In 1987 Microsoft and IBM announced their new operating system OS/2, and Paul Verhoeven's movie RoboCop grossed $53.4 million at U.S. box offices. The movie opens with credits displayed prompt-like across the screen; as the file ends you see that RoboCop runs on a version of DOS.

Fast-forward 15 years and RoboCop, the new game by Virgin Interactive, is running on Xbox. You play the role of Officer Alex Murphy, the world's first cyborg cop, in his mission to stop a badass crime syndicate from taking over Detroit City. The story line is original with other characters from the movie written in. RoboCop for Xbox gives you 15 levels that take place in locations based on the movie. From inner-city slums to gleaming city streets in the business district, you fight drug dealers, cyborg gangs, good robots gone bad, animals and corrupt executives at OCP-Omni Consumer Products-the company that turned you into a cyborg cop.

The HUD in RoboCop is actually the first-person view Officer Murphy sees everyday of his cybernetically-enhanced life. As you move through the game levels protecting the lives of law-abiding citizens and blowing away the rest, you'll use various weapons with zoom, a radar system and infrared detection. The adaptive AI is challenging and hard to predict. The visual experience is excellent with good lighting, and smoke and fog effects. Sound is decent to good. The cinematic cut scenes tie the story line together nicely and are well done.

If you've never seen the movie RoboCop or its sequels, you'll still enjoy RoboCop for Xbox because it follows a complete and original story. But video rentals are about $4.00 a pop at the local BlockBuster, so why not grab a copy. It'll be good programming for your future in OCP law enforcement.