PART ONE

I've been gaming for the better part of ten years now - that is, seriously gaming - and I can definitely "feel" when a game is going to be a c lassic. Unfortunately, contemporaneous games are more and more lacking that certain ingredient which propels them into gaming eternity as the top of their *c lass Luckily, backwards compatibility exists [to some extent] and we may enjoy the treasures of yesterday for as long as we wish.

GIANTS: CITIZEN KABUTO

I've seen more and more references pop up to Kabuto over the last few days in the forums, for the most part here. I had this game in my "archives" since 2001, and it wasn't until two or three years ago that I got around to busting out the dark-green CDs and installing what I would soon find to be a game unlike any I'd ever experienced. The opening cutscene set the stage for a brilliant gaming romp through a colorful and humorous world, where large-headed, foul-tempered, gray-skinned mongrels give you missions such as hunting for meat or rescuing a certain number of cliff-dangling compatriots. The dry wit and sheer comical genius of Kabuto makes it more than a c lassic: It makes it a Gaming Deity. Planet Moon's next game, Armed and Dangerous possessed many of the same qualities; however, the gameplay was more "mainstream" and lacked a good deal of the charm. Giants: Citizen Kabuto lives on, both in my fond memories and my packed CD folders laying all around my desk, and it shall remain one of the pinnacles of PC gaming history.

KABUTO SAYS: Tasty Treat that Keeps on Giving