The Bouncer - Square/EA's action/roleplaying hybrid.

WWF Smackdown 2 for the Playstation.

Sonic Shuffle for the Dreamcast.

007 Racing looks bad, sounds bad and plays even worse. However, the real reason for this game's failure is much more simple. While you're playing, it never for one second feels like you're in James Bond's world. It doesn't matter that there are movies in between the action and voice overs during gameplay. That's all cosmetic stuff that was thrown in after the fact. That crap has nothing to do with how the game plays. GoldenEye 007 for Nintendo 64 remains the best James Bond game ever made because while you play it, you feel like James Bond. It isn't because of any fancy full-motion video or voice work. It's how the game plays. In 007 Racing, I never felt like James Bond. Instead, I felt tired and bored out of my skull because I wasn't having any fun not being James Bond.

Gameplaywise, as I said, the game is quite good, although I wouldn t quite say perfect. The control scheme plays like a bizarre, but effective mix of 2D and 3D. Since all of the architecture is built on 90-degree angles, the game is designed in such a way that it can be played only by making instant, 90-degree turns, which means you are almost always moving along a 2D plane. The result is probably the only 3D game where you don t feel like you re driving. The only time you experience true 3D movement is when you use the auto-aim feature, which allows you to lock onto an enemy and move freely in all directions while keeping it in view continuously. Unfortunately, this is the one aspect of the game that could have used some additional tweaking. With few enemies on the screen, it works well enough, but when there are more than 4 or 5 it seems to have trouble deciding which enemy to lock on to, and oftentimes locks on the one farthest away from you, without regard as to whether you are separated by walls or not. Although this can easily be dealt with with a little ingenuity, it can be extremely annoying at times, as you constantly pound on the R1 in hopes that it will lock onto the enemy that is endlessly shooting you in the back.

TORRANCE, Calif., January 25, 2001 ­ Tecmo, Inc. announces "Unison: Rebels of Rhythm and Dance," a unique, nontraditional interactive dancing game that challenges up to three players to master dance moves in a Œfantasy world¹ filled with hip dance music and stunning Japanese Anime. Unison is Tecmo¹s second title for the PlayStatio®2 computer entertainment system in the U.S.

Unison puts players 200 years into the future, when a ruthless dictator has placed a strict prohibition on dancing. In order to liberate the citizens, players take on the role of a member of the dance team Unison and demonstrate to the citizens of the city the mystical power of dance and rhythm. But first players must master dance steps through a series of intense training sessions taught by a dance teacher.

"What truly sets Unison apart from any other dancing game is the awesome blend of multimedia," said John Inada, Tecmo¹s marketing director. "The stunning realism of the graphics, the array of original dance songs, and the electrifying plot take this title to all new levels. And diehard fans of Japanese Anime will be in for a treat, too."

Unison players can select one of three Anime dance characters and are able to practice their routines to a host of popular dance tunes sung by actual artists. A balance of Japanese pop music, classic disco, and contemporary American dance tracks comprise the eclectic soundtrack. A few of the hip-swaying gems include: ŒOPP¹ by Naughty by Nature; ŒStop the Rock¹ by Apollo Forty; ŒCountry Grammar¹ by Nelly; and ŒBarbie Girl¹ by Aqua.

As a portion of one dance routine is rehearsed and successfully completed, players are treated to stirring segments of the ŒUnison story¹. The ultimate goal is to perform an entire dance routine, mistake-free, on a live television broadcast to the city¹s population. In the spirit of rebellion, the Unison team illegally transmits the performance over city airwaves.

"Although the premise may seem simple, Unison actually requires a considerable amount of skill," added Inada. "The dance steps become much more intricate and challenging as the story progresses. The challenge factor, plus the amazing graphics and stellar music score make for great replay value."

The advanced PlayStation 2 technology has enabled Unison developers to create authentic cinematic graphics in Japanese Anime style. "You won¹t find these advanced graphics in any other dancing game," added Inada. "Our developers have used the superiority of the PlayStation 2 engine to their full advantage. For example, the use of blurred backgrounds and a refined foreground are quite similar to actual cinematography."

Unison: Rebels of Rhythm and Dance supports the analog function of the DUALSHOCK�2 analog controller. Various play modes in Unison include: story (select a character and begin the story); load (allows players to save their performances and continue story where left off); a special mode (three players can dance to all songs in Unison and earn special features); and replay (ability to view dance performances completed in story or special mode).

Unison carries a suggested retail price of $49.95 and will be available in March. Game rating is pending.

Tecmo, Inc., well known for its popular Dead or Alive� series and its classic Ninja Gaiden�, offers a number of current consumer titles, including Monster Rancher 2�, Gallop Racer�, and Dead or Alive� 2. Their premier fighting game DOA2: HARDCORE� is now available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Tecmo also recently introduced three titles to its ever-popular Monster Rancher series: Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout� for the PlayStation® game console and Monster Rancher Battle Card and Monster Rancher Explorer for Game Boy� Color.

The game console maker is trying to make up for delays caused by problems with the console's advanced graphics chip. The console was the must-have item this Christmas though production delays forced the company to scale back shipment targets in the United States by as much as half.

The TV commercial for PlayStation 2 -- a futuristic plug for the PS9 -- tells the whole story. The console and the ads both have stunning graphics, and both promise more than they deliver. Aside from the production shortage that turned the home-entertainment obelisk into the most sought-after toy of the year, PS2's best games feel like teasers for the souped-up system's potential -- which it's likely to live up to sometime next year.