Alien Monster Bowling League

BMX XXX is more than just a freestyle extreme-sports game. Along with eight BMX levels where players compete for points on grinds, jumps, and other tricks, the game boasts scripted comedic events by Hollywood writers and unlockable footage of dancers from New York's Scores nightclub. The third-generation BMX engine features more than 2,000 different tricks, split-screen multiplayer games like Paintball BMX and Strip BMX, and a create a rider feature.

Retro gamers will gobble up this classic game pack, which features six well-seasoned Atari games including Paperboy, Millipede, Crystal Castles, Marble Madness, Roadblasters, and Gauntlet. While the graphics may be outdated, the gameplay remains as strong as ever on these finger-twitching favorites.
Paperboy requires gamers to navigate through busy streets and numerous obstacles to deliver the daily newspaper. Millipede is the lesser-known sequel to the popular coin-op classic Centipede. Once again, you must shoot the many-legged insect as it slinks its way down from the top of the game screen toward your exterminator gun. Another fast-action title is Crystal Castles, which challenges you to clear off all the onscreen dots (à la Pac-Man) while avoiding numerous obstacles. Similarly, Marble Madness requires that you roll your way through multiple obstacle courses filled with dangerous traps and enemies. Roadblasters is a basic arcade-style driving game with guns, while Gauntlet is a dungeon-dwelling fantasy adventure game that captivated arcade goers in the '80s.

Visual Concepts created a huge stir with the original NFL 2K--the first football video game that actually looked like you were watching a game on TV. NFL 2K2, the third game in the series, still features the mind-boggling graphics, stunning player animations, and great play modes of the original. And, despite an often frustrating passing engine, it's still one of the best sports simulations around.

You can play as any NFL team in a variety of modes: practice, tourney, exhibition, season, playoffs, franchise, fantasy, tutorial, and network (against up to seven other players nationwide). The franchise mode is again one of the game's strengths, as it offers a variety of scouting and free agency options, letting you customize your roster as a general manager based on the statistics and financial demands of actual players. Now you can learn what the Washington Redskins already know--the salary cap is a cruel mistress.

The player animations are again the star of the show. There are literally dozens of potential endings to any collision in NFL 2K2, from stumbling five yards after a shoestring tackle to spinning dizzily between two linebackers to somersaulting through the air after stretching for a catch over the middle. And although the tackles can be spectacular, the game doesn't betray its simulation roots by making them too extreme. These aren't torn from the comics pages, as in some games.

Sega Sports has talked up its new passing system quite a bit, and it is both challenging and intriguing--perfect for the hard-core simulation expert. Unfortunately, the rest of us are left struggling to complete 5 to 10 passes a game. Essentially, the game asks players to expertly anticipate routes and time the receiver's catch. This is no easy task in a fast-moving game such as this, as receivers routinely drop wide-open passes on the rare occasions they do get open, and you'll find your primary receiver blanketed by two or more defensive backs on most plays. The passing engine isn't overwhelmingly flawed, but average gamers will need some serious time to overcome the Ravens-like pass defense they'll face early on.

The running game was the original NFL 2K's main weakness, and it remains the single biggest improvement over the evolution of the series. Sometimes running between the tackles in NFL 2K2 can be a tad too easy and running outside can be too challenging, but the game rewards players who see holes develop and are adept at cutbacks.

It's the small details, though, that make NFL 2K2 the sports simulation triumph that it is. The commentary--although still prone to calling turnovers incorrectly--is first rate, the on-field player dialogue is highly entertaining, and even the stadium music and crowd chants add to the atmosphere rather than annoy.

The game isn't necessarily worth an upgrade for people who already own NFL 2K1, as the improvements aren't dramatic (unless updated rosters are your main concern). But for football fans who want one of the best-looking sports simulations ever made--and who don't mind the initial frustration of lousy quarterback ratings--NFL 2K2 is a Hail Mary come true.

Choose from 16 internationally ranked men's and women's tennis players and compete in singles, doubles, and even mixed doubles matches with four players (requires Multitap accessory). The World Tour mode lets you create and train your players, sign unique doubles partners, and enter a host of prestigious tournaments. Lob, slice, and smash your way to victory with intuitive pick-up-and-play controls designed to cater to all levels of gamers.
Featured players include Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Magnus Norman, Patrick Rafter, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Mary Pierce, Ai Sugiyama, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Alexandra Stevenson, Carlos Moyà, Tim Henman, Cedric Pioline, Tommy Haas, Thomas Enqvist, and Monica Seles. Game modes include tournament, exhibition, and World Tour mode. You can create, train, and enter your players in tournaments, where you'll compete against top-ranked opponents around the globe for the No. 1 world ranking.