There are countless video games based on movies and TV shows, and now there are even movies and TV shows based on games. However, they're often mutually exclusive and an afterthought, with the new version usually appearing long after the initial influence.

All that has changed with Atari's Enter the Matrix games, which shipped day and date with the June release of The Matrix Reloaded movie--the sequel to 1999's The Matrix and the second film in a planned trilogy. In fact, to further highlight the connection, the games tie in with the movie, and even offer fresh information that underscores the film's content.

Such synergy isn't possible without strong involvement by the filmmakers. In the case of Enter the Matrix, the game concept and scripting was handled by Andy and Larry Wachowski, the brother team behind The Matrix. They initially solicited and worked on an ongoing basis with game developer Shiny Entertainment (Earthworm Jim, MDK) in the creation of the game.

(Originally, the game was to be published by Interplay Entertainment, which owned Shiny, but Shiny along with the Matrix game were dealt to French publisher Infogrames, which had previously acquired such publishers as GT Interactive and the home video-game side of Atari. Subsequently, right before the release of Enter the Matrix, Infogrames adopted the Atari name corporate-wide.)

Try to Focus

Enter the Matrix enables the player to "jack in" to the world as Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) or Ghost (Anthony Wong). It offers a smooth blend of filmed scenes using the actual movie actors, cutscenes in the game's engine that move the story ahead, and the frenetic gameplay--which is loaded with Matrix-style gunplay and movement. The slickest part of the game is the ability to use Focus, the "bullet time" effect that grants an edge in combat by slowing down everything around the player. It also features plenty of the movies' gymnastic moves, such as cartwheels, backflips, and running across a wall.

The Wachowskis' involvement in the game enabled the developers to have access to the film's story, as well as its sets and actors. Motion-capture sessions with the actors provided more realistic appearance and movement. And the game's story evolves with interweaving connections to the Reloaded movie, filling in sections outside the thread of the film's story.

In the style and appeal of The Matrix, the game also offers a subplot of sorts: hacking. With minimal information and a simple command prompt, the hacking segment opens up other aspects of the game, including filmed segments, detailed information on guns and cars, and even cheat codes.