Try Everything On For Size

Is it possible that computer and video games have something positive and constructive to offer, and that rather than being a social menace which parents should be afraid of, they are in fact contributing a good deal to the development of the next generation?

Certainly there is no doubt whatever that the children of today will be living in a technological society, with computers and technical equipment part of everyday lifestyle. Although we're pretty much at that stage now, many of us have either witnessed the introduction and steady development and integration of computer technology into our lives, or have experienced a world before computers came along, and have seen the world and our lives slowly taken over by electronic gadgets that seem to be far cleverer than we are. Children of today will grow up never knowing a world without mobile phones, satellite technology, worldwide file and information sharing and exchange, instant video communications with anyone, anywhere anytime, and although this idea might seem surreal to us, almost as though something from a science fiction novel, for our children it will be their reality.

In which case it is important for us to accept this change, and try to see a way in which our children can be adjusted to, and deal effectively with not only the technology around them, but also each other. Social skills, people skills and personal characteristics are always going to be important, and no one can live on an island with oinly a computer to keep them company. At the end of the day, it is not the computers which run society, but a combination of the people who design and program them, and the people who use them in their lives. Computers are, always have been, and will continue to be machines, tools, used by real people doing real jobs.

So what do computer and video games have to do with this brave new world? If you examine carefully the range of games available, you may simple assume that the games industry is owned by the US military or some other armed force, since so many games seem to involve military tactics, and the conquering or annihilation of the opposing force. Whilst this is an unfair generalisation, there certainly are many games which take the idea of battles and wars as their basis. One could argue that old games such as Battleships, even Chess, are about battles and armed forces - just a little simpler and easier to grasp.

But the point is that many of the games available necessarily require players to understand, learn and develop skills which have a great deal of value in the real world. Skill such as teamwork, coordination, planning, devising and implementing strategies, logistics, problem solving and even budgeting all come in to play - life skills which, whilst they can be taught in other ways, are not the main focus of any educational curriculum. Yet no one would deny the value of those skills. Perhaps gaming can become part of the curriculum at school in the future, allowing children to develop life skills through video games?

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for kids toys, video, dolls.

AP - Diapers, latex gloves and other items found in an ex-astronaut's car can be used as evidence when the woman accused of driving 1,000-miles to confront a romantic rival goes to trial, an appeals court ruled.

Resident Evil 3 was originally intended as a side-story meant to placate people who had wanted to explore Raccoon City more in RE2, but instead turned out to be a beautifully done addition to the series. It was also used as a test-bed for some new features, including dodging, decision sequences the ability to walk up stairs without having to press the action key (finally). The game follows a similar sequence to the two previous ones, with the first half made up of finding 4 key items that allow you to progress to the next area and the second half featuring more boss battles, harder BOWs and finally a lab area with a self-destruct sequence. The game has an extra twist of being constantly pursued by Umbrellas latest tyrant, Nemesis. This ups the fear factor considerably as there will be times when he drops in out of the blue, literally. There are also moments where you can be struck with terrible indecision as you decide whether to dodge left or right, or if you should waste ammo on him. The games characters are some of the best and most popular. They some far more real with none of the stereotypical take over the world traits.

GFX

Some of the best youll find on a Playstation, bar Parasite Eve 2. The flame and water effects are nicely done, and the pre-rendered backgrounds have greater colour and range than RE2s. Environments vary from the Raccoon hospital to the local park. The areas allow for a certain amount of interaction, such as shooting up lamps and gas valves. Capcom have also improved their character manipulation, so ingame cutscenes allow for more movement, including some nicely done gunfights. The FMVs are some of the best youll see and succeed in capturing the atmosphere.

Sound

RE3 features a wide range of weapon effects that are noticeably improved from the ones of RE2 and even those of CVX. Voice acting is above par, with the best work coming from the UBCS and Nemesis. Its nice to hear a wide range of accents, but Jills lines sometimes seem to fall a little flat when contrasted against those from characters such as Dario Russo. RE3s music features the best save room, boss battle and introduction tracks that border on the inspirational.

Story

Capcom were right to keep RE3s story relatively low-key, seeing as RE2 had taken care of the explanation regarding the Raccoon City incident. The UBCS make a welcome change from mad scientists and power-crazed civilians. Umbrellas activities are given more depth by areas such as the Dead Factory. They compliment the overall storyline instead of eroding it like Outbreaks did. Epilogue files provide a lot of material on all the other surviving characters.

Conclusion

RE3 is my second favourite RE game mainly due to its replayability. There are many decision paths you can take that will alter your route and even the ending of the game. The BOWs that appear in an area are never the same ones the second time through. RE3 also features the best of the minigames, Mercenaries, that allows you to unlock weapons for the main game. The gameplay is nicely paced and prevents you from ever becoming bored.

This article was written by Temp, a newswriter at Resident Evil Horror.

AP - Dead is the word when "The L Word" returns.