Underrated Games Vol. 8
Added 09/01/2004 by Barnolde
Summary: Microsoft and Blitz Games tried to make a Mario Party clone with Fuzion Frenzy, and while it wasn’t too bad, the games were pretty similar and it didn’t rock the sales charts. Microsoft decided to try again with the help of Just Add Monsters and added a fighting flair to the party game, to disastrous sales results unfortunately. I found Kung Fu Chaos (KFC, heh) much more enjoyable than Fuzion Frenzy, because it was faster paced and just a better party game, because of the fighting elements that were incorporated in it. The game plays like a multiplayer fighting game with an overhead view and always has four players, whether it be human or computer. Now, I was looking for another solid multiplayer game, aside from Halo, because while many other games have multiplayer, the majority of them flat out sucked. Kung Fu Chaos takes place on a Hollywood movie set, and you play as the actors, which is just a front for the fighting gameplay. The game is fast paced and all the levels resemble different types of popular movies, and the environment changes, which is probably one of the best things about this game. For example, there is one level that takes place on the Titanic as it’s sinking and you must fight each other, while not being sucked into the water and you have to deal with things falling and ice that can be used as weapons. KFC works well, because it’s a unique game that takes a popular genre and adds a unique flair to it, and there’s nothing else like it on the market that it can be compared to, except possibly Powerstone, and Powerstone was great. So think of KFC as somewhat of a successor to Powerstone (make a Powerstone 3, Capcom!) and that’ll give you a good sense of how it plays, only with more of an emphasis on melee combat. The graphics in this game are pretty good and don’t support 480p for some weird graphical reason that I read somewhere, but it still looks good. The characters are pretty funny, the stereotypical Asian announcer is annoying, but that can be overlooked. If you’re interested in a great game to play with friends, than look no further than Kung Fu Chaos.
Why it didn't sell: Poor marketing, some low review scores
Talk Xbox Kung Fu Chaos score: N/A
My personal Kung Fu Chaos score: 8.4
Summary: You mention horror games to anyone and chances are you’ll get Silent Hill or Resident Evil as a reply, or maybe even the recent hit, The Suffering, but you probably won’t hear The Thing, despite it being one of the best horror games there is. If The Thing sounds familiar, you probably either remember the original 1951 movie or John Carpenter’s 1982 remake, and that’s a good thing, because the game takes place right after the movie ends. Basically the story is that there was a flying saucer that is at an Antarctic outpost, where there was a science lab, and all communication was lost, and that’s where the game comes in. I recommend seeing the movie before playing the game, as it will set things up for you, but you can still enjoy it without having seen the movie. So you are Captain Blake who is sent with a team to investigate what has happened there, and you’ll find out soon enough. Now the game is similar to other survival horror games for it’s use of gore, puzzles and the usual things used to try and scare you, but The Thing doesn’t rely on a terrible camera or half-assed controls to scare you (away), it logically controls like a third person shooter and it controls well, which is probably where the inspiration came for The Suffering’s great controls as well. Without having to fight a bad, fixed camera or controls, this leaves the enjoyment of the game alone and sets it higher than games like Resident Evil do. The most unique thing about this game is the teamwork aspect, and whenever your teammates see something gruesome, they become unsettled and you must help regain their sanity or else there are consequences. The action element is certainly strong in this game, and your teammates are no slackers either, as long as they’re kept sane and well equipped. You can give them health packs or ammo to regain their trust, as you’ll need it, because medics can heal you, engineers can fix broken switches, and the like, so it’s a necessity to maintain an equilibrium. Now, they can also be infected, and you can test them with a shot that will show they are clean or have them turn into bullet fodder, and while that seems great, sometimes you can waste shots, as many times they only change at scripted points, even though they were just tested. The story isn’t bad, but it could be a bit more evolved, and the game looks nice, is very detailed, and sounds even better, you actually feel cold and alone, even if your team is with you. This game is definitely for fans of The Suffering or anyone looking for a horror game that won’t frustrate you, but rather entertain and scare you.
Why it didn't sell: Poor marketing
Talk Xbox The Thing score: N/A
My personal The Thing score: 8.4
Summary: An extreme sports game, that isn’t Tony Hawk!? Yes, they do exist, and no, they don’t have to be Dave Mirra or made by Activision. I bet some people are scoffing at this fact right now, and all I have to say is that this game is responsible for Tony Hawk 4. If you’ve ever played Tony Hawk 4 and thought “wow, that no time limit and adventure type gameplay was innovative” then think again, Aggressive Inline did it months before Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 did, yet THPS4 gets all the credit, when all it did was rip off Aggressive Inline. All frets aside, I enjoyed Tony Hawk 1 and 2 (so I loved THPS2x) and then I started to get a bit bored by 3, and then coupled with a copied gameplay formula, I was done with the stagnant series, which was so milked, I’m surprised they didn’t have a cow for a spokesperson. All right, enough with the Tony Hawk bashing, it just gets more credit then it deserves. So I picked up Aggressive Inline when it was on sale, and I was definitely pleased, because it was reminiscent to Tony Hawk, as in it controlled great, but it was new and fresh, and also not on a skateboard. You get the usual setup you’d imagine, pick your character and go skate, and AI has a bunch of stars, including Chris Edwards (the game was previously called Chris Edwards’ Aggressive Inline), Matt Salerno and more. The levels in AI are huge, and there is a multitude of things to do, so any Tony Hawk fan should feel right at home, as soon as they get used to the rollerblades, because they do control differently. The stages are all incredibly varied, like Tony Hawk, and there is even a zoo level exclusive to the Xbox! AI looks and sounds quite well, and the new gameplay that it offered was a fresh breath from the Tony Hawk monopoly, so basically AI took everything that was good about Tony Hawk and improved on it. You get custom soundtracks, but unfortunately no system link play, but that doesn’t stop AI from being a great game. If you can look past the fact that it’s not Tony Hawk, or you’re just bored with Tony Hawk, but you want something that plays just as well, than Aggressive Inline is the best thing next to Tony Hawk. Any extreme sports fan would do well to pick up this one, especially if they want a breath of fresh air for the genre.
Why it didn't sell: Poor marketing, it’s not Tony Hawk
Talk Xbox Aggressive Inline score: N/A
My personal Aggressive Inline score: 8.9
