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Donkey Kong 64, Cool Boarders 4 By Chip and Jonathan Carter Tribune Media Services DONKEY KONG 64, FOR N64 � Can you believe it's been five years since the first Donkey Kong adventure game came along (not those early arcade things � the Super NES version)? It doesn't seem like it, because that first DK game rocked the world so hard it changed the face of gaming forever. Gamers were astonished by what the folks at Rare Software were able to do with the technological constraints of a 16-bit system. DK for the Super NES showed that it's not the tool, it's the user, that makes the difference when it comes to gaming � that old guitar you've got in the corner of your room sounds like crap when you play it, but we bet Eric Clapton could plink out a tune or two on it. Same thing with DK 64. Just when you think programmers have reached the limits of a system, here comes another DK game to prove you were wrong. This one's amazing, just like every DK game. It's even more amazing when you know the next generation of game systems is only eight to 12 months away � and you realize that programmers haven't even really begun to tap the potential of the systems we have now. Ah, technology. Gotta love it if you're a gamer. Speaking of technology, these apes have picked up some of their own. Forget about the old days of bouncing on bad guys � gorillas gots guns now! There are five playable characters, each with his or her own special weapon. You can play as DK, of course, who's toting a coconut gun; Diddy, who's packing a pair of peanut-shooting six-shooters; little lady Tiny Kong, who carries a feather-shooting crossbow; orangutan Lanky Kong, with a grape gun; and beefy Chunky Kong, who fires pineapples from a bazooka. You can use any or all of these characters to explore the huge worlds of the single-player adventure � or to battle it out with friends in the four-player mode. This one's easily the N64 game to have for Christmas. The only bad news is that you have to have the N64 Expansion Pak to play this one. The good news is, it's bundled with the game. The bad news is, that means it costs $69.99. All in all, though, that's pretty small bananas for a game like this. JONATHAN SAYS : The four-player mode is a welcome addition to the DK library. Any game with that kind of multiplayer action is almost two games in one. A+. CHIP SAYS : Another day, another brilliant multimillion seller for Nintendo. Keep them coming, guys! A+. OVERALL RATING: A+ � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. COOL BOARDERS 4, FOR PLAYSTATION � You don't make a fourth edition of a game if you're not doing something right. This is the fourth annual holiday edition of the Boarders series, and it's easily the best one yet. For starters, we love the way you can tweak the characters, right down to size � make them huge or tiny on the screen, however you like it. You can board as any of 16 pros, or create your own boarder � and board � to take part in various tournaments and competitions. Up to four players can shred it up in events like the down hill, half pipe, slope style, CBX, big air and trickmaster. The action is astonishingly realistic. There are a few just-for-fun twists, like the ability to punch your opponents, Road Rash style, when you're competing in the down hill. The graphics are crisp and picture-perfect, right down to the grooves in the snow. This one looks so good you can almost see your breath when you exhale. CB 4 is one of those rare sequels that's a must-have. A lot of games change very little from year to year, but this one's practically brand-new. For instance, this year's version features 30 new courses on five new mountains in addition to the new pros and create-a-player features. There's also a power meter that builds and ebbs to let you know when you're ready to pull off some massive tricks. You can save it for later or eke it out a little at a time � the choice is yours, and depends on the competition you're facing. Even if you didn't care for one or more of the others in this series, if you're a boarding fan, you owe it to yourself to check out CB 4. JONATHAN SAYS : This game rocks. It's almost as good as actually boarding, and nowhere near as cold. I'm ready to hit the slopes, indoor or out. A. CHIP SAYS : I'm a lousy snowboarder, but a great Cool Boarder. Gimme a roaring fireplace, a hot mug of something and a copy of CB 4 and you can keep the outside world. My only complaint is that the cheering and leering crowd in the background sounds like something out of a "Simpsons" episode ... and I don't mean that in a good way. Other than that, this one's the hands-down best boarding game out there. A. OVERALL RATING: A � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER, FOR PLAYSTATION � Here's the first skateboarding game that lets you play as actual pros from the start. MTV and the X Games have turned Tony Hawk and a handful of other skaters into TV stars, and now you get a chance to check out their moves firsthand. You can skate as Hawk or other MTV'ers like Bob Burnquist, GeoffRowley, Bucky Lasek and Elissa Steamer. The action unfolds in realistic locations set around the country, from a warehouse in California to a school in Miami to malls and skate parks and everywhere in between. (Unfortunately, the only way to access those locations is via the career mode � if you're not very good at this game, you'll be stuck in a single location � the warehouse � until you get good ... or bored). The environments are completely interactive, loaded with ramps, rails and other obstacles that give you a chance to catch air or grind. Factor in a rocking soundtrack by groups like the Dead Kennedys, Primus and Suicidal Tendencies and you've got a pleasant way to spend an afternoon boarding without picking asphalt chunks out of your elbows. JONATHAN SAYS : If you skate or board, you've got to have this one. The speed and intensity are so incredibly realistic you'll be checking yourself for strawberries after nasty spills. A-. CHIP SAYS : Tony Hawk has got to be s-o-o-o-o glad I'm not him. I mean, the man's 31 years old, and the way I play this game, he wouldn't have an inch of skin left anywhere on his body. So, I can dig the speed, and even the tricks, for a little while, but this one gets old after a bit. Sorry about those knees and elbows, Tony. A-. OVERALL RATING: A- � RENT IT FOR ALL AGES. TIPS AND TRICKS TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER, FOR PLAYSTATION � To choose your level, pause, hold L1 and press triangle, right, up, square, triangle, left, up, square, triangle. Otherwise, you can select levels by simply pressing X. And if you unlock all the videos in all levels in the career mode, you can play as a secret character, Officer Dick. READY TO RUMBLE, FOR DREAMCAST � To unlock the Bronze Class enter your gym name as Rumble Power; to unlock Silver, enter the name Rumble Bumble; to unlock Gold enter the name Mosma!; and to unlock Champ Class � and access all hidden characters � enter the name Pod 5! 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