|
SLAM! Sports SLAM! Reviews JAM! Books COLUMNS INTERACTIVE ALSO ON SLAM!  [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
Wednesday, February 17, 1999Beavis and Butt-head tee offNEW YORK (AP) -- Fore, dude. Huh-huh, huh-huh. Beavis and Butt-head are hitting the miniature golf links in cyberspace, bringing their demented brand of teen underachievement to desktop sports. Forget the corny windmill and hitting through the big clown's mouth. This minigolf rocks! Huh-huh, huh-huh. Their trademark scatological slang is unavoidable as always, starting with the game's title, but just like their TV show and feature film, it's all in fun. No real four-letter words are used, just the boys' raunchy, made-up lingo. After running the same disclaimer that accompanies their TV show, which stresses that Beavis and Butt-head are not role models, the game launches and players choose which of the cartoon's goof-ball cast to tee off as: one of the two title characters, Anderson their uptight neighbour, beleaguered principal McVicker, Todd the tough guy, or the hippie school teacher, Mr. Van Driessen. Up to four people can play together, and everyone's ball stays in play until they hole out, allowing players to hit other balls with theirs, creating a ricocheting chaos that adds to the silliness. Each player's animated persona is pictured on the side of the screen, allowing each character to heckle the competition. The round opens in Beavis and Butt-head's living room, where the lame-brain duo spend hours glued to the TV set watching music videos. The first putt has to pass safely through the opening and closing window, leaving an approach to the hole on the couch, where springs popping through the upholstery will reject errant shots. Players move on to Nacho Pichu, a snack volcano layout surrounded by flowing molten cheese and tortilla chips. Next is the Burger World hole, where the just-mopped tile floor is extra slick and the mop bucket is just one of many obstacles. Coach Buzzcut's minefield hole follows, where players have to hit through a narrow passage guarded by sand bags, past some land mines that will blow up if hit, up a ramp and over a mud pit, through a series of old tires and past more mines to reach the hole. At the Maxi Mart, convenience is not in store for players who have to send shots past the hot-dog roaster and around a standing rack display to bank off the soft drink coolers toward the cup. No. 6 is a junkyard layout where a dangling auto hoist magnet guards the hole. Moving to Highland High School, swinging front doors swat mistimed shots back at players. Two holes later, players visit the bedroom of Beavis and Butt-head's little pal, Stewart. Shots go past his "I love unicorns" poster and have to get by his circling toy train set to find the hole. In Todd's auto shop, the oil drain catch basin is a hazard. On the following wood shop hole, a buzz saw and drill press have to be circumvented. Next up is Van Driessen's signature hole, a psychedelic dreamland with a rotating peace sign to hit through, a field of glowing lava lamps and a curtain of love beads. In Anderson's yard, his swimming pool is a hazard and the hole is hidden inside his utility shed. In McVicker's office, beware the hyperactive file cabinet drawers that bash mistimed shots off-line, as well as his swinging front door, which can bat loose shots down into his secretary's vestibule. No. 17 is a rock concert stage, where balls must be played into glitter-spraying chute pockets between spritzes to get down to hole in the mosh pit. The final hole is the lollapalooza, Cornholio, named for Beavis' sugar- and caffein-addled alter ego. It's the toughest on the course, requiring a perfect shot up a toilet paper ramp into a chute pocket floating in a coffee cup to send the ball safely to the next area. The putting control is a simple, click, pull back and release arrangement. The farther one pulls away from the ball the farther it goes. It could be more precise, but that might make the game more serious than it should be. The game from GT Interactive (CD-ROM for Windows) is a hoot from the first tee to the 18th green. The only cool thing missing is Daria, Beavis and Butt-head's brainy, unpopular classmate. But she has her own spin-off show now, so maybe she'll get her own computer game. 
|
