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Cyberplay: Sony's 'Fantasy' a Christmas masterpiece
September 25, 1997
Web posted at: 6:29 p.m. EDT (1829 GMT)By Steven L. Kent
What's so special about the Christmas lineup for the Sony PlayStation?
First of all, Sony has four major releases: "Final Fantasy VII," "Crash Bandicoot II," "NFL Game Day 98" and "Blasto." Sony also boasts the impressive minor releases "Bushido Blade" and "Overboard." In addition, Sony has a solid lineup of outside titles that includes "Time Crisis" from Namco, "Bravo Air Race" from T-HQ and "Tomb Raiders 2" from Eidos.
First, a look at Sony's in-house A list.
"Final Fantasy VII" is a visual masterpiece. Squaresoft, the company that created the game, used to have an exclusive relationship with Nintendo but switched to Sony. Squaresoft makes epic games. PlayStation games are stored on CD-ROMs that hold 640 megabytes of information; the N64 takes cartridges that hold eight megabytes. Apparently the executive team at Squaresoft decided that you cannot convey epic stories with eight megs.
The same team also must have realized that you cannot relate an epic story with only 640 megabytes; "Final Fantasy VII" fills three CDs. Nearly two gigabytes of storage were used to create a bleak futuristic fantasy world in which humans use weapons and magic to battle monsters. And the story line of "Final Fantasy VII" is as impressive as its graphics.
If there is a game of the year in 1997, at first glance it may well be "Final Fantasy VII."
In the meantime, Sony is also bringing back Crash Bandicoot, the Tasmanian Devil-like video game character the company used to lampoon Nintendo's Mario last year.
Crash Bandicoots are simple running and jumping games in which players control Crash as he collects apples, breaks boxes and spins into enemies. What makes them special are the graphics. The team that creates them goes out of its way to create a Maori-esqe atmosphere with lush vegetation and lots of tikis and carvings.
Last year a few critics complained that "Crash Bandicoot" lacked originality. So what? "Crash Bandicoot" was great fun to play. All of that running and jumping kept players coming back for more.
The most predictable game in Sony's library is "NFL Game Day 98." Sony has a great football simulation, and it gets a tune-up, improved graphics and additional plays, and a re-release every year. In fact, each year's "NFL Game Day" is better than its predecessor, and this year is no exception.
The only unknown quantity in Sony's Christmas lineup is "Blasto," a humorous futuristic shoot-'em-up featuring the voice of "Saturday Night Live" and "NewsRadio" comedian Phil Hartman.
Unlike "Final Fantasy VII," "Crash Bandicoot II" and "NFL Game Day 98," "Blasto" is an entirely original game. It looks cute and Hartman does a good job delivering one-liners. The real question is whether or not consumers still want to play games in which you control a cute character who runs around platforms shooting cute bad guys.
Historically, Nintendo and Sega have been the cornerstones of the video game industry, and perhaps they need a Sony wake-up call. In years past, many companies have folded when their Christmas lineups did not live up to expectations. Both Nintendo and Sega are too strong to close shop over a single bad year, but they will have to make major adjustments throughout 1998 if they hope to catch up with Sony in time for Christmas '98.
(c) 1997, Steven L. Kent. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate
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