The Warriors [Xbox]

Movies and games: How often have the two intermingled, and actually produced anything other than horrid? The Warriors not only breaks this curse, but also this curse's nose and this curse's legs. How? By offering some of the best brawling seen in this console generation, as well as slick presentation, varied gameplay, and an unbeatable depiction of gang life pre-gangsta rap.

The movie shows one New York gang's struggle to return home after a citywide meeting of street thuggery goes awry -- and along with it, the truce. The Walter Hill-directed masterpiece should be pictured under "cult classic" in the dictionary, but this isn't a review of the movie. Besides, The Warriors game doesn't confine itself to emulating the film scene-for-scene -- despite the near-perfect introductory sequence.

Instead, this game starts months before the Homer-worthy odyssey back home for our vest-wearing amigos. Rembrandt, the spray-paint pro of the group, is being promoted into the gang and another Coney Island set is pushing; but otherwise, it's just typical times for The Warriors. In this, you get to see all aspects of gang life: mug civilians, steal car stereos, break into and loot stores, and battle the cops and rival gangs. Of course, you still get to bop your way back to Coney eventually.

You may be worried at this point, asking yourself if this is just GTA with a posse behind you. It most definitely is not. You have set levels with specific missions to accomplish, and they go beyond the typical "beat up this guy" or "steal this treasure" fare. However, you also have more than enough bonus-objective goodness to keep you entranced in one stage as long as your black heart desires.

Every action in The Warriors (and there are a lot of them) uses intuitive control. Spray paint by keeping a cursor between the lines with the analog stick, hop fences with the context-sensitive Y or Triangle button (for Xbox or PS2, respectively), and even issue commands to your brothers by clicking the left analog and selecting the order with the right. You'll have plenty of occasions to do these things and many more. If there's one control gripe, it's that both camera and movement are a little too loose, with no means of tweaking sensitivity.

Fighting is still the main means of advancing gameplay, however, and this aspect is simple but sublime. You have two attack buttons and a grapple button, which can be used in sequence for some cool combos. Weapons abound, from knives to Molotov cocktails. Much like God of War, the game recognizes who you're trying to attack by what direction you're pressing. But if you'd rather, you can use a lock-on -- helpful when you're going 9-on-9 with another heavy set.

The Warriors avoids getting boring by always mixing things up. In fact, the missions when you're chasing a hoodlum or running from a large number of them are just as fun as when you get to rattle some skulls. The stealth missions aren't Earth-shattering, but they too add much-appreciated variety. Being able to duck into the shadows to escape angry cops is an invaluable mechanic.

Graphically, The Warriors is impressive on all fronts. The models for main characters look just like their cinematic counterparts, and minor characters avoid the identical twin-level repetition you see in many games of this ilk. Even still, you can have a lot of boppers throwing down onscreen without any slowdown. The ambience of the cities was well tended-to, with plenty of colorful graffiti, storefronts, and other eye candy to keep one alley from looking just like another.

The sound carries on the high level of quality. Rockstar went as far as to bring back about half the main cast for voiceovers, including Mercy, Swan, and Ajax. You'll hear a ton of background dialogue wherever you are, be it conversations or music. All the trademark songs from the film have been licensed here, including de Vorzon's unique score and Joe Walsh's "In The City." Yes, this is a game based on a 26-year-old, low-budget film, but Rockstar still spared no expense.

The Warriors goes above and beyond the call of duty in many other ways, too. First off, you can play the whole thing with two-player co-op mode -- which is always appreciated. Rumble Mode gives you several of brawl-themed mini-games like survival and one-on-one, and even lets you form your own gang. Bonus missions go even further back in the archives of The Warriors, showing how Cleon formed the gang after being set up by his former partner and how key members happened to join up. In the unlikely event that the single-player story mode becomes monotonous, any of these will pick you up.

The Warriors is truly one of the best movie-based games ever published. To put things into perspective, take a look at the Fantastic Four game that came out this summer. Despite its super-powered stars, it's in the same vein as The Warriors; but this game trounces it mercilessly in all categories. It plays infinitely better, looks worlds better, and just captures the pure essence of the film much better than its competition. Granted, the movie itself puts Fantastic Four to shame as well, but when you look at what both games had to work with and what they accomplished, Rockstar deserves heaping helpings of praise.

This is the brawler we have been waiting for, and your enjoyment of the licensed property won't affect your ability to enjoy it. Without the license, it's still a one-of-a-kind fighting game that captures the essence of gang life from times past: the comradery, the loyalty, and the felonious activities. As a property, it's treated with care and respect, bringing forth many new things that fit seamlessly into the core material. It's got all that and a gang with face paint and baseball uniforms. How can you resist?