Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Maximo vs. Army of Zin

Written by John Scalzo on May 29, 2003

First Impressions: Grammar Nazi alert! Shouldn't the title be Maximo vs The Army of Zin?

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory was just one of those games. A game that made the player inside of you marvel at the combination of fun gameplay, insane difficulty, old school goodness, and the overall feeling that this game is something special. I've rambled incoherently about it since it's release back in February of last year, never really perfecting the words I wanted to say about it. It was just one of those games.

I was not alone in my affinity for the man with the heart patterned boxers. Gamers everywhere ate it up. Maximo was a star and in the video game world that spells sequel. And a little over a year after the first announcement comes the full details on what Maximo vs Army of Zin is really like.

Maximo is still searching for his princess fair, who was lost at the end of the first game. But duty calls once more as a mechanized menace known as the Army of Zin has risen from the ground and begins to tear up the countryside. The Army of Zin are robotic monsters with a glowing core, obviously the medieval ancestors of The Terminator. The Grim Reaper is also back on the playing field and will even become a playable character during the course of the game.

Fans of the original will be pleased to know that Maximo vs Army of Zin looks like it shares a lot with Ghosts to Glory. The graphical engine looks very similar, albeit obviously tweaked because it's a sequel and Maximo moves very similarly to how he did before. Special moves like the flaming sword, the ground spikes, the shield throw, the downward strike, and the spinning sword attack are also confirmed to be coming back. The structure will also be similar with Maximo still on the lookout for souls (to exchange for continue coins), regular coins (to exchange for items and health), and armor upgrades.

The new parts of the game come in two different sections. First, there will be a lot more options when it comes to the combat. Maximo now has the ability to string attacks together in combos. And it appears that by stringing certain groups of attacks together or just stringing certain attacks really far will activate some kind of bonus system. Called the "Vanquish Bonus" system, we don't yet know what bonuses it actually will give out.

The other part of Maximo that will be seeing an overhaul is the storyline. The original Maximo featured the tried and true video game story of rescuing the princess from a giant castle from the evil villain. Now aside from the invaders from the machine shop, not much is known about Maximo vs Army of Zin's storyline. Capcom has leaked out that the Grim Reaper will play a larger role in the story, and being a playable character he obviously should. Maximo will also be able to propel the story forward by interacting with rescued villagers who will give him hints, items, and advice on what to do next.

But the greatest change that Maximo vs Army of Zin will provide is that the different pairs of boxers now have a purpose. So far Capcom has revealed there will be "jeweled battle shorts" and "treasure seeking underwear." Hmm, underwear that leads to the greatest treasure in all the land, didn't I see that in a Mel Brooks movie? This idea alone makes Maximo vs Army of Zin worth a closer look.