As we begin to recover from our summer hangovers, many of us will probably resist the urge to stay focused and not procrastinate this semester in favor of doing it \later."" What better time than now to reacquaint ourselves with some of the video games perhaps missed during the past few months? Despite an unusually slow summer season, there were a handful of games that stuck out as worthwhile.
'Forza Motorsport'
Hailed as Microsoft's answer to the ""Gran Turismo 4,"" ""Forza"" does everything we wished GT4 had done. The visuals are exceedingly realistic and the sound is top-notch. You will while away hours unlocking licensed cars, special tracks and new options. Where you will spend most of your time, though, is in the online portion of the game. Although the competition is fierce and the learning curve is steep, the rewards are well worth the trouble. It is worth mentioning that when you slam your ride into a barricade at 100 mph, you will see damage appear on the car-something a certain PS2 exclusive racer will not do.
'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'
Yeah, it's the same game your PS2-owning friends played last November, but you did not, Mr.. Xbox-owner. In this incarnation, help CJ reclaim what The Man has taken from him and build a criminal empire while you are at it.
Several aspects of ""San Andreas"" flourish in this port, while some gameplay mechanics suffer. Visuals are touched up over the PS2 version, but only slightly and less than what we know the Xbox can accomplish. The control scheme suffers, too, as fire fights and certain objectives require unparalleled dexterity. Also, if you get sick of the provided soundtrack, you can also listen to the system's tunes, stored on the hard drive. Despite a lack of any major improvements, any Xbox owner should definitely pick up ""San Andreas.""
'Kirby Canvas Curse'
For the 17 of you out there that own a Nintendo DS, you will find what could be considered its first true game. Kirby's adventure is not some half-assed tech demo or a port of a Nintendo 64 game, but a game developed solely and explicitly to take advantage of the DS' unique gaming abilities.
With the DS' stylus, players can guide Kirby around in a multitude of ways, from simple movement to more complex forms of attack.
While this new style of control might not jive with the previous Kirby stylings, one thing is certain-it makes for a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.
'NCAA Football '06' and 'Madden NFL '06'
Another year, another football game. Each year, EA Sports offers up slightly improved editions of the past year's game. Whether the college or pro game is your cup of tea, either will suffice if you feel the need to update your rosters from last year's incarnations.
There are a few new things to note this year, though. NCAA has finally received a graphical face lift. There is also a new mode that allows closer control over a character's quest for the Heisman trophy, with more focus placed on micro-management.
Madden, likewise, has a new superstar mode, which is a souped-up model of the Heisman race.
With EA obtaining the exclusive rights to both the college and professional ball titles, these two games represent the full spectrum of football sims this year. Each plays as well as it ever had and the additions are a pleasant enough distraction. Anyone feeling the need to play some virtual pigskin between class will not be disappointed.
As we approach the end of console life cycles, developers are putting most of their time and effort into the new batch of hardware. This means the rate at which quality games are released will slow down considerably.
This Fall holds the promise of a few more top-tier titles vying to capitalize on the holiday season, but the last few months, with a few exceptions, have been disappointing at best.
Jason Ducat is a senior majoring in Communication Arts. He can be reached at JMDucat@gmail.com
