As featured on our game night two weeks ago!

Probably the second highest selling PC game ever, (The Sims being the first) it’s also one of the best real time stretegy games ever made. Player scan battle through an intensive single player campaign with three different factions (each with their own different abilities), play free online games on Blizzard’s Battle.net, or even create their own levels in the Campaign editor. This game is especially popular in South Korea, where players compete in televised gaming leagues! Even though this series has only 1 game and an expansion pack, (and a canceled third person spin-off) it rivals the entire Command and Conquer series in RTS action. With this special box set, you get Starcraft, it’s Expansion (Brood War), two strategy guides, a skill development chart, and even a free 14 day trial to Blizzard’s other big game, World of Warcraft.

So what makes Starcraft so special? For one, it’s gameplay is different. Instead of simply building units and hoping to overrun your opponent by creating as many as possible, players have to take into account the abilities and limitations of the units that are produced by their race. For instance, the Terran units each have advantages and disadvantages against different units, so creating a mix of different units is a key to a good offense. The Zerg however, are weak alone, but are cheap enough to be produced in massive quantities. Resource management is also a key factor, as you constantly need units to gather gas and minerals, while keeping an eye on their depletion levels. Between levels, a sci-fi plot complete with cinematics will keep you on the edge of your seat. With Starcraft 2 having just been announced, now is a good time to check out the original. Oh yeah, this game was also ported to the Nintendo 64 in 2000.

System Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 95 or later (including Vista)/Mas OS 7.6 or higher Power PC
Processor: Pentium 90, equivalent, or greater
RAM: 16 MB (32 MB RAM for multiplayer on MAC)
Storage: 100 MB Hard Disk space/80 MB for Mac
At least 2x CD ROM drive (4x for cinematics)
Video Card: Local Bus SVGA, Direct X compatible
Sound Card: DirextX compatible soundcard for audio

If you got a fairly high-end PC, head over to http://www.theprodukkt.com/ and download this slick game, which was featured in last month’s Game Informer. Even though it’s only a beta of episode 1, the graphical quality is pretty good and can hold it’s own against most PC first person shooter games. The game is a bit rough around the edges when it comes to frame rate, weapons, and enemies, but it is only a beta, and hopefully the functionality will be improved in the final version. The main draw about this download is it’s size, which is only 96k! This is done by using procedural generation methods in order to process the textures and shapes. The textures are stored by creation history rather than a pixel by pixel basis. (Other PC FPS games take up so much space because of their graphical engines and textures.) You can read more about it at it’s wikipedia entry. Technological terms aside, that’s one heck of an accomplishment. It’s small enough to fit on your floppy disk and then some! The game is only one level, but if this is what the beta looks like, then I can’t wait to see the finished version. This may not be Unreal Engine 3, but it’s nice looking!

System Requirements:
Operating System: Windows
Processor: 1.5GHz pentium 3 / athlon or faster.
System Memory: 512MB Ram
Graphics: GeForce4Ti / ATI Radeon8500 (equivalent or higher) with at least 128 MB or VRAM with pixel shader 1.3 support.
Direct X 9.0b
Storage: 96k RAM
Sound: Direct Sound Compatible hardware

There may be some bugs. Read the FAQ on the site for more information. Also, your anti-virus software may detect the game as a virus or Trojan, ignore any warnings that may pop up when the game downloads.

A few notes about the technology and it’s developers
.theprodukkt is an ongoing project created by a group of German developers. It’s goal is to create a system that contains all the functions (scene management, textures, shading, etc) that developers use to create 3d computer graphics, integrate aspects that are needed for game development (i.e. AI, Interaction, and music), and is highly productive for experienced artists and programmers. .werkkzeug3, the creation tool which was used for .kkrieger, is available as a free or commercial download from their site. The game won first place at the Breakpoint 96k game competition in April 2004.

Constant re-releases of Street Fighter 2 notwithstanding, Capcom shows us how to do a remake the right way. (Check Maverick Hunter X and the Gamecube Resident Evil for proof.) With that said, what better game to remake than the beginning of one of the most classic and recognizable franchises in gaming? Mega Man Powered Up is a remaking of the original NES Mega Man, complete with new polygonal graphics, a remixed soundtrack, two new boss characters, and even a level editor! Players can either play in original mode (the original Mega Man with new graphics) or remixed mode, which adds in new bosses, different level layouts (even the old weapons won’t work on who they originally worked on), different item placements, and the ability to play as the bosses. There are also several unlockables to be found, and when you get tired, you can create your own stages in the level editor and upload them online. If you can get past the ultra-cutesy look, you’ll find the ultimate update to one of the greatest games in history.

Capcom isn’t particularly known for puzzle games, but the few they have put out are pretty solid. This is a small collection of 5 puzzle games great for quick bouts of portable gaming. Included in this package are Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo (a Dr. Mario-esque game in which you play as super deformed versions of Street Fighter and Darkstalkers characters), Block Block (a good break out clone that was featured on Capcom Classics Reloaded), and the Buster Brothers Collection (three games where you use a grappling hook to destroy balloons). Even though Puzzle Fighter, which is due to be released on Xbox Live Arcade, is the highlight of this collection, the other 4 games aren’t shabby either. Puzzle games fit excellently on portable gaming systems, and this is no exception. Weather you’re a hardcore Capcom fan or a casual gamer, you can’t go wrong with this.

A while ago, I featured this game’s predecessor. Empire interactive decided to bring this one over to the states, leaving the Xbox version in limbo. This game packs in over 1/3rd more contend than the previous Taito legends, and it takes a large number of games from the 90s. Along with some more remakes of Space invaders, the game contains a large number of beat-em-ups, platforming, and puzzle games. While Quix, Elevator Action 2, Arabian Magic, and Growl are some of the standouts on this disc, the real gem of this compilation is G Darius, a shooter utilizing polygon graphics. This compilation may not have very many big names, but like the previous entry, there is something for everyone on here, and for $20, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Also of interest is Taito Legends powered up for PSP. It’s also $20 and may receive it’s own entry at some point.

As we’ve seen from Fable, Peter Molyneux has a habit of overestimating his ambitions. However, when he does pull through, some pretty amazing things happen. Case in point, The Movies. One-half sim game and one-half movie development kit, you are tasked with building a movie studio from the ground up. Build sets, create scripts, and keep your stars happy so you can keep producing academy-award winning hits. Starting in the 1920s, you unlock new sets and technologies each decade. Like any good sim, cost management is a must. Pay attention to the news ticker to see what movies will be in demand. Build research facilities to discover new technologies, makeover centers to keep your stars satisfied with their image, and even rehab for users that develop eating or drinking disorders. When making movies, you can edit each scene, add in subtitles, and even record voice overs. You can even take your creations online, and share them with the world. (By the way, check out my film making debut here) It’s a shame this game didn’t take off as well as it could have, but for those who love making their own content, or if you fantasied about being a big name film maker, grab this up.

Minimum Requirements
Operating System: Windows 98SE or greater (including Vista)
8X speed CD-Rom drive for instillation
Storage: 2.4 GB or Greater Available hard disk space plus 500 MB for Windows swap file
Video: 3D Hardware accelerator card – 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible 32 MB
Memory: 256 MB RAM
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible 16-bit sound card
Processor: Pentium III or Athlon 800MHz equivalent or faster
Minimum requirements may not guarantee optimal performance

Also check out the “Stunts and Effects” expansion pack, also available for $20.

Now we all love our console games, but I think it’s time we start showing the PC some cheap gaming love. I’m no computer snob, but PC games have certain perks over their console brethren (i.e. more precise control settings, user-created content) just as console games have their advantages over PC games (i.e. not having to pre-install a game to their hard drive or buy $200+ graphics and sound cards in order to have their copies of Oblivion and Far Cry look halfway decent). Only time I’ve ever featured a PC game on here is when it’s a PC port of a console game. Now that I finally got a computer capable of running games, it’s time to spotlight the other side of gaming, and we’re gonna do just that with this week’s $20 GOTW and Lost Classics.
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As you no doubt know, Spider-man returns to theaters this weekend in a big way. In honor of his return, this week’s extended Lost Classics and $20 GOTW will take a look at some of the best games featuring the web slinger. So click below for some interactive web slinging action.
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