Title: Broken Helix
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Price: $7
Bargain Rating: Miss

This game was the most disappointing I've played in quite some time. The opening movie isn't the best, but it features the voice of Bruce Campbell and has that perfect attitude that made me think I was entering into some sort of sci-fi flick. Unfortunately, once the game starts -- it's a third-person action/adventure -- it all falls apart. The graphics are exceptionally bad -- so bad, in fact, that they hurt the game. The control is very first generation and the shooting is just non-intuitive. What blew it the most for me was the fact that, whenever you speak to someone, all of the other sound cuts out. All in all, this could've been good, but it just seems like the game never really came together. Of course, I didn't give it much of a chance, but it was just too painful. I pity the poor game reviewers that had to play through this game.
Time Played before quitting and trying something else: 15 Minutes

Now, along with the bad, there's also been some good this week. Much like with Hot Shots Golf, I stumbled upon an extremely hard-to-find game this week for a halfway decent price: $15. Now, the funny thing is that this week's game is one that I deliberately passed up when it came out, because I wasn't super enchanted with the first installment in the series (I beat it the day I bought it.) Of course, what I hadn't counted on was Namco's ability to turn a franchise around.

Ace Combat 2
Publisher: Namco
Developer:: Namco
Price: $15
Bargain rating: Direct Hit

Now, as I write this I'm going to assume you've seen Top Gun. I did -- a long time ago back in junior high, in fact. Now, back then, when I saw the movie I could easily envision myself as a top fighter pilot taking out bogeys while the guitar mysteriously screamed out a badass melody in the background. If I had played Ace Combat 2 at that point in my life, I would've been fulfilled.

You see, Ace Combat 2 is THE BEST console flight game I have ever played, and a lot of it comes down to the fact that it sets up an awesome mood for the game. First you get your briefing in a nifty R4-type style, and then you can buy planes (if you've earned enough money) and/or hire a wingman. Once you're all tricked out it's time to fly in the campaign, which has you basically fighting enemy planes and blowing stuff up. While the setup part is cool and really puts you in the right frame of mind, it's the flying that makes this game true bliss.

What Namco really did well with Ace Combat 2 -- better than in 1 or 3 in my opinion -- is nail the perfect line between realism and fun. Much like the Ridge Racer series, Ace Combat has taken something fairly complicated to translate to a Dual Shock and made it playable, and with enough accuracy to make you feel like you're doing the real thing. So, while you might not have to worry about any of the nuances you'd find in a hard-core PC sim like, say, Falcon, you won't mind much as you go full speed and drop close to the ground to dodge enemy missiles. Trust me -- it just feels right, and it takes about five seconds to pick up. And the whole soundtrack appears to have been inspired by "Danger Zone." Oh yeah.

The graphics are pretty sweet too. The first time a plane jets by you at full speed you'll almost look behind you and say "talk to me goose." The scenery isn't as advanced as in Ace 3, but the cities and mountains are far from ugly. In fact, I'd say that this game has stood the test of time pretty well. So, while I usually don't see this game around for a cheap price, I would recommend it to anybody who wants a good fighter plane experience on the PSOne.

- Blake Fischer