note: not all games have final reviews, some only have preliminary ratings.  RTS = Real Time Strategy   FPS = First Person Shooter   RPG = Role Playing Game (more emphasis on role than in FPS)   FCS = Flight Combat Simulator   AG = Arcade Game   DS = Driving Simulator

Age of Mythology  RTS   

Age of Kings: The Conquerors  RTS 

Age of Kings  RTS 

Starcraft  RTS 

Starcraft: Brood War  RTS 

Command and Conquer: Red Alert  RTS 

    I never played the original Command and Conquer, so Red Alert was my first introduction to the series.  Red Alert is definitely a classic game, having sold over 5 million units (I think).

    The gameplay was quite captivating for its release.  It is definitely more fast paced than most other RTS games, probably a result of its lack of technologies to research.  each side only has about 15 different units and 10 different buildings, as compared to to other RTS games where there are twice as many options.  However, this does not hinder Red Alert, rather it adds to the fun as you try to marshal your limited resources as best you can.

    The single players missions for Red Alert are very good.  The maps are well-designed, corresponding to the different types of objectives.  Missions are always more fun when the objectives change, rather than constantly being "wipe out your enemy's base and you win."  Capturing strategic buildings or killing or protecting important units adds a good variety to the game.  One great feature about the missions are the cutscenes, which were filmed with real actors and are very high quality.  They add a certain realism to the games.  The storylines for both of the campaigns were well-crafted, and they saved the best cutscenes for the end.

    The multiplayer aspect of the games is quite nice too.  I can fondly remember many times when I spent my lunch hour at Northridge up in the computer lab playing a few friends over the LAN.  Red Alert was even better the Starcraft for that, because most Red Alert games were finished within the 45 minute time period, whereas Starcraft games usually took an hour or more.  Red Alert definitely deserves its place among classic computer games.

Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun  RTS 

    The long expected sequel to Red Alert, Tiberian Sun was released over a year after the expected date, but it proved well worth the wait.  It advanced the Red Alert story 50 years, into a world where Tiberium, a mysterious mineral, was a source of global contest.

    All of the units and buildings are completely different from Red Alert, and the firing methods of different units add a new aspect o the Command and Conquer gameplay.  for examples, there are the missile firing units, which are devastating against aircraft, okay against armor, and worthless versus infantry.  Other innovations are the "deployments" of certain Nod vehicles, such as the artillery and the tick tank, and also the repair vehicle.  The "superweapons", e.g. Ion Cannon, Multi Missile, and Chemical Missile; are so varied that they require a much more in-depth strategy than the big ol' nuke from Red Alert.  

    The single player missions are very good, for the same reasons as Red Alert. (intricate maps, compelling storyline, high-quality cutscenes, and a great ending for each side.)

    I never played the multiplayer for Tiberian Sun, but after many skirmishes with the computer, I get the feeling it would still be very similar to Red Alert, though inferior to Starcraft.

Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun: Firestorm  RTS 

    This expansion to Tiberian Sun definitely added some useful and interesting elements, but it wasn't quite as much as could have been expected of Westwood.

    Some of the elements were practical, such as the meeting places where you could set where the guys went after they were built.  A few new units were added, notably the Juggernaut, a much-needed GDI artillery unit.  Others included the mobile EMP (esentially useless) and the mobile stealth generator (great, if used properly)

    The campaigns' initial premise (Cabal, a computer, rebelling against its master, forcing the unlikely union of GDI and Nod) was promising, but eventually failed to live up to its predecessors, having a quit predictable bent, though the ending scene of the Nod campaign was chilling, with its hint of Kane and Cabal merging minds.  However, as there is no expected sequel to this series, its an interesting thought, but essentially a dead end.

    Though I had no opportunity to play the multiplayer, the added elements of clans and world domination, with continued battles over territories, looked very attractive, and would be one of the strongest points of the expansion.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2  RTS 

    Red Alert 2 took the Command and Conquer series where it had never gone before, the Soviet invasion of America.  Unfortunately, it didn't take Command and Conquer anywhere else, it just recycled old gameplay and unit types.

    There was almost nothing new in the gameplay that we hadn't seen in the Command and conquer series before.  The deploying infantry were new, but that wasn't great, and while it was cool to take over civilian buildings and garrison your troops there, they should have had a few more ideas than that.  Otherwise, the improvement were hardly worth noticing.

    The graphics for the game might have been considered to be improved, but the problem was that everything was too rounded, which gave the whole game a "cartoony" look, which, when combined with the corniness of some of the units (camo tanks that turn into trees?  Gimme a break) greatly detracted from any serious and realistic elements of the game, which was where the previous Command and Conquer games had their strongest draw.

    The only part of the single player mission that retained the same quality as the previous games were the cutscenes, which were still good.  However, every other part suffered.  The storyline was much to linear, the missions were to similar, and even the maps weren't that original.  Also, the difficulty setting was much to easy.  I beat the Allied campaign in under 6 hours total on the "normal" difficulty setting.  That may have been because the gameplay was so similar to Red Alert, which I already knew, but they should have added more new elements.

    Overall, this game is really, "Red Alert: Rehashed."

Command and Conquer: Renegade  FPS

    This is the embodiment of an idea my friends and I have always wanted to see.  What would you get if you took a great strategy game and put the player in the position of one of the troops on the ground?  The answer?  A great game.

    The most fun part about this game is seeing the inside on the structures you've been building and demolishing for years.  Walking inside the Hand of Nod is the coolest thing ever, and driving a mammoth tank?... well, that's just off the scale.  But besides the "wow" factor of seeing inside an RTS game, there's a ton of other great stuff besides.

    There are about 15 different weapons in the game, each with its own special purpose.  one of the trickiest parts of the game is deciding which weapon to hold when you open the door to the next room.  This may sound simple, but it's really not the easy, because each weapon is good against different guys.  (e.g. the flamethrower works well against infantry, but doesn't do anything against armor or other flamethrowers, the chemical thrower works well against infantry and armor, but not against any mutated life forms, the chain gun works well against mutants and flame throwers, but not against heavily armored infantry)  the levels are varied enough that each contains new surprises, and the storyline is definitely worthy of the Command and Conquer name.

Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II  RPG

Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast  RPG 

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace  RPG 

Star Wars: Episode I: Pod Racer  DS 

    Pod Racer was a miserable attempt to make a fun Star Wars racing game.  Unfortunately, it offered no variation in gameplay, little customization, and absolutely no storyline.  Every race felt exactly the same, sure, the racetracks were different shapes, but there was nothing really unique about any one of the races.  While you could choose different pods and purchase upgrades for them, the difference certainly wasn't big enough to be necessary in any but the last few races.  The game was also extremely easy to beat.  I'm not a pro at racing games, but I had no problem beating the game in a single day, probably less than 3 hours.  There really wasn't much to this game, it was just a basic racing game, with absolutely nothing to recommend it or set it apart from other games, except its Star Wars setting, which was probably the only reason Ryan (the friend who I borrow it from) bought it (he's a SW fanatic).  

Star Wars: Battle for Naboo  CFS

    A disappointment from Lucas Arts, this combat flight simulator was set in Episode I of Star Wars.  It suffered from being designed too much for arcades and consoles, rather than a computer.  The controls were not as precise as could be expected, the missions were overly simplistic, the interface was very "arrow key" oriented, using the mouse and other keyboards keys very little.  The targeting was weird, with a sight that didn't work too well, and the combat suffered from a restraint on rolling at all; the game forced you to have a horizontal attitude at almost all times.  On the plus side, the missions lacked any sort of artificial boundary which bounced you back (I hate those); they kept you from straying too far by having time critical objectives which could not be met if you went off track.  At its best, this game is only good for a couple hours of mindless fun, then it gets extremely boring.

Star Wars: Starfighter  CFS 

Midtown Madness  DS 

    Normally I don’t particularly like driving games, there’re usually too boring and NASCARish.  I mean, who finds fun in driving a car around an oval track 500 times?  That’s where Midtown Madness is different.  Instead of putting you on a racetrack with boundaries and stupid stuff like that, it puts you in the middle of downtown Chicago, gives you some checkpoints, a finish line, and a bunch of other drivers who are doing their best to total your car.  After that, you’re own your own, to make whatever way you want as you rev your way to the finish line.  And don’t think they clear the traffic off the streets either.  Dodging taxis, buses, and delivery trucks is just part of the fun, unless you double your pleasure by going through them instead of around them (it's so great hearing the people scream at you after they're hit.).  Make sure your car can handle it though, while the semi truck or the Ford pickup can take quite a beating, those dinky little sports cars crack after very few collisions.  However, even this can be used to your advantage.  I’ve won a few races with the bus by skipping checkpoints, getting in the way of the oncoming racers, so they all total themselves on me, whereupon I leave their smoking wrecks behind and leisurely finish the race at a stately 50 mph.  However, if racing’s not your thing, you can enjoy the game by just turning on the "cruise" mode and touring the city.  Or you can go around causing havoc and mayhem.  That's the essence of this game, it gives you an enourmous amount of freedom in choosing what you want to do.

Midtown Madness II  DS 

    This is a great game for the same reason as the original, except it has better graphics and even more choices.  They added 8 new cars to choose from, including my favorite, the Audi TT.  (Other great rides are the New Beetle Dune and Turbo versions, also the Hummer)  You can also choose between sunny San Francisco or foggy London town to drive around in, which means there are twice as many races to beat.  However, I think the best choiceS they added were the "crash courses."  The San Francisco one is comprised of 9 lessons, 3 tests, and a final exam on becoming a stunt driver in a '69 Mustang, while the London one uses the same format to teach you how to be A London Cabbie in the little black London cab.  Another great part of the game is the voices which introduce and finish each race; they are so stereotypical of each city that you laugh out loud the first time you hear them.  In London, they have the Scottish guy, the high-class lady, and the literature addict.  In San Francisco, they have a hippie left over from the 70s, a ditzy beach girl, and a cool black dude.  The entire game retains the best parts of the original, while adding a large body of new features which make it in my opinion the greatest car racing game ever.

Warblade  AG

All Lego Games  AG 

    They all stink.  I love legos, and I thought the games might be interesting, but they were horrible (at least it wasn't my money, I played it at a Chrit's house because his little brother bough them).  Stick with the plastic blocks, you'll have alot more fun.

Battlefield 1942  FPS 

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault  FPS 

I have only played the demo version of this game for computer (and the PS2 version), but it was the most realistic WWII game I ever saw.  The detail put into the game was truly amazing, from the weapons to the maps even to the interface.  It truly makes you feel like you are participating in WWII.  It has quite a nice variety of weapons, each with its own special characteristics.  The single player missions are excellent, which is good, because there is absolutely no multiplayer game, EA having decided that with two WWII games on the market, each would have a different gaming focus.

America's Army  FPS