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Games of the week: Star Wars, 3 Extreme, VR Baseball By Chip and Jonathan Carter Tribune Media Services STAR WARS: EPISODE 1: RACER -- Here's an early look at what promises to be this summer's hottest game -- tied in, of course, with the summer's hottest movie. This one makes use of the soon-to-be famous podracer scene from the upcoming movie. You can choose from 21 different podracers -- which zip along at speeds of up to 600 mph -- and recreate the epic movie scene on about two dozen tracks in eight worlds, from the placid planet of Tatooine to the icy climes of Ando Prime. Each racer has his or her (or its!) own story. Some of the characters were created specifically for this game, while some -- like Anakin Skywalker, the only human with fast enough reflexes to pilot a podster -- are straight from the movie. Graphically, this one's a wonderful trek through the Star Wars universe. And the racing action is sublime. JONATHAN SAYS : This game is awesome. You feel like you could be Anakin Skywalker, this super-jacked racer in an alternative universe. You also get the feeling he's just another kid who wants to drive fast and talk about hot cars. I go to school with dozens of them, so it seems real to me -- it just takes place in another galaxy, which I find very cool indeed. A+. CHIP SAYS : I was hoping for another game along the lines of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire for the N64, or even Star Wars: Dark Forces for the PlayStation, so I'm a little disappointed -- not by what the game is, but by what it's not. That said, Racer is a terrific game -- it just seems a bit of a waste of the great Star Wars franchise -- characters, worlds, vehicles and all. The movie's got me amped for something big, and this and last Christmas's Rogue Squadron don't quite scratch that itch. It's almost a cruel tease -- I'm ready for a full-blown adventure in the Star Wars universe and get another one-dimensional trip. Good thing it's a great trip, or I'd really be whining. A. OVERALL RATING : A+ -- BUY IT FOR AGES 6 AND UP. 3 EXTREME, FOR PLAYSTATION -- Take to the hilly streets of northern California and rip it up on skateboards, inlines, or some bad bikes -- all on the same track at once! This one lets you choose your character and means of locomotion and take on a handful of other freaks in mixed bag racing. It's not all about speed, though. You can do tricks that earn points to buy better gear for upcoming races. And, taking a page right out of the Road Rash handbook, you can use your fists to defend yourself or knock down an opponent who's between you and the finish line. The graphics are rich and terrifically detailed, and the action's silky smooth, whether you're ramping for big air, bouncing on bricks, or grinding a rail for maximum bonus points. JONATHAN SAYS : The soundtrack rocks pretty hard, but a jukebox feature and more songs from different bands would have been nice, especially since the action gets kind of repetitive after a while. All in all, though, this one's fun stuff. B. CHIP SAYS : PlayStation's 3 Extreme is huge fun, but for some inexplicable reason it's not compatible with the analog controller -- an oversight that's forgivable but notable. The only other downside: Scads of ads make it look like a made-for-MTV event. B. OVERALL RATING : B -- RENT IT FOR AGES 6 AND UP. VR BASEBALL, FOR PLAYSTATION -- Here's a late entry in the video baseball pennant race. Despite some nice features, it's not a legitimate candidate for the flag. The "swing away" batting interface is hopelessly outdated in this "lock-on" day and age. The graphics are grainy and unrealistic -- though there are some great animations we haven't seen in other games, like fielders making desperate throws off the back foot or rolling in the dirt. The P.A. announcer is a cool and wholly realistic feature, but the actual play-by-play does something we didn't think was possible: Tank. It tanks even more than the hideous soundtrack Yankee broadcaster John Sterling provided for the otherwise phenomenal All-Star Baseball 2000 for the N64. You get all the real Major League teams and stadiums but, amazingly, for a product that's coming out a month into baseball season, the rosters are woefully out of date. It's frustrating that parts of this game are so good and yet the overall product is so lacking. JONATHAN SAYS : For PlayStation baseball, I much prefer MLB 2000. I do like the create-a-player feature, though. It's certainly not unique to this game, but it does at least make VR 2000 playable for me. C. CHIP SAYS : Not for me -- and not for any baseball fan. Despite a few nice touches, there's too much wrong here to overlook. Much better to stick with MLB 2000 or Triple Play 2000 -- or better yet, become a dual system household and get the unbeatable All Star Baseball 2000 for the N64, which has proven two years running that a game can be glitch-ridden and still be great. C- OVERALL RATING : C- -- SKIP IT. TIPS AND TRICKS VIGILANTE 8, FOR N64 -- Highlight "passcodes" at the options screen, then press A and enter these codes: No enemies -- POPULATION_OUT; invincibility -- LIVING_FOREVER; super missiles -- MISSILE_ATTACK; secret UFO -- GIMME_DA_ALIEN; all vehicles -- GANGS_UNLOCKED; all levels -- LEVEL-SHORTCUT; faster weapons -- FIRE_NO_LIMITS Chip & Jonathan Carter are a father/son gaming team who've been twiddling their thumbs professionally since 1990. For more tips, tricks, reviews and news, check us out on-line at http://vgames.webpoint.com/vid/ecol/mainpage . Or e-mail us at [email protected] . Got a question? An inside tip you'd like to share? Write to Chip and Jonathan Carter in care of this newspaper. While they cannot respond individually, they will answer questions of general interest in their column. (C) 1999 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC. Techno file index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA