Rampage World Tour
Reviewed by Raymond Almeda
What's the point?
Around ten years ago, a very clever game debuted in arcades. The game
was called Rampage, and it was based upon a very clever idea. Instead
of fighting monsters in this game, Rampage allowed players to finally
be the monsters. Players could choose from a giant ape, lizard, or
werewolf and wreck havoc on helpless humans. It was a fun and appealing
idea, worthy of spending a few quarters in the arcades. But why in 1998
are we still playing this same game?
A decade has passed, and Rampage doesn't seem quite so clever anymore.
In fact, it seems stale and boring. The fundamental problem with
Rampage is that there is little, if any, actual skill involved in playing
the game. You simply destroy stuff (people, buildings, automobiles, etc.)
until your monster is killed; then you press "continue," and destroy
more stuff until your monster is killed again.
Rampage World Tour thus plays like shampoo bottle instructions:
Destroy. Die. Repeat.
To the game's credit, Rampage World Tour does have a sense of humor.
Admittedly, there remains something fun about being the bad guy.
Throughout the game, eating good stuff - such as humans - will provide
health boosts. At the same time, eating bad stuff will make you puke.
A variety of secret moves allow players to help fend off a constant barrage
of bullets, fire, and explosives fired-off by local residents, army soldiers,
and the police force. But no matter what moves you learn, it seems the
onslaught of human attack continually whittles down your strength until
you die; at which point, you just hit "continue" and go right back to the
destruction.
Rampage World Tour's 130 standard levels, 14 bonus levels, four grudge
match levels, three bonus match types, and numerous hidden levels
have all been created in the same style of the original game. This title
simply does nothing to exploit the graphic, sound, or gameplay potential
of the N64. It all could have been done quite similarly on the 16-bit SNES.
And after a while, it all begins to look the same.
I'm not sure what Midway was thinking when they decided to bring Rampage
into the present. Had they taken the basic premise of the original game and
updated it with all- new 3D graphics and gameplay, then Rampage World
Tour might have been something special. But alas! The game is instead a
stale, dated, boring clone of the original.
Rampage World Tour does not take advantage of the unique characteristics
of the Nintendo 64, and offers little substantive gameplay of any value.
While fun at first, the game quickly grows tiresome. It may be worth a
rental, but its appeal will not last very long. Be prepared to return it to
the store early.
Overall 2.75 out of 10 (Don't touch this game.)