Χ-Play (2003)

WWE Wrestlemania 21, Midnight Club 3, Stella Deus and more! (3x55)

Air date: May 30, 2005

On tonight's episode of X-Play, we review WrestleMania XXI. Wrestling has proven time and time again that it’s capable of causing mania. WrestleMania XXI is a monument to this fact, but it’s also a monument to cut corners, rough edges, stupid opponents, and lost potential. The game has certain qualities that fans will appreciate, but you’ll pay for every ounce of enjoyment with frustration. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is exactly the competition EA needs to get the Need for Speed Underground series back on track. Skirting any pretense, this third iteration of the street racing series isn’t quite as flashy and definitely doesn’t have the same level of precise, simulation-style controls, but it does pretty much everything else right. It’s also the most entertaining racer since Burnout 3. Atlus, that small publisher of big RPGs is back, with another solid strategy game from the same group responsible for the PSone’s much maligned Hoshigami. While it's clearly learned from past mistakes, Stella Deus mires itself in some strategy aspects that won’t excite most. Plus, a WrestleMania event segment and a feature on Games for Cheap People. Tune in tonight!