12B e Michigan Daily - We nd, etc. Magazine - Thurs y, December 7, 2000
SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THE VIDEO GAME GODS
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The Michigan Dailo- Weekend, etc. I
Students find sense of meaning in holik
By: Jeff Dickerson and
Matthew Grandstaff
'baiy Arts %fiters
With the holidays upcoming, video
games will be flying off the shelves. You
want to get the rockin' games before they
sell out, and you end up receiving crap
like "Mary-Kate and Ashley Mystery
Call" for Playstation. Here are the
Daily's game pies for the holiday season.
0 "Fifa 2001 MLS" (Playstation 2)
- EA s popular soccer series makes a
perfect transition to 128-bit gaming in its
latest installment of soccer fun. Not only
is the gameplay tight, but you will learn
a good deal of British vocabulary.
"Virtua Tennis" (Dreamcast)--
Tennis fans can rejoice as Sega's arcade
brings the best of professional tennis to
home consoles, well except that it
excludes Anna Kournikova. While the
single player mode is fun, the game real-
ly shines in multiplaver matches, includ-
vmk-
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ing four player doubles.
"'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2"
(Playstation and Dreamcast) ~
Activision's follow-up to sleeper hit of
1999 will not disappoint garners. New
areas, amazing moves and the addition
of Spiderman as a playable character
will keep garners stuck to the screen.
*"NFL2KI" (Dreamcast) - When
comparing gameplay. graphics and
sound between "NFL2Kl" and ENs
"Madden 2001," garners can go either
way and experience the best football
realism ever in a videogame. What
makes Sega's latest pigskin game the
Daily's pick for pigskin game of the year
is the added element of network play.
0"SSX" (Playstation 2) - Easily the
finest game for the Plavstation 2. "SSX"
(Snowboal-ding Supcrcross) from EA
brings new life to the snox boarding
genre that has craved originality since
the Nintendo 64 smash, "1080
Snowboarding."Set in the future, "SSX"
has one of the best atmospheres e er in a
game with amazine visuals, music by
Mix Master Mike and amazing control.
a "Chrono Cross" (Playstation) -
Fabulous sequel to a little title for the
Super Nintendo game "Chrono T'rigger."
More fun than watching four straight
hours of "Family Fued" on the Game
Show Network. Survev says .... we got a
winner!
I*I "Legend of Zelda: Majora's
Mask" (Nintendo 64) - Ahhh, Zelda.
The name is synonymous with qualitv.
Nintendo proves why it is the mother of
the video game industry. You have 72
hours to save the world. Good thing you
can control time with the ocarina Yablo
Courtes of Square
Final Fantasy IX offers more mystical and alluring world for Playstation
gave you. A worthy follow up to the
"Ocarina of Time.'
"Shenniue" (Dreamcast) --
Arguably the most innovatie video
game ever made. The attention to detail
is absolutely insane. You can start a con-
versation with anyone, go into every
building. and even open every draxxer
The graphics are the finest on anv svs-
tern. The future of gam inc.
* "Skies of Arcadia" (Dreaincast)-
This could be Sega's "Final -antasv'
killer. Without a doubt the most v isually
impressie role playing game to date.
Made by the same folks responsible tor.
the classic "Phantasy Star' games on the
old Genesis. You re a pirate. but a good
pirate.'There's great fun to be had in raid-
ing ships and stealing their loot for your
own glory. If you own a Dreameast and
don't hav e this game. you should be
shaved, sterilized, and destroyed.
By Charity Atchison
Daily Arts XVriter
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MoCKINGBIRD
Dramatized by Christopher Sergel
Adapted from the novel by Harper Lee
Directed by Kathryn Long
K 'ta
"Final Fantasy IX" (Playstation)
- Square does it again. One of the best
Final Fantasy games exer. certainly as
good or better than the previous
Plavstation efforts. This game will last
you a long time and the ending xvill have
you itching to start all over. Buy this
game or suffer the consequences.
In order to play v our favorite v ideo
gane you haxe to purchase the best s s-
tem.
Sega Dreameast:
Certainly the best system on the mar-
ket today. You won't have any problem
finding them in stores and it's half the
price of the Plaxstation 2 In the past
year Sega has produced an impressive
selection of'titles to choose from that are
exclusive to this xwondreful machine.
The Dreamcast is the only system with a
running online server to play games on.
The quality and originality of the games
makes this system a must have.
Must own games: Skies of Arcadia,
Shcnmue. NFL2KI, .Tet Grind Radio.
Virtua Tennis, Tony Hawk 2
Grade: A
Sony=Plavstation 2: Potential. That's
just about all Sony's got going right now
with their new powerhouse of video
gaming. The demand for the system had
hundreds of people sleeping outside
stores and units were sold out before the
doors even opened. Was the wait and
S300 worth it? Many have been let
down by Sony's new multimedia sys-
tem. Sure it can play DVDs, but the
games available are lacking to say the
least. At least you can play original
Plavstation games on it. In the mean-
time, xou're better off buying a
Dreamcast and waiting for "Metal Gear
Solid 2" to be released.
Must own games: SSX, Fifa 2001
Grade: B-
Nintendo 64:
Compared to the competition's newer,
more expensive systems, the Nintendo
64 has a clear disadvantage. It does have
the largest library of games, but only a
handful are good. A big disappointment,
one of the worst game systems ever pro-
duced. If you don't own one, don't buy
one. Nintendo will be releasing a new
system titled "Game Cube" in the neat'
future.
Must own games: Super Mario 64,
Goldeneve, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of
Time, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask,
Grade: C
As the month of December rolls
along, many students are comforted
by the chance to go home and catch
up with their families. The holidays
brings people together to enjoy the
season of perpetual hope.
But with the commercialization of
the holidays, it is hard to get at the
exact meaning of them. While out
searching for the perfect gift or bat-
tling airport delays the true meaning
of the holidays can become lost in
the hustle and bustle.
The different holidays celebrated
during the month of December have
different base ideas. Christians cele-
brate Christmas and rejoice in the
birth of Jesus Christ. Jevwish people
ligcht the menorah to celebrate the
I anukkah miracle of the oil burning
for not only one night. but the eight
days required to bring a fresh supply.
Kwanzaa celebrants focus on tradi-
tional African-American values of
family and comm unitv responsibili-
t v.
One thine that all holidays have in
comimon1 is a chance to be close to
fanily and friends. The holidays
bring people together and present us
wxith a time to reflect on what we
have been gi en. and also give peo-
ple the chance to showe love for those
closest to them.
"It's aixvinL instead of receiving."
LSA sophomore Ryan Hong said.
"WVheny ou're together with loved
ones I can feel the giving part, I like
that a lot.''
With the commercialization of
Christmas growing more impressive
every year, it still retains much of its
religious significance for some stu-
dents.4
"I enjoy the special church ser-
vices," Engineering sophomore Erik
Mellquist said. "Religiously it is
when God came to earth in human
form."
A few days before Christmas, on
Dec. 21, Jewish people begin the cel-
ebration of Hanukkah.
"Each of the eight nights of the
holiday, my family lights an addi-
tional candle of the Menorah as we
sing the blessings over the candles,
as well as traditional Hanukkah fes-
tive songs," LSA freshman Pamela
Baskies said. "After lighting the can-
dles, we sit down and eat a big dinner
of latkes and applesauce and other
good food."
Although the traditions of
Hanukkah differ from those associat-
ed with Christmas, both holidays
emphasize the importance of family
and thankfulness.
-To me. Hanukkah means the
coming together of families to cele-
brate a holiday that is significant in
Jewish history," Baskies said. "And
the actual story of Hanukkah is sic-
nif iieat because of the oil's burning
for eight day s symbolizes a deeper
meaning: The strong will power and
hope of the Jewish people."
Other students observe holidays
that don't fall during winter break.
Graduate student Manish Mehta, for
example. celebrates Diwali, an
Indian holiday that is celebrated in
October.
"It's difficult because it is during
the school year" he said. "So I call
my parents It is suppose to be a time
when family comes together."
In other cases, students mix tradi-
tions from several holidays to create
their own celebrations. LSA sopho-
more Kirsten Swanson enjoys a holi-
dax season that incorporates her
Christmas celebration and close fam-
ilv friends' Hanukkah celebration.
"Our best family friends are
Jew ish, thev come over for
Christmas dinner and we go there for
Hanukkah dinner," she said.
H olidavs also bring many yearly
traditions. Each family finds its own
wav to commemorate the season.
"Every Christmas my mom and I
pick out the biggest tree to make my
dad mad," LSA and Music freshman
Brandi McClain said.
En ineerin c student
Cloutier's family does som
little different. We hide a I
our tree, whoevcr finds
Christmas morning gets a
present," she said.
And there's always the tra
holiday shopping. While soc
facing the malls full of fello
pers hunting for that perfectu
sophomore Erlene Kuizon er
"I enjoyi being with famil
friends, and really good sal
LSA sophomore Nicole Johnson, Kinesiology junior Andrea Steinhoff and U
celebrate the holidays.
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