Rampage: Total Destruction

UPC: 031719191673

Platform: Nintendo GameCube

Publisher: Midway Home Entertainment

Developer: Pipeworks Software, Inc.

Category: Action

Style(s): 2D Action

Synopsis: The trio of titans returns with some fiendish friends in this update to Midway's city crushing coin-op series. Rampage: Total Destruction once again features super-sized gorilla George, luscious lizard Lizzy, and werewolf Ralph as they smash buildings, dine on tourists, and battle the armed forces while razing and wrecking seven bustling cities around the world. Damage to the surrounding area will gradually increase each monster's rage meter, allowing them to perform super moves while fully enraged. Multiple power-ups that range from strength enhancements to damage multipliers are lurking throughout the 3D cities, as are 25 hidden monsters to unlock for both solo and multiplayer action. Featured creatures include a shark, squid, rat, crocodile, lion, and more as players engage in cooperative matches or competitive battles with up to three other friends. The game also includes the arcade versions of Rampage and its 1997 follow-up, Rampage World Tour, as a bonus. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Registration Card

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

The documentation isn't needed for this game, as the controls and objectives are a notch below simplistic. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Claymation-style creatures and bustling cities look nice, but the animation is stiff and the special effects are lacking. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Rampage: Total Destruction is the fifth game in a franchise that dates back to 1986. Despite two decades worth of whiz-bang technology and advances in game design, Midway and Pipeworks Software saw fit to retain the original coin-op's spirit with relatively minor updates to the play style and control scheme. The problem? The first game was more a curiosity than a classic, earning kudos for its three-person simultaneous action and destructive theme that pays homage to such films as King Kong and Godzilla. Once the novelty of smashing buildings wore off after a few levels, however, the game's shallow nature reared its repetitious head. The 2006 version not only suffers from the same flawed design, but its new additions harm the action instead of improving it. Those nostalgic for the original Rampage will find enough recycled entertainment here to last a solid ten minutes. Total Destruction retains the same basic punch, kick, and jump controls that undermine what should be a wonderfully cathartic experience for would-be demolitionists or creature feature fans. All 25 monsters possess identical moves -- moves that would be disappointing for a puny human, much less a gargantuan beast. The side-view perspective is insulting to those dreaming of 3D cities to raze, but what's even more troubling is the new "layered" look. Switching between the foreground and background on a given stage causes monsters to sluggishly move back and forth as if they were suffering from depth perception problems. A simple task like climbing a building quickly turns into a demanding chore as the monster eagerly hops up and down, trying to latch onto a ledge that's in plain sight. This inevitably causes you take a long, hard look at your controller for signs of adverse wear. Of course, it's not the controller's fault. Rampage: Total Destruction is a second-rate title that lives up to its B-movie roots. The four play modes all feature the same action in slightly different guises, and the decision to include both the original Rampage and Rampage World Tour seem more like an apology than a gift. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The four game modes are nearly identical. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

There are unusual periods of silence, followed by irritating voice acting with crowds saying the same phrases over and over again. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Sloppy control, repetitive action, and boring monsters make for a poor outing on PlayStation 2. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.