Playstation Reviews S

As the only pirate game I've seen for the Playstation One, Shipwreckers offers a nice change of pace. Too bad it's mired by a slew of video game cliches. It begins with a wacky animated intro that lets you know right up front that this isn't serious game. In the one-player mode, you view your vessel from overhead as you battle other ships, collect floating crates, and unlock new areas. Controlling your ship is simple - maybe too simple. Steering it around isn't much different than steering around Pac-Man - you'd think they could have at least incorporated the wind somehow. There's a nice selection of weapons, and it's cool how you can fire cannons off both sides of your ship. Sinking other ships provides some thrills, as it's quite satisfying to watch them go down. Townships and beaches serve as attractive but unremarkable scenery, and excellent metal-drum music gives the game a tropical flavor. You'll find some cool power-ups, including one that lets you fly in the air like a blimp. Unfortunately, Shipwrecker's stages tend to be set up like claustrophobic mazes with endless canals, gates, and switches. These confined areas hardly convey the feeling of plundering and pillaging on the high seas, and the multiplayer mode is even more disappointing. You would think that five pirate ships battling in the open water would be an absolute blast, but there's minimal strategy as the ships trade shots back and forth. Making matters worse, when they move apart, the view scales out so far that you can barely see them! Shipwreckers isn't terrible, but it definitely feels like a missed opportunity. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Silent Hill begins by flashing a disclaimer about the game's graphic violence and disturbing scenes. It's no joke, because this game will make your blood run cold. If Resident Evil is the Night of the Living Dead of video games, then Silent Hill is the Exorcist! The opening cutscene depicts a car crash followed by a father's desperate search for his daughter in a nearby deserted town. With moody lighting and spooky audio, Silent Hill creates the most intense atmosphere I've ever experienced in any video game. You view your character from the back (like Tomb Raider) and the camera swings around to capture the most dramatic viewing angles. The creatures you encounter are weird and unsettling, and the line between fantasy and reality is constantly blurred as you navigate a surreal, ever-changing world. For much of the game you explore pitch-dark rooms with the help of a flashlight, and your limited visibility ratchets up the tension. But the scariest aspect of Silent Hill is its eerie white noise sound effects that increase in volume as danger approaches. The tension can reach unbearable proportions, making it difficult to play the game alone or with the lights out. I thought I was going to cry at one point! There are plenty of "find the key" puzzles but they tend to be more thought-provoking than frustrating. I found myself slowly sucked into the game despite my growing anxiety. Silent Hill may just be the best horror video game ever made. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Silhouette Mirage is one of those quirky anime-style games that you either love or hate. You play a cute little witch named Shyna in this highly unconventional 2D platform/fighter/shooter. Shyna appears either red or blue depending on which side she is facing, and each color enables you to harm a certain class of creature (Silhouette or Mirage). If she's not the correct color when she shoots something, no damage is done and she loses vitality. The developer (Treasure) would later use a similar scheme in their cult-hit Ikaruga (GameCube, 2003), but at least in that game enemies were either black or white. Here, they come in all shapes and colors, including green jack-o-lanterns, blonde rag dolls, tiny fairies, and big stomping mechs. It's rarely obvious which enemies respond to what color, and when it comes to bosses, it seems like you're always on the wrong side! You can "flip" your color via the triangle button, but that initiates a tedious animation. Making matters worse are an excessive number of moves, some of which look effective (like the "grand slam") but apparently inflict zero damage. Then there are various colored meters and indicators whose purpose is never clear. In addition to non-intuitive gameplay, Silhouette Mirage has an incomprehensible storyline conveyed through endless text dialogue. I'm sure Treasure fans will eat up the whimsical prose, but others will just be annoyed. On the bright side, the game's production values are definitely "up there". Clever use of scaling and rotation facilitate some nifty effects, including satisfying explosions with chunks of metal flying every which way. There's a beautiful castle and an appealing downtown stage with a striking night skyline. The game does have its moments, including a funny encounter with a lizard sporting an outrageous Australian accent. In the city, people in an apartment complex get mad at you for making noise and begin throwing TVs and other appliances. Despite the sporatic humor, Silhouette Mirage comes off as one big inside joke. After completing each frantic stage I found myself asking, "What the hell was that all about?!" My friend Jonathan (and long-time Treasure fan) defended the game by saying "You have to be in the mood for it" and "I've played much worse." Denial can be an ugly thing. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

My love of snow led me to purchase this game, and it paid off. Sled Storm is a realistic snowmobile racer with blizzard conditions, icy mountain scenery, and good multi-player support. The races deliver white-knuckle thrills as you bound over hills, careen through valleys, and sideswipe your opponents to gain position. A steady frame-rate keeps the action running smoothly - even on the four-player split screen! The controls are simple but you have the ability to lean into your turns. Catching air and performing tricks lets you rack up points for upgrades, but sometimes it's not worth the risk of a wreck. I love how the sleds bounce softly over the slopes and kick up snow behind them. The courses are ideal in length and come in two flavors: snocross and open mountain. The snocross tracks are closed motorcross-style courses with banked turns and bumpy sections. I prefer the mountain tracks that wind through scenic forests and along harrowing cliffs. Ramps and hidden shortcuts are abundant and add replay value. You can destroy obstacles like fences and snowmen for points, and I earned 7500 points for running over a rabbit (and yes, I feel bad about that). The steering feels about right and sliding along icy patches is especially fun. The single-player championship is addictive, and I like how CPU racers tend to wipe out, giving you a chance to come from behind. That's important considering you need to finish first to advance. The soundtrack is dominated by Rob Zombie's blaring "Dragula", but it could be worse, right? Not really! It seems like every "extreme" game of the late 1990's had to license that annoying song. Still, this game is one of the best of its kind. Whether playing alone or against friends, Sled Storm provides ageless competitive winter racing action. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.

I recently picked this up for 99 cents at a local game shop. It's generic as hell but I found it refreshing to go "back to the basics". Snowboarding offers two basic modes. In race mode you try to beat three competitors down a hill and trick mode challenges you to top their scores. In addition to CPU competitors you can also challenge a friend via split-screen. The graphics are not bad at all, with a digitized moutain backdrop that blends in nicely with the foreground polygon graphics. The trail is constrained by invisible walls but the slopes have nice natural features and even a few alternate paths. The controls are responsive enough to navigate the twisting terrain, although I found it odd how there's a "tight turn" button and a "really really tight turn" button. While trying to straighten yourself out you might find yourself weaving from side-to-side. The fact that you can't crash eases the frustration but also limits the intensity - especially when it comes to executing tricks. Snowboarding does have a few nice bells and whistles. I like how you gradually unlock a grid of courses, even if they are just slight variations on the original. Should you earn a top-five time the game prompts for your initials and saves to them memory card. You can select your music before each race, and I found the gentle piano of "Aurora" to be very soothing. Snowboarding may be a simple pleasure but it's arguably more appealing than most modern snowboarding titles. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.

As the release of PS1 games has slowed to a trickle, I've noticed that most new titles tend to be derivative and low quality. Sol Divide however caught me by surprise with its old school style. The Playstation was never known for its 2D games, but Sol Divide is classic 2D all the way. It's like one of those old medieval hack-n-slash games (Golden Axe comes to mind) - only without the gravity. That's right, your warrior floats around, as do your enemies, which include eyeballs, skeletons, wizards, and dragon-riders. Sol Divide looks like a shooter from a distance, but hand-to-hand combat is much more effective than your weak projectiles. That's too bad, because close combat also means you'll sustain constant cheap hits. A guard would have come in handy! Fortunately, almost every defeated enemy drops some kind of health or power-up to sustain your energy. Your warrior can also cast of number of powerful spells, including fire, thunder, freeze, lightning, and the all-powerful "death" spell. Graphically, Sol Divide is stunning. The magnificent fantasy backgrounds are a sight to behold, some looking nearly photographic. Digitized bosses like dragons, golems, and minotaurs appear to have been animated using stop-motion techniques like those used in films like Clash of the Titans. Sol Divide could have been a surprise hit if it played like a conventional shooter. As it is, it looks better than it plays. Other drawbacks include lack of memory card support, and the fact that you don't even get a score! Even so, the extraordinary visuals kept me wanting to see what the next stage had in store. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

An ill-advised title if I ever saw one, Teras Kasi was a clumsy attempt to cram the Star Wars universe into a 3D fighting game. You may recall that 3D fighters were at the height of their popularity in 1997, and LucasArts simply couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon. On paper, Masters of Teras Kasi doesn't seem half bad. Trust me, it's bad. The all-star lineup includes Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia, Chewbacca, a Tusken Raider, and everybody's favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett. There's also a chick named Arden Lyn who's never even appeared in any of the movies. I suspect she was included to boost the number of female fighters (to two). While each character has his own unique combat skills, none lend themselves particularly well to hand-to-hand combat. Example: the Tusken Raider has a frickin' stick for a weapon. How can he be expected to compete against Boba Fett, armed with a blaster and rocket? It doesn't take much of an imagination to think of even more lopsided match-ups. The entire premise is ludicrous, which becomes painfully obvious when you actually try to play the thing. The special moves are very hard to execute, and get this - shooting your blaster is considered a special move! That's right - you actually need to execute a complicated sequence of button presses simply to pull the trigger! You'll be playing as Han Solo, and Leia will be beating the living [expletive] out of you as you try in vain to get off a single shot! Heck, with controls this bad a Jawa could kick Han's ass. In terms of graphics, the quality is uneven. The fighter selection scenes feature awesome rotating holographs, but in combat the fighters look far less impressive, with chunky bodies and faces that border on hilarious. Incidentally, LucasArts put a lot of effort into the lighting effects. Talk about misplaced priorities! They're hardly spectacular, and the background scenery is incredibly dull! Masters of Teras Kasi is what happens when a substandard concept is poorly executed. Did anything good come out of this game? Yes, a newfound appreciation for Tekken. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

This game is a bastard child of the full-motion video (FMV) craze of the mid-90's. Long on graphics but short on gameplay, Rebel Assault II is a collection of target-shooting and ship navigation stages loosely held together by less-than-captivating live-action cut-scenes. Filmed against fake-looking matte paintings, the actors used props left over from the three original movies. The acting performances are abysmal - and thank God - because otherwise these scenes would have been completely forgettable. Rebel Assault's 15 stages include space battles, stormtrooper shootouts, tunnel navigating, and even a speeder bike chase in the woods. The first stage has you simply shooting at Tie Fighters, and this rekindled fond memories of Star Wars: The Arcade Game (1983). Rebel Assault's visuals are great, but its controls leave much to be desired. The shooting crosshairs don't feel responsive and the collision detection is lacking. For example, shooting a stormtrooper in the head doesn't seem to register - but a body shot will. The stages where you navigate through tunnels or canyons can be a nightmare, and memorization is usually more critical than skill. The stormtrooper stages would be ideal for a lightgun, but sadly my gun couldn't reach the edge of the screen. One aspect that really saves the game is its tremendous audio. The rousing musical score (taken directly from the films) is inspirational and occasionally exhilarating. Rebel Assault features a slick stage select screen, and it even saves your high scores. It may be a bit shallow, but based on looks alone, Rebel Assault II should attract Star Wars fans. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

I vaguely recall this futuristic shooter plastered on the cover of several popular game magazines in the mid-90's. I assume that was the result of money changing hands because this ridiculously bad game quickly faded into obscurity. Like many early PS1 titles Steel Harbinger features a live action intro, and this one is must-see TV. I don't know what's worse - the bad CGI graphics or the acting - but you can't take your eyes off the screen. I was expecting the game itself to be a 3D adventure but it's more like a free-range shooter. You control a digitized babe infected by aliens from space. Her transformation failed to improve her acting but it did make her about ten times hotter. Weilding a pair of high-powered guns and a thong, this chicks blasts spawning aliens while saving aimless humans. It's kind like Robotron 2084 (Atari 7800, 1986) - if you could image that game being 3D and really bad. Enemies include Terminators and dogs with freaking lasers mounted to their heads. The controls really suffer from a lack of strafe. You're forced to run toward enemies to kill them, often colliding with them in the process. Steel Harbinger is best played with the camera pulled far back, but this makes the graphics appear muddy and harder to discern. Each mission feels like a wild goose chase as you frantically scour the post-apocalyptic landscape for some elusive object. There's a surprising amount of gore, with body parts strewn all over the place. I like the idea of entering houses and buildings, but all you'll find is one big empty room. The visual highlight the arctic base with blizzard conditions that serves as the hub of the game. The other stages are disappointing. LA is just a repetitive maze of canals. Las Vegas is a depressing wasteland and you're the only hooker in sight. A title like Steel Harbinger is fascinating to look back on, but man it's almost impossible to take a game like this seriously. © Copyright 2019 The Video Game Critic.

After endless iterations of Street Fighter 2, most fighting fans were primed for Street Fighter 3. Instead, Capcom released the ambiguous "Alpha" series, suggesting these games were actually prequels (rolling eyes now). That was lame, but as a rabid fan I was powerless to resist this tantalizing new chapter. While purchasing the game at Best Buy I recall the cashier telling me how jealous he was, and then proceeding to slam the game on the counter in an attempt to remove the plastic security box. Later I would discover he inadvertently smashed the bottom of the box (sigh). I took the game over my friend George's house where me and the guys used to congregate on Monday nights (while slamming beers and watching football). Everybody was totally psyched until we realized how super-long the loading screens were! I swear we spent more time staring at "Now Loading..." than actually playing the freakin' thing. It's a shame because Street Fighter Alpha is a rock-solid 2D fighter. The characters are larger and better animated than previous entries. The backgrounds and music use the same anime style as past Street Fighter games, but are less memorable. The Bourdon Street stage is attractive enough, but other areas like the train depot and Great Wall look bland. The Coliseum stage reminded me of the fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in "Return of the Dragon". The game itself plays well and the special combo gauge adds depth. Street Fighter Alpha is actually more enjoyable today because you can play it from the faster-loading PS2. Street Fighter Alpha is nice to own for collecting purposes, but for optimal fighting pleasure I would direct you to its sequel, Street Fighter Alpha 2. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

In 1996 a debate raged about which system had the best version of Street Fighter Alpha 2 - the Saturn or Playstation. No definitive answer was reached - until now. In order to finally settle this age-old dispute I had to consult with the foremost Street Fighter expert in the entire world. As luck would have it, that turned out to be my friend Chris who lives just a few miles away. And if you think the odds of that were slim, consider that I also live just a few miles from a restaurant with the "World's best fried chicken". Um... winning! Street Fighter Alpha 2 was the pinnacle of the Alpha series, raising the high water mark for 2D fighting in general. It added three new fighters (Gen, Sakura, Rolento) and brought back old favorites Zangief and Dhalsim. Easy to learn but hard to master, this game has incredible depth and playability. For hardcore players the super gauge has multiple levels of power and you can even perform custom combos. The stages have been given a visual overhaul and are far more intriguing. I'll never forget the first time I saw that hulking Harrier jet plane rise up behind my character in the Hong Kong stage. In another stage you can see a kid in a window playing a video game. And what's not to like about the party cruise stage with scantily clad Darkstalkers mingling with the crowd? It just goes to show that hand-drawn, 2D backgrounds will beat 3D-rendered backdrops any day of the week. So what is the best version of Alpha 2? To find out, Chris and I first played a few rounds with the Saturn version. After getting my ass handed to me repeatedly, we were primed to try the Playstation edition. Chris meticulously examined the graphics, audio, and controls. He was determined to declare that one of the two versions had the edge. After literally minutes of deliberation an exasperated Chris came to a stunning conclusion: They were exactly the same! That's right, he couldn't find any substantial differences between the two games! The Saturn version does include an extra survival mode and illustration library, but they don't carry any weight. In terms of sheer gameplay, both are equally superb. So finally, after 15 years of non-stop trash talking, Playstation and Saturn fans everywhere can put their differences aside and embrace each other in the spirit of peace and harmony. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

As a fan of Street Fighter 2 (SF2) since it arrived on the Super Nintendo in 1992, I've purchased more iterations of the series than I'd care to admit. Since most SF2 sequels only offered slight improvements, many fans got tired of the incremental upgrades and the popularity of the series waned. In retrospect however, Street Fighter Alpha was better than many gave it credit for. Although widely regarded as a stopgap measure to tide gamers over until Street Fighter 3, the Alpha series actually did a remarkable job of maintaining the classic formula while expanding the roster and enriching the gameplay. As the last edition of the Alpha series, this game is pretty freaking amazing. The huge 32 character roster includes many new faces and old favorites like Honda and Blanka. In terms of presentation, Alpha 3 is off the charts, with flashy set-up screens dishing out the eye candy faster than you can absorb it. The gameplay is deeper than ever, allowing the player to choose between three fighting styles (X-ism, A-ism, V-ism) which affect the complexity of executing super moves. The action is fast and furious, although matches tend to run longer than traditional Street Fighter bouts. The only thing that didn't impress me about SFA3 is the uneven quality of the background graphics. Some stages look grainy and washed out, and most lack the personality and clever animations Street Fighter fans have come to expect. Likewise the music isn't particularly memorable. In addition to arcade and versus modes, there's a World Tour mode that lets you adopt a character and pump up his abilities by completing series of challenges. Alpha 3's load times are minimal and there's a convenient auto-save. I would probably argue that the Alpha Series peaked at number 2, but this third edition still packs a wallop. Note: This game is also available on a PS2 compilation. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

This two-disc set contains arcade-perfect versions of Super Street Fighter 2, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, and best of all, Street Fighter 2 Alpha 2 Gold. Oddly enough, despite being the first of two Street Fighter collections, this first one includes some of the later games in the series. The first game in this collection, Super Street Fighter 2, was actually the fourth game in the series. It introduced four new characters: Cammy, Dee Jay, Fei Long, and Thunderhawk. This arcade port gave me a new respect for the SNES version, which features identical graphics but better audio. The music here sounds a bit harsh, and the voices muffled. The second game in this collection is Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo. It offers a lot of minor tweaks, but its primary claim-to-fame is its three levels of "turbo speed". Some Street Fighter fans insist on cranking up the speed, but I personally find it too frantic when both players are hopping around like fleas. The third and final game in this collection is Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold, which comes as a shock to the system. The fighters are more detailed and rendered in more of an anime style. Quite different from the other two games, most of Alpha's characters are brand new, and a fresh set of backgrounds provide for some memorable scenes. The men's room stage is very comical (with guys at the urinals), and the huge hovering jet in the downtown stage looks amazing. In one stage you can actually see a little kid playing an NES through the window of a house! Alpha's gameplay ups the ante with advanced techniques like a super combo bar, custom combos, and alpha counters. The super-combos provide a satisfying way of turning the tables when you're down. I noticed the bouts in Alpha last longer because attacks tend to incur less damage. I'm not sure what the "Gold" indicates in the title, but this is probably the best Street Fighter game I've played (including Alpha 3 and Street Fighter 3). I would definitely recommend using an arcade-style joystick with all of these games, because the digital pad of the standard Playstation controller is pretty stiff to be executing "sweeping" motions. Considering this is a two-disc package, Street Fighter Collection seems a little sparse, offering no bonus material. The load times are modest, but there's no auto-save feature. All things considered however, this is a pretty outstanding collection. Note: These games are also available on PS2 compilations. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Most Street Fighter games have aged like wine over the years, but EX Plus Alpha? Not so much! This much-maligned title marked the series' temporary but ill-advised foray into the realm of 3D. It didn't help to be saddled with the title "Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha" - an absolute abomination of a name! Not only does this lack a real name, but its lacks an identity. Let's face it - this could be any generic 3D fighter. Yes, there are a few familiar faces, but mostly a bunch of oddball newcomers (don't even get me started with the ridiculous "Skullomania"). The character models are very blocky, and even the blonde bombshell Blair looks positively chunky. The backgrounds are dull and flat, as if little or no effort was put into them. Despite the bland visuals, the animation is fairly smooth. The action occurs on a 2D plane, although fancy throws are depicted via dramatic camera angles. A few are somewhat impressive, like how Dhalsim slithers around his opponent's body before throwing them down. It's very easy to initiate throws in this game (intentionally or otherwise), so you'll be seeing plenty. EX is playable but doesn't have that crisp, responsive feel of a real Street Fighter game. The music covers a wide range, but some of the tunes seem jazzy and inappropriate. Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha is the unholy bastard child of Tekken and Street Fighter. It may have been an interesting novelty item in the late 90's, but now it's just bad. My friend Chris claims this game is not worthy of the Street Fighter name, and I think he's right. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Largely overlooked upon its release, this two-disc package is a remarkable treat for gamers with old school tastes. Not to be confused with the lackluster Strider Returns (Genesis, 1990), Strider 2 is a sparkling gem designed specifically for the Playstation. It combines artistic character sprites with exciting layered 3D environments. This offers players the best of both worlds with simple, engaging gameplay set in rich environments with moving camera angles. The main character "Hiryu" can climb on anything, and he can swing his sword in a rapid-fire manner at the endless hordes of ninjas and levitating robots. A double-jump move is a welcome new addition, as is the "boost" meter which augments your slashes with heat-seeking "waves" of light! The fantastic intro stage has you leaping between buildings at night with a gorgeous city skyline looming in the background. From there you'll visit a castle, a lab at the South Pole, and finally, a space station. The jumping and slashing platform action is great, with bad guys that explode impressively and leave blue coins in their wake. You'll face some truly imaginative adversaries like bird-men armed with hockey sticks, and outrageous bosses like a robotic woolly mammoth! Strider 2 might seem boss-heavy, but none of them take long to defeat. Each stage is divided into several brief encounters, and you're constantly being whisked off to new locations. Between stages the storyline is conveyed via slick illustrations which look absolutely razor-sharp - even on my big plasma TV. Fans of the original Strider will witness many familiar sights, including a winding dragon you can climb on and a gravity-defying stage with a floating "core". Strider 2 has a whimsical side as well, with pixelated icons shaped like cows serving as bonuses. The only thing that bothered me about Strider 2 is its unlimited continues, which allow you to complete the game in roughly an hour. It's still possible to play for best time and score however, which are saved to memory card. The option menu includes a rapid-fire option to help avoid thumb strain. Strider 2's second disk holds an arcade-perfect version of the original Strider game, which is yet another fantastic game. I took Strider 2 for granted back in the day, but I won't be making that mistake again. NOTE: Interestingly, the disc containing Strider 2 is (mis)labeled as "Strider", and the one with Strider is labeled as "Strider 2". © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

As the owner of the Neo Geo (MVS) version of Strikers 1945, I was expecting this PS1 edition to be a second-rate translation - at best. Well, that's not the case at all. This vertical airplane shooter is every bit as fun as the Neo Geo edition, and its graphics are actually sharper, brighter, and more colorful. I've played Dreamcast shooters that don't look this good! The green and brown-tinged landscapes are nearly photo-realistic, and even with hundreds of moving objects there's no slow-down to complain about. You get your pick of six different souped-up WWII-era planes, and I love how your selection determines your starting stage. One or two players can unleash a devastating degree of rapid-fire mayhem, and plentiful weapon icons boost your firepower to the brink of insanity. When all else fails, unleash a "support attack" which pretty much obliterates everything on the screen (and serves as a shield to boot). Under the normal difficulty you'll need to use these just to escape imminent death every 15 seconds or so. The game offers two play modes with really bad names: "original 1" and "original 2". Both are "boxed" by black bars, but the second mode shifts the screen in an unsightly way, so avoid it. Striker's difficulty is up there, so be sure to turn the skill level down to very easy (or lower)! Rankings are saved to memory card. Strikers 1945 arrived late for the system, so a lot of people missed out on this under-appreciated shooter. Don't be one of them. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.

This Street Fighter spin-off takes a Tetris-style puzzle game and embellishes it with music, sound effects, and Capcom characters from Street Fighter II and Darkstalkers. The game itself is good, and the fancy window dressing doesn't hurt either. The Street Fighter characters include Ken, Ryu, Chun Li, and Sakura. The Darkstalkers are Morrigan, Felicia, Donovan, and Hsein-Ko. These characters are rendered in a stylized anime style, and have little bearing on the gameplay. I really don't like Ken with that sissy ponytail, and Morrigan looks really dumpy with her hair down. Each side of the screen features a rectangular box that colorful gems fall into, one by one. You stack gems strategically, using the occasional "crash gem" to clear all gems of the same color. It's simple enough for beginners to grasp, yet experts can plan and execute elaborate chain reactions. When your opponent performs a combo, "counter gems" with numbers on them fall into your side. These turn into regular gems after several turns, but in the meantime they tend to pile up and muck with your plans. Puzzle Fighter's gameplay is enjoyable but less intuitive than other puzzle games like Tetris 2 or Bust a Move. Even after becoming fairly good at it, I never felt as if I had fully grasped all the rules. Capcom fans will be delighted with the graphics and sound. The backgrounds are mini-versions of stages from the fighting games, and some of the music is remixed versions of familiar tunes. Some of the new music is excellent, particularly the song that plays throughout the Chun Li stage. Most of the sound effects are taken directly from Street Fighter II. An arcade mode allows you to play the CPU for high score, which is recorded to memory card. The CPU opponent is pretty relentless, and if you let him stick around for too long, prepare for an avalanche of counter gems. There's also a head-to-head versus mode and a puzzle mode that lets you unlock goodies. Puzzle Fighter might not be the most addictive puzzle game around, but it may be the most stylish. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.