Campus news

Playstation 2 multiplayer mayhem

Being able to snuggle into a sofa with a DualShock 2 controller in hand and a bowl of popcorn on your right side and then becoming lost in a world of high-stakes espionage, blood-and-sweat drenched martial arts battles and epic, sweeping storylines single-player gaming is surely a great experience.

But there's still something missing, right?
You'll find that it's honestly way more fun when there are other people watching you play. It's the way they applaud when you pull off an impossibly cool combo in Devil May Cry or as they gasp alongside you with the earth-shattering revelations in MGS3: Snake Eater. That's when the experience becomes so much more enjoyable.

And even after that, there's another way to raise the bar for gratification: multiplayer.
Whether you're fighting for the freedom of Earth alongside them or battling it out furiously over a single black-and-white-chequered ball against them, multiplayer is one of the highest levels of stupor-inducing fun a videogame can offer.

Here's a small guide to help you get started on some great PS2 Multiplayer Mayhem.
You'll need:
A PlayStation 2 console (the surprise is overwhelming, innit?)
A TV (likewise) preferably 24” and up especially for 4-player splitscreen, but even 20” works although it's not recommended for your preciousssss eyeses.

2 (two) to 8 (eight) controllers
In the case of more than 2 controllers a PS2 Multitap (max. 4 players. If you want to go further to a max. of 8 players, then you'll need two PS2 Multitaps.)

The set-up is as usual with the A/V (Audio/Video) and power cables being connected at the regular locations. If you're not sure about this (that is, if you've just bought a PS2) then please refer to the PS2 manual for guidance.

For two players, just attach the first controller as you normally do and the second one to the second port. See, easy huh? The PS2 didn't bite, did it?

For four players, you need said Multitap. The Multitap is attached to the first controller port (the head will take up the primary memory card slot as well). Then add the controllers to the ports on the Multitap itself. Memory cards also have to be inserted into the respective slots on the Multitap to be used.

For eight players, it's more of the same. Attach the second Multitap to the second controller port, after connecting the first Multitap. Then proceed as usual.

Now that's done, let's head on to the actual gaming bit!
(If you're already versed in all things multiplayer, then skip the next two paragraph and head on to the games list below!)

Now there are essentially two kinds of multiplayer. One type is part of the main story or game mode usually in the form of Co-operative gameplay. Here, you and a friend get to play through the normal single-player mode together as two characters.

The story will usually disregard the existence of the second character in that cutscenes normally show one character. It's not a big deal and since you're having so much fun, it's a piddling concern.

The other mode is of course what you normally regard as Multiplayer itself. You get to take on a group of people (or one person) in the form of teams or individuals (referred to as 'free-for-all'). This mode has a wide variety of options and gaming archetypes. For sports games, it usually ends up as team or free-for-all affairs in normal or tournament-style match sets. For action titles and First Person Shooters, you get a lot more flexibility. Common modifications include free-for-all/team Deathmatches (kill everyone/the opposing team as much as possible while sustaining minimum casualties on your side), Capture the Flag matches (capture the item usually at the enemy 'base' and bring it back to your base; victory is by scoring more captures than the opponent), Survival matches (where it's one person versus the rest of everyone else) and others. You can also have bots, which are essentially computer controlled AI characters. Bots aren't usually as intelligent as human opponents are but they add to the numbers and do make the challenges more entertaining. Well, that's Multiplayer gaming in a nutshell (although PC LAN purists will be out for my blood for writing such a small summary). You can take this onto the online arena, but given the abysmal state of the 'broadband' (the term is putrid with the smell of sarcasm) connections here, it's not advised. I tried it and it doesn't work and that was with a good ISP. If you want online gaming, stick to the PC.
Right.

Now for the games themselves! While there are literally thousands of games that support multiplayer, not all of them are good. Some are quite pathetic so I'll list the ones that will truly kick butt and make it worth the trouble. This is but a small fraction of the great multiplayer games that the PS2 can offer. This makes an ideal starting list and if you want more, then please refer to the Internet.

Photo: Niloy

· 007 James Bond: From Russia With Love 4P, MP
· Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2P, Co-Op
· Batman: The Rise of Sin Tzu 2P, Co-Op
· Brian Lara Cricket International 4P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
· Burnout 3: Takedown 2P, MP Vs.
· Burnout Revenge 2P, MP Vs.
· Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest 4P, Co-Op
· DarkWatch 2P, Co-Op
· DragonBall Z: Budokai 3 2P, MP Vs.
· FIFA 06 4P, MP
· Gran Turismo 4 2P, MP Vs.
· Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 3P, Co-Op
· LEGO Star Wars 2P, Co-Op
· Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2P, Co-Op
· Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks 2P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
· Need for Speed Underground 2P, MP Vs.
· Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2P, MP Vs.
· Pro Evolution Soccer 5 8P, MP
· Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal 4P, MP
· Sniper Elite 2P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
· Soul Calibur III 2P, MP Vs.
· Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory 2P, Co-Op
· SSX 3 2P, Co-Op
· Star Wars Racer Revenge 2P, MP Vs.
· Tekken 5 2P, MP Vs.
· The Chronicles of Narnia 2P, Co-Op
· TimeSplitters: Future Perfect 4P, Co-Op, MP
· Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 2P, MP Vs.
· Top Spin Tennis 4P, Co-Op, MP Vs.
· We Love Katamari 2P, MP Vs.
· Winning Eleven 9 International 8P, MP
· WWE: SmackDown Vs. Raw 2006 8P, MP
· X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse 4P, Co-Op

Terms:
xP (where x is the maximum number of players, e.g. 2P = 2 Players)
Co-Op = Co-Operative gameplay for the main story mode
MP = Normal multiplayer options as stated above
MP Vs. = Usually for fighting games, 1-on-1 gameplay

By Le Chupacabra

Once upon a time, Akbar the Great had a “great” idea. Carrying the blood of Gengish Khan, Akbar wanted to memorialize his Mogul empire. So he originated a calendar system, from which Pahela Baishakh was born.

Akbar also had another issue in mind. At that time, the peasants endured unreasonable hardships. They had to contribute profits according to lunar years while their harvests depended on solar years. With this bizarre arrangement, the profits required far outnumbered the harvests. So the government wanted more money and kill the peasants slowly. Everything's okay because they're doing it for the people right? Akbar, being the savior, changed all that and united everyone under twelve common months.

The calendar was known as Tarikh e Elahi. The months were initially called Karwadin, Ardi, Vihisu, Khordad, Teer, Amardad, Shahriar, Aban, Azur, Dai, Baham and Iskander Miz. Yes, this has to be HISTORY. The months were later named after stars as follows:

1. Baishakh from Bishakha
2. Jaishthya from Jaishtha
3. Ashar from Shar
4. Sraban from Srabani
5. Bhadra from Bhadrapada
6. Ashwin from Aswaini
7. Kartik from Kartika
8. Agrahayon from Agraihon
9. Poush from Poushya
10. Magh from Magha
11. Falgun from Falguni
12. Chaitra from Chitra stars.

Once the system was set up, it was time for celebrations. I know, everybody wants to party. Pahela Baishakh was actually entitled as Nawroze back then. While celebrating Nawroze, the princes didn't know about Ramna or Chayanot, but they sure knew about romance.

Firstly, there is the story of Emperor Jahangir. When he was a prince, he attended a Nawroze with having fun in mind. His paths crossed with the charming Nurjahan and they fell madly in love and got married. I'm so happy for them.

Years later, history was repeated in another Nawroze. This time it included Jahangir's son Prince Shahjahan. He visited a bazaar and luckily noticed Mumtaz Mahal. He was 14 and she was 15. Infatuated, the prince went to his father and announced his desire to marry her. He sure had guts. Somehow, Shahjahan got the green signal and tied the knot with Mumtaz. Sadly, Mumtaz died in childbirth and the stunning Taj Mahal was built to immortalize her.

I could go on but history is endless. So many stories, facts and events are tied with our culture. Pahela Baishakh/Nawroze is inarguably an important connection. But there is more.
There is MORE to where we belong.

By Mashrur Rahman

"North South University Wireless Forum" (NSUWF) a recently established student's community at NSU has been working to bridge the gap between the corporate and the academic world. Since it inception in March 2005, Wireless Forum has already organized a number of seminars, workshops and field trips.

The club recently celebrated its very own Wireless Forum Day, with a program punctuated by a number of notable events.

The program started with the speech of the faculty advisor of NSUWF, Dr. Khaled Mahmud, and Dean of the BBA department, Dr. Meshquat Uddin, followed by the club presentation and a cultural program where some Wireless Forum members performed alongside professionals.

The cultural program began with an instrumental solo performance by Shahriar, who put in a guest performance in the recent Artcell album. After that, bands U-turn, Dreek, Ionic and Fire Cloud all turned up to and put in good performances.

There was also an interesting quiz competition on technical know-how. The winners were awarded with gift hampers from Moo's Barn and Digital Cut.

With such a remarkable success on “WF DAY” Wireless Forum stepped into its next event, the long awaited “TechFesta 06”. This is a technology based fair that will be held on Bashundhara City at the end of May.

By Quazi Zulquarnain Islam