Mario Tennis
Game Boy Color £24.99 Nintendo **** Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Game Boy Color £24.99 Activision *
There tends to be two types of Game Boy games. The enjoyable ones that make you forget the limitations of the ageing handheld format - most Nintendo games, Tetris, the odd Konami effort and so on- and the formulaic platformers and shooters that make up the rest.
Mario Tennis is a good example of the former, while Buzz Lightyear is typical of the latter. Following Golf, Mario Tennis is the latest N64 sports conversion that adds longevity and strategy to what it lacks in graphical oomph. Starting with a weak character, the aim is to train your budding Henman or Hingis and battle for the big honours. The typically cutesy Nintendo style masks a tricky challenge, with hours of practice needed for court success. After a while you'll be volleying with the best of them, although the rigid Game Boy controller pad doesn't help. Throw in some amusing side games - try hitting Donkey Kong's bananas - and you've got another Nintendo winner.
But while Tennis has its frustrating moments, especially when battling with the controls in a lengthy deciding set, at least you want to persevere.
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, on the other hand, offers no such incentive. Viewed from above, your task is to guide the Toy Story hero up the screen while avoiding baddies. This would be easier if Buzz didn't move around the screen like a recalcitrant steamroller. If you are forced, or bribed, to sit through the 12 levels, you will find little variety and, aimed at children or not, the horrendous controls and collision detection make this a real turkey. Forget Lightyear; if you want a real Game Boy buzz play a few sets of Mario Tennis. (GH)
Moto GP
Sony PlayStation 2 £39.99 Namco **
The first thing you will say when Moto GP loads is: Wow, the graphics are wonderful. It looks just like an arcade game, which is, of course, where it came from.
After that you may well say ouch, then arrrrgh, as you fly over the handlebars and bounce down the track. Moto GP has an arcade mode and a simulation mode. It is not a good idea to try the simulation mode first. In arcade mode you can win the first race without practising (well, on the easy level), and without ever falling off. In simulation mode, it is hard to get around a corner.
In other words, Moto GT is not for the impatient. It takes a while to develop the smoothness of line needed to compete. You have to be slower than you think into corners, and faster out of them. But tune your skills and it is worth joining a team and playing one or more seasons. The five different tracks look remarkably realistic, though there are not enough of them. Even an occasional bit of rain would add variety.
If racing gets boring, Namco has provided a series of challenges, such as "pass 15 bikes on the first lap". Success earns small rewards. You can also trounce your friends in split-screen two-player mode, at least until they get the hang of cornering.
In the end, Moto GT is much more like Ridge Racer 5 than Gran Turismo 2. Still, it is probably the best superbike racing game you can get. (JS)
