The PS2 instalment for Sony’s Wipeout series of futuristic racers, which gave us the first 60fps Wipeout experience. It was released late for a first party PS2 title, coming out in 2002. It is set in the year 2160 during the F9000 Anti-Gravity Racing League and sees the return of ship pilots that can be selected by the player.
Wipeout Fusion builds on the series’ evolving combat system, which started simple in the original game and grew more complex. The F9000 league’s focus on aggression leads to more weapons (26 vs. 10-15 in priors), greater emphasis on elimination, and modifications like backward-firing options. Your ship has limited energy that can be depleted, which must be replenished by passing through a energy recharge station located adjacent to the finish line. Because of how vicious the enemy players can be, you will often find yourself having to pass through this to keep your ship in the game.
Track design is a bit of a mixed bag, here you are treated to much more detailed environments with a lot more elements on the track. But this can be very distracting and often confusion, occasionally I have took a wrong turn or have even got lost as there are twits and turns and pathways that appear to be deadened. It does not help the the frame rate tends to tank when there are a lot of ships onscreen, in addition to the article effects when you are either in a sandy or snowy area. Some of the tracks are quite visually busy it can very distracting to play. Some of the track sections are just too dark, like when you enter a tunnel. With the tracks themselves, Wipeout Fusion took the approach of reusing the design over different tracks, kind of like the Ridge Racer games where certain tracks are variations of others. Temtesh bay is a rocky desert mining region set in Australia and features sections that are quite open. Alca Venus as a rainforest feel to it with dense vegetation temples and waterfalls. Cubiss Flat is set in the Alpine glaciers and features snowy mountains and blizzards.
The music’s amazing as to be expected for a Wipeout game, you have a mix of electro, trance and drum & bass that was popular from the era with some standout artists like Utah Saints and Future Sound Of London. Music appears to play sequently, or you can switch it to random play.
Already we have more opponents on the race than was possible on the PS1 versions, with 16 opponents.
What’s disappointing is for a first party exclusive game, Wipeout Fusion does not take much advantage of the PS2 functionality like the i.Link port. The PS1 Wipeout games often made use of the link cable to allow two player gameplay with two consoles which was a nice feature as it allowed for two players to play without having to use split screen. The Namco NeGcon controller is still supported for analogue control, but is redundant since the PS2 comes with the DualShock as standard.
The game’s loading times are also pretty terrible, expect to wait upto one minute for a typical race to load.
Wipeout Fusion faced completion from other futuristic racing games of the era, Quantum Redshift which was exclusive to the original Xbox was released in the same year and features ships racing on planetary tracks, with character-driven pilots (similar to F-Zero) who have rivalries and unique abilities, contrasting Fusion’s pilot team-based approach. Both games share core mechanics like weapon pickups, upgrades, and high-speed chaos but Quantium Redshift has more refined combat system with the concept of homing weapons, non-homing weapons and a deployable shield. They types of weapons are dictated by the ship you choose, while Wipeout Fusion is based on what has randomly been selected when you fly over a weapon pad.
Still, Wipeout Fusion was considered a weak entry in the series, and it wasn’t until 2005 with the release of Wipeout Pure which saw a reboot of the series mechanics.
Street Racing Syndicate is like the mixture of The Fast and the Furious and a Hot Import Nights car show. Released in 2004 by Eutechnyx and Namco (who developed Ridge Racer), it’s you against the underground racing scene in cities like LA, Miami, and Philly. Your goal? Stack cash, earn respect, trick out your ride, and—get this—charm virtual models with your sick drifts. It has that weird 2000s vibe where winning races unlocks videos of real-life models. It’s cheesy as hell but you have to love it.
Gameplay’s where this game revs its engine. You’re dropped into an open-world hub—way ahead of its time for 2004—cruisin’ between races, respect challenges, and pink slip bets where you can win or lose your car. The Street Mode is the meat of it: race through city streets, day or night, dodging traffic and pulling stunts like drifts or two-wheel driving to rack up respect points. The damage system is legit—smash your ride too hard, and it handles like a shopping cart, plus repairs hit your wallet like a bad night at the casino. It’s not just “go fast, turn left”; you gotta think about not wrecking your bankroll. Arcade Mode’s got quick races, checkpoint runs, and speed trials if you just wanna jump in, and the console versions had online multiplayer back in the day—though good luck finding a server now, unless you’re time-traveling to 2004.
The car roster? Solid. Over 50 licensed rides from Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and more. You’re tuning up Skyline GT-Rs, Supras, and RX-7s with real-world parts from brands like AEM and Sparco. Customisations deep for the time—think engine swaps, body kits, and neon lights that scream “I watched Tokyo Drift too many times.” It’s not quite Need for Speed: Underground’s level of polish, but it’s got enough to make you feel like a street mod god. The controls are arcadey but tight, with a weighty feel that makes drifts satisfying, though it ain’t as forgiving as Underground or as sim-heavy as Juiced.
Visually, SRS holds up… kinda. The cities look alive with neon glow and traffic, but the graphics are a bit rough compared to Underground’s slick sheen. Cars look dope, especially when you’re rocking custom paint and rims, but the environments can feel blocky, like someone forgot to polish the backstreets. The soundtrack’s got that early 2000s energy—think Chingy, Xzibit, and some generic hip-hop beats. Sound effects are decent—engine roars and tire screeches do the job, though they don’t quite pop like Forza or even Midnight Club.
SRS is unapologetically 2000s. It’s got that Fast and Furious swagger, complete with the cringey girlfriend mechanic that’s so dated it’s almost charming. But that’s the appeal—it’s raw, it’s gritty, it doesn’t pretend to be high art. Compared to Need for Speed: Underground, it’s less polished but has a unique edge with the damage system and open-world cruising. Juiced feels more serious with its crew management, but SRS is just about living the street life without overthinking it.
Downsides? It’s not perfect. The AI can get in your way at time, and will either rubberbanding like crazy or drive like they’re on their learner’s permit. And while the open world was cool for 2004, it feels small compared to modern racers like Forza Horizon.
Versions
Gamecube: The NGC release is pretty basic, there no online or custom sound support that you would find on the other console releases but it does run at a stable framerate.
PlayStation 2: This version make basic use of the PS2’s capabilities, and lacks support for it’s progressive scan mode which would have been much welcomed for a racing game. There was online support if you had the required Network Adapter, or a PS2 slim that featured built in Ethernet. The online servers have since been shut down and there does not appear to be a community project to bring it back online.
Xbox: This port included support for custom soundtracks, so any music that you had saved to the Xbox hard drive could be played back in game.
Microsoft Windows: Street Racing Syndicate was also released for the PC, back in the Windows XP era, and appears to work fine all the way to Windows 10. You can even purchase It digitally online. Online play hs workable if you use OpenSpy
The first true next generation Tekken game, being released on the then-new PS2 hardware.
Fighting games have never been known for well-thought-out, let alone believable, story lines. Tekken 4 is no exception. Every fighter has their motivations, but the game really centers on the absurd relationship between Kazuya and Heihachi. At the heart of the story is the long-standing feud between Heihachi Mishima and his son, Kazuya Mishima, alongside the emergence of Jin Kazama and Jun, who is still missing as of the games release. A key element introduced more prominently in this game is the “Devil Gene,” a supernatural trait passed down through the Mishima bloodline, granting its bearers demonic powers. Kazuya and Jin both grapple with this curse, which plays a significant role in their motivations and the overall narrative.
Like previous games, the story is set around the King of Iron Fist Tournament, which Heihachi uses as a means to lure Kazuya out and to test Jin’s abilities. However, this time, the tournament has more personal stakes for the characters involved, especially with Heihachi’s plan to create the ultimate life form through the Devil Gene. Each character, especially Jin and Kazuya, has their own arc dealing with redemption or revenge. Jin, in particular, is driven by a desire to avenge his mother’s death and to confront his own heritage, while Kazuya seeks to overthrow Heihachi and reclaim his birthright.
The game has 19 characters and a selection of modes. As with any fighting game sequel, a few new characters are mixed in with the core group seen in the previous installments. The new fighters are Craig, Steve, and Christie. Christie isn’t really a new character, being just a female equivalent of Eddy, the Capoeria specialist who is omitted from Tekken 4. Steve Fox, A British boxer with a mysterious past, later revealed to have a biological connection to one of the existing characters. Combot is meant to be a training robot, serving as a replacement for Mokujin. Despite the large character roster, half the characters still need to be unlocked by beating arcade/story mode.
The game’s modes make up the typical fighting-game shopping list. These include practice, time-trial, and survival, as well as the expected arcade and story modes. Story mode is simply an arcade mode with still illustrations and FMV cut scenes that go into the chosen character’s plot, but lacks pre-match cutscenes that Dead or Alive 2 featured. A new feature in the series is the ability to save fight replays to the memory card, which will allow you to play them back at a later date. Some changes have been made since Tekken Tag Tournament, No more do the levels reach out endlessly on either side, Now you must consider obstacles such as staircases, walls, and breakable statues. This opens up a new element to the game as you now run the risk of getting cornered. You cannot break into different parts of the stage like Dead Or Alive 2, But the new mechanics with the arenas, where you can knock people into walls or off ledges? That’s cool and innovative.
The two new modes are Training and Tekken Force. Training doesn’t so much train you as require you to pull off a menu of moves. Tekken Force is a beat-‘em-up, You take a fighter of your choice through a gauntlet of baddies. Naturally you’re able to use the available moves of your character. Tekken Force also makes for a good diversion, especially for those who like the beat-em-up genre.
For Tekken veterans, the gameplay will feel very familiar. Two buttons control the fist attacks while the other two handle the legs. Side-to-side movement has significantly improved in Tekken 4, allowing for more movement. This helps add depth to a franchise that’s in trouble of getting stale. You can also assign combo commands to each of the L1 or R1 buttons.
Tekken 4 has graphically improved over Tekken Tag Tournament. That’s not to say the visuals are perfect — far from it. While the anti-aliasing is noticeably smoother since Tekken Tag Tournament, the Tekken character models look inconsistent. Sure, they might be detailed, but the actual character animations are very choppy. This is especially clear in Christie’s jerky Capoeira animation.
Tekken 4 is like that middle child in the family – not the favorite, but not the worst either. If you’re a die-hard fan of the series, you’ll enjoy the new mechanics and characters, but if you’re looking for the quintessential Tekken experience, you might find yourself missing what came before or waiting for what’s next. It delivers more of the same with slight tweaks in the character roster.
The third in a line of games from DMA Design, Grand Theft Auto III’s gameplay mechanics are built around the acts of theft (namely carjacking) and battery. The first two games featured diverse and open-ended gameplay, but the 2D delivery limited the concept’s execution. The release of Driver for the original PlayStation and PC showed that it was feasible to create an open world 3D rendered world on consumer hardware, Although you were limited to staying within your car, Driver 2 then allowed you to leave the car and carry out mission’s on foot. The original GTA and GTA2 used a top-down perspective view, With GTA3, the premise and plot are fleshed out to a fully realized story line against the backdrop of a 3D world that literally lives and breathes around you. DMA crafted a large virtual city for players to explore on foot or by car and has filled it with enough detail and nuance to continually surprise and impress you as you dig into the game’s hundred-plus hours of gameplay.
GTA III takes place in Liberty City, a metropolis with three distinct sections that are unlocked as the game progresses which is designed in the same image as New York City. At the game’s start you find your character in a robbery gone wrong. Flash forward to an escape from a prison transport, and the actual gameplay begins as you acquire a car and attempt to make a fresh start working for the mob. GTA III introduced players to Liberty City, an expansive and interactive city where players could roam freely. Liberty City is depicted as a place of economic disparity and decay, with visible signs of poverty, urban blight, and the stark contrast between different neighbourhoods. This setting mirrors real-world issues in major cities where economic policies have led to visible divides.
This freedom was unprecedented at the time, allowing players to explore, complete missions, or engage in chaotic antics at their discretion. The early missions familiarise you with the game’s controls, and give you ample opportunity to explore the city on foot or by car. However, if you want to get anything done in the game, you are going to have to get your hands dirty, inflict some pain, or stop a vehicle, pull out the driver, and take off before the police catch you. Missions ranged from carjacking to assassinations, providing a broad spectrum of criminal activities. The narrative drove players through a series of increasingly complex objectives, intertwining with diverse characters, each adding to the games storyline.
You choose how violent you get to be. Very little about the game is linear, though you can progress through all of Grand Theft Auto III sticking to the basic missions and just taking on fellow underworld criminals. But to really get the full effect of the game’s seemingly endless possibilities, you can cause some mayhem of your own, indulge in many of the game’s side missions or just go on a virtual crime spree. Though walking into a park and shooting at civilians will result in your character finding himself on the receiving end of a police assault rather quickly.
GTA III is often credited with popularizing the sandbox or open-world genre in video games. Many side missions involve stealing a taxi and collecting fares, or carjacking a police car or fire truck to give back to the community, and for some extra cash to purchase weapons or armour.. There is also something quite satisfying about rising up within the ranks of the underworld — at least for anyone who appreciates a good mafia movie or The Sopranos, which the game takes a lot of cues from. That said, its best to complete these side missions as early as possible, since the rewards they offer will help massively in completing missions, but a s the story progresses, the fans will become hostile to you which will cause them to open fire on your vehicle, making it very difficult to complete since the missions over once your vehicle is destroyed.
The actual execution of gameplay is quite amazing, and the play control seamlessly blends the walking and driving interfaces. Moving throughout Liberty City takes some getting used to at first, but it is rather easy to get the hang of things within the game’s first hour. Walking can get tiresome after a while, but each car has its share of nuance throughout that keeps driving around rather fresh. The gameplay mechanics allowed for chaos—carjacking, explosions, and general lawlessness—which might have been cathartic for some in a world where real-life violence had just taken a new, terrifying dimension. However, this also stirred debates about the morality and impact of such gameplay in the wake of real-world tragedies like 9/11 and the Columbine massacre.
The game’s radio, with its satirical news reports and DJ commentary, often touched on a cynical view of society, which could resonate with a post-9/11 audience feeling cynical about government, media, and the state of the world.
Grand Theft Auto III looks quite good as well for it’s time, though it never depicts violence in an overly graphic manner. The 3D world has an amazing amount of detail, especially considering how large each section of the city is, and while you can’t enter every building that you see, they at least offer plenty to look at up close. Every in-game movement, even switching back and forth between walking and driving, is smooth and the game feels rather polished. The game’s cut scenes are quite solid as well, moving the story along while not overdoing it and are rendered in engine, something that was becoming more common with the sixth generation of consoles.
Versions
PlayStation 2: This was the original release and contains a few RenderWare splash screens showcasing the new technology. This version can get a bit ropey in the framerate department, with it slowing down when there are a lot of cars or explosions on screen. There is also some pop-in with the buildings, or blurry texture’s momentarily before they load which can be off putting. Using a soft-modded PS2 with OpenPS2loader, along with a hard drive is recommended which helps reduce the draw in massively. This version was made available on the PS3 as part of the PS2 classics, it lacks trophy support but is indeed the original ROM of the game. Since it’s emulated, the slowdown is more pronounced and isn’t really recommended unless you don’t have access to the PC version. This version was also used for the PS4, and is a lot more smoother not eh account of better emulation.
Also, this version is limited to 480i (Interlaced) or 576i only, progresive scan isnt supported in this version.
Xbox: The recommended version since this has involved textures and models compared to the PS2 and Windows versions, also supports custom music if they are installed to your hard drive. This version also benefits from analogue controls for steering and aiming, and better audio quamility, being encoded in 128k WMA format audio. This version was also playable on the Xbox 360 if a hard drive is installed, but not on the Xbox One or Series consoles. On the 360, the frame rate does suffer mostly when turning into a new street.
Windows: This version works well and is playable on modern versions of Windows, but lacks the improved details that the Xbox version had. But you can change your characters skin if desired, and can be modded. Some of the enhancements from the Xbox version have been adapted into the PC version using this method.
This version was also adapted for Mac OS X, which was implemented into a Wine DirectX wrapper (Developed by TransGaming Cider/Cedega) and released onto Steam.
Android: Released on GTA III 10th anniversary, This version features improved graphics, providing you set the graphics settings high. This has Android gamepad support, and plays very well on the Nvidia Shield console. This version is alas playable on the Amazon Fire platform, but you will need to side load it to play.
iOS: also release for the iPhone and iPad platforms, but not Apple TV? As far as I’ve played is pretty much the same as the Android versions.
There is also a definite version of GTA III, which is the original mobile version that has been upscaled mostly using AI. The result is pretty poor and isn’t recommended.
While some people may be turned off by this innovation in Mature-rated games, Grand Theft Auto III was very well received, and surely one of the most impressive and ambitious ever released for the early sixth generation systems. The storyline, extensive gameplay, and excellent presentation make for an amazing experience, and older gamers will find themselves drawn into the seedier world the game depicts in a post 9/11 world. Newcomers might appreciate it more through the lens of its historical significance rather than pure entertainment value today. Even though some people may see the violence as a novelty, once you get past the first few missions, this is a game you will not want to stop playing until you’ve explored everything it has to offer.
The fourth Burnout game, and the second released by EA. It follows on from the formula set by Burnout 3: Takedown but adds a revenge mechanic.
Tracks in Burnout Revenge were designed with more verticality, multiple routes, and interactive elements that could change the track layout mid-race, offering a more dynamic racing environment compared to the mostly flat and static tracks of its predecessors. There are still hidden shortcuts located throughout the track which help give the advantage to the opponents.
The Revenge mechanic is one of the games signature features, where one of the opponents is marked as your rival, and causing them to crash will reward you with a bonus. These are known as Revenge Takedowns, and are given when you take out a rival that has taken yourself out repeatedly throughout the current race. The rival is reset when you start a new race.
To mix things up, there are few different race modes that you will play as part of completing the games single player mode. Race is your standard racing mode where the objective is to finish first. Making use of takedowns and shortcuts are key to winning. Road Rage is where you have to score as many takedowns as possible within the time limit. Winning isn’t essential for these races, and you may prefer to linger in third or second place to ensure you can takedown as many opponents as possible. Traffic Attack required you to cause as much damage as possible within the time limited by crashing into vehicle or various objects that are part of the track. Buring Lap is pretty much time trial where it’s just you and the track, worth the objective being to finish within the time limit. There is also a Crash Mode with the objecting being to cause as much damage There are three tiers of scoring from Bronze, Silver and Gold, spending on how well you have scored. You can replay events at any time if you wish to improve your score and can experiment with different vehicles that will differ on speed and weight.
The soundtrack is one of the enjoyable elements of the game, with a playlist mix of Rock, Metal, Industrial, Electronic and PopPunk. There’s a few big names like Fallout Boy, The Chemical Boys, Maximo Park, Bloc Party and Avenged Sevenfold. Songs can be changed easily during a race by hitting the L1/Left Bumper button if you wish to skip the current track.
Xbox 360: The preferred version as it runs in a higher HD resolution and has exclusive Xbox 360 car skins that can be applied. This version does go a bit overboard with the bloom, which can be a put off for some players. Like the Xbox version you can also make use of the custom soundtrack feature if you prefer to use your on music. This version was also made compatible with the Xbox One and Series X/S consoles.
PlayStation 2: Very well optimized for the console, being released late into the console’s lifecycle. Though I recommend getting the Xbox/360 versions instead since the frame rate tends to tank when there’s a lot of stuff on the screen.
Xbox: As the game was released in 2005, it made sense for to be ported to the sixth-generation consoles, that were remarkably popular. This version supports online play over Xbox Live.
No Gamecube version was released, which is odd considering the previous Burnout games were released on that platform.
A horror game released in 2004, developed by Hydravision Entertainment. Set in a fictional high school where a bunch of students must uncover dark secrets of their school after one of their friends goes missing. It’s a survival horror game that features some co-operative elements.
There’s a few puzzle’s that require you to acquire and use certain objects present around the school. Since the game starts after school is over, the earlier levels are set in the evening time and are a lot brighter, with it soon becoming night as the game progresses. As the enemies are sensitive to light, this makes the first few chapters easier since light will weaken them, proving you use a melee weapon to smash open the windows.
Whilst the game provides a map, there is no navigation or cursor to help assist you, meaning you must manually locate the objectives to progress the game. This can be frustrating as you will often need to backtrack through certain area’s and its easy to get lost or go around in circles. I would advise to seek a walkthrough if this is your first time playing the game.
The game uses a limited save system, you can only save the game when you collect a compact disc, of which they are limited depending on the difficulty level chosen. Bullets in the game are also limited, so you must conserve your ammo when possible. The game gives you melee weapons at first which are useful for smaller enemies, and for breaking objects to get energy drinks (that restore a small amount of health), later you are given a pistol and a shotgun, along with more powerful enemies to deal with. You can also pickup torches (flashlights) which can be combined with guns using tape to increase the visibility in darker areas, of which there are a lot. This is one of those games where you need to whack up the brightness of your TV to see.
There are multiple characters in the game which you can switch between, each has a few perks exclusive to that character: Kenny: Has the ability to run faster, might be more resistant to enemy attacks Shannon: Kenny’s younger sister, The most useful for first time players since she will give hints on what or where we should be Stanley: Picks locks more quicker, could be useful in enemy combat or speed running Josh: A reporter for the school newspaper, Finds hidden items and clues to them Ashley: Kenny’s girlfriend who a badass, she’s better when it comes to combat as she has a combo attack
These characters will slowly be rolled out as you progress through the game, but be aware they can die as certain points if you run out of health or during cutscenes if you leave items in a certain way. Up to two characters can be active at a time, one that you controller with the other being controlled as an NPC, you can easily switch between the two but to swap out to the other character you must return to the meeting point. It’s sort of like Scooby-Doo where the gang will split into different groups, thought the other group will just stay at the meeting spot. From time to time you will encounter some of the teachers within the cutscenes, who will detail what is going on with the school. Many cutscenes will take place in engine if it involves the students since they can have different costumes, scenes involving monsters or NPC’s will be prerendered.
The game was released for the Original Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows in 2004, there’s no major difference between them with the Xbox having higher resolution textures compared to the PS2. The Windows version was later released on Steam with achievement support. The console version might have easier co-operative support since you can just plug in a second controller, but they do not appear to be compatible with their successor consoles.
The original release of the game comes with a few extra’s such as a Sum41 music video, and New Game+ being unlocked along with some concept art. There is also some behind the scenes footage which shows the game’s development. Sadly it was never made compatible with the modern consoles, so you will need an original PS2 or Xbox (or an emulator) to play.
An FPS from the developers of the Batman Arkham games.
Urban Chaos: Riot Response is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released in 2006 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox and was part of the last batch of FPS games for the sixth generation consoles, as the PS3 and 360 were starting to take over.
The game takes place in a fictional city called Union City, where a gang called “The Burners” has taken over and is causing chaos and destruction. The player takes on the role of Nick Mason, a member of an elite police unit called T-Zero, tasked with restoring order to the city.
One of the standout features of Urban Chaos: Riot Response is the game’s emphasis on non-lethal force. While the player is armed with a variety of weapons, they are encouraged to use non-lethal force to subdue rioters and gang members. Failing to do this will impact the mission, and will affect your overall objects and medals of which can be used to unlock additional weapons. Many enemies can be subdued by using the tazer to shock them.
And if you are wondering why the gaming is called The Burner, they like to play with fire, a lot of fire. Expect there to be a lot of burning buildings in the game, and enemies that throw Molotov’s.
The game also features a robust multiplayer mode, allowing players to compete against each other in a variety of game modes. The multiplayer is a lot of fun and adds significant replay value to the game.
The plot of Urban Chaos: Riot Response revolves around the efforts of an elite police unit called T-Zero to restore order to the fictional city of Union City, which has been taken over by a gang known as “The Burners.”
The player takes on the role of Nick Mason, a newly recruited member of T-Zero, who must battle against the Burners and other gangs that have taken over the city. Along the way, Nick will face a variety of challenges, including hostage situations, bomb threats, and other violent confrontations.
As Nick progresses through the game, he begins to unravel a larger conspiracy involving the Burners and their enigmatic leader, a masked figure known only as “Kane.” With the help of his fellow T-Zero officers, Nick must navigate the dangerous streets of Union City and bring an end to the Burners’ reign of terror.
Eleven missions are featured in the game which are set around the city. You start off on Hope Street where the local Police station is under attack. This level serves as a tutorial of sorts which gives you guidance on how to use the various weapons and commands for your NPC’s who can assist in completing the level objectives. Eventually you make your way through the canals, through City Hall, the Dockyards and the City Metroline. Disrupting the gang’s presence as you go along. The game finishes in your own safe house where you must defend it from the criminal gangs. Each mission begins with a cutscene presented in the format of a news report, like something you would see off CNN or Fox News. There are also in game cutscenes and dialog from the NPC’s that explain the mission details.
All missions have a primary objective that must be completed, and special objectives that whilst optional, will unlock medals that are useful later in the game. Many of these are for non-lethal arrests, not harming innocent bystanders, headshots and collecting gang masks (for DNA samples I assume).
Many missions will feature one or more companions that you must protect and keep alive, as they are required to unlock certain doors, or to activate specific objects. The mission will fail if these characters die.
Emergency missions refer to specific in-game scenarios or situations that require immediate attention and intervention by the player-controlled character – Nick Mason, and the T-Zero unit. These missions typically involve high-stakes situations that contribute to the overall narrative of the game. The term “emergency missions” suggests that urgent action is needed to address a crisis or threat within the game’s fictional city.
These missions can vary in nature and may include scenarios such as:
Hostage Situations: T-Zero must rescue hostages held by criminals or terrorists.
Bomb Threats: Dealing with explosive devices that pose a threat to public safety.
Armed Confrontations: Engaging in intense gunfights with criminal elements.
Every so often the game will play a slow-mo sequence of an enemy getting shot, very Max Payne
There is also a multiplayer mode that supports both Xbox Live and System Link. Insignia currently supports this game and it plays quite well though finding enough players for a match will be a challenge, its best to check the official Discord to find other players. Here you can play as either the Burners (gang) or T-Zero and you must fight for control of the map.
GTA Liberty City Stories is an action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar Leeds and published by Rockstar Games in 2005. It was originally released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and later ported to PlayStation 2, iOS, and Android. The game is a prequel to Grand Theft Auto III, set three years prior to the events of the game, and follows the story of Toni Cipriani, a former member of the Leone crime family who returns to Liberty City after being forced into hiding.
GTA Liberty City Stories follows the same open-world gameplay formula as the other games in the GTA series. Players control Toni Cipriani, a Mafia enforcer who completes various missions to advance the game’s plot. The game features a large, open-world environment that players can explore freely, either on foot or by using various vehicles. The game also features a range of side missions and activities, such as taxi driving, vigilante missions, and ambulance missions, which provide players with additional ways to earn money and gain experience points.
The game’s combat system is similar to that of other GTA games, with players able to use a range of weapons to take on enemies, including guns, grenades, and melee weapons. The game also features a targeting system that makes it easier to aim and shoot at enemies.
GTA Liberty City Stories follows the story of Toni Cipriani, a Mafia enforcer who returns to Liberty City after being forced into hiding for several years. The game is set in 1998, three years prior to the events of Grand Theft Auto III, and explores the events that led up to the game’s story. As with other GTA games story is engaging and well-written, featuring a range of interesting characters and plot twists. The game’s voice acting and cutscenes are also well done, further adding to the game’s story.
The game perfectly captures what New York was in the late 90s, right down to the music played on the in-game radio stations which feature a diverse mix. RISE FM for example will feature house and dance music that was popular of the era.
The main character of GTA Liberty City Stories is Toni Cipriani, a former member of the Leone crime family who returns to Liberty City after being forced into hiding. Throughout the game, Toni takes on various missions for a range of characters, including Salvatore Leone, The boss of the Leone crime family and Toni’s former boss. Salvatore is a major figure in the game’s story and features prominently in many of the game’s missions.
JD O’Toole is a small-time criminal and owner of the Paulie’s Revue Bar strip club. JD becomes a key ally of Toni’s throughout the game. Mickey Hamfists is a member of the Leone crime family and one of Toni’s closest allies. Mickey helps Toni throughout the game and is often involved in the game’s more violent missions.
Versions
PSP
The game was initially released on the Sony PSP which featured wireless LAN play. This was the first 3D GTA title to be released on a portable console, following the success of GTA Advance.
PlayStation 2
It was later ported for the PlayStation 2 which saw a higher resolution and smoother framerate, though some would believe it was a step back from the graphics we had seen in GTA San Andreas. Still this wasn’t intended to be a mainline GTA title, more like an experimental spinoff.
This version of the game would be released on the PlayStation Network for the PS3 and whilst it uses its PS2 emulator, the build is modified with some of the soundtracks being cut. Most notable is RISE FM with Sneaker Pimps Spin Spin Suger being cut completely. This isn’t the only GTA game to have its soundtrack cut with Vice City and San Andreas also having some of their soundtracks cut.
Mobile / Android
Later Rockstar would port the game onto mobile through the Android and iOS platforms. These serve as a remake of sorts as they feature altered mechanics to make use of the touch screens. The Android version can be controlled via a controller and is fully compatible with Android TV devices like the Nvidia Shield (This is what the screenshots are based on)
Some missions have been altered to make the game easier, likely due to the difficult nature of the touch-based control which these ports were designed for.
Later Android versions would break the game (Android 10 onwards). Patched APK’s exist which make the game playable again. Such versions even include trainer compatibility.
Overall, GTA Liberty City Stories is an excellent addition to the GTA series, providing players with a well-written story, engaging gameplay, and solid graphics and sound design. While it may not be as polished as more recent GTA games, it is still a great game in its own right and is well worth playing for fans of the series or action-adventure games in general.
The spin-off that became more popular that its origin game as it expands on the multiplayer aspect of Unreal.
He asked for a 13 and they drew a 31
There isn’t much point of trying to make sense of the Unreal Tournament lore, especially once the sequels come into play. Basically, the tournaments have become annual sports events (Like Soccer, football or handegg) that are also popular TV events set in a dystopian future where corporations control the government (Just like today).
Game Modes
Additional game modes and be downloaded and added to the game, making it very flexible for new ideas for gameplay. Jailbreak is an example of a new game mode. Because of this, Unreal Tournament, and its middleware Unreal Engine because very popular for game modders to add new maps, skins, and mutations to the game, and helped developers become familiar with the Unreal engine which would become the popular engine for various games (in fact, the seventh generations of western games were dominated by Unreal Engine 3)
Capture the Flag
You have to catch the enemy’s flag and bring it back to the base without being killed. If you are killed the flag you were holding would be dropped and someone from your team would have to pick it up, otherwise, it would teleport back to the enemy base should an enemy team member pick it up, or if the flag remains untouched after a certain amount of time.
Here good team communication is key, as you will want someone to be watching the base flag whilst others go after the enemy flag, you may wish to have team members watch certain points of the arena map, especially areas that have narrow corners or corridors. Some maps have secret paths that lead to the flag, so be careful with those.
Jump boots, one of the powerups
Deathmatch
Pure kill or be killed action, there are two main variants of this game mode, Deathmatch, and Team Deathmatch, with the former being you Vs everyone on the map. Team Deathwatch put you on one of two teams (Red Vs Blue) with the team having the most kills winning the game.
Last Man Standing: Another variant of deathmatch, here you have a limited amount of lives and have to be the last player in the arena to have one or more lives remaining. The lives affect the number of times you can spawn, with one life being deducted every time you die and respawn.
Assault
Each map has an equal set of objectives that must be completed before time runs out. One team has the role of attacking, whilst the other has to defend. When one team wins, another role starts where the teams switch sides with the opposing team defending. Spawn points depend on how far the attacking team has managed to progress, with later spawn points being available as objects have become completed.
Domination
In this mode, there are two teams who had to capture 3 bases in order to gain points. Kills are not essential and sometimes hinder your team, since the opposing player will respawn next to the area they are dominating, making it harder to capture the base. You will preferably want to weaken the enemy player, allowing for an easy kill later. Points are gained when you have captured a base, and the more bases you capture, the faster your team will accumulate points until the maximum has been reached, of which the resulting team will win.
Weapons
Translocator: Not much of a weapon in terms of damage but allows you to quickly teleport around the map. Your fire the beacon and right-click/alt-fire will teleport you to that location. Be careful though, if a player has been destroyed by the translocator, you will die.
Impact Hammer: The weapon that you use when you’ve run out of ammo and can’t find any more so as a last resort you hope you strike lucky with the impact hammer. This only works when you charge it up and sneak behind a player in order to kill them, otherwise it’s best running and finding a new weapon or ammo.
Enforcer: The default weapon that you start and respawn with. Causes minimal damage but gets the job done. The second fire does more dame and has faster speed, but very poor accuracy.
Bio-rifle: Sometimes called the snot gun, fires green-colored gel-like projectiles that stick to any surface. When a player gets in contact it can do some damage. Useful to surround the flag base or the capture point to prevent the flag from being taken. One of those fire and forget guns.
ASMD Shock Rifle: Shoots a stream of energy forward towards the target, the alt-fire shoots a ball of plasma which, when hit with the stream of energy exploded and odes further damage
Pulse Gun: Fires small green balls that are supposed to be energy pulse, nothing really spectacular since it only deals minor damage, but the alt-fire fires a straight green beam which can be linked with the beam from a teammates to increase the damage.
Ripper: Fires off razor blades which bounce off any walls or solid objects, useful for attacking around corners, just be careful since they can bounce back and damage your player
Minigun: Fires a series of bullets after a short delay, since the gun motor has to spin up. Alt fie fires more bullets but is more inaccurate
Flak Cannon: The GOAT weapon, fires a large number of projectiles, deadly upon close contact.
Rocket Launcher: Fires a rocket
Sniper Rifle: It’s a great weapon at a distance, and is somewhat usable at close range. You will really want to use this on CTF or assault games where players are more likely to camp
Redeemer: Fires a nuke into the arenas that deals a lot of damage and a large blast radius, alt-fire shoots a steerable missile but leaves you vulnerable to damage, and the missile can be shot at which will disarm the weapon.
Versions
The game was ported to more platforms than the original Unreal game which makes it more well known with the two console platforms of the time.
Dreamcast
The game was ported to the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, this version came with a few exclusive maps, a redesigned menu system, and HUD and retained keyboard and mouse support. Online play was also supported with you having the modem adaptor and an internet dial-up account. The VMU is used somewhat, it displays the Unreal logo as a looping animation.
Playstation 2
Released early into the PS2 life, this version suffers from a few framerate issues since the game was not very optimized for the PS2 vector units, and was to serve as a concept for future Unreal Engine titles. You can also see the lower resolution textures as the graphics had to squeeze into the PS2’s 4MB VRAM buffer.
Unlike the Dreamcast version, the PS2 version does not support online play at all, as the PS2 network adaptor was not released at this point (Sony originally intended for the iLink connector to be used for online multiplayer/LAN, but only the US release of Unreal Tournament supports this) This version does support the use of a USB keyboard and mouse which can be used for single-player mode and multiplayer, where up to four players can play from one console with the addition of two controllers and two sets of a keyboard and mouse. This does require a USB hub since the PS2 only has two USB ports, unless you use a combined wireless keyboard and mouse which commonly appears in wireless desktop sets.
As four players are on one screen, a big screen TV is recommended like those huge rear projection TVs that were available of the era.
There are also a few console-exclusive maps that didn’t appear in the original PC release, and some existing maps have been altered slightly due to the console’s memory limitations.
PCSX2 1.6 is capable of running the game but will encounter issues with background music stopping abruptly, and the game will randomly lockup when starting or finishing a game.
MacOS
The game was released for the Macintosh platform and is similar to the Windows PC port, and features support for the Macintosh 3D API (Known as RAVE and used the ATI 3D RAGE accelerators, or Nvidia cards on later Macs) and Glide if the Mac has a 3DFX Voodoo card installed. The game runs best on MacOS 9.2 and has issues running through the classic environment on OS X, for both Jaguar and Panther versions of Classic.
A Carbon version exists but this never left the beta stage and lacks a few features compared to the original MacOS version. This uses OpenGL for rendering and a custom User.ini file, which will cause issues if you dual boot with both OS 9 and OS X as they share the same ini file which dictates which 3D renderer the game should use. In order for these to coexist, you will need to have two different install directories of the game.
Windows
The original and lead platform of the game.
Running on an emulated 3DFX Voodoo 2 in PCem
As the game was released in the late 90s, various 3D API’s are supported
Direct3D: Initially supported version 6, with patch v413 introducing DirectX 7 support.
OpenGL
3DFX Glide: Version 2.4 of the API is supported
S3 MeTaL: An API used for S3 Savage graphics card
PowerVR SGL
Software Rendering: If your PC has no 3D graphics card, or is not supported by Direct3D or OpenGL then you can run the game in software rendering instead which uses the CPU for the rendering functions.
The game will run perfectly on modern Windows systems, even on Windows 11.
Tekken 3 but with a new tag mechanic and a huge roster.
Tag Tournament takes the existing Tekken formula and adds a new tag team mechanic, allowing up to four characters to fight against each other. Its also one of the few games to be released for three generations of PlayStation hardware (sort of, The System 12 arcade board is an overclocked PS1 board.)
The fighter roster is stacked with an insane lineup of characters, many of which all featured in the first three installments of the Tekken franchise. You’ve got your classics like Kazuya, Jin, and Heihachi, all ready to unleash their devastating combos. Its like a Tekken greatest hits reunion featuring everyone’s favourite characters from previous games, but there are a few omissions like the original Jack, King and Armour King. Still Namco have also implemented Easter eggs for when you choose a certain par of characters, that affect the characters animations before and after the fight. Pairs like Nina & Anna, Kazaya & Heihachi and Michelle & Ganryu are a few examples to name that do this this, and it gives a nod to the Tekken backstory that fans of the franchise will be invested in.
Some pairs will also have unique moves that can be used to attack and switch out at the same time. These require a button combination along with the tag out button to trigger.
Versions
Arcade
The original release of the game was in the arcade, like other early Tekken games. The game ran on the Namco System 12 board which was an upgraded PlayStation with additional memory and a faster clocked processor. This allows for multiple fighters to be featured onscreen, required for some of the character move sets. This version of the game also features its own soundtrack which is played on Namco’s own C352 sound processor that was also used in their System 23 arcade boards.
Many characters are locked in this version and are on a time based unlock, where characters gradually come available as the arcade machine is powered on. There is a MAME cheat to unlock all the characters upon clearing the EEPROM that can be used instead.
PlayStation 2
Tag Tournament was one of the launch titles for the PS2, and remained exclusive to the console for the home release until the HD PS3 version. This version features completely upgraded graphics that take advantage of the PS2’s Graphics Synthesizer
Unknown is a fully playable character in this version and has a unique feature where she can emulate another fighters moves.
This version also features a few unlock-able features and game modes.
Tekken Bowl: In Tekken Bowling, players would select a character from the roster and take them to the bowling alley. The character would replace the traditional bowling ball, and players would control their chosen character’s movement and angle as they approached the lane. The objective was to knock down as many pins as possible in each frame.
The mini-game incorporated the unique abilities and characteristics of each character into the bowling mechanics. Characters would have their own distinct bowling animations and techniques, adding a touch of personality to the gameplay. Some characters might have special abilities or moves that affected the trajectory or speed of the “ball” they threw.
Namco would later create a Tekken bowling spin-off for smartphones.
Screenshots: A screenshot can be captured and saved to the memory card, useful when you want to capture for character whilst they’re in the middle of a combo. A screenshot can be taken by pressing the pause button and selecting screenshot.
Pair Play mode: Another feature is the pair play mode, which allows two players to fight with their own controller against the CPU. Four plays can also play in a VS match if the PS2 multi-tap controller is used.
Lastly each character has a unique ending sequence which is rendered within the game engine, except for unknown which is a pre-rendered MPEG2 FMV.
PlayStation 3
Namco ported the game to the PS3 in 2012, and was released as part of Tekken blood Vengeance. Inserting the Blu-ray disc would prompt you to install the game as a bonus feature of the disc.
This version featured upscaled graphics running in HD resolution, trophy support, and is a port of the PS2 version. The soundtrack mostly remains the same, though there are some differences in composition. Sadly there is no online play over the PlayStation network, which would have made a nice addition though it would have suffered a limited population, as this game was not released standalone. Rather it was treated as a bonus.
Conclusion
Tekken Tag Tournament is an absolute knockout of a game. It’s a high-energy, pulse-pounding experience that’ll have you hooked from the moment you pick up the controller. Whether you’re a casual fighting game fan or a seasoned pro, this game delivers the goods. The Tag Tournament formula would be repeated in 2011 with the release of Tag Tournament 2 for the PS3, Wii U and Xbox 360.
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