Worms Armageddon for the PlayStation is a version of the PC game that has fewer options and extras, but is easier to play with other people. Admittedly, I prefer using a computer keyboard and mouse to play this game -- that is, when I play the single player missions. But for playing with your friends, you can't beat passing a controller around. It's a lot better than playing hotseat (getting up so your friend can sit down) at the computer.

The World of Worms
If you haven't ever played any of the Worms games before, let me give you a run-down. You control a team of cute, cartoony little worms. Don't let those bugging eyes and cute little "oooh!" noises fool you: these guys are vicious. You have a vast array of weapons at your control, and the point is to kill off the other team(s) of worms before they kill you. On your turn, you move your current worm around in the side-view level, walking left and right or jumping. Then you select the weapon you wish to use, adjust the angle, and fire! before your time runs out. That's the basic idea, anyway. Some weapons (i.e. guns) don't have a power meter to decide how far they shoot. Some items can be used to help you move around the map (like parachutes, ninja ropes, and teleports). Some items can even protect your or help you hide (such as metal girders, or blow torches, which can dig through the landscape). So the basic formula is move and fire, but there are variations based on what would benefit you most at the time.

What the PlayStation version doesn't have
The PlayStation (PSX) version loses several things that the PC version has, some more of a loss than others. One is being able to make your own weapon and item schemes. On the PC, there are preset schemes that you can use, or you can create your own from scratch or modify any existing ones. On the PSX, however, you lose the ability to make your own -- the presets are all you will get.

Along the same lines as the limitations of the weapons and items schemes is the map generator. On the PC, you can generate random levels to play on. You can then use these as they are, or go into a paint-program-style mode where you can draw more dirt, or erase it as you see fit. You can even draw an entire level from nothing if you wish. On the PSX, you still have the random level generators, but there is no way to edit a map by hand.

One of my favorite parts of the PC game is the replay option. Whenever someone does something really cool, and on the last move of the game, it will do a replay, which you can slow down if you wish. This is nothing major, but is not included on the PSX version.

Another major thing lacking on the PSX version is the maximum number of worms you can have on your team. The PC version can support a roster of 8; on the PSX, that's cleaved to 4. This really hurts, since a large bomb or bad luck can easily wipe out half of your team or more in one turn.

The graphics are, understandably, worse on the PSX than on the PC. They are a little more grainy, and some small details are taken out, such as the smoke bubbles (that's no typo) from explosions, and the way that the dropped-in weapon and item crates bounce up and down ever so slightly. Nothing major, but noticeable nonetheless.

What it all comes down to
If you are a hermit that never plays games with anyone else, check out the PC version. But if you are planning to play a game like this with others, consider the PlayStation version, or any console version for that matter (this game is available on the Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, but I haven't played either of those). You won't mind playing a watered-down version when you're passing a controller instead of getting up and down from a chair at a computer -- you'll have the same amount of fun, and won't quit playing just because you're tired of moving around so much.



Recommended: Yes