Ok, after much debate I have come to realize that it is/was due to some sort of Codec. I use a codec pack that has over 35 different codecs in it. I can only install/uninstall the pack not individual codecs so it is unfortunate that I cannot tell which it is.

I uninstalled the pack and the game loads fine now. I use the Neowin codec pack in case anyone is wondering. That or the Klite codec pack (the same but older versions).

BTW, something else is wonky now. For some reason, well into the first level, the game got very, very slow almost like it was playing in slow motion. Any ideas on that?

~dark <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />