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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1999)
... - , ..... A = instant classic B = a cut above C = average D = don't buy it F = burn in effigy X om his cal jutcomefl Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun Developer: Westwood Studios Genre: Strategy System: Windows PC Westwood took its sweet time lling out the next installment of e conflict between the Global Defense Force and the Brother hood of Nod, but the endproduct is more than worth the wait. J As is the custom, the rules are Imple — players build a base fith money gleaned from a min- g process (like harvesting heat, but with guns), then go and stomp a mudhole in eir enemies. The aforementioned is easier id than done. Westwood re- iVJmped the artificial-intelligence gine, making computer-con- olled enemies smarter and ore tenacious than ever. On the ighest difficulty setting, the iomputer could almost replace a uman opponent. The AI is not the only thing f estwood seriously monkeyed ith. The graphics, still essential- two-dimensional, are superb, ith well-drawn unit animations nd faithfully reproduced lighting nd shading. Shoot out a street |amp, and it gets dark — at least ntil the next building gets con- erted to slag. Ion storms, meteor towers and other assorted pixel- fas are mind-blowing. The quality of Tiberian Sun, otvever, is more than the sum of ts individual parts. The cerebral atisfaction of a well-timed flank ing maneuver is tempered by the less noble pleasure of making the bad guys suffer terribly. If players say it with sabots to an infantry division, they are re warded with screams for a medic. Blow up a building, and the ex plosion hurts nearby enemies, who must flee the flying shrapnel. While the game’s central con cept, killing thine enemies, is rela tively straightforward, both sides differ greatly in their approaches to conducting campaigns. Learn ing to play well as both sides is its own unique challenge. Finally, computer-strategy buffs can put away their aged copy of Starcraft, because Com mand and Conquer: Tiberian Sun is the new king of the heap. (Grade: A) — Stephen Wells Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo Developer: Capcom Genre: Puzzle System: Playstation At first glance, it looks like any other puzzle game. Drop the gems and break them with orbs. Kind of a cross between Tetris and Columns. No big thing, just a fun little game. But then play ing it turns from minutes to hours. People drop by and keep playing, and they do not leave. Suddenly, dawn breaks, and madness turns into hysteria. No sleep. No food. And that look in the eyes of the roommate who has been winning for the past hour and a half!! For those who dismiss this game as cute or simple, be fore warned — This is a dangerous and addictive game, conceived in the very bowels of hell and the insanity of popular Japanese culture. This game is the Ninten do Antichrist. The characters of Street Fight er and Darkstalkers, shrunk to “cute” size, scream out wacky Japanese phrases. The colors are bright, wild and wacky, and the screen flashes enough to put a three-toed tree sloth into an epileptic seizure. Everything insane in Japanese pop culture except Pokemon is represented in this game. But all this only adds to the quality and surreality that makes Puzzle Fighter so appealing. Playing the game is like being in an arcade, but without the pim ply-faced kid whose claim to fame is performing Ryu’s ulti mate death-karate eyepoke with his eyes closed. Each time a player destroys blocks (by lining them up into rows), more blocks are dropped onto the opposing player’s side of the screen. But those blocks, known as temporary blocks, do not become real until the player drops five subsequent sets of blocks. Each character drops a different color pattern of blocks, and hidden characters can be found for even more unusual drop patterns. This game is easy to learn and provides hours of entertainment. Puzzle Fighter is probably the best party game to come along since Mario Kart and Goldeneye. (Grade: A + ) — Kyle Whitacre :k, and tfc e Field,"fea r, and tM cleanup;. They wetf the fields* time. y to do in all anil me need;* -e going t’ 1 ) & LET TIAA-CREF HELP YOU BUILD A SECURE FINANCIAL FUTURE. F or over 80years, TIAA-CREF has been the leading retirement company on America s campuses. But experience is just one reason why so many smart investors trust us with their financial future. Here are a few more: Superior strength With over $250 billion in assets under man agement, TIAA-CREF is the world’s largest retirement organization — and among the most solid. It s one of the reasons why Momingstar says, “TIAA-CREF sets the standard in the financial services industry.” 1 Solid, long-term performance We seek out long-term opportunities that other companies, in pursuit of quick gains, often miss. 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Jordan Institute for International Awareness Informational September 28 7:00 pm Rudder 410 October 4 8:30 pm Rudder 404 October 20 7:00 pm Rudder 401 October 13 5:30 pm Rudder 402 October 28 8:30 pm Rudder 402 Come see us online at http://ltjordan.tamu.edu * For mors information or to inform us of your special needs, please call the Jordan Office at 645-8770 or come visit us at MSC 223-1 i‘3.95 pager airtime Discount Paging System 1 ‘Free Activation ‘Accessories ‘Calling Cards PrimeCo phones sold here I Council Student Travel from A to Z €i\ 1 91 21 5 259 2 10 London Paris Barcelona Amsterdam From Dallas each w: based on a rt purchase. Fares do not include taxes, are valid for departures in November and are subject to change. Restrictions apply. 1-800-2COUNCIL wwu. c o u n c i l travel . e You are intnted to attend plfMJM PROPHECY DON’T MISS THE OPENING NIGHT! “The Millennial Man” STARTS: Friday, October 22 7:00 PM At Texas A&M Koldus Building, Room 111 Continuing Nightly except Mondays and Thursdays through November 20. 1999 For Information: email: matus@math.tamii.edii phone: 775-5122 A continuing multi-media series • All seats are FREE FREE study materials • Designed for busy people Relaxed atmosphere • Come as you are COME AND GET IT! 1999 AGGIELAND P ICKING UP your 1999 Aggieland is easy. If you ordered a book, go to the basement of the Reed McDonald Building, and show your Student ID. If you did not order last year's Texas A&M yearbook (the 1998-99 school year), you may purchase one for $35 plus tax in 015 Reed McDonald. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cash, checks, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted. http://aggieland-web.tamu.edu