Holiday Buyer's Guide 2002: Multi-Console

Written by Matt Swider on December 15, 2002

Holiday Buyer's Guide 2002: Multi-Console: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Spider-Man

Normally movie to video game conversions aren't very good. It's a given that they're intentionally developed that way only to make its makers a quick buck. And then, there are those rarities out there amongst all of the crap that only gets crappier the more you smear it across your machine's innards. That's just something Treyarch wanted to avoid with Spider-Man, last spring's movie blockbuster transformed into a game release that was spun across multi-platforms from publisher Activision. Spider-Man is not just great because you're playing as the wallcrawler himself -- it's magnificent because the game's much more realistically attached to the comic book essence than ever touched upon by previous Spider-Man titles. From using shadows, you're able to mask yourself away from enemy vision; you can web up bad guys and swing around in aerial combat -- even with The Vulture. Plus, with next generation visuals and an abundance of voice acting from the likes of Tobey Maguire (as Spider-Man) and Willem Dafoe (as The Green Goblin), Spider-Man has never looked or played much better than now.

TimeSplitters 2

It's a little-known fact that Free Radical, primarily a group of former Rare members and developers of Goldeneye, only had about six months to put together one of the best first-person shooter titles on the PlayStation 2 consoleЦTimeSplitters. This explains the lackluster story mode, but proved to be one of the most entertaining multi-player games in a long while. Now that they've had more than a year and half to create the sequel, TimeSplitters 2, the game is about everything and more one would expect it to be. Bigger, faster, better than the original in practically every way, TimeSplitters 2 has rocketed to all three consoles and done amazingly well. This isn't your casual seek-and-destroy first-person shooter; TimeSplitters 2 is all about nonstop trigger-happy shooting and enough to make your head spin. A must for casual players and hardcore gamers alike, don't miss it.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Certainly not for the younger gamers, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a bona fide hit with the mature gamers out there. This title from Eidos puts you into the role of a genetically engineered assassin for hire, requiring you to take out targets assigned to you by any means necessary. Along with the loads of violence and religious controversy, you'll find a surprising well-made game that combines both the best of straight up, pistol blazing action with intense, stealth-based gameplay that not only requires you to take your enemies' life, but also their identity. If any of this suits your fancy, it just could be a must own title you've overlooked for either the PlayStation 2 or Xbox.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

Whoever said that Activision and Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise is dead, was dead wrong. Hawk is back again for his fourth run through even larger worlds. No longer do you have to explore each level in only a 2 minute run -- the timer's gone, so practice as much as you want anywhere you want! If you've ever tired of just skating around all the time, why not practice your skills in one of the game's new mini-options of basketball, baseball, and even tennis -- skating style of course. Every year, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise grows, and every year, it only gets better.

Aggressive Inline

Extreme sports games are a dime a dozen nowadays, that's for sure. Thanks to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, games based on extreme activities have become as commonplace as annual sports games. One of the better titles in the genre (rivaling Tony Hawk in many ways), is Acclaim and Z-Axis' Aggressive Inline. AI does many things right, but the 2 biggest are the gigantic levels and the elimination of a time factor, leading to a much larger game. In replacement of the time meter is a УjuiceФ meter, which only runs out if you mess up too many tricks in a row, or just stop doing tricks. As long as you're doing tricks, you'll be able to keep on playing and accomplish the many tasks the game presents among the levels. It's definitely a breed of Tony Hawk and Dave Mirra BMX, and it works, with tight controls, tons of tricks and places to trick on, and a pretty good soundtrack (though the Xbox version supports custom soundtracks). If THPS has you bored but you still want to play extreme sports games, give Aggressive Inline a try.

NFL 2K3

While maybe not a mainstream favorite, and definitely not a top-seller, Sega's fourth edition of their critically acclaimed NFL 2K franchise proves that the series just seem to be getting better and better with every passing season. This year the ante was upped in every possible facet of the game, making it a must own for any pigskin fanatic. A sick franchise mode, beefed up visuals, and flawless online support for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 make it a no-brainer purchase for the sports enthusiast out there. Adding onto the dog pile of goodness is the fact that the game now retails for the bargain price of $29.99, begging the question to be asked Ц What's your excuse for not owning arguably the best sports title released this year?

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

After a couple years of quietness, the Need for Speed series returned this fall with a vengeance, with Hot Pursuit 2 Ц definitely the best pure arcade racer for any system. While the PS2 version is probably the superior version (the Xbox and GameCube versions were based on a PC version), each game is loaded with some exotic sports cars like Ferrari's and Lamborghini's, to lesser exotics like a Viper or a Ford Mustang. Add in some deep gameplay modes including kick-ass car chases and tons of tracks across all kinds of terrain and EA's racer stands out as one of the best. The game might be a bit too challenging for NFS newbies, but veterans of the series will appreciate the balanced AI that keeps the game at a respectable, but not ridiculous, difficulty level.

Continue with the Holiday Buyer's Guide 2002
Multi-Console ╖ GameCube ╖ PS2 ╖ Xbox ╖ GBA