The 3D patch for MechWarrior 2 allowed for shaded terrain.

3Dfx and Netmech

The mid-90s were very much a turning point for the video card industry. At the time, companies were vying to establish standards to move computer graphics forward, but what they really needed was a killer app--a must-have game that would compel consumers to spend, which would, in turn, drive sales. A small company called 3Dfx (with a capital "D" at the time) stepped forward and created a monstrous (for the time) 80MB patch for MechWarrior 2 that added realistic texturing and shading for a jaw-dropping graphical experience. The catch, of course, was that you needed one of the company's Voodoo 3D cards for the patch to work. As a result, the 3D-accelerated MechWarrior 2, along with a 3D patch for id's Quake, ended up driving sales of 3Dfx cards, thus vaulting the small company to the top of the heap as the leading graphics card manufacturer for PCs.

Another interesting add-on for MechWarrior 2 was NetMech. Amazingly enough, the original version of MechWarrior 2 didn't include a multiplayer aspect. NetMech added support for LAN and online play later, making an already incredible game even better.

A Timberwolf mech marches down a road while a wingman explodes behind it.

Many of today's gamers are familiar with MechAssault, which was one of the best initial offerings for the Xbox Live gaming service. Its sequel recently bowled us over enough to award it Best Xbox game at E3 2004. What younger gamers may not realize, though, is that these MechAssault games evolved from the MechWarrior series on the PC, which was still heavy on the action but much more tactical in nature. The iteration that vaulted giant robot combat into the spotlight was the second game, MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat.

In MechWarrior 2, you controlled giant walking robots that were armed to the teeth. There were more than a dozen different mechs to choose from, ranging in size, speed, number of weapon hard points, and more. The variety of weaponry was even greater, with seemingly dozens of different kinds of machine guns, rocket launchers, lasers, and autocannons. There were also other items you could equip your robot with, such as extra armor, bigger engines, and heat sinks to cool your lasers.

The manner in which you outfitted your mech greatly affected the way you played the game. You could go heavy on rockets and projectile weapons, but the limited amount of ammunition you could carry meant that a protracted battle would leave you helpless. Long-range rockets were useless at close range--and vice versa. You could load up on lasers, which never ran out of ammo, but repeated firing built up heat that could lead to explosions. You could even equip jump jets on smaller mechs to give them limited flight or hopping abilities.

The main way in which MechWarrior differed from many of today's mech games was in its control setup. MechWarrior 2 was a simulation game, so you didn't just hold down a key to move. You had to ramp the engine's throttle up and down to control speed while you used the mouse, a joystick, or other keys to turn the mech's torso, which would subsequently aim your weapons. This meant you could move in one direction while aiming in another. It sounds rather complicated compared to today's MechAssault games, but it was really rather easy to learn in contrast to the hardcore flight simulation and tank simulation games prevalent at that time.

In combat, all these aspects--choosing your mech, outfitting it, and controlling it--came together seamlessly to create a game with a tremendous amount of depth. The game's gorgeous 3D SVGA graphics, large wide-open maps, and partially destructible terrain (bridges and buildings could be destroyed) added to the immersion. The best part, however, was the location-based damage. This feature allowed skilled players to concentrate fire on a particular limb, which affected combat greatly. Taking out one or both legs would turn enemy mechs into sitting ducks. Taking out an arm would eliminate any weapons mounted on that arm from your enemy's arsenal. Jump jet-equipped mechs could even attempt a risky attack called "death from above," which basically involved an attempt to hop and then land on an enemy mech's head for a quick kill. Missing the head, however, meant sustaining significant damage to your legs, while only minimally inflicting damage on your target.

MechWarrior 2's massive campaign also offered tons of variety ranging from basic search-and-destroy operations to base strike, convoy escort, and defense missions. The game's soundtrack was amazing as well. Not only did it fit the theme of the game, but many of the redbook audio tracks were good enough to listen to on their own in an audio CD player. The sound effects were no slouch, with the weapon effects and explosions providing the appropriate punch. Meanwhile, the female voice of your cockpit computer calmly informed you about imminent overheating and other catastrophes. The fantastic sound also manifested itself in the game's cinematic cutscenes, which were astonishing at the time and are still impressive to watch to this day.

MechWarrior 2 was the complete package. It included combat that was both intense and deep in nature, and it also featured a fantastic campaign and an awesome presentation. It was a no-brainer for us to name it one of the greatest games of all time.

While I loved playing MechWarrior 2, I also couldn't get enough of the game's cinematic cutscenes and music, which were absolutely amazing. Sometimes I'd just boot up the game over and over again just to watch the introductory movie. I also used to do homework and read while listening to the soundtrack in my stereo CD player. Yes, I was obsessed. I can admit that.