News Roundup

-A rather disappointing show at Milia I gather. I gather that our very own Cube Editors sat next to the Magazine Cube editors. I am warming to Cube a lot. I suppose Milia was bound to be disappointing because launch details had already been released.

-Some nice hands on with Fifa 2002 and a new ISS games as well as the wonderful Sonic Adventure 2 (a game I have pre ordered) up on the site check them out.

-Soul fighter, Hidden Invasion, Darkened Siege and Outlaw Golf are all announced for the GC this week. I know I always say this and I know that they are hardly triple A titles but heck there are a lot of games coming for the Cube and outlaw golf seem “interesting” and quite fun.

-Hopefully we will get the VCD and the Bloody Roar confusion sorted out in the next few days.

- www.gamespot.com claims that Top Gun combat Zones has almost been finished for the Cube although I have a feeling that it will just be another port.

N64 Mini review of the week

MARIO GOLF

Golf is often seen as dull and boring and for rich folk only. The games are usually more luck based than skill (as long as you press the button at the right time you’re laughing. Of course there is one huge difference with this game out goes Colin Montgomery and in comes Mario and co and what we have is yet another brilliant N64 title.

There are 5 courses in this game (although I still am trying to get the 5th one) but you only have 1 to start off with and you only have four characters as well (the best one being Peach). It may seem like a rather cheap way to make a game longer and I suppose it is but man it’s fun, to get extra characters you play in the get character mode and play against the character you want and to get him you must beat him. There are also tournaments and a special ring game where you have to hit the ball through a ring and still make par. (not easy I can tell you). When you play in tournaments you get experience points that go toward unlocking a new course. The point is that the single player game has huge replay value and is great fun. However there is a surprising amount of stratagem involved in this. Yes it will always recommend a club but be warned it’s not always the best one to use.

The graphics are very good as is the sound be it a bit cheesy but hey it’s Nintendo and what makes this so great is that it’s multiplayer side is great great fun. You even get 2 mini golf courses where you have to hit over hills and stuff. I will say it till I’m blue in face but Mario really make a great game fantastic. It’s the characters that really make this game and if you own a N64 then you must buy this game.

RPG OF THE WEEK

FFVII

Now look I know it’s a Sony game but man this rocks. I’m sure many have played this. I brought a cheap second hand PS just so I could play this and I was not disappointed. You play Cloud a heartless kind of guy who joins a group that is trying to destroy an evil corporation (not for any other reason than money) yet all is not as it seems and the twists and turns in this game are sheer brilliance. This is the game that most FF fans will say that this is the best in the series. I’m not sure that that is right but it sure is great. The gameplay has not changed much since FF2 and the Random battles are a little too random and happen far far to often. The only other gripe is that you can only have 3 in your party at once even though your party gets really big at some points. The Graphics were at the time awesome and still look nice today, as is the music.

This will not convert you if you don’t like Rpg’s as it takes ages and in case you don’t know Zelda is nothing like FF so don’t think that because you liked Zelda you will like this but anyone who has played an RPG in the past and enjoyed it will love this also anyone who likes an epic story of love, adventure, mystery, friendship and any other cheesy thing you can think of will love this.

The Characters make and break an RPG and I can say that the characters in this are great. All in all then a great game.

Score 8/10
Time to complete 40 hours