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Games and Internet

PLAYSTATION

Darkstalkers 3 (Virgin) £34.99 We may have moveo No the rear'ns oY picture perfect, ultra-reai.st.c beat 'em uos olayeo‘ Out rr‘ tHilly realsed 3D enmronrnents but, at the end o‘ the day, who on. es a fyzv‘g Kick? For y-xha’. feels '-KC' the last 100 years or so, deyelooe's Captor". "at e de!:‘~.ert->t.l the ‘mest f "oer-basing combat available to ma!“ .n the o-o'mensronal shaoe o" the Street F'g/‘ter saga Tney have cornolementeo that tr" the superhero boner-act oe. g"ts of X- 'fle". ano :‘flarvel and, as a lit: e bonus treat, the'e is also Dark/starters COns oered go 7' cant next to its brethren this i‘ttle ser es has blooo‘eo along xery "'(ely thank yOt. Darxstakers 3 features the Ot..I"dg(?()o8l‘~r ‘ast ganteoiay and precise cartoon grabh:cs you exoect froth Cantor“, a "ng0 cast 0" characters to Choose ‘rotr- They are all horror " in» types, but ioo< so t...te and mm, yo.. 0 never g..ess they unere oatt:.ng ‘or possession of sous Soeoaf moxes ai>ot;r‘d, "c ad-r‘g sonte ‘.er‘y .vhagmatte finaies, $.31“ as r'esoonsixe a controf systen‘ as yet. cot/d inwagrne \‘z’e may "d‘. e seen t ai: before, btrt Gur'ng those long, lo'efy wghts Ul'T'Jl Street Fighter Atom 3 as r‘eteaseo, Da".<s'ta."xers 3 keep yoa,r fingers fighting is: 'ID

Gex: Deep Cover Gecko (EiCos) £44.99 The th-ro 'nsta.'ne"t of the Gex 59(le .s srra't, share and (not: ng Ano that is :ts mash nibbiem

Deer) Coxer Getxo s a." emoyable 3D blat‘orm Doz’Z-C" featuring a inatrtuoe 0‘ turn" 'led levels Age"t Xtra, the lust of our repti‘aan hero's I ie, "as been E-t dnaooed by his arch-enemy Rez ano transported to ZF‘P txletna D'rnensron Gex ooes as any true hero \.'.o..!o' and rushes Into the r‘earest fe=€\.‘8_0ti set to rescae t'ie d'stressed tla'nsei Exery teleyzsaon cnanne‘ serves as a tee to

100 THE lIST 73— 29.4.:1' I99;

PLAYSTATION Ridge Racer Type 4 (Namco) £39.99

For those who have whined and pined for the last two years, your time has come. Ridge Racer Type 4, the latest in the riotously popular series has arrived in an explosion of publicity and excitement. Cocking a snook at the ever-snowballing support for increased realism, Namco have stayed true to original Ridge Racer concept of speed and gameplay. Type 4 is as raging and lightning-fast an arcade racer as you could wish for. Who cares about your car's stabiliser setting when you can leap straight into a revving monster that handles like a dream? This is the game’s greatest strength.

Competing in the main Grand Prix, you begin by choosing your team and car make, but from then on the only decision the player has to make is how fast they want to go. To help you decide, there are eight tracks and 45 cars to progress through. Each racing team has a unique story which develops the longer you compete for them, but everything else is concentrated on the driving experience. The tracks are beautiful, to look at as well as drive on, and there's very little pop-up to distract you from your ride to victory.

The cars vary from basic sports models to outrageous rocket-propelled bullets, all of which have their pros and cons. Some drift while others grip the tarmac limpet-style so, however you drive, there's the promise

interested.

The right track: Ridge Racer Type 4

of a car for you. In actuality, the various cars don't handle that differently, so getting an upgrade doesn’t feel as exciting as it should. The Grand Prix is also far too easy to complete with any team and, once accomplished, there is not a lot left to keep you

Ridge Racer Type 4 has everything except depth and, when all tracks have been learned and trophies won, that is what would keep you coming back for more. Short but very, very sweet. (lain Davidson)

be oxerconte as nae: as a genre to by Danny John-Jules .Cat .‘ron: Red

." d'Cclk3 These "arge t'r'on‘ a hunger Dwarf”, (torck‘y betorres :rr tatxr‘g, ‘~.'.ee<t-_>no' manston i‘otise, unite-re Gex he the constant referencr‘g to o'ons his Sher ocx Hobbes <..sgt;rse, to a nonular couture O‘.’Ol".'."‘(—? ns a" Spaghett \"."este"n 'i‘ox'e set Parooy Ci'lt?".'.’!S€‘ Ln game Too ( eye." for its “o'l‘S o‘eeb, wt” every t‘ (“e strettheo O‘.‘." gooo -ID‘

to Its irrtit The gameoéay ,s pretty 2 stanoard blatforn: stat", t" riti? t uches 'iKt? S'iO‘C.del‘(l"‘:(_} or as-no a (ACUVlSlOlT) £39.99 vampire woe to 9: tie \‘./:t"‘ oxer l 2 mi? ion sates of the PC

\.'-./"at prevents t“:s be "g a great xerson of City/Matron 2, t as only a game =s its sut't'ocathg homo." The titresto" of time before a PlayStat on

yersiOr‘ as atter‘:‘.oted Unfortunately, t"is :s onsy a bartzaé success

All the garhebiay has sort ted from the orig rial lylanagzng the "esotrrces o‘ your b..-rgeomng kingdom, yotr Was: btreio a PdUO" worthy of wing the globe Oye" 5000 years, yo;. orogress from a s:ng'e feuo‘a \IlldQQ to, hone‘uily, a space-ta" ".9 race Along the may, scientists Innovate, bozitICrans we 7'or boner a Til rni'rtary might lS mercuessly reloeo

Th:s s a h..ge game \‘.rth many an hour of pay required to ga'r‘ any stittess Ho\.'.ever, the poor Pit-tyStattor‘ struggles to tone v. th the ‘reghtenrng (tenth of the garne As your kingdom gl'()\‘.8, be r_)r'ei)areo to st pat:e'it‘y as the grey box \.‘.'O"KS :ts may through the (talcalatror‘s The graphics are basic, to say the least, turth a modern int astrral natro" loOlono identical to the basIOra: xxorio you left behzntl 3000 years ago If it hao iooketl smarter, Cry/fixation 2

Lizard ming: Gex Deep Cover Gecko

‘t'.’OtllO hate been a must buy, but Small Cranisy :cons and an .rnexc ting inter‘ace y. 7i preyeht t congt,.errng the console ilD

PC

Recon

(Electronic Arts) £34.99 -

There has always been a probe!“ tank s n‘uiatrons the turret Specifically designeo to fare f""OL.'gl‘ 360 oegrees ‘.‘-."".!le travel! ng m a straight iine, year basc tank 's i‘ot meant to be controiled by ore oerso." alo"e Thus, taher‘ converted to the \trtaa: reain‘ of gaming, the Sl'77tlli8"(?()tl8 handing of bot." trams ant] turret nas oroxeo a tricky concept ‘or orogramne's to emulate Uni-r "our.

Ret'Or uses the Keyboard for Gri‘.:r‘g the tank, leaning the nnoose free to cirrt‘ ano " re A32'tot:gh this srn‘nnftcat on takes a inghre to waste", at proves (TSIOtTrs""‘»g'y biayer-‘rvenozy ar‘o ope"s it) new. ayentres o‘ sr‘ell- -obb:r‘.g n‘a'Na Unforttmateiy, these axenttes have been ignored by Reco.’ i" t’a\.ot.r of 1776? oyercrow i'eo back road of rw‘rss'on based, one event; after another, "(PDQIII'VQ geiIT‘BtD‘ciy There s the ooo d:st*acton ‘l‘C'tltl fig the "'lO"t)l‘I'iQ tan-t t'or exarnoie, ant: the aboaitom be rref-load of power- ..ps, out "othrrtg really grams yot. r‘ If there hao bee" as much rn‘agtr‘a-t o".