Marc Ecko's Getting Up

Trane (voiced by Talib Kweli) is your name and New Radius is your city. It's a place where graffiti has been banned and freedom of expression suppressed by a corrupt mayor and his Civil Conduct Keepers (CCK). You are a "toy" (beginner) graffiti artist trying to get your name out and become All City King, the artist with the most respect. But to get respect you need to battle the city's officials and rival crews, all the while risking your neck to tag the prime spots in your vertical landscape-a well-placed piece earns you respect and ups your rep.

The game features authentic tags from 50 of some of the most well-known artists from all over the world. Six of them appear as characters (Cope 2, Futura, Obey (Shepard Fairey), Seen, Smith and T-Kid). These six teach Trane their specialties to add to his arsenal of graff skills. You will need all their techniques (grafitti tags, stencils, stickers, posters and throw-ups using aerosol, rollers, markers and wheat paste). There are 11 distinct environments and 20 levels to complete in New Radius.

As the story unfolds (the storyline was written by Marc Ecko--of Ecko Unlimited, you fool) you'll need to complete specific objectives (under-pressure graffiti scenarios, stealth/sneak missions and fast-action battle sequences) for a mission victory. But there are also minigames and challenges for those times when you just want to enjoy some rebel fun. If you're good, you'll get to meet some graff legends and flash your digital "Black-Book."

The best part is you get to learn about hip hop's roots--not through MTV or "Breakin'" and "Beatstreet" videos. I'm All City, you are just a toy.

By Joel Marasigan

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