12B e Michigan Daily - We nd, etc. Magazine - Thurs y, December 7, 2000 SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THE VIDEO GAME GODS 0 0 0 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- Be Tempted! The Original Cottage Inn Invites you to treat yourself to our delicious lunch buffet 11:00am-2:00pm. Mon-Thurs Buffet S7.95 Enjoy assorted delicious pizzas, pastas and fresh salads Friday Buffet 57.95 Our House favorites- T OR10 eNA Homemade mac & cheese Lightly battered fish _ _ Vegetarian & meat calzones 512 E William (734)663-3379 Fresh salad Ann Arbor, MI $ 00 Off Lunch Buffet with this Coupon only expires 12/31/00 The Original Cottage Inn Restaurant - ------- ------ 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 ,.n4.. -- .9- ,-. ,., ,va.,.,,.,,... I 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. U 7 7+77 77 j i -7 i a Decem at 8p Decem at 2p Power Ticket Studer w nber 7--9i pm nber 10 pm Center , s $20,$15 nts $7 w/lD i UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES CENTER v i D v League Ticket Offic 764-0450 UM School of Music Dept. of Thearre & Drama '>~ .;'o~'~VC419.55~ooI fo moE nform.ation " wvtwwtotemrtxsse~m.oq, E ''R~ ;i