Game: "The Warriors"

Console: PlayStation 2 (also out for Xbox)

Developer/publisher: Rockstar Games

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1-2

ESRB: Mature

Premise: New York City, 1979: The Warriors are wrongly accused in the murder of a rival gang's leader. They must make their way across the city to their home turf. All that stands between them and survival are 20 miles and an army of 60,000 gangsters who want their blood. This game is based on the movie, which has been referenced and copied dozens of times over the last three decades.

Game play: You start off the game as Rembrandt, a hopeful inductee to The Warriors, and must prove your worth by wrecking a gang of bums. This level orients you with the fighting style of the game, which plays like "Final Fight" meets "Tekken," consisting of simple punches and kicks, combined with grappling, throws and combinations.

What makes the fighting in this game fun is the point system, which combines variations of attacks and style; knocking your opponent out with your fist will earn fewer points than hitting him with a weapon or throwing him into a burning barrel. You also have the option of mugging fellow Coney Islanders, homeless people and street peddlers. Mugging people, rather than simply roughing them up with your hands, will earn you more money and points.

In story mode, control switches among gang members for each level. Every stage has several tasks to be completed and gives you bonus missions to earn extra points, which are the key extras in Rumble Mode, a feature where you can practice your hand-to-hand combat against the Warriors' rivals and even create your own gang with unlocked characters.

Between levels in story mode, you can see your progress in the game, complete with percentage of the game finished, points earned for every stage and how many unlockables are left in each stage. You can also venture out to Coney Island to look for bonus missions (which also unlock prizes), including chasing rival gang members off Warrior turf and pillaging the neighborhood to earn money.

The good/bad: The best thing about this game is its loyalty to the movie, the characters, the story, the environment and little inclusions such as commentary of the film's famous radio deejay character. The blood, violence and the game's purposely dark contrast add to the authenticity and a chilling feel to the play.

Tips: Mugging street peddlers is a good way to get quick cash and some free merchandise, but be sure you have a posse with you, because those dealers don't hesitate to cut you up.

My take: "The Warriors" is a classic movie, and Rockstar did an excellent job in honoring it, perhaps generating a whole new audience for it. The game play is engaging, easy to pick up and helps make this the best movie-to-game adaptation on the PS2.

Jeremy Castillo is a student at Windward Community College and editor of the college's newspaper, Ka 'Ohana.