The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 3, 1997 - 9A

New titles reinvigorate N-64

By Gabriel Smith
Daily Arts Writer
Ever wonder what it would be like to quarterback the
Dallas Cowboys?
How about becoming a British secret agent?
Perhaps, you would like to go one-on-one with
0ollywood" Hulk Hogan in a grudge match.
With the barrage of gaming software
being released by Nintendo in the com-
ing months for the Nintendo 64 system, PI
your dreams can come and your imagi-
nation can run wild with endless possi-
bilities.
On Oct. 27, an unmarked white van
pulled up to the Student Publications
building, inviting reviewers inside to
take a look at what's in store for the new N-64 gaming uni-
#rse.
With all the new software, the old criticism that there
weren't enough games can clearly be dismissed.
Walking in the van with my fellow colleagues, psyched to
skip class, the introduction to bytes,
rumble packs and "Super Mario"
began. Four television screens adorned
the back wall, each holding a different
adventure. The walls were lined with <
various posters of "Mario Kart,"
"Extreme G," "Goldeneye" and others.
* Let the gaming begin!
The big game emphasized was
"Diddy Kong Racing." Here is a game
that could appeal to both adults and
children alike.
With eight characters from which to
choose, including such adorable names The Nintendo 64 a
as Banjo the Bear, Conker the Squirrel, Bond film "Golden
pumper the Badger, and Tiptup the
Turtle, this game makes for hours of enjoyment. There are
many traces of "Super Mario Kart" in this game.
But "Diddy Kong" has more possibilities: the many cours-

es have beautiful islands, rivers, waterfalls, tunnels, and
canyons. The color is extremely rich and there are three
types of vehicles: airplane, hovercraft, and car.
Do not be fooled by this game, though. It is a lot harder
than it looks and as I navigated my plane with great difficul-
ty through a winding canyon, picking up bonus banana peels,
the fun built up. With the possibilities of four-player split

REVIEW

screen, and being due out on
Thanksgiving, this game is sure to be a
hit.

N

"Goldeneye" is another game that
intendo 64 Nintendo is definitely banking on. Even
Fall/Winter '97 though "Goldeneye" has been out for
Games approximately two months, this game
has already taken the first-person per-
spective to a new level.
Based on the hit James Bond movie, this game is highly
explosive, with endless possibilities and great sound effects
and graphics.
"Goldeneye" also features a rumble pack, an attachment
that jars the controller with every wrong move, insuring
hours of adventure - shaken, not
stirred.
Howard Lincoln, Nintendo's chair-
man, said the system will be a smash.
"Nintendo 64, with its superior
advanced technology, is the only
machine capable of producing a game
of this magnitude - combining bril-
liant graphics with the strategy,
intrigue, humor and sophistication for
which James Bond is famous' he said.
"This game will be a mega-hit, as it's a
rare opportunity to control the fate of
ptation of the the infamous James Bond."
" is a surefire hit. Sports fans are not overlooked.
Look for "Madden NFL '98," "Wayne
Gretzky Hockey '98" and "NBA Live '98" to become best-
sellers as well.
"Madden '98" is a recent release, and is only the latest

Don't be fooled by the cute characters of "Diddy Kong Racing" - navigating a hovercraft is much harder than it seems.

enhancement in a long line of EA sports games.
Also, for wrestling fans, look for the exciting "WCW vs.
NWO" out later this month.
This is arguably the best wrestling game in production.
You are able to choose from more than 50 wrestlers, includ-
ing Hogan or "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Feeling a little closer to home? You could also play as
University alumni, The Steiner Brothers! The moves and
possibilities are endless and realistic.
The minutes ticked by as I somehow managed to reverse
suplex my opponent. My strategy on sports games is simple.
Press all the buttons you can at once, and hope something

dap
eye

works.
Team Nintendo's Thom Leonard, who was heading the
tour van, summed things up perfectly when he said, "You
know it's a good video game when you forget to blink your
eyes!"
Nintendo has put together quite a product. With a.64-bit
system, to Sony's 32 bit, Nintendo has managed to double
the processing power of its machine as compared to its near-
est competitor.
Along with wonderful graphics and a barrage of games
coming out in the next month and a half, look for N-64 to be
on top of the competition come Christmas time.

Refreshing pop propels new artist to Starr-dom


By Amy Berber
For the Daily,
Hardly anyone knew 22-year-old singer-songwriter
Garrison Starr before she opened for The
Refreshments last week at Saint Andrew's Hall. But by
e end of her performance, she had captured the
'Uention of almost everyone in the crowd.
Starr's set, with the exception of one song, consist-
ed entirely of songs off her self-
titled debut album. The set was >:
highly energetic and exciting but
combined well with insight and GN
emotion.

The song was very emotionally and impressively per-
formed.
Starr then livened everything up with the angst-rid-
den "Passing," during which much of the audience
seemed to be able to relate to the expression of anger
at an unfaithful friend.
"What I Wish For" came next, followed by a com-
mendable solo performance of "Ugly," a refreshingly

EVIEW
arrison Starr
t. Andrew's Hall
Oct. 27, 1997

introspective song addressing the
practice of talking about other
people to make oneself feel better.
The highlight of the evening
came two songs later, when Starr
played "Superhero," which will
soon be released to radio.
By this time, people were danc-
st moving - to thee music, so the

PEACE CORPS
INFORMATION SESSION
Peace Corps is currently placing college seniors in posi-
tions that begin in the spring and summer of 1998. For
information about current openings, visit the
University of Michigan campus representative at the
international Center, 603 E. Madison Street.
Book Giveaway
Expresso Royale Cafe
324 S. State Street from
10:00 am - 4:00 pm A
on Thursday, November 6,
followed by a reading at 7:00 pm
(313)p747-2182j
www.peacecorps.gov

The opening song was the S
upbeat, almost Alanis Morissette-
ish "Grounded," which sounded
remarkably similar to the album version.
0 The song successfully grabbed the audience's atten-
tion and was then followed by an equally lively
"Molly."
Things slowed down when Starr beautifully played
"Clearer," a song addressing the assumption that
everyone makes after physical or psychological abuse
is exposed; "It should have been clearer," she sang.

t

ing - or at lea

extremely happy, somewhat childlike "Superhero"
was delightful.
To top off the evening, Starr played an excellent
new song, "Plain," which was somewhat of a promise
that songs to come will be of the same high-quality as
those we heard all night.
In the span of less than an hour, Garrison Starr

Pop "Superhero" Garrison Starr performed last week.
made quite an impression on the audience at Saint
Andrew's Hall, and that is sure to be the case through-
out the country on the rest of her tour.

For EPMD,'Business is booming


A

.PMD
Back in Business
Def Jam Recordings

Between the years 1988 and 1994,
there was a renaissance in Hip-Hop
music. Rap muscled its way
into the ranks of Jazz,
Rock and R&B, forcing
vritics, label execu-
ves, and music lis-
teners to respect it as a
legitimate form of
music.
One of the by-products
of this renaissance was Def
Jam artists EPMD, which was
arguably the most successful of the
groups to come out of that era, consis-
tently reaching gold with every album
ey released and succeeding despite a
"lack of mainstream radio support. That
ended in 1992, when internal problems
caused the dynamic duo to go their sep-
arate ways. Flash forward to 1997, and
with Hip-Hop in the midst of its biggest
crisis, the news of an EPMD reunion
came as miraculous news in an age of
territorial rap wars, slain rap patriarchs
and overly commercialized rap artists.
With their return effort "Back in
usiness," EPMD picks up exactly
here they left off five years ago, hit-
ting listeners with classic hardcore, no-
frills Hip-Hop.
With songs like the 1997 remake of
their classic "You Gots to Chill," they
send a loud message to all new jacks
who are not only in the biz, but who
plan on getting in with some crossed-
over R&B rap music: this is how real
hip-hop is done.
There are no gimmicks to their 16-
rack album, just rough, rugged battle
rhymes like on "Richter Scale" over
raw, stripped-down grooves like "Never
Seen Before." Erick Sermon's
Metaphor-laced slur fits so perfectly
with Parrish Smith's baritone braggado-
cio that one can't even imagine how
these two were able to last two solo

Squad members Redman and Keith
Murray represent very well on the
album with the fully orchestrated
"K.I.M.," which may be the best song
on the album; likewise, Hit Squad
members Nocturnal and Das Efx hold it
down on "Intrigued" and
"Dungeon Master" (Das Efx
is an especially pleasant
surprise for those who
slept on their return to
the iggedies a couple
of years ago).
As EPMD had truly
returned to form, some
of the flaws that have
plagued previous albums
also plagues this one. The songs
are still way too short, as when you
finally get past the way-too-long song

intros and into the actual song, it's over.
Most of the songs are roughly the same
tempo. The raw atmosphere casts a
shadow over the whole album, which
makes one wonder if a little bit more
variety in the songs would have hurt.
Also, the three interludes on the
album are pointless, and "Put On" is a
throwaway song that doesn't belong on
the album. But, these flaws can be eas-
ily overlooked.
EPMD has lived up to its hype, and
made a product that will introduce new
Hip-Hop fans to their trademark sound,
as well as bring back their Die-Hard
fans. "Back in Business" is a much-
needed shot in the arm for Hip-Hop
music. Now, if only somebody could
convince Rakim to come back ...
- JuQuan Williams

-~ "

W

crez";,ative
writi ng
at nyu
* Poetry
i Creative Writing
" The Short Story
" College Writing
* International Writing
(for ESL students)
summer
in the city
New York University

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