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Final Fantasy VIII, NCAA Gamebreaker 2000, NFL QB Club 2000 By Chip and Jonathan Carter Tribune Media Services FINAL FANTASY VIII, FOR PLAYSTATION � You've probably seen the TV spots for FF VIII by now and, impressive though they are, those don't even come close to doing justice to this instant, four-disk masterpiece. As the game begins, the sorceress Edea has come to power in the land of Galbadia. Her hostility threatens the world. It falls to a young warrior named Squall Leonhart � you of course � to lead a quest against Edea. But the plot gets a lot thicker than that. Along the way, Squall meets Rinoa Heartilly (we don't make up the names, we just report them, OK?) and falls head over heels in love. This is as much the story of what happens to hearts torn in different directions as it is the story of Squall and his cohorts' battle against Edea. As such, it's a major step forward in video gaming, adding a new layer of complexity and introducing adult elements to a cyberworld known specifically for blowing stuff up. But you still get to blow stuff up. In fact, there's so much new stuff here we hardly know where to start. For one thing, you don't have to worry about coming up with cash � you draw a salary that increases with your skill level. Also, you don't have any kind of magic meter � rather than casting spells from some inner supply of mojo whammy, you find spells in bunches and simply cast until they're gone � like using arrows or any other weapon. FF VIII features more than an hour of cinematic-quality video that blends seamlessly with the onscreen action. This one sold 3.3 million copies the first month it was available in Japan. We'll be amazed if it doesn't do that well here. This is a must-have game for any PlayStation owner. JONATHAN SAYS : Beautiful. Just beautiful. I'm moved beyond words. A+. CHIP SAYS : It's interesting how the FF series has evolved so that each new one doesn't really have anything to do with the genesis or any ongoing story line. Of course, even attempting to compare this latest masterpiece with the funny little bigheaded characters I used to lead around the screen via my NES is laughable. What began as a series of quests designed to keep a 12-year-old occupied has turned into a visual dynamo with a plot worthy of a half-dozen summer movies � and graphics, too, come to think about it. A+. OVERALL: A+ � BUY IT FOR AGES 10 AND UP. NCAA GAMEBREAKER 2000, FOR PLAYSTATION � This is the best college football game we've ever seen. There are a handful of new features, but the game play's the same as last year's classic version, which is a good thing � don't fix what ain't broke. You get 114 Division 1-A schools, plus 60 all-time classic teams. The rosters represent each school's current crop. But don't worry if you don't like what's there. As coach, you can recruit blue-chip players for your squad. And if you don't like those, you can create your own walk-ons. You can play this year's schedule or customize your own, ending with the traditional bowls or a tournament format. You can also create a fantasy league that awards points based on player performances. And for the ultimate experience, you can tackle the career mode. You start as the coach of a small school, build the program and play a season. Do well, and you might find yourself in line for a job at a bigger school. Blow it and you're likely to get fired. This one keeps tracks in dozens of categories, and gives you a running tally of who's in line for All-Conference squads and even the Heisman Trophy. The playbook comes from the mind of UCLA Head Coach Bob Toledo, but you can add your own if you think you can do better. Best of all, the legendary Keith Jackson does the play-by-play. Retiring last year, he's called his last game as an ABC commentator, so it's a real and unexpected treat to get to hear his rumbling "Whoa Nellie!" in a 1999 college football game, video or not. JONATHAN SAYS : Current rosters and the like don't matter to me, since I prefer to create my own teams from scratch. I don't care who's really playing � I make a team full of 300-pounders who can run like the wind � so there's not much new here for me. A. CHIP SAYS: I'm a college football nut (Go Dawgs!), so I have to have the up-to-date rosters. I've played a lot of college football games, but this year's version of GameBreaker is my favorite. And welcome back, Keith! A+. OVERALL RATINGS: A+ � BUY IT FOR ALL AGES. NFL QB CLUB 2000, N64 � Hand it to the programmers of this series on one account: They're not willing to simply rest on their laurels. They've taken this series back to the drawing board and started from scratch � with mixed results. This game does some things amazingly well. Graphically, it's a real treat. And the control is simply outstanding. Acclaim's added a slide-'n'-glide feature that makes play as fast and as slick as owl stuff on ice. It reminds us very much of the rollerball-style football games you used to see in arcades, where the players moved as fast as you could spin the ball controller. Of course, when you let up, the ball kept spinning, and the players kept moving � it was a realistic depiction of momentum, and it's perfectly captured here. We'd like to see all sports video games adopt a similar style of control, and we're willing to bet we will. On the down side, it's very difficult to complete passes. Perfectly thrown balls head for wide-open receivers ... and then bounce off hands of brick and fall harmlessly to the ground. It's enough to make you pull your hair out. You get all the real NFL teams and players, and you can play in a variety of modes. If you don't like what's on the table, you're free to create your own players and even entire teams. JONATHAN SAYS : Sure this one has some control bugaboos � passing is kind of tough � but I made my own team, stuck to the running game, and basically cheated my way through. A-. CHIP SAYS : I love the control � for the most part it's incredible. But forget trying to creep up to, or back off of, the line of scrimmage � you'll jump offsides every time. Very annoying � especially in the two-player mode if you're trying to fake a blitz or drop a backer, who's close to the line, back to cover the pass. And speaking of passing, can't anybody around here catch the darn ball? What's with video football games this year? All of a sudden we're having a tougher time completing passes than Tampa Bay QB Trent Dilfer! And as a Bucs fan, let me tell you, that's bad. B. OVERALL: B � RENT IT FOR ALL AGES. TIPS AND TRICKS DRIVER, FOR PLAYSTATION � To unlock the invincibility option on the cheat screen, at the main menu press L2, L2, R2, R2, L2, R2, L2, L1, R2, R1, L2, L1, L1. To play with miniature cars, it's R1, R2, R1, R2, L1, L2, R1, R2, L1, R1, L2, L2, L2. And if you want to do away with those pesky police chases, try L1, L2, R1, R1, R1, R1, L2, L2, R1, R1, L1, L1, R2. CROC 2, FOR PLAYSTATION � For a cheat mode, at the title screen hold L1 and press Triangle, Left, Left, Right, Square, Up, Up, Left, O. Then, any time you're playing, press your L2 and R2 buttons to bring up a cheat menu that'll let you tweak the game. For infinite chances, at the title screen, hold L1 and press O, Down, Left, Up, Right, Triangle, Down. 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