Enter the Matrix – Nintendo Gamecube (2003)
In the war to save Zion, what part will you play? Enter The Matrix casts the player as Niobe or Ghost, captain and first mate of the rebel ship Logos, respectively. Niobe is a master combatant, capable of beating up everyone in her way. She is an excellent pilot, both in the real world and in the Matrix. Ghost is very adept at firearms, and his marksmanship is a mastery. Both characters are very athletic, and throughout the game the player will have to walk, run, jump, strafe, peek, run on walls, climb ladders and pipes, and fight various enemies.
Available weapons include a security pistol, an automatic pistol, a submachine gun, a machine gun, a shotgun, and grenades. Besides weapons, a variety of hand-to-hand moves are available, from punches, throws, and grabs to kicks and chokes. Throughout the game, the player will be called upon to utilize Focus moves, which is basically bullet time from the films. When Focused, time slows to a crawl, allowing the player to zoom around enemies, dodge bullets, and jump to avoid oncoming obstacles.
The game was written and directed by the Wachowskis, and its plot is intertwined with that of the second movie, The Matrix Reloaded.
International Superstar Soccer 2 – Nintendo Gamecube (2003)
International Superstar Soccer 2 is a next-generation update of Konami’s International Superstar Soccer, featuring a similar array of modes (friendly, international cup, league, training) to the original. This installment also makes use of an official FIFPro license, meaning that many of the 58 national teams include real player names.
FIFA Fotball 2004 – Nintendo Gamecube (2003)
FIFA Football 2004 features eighteen leagues, with thirty-five national teams and over ten thousand players. Take them into a multi-season career, or individual tournaments or matches.
Like EA’s other 2004 games it has an in-depth career mode, where you must manage your budget and team. Promote players, demote players, and renegotiate contracts, all in an effort to get your team to the finals again and again.
The skills to master range from kicked passes and headers to lob passes and bicycle kicks. You can take control of players before the ball reaches them, which makes it easier to find space to take the ball. Like other 2004 titles, FIFA uses the right analog stick for it’s Freestyle gameplay.
Console versions use the EA Sports Bio, whereby you can continue to improve your gamer level and unlock rewards by playing other 2004 titles, such as Madden NFL 2004 or NBA Live 2004.
Virtua Striker 3 – Nintendo Gamecube (2002)
Although Sega were unable to obtain an official license from FIFA, Virtua Striker 2002 includes 64 teams from countries around the world, with 22 players for each team. Game modes include Road to World Cup, Tournament and Versus.
Road to World Cup allows you to choose from the 64 teams, editing their names, stats, uniforms and more before taking them onto the world stage to compete for the World Cup. The road is long, however, as you must use your available points (equivalent to money) to schedule matches with other international teams, purchase venues, pay for travel expenses for out of town tours and training camps, and more importantly, pay for your players and coaching staff.
The other modes of play allow you to simply join in a arcade football match. You choose the team and a CPU opponent, then play for the points in tournament, or pride in versus and practise modes.
Nintendo Gamecube – Indigo
