The Bargain Bin Binge!

About this column:

On occasion, bargain shelves at your local video/electronics store contain a semi-old title worth more than just a look. This page reviews such titles..

Recent Bargain Bin Binge pages: 

1) Mac ACTION SACK

2) Quest for Glory V

3) Simpsons' Virtual Springfield!

4) Curse of Monkey Island

5) System Shock 2

6) A DOZEN Bargains that DO NOT stink! ***

7) Star Trek: Judgment Rites

8) Will Rock

9) Beyond Good & Evil

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Sidebar :

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"Madnum Cards"; Worth the Quest...? In addition to the cool new weapons this little lady sells you throughout the game, you may notice the offer to find her 20 "Madnum Gold Cards." These are hidden throughout the game, and best of all; you only need 20 of them, out of maybe twice as many. There is no "extra bonus" for finding more, so don't hurt yourself looking for over 20. In fact; once you find 20, you cannot pick up any more at all.

So, you're asking; is it worth partaking this mini-quest to find these 20 cards? Unless you like mini-quests: no. Let's just say that this sales lady is willing to sell you something special (ahem) if you give her 20 gold credit cards in return, which she offers once you reach Las Vegas, where her suite awaits. Personally, I was hoping for a mega weapon or something, but...whatever. Not only that; you don't "see" anything when she sells you her special goods (again: ahem!), so it's no big deal. However, it is a nice quest for those who like seeking out hidden things, and it is a hidden animation, right?

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Feel free to contribute. As always, review submissions are accepted!

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Nitro Family

Click picture to order this game (PC/windows version)

A Techtite Review

Given how successful Serious Sam was --a bargain-priced game with a classic shoot-'em-up edge-- it's surprising more game design teams don't follow its lead. One such game is Nitro Family, which is not just similar to Serious Sam; it uses the same game engine. Yet this game's designers have added enough originality and inspiration to make this a really nice treat: even more so, with the opening price of a mere $19.95. That's a total bargain.

The story is perfect for a classic shoot-'em-up. Said Nitro family consists of mom, dad, and their little boy. Their son has just been kidnapped by a ruthless drug company that wants to use babies for its research. It's up to mom and dad to follow the trail of the kidnappers, save their boy, and of course save the day. This won't be easy. however, when mom and dad are being constantly attacked by those people addicted by this company's drugs; a narcotic that, the more you take of it, the more deadly and monstrous you become.

Here's the good news: this isn't your typical one-man-against-an-army shooter game. Wife Maria is piggy-backing our hero at all times, allowing for two amusing side elements to the game play. For one thing she can use her whip to instantly kill any enemy within range. The problem is: she can only whip one enemy at a time, so you'll have to deal with the rest. Her second feature is a rocket jetpack that can be super-charged with any "Nitro canister" found in various nooks and crannies of this world. Just press "B" with one of these canisters, and see Maria jet directly forward, blowing up various enemies while overhead. The trick here is: she can only jetpack in a room that's large enough (no cramped hallways), and you can only carry three canisters at any one time.

Adding to the fun of this bargain game is the method this game uses to be like pricier games like Max Payne, only in an economical way. Shoot enough enemies in mere seconds and you automatically enter "adrenaline rush" mode; sort of like Max Payne's bullet time, only with funky music playing in the background, and warped visual FX. As for environment realism; even that is better than most FPS games, even if not as kinetically stunning as Max Payne 2. Just about everything in this world can be shot, often revealing secret power-ups and health boosts. It's actually quite amusing to be in a bazooka shooting match with one of the tougher adversaries, only to have nearby parked cars catch fire, or nearby props explode into pieces. While this game lacks the kinetics seen in pricier games, what you get for a mere $20 bucks is impressive.

Likewise for the ability to purchase additional weapons. A weapons-selling femme fatale stands at various locations throughout the game, offering the chance to upgrade the weapons you already have (to reload faster, as well as hold more bullets per round), or buy new weapons entirely. You buy these weapons with the money you earn gradually in the game, dependant on the strength of enemies defeated. There are also hidden madnum "gold cards" throughout each level, which if collected, lead to a special reward. However; when this reward isn't a new weapon, nor an alternate ending, whether it's worth it searching for these cards is up to you (see sidebar for more on this, spoilers notwithstanding).

Gripes are mostly countered by the "what did you expect for $20?" department. For one thing the first levels are so-so, with unremarkable city streets and nothing of much consequence. It's quite far into the game until you reach far more interesting locales, including a casino. The ongoing story is also very thin, yet links the missions acceptably well. The added humor is also very nice, including moments where the game's Big Bad Guy insults our heroes throughout the game via video screens, leading to Mr. Nitro saying "Give us back our son you ---hole!" with Maria mumbling "---hole!" right afterwards. That's a pretty funny running gag.

This all leads to a cute ending that even offers...interactive credits! After the grand finale the credits "level" loads, where your final objective is to give some well deserved flowers to your hard-working wife, Maria, as the credits roll in the bottom half of the screen. What's more; you can give her the flowers, or try and smack her with them, for understandably different results. Choose your own final scene to the game!

Is this game worth buying? For $20 bucks I'd like to think so, but then again, if I was saving up to buy Half Life 2 or Doom 3, with limited fund$, maybe not. Likewise if I had to decide between buying this and saving up for the recent release Thief: Deadly Shadows, as well. However, not unlike the Serious Sam series, if you need a new game to tide you over while waiting for Doom 3; this game offers more than enough bang for your buck to make the purchase worth it.

---Techtite