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XBOB REVIEWS XBOX - GAME REVIEWS FROM 2002 & 2003

Key
= "A" List game, 5 Stars, 2 Thumbs Up, etc... Worth owning.
= Good game. Good rental or discount buy.
= Fair to bad. Play a demo or rent at most.

Review based on:
P = Purchase
R = Rental
D = Demo

The $ amount is my review is the "perceived value" (i.e. What I think it should cost.)
 
Aggressive Inline
P
 Adds some nice options to the 'extreme' genre. Huge levels will keep you busy. Control scheme is a little rough to master with the standard Xbox controller though.
$40
Amped Freestyle Snowboarding
P
 Steep learning curve at first. Very satisfying game. Hard but fun. One of my first and favorites. Challenges will have you cursing at times but you'll still want to keep trying to beat them.
$50
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance
P
 Immersive "Diablo style" action RPG. Lots of fun also in 2 player with no split screen (like Gauntlet). A great gameplay system balanced with inventory and stats management.
$45
Burnout 2
P
 Finally some new life has been pumped into the driving game genre! This game is intense arcade style driving with spectacular races, chases, and wrecks. Crash challenges rule!
$50
Dead or Alive 3
P
 My XBOX showoff game. Looks amazing. Based on button mashing more than actual skill. Props to Tecmo for making this the first XBOX game to have a free upgrade.
$40
Dead to Rights
R
 Worst follow camera I have ever seen in a game. You have to constantly re-adjust it. The distracting mini games were just plain stupid. Max Payne is a similar but way better game.
$5
Enter the Matrix
P
 If you are not a Matrix fan don't bother. The fighting can be fun and the extra footage is great to see but the game is weak otherwise. Very repetitive levels. Hacking mode is a nice extra.
$30
Fuzion Frenzy
P
 This game is really for playing with 3 friends. It's ease of play is especially good for including non-gamers. As a single player game it's not worth your time.
$25
Halo
P
 A truly great first person shooter. The story really helps keep your interest since the later levels get a bit repetitive. All things considered, this game is one of the best so far.
$50
Jet Set Radio Future
P
 More style than any game I've played. I'm still trying to define it... Japangeek-cartoon-rollertag? A perfect experience if it wasn't for the dreadful 'Birthday Cake' song. Ya!
$50
Madden Football
P
 Console football seems great no matter where you look. Playing this feels like watching a game on TV and being able to control it. No LIVE support - Boooo!
$40
Max Payne
P
 Style, humor, and lots of cool gunfights. The first to use the 'martrix' style bullet-time. Story is a little corny but keeps you hooked in.
$50
Mech Assault
R
 A lot of fun playing single missions and an absolute blast on XBOX LIVE. Great job creating the feeling of weight in the mech control.
$45
Medal of Honor: Frontline
P
 Very immersive and well executed. Creates a good sense of importance to the missions. Enemy's marksmanship is a little too good at times.
$45
Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance
R
 I'm a long time MK fan and in my opinion, this is the best fighting game so far on the Xbox. Lots of depth and unlockables. Some combos are near impossible to pull off though.
$40
Namco Museum
P
 Recreates some classic arcade games perfectly. A good library title but probably won't be played for hours at a time. Only for the nostalgic.
$20
NBA Live
R
 Not bad single player but really shines when the gang comes over to play.
$30
NCAA Football (EA)
P
 The demo hooked me into this one. I actually like it better than the NFL titles. You earn trophies and pennants for good play. The mascot game a hoot. Should have LIVE support.
$40
Nightcaster
P
 Fun but not great. L liked it enough to play it through but Baldur's Gate is more of what I hoped Nightcaster would be. I'll pass on Nightcaster 2.
$25
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
R
 Best Platform type game I've seen for the XBOX. As creative as it is bizarre.
$30
Outlaw Golf
P
 Should have been called "White Trash Golf" based on the characters. The characters are not very likable but the game is a lot of fun.
$30
Project Gotham Racing
R
 One of the best street racing games I've seen so far. Worth at least a rental or bargain purchase.
$25
Rallisport Challenge
P
 The Rally style racing is a fresh alternative to track or street style. Nice graphics. Easy to learn but challenging to master. A great game.
$40
Serious Sam
R
 Old school DOOM style kill everything game. It was fun when it wasn't locking up my XBOX. Apparently this is a wide-spread problem. Better QA next time on the final pressing!
$20
Silent Hill 2
P
 Very creepy but got kind of repetitive and boring. I like a deep story but this one didn't make a lot of sense at times. If you play every night you can finish it with a 5 day rental.
$30
Speed Kings
P
 It's a Road Rash revival with a few "extreme" tricks thrown in. Fun as is but could have been great if a few more features were added. Box claimed soundtrack support but lied. Uncool!
$30
Splashdown
R
 Jet Ski racing with good water physics. Standard "extreme" stunts to perform. Fun courses to race. I wouldn't buy it but it was fun to play with for a few days
$20
SSX Tricky
P
 Great fun snowboard racing against off the wall character personalities. Levels are very cool. The game has great music, graphics, and gameplay. A must own title.
$50
The Simpsons Road Rage
P
 I really love the Simpsons and I liked Crazy Taxi in the arcades so this should be a no brainer. It literally is a "no brainer". This is a rip off game that sucks raw. EAt my shorts!
$0
The Sims
R
 8 Million copies of this sold? I can't believe it. Micro-manage a simulated moron. If you don't tell them to pee, eat or sleep they curl up and die. You win by avoiding this game altogether.
$0
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
R
 Best immersion in a story of any game so far for XBOX. However, the feeling gets lost during turn-based combat, traveling long distances on foot, and as you notice that a lot of NPCs all look the same.
$30
Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus
R
 Pretty good runner up to Mortal Kombat. A little more skill than most fighters require but still more of the same. Fun rental ...wouldn't buy.
$20
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
P
 Truly immersive. It's hard for a game to draw you in so much that you can really feel the tension. This game does it and does it with visual style never seen before on a console game.
$50
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2X
P
 A great Xbox Tony Hawk debut. Lots of fun levels to play and a good place to start since the games get harder with each version.
$25
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
P
 Gaming greatness! A perfect balance of gameplay and difficulty with great graphics & music. The levels are a blast to skate. Perfect Landing!
$50
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4
P
 Graphics are better than 3 and levels are bigger. The challenges get a little too hard at times but otherwise it's every bit as great as THPS3. No level time limit is a big plus!
$50
Transworld Surf
P
 A good idea just not much fun. The waves look near perfect but riding them gets stale after a couple of hours. The challenges are lame attempts to imitate THPS but on waves.
$20
Unreal Championship
P
 Not as much fun as the UT on the PC. Gameplay is a bit too frantic and online is a crazy free for all that isn't much better. Voices on XBLive sounded too garbled to understand.
$30
more to come.... 
 


Demo Reviews
Some might say it's unfair to review based on a demo. I feel like the demo should represent the game. A demo is meant to get you interested enough to make a purchase. Sometimes it also does the opposite.

4x4 Evo 2
D
 4x through this demo was more than enough. Drive past this one.
$5
Air Force Delta Storm
D
 Felt like flying a fighter jet at 30 mph. I can see how plane buffs might dig it but it was a snoozer to me.
$5
Arctic Thunder
D
 Reasonably fun demo but not worth spending much money on. Best in the arcade.
$10
Azurik: Rise of Perathia
D
 Not much fun. Poor save system.
$5
Blood Wake
D
 Looks good but is almost too much like riding rough seas. Story mode was OK.
$10
BloodRayne
D
 It sucks ....blood.
$10
Brute Force
D
 Shooters are getting old to me but this one is better than most. I liked the squad play, with creative weapons and skills. Otherwise it's still a kill 'em all game. $35
Cel Damage
D
 Too frantic to enjoy. Mash buttons hoping to kill a foe. May have been better played online.
$5
Chase
D
 I like the mission structure and the control works well. The demo level was mildly addictive.
$20
Crash Banicoot: Wrath of Cortex
D
 Platformers bore me unless super-creative with something new. Didn't hold my interest.
$10
Crazy Taxi 3
D
 More fun in an arcade to me. Play a few times, then move on to something else. The full version may hold more promise but I don't care enough to try it.
$15
Dark Summit
D
 Two words: Snow Bored
$0
Dave Mirra BMX 2
D
 They released a demo that doesn't seem to do the game justice. It's no Tony Hawk but might be worth a try.
$20
Deathrow
D
 Demo was OK. Might be a fun rental when friends are over for multiplayer
$10
Dino Crisis 3
D
 The cut scenes and in-game graphics are incredible. Too bad all that artistic talent was wasted on a game that sucks T-Rex schlong. Un-fun. Horrible fixed camera makes you shoot off-screen dinos. Weak...
$5
Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure
D
 It's a Tony Hawk game but with Disney characters. It's easier than TH4 but that's actually a good thing. All fun, little frustration. Made for kids but adults will enjoy it too.
$30
ESPN NFL Football
D
 The demo had no commentary so it felt bland. It also has a first person mode which could be a nice new twist on gameplay but not available in demo. It's probably great but the demo didn't show it completely.
$40
ESPN NHL Hockey
D
 Another ESPN unfinished demo. No commentary made it very bland. Looks great and is fun to play but the demo wouldn't make me want to buy it.
$25
Ghost Recon Island Thunder
D
 Demo doesn't support LIVE which is where this game is at from what I've heard. As a single player it adds a little something new since you control a squad.
$30
Gun Metal
D
 Doesn't seem half bad but is missing addiction. Might be worth a try only a bargain price
$20
Gunvalkyrie
D
 Demo was addicting enough to make me want to keep trying, but not enough to want to buy or rent the game.
$15
House of the Dead 3
D
 Has the true feel of playing in an arcade. The demo was short but I wanted to keep on playing. Should be bundled with a light gun.
$30
Hunter: The Reckoning
D
 Demo was pretty enjoyable. I think this game would be great playing multiplayer.
$20
Indiana Jones: Emperor's Tomb
D
 Lara Croft stole his moves. Now he's stealing them back. Fun game based on demo. Warning - I have read that the full version has no mid-level saves. I hate that in games!
$45
Kakuto Chojin
D
 Pretty good fighter game. More of the same old same old in this genre.
$20
 Loons the Fight for Fame
D
 It's essentially like Whacked with Loony Toons. Slightly funny otherwise a fight for lame.
$5
Mad Dash Racing
D
 Seems like a kids game but I wonder if they even like it that much?
$5
Mace Griffin:Bounty Hunter
D
 Space Flight action plus FPS. Interesting enemies but the rest of the game is the same old cliches. OK, but not enough fun to buy..
$15
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2
D
 Like Tony Hawk Pro Skater on a BMX bike. Well done.
$40
Metal Arms
D
 Shooters are getting kind of boring these days but this one caught my attention. It's really fun to play and you can possess enemy robots to fight with. Give this one a try!
$35
Midtown Madness 3
D
 Feels old. Lousy physics and mediocre graphics. Burnout 2 has spoiled me and this one doesn't come close in comparison. It's nice to see some new cities in a game though (DC and Paris).
$15
Moto GP
D
 Does XBOX Live better than any game so far. Steering takes practice but overall a satisfying experience, especially online.
$35
MX Superfly
D
 Seems very unrealistic but who cares because it also seems fun.
$30
Nascar Thunder
D
 I'm just not into racing around in a circle. Fans of the sport would probably like it. Looks almost as real as the real thing.
$5
NFL Fever
D
 As I said with Madden, you really can't go wrong with console football these days. NFL Fever is another great - especially on XBLive.
$40
Otogi
D
 Along the lines of Devil May Cry at first glance. Nice graphics, nice action, Asian theme. Good rental title.
$25
Outlaw Volleyball
D
 Characters are best modeled hot chicks I've seen in a game (even DOA). It's kind of fun but I just don't find video volleyball all that exciting. Nice bounce physics!
$20
Panzer Dragoon Orta
D
 This game looks and plays like a first rate arcade game. Destined to become a classic.
$40
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
D
 I wanted to love this game but the character control feels disconnected somewhat and not fully responsive. Graphics are incredible!
$25
Quantum Redshift
D
 A nice alternative to car racing. Would be most enjoyable playing multiplayer.
$25
Revolt
D
 This RC car racer was only playable during the XBLive beta. I thought is was great fun and don't understand why it was replaced with Whacked. Maybe we'll see it again someday.
$20
Rocky
D
 A sucker punch to your wallet if you buy it. KO this one.
$0
SEGA GT2002
D
 Nice looking race game and well done, but to me, nothing new.
$15
Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix
D
 Enemy damage is pretty sick but that's all that's new. This genre is getting old fast. Has barely changed since Quake on the PC. Graphics are pretty poor too.
$10
Soul Calibur 2
D
 A real show-off title in terms of graphics. Truly spectacular looking. Game is fun but suffers the same problem as most fighters; do enough button mashing and you can win.
$35
Voodoo Vince
D
 I'm not even a platform game fan but this one did it right. Maybe it's my soft spot for the New Orleans atmosphere. Abe and Munch now have company among the best XBOX platformers.
$35
Whacked
D
 Good title.. You are whack if you buy this. The demo was fun for a few rounds to test XBLive, otherwise it's a POS.
$0
more to come....
 

If you want to see my long winded reviews, check out xboxaddict.com. They have a great review system. If I wrote one for a game, it's under the name rmu2867.

Want to play a game online? My gamer tag is XBOB (if you hadn't figured that out already).