IMO? Lesse... I'm not a big fan of Blizzard by any stretch of the imagination (don't even THINK about trying to tell me that the AI in their games is any good...)
<ol>
<li>Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
<ul>"What's Hot"
<li>See avatar. Any game that includes a CL600 (or was it a CL55? My wheel's dead and I can't remember anymore... no matter) and that gives me a chance to prove once and for all that Mercedes kicks @zz is outstanding IMO. In fact, I'm seriously thinking of coughing up $250 for an xbox and World Racing (All Mercedes, all the time)
<li>The graphics are great
</ul>
<ul>"What's Not"
<li>The fact that said graphics don't get along with the 8500 in my desktop.
</ul>
<li>Black & White
<ul>"What's Hot"
<li>Excellent gameplay
<li>The graphics are great
<li>Who doesn't love being god?
</ul>
<ul>"What's Not"
<li>I HATE that godforsaken UI
<li>Creatures can get real annoying, real fast.
</ul>
<li>Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
<ul>"What's Hot"
<li>Although I'm not a big fan of blowing people's heads off (HalfLife, etc.) I like this game. It's addictive. Dunno why for sure. Probably has something to do with the combination of the music (yea, so I like '80s music... your point?) and the fact that I get to do essentially whatever I want. Which involves a lot of screwing around (with the CARS ya pervert. Not the hookers. The CARS. :rolleyes: :D)
<li>One or two awesome cheats. That gun (forgot what it's called- it's that handheld thing that requires both hands and has the spinning barrel assembly thingy) is more fun than should be legal. Which is probably why the real version isn't. (I think)
<li>The graphics are great
</ul>
<ul>"What's Not"
<li>Missions can be tedious; some are near-impossible WITH the friggin' cheats...
</ul>
<li>Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed
<ul>"What's Hot"
<li>Best physics of any car sim I've ever played, bar none. Some of the stuff I learned playing this has saved my @ss in real life- while I had my learner's permit, I was going to make a left turn, across traffic, from a center turn lane (no stoplights) My dad says- and these are his exact words mind you- "you'd better hurry!" Now what the hell does that mean to you? To me it means one thing: Floor It. Minor issue here: I was turning. I floored it anyhow. To make a long story short, the 4-door, 4200lb Mercedes 560SEL I was driving roars around the corner in 1st gear, rear tires spinning, and fishtails. The only reason I didn't spin it is because I've had similar things happen with the older 911s in NFS: PU, and I learned how to catch it in the game. The old 911s have a tendency to get very, very tail-happy. The game accurately replicates this, and every other property of the cars. As I said, it has the best physics of any simulation I've ever used.
<li>The graphics are great on this one too, especially given it's age.
</ul>
<ul>"What's Not"
<li>Nothing that I can think of.
</ul>
<li>Microsoft's Midtown Madness series
<ul>"What's Hot"
<li>Excellent force feedback effects
<li>The music
<li>The selection of cars is rather unique
<li>The physics are arcade style while still retaining some level of accuracy, so it's fun, but not absurdly un-realistic.
<li>Open environments GOOD. I've been known to spend hours driving around that Mustang fastback because it's fun to drive, fast (faster in the game than in real life), sounds great, and does burnouts quite willingly...
</ul>
<ul>"What's Not"
<li>The Microsoft logo
<li>I said the selection of cars is unique, not good. There's a difference. Yea, some of 'em are fun, but I'm not a big Ford fan, and I've hated Cadillac ever since they tried to european-ize their cars, and I'm not a fan of FWD either. I also have an intense dislike of the new Mustang. So, this kind of limits my choice vehicles, especially in the original game (altho the Cadillac is actually a fun car to drive, in-game anyhow)
<li>Typical Microsoft buttload of errors, glitches, etc. Ex: Someone tell me HOW IN THE HELL a car with FRONT wheel drive can do REAR wheel burnouts? I know some ricers that'd pay good money for that...
</ul>
</OL>
<UL>Honorable Mention
<LI>Morrowind & expansion packs; Haven't played much yet, but fun, if a bit tedious.
<LI>Outpost2; Possibly the most addictive game ever. Not the best game, but it's like that "Protect Your Castle" thing that someone posted here in OT a few days ago. It's addictive. The thing dates from like 1995 (no, I'm not exaggerating. It's like 1995 or 1996 or 1997... somethinglikethat). The story line is very, very basic, and the graphics suck (obviously) but it runs under XP *gasp* and it's fun. BTW... If anyone knows where to get the updates for it, lemme know, because I could use them. Anyhow, if you can find it on Ebay, Kazaa, in a store, whatever, buy it. It's a great deal of fun, actually.
<LI>Screamer 4x4; One word: Gelandewagen. Specifically, the G500... Mercedes SUV; not to be confused with the M-Class. It rivals the Hummer for sheer off-road capability (no, I'm not joking, and no, I'm not exaggerating). Another open-ended game. It's a blast just to take the Jeep, Gelandewagen, or whatever, and just go see what you can make it do. It actually supports the G-Wagen's locking front, center, and rear differentials with 3 separate key commands, and they have a big impact on performance, as they would in real life.
<LI>Rally Trophy; Classic European sports cars. From Lancia and Alfa to Volvo and the one and only Mini Cooper, the game's got it, and they seem to be reasonably accurately modeled.
</UL>