4 12 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 10, 2003 ARTS 'Speed' By Jason Roberts Daily Arts Editor takes it to the streets With dazzling visuals and an intense sense of speed, "Need for Speed Underground" is one hell of a ride. Racers compete against other opponents in competitions that range from a standard circuit across a city, to a drag race through busy intersections, to a slick and slippery run where points Courtesy of's Electronic Arts Forty-two, a respectable number for a young elvish princling like yourself. By Todd Weiser Daily Arts Editor J W-ll J/AWLlJJ WWl I U MORE FUN FOR LOTR FANS are accumulated for power sliding and burning out. But here's the catch: Winning isn't everything. Near-misses, insane jumps and drafting behind opposing cars will earn racers "style points" that are accu- mulated to promote vehicles in the rank- ings and get coverage in underground magazines. Money is earned as a reward for winning races and can be used to "trick out" one's car visually, gaining Need for Speed Underground GameCube, PS2 and XBox Electronic Arts reputation in the The No. IStunna. It's what the world has been waiting a whole 12 months for. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" is finally here ... in the videogame format. While the interactive account of ROTK has not been as eagerly anticipated as Peter Jackson's cinematic version by all Tolkien fanatics, the newest hack-and-slash LOTR adventure is not only a major upgrade on last year's two-movies-in-one "The Two Towers" videogame but also The Return adds to the already overwhelming of the King plethora of special features the LOTR GameCube, PS2 filmmakers have provided for fans. and XBox ROTK begins with an extended Electronic Arts clip from last year's Oscar nominee, and then, without any menu introduction, puts the gamer right into the action of Helm's Deep as the white wizard Gandalf. The majority of levels begin this way with cine- matics from TTT and ROTK (trailer footage only) leading the way as a delight for the LOTR-obsessed, but an all-too- long annoyance for those simply wanting to kill the count- less orcs and Uruk-Hai that impede the One Ring's destruction in Mordor. Unlike the last installment's videogame version, the full Fellowship is at the gamer's hands here; TTT's kingly tri- umvirate (Aragorn, Gimli and fan-favorite Legolas) returns on one optional path with Gandalf singularly lead- ing a second and "warrior by necessity" Samwise leading the third (Gollum merely follows and Frodo is only playable on the game's final, anti-climactic level). Howard Shore's resounding filmic score - heard here along with booming sound effects in all their THX glory - and a beautifully cinematic-like camera accompany the journey, from protecting a tree-Ent as he floods Isengard to defend- ing the walls of Minas Tirith. The replay value, while not overtly high, is helped by co- op play, particularly with its online capability - although it is for PS2 only. Along the way, you can build up experience points, unlocking (much-needed) upgraded moves, behind- the-scenes interviews and short featurettes. Three locked avatars (Merry, Pippin and Faramir) become available only upon completion of the last level, but with this, all charac- ters can then play each other's stages as well. Besides an overall improvement in the detailed graph- ics of characters and surroundings, the newly added interaction with the environment (launching cannons, throwing spears, dropping torches) makes ROTK an even greater action production. With the real actors' voices prevalent throughout your trip (Gollum's, of course, remains the most fun to run around with), LOTR-follow- ers have never been so in on the action-packed battle against the dark lord Sauron. process. Boosting a car's performance takes a back seat. Though limited to just one city, "Underground" is a great game visually; lighting blurs in and out, enhancing the feeling of speed, and car models are incredibly detailed, casting gor- geous reflections and a beautiful array of sparks and smoke during impacts. In drag races, the camera itself becomes unstable at top speeds, shaking violently and increasing ten- sion during the heart stopping ride. The music is well-suited to the gameplay and ranges from hip-hop to heavy metal, seamlessly melding with the squeal of burnt rubber and the sound of opposing cars hurtling past. Overall, "Underground" is a fine installment in the "Need for Speed" series, one that will definitely set new standards for future racing games in terms of speed, looks and attitude. 4 Violence overrides story i'M nunt' By Jared Newman Daily Arts Writer VIDEOGA ME E Joe' is 'Viewtiful,' no matter what they say By Adam Rottenberg Daily Arts Writer VIDEOGAME REVIEW Capcom's latest game is a striking departure from the run-of-the-mill action games that dominate the mar- ket. Featuring beautiful cell-shaded graphics, "Joe" is the story of a young boy who inadvertently gets sucked into the action films he loves so much in order to rescue his girlfriend. While the plot may be nothing that innovative, the frenetic and stylized gameplay offers a unique gaming experience. Joe has "Viewtiful" pow- ers that enable to slow down, zoom in or speed up the action. Countless hordes of robots constantly surround your hero, and utilizing the unique gameplay fea- _ tures makes dis- posing enemies a Viewtiful Joe breeze. GameCube The boss bat- Capcom ties create a truly memorable game as the foes take up the entire screen and evoke memories of the great fights from classic brawlers like "Contra" and "Mega- man." With a steep difficulty curve that spikes early on, "Viewtiful Joe" is not for everyone. What separates "Viewtiful Joe" from the competition is a rare feeling of freshness. Other companies keep rehashing franchises and concepts into game after game (Capcom's own "Street Fighter" franchise is a horren- dous offender), yet "Joe" is truly like nothing else on the market. "Viewtiful Joe" is a great game that redefines the classic beat-'em-up genre. Gamers looking for a tough diversion or an interesting new gam- ing experience need look no further than "Viewtiful Joe." Oh, how I tried. The critics have told the gaming populace to love "Manhunt," to love its style and atmosphere and to exact our patience on the slow gameplay. I have spent hours trying, but I give up. I do love the disturbed atmosphere of "Manhunt", and I Manhunt see vast potential PS2 in the game's Rockstar unique concept. But I won't exact patience on a videogame. When more that eight hours of play yields nothing but boredom, I throw down my con- troller. This wouldn't be such an issue if there was a plot to glue things together. The premise is there: Gainers play the part of James Earl Cash, a convict on death row who is saved by an unseen figure, aptly named the Director. This coarse and cynical voice guides Cash through each "scene," which mostly involve gruesome killing in the name of snuff cinema. The only problem is that the story doesn't progress. Play- ers are merely dumped from one mission into the next with little explanation of purpose, detracting from the intrigue that is created by 4 4 the chilling atmosphere. . The game is a stealth horror blood- bath that features the ability to per- form "Executions." By holding down a button, players can sneak up on unsuspecting thugs and carry out gruesome deaths through a variety of cinematics. The biggest fault of "Manhunt" is its one-dimensionality. If this is a scary game, then where are the attack dogs and Leatherfaces? If it's a stealth game, then why can't the character crawl or climb to safety? These restrictions are really a shame in light of the game's support- ing elements. The graphics are beau- tiful, supplying rich backdrops and detailed characters under a constant layer of static, reminding players that the Director is filming everything. The sound and music are easily the highlights of the game. Suspenseful strings and cymbals rise and fall with the turning of every corner, while the sound of muffled screams and and freshly hacked limbs fill the air. Of course, these praises are lost on a videogame that offers little game- play. Admittedly, "Manhunt" does have its moments, but they are only moments. People curious to see what the fuss is about might want to try it, but bloodthirsty gamers who seek substance should stick to "Mortal Kombat." Bring It, Tipper. a .,:. .,.> z:..<.:K a3sk' .{: : ~x.. ,:.r ,..$.??.v.v . .a.Y .. i.> .u r._ h a s...r. ........r: