Mortal Kombat 4
Sony Playstation £39.99
Beat 'em ups, it seems, are like buses: there are none for ages and then you are inundated with them. But, when they have a pedigree and a tradition of quality, expectations can run very high. And few games have a pedigree that could challenge Mortal Kombat. The fact that it is now in its fourth release shows how critically and financially successful its predecessors were.
There are a few notable additions to gameplay in the latest offering. For example, at the flick of one button you can now easily side-step a challenge from your opponent, instead of just trying to block. From the outset, there are 15 characters to choose from, including four classics, with more hidden ones to find. These hidden characters include some fighters from Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Characters can now wield weapons, adding a new dimension to fighting, and sometimes weapons can even be thrown from afar. Items like skulls and boulders can also be picked up and used to defeat your opponent. Of course, he or she is welcome to return the favour! There are some extra special effects, like a roof that transforms into a deadly bed of nails, arms that snap in two and fire-breathing fatalities, and Mortal Kombat 4 also features an endurance round, where each player selects a group of fighters, replacing each one as they are defeated.
In addition to the obvious differences from other beat 'em ups, Mortal Kombat's speed really makes it stand out from the pack. It apparently runs at 60 frames per second, and it certainly looks it - in fact, some players might find the speed a little disconcerting. The air is rarefied at the top of the beat 'em up ladder and picking one game from the leading pack is really a matter of personal taste. But Mortal Kombat 4 is certainly one of those challenging for the top spot.
Graphics: 87% Sound: 89% Gameplay: 91%
Tombi
Sony Playstation TBA
For those of you who have no urge to go around killing monsters, crashing cars, scoring goals, beating up enemies or doing an alley-oop 920 while snowboarding, Tombi could be the answer.
Tombi is, as his name suggests, a cute little character whose quest is to retrieve his grandfather's bracelet which was stolen by an evil KOMO pig!
From the creator of Megaman and Ghost and Goblins, Tombi is certainly aimed at the younger gamer, which is not to say other gameplayers won't like it. Its lush, vivid and fairytale-like graphics, combined with simple intuitive gameplay, make it instantly appealing. Unusually, Tombi combines two different forms of gameplay - RPG (role playing game) and platformer. Tombi must swim, jump, run, fly and even talk his way through more than 50 different locations. During the RPG sections the view changes to a top-down perspective to provide a better view of the various townships he will visit. It's in these areas that he meets some strange characters and learns of the new adventures to tackle.
Enjoyable without being the find of the year, Tombi will certainly appeal to the younger gameplayer but should also prove a hit with most of the family.
Graphics: 85% Sound: 84% Gameplay: 88%
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