Xbox boosts games range

By Neil McGreevy
BBC in Nice

After some shaky baby steps, Xbox is entering middle age gracefully, as was testified by the 100-strong line-up of games at this year's X03 event.

XIII game makes a splash

The games industry as well as the media converged in Nice to see what will be hitting the shelves in the next few months.

Apart from an exclusive deal between Microsoft and Epic Games, creators of the Unreal series, major announcements were thin on the ground.

There were no significant titles that were not already seen at London's games developer conference in May, but there is no denying the quality of games on the horizon.

Motor mad

Xbox owners certainly will not be starved of quality rubber to burn, with Rallisport Challenge 2 offering blisteringly quick rally action drenched in mouth-watering visuals, not to mention the most comprehensive car damage seen in a game.

As with the original, controls err on the arcade-style, while petrol-heads will appreciate the wealth of wheels on offer.

If rallying does not grab your throttle, Capcom's PlayStation 2 jaw-dropper Auto Modellista is heading to Xbox, complete with Live support and more cars and tracks.

Fuel-injected with gorgeous visuals that are more Disney than Dunlop, Auto Modellista may choke on Gran Turismo's dust when it comes to all-out performance, but your eyes will choose these candy-coloured gas guzzlers every time.

Despite still being in development, EA's Medal of Honour: Rising Sun is shaping up to be another hit. The standard-issue first person shooter is dressed up so realistically it transcends the genre.

As with previous games, Rising Sun is looking a little rough around the edges, but compensates with stealthy excitement by the barrel-load.

Microsoft's Crimson Skies is a brilliant showpiece for Live. This aero-adventure features intense 16-player dogfights and a massive single-player campaign.

The planes handle beautifully while the massive environments are staggering, making this an essential purchase for Live owners.

Eye-popping

The most eye-popping game of the show had to be Ubisoft's cel-shaded shooter, XIII. Playing like an interactive comic-book, XIII features a compelling single player mode and some of the best multi-player blasting action since Goldeneye.

Another eye-opener was Midway's The Suffering, a maniacal trip through the surreal and terrifying world of a haunted prison.

Vince: Oddly original

Playing out like GTA on foot meets Resident Evil, this is a disgusting and ultra-violent creep show that will satiate any bloodlust.

Rare's Xbox debut, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, features great character designs and rattling good set-pieces over 100 rooms of old-school arcade action. But could be hampered by repetitive combat.

It is a great action-platform and any game that features vampire chickens is doing something right. Whether it can live up to the company's illustrious Nintendo past is another matter.

Microsoft's Voodoo Vince featured perhaps the most original games character ever devised. The star, a brilliantly-animated voodoo doll, will cast a spell over gamers after a challenging platform puzzler.

Sonic the Hedgehog will make his multi-platform debut with Sonic Heroes, a 3D romp that offers no surprises. Sluggish controls and a feeling that the game practically plays itself make this a disappointment for the blue, spiky one.

Further widening Xbox's appeal was a strong showing of software for younger players, who will be kept busy with Acclaim's excellent looking Wallace and Gromit: Project Zoo, Disney's Finding Nemo and Barbie's Horse Adventures.

'Sumptuous'

Game of the Show, as voted for by attendees, was Ubisoft's Rainbow Six 3, a gorgeous squad-based shooter from the pen of Tom Clancy.

Getting in a spin with Top Spin

With a brand new campaign over the PC version and sumptuous visuals, this will no doubt cure those Xbox Live shooter blues until Halo 2 hits the shelves.

The fact that you cannot lie down or run makes the game a rather lumbering experience though.

Sleeper hit of the show had to be Microsoft's own Top Spin, a tennis game so comprehensive and detailed, it makes Virtua Tennis look like Pong.

Full Xbox Live support with 16 superstars of the strawberry sport round off an impressive package, while the addition of an eerily lifelike Anna Kournikova cannot hurt.

With a dearth of major announcements, Microsoft's event hardly stopped the press.

But with an always solid and occasionally brilliant line-up of software, it more than reaffirmed the big M's commitment to both online play and top class games experiences.