SCANNER

PLAYSTATION PREVIEW Dino Crisis

Get it on with T-Rex: Dino Crisis

Shinji Mikami knows his stuff. Anyone who has played either of his Resident Evil titles will realise this. He single-handedly invented the survival-horror genre, giving the producers of games like Silent Hill a standard to be met, if not surpassed. He also gave gamers a whole new style of gaming, a rare feat in a sequel-heavy and derivative industry. Yes,

Shinji knows his stuff.

Therefore, you will understand the scrambling fit of excitement currently sweeping the gaming world as his new game sees the light of day. This is reminiscent of the fervour displayed by the movie industry when someone like Stanley Kubrick releases a new film. And, by all accounts, the Japanese programmer’s latest masterpiece, Dino Crisis, is no Eyes Wide Shut.

While we are on the subject of movies, the easiest explanation of Dino Crisis involves another Hollywood blockbuster. Have you ever watched Jurassic Park and thought how much better it would be if, after the dinosaurs escape, a special ops team were suddenly shipped in to dish out some homo sapien justice? Well dream no more because Dino Crisis delivers this, with you as one of the strike team. However, this is no Resident Evil 3 with dinosaurs instead of zombies. The whole feeling of the game is different, requiring a much more stealthy, thoughtful approach to your survival and success. Puzzles are plentiful and evasion becomes a very

honourable pastime.

Graphically, Dino Crisis is similar to its predecessors, but with that extra level of detail guaranteed to bring a smile to the face. The dinosaurs, though not particularly fast, move with a grace and sense of purpose that will shiver the strongest of backbones. Possessing an eerie intelligence, they seem to track you by scent as well as sight, crashing through doors to get to your juicy flesh. It is also not uncommon for them to knock your weapon from your hands. A different prospect than the shuffling undead,

you will agree.

For those without converters, Dino Crisis will be available for Christmas. Just stay out of the long grass until then. (lain Davidson) I Dino Crisis is available now on import and will be released by Capcom in a UK

version before Christmas.

Dangerous is so perfectly balanced that it would take this entire page to list its good pomts. Suffice to say that those of you who watch Where Eagles Dare and The Dirty Dozen every Christmas will have tears rolling down your cheeks when you first experience its joys. Just remember to bury your ’chute. (ID)

Jagged Alliance 2 (Take 2) £34.99 at at it it

The original Jagged Alliance has created a dedicated little followmg since its release and, on the off-chance that any of you JA maniacs are reading this, then worry not. You will love lagged Alliance 2. For those ignorant to its charms, please be warned lagged Alliance 2 is a bizarre beast. Its mix of strategy, management and turn- based combat takes a while to get on top of, and many will give up early. However, if detail is your thing, then this may be the title for you.

As a gun-for-hire, you are employed to manage the overthrow of a vicious

South American dictator. From hiring your squad, training the local militia and balancmg your finances, control of the entire operation is down to you, all accessed through the pseudo-Internet interface. However, try as you might, eventually Violence Will rear its ugly head. Here the game changes to become a turn-based combat system Viewed as an isometric map. Ordering your mercenaries around is Simple and their strengths and weaknesses soon become ObVIOUS, forCing you to develop tactics as you progress.

It is this constantly changing demand on your skills that makes lagged Alliance 2 so engaging. As long as you persevere. (ID)

REVIEWER THIS ISSUE: Iain Davidson

STAR RATINGS

ngisgagbjle of us, though, this is a very weird trip down a t it * wgyn a shot dark memory lane Without a torch. (Steve Blair) * * Below average

* You’ve been warned

Totally wired

The weird world of the Web.

Ali G’s RealAudio Ghetto

http://meltingpot.fortunecity.c0m lmorocco/S I 8/

The King of the Staines masswe is comin’ right at ya in this unoffiCiaI site. For real, you can hang Wif him an’ check Out his main men, an’ stream his infamous interViews into your home. It's a pot of gold for fans of the funniest British TV character of recent years. Keep it real.

The live Server

http://ccwf.cc.utexasedul ~ec|ecticltoysljivehtml

In an age of online real-time translators, an English to live translator is just what the world was waiting for. Yo’ ass gotta some lot 0' fun in da house! Type in a sentence in honky and watch it transform in front of your eyes. 60 in da house an' have some badass fall out, sucka’s. (Go here and have a good laugh, people).

Official Rock Scissors Paper Strategy Guide http://www.w0r|drps.com

And you thought it was just a simple game played to settle the score. No Here we find the rules and strategies, and discuss the controversial use of

the ’dynamite’ gesture (SCissors cut Wick, by the way). They Wish it to be known ’that The World RPS Sooety does not now, nor has it ever condoned the use of Dynamite in professional matches.’

Mullets Galore

http://mullet.cjb.net/

It's a very misunderstood haircut, the mullet. From rednecks to footballers to bad 80s rock bands, the mullet is alive and adorning the scalps of millions today. This site is dedicated to the ’hairstyle' and talks you through the various subtle styles and probable character traits of the wearer. You’ll be down the barbers in no time.

The Truth Is Backwards http://Www.geocities.com/Athens/7267/backx.html

You could describe this as a bunch of crazytalk for people With too much time on their hands, but someone out there is convmced that playing some lines from The X-Fi/es backwards reveals the truth. ’Ivlulder Why can’t you jUSI accept the facts?’ backwards SOunds like ’Sky of frUit baskets With the eight-year little old.’ This explains that UFOs took away Mulder’s sister. Listen to even more conVincing arguments they're all here.

This to that

http://www.thistothat.com

Every now and again, a website comes along that IS so utterly brilliant in its conception, so simple, so easy to use and, above all, so incredibly useful. However, While we're still waiting for one, check this Out . . . If you enter two types of surfaces to be stuck together, it tells you What kind of glue to use. ’The designer of this Site’ and ’day job’ are just two surfaces that come to mind.

Barbapapa's Home Page

http://home.t-onlinede/home/claus- wunderlich/barbaeng.htm

This’ll weed out the pre-Scrappy Doo crowd . . _ Do you remember the amorphous pink blob that Was Barbapapa? Or Barbamama? If you answer ’no’ to both, then please move on to the next link you really won't be interested in the fact that the show was actually created by a French architect and an American soentist. For the rest

9—23 Sep 1999 THE lIST 95