Driv3r (M) (2.5 stars)
Atari
Xbox, PlayStation 2
The best thing about Driv3r is the realistic-looking car crashes, which is good since crashing your car is just about the only thing in the game that isn't a hassle to do. The authentic crinkling of metal as your car wraps around a lamppost offers some small consolation for your fourth botched attempt to get through the level.
Your other three attempts reveal more design problems than a Pinto. Attempt No. 1 doesn't even let you get to the car. The control mechanics for the walking missions are so astonishingly bad, you sit dumbfounded while gang members blow you away. Attempt No. 2 has you foiled by an oncoming car suddenly materializing in front of you, an all-too-common pop-up problem. Attempt No. 3 ends with what you think is success, until the words "Mission Failed" appear, leaving you straining to figure out where you made the wrong turn.
The impressively cinematic cut-scenes feature the star power of Michael Madsen, Ving Rhames, and Michelle Rodriguez. If the game were tolerable enough to play through to those scenes, that might mean something.
Mega Man Anniversary Collection (E) (4 stars)
Capcom
PlayStation 2, GameCube
In no other game will you find a larger selection of evil, oddly themed, robot bosses. From Heat Man to Wood Man to Bubble Man, since 1989 Dr. Wily has constructed an army of adversaries to battle our boy in blue. And Mega Man is finally earning some recognition for his many years of dedicated arm-cannon blasting. This collection features 10 classic games, ensuring countless hours of bad music and 2D-platforming goodness.
Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors (T) (3 stars)
Atari
GameBoy Advance
Usually, the only thing that carries over from anime TV shows to fighting games is big, spiky hair. This title actually takes a shot at incorporating Dragon Ball Z's signature aerial acrobatics into the traditional one-on-one matches. Lovers of the Saiyan art of combat should be pleased, but others may be put off by the lack of variation ... and big, spiky hair.
Spider-Man 2 (T) (3 stars)
Activision
GameBoy Advance
In the silver-screen Spider-Man 2, the web-slinger has a few problems getting his powers to work. Unintentionally, this carries over to the GBA. Some of the fight controls are as sticky as the wall-crawler's webs, so you find yourself crouching when you mean to fire a gob of silk. Otherwise, this is an effective enough sidescroller, especially for Spidey fans.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at
[email protected].