South Park is a first-person shooter. The game's single-player mode places the player in control of one of the four main characters of South Park. The player must defeat a variety of enemies using the various weapons found throughout each stage in order to reach the exit point at the end. In addition to completing levels, the player must also prevent large enemies in the stage from reaching the exit before they do. If they fail to do so, they will be forced to defend South Park from the 'Tanks' in a short minigame called the 'Penalty Round' after the stage.
Multiplayer
In Head-to-Head mode, the players select a level, characters, and game style. The Microsoft Windows version allows for online head-to-head play. In the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 versions, upon reaching select stages in single player mode, codes are revealed. These can then be input into the "Cheesy Poofs Decoder" to unlock additional characters for Head-to-Head play. All characters are unlocked in the Microsoft Windows version. In the Nintendo 64 version, you can choose between 20 characters and 17 multiplayer levels.
Story
A mysterious comet is approaching the earth, described by the opening narration as a force of concentrated evil that no force of good can stand against. As it comes closer, South Park is beset by enemies, including rabid mutant turkeys, deformed clones of the townsfolk, alien visitors, berserk robots, and sentient killer toys. Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny hear about the dangers from Chef, and take up arms to investigate their sources and defend the town.
Reception
South Parks reception depended on the platform. Overall, the game was met with negative critical reception with the PC and PlayStation versions, while the Nintendo 64 version generally received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The PlayStation and PC versions received poor reception due to the bad graphics, poor visuals and bad voice acting. The Nintendo 64 version received the best reviews upon release. Aggregating review website GameRankings gave the Nintendo 64 version 67.11%, the PC version 51.72% and the PlayStation version 41.22%. Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated: "once the initial chuckles wear off, whether in multiplayer or single-player mode, you're left with a first-person shooter much like any other, and in fact, not as well-designed as most. It's as fun as the show it's based on, but its appeal is just as fleeting." GameSpot gave the PlayStation version a 1.4/10, stating: "South Park is definitely one of those games that is bound to come up when you start thinking about the worst game you've ever played." IGN called the PlayStation version "frustrating" due to poor graphics, repetition of the voice acting, and lack of play value for the head-to-head mode. GameSpot stated of the PC version: "A good license and good graphics aren't enough." The voice acting, done by the original voice actors, was criticized for being repetitive, isolated, and old. The weapons of the game were also criticized for being unprofessional. Despite the negative reception from the Windows and PlayStation versions, the Nintendo 64 version was praised for its 3D graphics and storyline, with IGN calling the game "just as funny as the Comedy Central series." GameSpot stated in the Nintendo 64 version that the level design was "really not very good on its own, but given the license, it at least makes sense."
Sequel
A spiritual sequel in the style of a sandbox action-adventure game was in development for the PlayStation 2, Gamecube and Xbox, but was not finished. Little was known about the game until a build was found on an Xbox development kit, but only video footage of the beta build has been released to the public. The footage appears to showcase the PlayStation 2 version, due to the visual button displays used in the game. A cutscene from the game was even leaked on YouTube showing Cartman in a mental hospital.
