MechWarrior 2

Porting PC titles to the PlayStation doesn t always work. In many cases, you re going from games that require mouse support and many buttons to no mouse and just eight buttons. Fortunately, Activision recognized this problem, and took steps to make sure MechWarrior 2 was more than just another PC port. Continuing the story of the war between the Wolf and Jade Falcon Clans, MechWarrior 2 has successfully combined console arcade action with PC-style mech combat.

You start the game by choosing your allegiance, and from there proceed to your mission roster. Along with the original full 16 Clan missions from the PC version, Activision has added 2 more four campaign missions for each clan, making a total of 40 missions. Each of the original 32 missions has been scaled down in size from the PC, making the action more immediate and arcade-like.

Activision has done a great job translating the control mechanism to the PlayStation s controller, and the guidance of the mechs is almost intuitive. Control is smooth and responsive, and while the big mechs don t move as fast as, say, Jumping Flash! s Robbit, they still lumber along at a brisk enough pace. MechWarrior 2 is also compatible with the PlayStation analog stick.

The graphics are simple, yet effective, and work well with the relatively sparse playing environments. The game could ve used with a more detailed set of environments, such as full cities or jungles, but the current ones get the job done. There is some pixelization at close range as well, but you re usually on your way to another kill so you tend not to notice it.

MechWarrior 2 is a satisfying combat sim that has been translated well to the PlayStation format. Chalk another one up for Activision.