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Lost
Kingdoms II Review (GC) |
July 6, 2003 |
 Activision
brings us a little bit of what Gamecube owners are dying to get: an RPG!
Lost Kingdoms II is the sequel
to the first RPG released for the GC, and it shows significant
improvements. Unfortunately, it's still a fairly brief card-collecting
game with a thin storyline. RPG fans should read this review before
buying. Click here. |
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Indiana
Jones and the Emperor's Tomb Review (PC) |
 LucasArts
has finally shown a little love to their "other" big movie franchise.
Indiana Jones and
the Emperor's Tomb doesn't push any limits, and it could be more fun
to play, but the classic storyline and solid construction make it more
than worth a run-through for anyone partial to our fave anthropology
professor. Click
here.
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Guild
Wars Preview (PC) |
 Notable
MMORPG publisher NCSoft has unveiled their next big thing:
Guild Wars. This
looks like the same high quality gaming experience we've seen before,
but NCSoft has an ace up their sleeve: Guild Wars will be the first
MMORPG without a monthly user fee. Yep. Plus all kinds of other cool
stuff. Click for more. |
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Rugrats
Go Wild Review (PC) |
 The
Rugrats and the Wild Thornberrys team up, as we all know, in
Rugrats Go Wild,
this summer's kiddie bizomb. But the videogame version is pretty much
just a bomb. The sound and visuals are just right, but game developers
should remember: Kids are young people, not stupid people. Challenge our
youth. Click
for more. |
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Star
Wars: The Clone Wars Review (Xbox) |
 LucasArts
kicks us down another title this week:
Star Wars: The
Clone Wars for Xbox. How does this version fare? The addition of
online multiplayer modes is more than welcome, and it actually makes
this mediocre game pretty entertaining. However, all is not perfect in
the Republic, that's for sure.
Click here for
more. |
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Interview:
Adam Mateljan, CEO TerraForge |
July 3, 2003 |
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GF! has the scoop on some
of the most intriguing new technology we've seen in awhile.
TerraForge is a
young company, but they have big plans to revolutionize gaming. With
their trifecta of technologies--the Asgard Gaming Community, ODIN Game
Network, and Valhalla Game Engine--they plan on bringing multiplatfom
interoperability into the mainstream. Start a game on your PS2, save it,
head to work and load it up on your PDA, save it again, then resume your
game over lunch break on your PC. Our interview with TerraForge CEO Adam
Mateljan should get you good and interested.
Click here for the
interview. |
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Masters of
Doom Review (book) |
June 19, 2003 |
 David
Kushner's latest book tells the story of two of gaming's most notable
notables: John Carmack and John Romero.
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys
Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture is more than just a
hummer of a title: It's a really enjoyable read. From Commander Keen to
Quake, the story of these two Johns impacts virtually every facet of the
gaming world. This one should be on your summer reading list.
Click here for the review.
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Interview: Bill Wohnoutka, Director of Commercial Development for Level
3 |
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Level 3 is one of those companies you don't
hear about very often. They supply the equipment and technologies that
make our online games go, and they've had a hand in some of the most
successful online gaming endeavors of the past several years. We got a
chance to sit down with Bill
Wohnoutka to help us figure out just what these folks do and why we
care. Click here for the
whole story behind the scenes. |
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Day of
Defeat Review (PC) |
 Activision
has released the latest Half-Life mod as a stand-alone package.
Day of Defeat is a really
great mod for Half-Life that offers some compelling team play complete
with voice over IP. But is the retail package worth it? The newest
addition to the GF! team, Tristan Mashark, is going to answer that
question for you. Click here for
more. |
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Star
Trek: Elite Force II Preview (PC) |
 Aaron's
still frothing at the mouth for some
Star Trek: Elite
Force II goodness. Now only days away, this sequel to one of the
best Star Trek games ever created is set to blow us away again, and this
time in a sweet ST: TNG setting. Set phasers for fun!
Click here. |
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Rise of
Nations Review (PC) |
June 14, 2003 |
 Microsoft
and Big Huge Games have released
Rise of Nations,
which lives up to all the hype. A blend of games like Age of Empires and
Civilization, this title relies on solid execution and proven gaming
concepts to deliver a very enjoyable experience.
Click here. |
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Warcraft
III: Frozen Throne Preview (PC) |
 Blizzard's
latest bomb is about to drop.
Warcraft III:
Frozen Throne is the expansion pack everyone has been waiting for.
The discs have gone gold and are in production, so while you're waiting
for that pre-order delivery, check out this preview from our resident
WC3 addict, Todd.
Click here.
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URU: Ages
Beyond Myst Preview (PC) |
 Legendary
developer, Cyan, is back at the helm of a new Myst title that breaks all
the rules. URU: Ages Beyond Myst
promises a real-time rendered 3D world for players to inhabit. And while
the single-player experience remains intact, this time around Myst
junkies can collaborate online in a persistent world.
Get your preview right here.
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Compex
PS2216 Switch Review (PC) |
 We
put the Compex PS2216
Switch through every test we could devise, and it came through with
flying colors. For those of you hosting those private LAN bashes, or
just looking for a cheap and easy SOHO switch, the Compex PS2216 is
featured to please and priced to move.
Click here for more.
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Sony Eye
Toy Preview (PS2) |
 Sony
unveiled their Eye Toy
at E3. It's basically a hi-res webcam that perches on top of your TV set
to 'put' you in the game. Right now it plays a dozen simple titles that
are mostly hardware demos. We can't wait to use it for those late night
sultry gamer webchats... I'll bet GTfan4798 is just as hot as he
sounds... Click here for
more. |
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Gran
Turismo 4 Preview (PS2) |
June 05, 2003 |
 Sony's
sure to have another hit on their hands, and GT fans will simply have
another "hit" when Gran Turismo 4
comes out, hopefully sometime next year. Featuring enhanced graphics,
physics, and AI, the big draw this time around is sure to be the online
multiplayer. Start your engines!
Click. |
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Pirates
of the Caribbean Preview (Xbox, PC) |
 Bethesda
is sticking with their proven formula of creating very deep RPGs with
very pretty graphics and hundreds of hours of gameplay.
Pirates of the Caribbean
merely shares the name of the film; make no mistake that this is really
a stand-alone game hoping to attract some duly deserved attention with
name recognition. And there's no doubt that this is a contender for best
pirate game ever. Click.
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Hannibal
Preview (PC) |
 Step
into the role of FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling as she works to
track and capture the infamous Hannibal Lechter.
Hannibal promises
plenty of creeptastic gameplay by implementing a stress system that
works a lot like the insanity system from Eternal Darkness. This could
be very cool. Click here
for more. |
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Mythica
Preview (PC) |
 Microsoft
has asked itself some deep questions lately: How best to invigorate a
crowded fantasy MMORPG environment? What's better than playing a Viking?
From whence do we derive six out of the seven English names for days of
the week? The answer: Norse Gods.
Mythica puts you in the
role of an immortal Norse hero hoping to add "ruthless deity" to his
resume. Impress the existing Pantheon, and you might find yourself
reaping the rewards. Click
here for the whole preview. |
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City of
Heroes Preview (PC) |
 The
folks over at NCSoft have been plugging away at
City of Heroes,
which is looking very nice. Featuring an incredibly robust character
creation mode, this game promises to put you into the role of a working
superhero, complete with evil archnemesis and all. Where do we sign up?
Click here for
more. |
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Rogue
Squadron 3: Rebel Strike Preview (GC) |
May 26, 2003 |
 LucasArts
and Factor 5 have teamed up once again to bring Star Wars goodness to
the Gamecube. But this time it's bigger than ever.
Rogue Squadron 3:
Rebel Strike packs in the rest of the best scenes from the original
trilogy, plus the entire Rogue Leader game is included as a multiplayer
co-op extra. If that's not bigger and better, we don't know what is.
Click here for
more. |
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The
Suffering Preview (Xbox, PS2, GC) |
 Midway
is getting all creepy on us, and not in a cuddly Dr. Muto way.
The Suffering is a
dark, dark, dark horror adventure game set in a maximum security prison.
Definitely for adults, and scary enough to hook our man Matt in the
midst of the E3 show floor, this is one game for grownups who have
deadbolts on the doors.
Click here. |
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Buffy the
Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds Preview (Xbox, PS2, GC) |
 Buffy
fans take heart: The series may be over, but you can rekindle the magic
with the second Buffy videogame:
Buffy the Vampire
Slayer: Chaos Bleeds. Featuring many more playable characters from
the cast, a range of multiplayer options, and a multiplatform release,
this should do the trick.
Get your Buffy fix
here. |
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Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles Preview (Xbox, PS2, GC) |
 Bringing
the sidescrolling brawler back after all these years,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
looks to be a really wonderful reincarnation of the arcade classic we
knew and loved. Of course, this isn't all yesterday's gaming: Featuring
voices and animation from the current series, the new TMNT experience
should satisfy old fans and the new recruits.
Click here for more. |
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Spider-Man 2 Preview (Xbox, PS2, GC, PC) |
 Activision
is still early in the development of their latest Spider-Man game,
Spider-Man 2,
which is set to coincide with the release of the second film. This time
around, Spidey has access to the streets of Manhattan, and thanks to a
liberal dose of THPS4-style mission assignment, he now takes on side
missions for a much more robust gaming challenge. If you enjoyed the
last game, then this one should be on your list.
Click! |
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