Archive for Category: Columns

  • Games for the Casual Gamer: Crash Bandicoot: Warped

    Columns Columns by Lianna Gaughan on

    Crash Bandicoot: Warped is the third game in the Playstation Crash Bandicoot series.  The object of this game is to try and save all of the gems and crystals from Dr. Neo Cortex and his side-kick Uck

  • Swordquest: FireWorld

    Columns Columns by Paul Franzen on

    With their EarthWorld competition now a piece of the past and winner Stephen Bell now $15,000 richer, Atari commenced phase two of their plot to reanimate their critically-conditioned console—the se

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    Dear Readers: How GameCola Reviews Work

    Columns Columns by Paul Franzen on

    Lately a lot of you have been asking me about how the rating system used in our reviews section works; this seems like as good a time and place as any for an explanation.

  • … of the Month: Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack

    Columns Columns by Matt Gardner on

    Chrono Cross. Normally in one of these "... of the month" sections I would write about the game, why I liked it, and other such things. This time, however, things are a little different. I am not writing about the game itself, but the soundtrack that goes along with it. The music composed, arranged, and produced by Yasunori Mitsuda is among my favorite of all time of any genre. Each track perfectly represents the atmosphere of the area.. and even if you haven't played the game, when you hear the soundtrack you will feel as if you are traveling through small and large towns, through mysterious forests, over the ocean in ships and into volcanoes, and even through the depths of the ocean. Tracks such as "Time's Scar" and "Star-stealing Girl" are among the greatest of the collection, and stand far beyond the musics of other, similar games. Even if you haven't heard of Chrono Cross (which is impossible if you've read this entire issue) you should pick up this soundtrack, or at the very least (or if your mommy won't give you her credit card to spend 30-40 dollars on imported Japanese music), download a few tracks. It's worth it. Trust me.

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    Games for the Casual Gamer: The Sims: Hot Date

    Columns Columns by Lianna Gaughan on

    I'm sure most of the people reading this article have heard of the computer game known as The Sims. What this is a people-simulator or role-playing game  where you make families, chose their personal

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    Dear Readers: Rushed

    Columns Columns by Paul Franzen on

    If this issue of GameCola seems somewhat rushed, there's a reason for it. With the new school year now upon us, the staff of your favorite free online gaming newsletter, and myself even more so, needs to learn how to effectively divide our time between educational efforts and gaming goodness. So please, bear with us during these trying times, and soon enough we will again be putting forth issues that are up to par with what our established readership expects.

  • … of the Month: Neverwinter Nights

    Columns Columns by Matt Gardner on

    Before I start describing this game, I must address the people who have never heard of it. First off, get out from under yer damned rock. Secondly, it is not called 'Neverwinter' because it is never winter, it is a town named after Halueth Never and, before you ask, it isn't always night time. Now that that is out of the way, on with the show. Neverwinter Nights could possibly be the best PC game I have ever played... ever. It has a great storyline, memorable characters, tons of weapons, skills, spells, and anything else you could imagine. Yes, it does have a whore house where you can 'hire' a lady/guy friend for the night, but that is nothing compared to the rest of this spectacular game. NWN has completely customizable characters, allowing you to choose your race, (you can even make up your own race), class, abilities, size, hair color, tattoos, age, voice, deity, etc. If you aren't into making characters, there are premade ones ready for you. The multiplayer mode is quite fun to play if you have any friends, but if not, the single player mode alone makes this game worth getting, with tons of sidequests to complete and places to visit. Now, the coup de grace of Neverwinter Nights: The ability to create and play your very own mods. If you don't know, mods are different games you can make or play through NWN. You can never run out of things to do with the 900 some mods available to you, but even if you do, you can just make one for yourself with the easy to use toolset that is included with the game. Another nice feature of NWN is the Dungeon Master client, which allows you to play games with your friends as if you were playing an actual Dungeons and Dragons game, where the DM would have complete control over all NPCs, monsters, etc. The only downside of NWN, in my opinion, is the ending, which left a little something to be desired. I won't say that it is completely bad yet, though, as there might be an expansion pack for it sometime in the future with a better ending. Neverwinter Nights deserves an A for ahh, what a good game. Do yourself a favor and go out and buy it... along with a better computer so you can actually play it.

  • Games for the Casual Gamer: Mario Party

    Columns Columns by Lianna Gaughan on

    This is not a game for the easily frustrated, but it is for those with little interest in video games. There are six characters each out of four players can choose from..... Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Princ

  • Swordquest: EarthWorld

    Columns Columns by Paul Franzen on

    How does this sound to you? A four-part gaming series with a competition held at each release. If you can locate all five of the clues hidden within the game and the DC comic packaged with it, and if

  • … of the Month: Icewind Dale

    Columns Columns by Matt Gardner on

    Icewind Dale is a cold little place featured in many "Forgotten Realms" based novels, such as the "Icewind Dale Trilogy" by R.A. Salvatore, and now it stars in it's very own game! Icewind Dale uses the same engine (The Bioware Infinity Engine) used to create Baldur's Gate, a nd makes damned good use of it, too. The controls are quite easy to learn, even if you've never played Baldur's Gate before, and the storyline leaves nothing to be desired. You start off your adventure by creating a party of adventurers from 1 to 6 people. Your companions' races can be anything from Human to Half-Ogre, and their classes can be anything from an average fighter to a specialist mage. If you so choose, the multiplayer option allows you to join up with your friends or strangers to take on the 150 or so different monsters that roam the dale using a wide variety of weapons and spells. You explore many different areas, such as crypts full of the walking dead, volcanic caverns, and ice capped mountains. Icewind Dale is one of the largest games of its kind, and rest assured, it will leave you a lot less bored and a whole lot less pissed off than other certain multiplayer adventure/role playing games... Diablo II, for instance. If you liked Baldur's Gate... Hell, even if you hated it, or never even heard of it, check out Icewind Dale. If Drizzt Do'Urden lived there, it's gotta be good, right?