Point Blank 2

The sequel to Namco's lighthearted light gun game Point Blank is on its way and promises to deliver more of the addictive multiplayer action that made the original a cult favorite.

Like its arcade cousin. Point Blank is a collection of deceptively simple gun games starring a pair of bumbling explorers. Although Point Blank's graphics were intentionally cartoonish, the action was surprisingly intense, particularly when joined by a friend.

Following the axiom "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Namco serves up a piping-hot pack of new minigames - along with plenty of your old favorites--for Por'nt Blank 2.

Among other tasks, you'll be required to save the Earth from UFOs, keep a tin can airborne for 10 seconds, shoot the correct answer to simple math problems, and mow down an entire clan of cardboard ninjas. For you retro fans, there's even a game that requires you to shoot 20 insectoid "galagas,' which fly in formations straight out of the arcade classic.

Like the previous PlayStation version, Point Blank 2 also has a Story Mode, which has you searching for a lost princess in a comical theme park.

The real fun, however, can be found once again in Point Blank 2's addictive Party Modes-Tournament, Team Battle and Turf War--which allow up to eight opponents to shoot it out, two at a time.

One word of caution - Point Blank 2 only works with Namco's own GunCon light gun; however, given Namco's increasing library of great shooting games, including Time Crisis and the Point Blank series, the GunCon is rapidly becoming one of PlayStation's must-own peripherals.

• MANUFACTURER - Namco
• THEME - Light Gun
• NUMBER OF PLAYERS - 1 or 2

HAT G UNCON YOU got with Time Crisis has been gathering dust for a while now, right? Point Blank 2 gives you an excuse to dig it up with its fun but limited carnival-style shooting contests. Like the original, Point Blank 2 is all about silly but challenging target shooting; you'll shed no blood as you blast the wool off sheep, match animal sounds to animal targets, and much more. You'll definitely want a Guncon: With it, aiming is precise and fair--with just a directional pad, the games not very playable.

Point Blank 2 s rudimentary, pixelated graphics wouldn't challenge even 16-bit hardware, and the tinny, beepy sounds are annoying as hell. Still, the sheer variety of contests, modes, and two-player games makes this shooter momentarily fun even though there's not enough here to hold your attention in the long run. When the last clip is spent, Point Blank 2 is a rental-only title.. .but a fun one.