The Bouncer

Overall: D+
Violence: D+
Sexual Content: B-
Language: B-
Drugs/Alcohol: C

Platform reviewed: Sony Playstation 2
Publisher: Squaresoft
ESRB rating: T

Where do you go when you're feeling blue and would like to get away? In the virtual world of video games you go to the dogs--Dog Street, that is! And to be more precise, a drinking establishment called Fate. Located on the bad side of town, the bar is devotedly guarded by three bouncers: Sion (who is actually adorned with canine collars), Kou (easily recognized by his full body tattoos), and Volt (whose body piercings include demonic horns attached to the forehead).

The ball gets bouncing when armored thugs from Mikado, a huge international mega-corporation headquartered nearby, crash through the roof and blatantly kidnap Dominique, a 15-year-old homeless girl informally adopted by the bar as their mascot (apparently no one is worried about drinking age limitations). Unsure what this giant of a company wants with the seemingly non-consequential girl, The Bouncers jump into action to attempt a rescue.

There are three styles of play to choose from. In story mode, a single player assumes the identity of one of three bouncers and moves through the "cut-scenes" (movie-like sequences used to introduce or develop the story). Each character's perspective fills in different gaps in the branched storyline, requiring several plays to complete the narrative. These are interrupted by actual game play (interactive fighting scenarios where the player has control). The outcome of these battles is crucial to progress through the story, gain points and acquire special skills. If you don't want to see the same scenes over and over, it is tedious but possible to pause and skip the scenes like a VCR. Squaresoft's approach helped to coin the catch phrase "Play the Action Movie." Lighter on Action than Movie (the high-tech action adventure/soap opera--complete with dark pasts, broken hearts, and long lost relatives, is only sparsely sprinkled with breaks for combat), gamers selecting story mode might be well advised to settle in with a bowl of popcorn.

If that seems boring, there are still the other two options. In versus mode, multiple players (up to four if you use a multitap converter) duke it out with each other. Fighting skills can be honed during these battles, which supply very useful practice. To brawl at your best, you can even import a skill-enhanced bouncer saved from the story mode. If you haven't had your fill of killing Mikado's Special Forces henchmen, security guards, or robots don't worry, there is an endless supply of them at a finger's touch in the survival mode for one player. Either alternative is independent of the story mode and won't affect the game.

The controls let you perform high, medium, and low attacks as well as blocking. Press harder for a more powerful punch and kick, or lightly and quickly to perform dazzling combinations. The technique was easy to master, and soon I was knocking my opponents socks off just by randomly hitting the buttons.

While Teens may croon over The Bouncer's incredibly sleek and rich graphics, such as life-like hair movement and special attention to emotional facial expressions, most parents will find the game's bar setting, teenage homelessness, coarse language, and scantily clad women to be just a few of their concerns. Should your suggestion that they are " Looking For Graphics In All The Wrong Places" have your kids singing the blues, perhaps a change of tune (or genre) is in order. As the Playstation 2 matures there are more content appropriate games available.

Melanie Law

©2001 One Voice Communications. All Rights Reserved

Note: SSX is a snowboarding game with great graphics. If they really have to hit something, check out Madden NFL 2001.