Video Games

By ADAM SHEPPARD and CHUCK MURPHY
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 24, 2003

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

• System: PlayStation 2
• Company: Midway
• Price: $49.99
• Rating: Mature

Grade: B- Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a pretty good sequel to the old Mortal Kombat games, including Mortal Kombat Trilogy. The story is built around the same concept, but with much improved graphics. The detail is excellent, especially during the fight scenes. Arcade mode lets you battle all of the characters, including a huge hulk named Moloch who is quite the challenge to beat as he swings his ball and chain. You can also play in practice or conquest mode to help you learn new moves and earn "koins." Multiplayer mode lets you take on friends using one of 25 characters, including some from previous games such as Scorpion and Reptile.

Some of the new characters, however, must be unlocked, which is the biggest drawback of the game. To unlock characters, backgrounds and other graphics, you must buy coffins with the koins you earn in the arcade and conquest modes, but you don't know what's in the coffin before you buy it. Sometimes you'll get a character, but sometimes you might just get a picture, which can be frustrating if you've worked hours to save up your koins.

-- ADAM SHEPPARD, Times correspondent

Galidor -- Defenders of the Outer Dimension

• System: Game Boy Advance
• Company: Electronic Arts
• Price: $29.99
• Rated: Everyone

Grade: B+ The evil tyrant is named Gorm. The hero is Nick Bluetooth. From there, it gets a little complicated. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, Nick, 14, finds himself in the Outer Dimension, where Gorm rules with an iron fist. The people of the Outer Dimension are enslaved by Gorm, and Nick takes it upon himself to free them.

To do it, he'll need help, and he must be careful in choosing it.

But while the basic plot outlines may sound familiar, the game is much more challenging and exciting than most others on the market. The player must keep a close eye on the corners of the screen to pick up Key Fragments, which facilitate the movement through the Outer Dimension. Nick also has the ability to "glinch" -- turning himself into sort of a half-teen, half-animal character and gaining superpowers.

But on certain levels, the screen just seems dark and hard to see. The GameBoy Advance light system really is necessary in parts of the Outer Dimension.

A bonus: The chance to spend more money by purchasing another Lego-related product called the Kek Powerizer. This robot, a part of the Galidor television show, will interact with your GameBoy Advance. As you unlock levels on GameBoy, the Powerizer will unlock new games which can be played on the robot's screen. But beware, there are signs of trouble in the Outer Dimension. The Kek Powerizer has been marked down from $59.99 to $29.99 on the Lego Web site (www.Lego.com/galidor/powerizer) making one wonder about the long-term future of Nick and Gorm.

-- CHUCK MURPHY, Times staff writer

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