Cricket 2002

Cricket 2002 is the upcoming golf game from San Francisco-based developer Topware Interactive. In the game, players will be able to use the Xbox controller to putt, putt, caddy, and putt, all of which are found in the Xbox game. Each player will have three statistics: jump, power, and shot accuracy. True to the sport, a standard golf swing will be more or less accurate, though you'll have to really pay attention to your windups and swings.

The game will feature both a season mode where the players compete in a competition, and a time attack mode that will feature only three game types: play through all 18 holes, drive through the archway, and play through the course at one of two times the speed. Other game modes include advanced rule sets and long practice. There will also be a create-a-player mode that will let players create their own faces and then share them with friends.

Cricket 2002 will be available for the Xbox this holiday season.

The Xbox version of Microsoft's popular sports game will feature both console and PC versions of the game, which will be released for the PC at a later date. It will also be available for the PC at an approximate price of $29.95. All versions of the game will feature support for the Xbox hard drive, and Microsoft claims that the PC will have support for download sizes of up to 30 megabytes. The hard drive will be housed in the front-end of the system, which is much more user-friendly than the Xbox's default DVD drive, and it will be in the back of the system.

Cricket 2002 will offer 18 teams to choose from. Each of the stadiums in the game will feature their own theme, and they will have a variety of stadium models and game types, including such-minded players as Hughes "The Fastest Boy in the World" Josh Miller, "The Diamondbacks" Tim Horti, and "The Serene" Allen. There will also be support for up to four players in a game, although no specifics were given. In addition, the game will feature a customized engine that will let players create their own custom stadiums using the game's character-creation tools, and they will even be able to create the uniforms of existing NBA players. We got to try a sample of the game, which took place in Washington, and we have to say it looked quite sharp.

The big advantage of the GameCube's GC is the fact that NBA 2K2 is already being brought up to speed on the Xbox and PS2. The Xbox game is going to offer new motion-captured animations and real-time player physics that have been improved from last year's game. Player models and physics are being improved as well, including new curves, not only to make things look more realistic but also to make the action moves seem more realistic and fluid. The game will also feature better physics in general. For instance, if you shoot the ball with the ball, you'll see your player spin a little faster in the air, and you'll actually see a nice break on his knees when the ball is loose. We also noticed a new animation system that uses actual more-detailed player details. For example, the ball handler will now draw his side of the net when he's in midair, and his foot will pitch the ball in a different direction when he's facing back. The AI for the new animation system should allow you to accurately judge how a player's running style will change depending on where he's aiming at the ball.

You'll also have to contend with some of the more-detailed tackles. Essentially, the game will now calculate the exact size and position of a team's tackle, so you'll be able to spot the ball more realistically. Additionally, the developers are using an all-new, realistic physics engine that looks incredibly realistic, especially when you consider the physics of the play. That should be especially helpful if you've got a weaker player sitting in a corner.

GS: Is there anything else you can say about the gameplay, such as how it plays and plays?

PC: We're still working out the final details on the game, but our programmers have focused on finishing a lot of the important facets of the game, including play-calling, camera control, and defense, to ensure that we meet the high bar we set in 2008 for the most innovative football simulation. You'll also be able to call plays and wait for your teams to make more noise. The team is really focusing on making the game feel authentic and true to life--all from a realistic standpoint, it seems.

We're proud of the game's variety of play modes, but we're also proud of the new features in this year's version. Here are some examples of what we've added to our play calling feature in the near future:

Active cam: You'll now be able to see other players with the camera during games.