Mobygames (379)

Their Finest Hour : Battle in Britain

 

 The second of Lucasfilm Games' air combat simulations and follow-up to Battlehawks 1942, Their Finest Hour recreates the Battle of Britain during WWII in the summer of 1940.

Players can fly both for the German Luftwaffe and the British Royal Air Force.

On the British side, two planes are available: the Spitfire and the Hurricane. For the Germans, there is the fighter Bf 109, the heavy fighter/fighter bomber Bf 110, the infamous Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber, and the three light/medium bombers Do 17, He 111 and Ju 88.

Next to training missions for every plane, there are several historical combat missions to be flown. In accordance with history, most RAF missions consist of defense assignments - intercepting and destroying German bombers. Most Luftwaffe missions are attack runs - either flying the bomber escort or the bombers themselves. In the heavier planes, not only can the pilot of the plane be controlled, but also the gunner(s), and, in the bombers, the bombardier.

The special Campaign Mode allows one to actually change the historical outcome of the Battle of Britain. On a strategic map, planes must be organized into groups and assigned to missions, one of which must be flown. The outcome of that mission affects those of all others and also the status of the overall campaign. The British side wins by simply surviving for a certain time or by destroying enough German aircraft. The German side wins by destroying enough RAF fighters, either in the air or on the ground.

Also included in the game is a mission builder for designing custom missions, and a film playback option for reviewing recorded flight footage.

the Ultimate 11 : SNK Football Championship

 The Ultimate 11 is the fourth game in the Super Sidekicks series. Regional tournaments are replaced with the SNK Football Championship, which is an elimination tournament in which the player's team can select any team from any region to play against. The final team played against in this tournament is the SNK Superstars, which consists of characters from SNK's fighting games. A new addition is the charge bar. It's charged depending on how long a team has the ball, and when full, it can be used when near a goal to make a near-unblockable shot. The game features 80 national teams split into 8 regions:

• Europe A: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Wales, France, England, Ireland, Scotland, North Ireland, Iceland
• Europe B: Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Croatia
• Europe C: Bulgaria, Russia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Romania, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Israel
• Africa: Nigeria, Cameroon, Zambia, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Algeria
• Americas/Caribbean Sea: United States, Canada, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras
• South America: Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
• Asia/Oceania A: Saudi Arabia, India, Iraq, U. A. E., Iran, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Uzbekistan
• Asia/Oceania B: Australia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore

the Thing

 

 

 Set after the events of the 1982 John Carpenter movie, The Thing is a squad based 3rd person shooter, where each member of your team is equipped with a range of weapons and items to help you in your quest to destroy The Thing.

You must use every player in the squad if you wish to proceed through each level, and once you find one of the thousands of alien creatures through-out the complex, weapons such as flame throwers, pistols and more come into play.

20 levels are on offer, with humans scattered around the area. But are they friend or an infected foe? Trust is the key to success.

Mobygames (378)

Terminator 2 Judgement Day (Arcade)

 

 This is an arcade rail-shooter based on the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Up to two players shoot through future and present levels as robotic killers reprogrammed to serve the human resistance.

Both players wield a machine gun with infinite ammo that lowers its firing rate (overheats) as it is continuously fired. A secondary weapon (missile launchers in the future, shotguns in the present) has limited ammo but deals heavy damage. Powerups inside the game world include secondary weapon ammo and coolant for the machine guns, and are shot to be collected.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day, renamed T2: The Arcade Game for home conversions, features seven levels based on specific scenes or general concepts in the film. The first four levels act as a prelude, as the player guns down waves of metal Terminators across a post-apocalyptic Battlefield, a besieged Human Hideout, and through the security checkpoints of the enemy supercomputer SkyNet. After destroying the computer, players travel back in time to protect John and Sarah Connor, while also destroying every scrap of SkyNet research at the headquarters of its manufacturer. From there, players must fend off the indestructible T-1000 until the final showdown in the Steel Mill.

Assets from the movie are used when possible, such as voice clips from Arnold Schwarzenegger, and close-up digital stills of Robert Patrick for the final battle against the T-1000. The Genesis and SNES versions also support lightguns (the Menacer and Super Scope, respectively).

Terminator : Salvation

 

 In an attempt to make their country safer, the U.S. military obtained the technology and patents to an experimental computer program from the destroyed Cyberdyne Systems Corporation, using it to network its various combat systems to link up globally and build robotic troops to replace its human components, this program was called Skynet.

However, in July of 2004, the U.S. military computers are besieged by a computer virus that seems to have spread throughout the nation, affecting anything electronic. In an attempt to combat this threat, the military brings Skynet online to destroy the virus, unaware that the attack is actually a trick and soon after being brought online, Skynet becomes sentient and launches an attack on its biggest threat...mankind. One hour after becoming sentient, it launches a nuclear barrage across the globe, striking key cities, destroying military assets and bringing mankind to the brink of destruction. This day is known as Judgement Day.

Twelve years later, the survivors of Judgement Day are in desperate need of salvation as Skynet uses machines to hunt down and wipe out mankind. However there is a hope, a man by the name of John Connor who has fought Skynet in the past as it has sent machines known as Terminators into the past, once before he was born, when he was a teenager and right before Judgement Day. Knowing how to combat these machines, Connor fights alongside a branch of Resistance fighters in the wasteland formerly known as Los Angeles, trying to stop Skynet while protecting his squad as well as his wife from being wiped out.

While the game does share the name of the 2009 movie, it does not follow the plot of the movie, instead it is set two years before in 2016 and bridges the gap between Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation. The player takes control of Connor as they transverse through apocalyptic settings, fighting off terrifying machines that range from HK's (Hunter Killers), T-1 tanks, spider machines, motor terminators and the dreaded T-600, attempting to rescue captured soldiers while encountering other characters to help them in their quest.

The gameplay is mostly a third-person shooter, similar in style to Gears of War, where the player uses weapons such as small caliber firearms, larger assault weapons, grenades and rocket launchers to fight off various ground and air enemies while using various obstacles for cover from enemy fire with some on-rail vehicle shooting stages scattered in between. Players can only carry two weapons at a time, but can swap them out for other weapons (however, they can not pick up weapons from fallen Terminators) and can carry one type of throwing weapons (grenade, pipe bomb, etc.).

The story is told through pre-rendered CGI cutscenes and does not feature any online multiplayer functions, but does have an offline two-player split-screen co-op mode that allows two friends to fight side by side in the story mode. Additionally, actors Common and Moon Bloodgood lend their voices to the games to reprise their roles, but does not feature the voice of Christian Bale as John Connor, instead Gideon Emery voices Connor. Rose McGowan also lends her voice to the game as well as Kelly Hu.

Test Drive

 

 This mix of racing simulation and arcade game consists of driving a choice of 5 sports cars on a mountain strip at the fastest speed possible without getting caught by the cops. To avoid them, use your radar detector -- or just try to outrun them if they spot you. Manual stickshift only, so make sure you don't redline or you'll blow your engine.

Test Drive III : the Passion 

 

 Drive exotic cars while fleeing police in this sequel of the popular Test Drive series. New features include a true 3D engine (polygonal meshes), a selection of music on the radio, police evasion, instant replay, digitized dashboard/interiors, and larger, more diverse driving environment with multiple routes. Drive Lamborghini Diablo or the Pininfarina Mythos and Chevrolet CERV III prototypes.

Mobygames (377)

Tenchu : Stealth Assassins

 

 It is 16th century Japan and you are one of two ninja employed by Lord Gohda, an uniquely compassionate samurai lord. As either Rikimaru or Ayame, you must proceed through your assigned quests, at first dispatching the amoral and unsavory folk in your lord's domain. As the game progresses, you will come face to face with greater threats from tengu goblins and oni demons.

A full 3D game in the Tomb Raider spirit, Tenchu focuses on stealth and attacking unseen over straight action. Not being spotted leads to higher scores and better equipment. To aid in this, you can not only creep about and hug walls, but also use your grappling hook.

Scenery is diverse, from Japanese castles to mountain retreats, each with their own types of opponents and soundtrack. Game engine cutscenes push the story forward, which various slightly for each of the two ninja.

Tenchu 2 : Birth of Steel Assassins

 

 Tenchu 2 is a prequel to Tenchu, telling a tale of events prior to those of the previous game.

Once again, you can play as Ayame or Rikimaru, two faithful and honorable ninja whose lord is a gentle man in an age of warfare. With your training nearly complete, you find yourself caught up in aiding your lord against a civil war in his own domain. All is not what it seems, however, and you'll soon realize that your greatest threat has been forged much like you.

Much like its predecessor, Tenchu 2 is a 3D third person stealth action game. You are not only rewarded for stealth, but also for efficiency of movement this time. This extra feature increases the difficulty of achieving the better items, as you not only have to be quiet, but be direct and near perfect in your steps.

This time around, the stories of the two ninja (and the hidden third character) diverge greatly at places. In addition, cutscenes using both the game engine and CGI give more story as you progress. In addition to the story mode, there is a mission editor, which allows you to create maps and missions to both hone your skills and share.

Tenchu Wrath of Heaven

 

 A war is at hand. Tenrai is building an army full of dark lords and ninjas. His simple goal is to conquer Japan. Only you can stop him from completing his deadly quest.

Set in the 16th century, you play stealth assassin ninja, Rikimaru. Returning from another place in time, Rikimaru has learned to master his shadow, gaining him further advantage in his task to seek out and kill those who seek to destroy Japan.

Using his stealth ability, you must search your way through mission after mission, completing quests either as Rikimaru or his partner in crime, Ayame. Various weapons and items, including the nimble ninja sword and the bow and arrow, will aid you in your quest.

Tenchu also supports 2 player co-op and deathmatch modes.

Tenchu Fatal Shadows

 

Tenchu: Fatal Shadows is a game where you play one of two kunoichi (female ninja), trying to complete missions. The game's main idea is to use stealth and be cunning to complete your goal.

The story is set in the Japanese Middle Ages. Ayame is a ninja working for a feudal lord. Dispatched for a mission in a destroyed village she meets Rin, who believes Ayame destroyed her village.

The PSP release adds 16:9 widescreen display, and a handful of new costumes for each character.