Galaxy Angel

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

Título Original: Delta Force: Black Hawk Down Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: NovaLogic, Inc. Dirección: Climax Group Categoría: Shooter Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci Based on the intense, 2003 PC version of the first-person shooter, the Xbox edition of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down offers real-world warfare and extensive support for online multiplayer gaming. The game represents Novalogic’s thoroughly researched interpretation of Operation Restore Hope, casting players as fictional characters in the center of the real-world event that took place in Somalia in 1993. Players can choose from the roles of Sniper, Gunner, CQB (Close Quarter Battle) specialist, or Medic. As in previous Delta Force games, players must use intelligent tactics as they lead their squads through battles in large, outdoor environments. As many as 50 players can fight together over the Xbox Live service — the highest number of single-session players supported by any Xbox game at the time of release. Eight modes of play are available online, including Deathmatch, Search & Destroy, Capture the Flag, and Team King of the Hill. A split-screen co-op mode is also available, for up to four players, and 16 single-player missions are included as well. Publisher Novalogic has pledged a portion of the proceeds from the Xbox version of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charitable organization that provides financial aid, educational counseling, and scholarship grants to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in the line of duty. Extra Credits by Michael L. House Delta Force: Black Hawk Down is based on actual events that occurred in Somalia in 1993 (not the Ridley Scott film or Mark Bowden book). Some game elements are based on input from actual U.S. Army Rangers who provided subject matter expertise.

Ultimate Fighting Championship: Tapout

Título Original: UFC: Tapout Año de Producción: 2002 Estudio: Crave Entertainment, Inc. Dirección: Anchor Inc. Categoría: Fighting Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Scott Alan Marriott Featuring the world’s top Mixed Martial Arts athletes, the Ultimate Fighting Championship advanced from a single pay-per-view episode in 1993 to an annual event with multiple competitions. Xbox owners can experience this distinctive sport in UFC: Tapout, which embraces such diverse fighting styles as boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, karate, and more as athletes compete within an eight-sided arena appropriately entitled «The Octagon.» Twenty-seven authentic UFC fighters are represented in two divisions: Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight.Success involves implementing a variety of realistic fighting positions, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, to gain control over the opponent. Each fighter begins in a standing position, but as the match progresses, a number of different submissions can be attempted, such as upper and lower guards, lower and upper full mounts, and lower and upper back mounts. Standard attacks include left and right punches, left and right kicks, and an assortment of counter attacks to avoid a takedown.Arcade mode involves choosing a fighter and then challenging the remaining athletes in the same weight class, one after another, until the player is crowned champion. Exhibition is a single match between two fighters from any weight class, while Tournament supports up to eight players in a single-elimination format spanning three fights. The UFC Mode follows the same format as Tournament but is only open to single players. The final mode, Create Fighter, lets players choose from 120 different faces, 50 different clothing styles, 8 voices, and one of 11 fighting disciplines. Up to 480 points can be assigned to four areas: life, stamina, punch skill, and kick skill.

Headhunter: Redemption

Título Original: Headhunter: Redemption Año de Producción: 2004 Estudio: Sega of America, Inc. Dirección: Amuze Categoría: Action Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci As bounty hunters in a disturbing future, players must sneak by, strong-arm, and shoot down those who would flee from justice. This action-adventure is built upon the story and gameplay of the original Headhunter (also developed by Amuze), released in 2001 for European Dreamcasts and ported to North American PS2s the following year. Unlike the original, however, Headhunter: Redemption offers two main characters and two different, urban game worlds for them to patrol and protect.Played primarily from a third-person perspective, Redemption has players taking the role of either headhunter veteran Jack Wade or his new associate, a punky street kid called Leeza X. Acting as a force for order, the two will travel to the city’s wealthy, well-lit «Above,» as well as its dark and downtrodden «Below,» to enforce a justice once common to both of these two disparate places.Jack and Leeza share a number of skills and talents with the heroes of stealth-action games such as Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell. They are able to walk or run, crouch and sneak, and climb, hang, or roll. They also can fire their weapons at foes, of course, through an auto-targeting interface. A selection of firing modes allows the characters additional options — taking the time to crouch on one knee for stability, for example, improves accuracy.

PSyvariar 2: Extended Edition

	Título Original:PSyvariar 2: Extended Edition Categoría: Arcade Mira Las Escenas AQUI

Los Padrinos Magicos: Rompiendo Las Reglas

Título Original: The Fairly OddParents!: Breakin’ Da Rules Año de Producción: 2003 Estudio: THQ, Inc. Dirección: Blitz Games Categoría: Action Mira Las Escenas AQUI

Synopsis by Scott Alan Marriott Second in popularity to only SpongeBob SquarePants in children’s programming as of 2003, Nickelodeon’s Fairly OddParents makes its Xbox debut as a whimsical 3D platform game. Timmy Turner is a typical young boy who lives a typical life filled with school and friends. Things change, however, when he learns he has fairy godparents. The bumbling yet well-meaning Cosmo and Wanda use their magic wands to help Timmy through many situations. The video game version of the animated series begins with the godparents losing their powers, which can only mean one thing: the magical «Da Rules» spell book has been tampered with. Timmy, with the help of friends Vicky, A.J., and Chester, embarks on an epic quest to retrieve the missing pages from the book to restore his godparents’ magic and make things normal again — or at least back to where it was before the book was abducted.

World War II Combat: Iwo Jima

Título Original: WWII Combat: Iwo Jima Año de Producción: 2006 Estudio: Atari, Inc. Dirección: Direct Action Games Categoría: Shooter Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Scott Alan Marriott World War II: Iwo Jima is the first-person shooter sequel to 2005’s Road to Berlin. Like its predecessor, players will advance through a single-player campaign or engage in multiplayer combat via Xbox Live. Set on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima, Japan, where an intensely fought battle between American and Japanese forces resulted in the U.S. gaining strategic control of the region’s airfields in 1945. This decisive encounter is brought to life with Unreal technology, as players explore authentically modeled 3D terrain and arm themselves with weapons of the time period. The main campaign spans 10 missions, while up to 16 players can compete in eight different online modes. Each multiplayer mode can be played with computer-controlled bots to balance uneven teams or to serve as additional targets for gamers to hone their online skills.

Urban Chaos: Riot Response

Título Original: Urban Chaos: Riot Response Año de Producción: 2006 Estudio: Eidos Interactive Dirección: Rocksteady Studios Categoría: Shooter Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Scott Alan Marriott Urban Chaos is a first-person shooter that has players donning the badge of one Nick Mason, an ex-Marine and current officer of an elite counter-gang task unit known as T-Zero. His task is to respond to the city’s most dangerous areas to help rescue hostages and combat a ruthless mix of marauding miscreants. Mason will be joined throughout the game with firefighters, paramedics, and police crews to quell uprisings throughout city streets, dilapidated buildings, and back alleys. Since Mason’s rivals are armed with Molotov cocktails, throwing axes, assault rifles, and more, players will be able to protect themselves with a riot shield that can also be used to bash nearby foes. Online support is included for team-based competition in nine emergency scenarios. Players can fight as the police or against them while they attempt to defend or to destroy each faction’s objectives.

Futurama

Título Original: Futurama Año de Producción: 2003 Estudio: Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. Dirección: Unique Development Studios (UDS) Categoría: Shooter Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Scott Alan Marriott Matt Groening’s «other» animated series makes its video game debut as a third-person shooter that has players blasting their way across time in an effort to stop the entity known as Mom from taking over the universe. The game casts players in the role of Fry. Bender, Leela, or Dr. Zoidberg, with each character having his or her own distinct moves and weapons. In their quest to right a terrible wrong, players will run through futuristic New New York (in the year 3000), revisit «old» New York, confront Sun Priests in Sun City, attack swamp monsters and gators lurking in the Bogad Bayou, and zip across an asteroid belt to zap giant robotic monsters living in a junkyard of space relics.In addition to shooting enemies with their character’s default weapon, players can perform basic moves such as jumping or climbing to reach new areas or to avoid potential hazards. Puzzle-solving aspects involve activating generators before using elevators on certain stages, and simply flipping the occasional switch or lever. Writers from the FOX television series created the game’s story and dialogue, with design input offered by show creator Matt Groening himself. To maintain the vibrant yet simple look of the sci-fi series, the developers made use of a «toon-shading render engine» created specifically for the game. Actors from the original cast also provide the voice-overs for each of the main characters.

American Chopper 2: A Toda Marcha

American Chopper 2: A Toda Marcha   Título Original: American Chopper 2: Full Throttle Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: Activision Value Publishing Inc. Dirección: Creat Studio, LLC Categoría: Racing Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by All Game Guide The endearingly irritable Teutul men return to gaming consoles, for more full-throttle racing through the motorcycle customization process. Players take the role of a new hire in the Teutuls’ Orange County Choppers garage, where they’ll have access to seven premiere machines featured in episodes of the Discovery Channel television show. Players who can keep up with Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. (and put up with Mikey) earn a chance to embark on special missions to collect the parts they’ll need to design, build, and ride their own custom motorcycle.

MX World Tour con Jamie Little

MX World Tour con Jamie Little   Título Original: MX World Tour Featuring Jamie Little Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: Crave Entertainment, Inc. Dirección: Impulse Games Categoría: Racing Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by All Game Guide This budget-friendly motocross game features commentary and in-game appearances by Jamie Little, professional racer and announcer. The game offers more than 30 different competitions, in both the indoor (Supercross) and outdoor (Motocross) arenas, as well as the dirt-and-pavement «Super-Moto» events. Players can choose from a selection of rider characters, customize the look of their bikes, and improve horsepower and handling as they progress through the game. MX World Tour was designed Impulse Games, which previously worked on the motorsports-oriented Xbox version of Monster Garage.

Unreal Championship 2: Liandri Conflict

Unreal Championship 2: Liandri Conflict   Título Original: Unreal Championship 2: Liandri Conflict Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: Midway Games Inc. Dirección: Epic Games Categoría: Shooter Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci Futuristic arena combat takes another step into the console realms with this second edition of Unreal Championship for Xbox. Though retaining the fast-paced shooter combat and focus on multiplayer competition that won fans for the original, Liandri Conflict adds new features that expand the basic gameplay, in a decidedly gamepad-oriented fashion. Players can now fight up-close-and-personal, with new melee attacks, and perform super-human leaps and dodges, which are accented in the game’s optional third-person perspective. New offensive and defensive Adrenaline powers are also in the mix, adding opportunities for fresh tactics and action. The maps in Unreal Championship 2 are designed with these new features in mind. The single-player game comes in two separate, area-based campaigns, but online multiplayer support remains a key feature of the title, offering a wide variety of match types, for up to eight human competitors, through the Xbox Live service.

American Chopper

	American Chopper   Título Original: American Chopper Año de Producción: 2004 Estudio: Activision Value Publishing Inc. Dirección: Creat Studio, LLC Categoría: Racing Mira Las Escenas AQUI
Synopsis by All Game Guide This motorcycle game is based on the popular Discovery Channel series American Chopper, following the exploits of the Teutuls — Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Mikey — who, along with longtime friend Vinnie, operate the Orange County Choppers customization shop. Players take part in designing and building custom motorcycles, and proving them on the street.

Chicken Little

Chicken Little   Título Original: Disney’s Chicken Little Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: Buena Vista Games Inc. Dirección: Avalanche Software Categoría: Action Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Chris Cavanaugh Based on the 2005 theatrical release, Disney’s Chicken Little puts players in control of the titular character right after the infamous «acorn incident» that sullied his reputation. Joined by his friends, Abby Mallard, Runt-of-the-Litter, and Fish-out-of-Water, Chicken Little must outsmart Foxy Loxy and at the same time stave off an alien invasion by using a variety of gadgets and pick-ups. Side-games, mini-games, and multiplayer action will complement the main quest, and players will be able to view clips from the film.

Harry Potter y El Prisonero de Azkaban

Harry Potter y El Prisonero de Azkaban   Título Original: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Año de Producción: 2004 Estudio: EA Games Dirección: EA UK Categoría: Action Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Damian Francis Offering a host of new features and opponents, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban looks to offer fans of this series a refreshingly new story line as Harry and friends face their most terrifying opponents yet. For the first time in the series, gamers will be able to switch between Harry’s friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, to face challenges and overcome enemies using the specific skills each character possesses. Together, their strengths will need to be combined and their spells mastered, as they unravel the mystery surrounding Sirius Black and his escape from the notorious wizard prison, Azkaban. Revealing these secrets and solving the mystery will not be easy, as sub-quests, creatures, and the mystery of the Marauder’s Map all block the path that will lead players to the finale on the shore of the great lake at Hogwarts.

Worms 4: Mayhem

Worms 4: Mayhem   Título Original: Worms 4: Mayhem Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: Majesco Dirección: Team 17 Categoría: Strategy Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci Team 17’s aggressive, anarchistic, adorable annelids return to the front lines, in this 2005 edition in the Worms series, brought Stateside by Majesco. Like the immediately previous Worms game, this fittingly titled Mayhem is in 3D, bringing another dimension of uncertainty to a game known for its massively destructive ballistics and acutely imprecise, on-the-fly aiming. Players can customize their own six-worm teams, and make use of new weapons such as the poison arrow, sniper rifle, and tail nail, as they continue in the series’ endearing, enduring quest to blow up the other guy’s worms before they accidentally blow up all of their own.

XIII

XIII   Título Original: XIII Año de Producción: 2003 Estudio: Ubisoft Entertainment Dirección: Ubisoft Montreal Categoría: Shooter Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Scott Alan Marriott Belgian author Jeanne Van Hamme’s graphic novel XIII comes to life on next-generation platforms as a first-person shooter featuring cel-shaded graphics and an engine based on Epic Games’ award-winning Unreal technology. Playing the role of an ex-secret agent who has lost his memory, players must piece together the clues to his dark past before it’s too late. The game follows a similar format to the graphic novel on which it is based, as much of the story is told through a series of flashbacks. Four-player support is available via split-screen, and both Xbox and PC versions include online options as well.

FIFA Street

FIFA Street   Título Original: FIFA Street Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: EA Sports Big Dirección: EA Canada Categoría: Sports Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci In the footsteps of EA Sports BIG’s NBA Street and NFL Street series, FIFA Street presents an arcade-style extreme sports take on professional soccer. Top players from around the world enter four-on-four matches where style is as important as substance and red cards are no concern. Teamwork scores goals, but the game also features a break-away interface that highlights one-on-one face-offs. Players who can showboat their way past opponents are rewarded with power-ups and momentum-shifting «Game Breaker» options. The game’s makeshift arenas play a part as well, often allowing bounce-passes or other off-the-wall tricks. As in earlier Street titles, gamers create a custom character and team up with real-life sports stars to win a footloose series of underground matches against other teams of fictional and professional players. Additional game modes allow for quick exhibition games and «Upgrade» matches that let gamers cherry-pick top talent from defeated squads.

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee   Título Original: Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Año de Producción: 2003 Estudio: Atari Interactive, Inc. Dirección: Pipeworks Software, Inc. Categoría: Fighting Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Scott Alan Marriott After conquering the GameCube, Godzilla lumbers onto the Xbox in a four-player 3D brawler starring over 14 monsters from Toho Co. Ltd.’s famous movie series. Godzilla is pitted against such enemies as Mothra, King Ghidora, Mechagodzilla, and more as they fight amidst the chaos of Tokyo, San Francisco, Seattle, Monster Island, and six more environments. Populated regions will send out armies in an attempt to prevent their cities from being ravaged by the hulking beasts. Details such as moving vehicles, working traffic lights, and more help bring the locales to life, and destructible objects allow for pieces of crumbling buildings to be used as weapons. Basic moves include punches, kicks, jumps, and throws, while more advanced techniques involve using each character’s special powers to perform deadly combination attacks. Players can also use the environment to their advantage while fighting, as human armies will focus their efforts on the creature causing the most damage to the city.In addition to a Story Mode, which involves battling each monster in succession until the player is victorious, Godzilla features a number of other play options. Modes include Versus, where up to four monsters can fight at once; Destruction, which has players smashing as many things as possible within a time limit; Survival, a test of endurance as players fight as many enemies as they can without losing a match; and Practice, where players can familiarize themselves with each creature’s moves and powers.Xbox-specific features include the addition of Mechagodzilla 3, two new arenas, computer-controlled combatants in both four-player melee and team games, and an option to play Destruction Mode alone. New arenas consist of the Vortaak Home World and a giant Boxing Ring. The former features volcanoes, alien structures, spaceship launchers, and more, while the latter offers ropes, bells, and blimps in what is described as the «largest boxing ring in the world constructed for monster battles.» Other enhancements include upgraded visuals with bump-mapping, high-resolution textures, and other special effects, as well as support for custom soundtracks.Extra Credits by Matthew House Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee features characters from various Godzilla movies including Rodan, King Ghidorah, Mothra, and a few variations of Godzilla itself. It is quite similar to War of the Monsters in that cities can be razed and demolished, and each character has its own maneuvers and attacks. This isn’t the first time the monster-combat concept has reared its head in a video game. Back in 1991, King of the Monsters was released for the NEO GEO Advanced Entertainment console, featuring monsters at war in different cities. Though it was 2D in design, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee is reminiscent of that classic title.

ATV: Quad Power Racing 2

ATV: Quad Power Racing 2   Título Original: ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 Año de Producción: 2003 Estudio: AKA Acclaim Dirección: Climax Group Categoría: Racing Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by All Game Guide The sequel to 2000’s ATV: Quad Power Racing on PlayStation continues the off-road action on 17 tracks across five international environments. An arcade-style approach offers players an opportunity to catch big air off jumps, power-slide around corners, and perform more than 20 different tricks for style points. Players can choose from ten professional riders, including Kory Ellis, Tim Farr, and Dana Creech, as they enter competitive races against the computer or their friends in a variety of multiplayer modes.

Dragon Ball Z: Sagas

Dragon Ball Z: Sagas   Título Original: Dragon Ball Z: Sagas Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: Atari, Inc. Dirección: Avalanche Software Categoría: Action Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci Full of famous characters and free-range fighting, this game is designed to let Dragon Ball Z fans play through some of their favorite story lines. Following success of the Budokai 3D fighting series, Dragon Ball Z returns to PS2 and GameCube (and comes to Xbox for the first time) in this third-person action-adventure, which is based directly on the animated television series. Dragon Ball Z: Sagas lets gamers take the roles of five DBZ heroes — Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Trunks — and play through the first parts of the animé series’ sophisticated story line, from the Saiyan Saga through the Cell Games. DBZ Sagas is designed to let fans explore open-ended areas featured on the television show. Random enemies and hidden items promote an «emergent,» sandbox-style of play. Since the main game mode follows the plot of the animated series, the playable character changes through the adventure’s 19 levels, according to the heroes featured in the different chapters of the story. Famous villains such as Cell, Nappa, and Raditz are featured as well, in boss battles that occur between the third-person adventure levels. Once the main game has been completed, new playable characters are unlocked, and gamers can revisit levels as any hero they wish, even if their choice doesn’t make sense in the Dragon Ball Z timeline.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas   Título Original: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas [«M» Version] Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: Rockstar Games Dirección: Rockstar North Categoría: Action Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci Rockstar Games’ cornerstone Grand Theft Auto series returns for a third run through the 128-bit generation, with this violent, mature-themed third-person shooter and mission-based driving game. Set in the early-’90s gang culture of «San Andreas,» a fictional U.S. region modeled after California, the adventure plays out across the entire virtual state, with action centered in its three main cities: Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), San Fiero (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).Like its immediate predecessor, Vice City, San Andreas strives to provide a wide, deep foundation for its free-form criminal gameplay by setting the story in a slightly exaggerated representation of a familiar (if not glorified) American subculture. As Vice City seemed inspired by Miami Vice, and the pastel-decked, «me generation» ideals of the early ’80s, San Andreas is set in a time and place suggested by films like Boyz ‘N the Hood, Menace II Society, or Colors, where riots eventually brought a whole city to a halt and awakened new consciousness across the country.Players take the role of a young man named Carl «C.J.» Johnson, who thought he had escaped the gangland lifestyle by moving away from his Los Santos home. When his mother is murdered, he returns to the neighborhood of his childhood, only to become embroiled with threats and danger from all sides. Because of his family and friends who remained in Los Santos, he’s considered an enemy-on-sight to rival gang members. Even worse, perhaps, the corrupt local law enforcement frames him for a crime he did not commit.To clear his name and save his family, C.J. sets out on a long journey that will lead him all across the state. More than any earlier GTA game, San Andreas features strong elements of role-playing and character development, encouraging players to customize their version of C.J. as they play through his adventure on their own terms. Unlike the protagonist of GTA 3, or Vice City’s Tommy Vercetti, C.J. isn’t really working for some underworld organization or crime boss mastermind — he’s out to take care of himself and his own family. He is not driven by the immediate promise of wealth or promotion; his goals are far more personal. He must steer the direction of his exploits, to follow them to a satisfactory end.Also in the theme of giving more control of over the lead character’s development, players will take care of C.J.’s day-to-day needs. Food presents the easiest way to replenish lost health, so when he is hungry, he’ll need to eat — perhaps at one of San Andreas’ fast food chains, like «Cluckin’ Bell» or «Burger Shot.» If he doesn’t eat enough, C.J. will become thin and weak, but too much fast food without any exercise will cause him to grow fat and slow. Players can also choose the clothes that C.J. wears, and have him get customized tattoos.C.J. has to come up with any money he needs for these things on his own, however, since there won’t always be some boss character waiting to pay him off as he completes his missions. One way to scratch up some quick cash is by robbing homes at night. When he jacks the right kind of van and puts on his ski mask, C.J. enters a stealth mode, and is more likely to be able to sneak into a house, nab some valuables, and head off to the local fence before the residents even wake up.Overall, San Andreas is in the same format and style that won millions of fans for GTA 3 and Vice City, but it features a number gameplay adjustments and improvements. In addition to C.J.’s stealth mode, he can also swim; a wrong turn off the pier will no longer result in an instant trip to the emergency ward, and if all else fails, the protagonist may even be able to evade pursuers by taking a quick dip. The game’s targeting system has also been adjusted. Using triggers and both analog sticks (à la Manhunt), players take more complete control of C.J., and can have him run and strafe, change targets, and shoot in almost any direction, even while moving in another.Extra Credits by T.J. Deci In the summer of 2005, public revelation of a hidden, locked gameplay sequence called «Hot Coffee,» which was buried deep in the code of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, caused a stir among many interested politicians and public figures. It also led to an extraordinary action by the Entertainment Software Rating Board and an unusual financial loss by publisher Rockstar Games.The name refers to narrative leading up to the controversial sequence, in which the player’s character is invited back to a girlfriend’s apartment for «coffee.» The sequence features interactive, graphic scenes depicting the game’s lead character, CJ, engaging in sexual relations with his girlfriend. The sequence was initially brought to public attention by Patrick Wildenbourg of the Netherlands, who wrote a computer program «hack» which unlocks it for play in the PC version of the game. Wildenbourg’s hack first appeared soon after the release of the PC version in June 2005, leading to speculation that the hidden code might also be present in the PS2 and Xbox editions of the game. In the publicity following initial reports of the «Hot Coffee» sequence, a number of prominent politicians made statements calling for government inquiries, condemning the Grand Theft Auto series, and suggesting new regulations.Despite any precedent First Amendment protections, California Assemblyman Leland Yee, media attorney Jack Thompson, and then-rumored 2008 Presidential contender Hillary Clinton (among others) each used the publicity generated by the «Hot Coffee» controversy as an opportunity to propose content-based legal restrictions on the distribution of video games in the United States.Meanwhile, the more practical issue of the controversy, regarding the agreement between publisher Rockstar Games and the ESRB, was resolved with considerably less grandstanding. After a short period of review, the ESRB determined that the «Hot Coffee» code was present in all three released editions of San Andreas, and that Rockstar had failed to completely fulfill its good faith responsibilities.According to the standard agreements between game publishers and the ESRB, publishers are required to submit video depicting all of the most potentially offensive aspects of their games for review by an independent panel of three or more content judges. At issue was whether or not the buried, locked «Hot Coffee» sequence should have been considered as part of the game’s content.Rockstar did not include the «Hot Coffee» scenes in the San Andreas material it submitted for review, ostensibly because the publisher did not consider the hidden, «broken» code that allowed users to access the «Hot Coffee» scene to be a playable part of the game. It is impossible to access the «Hot Coffee» sequence without altering the games’ code (or downloading a patch that does so), which technically violates the End User License Agreement (EULA) imposed on anyone who plays a retail copy of the game.Because it was determined that the «Hot Coffee» code did exist on the retail game discs, however — playable or not — the ESRB judged that Rockstar had failed to meet its terms of the agreement, by not including footage of the explicit scene among the other material it submitted to be rated. In an unprecedented action, on July 20, 2005, the ESRB changed its letter rating of the already-released retail versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, from «M» for «Mature» (17+) to «AO» for «Adults Only» (18+). It also added another content descriptor, «Nudity.»Even though only a year separates the recommended minimum age between an «M» and «AO» audience, the difference is enormous in the marketplace. «M»-rated games are generally considered rough equivalents of «R»-rated movies, as far as the age-appropriateness of their content goes, and they are sold by nearly all major retailers. However, just as fewer large retail chains are willing to sell «unrated» or «NC-17» movies, there are essentially none that will sell «AO» rated games.The ESRB’s decision to change its rating called on compliant retailers to either alter the game’s packaging (with new labels or «AO» stickers), or to pull the game from their shelves altogether. Meanwhile, Rockstar went to work on a new «M»-rated version of San Andreas, in which all «Hot Coffee» code would be removed (or immutably disabled).Eventually, two versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas would exist. The original release, now rated «AO,» and the newer version with the «Hot Coffee» code completely suppressed, rated «M.» To anyone who does not purposefully take measures to unlock the «Hot Coffee» sequence, these two versions will be exactly the same.In the past, sales of Rockstar games were often invigorated by the publicity gained from such content-related controversy, but the «Hot Coffee» situation may not prove so profitable for the publisher. Following the ESRB’s announcement to change the game’s rating, stock in Take 2, Rockstar’s parent company, fell 11 percent overnight. Some analysts predicted that it might cost Rockstar as much as 40 million dollars in lost sales to reprogram, re-manufacture, and re-distribute the title on all three platforms.

Red Dead Revolver

Red Dead Revolver   Título Original: Red Dead Revolver Año de Producción: 2004 Estudio: Rockstar Games Dirección: Rockstar San Diego Categoría: Shooter Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci Return to the Wild West in the role of the gunslinger Red, to embark on a 3D action quest of six-shooting vengeance. Red Dead Revolver is presented in the style of a classic Western film, with boomtown locales, a variety of exaggerated characters, and plenty of fast, furious gunfights. Orphaned as a child when his parents were brutally murdered, the game’s hero Red grew up on the edge of civilization and became a bounty hunter. Now, his ultimate goal is to deliver some frontier-style, eye-for-an-eye justice to the outlaws who killed his family.Red is an able marksman, and the game’s auto-aim feature helps make sure his shots find their mark. He can also dodge behind objects for cover, and perform a few athletic tumbles to get out of a bad situation quickly. The game’s «Deadeye» feature temporarily slows the action down, as in Max Payne’s «Bullet time,» allowing the hero to target multiple shots against an enemy — all of which are fired in rapid succession as the game returns to its normal speed. Some levels have Red gunning down bad guys on horseback, and a multiplayer mode offers deathmatch-style shootouts between players.

Reign of Fire

Reign of Fire   Título Original: Reign of Fire Año de Producción: 2002 Estudio: BAM! Entertainment, Inc. Dirección: Kuju Entertainment Ltd. Categoría: Action Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by Michael L. House In Reign of Fire, based on the 2002 movie starring Matthew McConaughey, players have a choice of fighting for human survival against the onslaught of the dragons or trying to stop the human resistance as one of the fire-breathing beasts. The latter option is unlocked only after you successfully complete several human-based missions as a Kentucky Irregular under the leadership of Denton Van Zan, utilizing vehicles including a 4×4 jeep, fire truck, tank, or buggy. Playing as a dragon, you must unleash a rain of fire on the weapons of human resistance by spitting fireballs and breathing napalm.The vehicle-based human arsenal consists of such diverse weapons as a light machine gun turret, a tank cannon, ground-to-air rockets, heat-seeking missiles, a water cannon, and water grenades. Human enemies range from young Jakyls, who try to ram vehicles, to swarms of giant napalm breathers looking to toast anything in sight. As a human, the dragons aren’t the only concern, as failing to carry out the uncompromising Van Zan’s mission orders will also land you in hot water, or worse. Dragons, in addition to their fire-based arsenal, can also pick up objects, like humans and vehicles, and use them as bombs.Reign of Fire contains extras in the form of movie clips and Mad at Gravity’s music video «Walk Away.» The game features a radar-based HUD for both dragons and humans, with color-coded bars and gauges tracking various elements, such as targets, allies, ammunition, attack strength, stamina, health, and so forth, with a save game opportunity available at the end of each successfully completed level. A total of 16 missions are presented.Extra Credits by Michael L. House Based on the film Reign of Fire, the game combines ground-based combat using tanks and other destructive vehicles with dragon-controlled stages. The combination comes off like Combat and World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks meets Dragon Rage. While Reign of Fire contains exclusive DVD features related to the film and a music video of one its songs, it does not contain professional or authentic voice acting from actors in the movie. It does, however, feature the likeness of one of the film’s stars, Christian Bale.

Obscure

Obscure   Título Original: Obscure Año de Producción: 2005 Estudio: DreamCatcher Interactive, Inc. Dirección: Hydravision Entertainment Categoría: Adventure Mira Las Escenas AQUI Mira El Video AQUI

Synopsis by T.J. Deci The Breakfast Club meets Resident Evil, with this survival horror adventure set in a typical American high school, the first video game developed by the French studio Hydravision Entertainment. Players take the roles of five different students attending the run-down Leafmore High School, each representing a different social-clique stereotype. Kenny comes off as a typical BMOC jock. His sister Shannon is an «A» student with first-aid training. Kenny’s friend Stan is a bit of a delinquent, always scheming, while Ashley is a prom-queen-type with martial arts skills and Josh is a nerdy reporter for the school paper with a good eye for important details.At least one of the five must survive through the story to reach the game’s conclusion, but each possesses distinct abilities — such as Kenny’s speed and strength, or Stan’s thieving skills — so keeping as many of them alive as possible can make it easier to overcome various obstacles and survive surprise attacks. The students’ exploration of the spooky high school corridors is punctuated with fast-paced running and shooting action sequences. In good adventure-game style, players will also need to fill their inventories with whatever items they can scrounge, and figure out how to use or combine this equipment in order to solve puzzles and progress through the story.Obscure was previously released in Europe under the title Mortifilia. Prior to development of this survival horror game, Hydravision created Zombies, a series of French language pen-and-paper role-playing rulebooks.