Big, mechanized ACs have more of everything to battle it out in this third iteration. Game Info Publisher Ascii Entertainment Developer From Software Genre Action Origin Japan Number of Players 2 Dual Shock YES Release February 2000 Peripherals Analog Memory Pack Realtime battles with killer weapons on all sorts of surfaces. Hmm mm good. Shoot, forgot my compass. Now, where is my lunar lander? Modify your AC to your delight and then engage in battle.

With an upgraded engine (not a new one) that cleans up the rough edges seen in Project Phantasma, From Software adds more detail and potentially faster action sequences in this third and probably final PlayStation title. (As many already know, Armored Core 2 is coming to PlayStation 2.) Players of the first two games are in luck as the control scheme remains the as the first two, using digital controls only. While some may grumble at the lack of Analog Control support, the game does support the Dual Shock, so major hits and annoying rapid fire shots to your construct are sure to result is frenzied rumblings and little jolts all along the way.

Building on its loyal fans base from the first two games, From Software has made it easy for fans to instantly access Master of Arena. As a bonus for those who played Armored Core and Armored Core Project Phantasma, the constructs (ACs) you created and saved on Memory Card way back when are totally compatible with this new game, so complete integration of those massive mechs is a snap.

Using bigger arenas containing more of the gameplay you loved in the first two games, Armored Core: Master of Arena is a two-disc game, with the first disc only containing single-person missions, and the second filled with only two-player, head-to-head missions. If that seems like a lot of gameplay, it is. Giving players more of what they loved most in the first two games is From Software's goal in this third iteration.

Disc one is packed with 20 new missions, including those that range from simple search-and-rescue to protect-the-convey objectives to hybrids of the two. And if you're sick and tired of old parts or even your old AC, no worries, kiddies. In Master of Arena, a whopping 170 parts are available for upgrading and reconfiguring. Several of the parts include heads, legs, torsos, hand-held weapons, shoulder mounted weapons, engines, arms, radar devices, targeting chips, flying boosters, and special option parts. In fact, there are actually three secret parts to find for those who are absolutely mad about parts. (But you know what they say, "parts is parts.")

For those who are into the straight one-on-one battles, there are plenty of new arenas to explore. First, you can still play in linked games (using the link cable), or via two-player split screen. If you choose straight AI battles, you'll have more than 150 competitors to battle against. To add to the stream of great new numbers, you can fight in 10 two-player linked arenas, and 12 player-versus-CPU arenas. Yes, this time around you have plenty to work with.

From Software has realized that the may different varieties of ACs don't always match up in fights. To better organize the fights, the developers have set up Ladder Charts for players to battle again the computer, and have segmented them into specialized categories. So, players with four-legged ACs can fight strictly with other four-legged AC, likewise with caterpillar and other types, etc. And for those into all of the extras, some arena levels must be opened up by completing several missions, and some missions are opened up by completing some arenas, so encourage exploration of the entire game.

We'll have more on this fan favorite soon.

Douglass Perry