|
|
|
Jonah
Tali Lomu is a New Zealand born Tongan who just happens to be the most powerful
rugby flanker that has graced the sport. Two metres high and weighing in at 266
lb, Jonah can run the 100mtrs over grass in just over 10 seconds, and this man
mountain, in full flight, runs straight through opponents, rather than the
customary route of around them.
Jonah made his name a few years ago
during the Rugby World Cup in South Africa when he destroyed some of the finest
players in the world, almost single handed, with his supreme pace and power.
The sight of his awesome frame tearing down the wing will remain in many
spectators minds for years to come, as will the look of fear that was clearly
shown on the faces of the defence that he was charging into. Jonah has also
re-written the record books as the youngest player to represent the All Blacks
at 19 yrs of age.
Rugby Union has never been rated highly among video
game players and this has been highlighted by the lack of Rugby sims available
over the years. There was an appearance on the Amiga a few years ago which was
quite unplayable, while E.A's attempt using their FIFA game engine was received
with acceptable acclaim.
Now Rage Software have teamed up with
Codemasters to produce a sporting simulation that will revitalize the interest
in the sport of Rugby Union , using their Striker '96 game engine.
|
|
|
|
The
sport was established many years ago when a young schoolboy named William Webb
Ellis decided to pick up the ball during a soccer match and then charge towards
the goal. This event happened at a school named Rugby, thus the sport was
named.
The rules of Rugby may at first appear complicated to those who
are new to this sport but can be briefly explained as so:
A Kick Off must
reach the opponents 10 metre line within the field of play, otherwise a scrum
will be awarded to the opposition back at the centre spot.
The ball may be
passed in any direction except forward. An intentional forward pass will result
in a free kick awarded to your opponent.
If a player is tackled then he must
release the ball immediately but he may 'hand off' an opponent using the palm of
his hand.
There are four styles of kicking the ball. A Drop Kick will be
kicked on the rebound from the ground, a Punt is kicked before the ball reaches
the ground, a Grubber Kick is used to drive the ball along the ground and a
Place Kick is used for a conversion after a try has been scored.
The object
of the game is to advance across your opponents territory by passing and running
with the ball. If your player crosses the oppositions 'goal' line then the ball
must be placed onto the ground to score a try. Sounds quite simple doesn't it,
unfortunately there is over three thousand pounds of muscle that will attempt
to halt your progress.
If the ball crosses the touchline, then a lineout is
called. In effect, this is a throw in where the ball is thrown down the middle
of a line of players who must jump up to collect the ball and gain possession.
Certain
infringements result in a scrum where the violation took place. This is where
your heavy-weight players shove their heads up their team mates backsides and
then push forward with all their might in order to gain possession.
Rucks
and Mauls are when every player in the vicinity piles on top of the poor sod
that is holding the ball and does not end until either the ball touches the
ground or the holder stops breathing and releases the ball.
If you are
still confused, then don't worry as Jonah Lomu Rugby allows you to switch off
the penalties and offside offences to allow you to pick up the basics of the
game very quickly.
|
|
|
|
The
sport of Rugby Union has always proved a problem to convert into a video game
format with all the complex plays and mass player involvement, but Rage have
succeeded by utilizing intelligent camera angles that capture all of the action
while allowing the player to keep one eye on the oppositions movements.
The
decision was taken to use sprite based players, rather than polygons. This
allows the 30 players and referee to be seen on the screen at one time without
slowing down the game. All of the players are customized to their actual
attributes with correct height and weight programmed into each player. This in
effect is used as a difficulty setting because the weight of your pack and the
speed of your wingers are an essential advantage in a Rugby match. Most
noticeable is the presence of Jonah Lomu who towers above every other player on
the park When the giant starts one of his runs down the wing he becomes simply
unstoppable and the sight of the little sprites bouncing off his framework is
hilarious. I'm sure that I spotted the odd pair of brown shorts amongst the
defence.
Ruck, mauls and scrums have also proved difficult to
accurately replicate, and Rage have re-written these aspects of the game some
six times before they were satisfied that Jonah Lomu Rugby will simulate the
essential elements of the sport and they have succeeded both in graphical form
and playability.
The game opens with an introductory FMV showing the
All Blacks performing their pre-game ritual, war-paint and all. Short, but
effective.
There are four stadiums to choose from, each with their own
identity, while the crowd can be seen waving flags and banners sporting the
colors of the two teams on the park. This helps build an atmosphere, and let's
be honest, we don't want to see the odd supporter going for a burger but a
little bit of movement within the crowd actually works quite well. Nice touch.
The
options offer a selection of weather settings that include showers, sunshine,
snow or stormy conditions. The rain looks so realistic with the muddy
conditions gradually grinding into the players strips. On a storm setting the
dense clouds darken the pitch as they block out the daylight before a flash
storm produces a horrendous downpour. A few minutes later the storm passes over
and the bright sunshine returns with a blinding effect.
|
|
|
|
Rage
have signed up professional commentators, Scotsman Bill McClaren and former
England player Bill Beaumont, to describe all the action. They will also
provide useful tips on your gameplay along with sarcastic comments on your
errors and a few amusing quips.
An audio recording of a Five Nations
match between France and England has been used to create the atmosphere of the
crowd which includes a heart rendering rendition of the English rugby anthem
'Swing Low Sweet Chariot'.
Each tackle is accompanied by a bone
crunching sound that will take your breath away while the grunts and groans of
the pack, as they push forward in the scrums to gain an advantage, are so
accurate.
|
|
|
|
The
game options are plentiful offering you the chance to pitch straight into a
friendly game, choosing your favorite team to play against any of the thirty
world class squads on offer. Australia, France, Western Samoa, Canada, England,
USA, Japan they are all there to select.
A Tournament may be set up
with up to four human players participating in up to a thirty two team K.O.
competition. The draw is usually favorable, pitching you against some of the
weaker teams in the early rounds but rest assured, the big guns will always be
waiting for you in the final rounds.
Once you have become accustomed to
the gameplay, there is the option to enter into a full World Cup challenge where
the teams are pooled into divisional groups. Topping the table will qualify
your team into the World Cup Finals against the best teams in the world.
The
final game option allows you to try out some of the most famous showdowns of all
time. Select a Classic Match from the menu and attempt to alter the course of
history. How do you fancy playing as New Zealand as you enter extra time in the
1995 World Cup Final? The score is 9 all at the start of extra time. It is up
to you to prevent South Africa from winning their debut World Cup. Or put
yourself in Englands boots and attempt to re-create their stunning victory over
the Aussies during the '95 World Cup quarter final. England are 22 points to 19
down with only six minutes left on the clock. Attempt to score the two goals or
a try place England in the semi- finals, or indeed play as Australia and alter
history by holding off those English surges for the final six minutes. This is
an excellent inclusion, with each Classic Match featuring a unique challenge
that allows you to sample the immense pressure of big match situations.
A
great amount of thought has gone into customizing the controller and the
resulting set up is perfect. The directional buttons are used to move your
players around the pitch while the face buttons allow your player to run, kick,
push, jump and catch. But it's the shoulder buttons that feel so comfortable
when used to throw the ball. Top left and right pass to the immediate player in
that direction and the bottom buttons throws to the next nearest player. This
set up feels so natural.
I would advise you to bring along a mate to
play your first few games as I found this will give you that little extra time
to get to grips with the gameplay. Anyway, the game is far superior as a
multi-player game rather than sitting alone in the bedroom playing with
yourself, well you know what I mean. If you are unsure of the rules of Rugby,
then I would also recommend that the penalties and offsides are switched off.
This gives the game an arcade feel to it and will allow the action to flow more
freely, but they can easily be switched back on when you feel confident enough.
I
would advise you to bring along a mate to play your first few games as I found
this will give you that little extra time to get to grips with the gameplay.
Anyway, the game is far superior as a multi-player game rather than sitting
alone in the bedroom playing with yourself, well you know what I mean. If you
are unsure of the rules of Rugby, then I would also recommend that the penalties
and offsides are switched off. This gives the game an arcade feel to it and
will allow the action to flow more freely, but they can easily be switched back
on when you feel confident enough.
As each match loads you are treated
to on-screen team information showing your formation, squad names and a few
lines of trivia recording your teams historic achievements. This is a great
idea that allows the loading time to pass almost unnoticed.
|
|
|
|
They
say that lightening doesn't strike in the same place twice but it does if you
work for Codemasters. Following hot on the heels of Micro Machines V3, Jonah
Lomu Rugby offers a brand new challenge to the Playstation console player. The
graphics are superb, the sounds will leave you winded and the gameplay grows on
you to become highly addictive. The one problem that they will face is how on
earth are they going to get the consumer to try out this game when the sporting
genre is packed with quality titles, and let's be honest, previous Rugby games
haven't exactly set the world on fire. I really don't know the answer to that
one, perhaps a demo disc will tempt gameplayers to 'give it a go'. All I can
say is that I have never had so much two player enjoyment since........ well,
that one is personal.
|
|
|
|
MARTIN |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Good |
My
first impressions of this game were that there were so many players attacking
the ball that it was nigh on impossible to see what the hell was going on. But
then you get to grips with the gameplay and suddenly everything falls into
place. The pace is frantic and the action is non stop with many games ending in
a nail biting finale. This is a tremendous two player sports sim that I could
heartily recommend to those both new and old to the game of Rugby football.
Congratulations are in order to Codemasters for producing two quality titles in
the space of a couple of weeks. |
|
SOUND: |
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Brilliant |
|
OVERALL
9/10 |
|
|
JIM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Good |
It
will take you a few games before you fully understand what is going on, its
worth playing with a friend during this learning curve, so as not to get
frustrated by the computer players scoring against you time and time again. Once
the controls and rules of the game are mastered, a game which puts most of the
American Football simulations to shame is revealed - this game is well worth a
look! |
|
SOUND: |
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Good |
|
OVERALL
8.5/10 |
|
|
