Page 44 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #4

The Most Unexpected Retro The South Park name alone may
Arcade Package Ever have kept Atari, Nintendo, and
I have to admit, this one just com- Namco from paying any attention to
pletely floored me. It's been sitting this title, which may be all that
on my PlayStation game shelf for stands between Acclaim and a Cart-
nearly half a year, and I've never man-sized lawsuit. (And we're talk-
even popped it into the machine. ing post-Weight-Gain-4000 Cartman
(Tough year, eh?) But when I did here, folks - the similarities are so
check it out, I was stunned. This close, I'm not sure Acclaim could
thing is like Arcade's Greatest Hits, even begin to make any excuses.)
only with more fart jokes! Why would I even raise the issue
of brilliance? Because South Park:
Don't Blame Canada Chef's Luv Shack is a party game;
You have nobody to blame but nothing more, nothing less. The
Acclaim for making you miss this batch volves you blowing up as many space developers likely intended this game to
of retro makeovers. South Park: Chef's borne butts as you can. And the Go- be played during social gatherings with
Luv Shack is marketed as a game Kart game is so much like the old Od- an abundance of alcohol, thus prevent-
show rip-off, but after every three ques- yssey 2 pack-in Spin-Out! that it isn't ing any players from thinking clearly
tions, you enter a bonus round. And even funny. enough to recognize the games. I
more often than not, those bonus seem to remember one Nolan Bushnell
rounds take the form of games which This Game Has Warped My Fragile thinking more or less the same thing
are recognizable to nearly any classic Little Mind! when he chased Computer Space
gamer. The "Bad Kitty" game pits you I'm not sure if this game is an exer- down with the much simpler Pong.
in the unfortunate role of the Cartman cise in brilliance, or a display of how Is Chef's Luv Shack for everyone?
family's cat, climbing up ladders and low some software manufacturers will God, no! If you're not a fan of South
avoiding the red bouncy balls that Eric go to cash in as cheaply as possible on Park, steer clear of this one. It's easily
Cartman rolls at you from the top floor. a license that cost them so much, they the raunchiest of the three South Park
You've got to get to the top and eat can't afford real game development. video games to date, and it's not for the
Eric's pot pies. Sound familiar, Donkey faint of heart. (There's a whack-a-mole
Kong devotees? rip-off in which you must blast a char-
It gets weirder. The "Snow Forts" acter called Chicken Lover before he
game is a very thinly-disguised parody can reach a helpless chicken. If you
of Atari's classic Warlords game, only don't know who Chicken Lover is within
you're defending your snowman in- the context of the South Park cartoon…
stead of your castle. Other than that, trust me, you don't wanna know.) But if
the game is identical to its inspiration. you're a South Park fan and a classic
A pizza delivery game is basically a game aficionado, this game should
two-dimensional rip off of Paperboy, jump to the top of your list - quick, be-
and the Scuzzlebutt game lifts ele- fore Acclaim gets sued by about half a
ments of Kickman and Kaboom! An- dozen companies!
other round, ripping off Galaga, sees
your South Park character of choice
fending off bees at a picnic, while the
Asteroids rip-off, Asses In Space, in- Kyle Goes Galaga

Cartman Kong Snowlords Go Kart/Spin-Out
Classic Gamer Magazine Summer 2000 44