Χ-Play (2003)

PSP, NFL Street, Unreal Championship and more! (3x8)

Uitzenddatum: Feb 01, 2005

On tonight's episode of X-Play, we review all-new games plus check out the new PSP and get a brief history of educational games with Shad Grimgravy. The first Getaway was a great experiment. It featured none of the standard videogame trappings -- life bars, health packs, ammo counters, etc. -- instead attempting to draw the player in by presenting a gritty, realistic world where things like inventory screens and big green navigation arrows didn't exist. The result was a mixed bag, as The Getaway ended up being totally unique and incredibly frustrating all at once. Unfortunately, Black Monday succeeds and fails in exactly the same ways as its predecessor. On the PC, the Unreal Tournament series is the king of online firefighting, and Unreal Championship has provend (well before Halo 2) that hardcore online action online fits the Xbox just as well. Squarely aimed at giving Microsoft’s shooter a run for itsthe money, Unreal Championship is back for a second round, Unreal Championship 2 is squarely aimed at giving Microsoft’s shooter a run for the money. Only this time, the game is coming frombeing published by Midway instead of Atari. While arcade football became a hot property thanks to Midway’s NFL Blitz series, EA’s NFL Street has quickly taken over the neighborhood. The new kid on the block has found success by doing away with the traditional pads, helmets, and uniforms, instead focusing on seven-on-seven, playground-style football with an over-the-top approach one expects from the genre. NFL Street 2, released within a calendar year of the original NFL Street, is arguably what its predecessor should have been from the start. Although NFL Street was fun, to say it was a little skimpy on the features is to say Star Jones is pleasantly plump. The sequel finally adds some meat to the single-player game and a healthy side dish of new online action to satiate one’s competitive hunger. If the original game was an appetizer, NFL Street 2 is the entree