'THE WARRIORS'

'THE WARRIORS'
Genre: Action.
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation 2.
Publisher: Rockstar.
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature.
Grade: sss 1/2 (out of 5.)
Rarely do cult movies gain videogame status, but leave it to Rockstar to take one like "The Warriors" and make an entertaining game from it. Other gaming companies should take heed and see how well a movie can translate into a videogame ... as long as some care and attention to detail is given.
The movie "The Warriors" is about 25 years old, focusing on rival gangs in New York City. From Coney Island comes The Warriors, who have systematically built a street cred based on beat-downs and punishment. If you've seen the movie you know where this is going; for those who have missed this classic, the gang is fingered for the killing of another gang's leader and you have to defend your turf from just about everyone in the city.
The game is your standard fighting game, but with some intelligent twists. The game takes liberties and explores the main characters from the movie, giving some backstory helps illuminate the plot. Most of the 20 or so missions involve either avoiding fights or getting into them.
The visual style is nothing to get excited about; while it does hammer home the gritty urban feel that the film displayed, the character models and action come off choppy and incomplete. However, this is overshadowed by a fantastic soundtrack and even voice acting by the original actors from the movie. And while the characters may not be terrific-looking, the environments are fully interactive, with trashcans and construction materials always available to help lay someone out.
Not having seen the movie should not prevent any gamer from picking up "The Warriors" and giving it a go.
'BLITZ: THE LEAGUE'
Genre: Sports.
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation 2.
Publisher: Midway.
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature.
Grade: ssss (out of 5)
Just when you thought the rough and dirty tactics of Midway's "Blitz" series was rotting away 6 feet underground, the company has resurrected the series but in an entirely new incarnation.
Midway has not entirely abandoned what made its "Blitz" arcade series so strong; the hard hits are even harder and the 8-on-8 pigskin action is still the same. In "Blitz: The League," there is an impressive career mode where you can create a team from scratch and not only play a 30-game season but also embark on a pseudo-story mode that goes beyond what any NFL-licensed game would want to show.
Besides the bone-crunching action, the story part of the career mode is the real gem, telling a rags-to-riches tale in a football setting.
Midway touts that writers of the acclaimed "Playmakers" series from ESPN wrote the script for "Blitz: The League," and it shows continuously. Steroid use, team groupies and corrupt owners and players abound, and it is your job to toe (or often cross) the line to ensure victory.
Where "The League" shines also is its presentation. The crisp, detailed graphics that made the old "Blitz" games so much fun are even better, and the new added touches to this edition are equally impressive.
Football fans should quickly get over the lack of NFL affiliation in "The League" and play this game; it's arguably better than anything EA and 2K have on the market.
'THE CON'
Genre: Fighting.
Platform: Sony PSP.
Publisher: SCEA.
ESRB Rating: T, for Teen.
Grade: ss 1/2 (out of 5)
You have to give props to any attempt at adding niche ideas to a standard genre. With "The Con" from Sony, they have taken the standard one-on-one fighting game and infused it with something that comes about as naturally -- gambling.
Here you control a three-member team of fighters and track their careers as you move them up the street-fighting ranks. To do this, you not only have to win fights, but, more importantly, win money betting on the fights.
Odds are set before each fight begins, but change as the fight progresses. This allows you the potential to play Rope-a-Dope for a few rounds, wait until the odds are stacked highly against you, place a large bet on yourself and then pull off the win and cash in big.
It's harder than it sounds; "The Con" always gives you something to think about.
The graphics and audio are not the strongest, which comes as a surprise considering it's a first-party game from Sony for its own machine, but "The Con" is a creative take on the fighting genre and is worth renting at the very least.