It's the year 2145, and in the last 140 years, the technology to attach a flashlight to a gun has been lost. This is problematic, since Doom 3 is filled with darkness and demons, requiring you to constantly switch between the two items.
After the first few times I inadvertently tried to beat a giant hell-beast to death with my flashlight, I was certain I'd hate this convention, but once I got used to it, I saw things differently. Doom 3 places you in utter blackness, where you can hear the imps breathing around you, and since you're forced to choose illumination over the safety of having your BFG ready (an acronym for a profanely large weapon), there's a constant feeling of dread. In addition to being an intense, old-school shooter, Doom 3 reawakens your childhood fear of the dark.
PHANTOM DUST (T) (4 stars)
Majesco
Xbox
Someone royally screwed up in deciding this should be a $20 bargain title despite its magnificent production values and top-notch online play. Learning the truth behind Phantom Dust's post-apocalyptic, amnesia-inducing world through a series of strategic and visually stunning battles would be a bargain at twice the price.
TMNT: MUTANT MELEE (T) (2 stars)
Konami
Xbox, GameCube
Walk. Punch. Knock down foot soldiers. Walk. Woohoo, turtle power. When a brawler feels monotonous even before you've discovered all the levels are the same, you know it's a game that should remain in its shell.
APE ESCAPE: ON THE LOOSE (E) (3 stars)
Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation Portable
Ape Escape is the Mario 64 DS of the PSP. Mario 64 pioneered the analog stick, which the DS doesn't have. Ape Escape was first to utilize the PlayStation's dual thumbsticks, which the PSP doesn't have. Portable versions of classic platformers are great, but developers should pick games that don't highlight the weaknesses of the new hardware.
RETRO ATARI CLASSICS (E) (3.5 stars)
Atari
Nintendo DS
Centuries from now, when video games have been nearly forgotten, Atari still will be coming up with new ways for us to keep playing Pong. The stylus control is exceedingly intuitive, but if you'd rather play Asteroids, Centipede and their antiquated brethren the old-fashioned way, you can do that too.
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].