combos is essential, yet the occasional mistake will still be unavoidable. 

New to this sequel is an auto-aim feature that compensates for Spider-Man's inability to turn in small degrees. Unfortunately, this new feature has failings of its own. It works only with nearby targets, which Spidey can usually hit automatically anyway. Plus, since firing webbing requires using the directional pad, a slight mistiming of button presses can throw off the aiming slightly, spoiling the shot. 

The gameplay is also hit-or-miss. The sequel has a surplus of free range levels, where Spider-Man must explore at his leisure to accomplish goals such as collecting keys or disabling gun turrets. The approach for these levels is not clearly defined, leaving players to wander around knowing what to do, but not how to do it. Other levels have imprecise endpoints; Spidey can be swinging along from building to building when he's suddenly interrupted by a cinema furthering the story. 

The boss encounters similarly fail to tingle one's spider-sense. The original Spider-Man game demonstrated an intimate knowledge of Spidey's rogues gallery, providing unique and innovative measures for defeating them. In the sequel, the electric menace Shocker is defeated by… throwing crates at him? I fail to see either the connection or the entertainment. 

As with its predecessor, Spider-Man 2 showcases a variety of voice acting talent. Each level is narrated by Spider-Man creator Stan Lee, who could just as well be reading introduction balloons from comic panels. The cast is replete with experienced voice actors who bring to life Electro, the Lizard, Professor X, and other Marvel icons, and give witty retorts that add insult to the injuries Spidey inflicts. The common thugs, however, have a limited arsenal of speech; after hearing the same insipid threats over and over, I fail to feel at all intimidated. 

It is on this level of quality that the music makes its presence known. It hums along in the background, failing to create any additional atmosphere for the webhead's exploits. The title scene is utterly silent, blasphemously devoid of even a hint of the well-known Spider-Man theme song. 

Many developers tinker with game formulas to be innovative and provide fresh gameplay experiences. Vicarious Visions wrongly decided such change was necessary here. A repeat performance of the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler's daring PlayStation adventure would've been a welcome addition to any Spider-fan's gaming library. This game, by contrast, is left caught in its web of gameplay issues.

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This article is copyright (c) 2001, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Gamebits, 30-Oct-01

Title	:	Tales of Destiny II
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation
Publisher	:	Namco
ESRB Rating	:	Teen
Game Rating	:	7.8
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

With 128-bit game consoles now being standard fare, the death of the original PlayStation is inevitable. The system helped establish role-playing games as an acceptable genre in the American market, so perhaps it's fate that one of its last big games should be Tales of Destiny II, from Namco. 

In this RPG sequel, peaceful life in the village of Rasheans is disrupted when a spacecraft crash-lands in the loca forest. Its sole occupant is a girl from a nearby planet who brings with her a warning of impending disaster. Two villagers and childhood friends, Reid and Farah, decide to help the girl unravel this mystery before it's too late for their world. 

There are many perspectives in Tales of Destiny. The world map is depicted from a diagonal view which rotates and scales as the party moves, much as in Final Fantasy games. Entering a town or dungeon switches to a fixed perspective that resembles Chrono Trigger. Dangerous territory is beautifully drawn, with natural lighting falling through tree branches and other details landscaping the world. Sometimes, enemies are visible, and coming into contact will precipitate a battle - but usually, Reid and company can find themselves thrust into action with no warning at all. The game makes no distinction between areas pervaded with visible or invisible enemies. Either way, prepare for the fight of your life. 

Encounters occur in real time on a two-dimensional side-scrolling plane. As in Zelda or other action-adventure games, characters respond immediately to your button pressing — leaping, striking, and casting spells at the enemy. Rewards are based on the number of combo hits, the duration of the round, and other factors commonly associated with fighting games, not RPGs. 

There is plenty of preparation for battle. Each player can control one of four people in the party, but most likely you'll be playing alone and controlling just one hero. Aside from properly outfitting your party, A.I. strategies and battle positions must be determined. Such strategies often dissolve into button-mashing in the face of danger. 

Many RPGs welcome newcomers to its battle system with in-game tutorials and training. Tales of Destiny offers a few words of advice from mentors, but otherwise leaves you to your own devices. You'd do best to study the manual and engage in some practice battles; even then, advice such as "Successfully fringe a Craymel to create new Craymel Artes" may seem more confusing than helpful. 

Between battles, the plot is developed during the occasional event sequence, where the written word is accompanied by spoken dialogue. In most video games, voice acting is either superb (Escape from Monkey Island) or laughably terrible (the original Resident Evil). The producers of Tales of Destiny II chose excellent voice actors, but completely miscast them for this kind of game. The spoken dialogue is perfect for a PBS children's cartoon, which doesn't jive with the game's "Teen" rating. Please, turn it off! 

What sets Tales of Destiny II apart from similar games is its battle system, which uniquely combines many genres and allows players to invoke tactics with both their brains and thumbs. Gamers who are dismayed by the lack of introductory explanation will also fail to be rewarded by this style of fighting. The rest of the game is fairly typical RPG, leaving it destined to sate the thirst of hungry PSOne gamers, and few others.

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This article is copyright (c) 2001, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 24-Sep-01

Title	:	Skydiving Extreme
Platforms	:	Sony PlayStation
Publisher	:	Natsume
ESRB Rating	:	Everyone
Game Rating	:	8.0
Review by	:	Ken Gagne

For all the publicity and interest given to "extreme sports" lately, a popular hazardous pastimes has been overlooked: skydiving. Natsume leaps into that void with the PlayStation game Skydiving Extreme. 

If you're looking for something similar to Nintendo's PilotWings, I suggest you stick with that game. Skydiving Extreme plays like Bust-a-Groove, and is in fact from Metro, the same developer behind that line of dancing games. 

In Extreme, skydiving formations are formed by pressing button sequences as they appear on the screen. The order is displayed in cross-shaped diagrams that represent the left and right sides of the PlayStation controller. For example, the sequence "Left-Down-Right" (or "Square-X-Circle") appears as a "V"-shape overlaid on the buttons. Upon first encountering the more complicated routines, your eyes will muddle over its meaning, but with practice, reading these displays becomes second nature. 

Each round consists of roughly two minutes of freefall, during which time your team of four divers must perform various maneuvers. The more complicated the moves that a team performs, the more slowly they fall. The first team to land, loses. Making mistakes and being attacked can cause your team to fall more quickly. These attacks are more theoretical in nature, as there is no bodily contact or projectile-throwing that would constitute an actual assault. 

The camera pulls some neat tricks during freefall, conveying a sense of weightlessness and dizziness, if not speed. The team never appears closer to the ground than when they first jump. At least there's plenty to look at in the air, with the stages decorated with the rainfall of Kenya, New York's night lights, or the Aurora Borealis. This eye candy has no effect on a jump's performance, but are neat nonetheless. 

Despite the inability of the graphics to imply speed, there's a certain sense of urgency to enter the sequence as quickly as possible — even the idea of plummeting to Earth at 120 MPH can do that. The combos become increasingly tortuous as the rounds progress; success in these later levels can unlock hidden teams and stages. 

The music is generic, metallic, and a bit reminiscent of Mega Man. More variety in the soundtrack would've added to the experience. True, this isn't Bust-a-Groove, but I've seen skydiving videos set to everything from Van Halen to Garth Brooks; the music has a definite effect. Only a few sound effects survive the rushing wind, such as the sound of breaking glass that precedes an attack. An announcer expresses his amazement at some trickier moves, though one such comment is mumbled to sound like, "Very froody!" 

Froody or not, Skydiving Extreme is an innovative application of a popular gameplay type. Not being a simulation, it does not capture the full adventure of skydiving, from training to ascent, to jumping and pulling the cord to landing. As a variation on the dancing game genre, Skydiving Extreme is surprisingly fun and addictive, but — hopefully unlike your average skydiver — short-lived.

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This article is copyright (c) 2001, 2007 by Ken Gagne. All rights reserved. Not to be distributed without permission.

Original publication: Sentinel & Enterprise, 27-Aug-01