36 — Friday. December 18. 1996 - North Shore News

IDEQ GAMES

WITH an eve on vour
holiday buck, Sony
Computer Entertainment
America recently
announced clear leader:
ship in video yame soft-
ware sales.

Citing a recent *
YRSTS report fom Phe
NPD Group, the leader in
ets and figures concerning
the videogame industry, the
Playstation console is selling
well, 207,000 Playstations
were sold durins the first
iwo weeks of November
dong with more than 1.6
million units of Playstation
sottware. accounting for
more software sales than ail
other videogame systems
combined.

Nash

Playstation: Duke Nukem
Time tu Kill
(GtInteractive)

I've been waiting a lone
time for a Tomb Raider killer
with some trepidation. I
have a soft spot for evber-
babe Lara Croft and I'm
reluctant to see her lose her
crown as the premier 3rd-
person adventurer.

But when I heard thar
Tomb IIT was a completely
retooled sequel to an already
amazing dele (J have vet to
play it), then the threat of
the brawny man’s man
known as Duke Nukem rip-
ping Croft’s crown from her
dangerous but dainty head
became fess so Still, Duke,
in this umpreenth incarna-
tion but his first appearance
asa 3rd person (actually, it’s
2nd person, isn’t it?) in Gr’s
Time to Kill could casily be
considered as good as Tomb
II save for one shortcoming:
Tomb IT caane first.

Essentially this Nukem
plays like Tosh Raider, so it
already feels used. However,
since many game geeks can’t
gct enough of Tomb, then
this is a great companion
piece. Betng a dastardly
dude, Duke tends toward
violence a whole loi more
than the clever Croft did
(does). The sexist simp has
way more weapons, some
traditional, some far-our, all
packing a serious wallop
(gotta love that Holy Hand
Grenade). Gameplay, as
mentioned, is borrowed.
Duke walks and runs and
climbs and ducks and dekes
just like Lara, with a few

SRP AD tts oat Par mcr
IPA
reoweccd fre

Satitatey ©

CrDss UM
SARITA surge Sn
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Larsenitsg
cook Pbere’s .
INTIRUG ere tou
Nukem tith. Dimgont, winers
Duke must hum dowr kevs
or hidden rooms betore pro
wressing to the nevt level.
Leveis themselves all have
the tinte tratciier motif, Old
West, Ancient Rome, Present
Day ete. (borrowed from
Time Commando). In uiis
incarnation, Duke can't real
Iy be categorized asa
“shooter” ~~ though there is
plenty of that ~~ more of a
Action /adventure with
middle-aged homicidal thus.
it's a new look tor Duke
(nice kilt, buddy), but an old
look for gamers. A worthy
romp, this one, but not the
new benchmark. Great rental.
Good purchase.

Nintendo 64 & Playstation:
NBA Live 99 (EA Sports)
The problem with this
EA Sports tide is not so
much a collection of design
flaws, it’s the genre:
Specifically, basketball. But
it’s not like I don’t like bas-
ketball, J just feel better
when it’s not around,

Needless to say, EA has
got motion-captured ath-
letics down to a science, so
this titles looks pretty
spanky on either platform.
Control is fairly user-
friendly — maybe even
intuitive save for the fact
that I have no B-ball intu-
ition. I should probably
give NBA Live 99 more of
a chance; unfortunately,
when I plug a sports title
into my Psx or N64, it’s
usually EA’s NHL 99, a
faster, more tusid foray
into the wer id of cyber-
sport. Ficckey is the
coolest game on earth,
after all, basketball is jusr
warm and sweaty with a
lot of squeaky Nikes.

Theze’s nothing seri-
ously wrong with these
titles — save for the fact
that they don’t hold my
attention long enough to
discover anything seriously
wrong. OK rentals. OK
purchases.

4 AUDATE SINGERS |

Conductor: {ars Kaario

A Ceremony

of Carols

A glorious Christmas concert with choir and harp
in the radiance cf candlelight

Saturday, December 19, Sem
St. Andrews United Church .
10th & St. Georges, North Vancouver

‘fickets: Adult ‘15 © Student/Senior °12
Tickets available through Ticketmaster @ 280-3311
or Ticketmaster on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca

For further information call 831-3158

Phaystation: Wild 9
(Shiny /Interplay}

Wall there TP dhrar bows

Poan cell on

sothar Pow. one ot

rota ophiy wthe fret

Video ame lo incerparate

forture nto gamephay”

Protlom is. Tnerplay has a
vers doce ad “y

tube

denth atiracise 3D onviren
ment Tots so well desmncd,
in aaet, chat it’s barety recog
nivable as 4) side-scrofliag
plarformer

You play Wes, the lead
dinde who struts across the
sersen -- rather than walk or
run — and vou do all those
things vou're expected: to do
asa plattormer. You hop from
catwalk to rampart to) para-
pet. You push objects inte
place and. activate various
contraptions which further
your journey and/or hinder
your enemies. Truly innova:
Uve is vour primary weapon:
The Rig, a spastic plasmaric
lasso device that grabs and
holds things like overhangs,
inanimate objects and ene-
mies.

Which brings us back to
that torture thing. Wild 9 car-
nies a violence and gore warn-
ing, so it is, at the very least,
bent on gruesome killing of
striking variety, but torture?
When I think torture I think
pulling out fingernails with a
pair of pliers, drilling teeth
with a Black & Decker, that
sort of thing. In Wild 9, the
torture involves tossing the
enemy into machinery conve-
niently designed like a giant
meat grinders. Sure, the poor
fella chucked therein screams
and gurgles and then goes

Mention this Ad for a discount

CHARGE?

eran crue fora
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soa ditdle dial. a
ropeunive
soho coedared he
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Wild Soopanathes prom
TOD: Sotitest,

Youw— wet mavbe 9 hours
otiin borore the ahd Wer
strut becaines a saanter then
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Heat renal OK
purchase,

a .
Porech tar the

Who says cheaters never
win?

Tne te Kill: Paase the
gaine and press Lett, Right,
hott, Right. SELECT, Lett,
Right, Lett, Right SELECT
for infimite ammo, Press $.2,
R2, 1.2, R2, £2, R2, 1.2, R2,
1.2, R2 tor double damage.

— Shaun Coaha

Top Rentals:

1. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
(N64)

2. Tomb Raider IH
(PSX/PC)

3. Thiet: The Dark Project
(PC)

4. Railroad Tveoon U1 (PC)
5. Carmageddon I (PC)

6. Heretic I (PC)

7. Crash Bandicoot: Warped
(PSX)

8. European Air War (PC
9. Blood TI (PC)

10. Metal Gear Solid (PSX)
Sponsored by:
InterAction
Entertainment,
120 E 3rd St., N. Van. (604)
987 3472.

Www. gant eaction.com

-UPHOLSTER

Computer

Home Furnishings

Leather Work CS .
Car and Boat
Antiques %
Refinishing and Repairs
Hort Tub Covers

Free estimates, pick up & delivery

19 years experience
your satisfaction is our concern

call 985-7449

| 08 OR REFUSAL

You only have

Did you know that you automatically receive a 90 day
prohibition from driving for being picked up on 08 or
Refusal charges, whether or not you have been

convicted.

You only have 7 days from the date that you 2re
stopped by the Police to appeal your 90 day automatic

driving prohibition.

You have the right to an experienced lawyer...
One who can advise you of your options...
Point out the potential problems...

Help you deal with the significant penalties...

PHONE FOR A FREE CONSULTATION IMMEDIATELY.

ARDAGH HUNTER

TURNER

986-4366
AFTER HOURS 926-3181 (Criminal matters only)

#300-1401 LoNSDALE Ave. NORTH VAN.
E-mail]: harryh@ahtlaw.com

—

NEWS photo Grad Lodwidce

Country Christmas

THERESA and Don Dirkson of Blue Grass Express
performed last weekend at Maplewood Farran’s 16th
annuai Country Christmas. The far, located at 405
Seymour River Pl, is open year round except
Christmas Day and nen-holiday Mondays.

by Design a hy)

Furniture & interiors
© Southwest Style
© Western Decor
* Rustic Lodge
* Decorative Accents

Many unique ideas fer Christmas .
1589 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver (604) 980-4112

Swimmers this ls the sole for pou!
$250,000 worth of
aquatic supplies
MUST BE SOLD!
Bathing Suits,
Goggles & Caps

369

Ye OFF!
Training & Aquatic
Fitness Equipment,

Videos, Books & CDs
b| to Bed Yo orrt |
| &=—" SPEEDO W TYR

| SALE ENDS DEC. 23

OPEN MON-FRI. 9AM-5PM
SATURDAY 11AN-SPM