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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061025/ap_on_hi_te/games_brawlers

In the original "Mortal Kombat," published way back in 1992, there was
a fighter called Sub-Zero who had an inelegant yet effective signature
move: At the climax of a battle, he would rip out his opponent's head
and spine.

That got the attention of Sen.        Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who led
Senate hearings into video games and their pernicious effect on
America's youth. The hearings led eventually to the establishment of
the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, an industry panel that
evaluates the levels of violence, sex and profanity in games and
advises parents on which games are appropriate for which age groups.

Lieberman remains one of the video-game industry's most persistent
critics, but "Mortal Kombat" is no longer the flashpoint of the game
violence debate. Its brand of mano-a-mano brawling is seen as kind of
old-fashioned today, now that the likes of "Grand Theft Auto" are
serving up the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent civilians.

_"Bully" (Rockstar, for the        PlayStation 2, $39.99): The latest
production from "GTA" publisher Rockstar Games drew immediate criticism
(and publicity) because of its name: "Bully," a clearly inflammatory
title in this sensitive post-Columbine era. Thankfully, Rockstar
resisted the impulse to re-create a high school bloodbath; there isn't
a gun or knife to be found in "Bully," although you can kneecap your
foes with a baseball bat. You play Jimmy Hopkins, a 15-year-old
skinhead who's dumped off at Bullworth Academy, America's worst
boarding school. Your goal is to survive the gauntlet of thuggish
jocks, greasers, preps and other high-school cliches who are out to
make your life miserable. There's a ton of things to do, from random
acts of vandalism to full-scale brawls with various cliques, but none
of the missions are particularly clever or challenging. And Jimmy
himself is such a thoroughly unappealing antihero that it's almost more
fun to let him get his tail kicked by the football team. At least now
we know where the miscreants who populate "GTA" came from. Two stars.

_"Mortal Kombat: Armageddon" (Midway, for the PlayStation 2,
Xbox, $39.99): "Mortal Kombat" has survived its initial notoriety to
become one of the most prolific franchises in the fighting genre.
"Armageddon" is the culmination of the series, bringing back dozens of
the most popular brawlers in its 15-year run. The essence remains the
same: Two fighters enter, one fighter leaves, usually after executing a
baroque finishing move (or "Fatality") that leaves his disemboweled
opponent writhing on the floor. Besides the 62 classic characters, you
can also create your own fighters with their own Fatalities.
"Armageddon" includes a new "Konquest" mode, a desultory effort to
provide some sort of story line for all the mayhem, as well as a
ridiculous kart-racing game. True fans will ignore those distractions
and get right to the beatdowns. While "MK" is showing its age, it's
still a lot of fun to get together with your loved ones and pound each
other senseless. Two stars.

_"God Hand" (Capcom, for the PlayStation 2, $29.99): There has to be an
intriguing story behind the production of "God Hand," a willfully
perverse brawler that doesn't realize the potential of some clever
ideas. Developer Clover Studios (who also created the exquisite
"Okami") was disbanded shortly before its publication, and "God Hand"
looks like unfinished business. As a drifter named Gene fights his way
across the Wild West, he develops an arsenal of exotic techniques that
can destroy opponents with one blow. If he unleashes the God Hand, all
heck breaks loose. Gene has a score to settle with a group of demons
who want the power of the God Hand, but to get to them he has to fight
hundreds of desperadoes. Those fights become tedious after a while, and
it's not worth plowing through them to progress through the bizarre
story. Add boring level designs and irritating graphical glitches and
you have a big disappointment. One star.

___

On the Net:

_"Bully": http://www.rockstargames.com/bully/

_"Mortal Kombat: Armageddon": http://www.mkarmageddon.com

_"God Hand": http://ww2.capcom.com/godhand/