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review :: rampage total destruction

Rampage Total Destruction

Reviewed on: Playstation 2
Available on: Playstation 2, Gamecube

30 playable characters, dozens of cities to destroy, unlockable special moves, 2 original arcade games included free and yet still plenty of room for disappointment!

Players: 2 Players on PS2, 4 Players on N
Genre:
Release: 2006-04-27
Developer: Pipeworks
Distributor: Midway

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The retro gaming scene is huge at the moment. Not only are publishers releasing some great compilations like Namco Museum and Midway Arcade Treasures, but the scene is also getting a boost from Microsoft?s Xbox Live Marketplace, and the upcoming Nintendo Revolution (or Wii as they now call it). Some of these games are just as fun today as the when they were released. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dr. Mario and Gauntlet are some great examples. However, some games that I remember playing to death as a kid, now seem dated and unplayable. Golden Axe, Pole Position and Dig Dug, for example, just haven?t stood the test of time. Occasionally a remake of one of the classics surfaces, and it is unfortunate that they are rarely well executed. One recent remake which has stood above the rest is Mario Kart DS. If only Rampage: Total Destruction was half as good.

Without turning this into a review of Mario Kart DS (see Oracle?s review for that!), it is worth noting that the original Super Mario Kart is still as fun to play today as it was when it was released. Therefore the DS remake of the game is able to build upon that fun with new features, modes and challenges to enhance that fun. For a remake of a video game to be successful or even entertaining, the original component of the game that is being kept needs to still work well today. Mario Kart DS works solely because the original is still fun to play. In short, if you release a game based on a dated or dull concept, the result will invariably be dated and dull. Sounds obvious doesn?t it?





Which brings me to Rampage: Total Destruction; this game was destined to be dull because the game it is based on is also dull. Back when Rampage was originally released, button mashing was the in thing. Punch, Kick and Move were all you needed to know, and it was all good fun. Smash building, smash cars, eat people, try not to eat TVs ? rinse and repeat. The gameplay was simple and addictive. It didn?t matter that the game was entirely lacking of depth. Today, the same mechanic just doesn?t work, and that is why you don?t see many games with such one-dimensional gameplay. Games need depth.

The creators of Rampage: Total Destruction have probably done the right thing by the fans of the original game by keeping true to the Rampage formula. It is just a shame that they failed to really expand on the concept behind the game, instead choosing to keep with the exact same style and gameplay of the original. This isn?t a sequel, it really is just a remake. Essentially, the only real change is the updated graphics and a pseudo-3D environment. I say ?pseudo?, because the game still only has a single row of buildings that you can set about demolishing. You can?t walk the city streets stomping cars and climbing any old building you choose, as cool as that would be. You can go left, and you can go right and you can walk into the screen a few steps?and that?s it! But even this small change detracts from the game rather than adding to it. In the original Rampage, the ?Up? button literally meant up. Walk next to a building, push up and start climbing upwards. With the introduction of 3D, ?up? means ?up? when you?re on a building, but if you?re on the ground it means away from the screen. This can be very confusing and frustrating. Personally, I think if they were going to go 3D, they should?ve gone the whole hog and made Rampage a free roaming smash fest. Now THAT would?ve been cool.

Other than the addition of ?3D? graphics, there is little else of difference between the remake and the classic version. One of the worst things is that the addition of more detailed character animations has actually made it considerably harder to control when on buildings. It is really frustrating to try and grab a special bonus item with the left hand, only to accidentally punch with the right hand and have the whole building come tumbling down with you still attached!





There are now 30 playable characters, but when all the characters have the same moves and only vary in how they look, there really isn?t any point in trying them all out. They look cool, and have cool names, but they all play the same. It is a real shame too, because the character models do look quite nice and the animations are pretty neat. I would?ve liked to have seen more ?individuality? from the characters, varied special moves and unique abilities.

In addition to the new characters, there are a few multiplayer modes, which simply amount to a mash fest for the highest score. Unfortunately, mashing is only fun for a short while even if you have someone mashing with you. Each level of each city is essentially the same, and it quickly becomes a case of ?seen one, seen ?em all?. Unless the dog ate your copy of Halo 2 you?d be hard pressed to want to get mates around to play Rampage: Total Destruction.

Having said that, it IS a budget game, and for fans of the original it IS worth picking up for the historical value. Interestingly, Midway have chosen to add both the original Rampage, and Rampage: World Tour in the Special Features section. No unlocking required! Don?t get too excited though, the originals just aren?t as fun as they used to be. Besides, the Midway Arcade Collections (there are 3 of them!) have Rampage and many other great Retro games that you?d be better off investing in.

Final Verdict

Rampage: Total Destruction really only has one flaw, and that is that it is that the developers have tried too hard to stick to the original formula. The result is a game that plays almost exactly the same as its grandfather, and in this case, that isn?t a really good thing. There is a lot here for die hard Rampage fans, and there certainly are worse games to buy, but this one could have been a whole lot better than it is. Should?ve been full 3D or stayed 2D, not half and half.

Pros
30 unlockable characters, Cool looking monsters and animations, The intro is a nice touch I guess, The original arcade versions are included
Cons
Repetitive, Annoying audio, Clunky controls, Frustrating pseudo-3D

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