Playstation Reviews Q-R

Where in the hell did this game come from? Most late-arriving Playstation One titles proved to be duds, but Qix Neo rocked my world. As a huge fan of the original arcade classic (1981), I'm extremely pleased with this brilliantly conceived update. The classic gameplay was wisely retained, but as you might suspect the graphics and audio have been upgraded dramatically. The original Qix didn't really have much of a theme; you simply tried to cordon off 75% (or more) of the playfield while avoiding wandering hazards. Qix Neo has a decidedly intergalactic flavor, with planet surfaces serving as backdrops for each innovative stage. Instead of avoiding a roving set of twisted lines, each screen features a distincitve "boss" along with a number of smaller creatures on patrol. You're constantly being hounded but you can trap creatures for bonus points. Qix Neo is far more forgiving than the original game. The bosses assume many interesting forms, including a giant centipede and a mechanical hand. Capturing strategic boxes awards like power-ups like "micro" (decrease boss size), laser (shoot at your enemies), and speed boosts (duh!). But by far the most desirable power-up is "time", which freezes your enemies momentarily. Despite the new wrinkles, the same basic strategy still applies. You'll want to thoughtfully section off the screen, creating alcoves to "trap" wandering adversaries. The game's otherworldly sound effects are amazing, and unlike anything I've heard before. An "arranged" playing mode is also included, offering a completely new set of stages. Qix Neo is immensely fun and addicting, and it even saves your high scores (for both modes). The game even adjusts your bonuses based on whether you use continues or not. If I had any complaints, I might point to the lack of a two-player mode, and the fact that some scoring bonuses are a bit excessive. Still, this is easily the best version of Qix I've ever played - even better than the original! © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

This late-arriving PS1 game is aimed squarely at those who make remote-controlled (RC) vehicles at hobby. Judging from the video intro, there is a large contingent of people who take the hobby very seriously, custom-building their own models and entering them into tournaments. My interest in remote controlled cars doesn't run very deep, but I did enjoy racing them around my neighborhood as a kid, and RC de Go does a pretty good job of capturing what that same feeling. Unlike conventional racing games, your view is always from the far edge of the miniature track, as if you were sitting next to the actual course. Consequentially, it can be hard to judge curves on the far side. A championship mode challenges you to complete in fourteen races, and I found the controls to be touchy but effective. You can buy parts and upgrade your car between races, and that's important, because you won't get too far without making some dramatic improvements. From the detailed car designs and sheer variety of parts, it's evident that many RC experts had a hand in the design of RC de Go. The realistic miniature tracks look almost photographic at times. Although set in various locations (including the roof of a building), there's not much to see in the background, so all the courses look pretty much the same. RC's music is okay, but the mindless announcer repeats the exact same lines during every race. On the first lap, expect to hear, "It's still early in the race - you've still got time to turn things around" - even when you're winning! But a bigger flaw is the lack a two-player split-screen mode, which could have been a lot of fun. As it is, only RC die-hards will really truly appreciate this game. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

It only took me ten years to discover this phenomenal shooter. I stumbled across Raiden Project at my friend Dave's house, and it totally rocked my world. This old-fashioned 2D vertical shooter is easily one of the best I've played. As one of the earliest Playstation titles, Raiden Project was largely overshadowed by fancy 3D titles like Ridge Racer and Battle Arena Toshinden. Ironically, this game has aged better than either of those games. It plays similar to the previous Raiden games for systems like the NES and Turbografx, but this one is arcade perfect. Not only that, but you can completely configure the controls, display, difficulty, and even save your high scores. Playing this game is pure joy. As you weave across the screen spraying missiles at tanks and helicopters, you can even see cows grazing in the pastures below. Not many shooters can say they have cows. Huge airships catch on fire as they incur damage, and the explosions are supremely satisfying. Holding down the fire button engages rapid-fire, and there's no shortage of power-ups. Your earth-shattering bombs act as shields in addition to unleashing widespread destruction. Each stage culminates with a giant mechanical boss, but these don't monopolize the game as in so many other shooters. Two players can blast away at the same time, and a pulsating soundtrack helps you get into the zone. This disk actually includes both Raiden 1 and 2, although the second is more like a remake of the first. The graphics are slightly more detailed and there are some new weapons in Raiden 2, but the exciting twitch gameplay is exactly the same. There aren't many games like this for the Playstation, so shooter fans would be well-advised to track this one down. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

This off-road racer clocked a tremendous number of hours on my Playstation back in the day, mainly due to its competitive four-player split-screen mode. Rally Cross pits compact cars against pick-up trucks in races through tropical jungles, sandy deserts, icy cliffs, and mine tunnels. The graphics are exceptionally sharp with finely detailed vehicles and scenic, rolling tracks. The physics is best described as "bouncy", so hitting a bump at a bad angle can send you tumbling end over end. When you find yourself flipped over, you need to "rock" your vehicle by alternately pressing the shoulder buttons. To avoid this predicament get used to tapping the brakes around each curve to execute a controlled power slide. Rally Cross was one of the first racers to include a split-screen mode for four players, and my friends and I played the hell out of it. Despite its degraded visuals and choppy frame-rate the contests were consistently fun and exciting. There's nothing better than T-boning a friend or simply plowing straight into a traffic jam. There's no damage modeling but the track designs provide ample opportunity for devastating collisions. I also like how the pixilated water and mud splashes as you slice through it. Rally Cross does have a few annoyances. When using automatic transmissions you'll still need to manually place your car into first gear to begin the race. Usually you forget and just sit there revving your engine as everyone else darts out ahead. It's also necessary to manually shift gears when you need to reverse, which is a pain. The camera doesn't behave well in tight places, and if you wind up facing the wrong way inside a cave, you're really screwed. The mine and jungle tracks are terrific but the garden and snow tracks are too long and dull. The fantastic sound effects include creaking suspensions and crunching metal, but the generic guitar music is a bit grating. You might expect a game like Rally Cross to have aged poorly, but it has not. The pixelation in its graphics adds charm, and that crazy physics just adds to the challenge. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

As a huge fan of the original Rally Cross, my friends were pretty shocked when I didn't run out to buy this sequel. There happened to be a good reason for that. I had read that 989 Studios had unceremoniously axed the four-player split-screen mode that had drawn my friends and I to the first game. I was devastated. It was twelve long years before I finally decided to give Rally Cross 2 a try. Like so many sequels, this one takes several steps forward but a few steps back. First off, the whole manual gear-shift issue has been resolved, so the control scheme is simpler. Analog steering and vibration feedback is supported. The default steering is ultra-sensitive, but you can adjust that in the option menus. Although it's still pretty easy to roll your car, the physics is definitely less bouncy. Cars not only get dirty as they drive through mud but also model damage to a modest degree. The first three tracks wind through a construction site, forest, and rail yard. They are tricky to navigate despite the constant arrow prompts. The remaining tracks can be unlocked via the season mode, and it's a pretty time-consuming process. The main problem is that the tracks are super long, and at five laps each, it's too much. Still, I will admit it's really exciting when you're trying to maintain a lead in the final lap with other racers right on your bumper! I actually worked up a sweat playing this! The extra tracks are definitely worth unlocking. Rocky Pass is a snowy winter track and County Air is bursting with fall colors. The scenery in Rally Cross 2 is more refined and interesting than the first game, although the vehicles look slightly less detailed. I like how cars leave skid marks during slides, and the marks remain visible in subsequent laps. The forest stage features excellent thunder and lightning effects which are a bit startling. Rally Cross 2's rich season mode gives you the ability to make adjustments to your car between races to match the conditions of the upcoming course. There's a make-your-own-track editor that's remarkably intuitive to use, but it hardly makes up for the lack of a four-player mode. Rally Cross 2 is a quality racer, but when you compare it pound-for-pound to the original, it's basically a wash. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

With apologies to Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil (RE) is the grandfather of survival horror games. Brilliantly conceived, this third-person adventure stands the test of time as one of the scariest games ever. The dark storyline of biological experimentation gone wrong takes place in a mysterious mansion crawling with mutated creatures that can jump out at any time. Crooked camera angles are used for dramatic effect, and beautifully-illustrated graphics boast amazing detail. Giant spiders scuttle convincingly and zombies stagger with amazing, motion-captured realism. The game is violent and gory by nature, with plenty of gratuitous blood and flying body parts. But what makes RE truly great is how it effectively builds atmosphere and tension. The scene with dogs bursting through the windows has got to rank up there as one of the greatest scares in video game history. Despite the high quality presentation however, RE's poorly-translated dialogue is laughable, and the stilted voice acting has a "so bad it's good" quality. Although deliberately paced, the gameplay is fun and engaging despite its stiff controls. Turning around is slow, and your limited carrying capacity is aggravating. RE also features a "live action" video intro which is largely an artifact of the early 90's gaming scene. It doesn't mesh with the game's polygon graphics at all, and looks completely out of place. Interestingly, this footage was censored to omit a shot of a severed arm (included in the Japanese version), much to the consternation of American gamers. Resident Evil remains a landmark game, and horror fans owe it to themselves to play through this at least once. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

When I first purchased this game "back in the day" I thought it was pretty amazing. Return Fire is an overhead shooter with capture-the-flag gameplay, and it's designed for two-player split-screen action. Each side has an underground bunker stocked with tanks, helicopters, armored support vehicles (ASVs), and Humvees. Controlling one vehicle at a time, you penetrate the enemy defenses, destroy his base, and transport the enemy flag back to your bunker. The overhead 3D graphics look great, and effective scaling is used to zoom the camera in automatically. The explosions are satisfying, and it's great fun to "squish" screaming soldiers with your tanks. A wide selection of battlefields are available, and they become more sprawling as you progress. Return Fire has a quirky sense of humor, incorporating classical music and old film clips. But there's more style than substance. The problem is, you can only use one vehicle at a time! This severely limits your strategic options, and it's a colossal pain in the ass having to return to base just to switch vehicles. Hell, you're better off sacrificing your vehicle than enduring that time-consuming return trip! Return Fire seems like the perfect head-to-head game on paper, but none of my friends ever wanted to play it for long. Fortunately there's also a single-player mode that challenges you to complete missions in the shortest possible time. It's nothing to write home about, but it's something. Lacking the playability of an arcade title and the depth of a strategy game, Return Fire falls squarely into "no-man's land" of gaming. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

As the pack-in game for the original Playstation, Ridge Racer is one fantastic arcade racer. During its loading process you can actually play a minigame of Galaga! At the time I thought all future video games were going to have that feature! Once the game is loaded you can swap out the game disc for any music CD to substitute the music tracks! The first Foo Fighters album is an ideal high-energy soundtrack, and to this day I insist on using that CD with this game (sadly, the swap trick will not work with a PS2). Ridge Racer features bright graphics, simple controls, and non-stop action. Ultra-modern skyscrapers with animated billboards soar into the bright blue sky. Hot babes introduce each race, helicopters buzz the track, and jumbo jets take off from a nearby airport. You'll drive up mountain sides, race through tunnels, and cruise past scenic beach resorts. As day turns to night, stars come out and the buildings light up. The fact that the road is granular in appearance really helps convey the illusion of speed. You'd expect the third-person viewing option to be easier, but the collision detection seems far more forgiving in the first-person view. The digital controls take some getting used to, requiring you to rapidly "tap" the directional pad around turns. Hitting the brake sends your car into a power slide that feels more like a fishtail. While it seems clumsy at first, it's effective when mastered. Initially you're limited to four cars, and I prefer the yellow model due to its high speed and acceleration. There's only a single course but it's one of the best tracks I've ever played. On medium and hard difficulties the track is extended by a section that snakes through a construction zone. The CPU drivers leave little room for error, and trying to edge out an opponent at the finish is so intense, you might forget to blink! The game saves best trial times and unlocking extra cars and mirrored tracks is addictive. If Ridge Racer has an Achilles heel, it's the audio. The soundtrack is a nonsensical mishmash of high-pitched voices singing over chaotic electronic beats. The snarky commentator is obnoxious but does toss out some oddly amusing lines ("Hey that was a great counter! You must be one genius of a driver! You gotta teach me!"). The game's fun arcade spirit is the reason Ridge Racer stands the test of time. There's no tedium here - just thrills and excitement. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.

The Ridge Racer franchise set the standard for arcade racing and Type 4 is arguably the pinnacle of the series. This is a heck of a lot more sophisticated than previous Ridge Racer entries, with more configuration options, an elaborate event structure, and a wide range of tracks. If there's a flaw with the game, it may lie in the abundant setup screens you're forced to wade through before each race. The graphics are so outstanding they even rival Gran Turismo (Sony, 1998). While no individual track lives up to the arcade splendor of Rage Racer (Namco, 1996), the courses look a lot more realistic thanks to some phenomenal lighting effects. When the sun sets the sky turns a reddish hue which looks absolutely breathtaking. Namco employed a new "blur" visual effect on car taillights, and it's certainly eye-catching. Ridge Racer Type 4 is the first game in the series to support two-player split-screen, believe it or not. But the most notable improvement lies in the controls. This is the first Ridge Racer to support the analog stick and it works like a charm. The "fishtail" physics of the previous Ridge Racer games have been replaced with new powerslide controls that let you effortless navigate tight turns. I own the Limited Edition of Ridge Racer Type 4 which included an innovative Jogcon controller. This oversized gray controller has a little wheel in the center which not only simulates a steering wheel but has force feedback! Hold on tight because if you hit another car or take a turn too quickly the wheel will fight you! I would opt for a regular controller if my life depended on winning but the Jogcon adds realism. I found the game's background music to be tranquil and relaxing, allowing you to get into a zone while sliding around windy roads. As icing on the cake, a bonus disk includes a 60 frames-per-second (smooth) version of the original Ridge Racer! Ridge Racer Type 4 is one of the best arcade-style racers you'll ever play. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.

Capcom die-hards will relish every moment of Rival Schools, but just about any gamer with a pulse has to appreciate this well-crafted title. It's a remarkably playable 3D fighter brimming with personality and flair. The premise involves two schools that take matters into their own hands when students begin to mysteriously disappear. The unintentionally hilarious story mode is a treat thanks to priceless dialog like "So what do you want, mister younger brother of the big boss?" The game's 14-character roster includes a schoolgirl named Sakura that Street Fighter fans should recognize. Some characters incorporate sports equipment into their attacks such as baseballs, bats, soccer balls, and volleyballs (in your face!). The female character models look smooth and clean, but the larger males look downright chunky. The animation is fast and fluid, giving matches an almost choreographed quality. Rival Schools is easy to play, yet advanced techniques like counters, evasive maneuvers, and juggle moves give the combat tremendous depth. You select two characters and can swap them between matches. Rival Schools combines the crisp, responsive gameplay of a 2D title with the flashy visuals of a 3D game. The elaborate team attacks look outrageous as both teammates toss around their opponent like a rag doll. The "healing" moves are usually good for a laugh (what is she doing to him?!). The 2D stages tend to be pretty ho-hum, although the snowy town is quaint and that classroom looks huge! The uptempo music is okay, but there's only one or two tunes that really stand out. Rival Schools comes on two discs: one with the arcade-perfect original, and one containing an "evolution" edition with extra modes and characters. There's a lot of bonus material to unlock, and high scores are saved to memory card. Capcom was really on top of their game when they gave us Rival Schools. I don't think I'll ever get tired of playing this one. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.

Robotron X was developed in an era when publishers assumed that if you gave an arcade classic the 3D treatment, you could basically print money. In retrospect these 3D incarnations generally lacked playability and often looked much worse than the originals! Robotron's simple premise involves running around a crowded screen while blasting robots and snatching up helpless people for big points. Robotron X retains the formula, and for a while it's fun to strafe the screen and vaporize robots. Unfortunately the game employs a "medium zoom" which offers little in the way of eye candy and fails to give you a good sense of your surroundings. You can move independently of your aim, but the game was developed before the dual-analog Playstation controllers came along. That's a shame because this game begs for dual joysticks. Using the face buttons to aim is awkward, but the controls are the least of your problems. The screen is so loaded with sloppy polygons that it's hard to tell what the [expletive] is going on! Slowdown and choppy animation are the order of the day, and the collision detection is heinous. These factors increase challenge, but in a bad way. Robotron X tries to add a few original elements, but the consequences are dire. New robots are continuously dropped onto the screen, destroying any sense of progress or accomplishment. Waves are preceded by pointless intro screens which kill any sense of momentum. They also reveal the main character to be one ugly bastard. The concept of power-ups (like a two-way shot) had potential but is badly underused. The "pumping techno soundtrack" is generic and unimpressive. Robotron X is constantly showering you with unwanted "bonus" lives, turning the game into a never-ending ordeal. It's possible to save a game in progress, but it's not possible to save the contents of the high score screen. My friend Chris summed up Robotron X like this: "Let's make it 3D because we can." It's too bad because the original Robotron was one of the most addicting, intense arcade games of all time. Midway wisely did not include it on this disk, probably because it would have really exposed Robotron X as the ill-conceived 3D rehash that it is. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

For the longest time I considered Wipeout the premiere futuristic racing series for the Playstation, but now I think Rollcage deserves the honor. It's easy to play and one of the best-looking games for the system. Each gravity-defying track lets you roll up walls and even race upside-down in tunnels. The cars have oversized wheels so when you flip over you continue racing along. Collecting icons awards you with weapons, and you can hold two at a time, applying them strategically. In addition to launching missiles at other racers you can blow up signs and buildings, leaving explosions and debris in the road for the cars trailing you. The graphics are extremely polished and attractive. Stages tend to be dark but make excellent use of color, lighting, and pyrotechnics. One track winds through an island with a gorgeous sunset while another looks like Gotham City at night with burning oil drums and industrial scenery. Most tracks are nice and wide, but a few have a tendency to screw you over. On the red Mars track you can get hopelessly stuck in a dead-end if you miss a key jump. The sense of speed is exciting but the analog steering is touchy. When you get struck by a missile or glance off scenery you often find yourself facing the wrong direction. It's especially bad when you're soaring through the air, watching your car slowly rotate in the wrong direction! The game can be so disorienting it dedicated the O button to an "auto correct" function. But instead of instantly pointing you the right way, it spins you around a bunch of times first. One thing I love about Rollcage is its brisk pacing. The menus are a breeze to navigate, the load times are short, and even the race countdown is brief. A challenging league mode lets you unlock features and the two-player split-screen mode is also exciting. Rollcage is a lot of fun to play and frankly I wonder how I missed out on it the first time around. © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.

The original Rollcage (Psygnosis, 1998) caught me off-guard with its electrifying arcade look and feel. As you would expect from a proper sequel Rollcage Stage II offers more tracks, weapons, modes, and eye candy. One track takes you through lunar caves while another lets you race through underwater tubes. My personal favorite is the elevated track set in a raging thunderstorm! Intriguing new weapons include "laser blades" which shoot electronic spikes out of your tires and "wormhole" which leap-frogs you with the car ahead (whoa!). New modes include a two-player tournament and head-to-head combat. The combat mode is a bust but working your way through the campaign is compelling stuff. The knock-out rounds are so intense you'll forget to blink! The action becomes especially exhilarating when the finish line is in sight and missiles are whizzing by and cars are being tossed all over the place. I like how the game lets you enter your initials to save the best lap times. Sadly, not only does the game suffers from similar maladies as the original game, but the developers seemed to double-down on them! The tracks are darker and more claustrophobic than ever, and it's still quite possible to get hopelessly stuck in a dead end. Certain weapons are remarkably annoying, like the "time warp" which wobbles the screen in a nausea-inducing manner. Rollcage Stage II is an impressive futuristic racer, but all things considered it's not appreciably better than the first. Note: While playing on my PS2 the menu highlighting did not work correctly. © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic.

Jam-packed with breakneck downhill races, Rush Down totally lives up to its name. There are three distinct types of playing modes: snowboarding, kayaking, and biking. All three share a common control scheme, yet each offers a unique look and feel. As the title would imply, each course has you careening down steep trails at dangerous speeds while trying to avoid obstacles. The tracks tend to be narrow, sometimes taking you through tunnels or over the edge of cliffs. Rush Down's controls feature responsive steering, using the L1 or R1 buttons initiate tight turns. The X button is used to speed up, and it might as well be an accelerator pedal, because it provides an instant boost! You're always racing the clock, and there are frequent checkpoints that tack on additional seconds to the timer. The courses are interesting and exciting. The snowboarding and biking trails offer scenic mountain views, while the kayak stages boast amazing cascading water effects and majestic waterfalls. The locations span the globe, and high scores are saved for each course. As much as I enjoyed Rush Down, the game does reveal some technical limitations of the PS1 system. The snow courses show a lot of seams, and there's significant "draw-in" on the horizon. It can be hard to tell which way the track is turning, and even the arrow signs can be hard to make out from a distance. And what's up with the signs that have nothing but exclamation points on them? If hope I never see one of those in real life! The characters are blocky and one appears to be wearing a thong! I hope that's not a dude! The collision detection is clumsy at times, making it easy to get hung up on a rock or log. The split-screen mode is a little on the choppy side, but still fun. I enjoyed the game's techno beats, although its voice samples can get on your nerves. It has some flaws, but I enjoyed Rush Down's high speed thrills. I find it hard to believe this was panned by critics, because I regard it as a hidden gem in the PS1 library. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

This racer has old-school goodness written all over it, and if not for its deplorable controls, Rush Hour would have won me over in a big way. A reader originally described this game as an "arcade-style racer", prompting visions of Ridge Racer to dance in my head. What I discovered was an overhead racer that looks like a holdover from the 16-bit era. Rush Hour is more Virtua Racer than Ridge Racer. Its high camera angle offers a nice vantage point, but prevents you from getting a good look at the scenery, composed of textured polygons. You can zoom in slightly via the shoulder buttons, but you're basically limited to "far" and "farther". The tracks snake their way through snowy railroad stations, seaside resorts, and a nighttime metropolis. Despite directional indicators that warn of upcoming turns, the tracks are difficult to navigate, especially when they veer off-road or contain sharp turns. But Rush Hour's biggest downfall is its poor steering controls. Designed for use with the digital pad, your turn radius is extremely tight, so wild oversteering is a constant problem. It's not unusual to plow directly into a wall while attempting an easy turn. Another huge issue is how you need to hit periodic checkpoints before a timer runs out or your game ends abruptly. Even on the novice level, you'll need a flawless run to hit every checkpoint. A two-player split-screen mode is provided, but it's really hard to follow the track if you're not familiar with it. The best times are saved automatically for each track. I like the concept behind Rush Hour, but poor controls and excessive difficulty really take the air out of its tires. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.