teh2Dgamer's 2.5D Gaming.

2.5D issue number 2 is up and ready for Download

2010-12-03T13:29:00.001-08:00

I've got the new issue of 2.5D the fanzine up and ready for download.

Download it here in PDF form.

I couldn't get the reviews to display the way I wanted them to when I saved it to PDF form for some reason.

Here is how I wanted the reviews to look:

Is it Just Me.... (Random Thoughts)

2010-09-06T02:15:00.000-07:00

Or are there just too damn many games, and gaming platforms out nowadays? I'm not talking about the big three platforms so much, because last gen turned out just fine, but with the extreme amount of games coming out nowadays for not only the main consoles, but all the handhelds (aside from the DS, and PSP, I'm talking I-phone, I-touch, and a ton of other none gaming specific devices like cell phones), and then you can factor in the downloadable service for each console as a platform to itself for the most part. There are literally thousands of games released each year. It makes keeping full track of all the good to great games of this generation nearly impossible, and if you do manage to keep up, that means that any game that's over a week old is ancient in your world. To be honest, I sometimes wonder if the industry isn't going to crush itself due to it's sheer size.

Yes, having more platforms means more possible chances for your game to sell, but unless you've got millions for advertising to hype your game up, it's just not going to get noticed. It's a wonder why many of the smaller to medium sized 3rd party developers have either died out (RIP Midway, and Free Radical), or have switched to the so called casual games out there, because they take a lot less money to make so even a small number of sales can turn a profit.

It's that same hype machine that makes some games multi-million sellers, and buries other just-as-worthy games. Between the huge number of games on the market each year, and the giant hype machine, I foresee a future where most 3rd party developers either go out of business, or just get eaten by the big guys like EA and Activision. The market is completely bloated right now, and I don't see that changing.

I get the feeling that the future is Call of Madden, and pet games with a "Z" in their title.

A Clarification of When I Use the Term Underrated

2010-08-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: I'm probably going to be linking to this on my future Underrated Gems vids.

I have my underrated gems videos posted on youtube, and every so often there's some idiot there spouting review scores to me as to why a game isn't underrated. What those people need to realize is that I'm not talking about review scores. Granted, with the huge amounts of review score worship going on in today's gaming world with sites like metacritic (A site I personally can't stand because it breeds mindlessness), it doesn't surprise me that gamers instantly think of review ratings. What I really mean is overlooked, but hence why I say in the description:

This is a series of gameplay vids I'm doing highlighting overlooked games for the PS2.

The argument should be ended right there, but apparently people can't read.

Now you may ask, why don't I call them overlooked gems, well, because it essentially means the same thing in the modern vernacular. It's just a different way to say it.

Lets take for example the flip side of underrated. Lets say that Someone says "Green Day is the most overrated band of all time." is that person saying that Green Day is overrated because critics in a magazine or on a website gave Green Day a review score of a 10 out of 10? No of course not. They are talking about the massive hype and over-excitement of the fans who hype Green Day up to be the best band ever. It has nothing to do with review scores.

On the flip side, if you say another band is extremely underrated, is it because critics somewhere gave that band a bad review score? Again, of course not. It's because they can't get attention hence underrated and overlooked are used in the same way here.

Perhaps the best way to show that the common vernacular of the day uses underrated in the same manor as I do in my vids, lets go to the Urban Dictionary definition of Underrated. Here are the six most popular answers:

1. Cooler than most people think.

2. Something or someone that deserves much more respect than people will allow.

3. A website, film, television show, book, etc that is so good that the public barely notices how good the product really is.

4. Something or someone not well known by the mass public but of high quality.

5. Something that is better than most people think it is.

6. Means good but not publicized as much as other sh**,opposite of overrated.

Son next time I post one of my Underrated Gems vids, don't mindlessly spout review scores to me, and say stupid stuff like "This game got such and such score on Metacritic. NOT UNDERRATED!!!"

I'm talking about the amount of attention a game got from the general gaming public, not the review scores from a few magazines or websites. I'm looking broader than what you can apparently comprehend. It, believe it or not, goes beyond metacritic.

Station Geek

2010-08-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

I decided that since I own a lot of PS1, and PS2 games, that I'd make a blog dedicated to PlayStation game consoles just so I don't clutter up this blog with PlayStation stuff. My PS1 and PS2 game collection make up the majority of my 1,000+ games, so I decided that I'd dedicate an entire blog to the PS consoles.

I'll even be covering some PS3 games, and stuff, but my main focus will be on the first two PS consoles. Also, since I don't own a PSP, I can't exactly cover that system in the blog.

Check out my New PlayStation oriented blog here.

In Defense of the PS1.

2010-07-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: I originally posted this in the Fanzine issue of 2.5D which you can download in PDF form HERE

I hear it all the time from uninformed gamers. When talking about the PS1, they constantly attack it for having crappy games. They'll quote five or so games as the "only" good games on the system, and then proceed to tell me the rest of the PS1's library was crap. I'd be inclined to believe them if I didn't own nearly 200 PS1 games myself. Yes, as with any supported system, it did have it's fair share of crappy games, but I've never seen so much misinformation about a popular gaming system. Both the NES, and Snes had piles of crappy games. It comes with the territory of being the most popular system of the day. However, both of those systems are remembered for their great games, and not for the hordes of bad games. Why is there such a double standard when discussing the PS1?

Perhaps the worse defense I've heard to bash a system while defending a system that isn't getting supported is quality vs quantity. I have no problem if another system's games appealed to you more. I can understand liking another system better than the most popular system. I'm not saying that everyone has to like the PS1 as much as I do, but the excuse of quality vs quantity has always been a lame one. By simple mathematics, the system of the higher quantity of games also has the higher quantity of quality games.

Lets take for example the N64. I owned both a 64 and a PS1 at the time of their popularity. I had some great times with the N64. Goldeneye was my drug of choice, and I killed thousands of hours in the multiplayer. It was a good system, and is a good system to collect for now. However, throughout the system's life, there were massive gaming droughts. Some months the 64 would get 1 game per 10 PS1 games. Were all 10 PS1 games great that month? No, but even if there were three good ones out of those ten, then that means the PS1 had more worthwhile games that month. The pickings on the PS1 were never slim. The N64 would have a good month, and then four of slim pickings. Quality vs quantity means your system doesn't have the support it needs. No one was bashing the Snes for having tons of support during it's day. Why then does this idiotic argument still get thrown at the PS1 then? It doesn't make any sense.

Then name of the game is variety. The PS1 may not have had the best games in every genre, but it at least still had games in every genre. At the time, my main genre of choice was RPGs, and the PS1 was the king of RPGs for that generation. The Saturn had some great ones too, don't get me wrong, but I didn't own a Saturn until later, and now don't feel like selling a kidney to play some of those RPGs. Beyond RPGs, I played everything except sports games, and if you wanted a system with everything, the PS1 was the main way to go. I love variety, and I have very erratic gaming habits.

Variety is one aspect, but the PS1's library also had tremendous depth. Almost every system has gems that fall below the surface of the mainstream, but because of the sheer amount of games available for the system, the PS1 has tons of underrated, overlooked games. I'm amazed on how anyone who either never owned a PS1, or who never owned more than 20 games for it in it's lifetime can comment on the system's library quoting the same five or so games as being the only good ones. As I previously stated, I own around 200 PS1 games, have been playing the system since the summer of 1997, and I'm still discovering hidden gems that I overlooked. Games that got very little exposure, and that even I, being the avid seeker of the obscure I am, had overlooked. When a console can still surprise you over 15 years after it's release, then you know it's library had an awe inspiring amount of depth to it. I get the same way with the Nes, Snes, Genesis, PS2, and so many other great systems I still own and still collect for, and the PS1 deserves just as much a place of honor as those previously mentioned consoles. In fact from a personal standpoint, the PS1 is my favorite system of all time. Not that the Genesis, NEs, and Snes weren't great systems, but the PS1 has just been my most played system ever, and it bridges the gap between the 2D games I love, and the world of 3D gaming. The Saturn was better at 2D (and arguably better at 3D when properly utilized), and the N64 was better at 3D, but to me the PS1 will always be a perfectly balanced 2.5D system.

Love it or hate it, the system has forever left it's mark on gaming, so you should at least respect it for that.

NOTE: I'm not attacking the N64, I'm merely using it as an example of why the Quality vs Quantity argument is a weak one. If you get sensitive about it, then you're probably a fanboy who's not worth talking to anyways. I still own the system, and I still play the system on a regular basis, so before the fanboy accusations come out, you should probably look in the mirror first if you want to see who's really biased.

An entire playthrough of Killzone 1 on the PS2.

2010-07-12T01:45:00.000-07:00

Here is an entire playthrough of the first Killzone on the Playstation 2 in video form:

Out of my normal youtube boredom, I decided to do an entire playthough of the original Killzone on the PS2. Here is is in playlist forme:

I don't normally do playthroughs, and this isn't the most skillful playing, but I know there is a lot of interest in this game now that Killzone 2 is out, so I though I'd do a full playthrough showing all the levels and the story cut scenes, so let me give you a SPOILER WARNING for those who haven't played the game yet.

To be honest, I think this game was unfairly panned by the gaming media. I really enjoyed it, but I will admit to it's flaws. First of all, it's glitchy. It's filled with graphical glitches (which you're likely to see in these vids), and occasionally the game will even glitch out and stop progression.The biggest complaint is with the controls. The default analog control setting it terrible. Luckily, the game's controls are 100% customizable, so you can fix, or mostly fix the aiming. I've never gotten it to feel perfect to my tastes, but I've gotten it close enough to where I can adjust to the aiming. Also, the Hellghast voices are extremely annoying at first, but you get used to them, and may even start to like them after a while.

To be honest, I'd have to disagree with the belief that the developer just tried to push more than the PS2 to handle in this game. I've seen games with nearly as good, or, arguably, better graphics run a lot smoother on the system. In reality it's likely that the game was rushed in order to beat Halo 2 to the market. It feels like it released too early, and it just lacks that final layer of polish. I hear they are bringing an HD version of this game to the PS3 with Killzone 3. I think I'd rather see a remake where they fix the glitches, and the other problems with the game.

We Want to be Creative

2010-07-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This is originally from the Fanzine issue of 2.5D that I created a while back. To download the issue in PDF form (Click Here)

We Want to be Creative

Finally, console developers are coming around to the realization that we gamers actually like to be a creative bunch. PC developers have known this fact for years with the huge mod communities that have popped up surrounding some of their top games. Ever since id software left the source code in the original Quake for users to play around with, the modding community has exploded. From PC modifications have come such games as Team Fortress, and Counterstrike. It's been pretty obvious to PC developers for a long time that gamers want to be able to create something. They want to be creative. Granted, consoles were always a different beast than PCs. It has taken them years to catch up, but we finally have hard drives with the storage capacity needed to be able to support mods, or user created levels.

For years only a small group of console developers has realized the average gamer with no programming skills, or mod making abilities still wants to be able to create customized characters, or levels in games. Even as far back as Excitebike's track editor, gamers have wanted to be able to create a working game environment. Some series like, most notably, the Timesplitters series have successfully given players the ability to edit, and create their own multiplayer, and single players maps using pre-set tiles. Though the tile sets are limited in some respects, really creative users were still able to recreate environments from other games, or better yet, create something completely original. The only problem with Timesplitters and a number of the other games that allow for such creativity is that TS, though popular, never received the huge mainstream success it deserved meaning the idea never took off with the mainstream gaming public who was too enthralled with Halo to care about the innovations made by games like TS.

This gen, however, things seem to be different. Though it's not even up to even the original Timesplitters' standards, Halo 3's forge mode is a good start for the series. You can't create completely new maps, but you can modify the game's physics, game's speed, and the objects in the environment. Some gamers have been able to create some cool gametypes, or even make things like Goldeneye maps within the confines of the forge mode. The point is, that even when given limited options, creative gamers can make some truly creative things. It's just time that more developers realized that level editors should be standard in gaming. They extend the life of a game for years, because they give the player options to experience something completely new when they finally tire of the default gameplay.

Of the big three this generation of gaming, I'd say that Sony has done the best in bringing mainstream attention to games that allow gamers to creat their own stuff. The success of Little Big Planet has stirred the creativity bug in many gamers. Another good example of a game that has gotten a lot of attention is Mod Nation Racers. The PS3 also offers, as far as I know, the only console game to ever officially have mod support, and that's the port of Unreal Tournament III. All you need is the site where you download the mod from, and a USB thumb drive to transfer it to the PS3. It may be a wise move for Sony to carve their niche into the market by giving more attention to games that allow the user to be creative. However, I'd also love to see Microsoft get more proactive on allowing the common gamer to create their own stuff. Halo Reach should have a full blown level editor as opposed to what forge mode offers. It is supposedly the last Halo game, so it would be to their advantage to give it as much longevity as they can, and because it's Halo, it could very well make it the standard for all future console FPS games.

The Wii, on the other hand is something entirely different. You see, Nintendo released a system with absolutely no copy protection meaning the system has already been hacked and cracked, and there are already modders at work on the games. This makes online cheating pretty much unstoppable on the system, but also has people creating stuff like level editing software for games like New Super Mario Bros which would have benefitted greatly if Nintendo would have included it from the start. There wouldn't be a need for hacked levels editors that way, and gamers could use their creativity. Nintendo has always promoted creativity with games like Mario Paint, but I'd love to see them expand it more to gaming applications. If any company should have created a game like LBP, it should have been Nintendo.

I'm not forgetting that the download services from the big three are doing a great job of promoting independent game development, because they really are giving smaller developers a chance to get noticed without taking a huge risk by charging $60 for their games. I just wish this same spirit of promoting creativity would spill over more to the regular joe shmoe gamer. I know there is a market out there, and games like LBP prove there is a market out there. I'm just saying, we gamers want to be given the opportunity to be creative. Furthermore, we want to share that creativity with other gamers online. It's time more developers realized it. I may never make a mod, but I'll kill hundreds of hours in a level editor creating something new._teh2Dgamer

2.5D the Fanzine

2010-06-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Right, so I used to make a little blog fanzine on Gamepro.com, well, I finally decided to make an actual fanzine version of it, and uploaded it in PDF form on Media Fire.

I posted it two hours ago, and only have four downloads on it, so it's not going to be read a lot, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I suppose I can just print a few out and send them to various publications just to do it. I hear gaming mags get fanzines all the time.

I will probably transfer the reviews to my review site (except the JSRF review which I reused, but I also edited the sloppy writing in it), and the articles to my blog eventually.

Anyways here is the site to download 2.5D Fanzine issue number 1:

http://www.mediafire.com/?linugbozug0

Just random thoughts, and various user created sites I enjoy visiting.

2010-03-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

I've said it before that the internet of ten years ago was a vastly different place than the internet of today. Today's internet has become predominantly corporate in nature, and it seems that the days of the user created site are nearly a thing of the past. It's actually what inspired me to make my own roughly-made review site.

When I first encountered the internet in the mid to late nineties, it was a completely different place. Instead of earning money for the large corporate gaming sites by submitting user reviews, many gamers of that era instead made their own free hosted gaming related sites with which to get their opinion out here. These sites were rough in nature, and weren't always the most professional in nature, but they had charm. If the creator was interesting, their site was just as likely interesting. There were also many sites that got other gamers to do reviews and whatnot for them. Now I just mentioned that corporate site visitors give those sites money by often times doing their jobs for them with user reviews, but the difference is that the user created sites weren't usually for profit, and they were usually made by one or two individuals instead of a staff of people. They had more the feel of the common gamer supporting his fellow common gamer. These site were made out of passion, and not out of the want for profits. Often times, the site administrators never got a dime for all their hard work.

It was a community of sorts where the members would often times support other members of that community by writing stuff for their sites. Often times those submitting reviews also had sites of their own, and would cross over to a friend's site to give it support. Those sites had more of a feel of independent free thought from those common gamers that has seemed to disappear in gaming.

Lately, there has been a mob mentality in gaming. Those who go against the grain and don't agree with the mainstream of gaming thought are outcasts, who opinions are "wrong." The mainstream gamers of today blindly follow, and worship the reviews of the corporate sites like they are gospel. How many arguments have you personally seen lately quoting review scores instead of that gamer's own opinion (usually because they haven't played the games they are bashing) that use review scores to argue whether or not a game is good or not. Site like Metacritic are quoted as gospel in such arguments, and anyone who has actually played the game in question, and has a different opinion of it, is ignored. Heaven forbid someone have an opinion of a game from their own experience over what some meaningless score on a review site says. If a game gets bad reviews, it's fact that it's bad apparently. Instead of free thought, people now allow gaming websites to do their thinking for them. There were always mindless people, don't get me wrong, but there were always gamers who weren't afraid to speak their opposing opinions, and to even criticize the gaming media for any inaccuracies they had in their reviews, or for the quality of them.

There are still people who speak out, but there is now more than ever, a consensus of mindlessness that has a strong hold over gamers. I despise Metacritic, and the mindlessness it creates amongst gamers. In fact, there are many games that I enjoyed that by Metacritic's standards were horrid. I enjoyed Haze, LAIR, and especially enjoyed Socom Confrontation. It just goes to show that though they get paid to write their opinions, a professional reviewer is just another gamer with an opinion. Their views aren't more valid than the average joe shmoe on the street, they just get put out there on a bigger stage. That means that you won't necessarily agree with their opinions either. In fact I'm willing to bet that there are games that you completely disagree with them on, but some of you are just afraid to come out and go against the mob mentality of gaming's mainstream for fear of being viewed as un-cool (which considering that being a gaming geek is so cool to begin with this fear amuses me).

I honestly encourage all five of you reading this to get your own opinions out there in some way shape and form. I realize I'm writing this from a blog, which is a convenient and easy way to do it for sure, but I would love to see a resurgence of the poorly made, but charming user created sites from free web hosting services like tripod. I realize that not everyone has the time to make such things, but even a common blog is OK for such things.

I do realize, however, that in an internet world out there, it's very hard to get your site, or blog noticed in the sea of blogs, and websites, but that's where the good old fashioned web-ring concept comes in. Users supporting other users by posting links to their sites and blogs. I actually see similar things done on Youtube as well where some members will spotlight other member's youtube channels, but I haven't seen a whole lot of that sort of thing going on lately. It seems that a lot of people have become aesthetic to such things. To many people are less interested in promoting others over themselves.

I'm not sure how to do the whole web-ring thing, but if anyone wants me to promote, or link to their gaming related sites, or blogs (after I check the content myself that is), let me known. I'm actually going on a trip soon, so I won't be on much (not like I'm on much now as it is), but when I come back, I will definitely be willing to start a web-ring where we average gamers bring attention to the works of our fellow average gamers in order to promote free thought over corporate mindless takeovers.

Here are some user created sites I have discovered, and enjoy visiting

(some of them are long dead, but still have their own user created charm to them, and are like a time capsule to gaming's past):

Dave's Sega Saturn Page (hasn't been updated in years, but is a good archive of Sega Saturn stuff)

Game Zero (The site appears to not have been updated since 2005)

The Game Room Blitz

The Video Game Critic

Gaming Sanctuary

Retro Sanctuary

Sega 16

The Video Game Museum

VirtualBoy.Net

The Playstation Museum

Sega 8-Bit

The Playstation Galleria (this one is long dead, and takes a while to load some pages)

DAVE SHARPES SEGA SATURN SITE (another long dead site)

racket Boy

Absolute Playstation

Online Consoles (this site doesn't feature any reviews, but is a site for members to link up and play DC, GC, and PS2 games online with each other.)

And I'm sure I'm forgetting about a few that I haven't listed here as well. I'm always on the lookout for a new user created site, or blog, so feel free to promote you own work in the comments section, or even promote a site you enjoy going to.

My Must-Play PS2 Games

2010-01-29T02:24:00.000-08:00

Is it really coming up on ten years? It seems just like yesterday that I was opening my brand new PS2 for Christmas 2001. It was the old fat model with Gran Turismo 3 as a pack-in game. Along with that, I also got Timesplitters which was the game I wanted most in the early PS2 lineup. Man it didn't disappoint. Not only did I get to experience the prettiest racing game at the time, but I was happily fragging away in Timesplitters without a care in the world.

Who would have guessed that nine years and 272 (as of my writing this) PS2 games later, I'd still be gaming on the system as strongly as I ever did. I've got so many memories fromt he last ten years of gaming involving Sony's second system. High school, every friday night, at my friend's house with four or five guys huddled around on shiny PS2 system. My introduction to online gaming came from that same friend's house when he bought the original Socom. Lets also not forget the time it took us four hours of playing in SSX to get first in one particular race with Elise. Many the cursing tirades that went on that day would make a sailor blush.

Let's also not forget the game my friend took a chance on buying (before the hype had started) that turned the gaming world upside down called Grand Theft Auto III. More hours gone taking turns in that game. You played until you died, and then you passed the controller on.

There are just so many stories, and memories attached to gaming on the PS2 that it feels like a kick in the butt when I heard from two different local gaming stores that they were mo longer carrying the PS2, or it's games anymore. It's a sad day for gaming when Wal Mart is now the only shop in town that still carries PS2 games. It has even made me mad enough to decide that I no longer will gives those stores my business, because of the lack of respect they showed for arguably the greatest gaming console of all time.

Despite owning both and Xbox 360, and PS3, I still play the PS2 the most to this day. It's quite possibly the most iconic gaming system of all time. In the very least that most iconic this millennium.

So with that, I give you my still work-in-progress Must Play PS2 Games List. I'm still collecting, and playing PS2 games, so as I experience more games even in my own collection expect me to update this list. There are a ton of great PS2 games out there, and I have a good amount of them, but, like any great system, I'll take me years to experience all the PS2 has to offer.

Note: these are based off of my own personal collection of PS2 games, and is my own personal opinion. If there's a game on there that you think should be on there that's not, then I probably, don't own it, don't like it, or haven't played it enough to suggest it as of yet (which includes a lot of the RPG games I own for the system). Be cool, I'll get around to it eventually, I just want to make sure that I experience the most of what a game offers before I put it on the list.

The List:

Activision Anthology

Also On: GBA,(and PC, and Mac as a Remixed version)

You get 48 Classic Atari 2600 games on one PS2 disk. What more could the oldschool gamer want? Sure some of them haven't aged well, but there are still a number of great classics. I never owned a 2600, and this collection is a great way for me to go back and play some classics that I was too young to play the first time. It even throws in some 80's music, and unlockable Atari Commercials from back in the day. This is a great collection for Nostalgic Gamers, and retro enthusiasts alike.

The Adventures of Cookie & Cream

Also on: None (there is a sequel on the DS)

Don't let the cutesy nature fool you, The Adventures of Cookie and Cream is one of the most addictive two player games on the PS2. This one was an early PS2 game, and was largely overlooked by gamers. Think A two player split screen puzzle platformer where what you do on one side of the screen effects what happens on the other player's screen. It's filled with clever puzzles, and is just a blast with a friend. You can play it alone, but it's a lot harder to do. It's best played with a friend. Those parents out there looking for a good game to play with their children should also look into C&C. So should those twenty something males who are firm enough in their masculinity to not care if they play a cutesy, but fun game.

Alien Hominid

Also on: Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PC, Xbox 360 (XBLA)

This was apparently a web-based game prior to being ported to the major consoles. Alien Hominid is a 2D shooter in the tradition of Contra, and many more that have come before. It's very much not an easy game, but those looking for a good oldschool style 2D shooter would do well to look into Alien Hominid. It requires oldschool patience, but it's a very fun little shooter. It also has a very addictive, and challenging side-quest minigame. It's art style also reminds me of TV shows like Invader Zim.

The developers of Aline Hominid later went on to make Castle Crashers on Xbox Live Arcade.

Amplitude

Also on : None

Amplitude, along with it's it's prequel, Frequency, are the precursors to the Guitar Hero franchise. It plays like Guitar Hero minus the guitar. You're also not focused on just one aspect of a song. the point is to activate tracks of the song in order to keep your energy level up, and to keep the song playing. The tracks are split up into the different parts of the song for example, guitar, base, vocals, synth, and etc. It's a very challenging, yet addictive game. Think of it as playing Guitar Hero with a controller, but expanded so you have to build the entire song instead of just focusing on the guitar.

Area 51

Also on: Xbox, and PC

Area 51 is an overlooked FPS that's based on the old light gun arcade game. The action is intense, the controls are smooth, and the conspiracy filled story is great. The voice acting is also great, and contains voice overs by David Duchovny and even Marilyn Manson. It's online play is also really fun, and the PS2 version has a hardcore following of players who are on every day. From what I hear, there is no one playing online on the Xbox version, but I couldn't say about the PC version.

For those interested on seeing how many people are online in this game right this moment, go here:

http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/mods.asp?id=989&s=1

Art of Fighting Anthology

Also on: None

AoF Anthology contains the first three AoF games. While the first two games show their age, the third on is still a solid title. If you're looking for some oldschool 2D fighting action, then AoF Anthology should fit the bill nicely. However, if you're a new game, or Capcom snob, then this collection probably won't interest you. If you're a nostalgic SNK fan, or a retro 2D fighting game fan in general, then check this Anthology out.

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance

Also on: Xbox, GC, and GBA

I don't own Dark Alliance II, but the original was an early hack-'n-slash dungeon crawl. Though it's different from it's predecessors on the PC, Dark Alliance is a great RPG if you're a fan of western RPGs like Diablo. It even allows for Coop play.

Beyond Good and Evil

Also on: GC, PC, and Xbox

Beyond Good and Evil is a little hard to describe. Think a more open world adventure game. It's got a little Zelda mixed with some GTA mixed with some stealth action, and some other things thrown in there for good measure. It's also got a great storyline that'll keep you hooked. This one has gotten more attention lately, but was underrated at the time of it's release.

Black

Also on: Xbox

While I don't agree with the assertion by the fans of Black that it is the best FPS on the PS2, I do agree that it is a good FPS that should be played by fans of the genre. It plays in a more mission based scripted structure, and it plays very well. There's even a little environmental destruction to be had here and there. The downside is that there's no multiplayer of any kind in the game, but it's a very solid single player game.

Bombastic

Also on: None

Bombasic is the PS2 sequel to the extremely addictive PS1 game Devil Dice. They have changed a few things. The puzzle mode has more of a quest feel to it as opposed to just solving a bunch of puzzles like in the original game. The Multiplayer is just as frantic as ever though.

This game may be a little too cutesy for some people, but don't let it's image keep you from trying one of the most fun puzzle games on the PS2.

Call of Duty Series

Also on: various (for the Main series, and GC and Xbox for Big Red one, Finest Hour, and Xbox for Cod3)

Though they are a little bit too scripted, the Call of Duty series on the PS2 is still the best WWII FPS experience out there when it comes to being put in the epic battle scenes. My personal favorite is Finest Hour for the single player. The first three PS2 CoD games have Online multiplayer. I don't own CoD3 ont he PS2, but I know it has a following, but even Finest Hour, and Big Red One have hardcore followings amongst their fans, and there are still (in the year 2010) people who play FH, and BRO online daily. Not a ton of people, but enough to get a game or two.

To see how many people are playing Finest Hour online right this second go here:

http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/mods.asp?id=1022&s=1

For Big Red One go here:

http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/mods.asp?id=1209&s=1

Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1, and Vol. 2

Also on: Xbox, a Remixed version is on the PSP

These are two of the best classic arcade games compilations for the PS2. Some may even argue that they are the best. Either way, you can't deny that both of these give you tons of great classic for a very cheap price. I'm talking Ghouls 'n Ghosts, multiple versions of Street Fighter II, 1942, Strider, Knights of The Round, and so many man more. I know exactly how stingy Capcom is with their games, so I don't expect them to ever give us another compilation like these two, because they're more than likely going to split all their games up and sell them individually in DLC for maximum money raking. They've made some great games, but I can't stand their business practices.

Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001

Also on: Arcades, DC, (and as an upgraded edition on the GC and Xbox known as Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO),

What can I say, you can't beat Capcom and SNK when it comes to 2D fighting, and to have a game that puts characters from both developer's top games into one was a dream come true for many fans. The GC and Xbox ports were upgraded (I'm not sure exactly how), but the PS2 still has the best D-pad for 2D fighters. Any version you can get it in, you should. It's not the greatest 2D fighter ever, but it's still a very good one, and worth a look from fans of 2D fighters.

Cold Winter

Also on: None

Cold Winter plays like a mix between a James Bond game, and Soldier of Fortune. It's got a darker spy storyline than the usually light hearted ones found in a 007 movie, and it's got exploding body parts like the infamous Soldier of Fortune franchise. It also ads some cool features like the ability to search to bodies of your enemies for body armor, and other useable items, and the ability to make things like lock picks, and molotov coctails by combining various items you pick up throughout the differnt levels. It didn't get a whole lot of attention for it's time, but it's a good game. It also has a fun split screen with bots, and even online play though people rarely play.

To see how many people are online on the game right now (not likely to be many if any) go here:

http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/mods.asp?id=847&s=1

Contra: Shattered Soldier

Also on: None

Finally, a 3D Contra that gets it. If you have to give us 3D graphics, Konami, give us the same great 2D gameplay of the past Contra games. This game is pure oldschool Contra, and it's a blast. It's also oldschool in challenge, so if you're not patient, you may as well pass on this one, because if you don't take the time to learn the game, the game will school you instead. However, oldschool Contra fans will be in heaven.

I don't have the sequel Neo Contra, so I can't judge that one.

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2

Also on: GC, Xbox, GBA

This is the sequel to my own personal favorite extreme spots game of all time, and it's one of the few BMX games that have come down the pipe in recent years. The biggest appeal of the Dave Mirra franchise, despite taking from the Tony Hawk franchise, was the ability to combine tricks. For example, in most extreme games, you could do a tailwhip, and a backflip, but you couldn't do them at the same time. In Mirra, you can easily pull of such a combination, and so much more. I played the absolute living hell out of the original, but I, unfortunately haven't put as much time into this one as I should. However, seeing as the only other good alternative to THPS for BMX is Tony Hawk....er...Mat Hoffman's Pro (THPS copy) BMX, Mirra 2 is still the best BMX game on the system. (Please lets all forget about that turd BMX XXX)

Z-Axis, the developer, later went on to make Agressive Inline (a game that I don't own yet), and was later bought by Activision themselves.

Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore

Also on: Dreamcast, (and Xbox on DOA Ultimate)

This is the only installment of the DoA franchise to make it to the PS2, and though it's a little bit shallow, DoA is still a good fighting series. Even without the jiggle physics, this game would be highly recommended. It may have less depth than Tekken, or especially Virtua Fighter, but it's playable, and fun. If you have an Xbox, you should probably check out DoA Ultimate instead, but if you're still a PS2 person, give Doa2: Hardcore a look.

Deus Ex: The Conspiracy

Also on: PC

Though the PC version is overall better, the PS2 version of Deus Ex still maintains the great gameplay of the original which makes it one of the best FPS games on the PS2 hands down. I do like some of the redesigned areas in the PS2 version, and also the expanded inventory (where I don't have to constantly go into my inventory to get rid of useless items like in the PC version). The character models are also better looking than in the PC version,but the textures are lower rez. Either way, this is one of my favorite PS2 games period, and I can't suggest it, or the PC version enough. Truly one of the greatest games of all time. It even lets you use a USB keyboard and mouse to play in the PS2 version which is nice to have as an option.

Devil May Cry

Also on: None

What can I say, this is the game that made action cool again. This was the first game I bought for my PS2 (I had two games prior that I got for Christmas), and I wasn't disappointed. I originally played the demo of the game from my friend's copy of Resident Evil Code Veronica X, and we were hooked. Though, now in hindsight, I'm not a huge fan of the DMC series anymore, the first one is still great. I have the second one, but have yet to play much of it, and I didn't bother with DMC3. I just got worn out of DMC, and all it's clones, but I may some day come back to play the third.

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, and Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories

Also on: The PSP as Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, and Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days

These are perhaps the most expansive, and in-depth strategy RPGs of all time. These totally broke the mold and expanded what an strategy RPG is. I mean, for starters, you can work your way up to level 9,999, instead of the measly level 99 of most RPGs. It's also meant to be played through multiple times where you keep your levels from each time through, so bosses that you think you were meant to lose to the first time through, you can beat the second time though thus changing the story. Then you throw in the item worlds, and there is perhaps too much to do in this game. Every item in the game can be leveled up by going into the item itself, and fighting through multiple stages with bosses every ten stages. If you're a completionist, look forward to literally spending thousands of hours on these games. They totally break the mold on the genre and make anything else look limited by comparison.

Downhill Domination

Also on: None

Think SSX on bikes, and you'll get the gist. It's just fast, fun, and furious racing action with tons of shortcuts, and big jumps to be had. It's not particularity original, but that doesn't keep it from being a blast to play.

Dynasty Warriors series

Also on: Xbox, PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, DS

Despite the idiocy of what the mainstream gaming media tells, you, the Dynasty warriors series is great series. I've always been a huge beat 'em up fan, and to all those idiots out there saying uninformed crap like "Oh it's the same game." I dare you to go back and play Dynasty Warriors 2, and then go play Dynasty warriors 5, and then tell me how they are both the same with your foot in your mouth. The series actually has changed quite a bit, and has evolved. The only really valid complaint that can be waged against the series isn't the "Oh it's so repetitive, it's always the same thing, I'm gonna go play the exact same gametype in Halo 3 online for ten ****ing hours," that the uninformed idiots in the mainstream gaming media tell you, it's that they did whore this series out a little. However, the good thing is, you don't have to buy every DW game out there, you can just buy the newest one, and just enjoy the hell out of the simple, yet fun gameplay.

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 1

Also on: None

This, like Art of Fighting Anthology, is another solid SNK fighting collection. Though the original Fatal Fury hasn't aged that well, FF2, FF Special, and FF3 are all three still solid 2D fighters. Once again, if you're into 2D fighters, or SNK games, you should really look into this collection.

Final Fantasy X, XII

Also on: None

Do I really need to describe the FF series to you? Probably not. They're the most popular, and most played RPG games of all time, and if you like JRPGs (remember when the term RPG actually just meant JRPG?) then you should no doubt give the PS2 iterations a try. FFXI, however was an MMORPG, and requires the PS2 HDD, the old Fat PS2 Model, and a monthly fee to play, so you're better off getting it on the PC or not at all considering it's really not a FF game in my book.

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns

Also on: None

The Fire Pro series is an extremely popular series that spans multiple generation dating back the the 16-bit days. Graphically, it's pretty much a glorified 16-bit wrestling game, but from a gameplay standpoint, it's extremely fun. The wrestling system takes some getting used to, but once you do get used to it, you'll find it to be incredibly deep despite the simple look of the game. Also, because of the simple graphics, you can have eight man brawls with two multitaps hooked up to one PS2 and on one TV which can turn this game into a multiplayer beast.

The biggest draw of FPWR, howver, is the customization. The game leaves it open for you to create any wrestler alive, and what's more, you can make custom mat logos, so you can even create any wrestling organization you want. This is the level customization in this game is second to none. I strongly urge you to look up the various youtube vids of people's created federations. You'll be absolutely blown away at what this game will allow you to create.

Freedom Fighters

Also on: GC, PC, Xbox

The good old Soviet Union has invaded New York City, and a group of Freedom Fighters has banded together to resist Ivan. Freedom Fighters is a mission based third-person squad shooter. Controlling the squad is a breeze, and the game is very fun. If you're into third person shooters, then check this one out.

Frequency

Also on:None

Like Amplitude, Frequency is a precursor the the Guitar Hero franchise. In Frequency, the objective is simple. Your objective is to activate different tracks of a song by hitting the notes in sequence in order to play the song. The tracks are split up between , bass, guitar, F/X, vocal, drums, and synth. Each song is split up into sections, and you'll have to activate each track in each section. The whole purpose it to get the entire song playing while keeping your energy level up. Missing notes will drain your energy.

There are also powerups along the way to help you out. The auto-catcher automatically activates the track for you when activated (which is quite helpful for people like me who suck), and the multiplier doubles the score you get for the next eight bars. It even gives players the ability to remix the songs in the game.

God of War & God of War II

Also on: PS3 in a high definition double pack

I originally had no interest in God of War. To me, it looked like just another DMC rip-off, and I was burn out of DMC, so I couldn't care less for it. I finally decided to buy it for $20 Greatest Hit, and was pleasantly surprised by it. The part that really appeals to me is the adventure elements more than anything. They broke up the action elements nicely, and gave the game more variety. I'm still not a fan of Quick Time Events in my action games, because I feel they take me out of the action, and make the game feel like it's playing itself, and allowing you to barely participate by occasionally pressing buttons, but the fun combat, and the adventure elements made me forgive the QTEs. I do find the series to be a little overrated, but I did enjoy playing both GoW games.

Gradius III and IV, and Gradius V

Also on: Snes (Graduis III, but it's not an arcade perfect port like the PS2 version), Arcade (Gradius III, and IV), and None (Gradius V)

Gradius is a classic Shmup series, and the gameplay stands the test of time. Gradius III, and IV was a launch game for the PS2,a nd was mostly overlooked, and Gradius V was made by none other than the legendary Japanese developer Treasure. If you're a shmup fan, then you owe it to yourself to get both of these games. However, if you're a sissyfied new school gamer, you may not have the patience to learn these games.

Gran Turismo Series

Also on: PS1, PSP, and PS3

This is another no-brainer. I also don't have to describe this series seeing as it's the best selling Sony franchise the last two generations. If you're a sim racing fan, then it doesn't get much better than GT. Many would-be challengers have come and gone, but GT still remains the most iconic racing sim on the market.

Grand Theft Auto series

Also on: PC, PSP, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360

The best selling franchise of last gen also needs no introductions. Chances are, if you have a PS2, you've played GTA in one form or another. My personal favorite is still Vice City, but San Andreas did add some really cool refinements to the gameplay like character customization. GTA4 on the next gen consoles feels like a step back in the gameplay department to San Andreas which is sad.

Guilty Gear X, and X2

Also on: Arcade, Xbox (as Guilty Gear X2 #Reload which is apparently an expanded edition) , PC, and DC (X, but not X2)

What you've got here is the only 2D fighting franchise in recent history that can give Capcom and SNK a run for their money. It takes 2D fighter concepts, and puts it's own spin on the formula. If you're a fan of 2D fighters, again, look into this one. It's a good alternative the Capcom and SNK offerings. There are even fans of the series that prefer Guilty Gear over other 2D fighters.

Gungrave, and Gungrave: Overdose

Also on: None

I really enjoyed them, but they're not for everyone. Those who don't mind a little button mashing should look into Gungrave. The games keep it simple. shoot s***, and repeat. That pretty much sums up the both games. Many gamers will find them to be extremely repetitive, but I really enjoyed them both. They keeps it simple, and that's what I like about them. They're just a stylish, and mindless shooter, and there's nothing wrong with that so long as you take them for what they are. There is some story to be had as well, but the games are, for the most part, all about the action.

GunGriffon Blaze

Also on: None

Gungriffon Blaze was a PS2 launch game. It's a mission based mech game similar in concept to Armored Core (which also had a game at the PS2's launch). You complete missions, and collect powerups to upgrade your mech. The biggest issue that will throw many gamers off in this game is the control scheme. The game has many preset control schemes (a few of which mimic the Saturn's control scheme for fans of the series), but none of them feel quite right. Yes, there is a dual stick control scheme, but the conventional left stick moves and right stick aims is reversed. This will throw most gamers off, but you get used to it after a while.

Half-Life

Also on: PC

What can you say about Half-Life, it's one of the best FPS games of all time, and the PS2 version is every bit as good in the single player as the PC original. For it's time it was actually better than the PC version featuring upgraded graphics, but the HD pack was later released on the PC making them equal. The PS2 version also allows you to used a USB keyboard and mouse combo, and for those who have a copy of the Official Playstation Magazine Demo Disk Number 57, you can even play the Half-Life Uplink demo.

I-Ninja

Also on: GC, Xbox, PC, GBA

I-Ninja is an action platformer where you play as a super deformed ninja. Most people will instantly be turned off by the look of the game, but don't be fooled by that first impression, this game packs a punch in the gameplay department. It's extremely solid, and is definitely worth a look from platformer fans. There is a lot of variety to it's gameplay. Each level seems to do something different. Sure you've got your straightforward platformer levels, but you've also got, for lack of a better word, mini-game like levels that give the game more variety (including one where you're a giant robot fighting another giant robot that plays like punchout). THa game isn't for the faint of heart though, because it can be pretty challenging at times.

ICO

Also on: None

Completely underrated when it first hit, Ico has now gotten some well deserved attention from the gamers as of late. Ico plays sort of like and adventure-puzzle game where you play as a horned boy who has to guide a mysterious girl around a large castle filled with various puzzles to overcome. It's a great game, and it should be experienced by every PS2 owner. It's truly a unique, and artistically beautiful game.

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Also on: None

I own Jak II, but not Jak III. I haven't put a lot of time on Jak II, but I wasn't a big fan of the Jak-Theft-Auto Gameplay. I always start a game in it, but end up having to delete my save for memory card space, so I can't suggest it yet, because I haven't fully experienced it. Not that I'm saying it's bad, but just that I haven't played it enough yet.

However, the orignal Jak and Daxter is one of my favorite PS2 games. It beautifully combines the traditional platformer with adventure game elements. This is the game that finally got me into platformers, because I wasn't the biggest fan of them in the PS1/N64 days. It's also the first one that I tried to complete 100% when I borrowed it from a friend. I missed it by one scout fly. I've since bought it again recently, and am replaying it again. Great game.

Kengo: Master of Bushido

Also on: None

Kengo was an early PS2 game that was the unofficial sequel to the Bushido Blade series on the PS1. It doesn't have the one hit kills like Bushido Blade does, but it has similar gameplay nonetheless. You have the option to play a tournament mode that's essentially just your traditional fighting game mode, but this game also has a really good single player mode where you build up your stats and move up the ladder. It's a fun addition that gives the game a lot of replay value.

Killzone

Also on: None

Yes, I do also recommend the original Killzone. Yes it is flawed, and was unfairly raped by the gaming media who rated it as the Halo killer it was hyped to be, but overall, Killzone is still a solid experience. The controls feel off at first, but unlike most modern FPS (including Killzone 2), the controls are 100% customizable. You can choose what every button does in the game which is a very nice touch. The aiming will definitely take some tweaking, because the default aim is way off. It's not perfect, or the best PS2 FPS, but at the core, it has intense, and addictive FPS gameplay. The level designs are linear, but they let you play them how you want to without the annoying scripted interruptions of modern FPS games, and that's what I found appealing about it. It has it's share of glitches, but it's still a solid shooter.

Kinetica

Also on: None

Kinetica was a very early PS2 futuristic racer. You've seen it all before in other games, but not all before in one game. Think Wipeout meets Extreme G, meets Rollcage, meets SSX, and you'll nearly be there. This game is an absolute blast to play. The game does have a steep learning curve. There's a lot of stuff that goes into racing in this game that have to be mastered in order to be successful. Overall, the game is just plain fun, and was largely overlooked by the general gaming public.

The King of Fighters XI

Also on: The Arcade

The King of Fighters XI is another great 2D fighter from SNK Playmore. The KOF series itself never seems to get the recognition is deserves from gamers. This version has the smoothest D-pad controls I've played in a console 2D fighter since the days of the awesome Genesis D-pad. If you're a fan of SNK fighters, or just 2D fighters in general, then you should definitely pick this one up. I found mine new for $10 in a Circuit City bargain bin.

Kingdom Hearts series

Also on: PSP, DS, GBA

This is another one that I don't have to explain a lot about. A Squaresof action RPG that combines Squaresoft characters with Disney characters. Not much more to say really. If you're an action RPG fan, you probably already know all about this one.

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil

Also on: None

Klonoa 2 is the sequel to the PS1 original Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. It's a super addictive, and fun 2.5D platformer that, while it doesn't do anything new, is refined as games of this type get. You've seen everything this game has to offer before, but Klonoa 2 holds on to the best elements of the genre. This is a must play for fans of 2D platformers.

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact

Also on: Xbox as King of Fighters Maximum Impact Maniax which has a Japanese language option, and online play

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact is SNK Playmore's foray into the 3D fighting world, and while it's not perfect, it's definitely a better 3D run than the Street Fighter EX series IMO. SNK Playmore has brought their premier fighting franchise into the 3D realm in style. It's a fast and furious 3D fighter with 2D fighter gameplay. It also ads a few things due to the change into the new dimension.

However, it seems that the Xbox version would be the superior version to get if you hae to option. The PS2 version still plays great, but the Xbox version offers more features.

Mad Maestro

Also on: None

Mad Maestro Is a music puzzle game released under Eidos' Fresh Games Label. It's one of those fun little niche games that didn't get much recognition when it came out.

The concept is simple, you have to hit a button at the appropriate time when the cursor hits the little Cue Points. The color of the Cue Point determines how much pressure you should put on the PS2's analog buttons when you hit them. Blue means a soft touch, green means medium, and red means hard. You'll also occasionally have to hold a direction on the D-pad when you hit the button. It sounds simple because it is. Simple or not though, this game isn't a push over. It can get quite challenging, and it's very addictive.

The Mark of Kri

Also on: None

The Mark of Kri is one of my favorite action adventure games on the PS2. It's got a unique art style, interesting stoyline told in unique animation sequences, a unique combat system, and is overall great game.

It's been described as a Disney movie mixed with Conan the Barbarian. It's got a cartoony look, but it's got plenty of bloody action. There are even plenty of stealth elements as well. Many times during the game, you get the option to either run in there kicking ass and taking names, or you can sneak up on unsuspecting foes for a stealth kill. The combat system assigns enemies with various buttons on the controller, so you can easily defend multiple opponents from all sides.

I'm serious, you need to play this game, and it's sequel Rise of the Kasai. It never got the respect it deserved, and will probably never get a next gen sequel.

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

Also on: None

I only just recently got it's sequel, so I haven't played it enough to suggest it as of yet, but I can definitely suggest the original Maximo to you. It's a spiritual successor tot he Ghosts 'n Goblins series, and like that series, has a good challenge to it. Fun game, and worth a look of your and action adventure gaming fan.

Medal of Honor: Frontline

Also on: GC, and Xbox with an added multiplayer mode

This was the first Medal of Honor game on the PS2, and it's still my personal favorite. It even features the now infamous D-Day scene, but the majority of the gameplay is less big battle scenes, and more espionage style missions that go nicely with the OSS theme. It goes more into the mythos of WWII, than the big overdone battle sequences. It's more of a game about a spy than a soldier in a unit, and that's what appeals to me about it. I think the series has lost it's way over the years while trying to be more like Call of Duty, but this is still a strong outing for the series.

Mega Man Anniversary Collection

Also on: GC, Xbox, and GBA

A classic compilation of the first eight Mega Man games with two unlockable Mega Man games that were never released in America. This is another one for nostalgic Mega Man fans, or retro gaming fans. The Mega Man series is one of the best series ever made, and this compilation is a steal.

Mega Man X collection is also available on the PS2, but I have yet to get it, but having played many of the Mega Man X games in the past, I can also suggest that one as well.

Metal Gear Solid series:

Also on: various

This is another one that most gamers should know. Out of Metal Gear Solid 2, or MGS3, I have a hard time picking a favorite. I suppose that by default it'd be MGS2 (despite Raiden), because I've played through it more, but Snake Eater is also great. I'd suggest getting Subsistence because it comes with the Original MSX versions of Metal Gear, and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (which was perviously unreleased in America).

The MGS series is a product of great,a nd imaginative game design from Hideo Kojima who's one of the best game designers in gaming history.

Midway Arcade Treasures, 2, and 3

Also on: GC, and Xbox

These three compilations are filled with classic Midway arcade games, and make another great addition to any retro fan's library. The fisrt one contains retro greats like Defender, Smash TV, Robotron, Root Beer Tapper, and many more. Midway Arcade Treasures 2 features more games from the nineties including arcade perfect ports of Mortal Kombat 2, and Mortal Kombat 3. MAT3 features classic Midway racing games including San Francisco Rush, Rush 2049, Offroad Challenge, and Hydro Thunder. As you can see, last gen was very good to retro gaming fans with tons of great compilations.

Mister Mosquito

Also on: None

This is just one of those off-the-wall games. This game is truly weird, and may leave you feeling a little dirty/perverted at times. You play as..well, a mosquito who torments a poor Japanese family over the course of a summer. It plays like a flight game of sorts, and the whole ideal is to hit preselected points on your victims to suck however much blood is required without getting squashed. It's truly a weird game, and may be too niche for some gamers out there.

Perhaps someone should tell the developers that only Female Mosquitoes suck blood.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

Also on: GC, Xbox, and GBA

This was a rebirth of sorts for the MK series which most gamers would say had gotten stale. This adds the ability to switch your fighting style on the fly which opens up the door for some krazy kombos. It also adds a quest mode to gives the game more replay value. I don't have either of the sequels as of yet, but I really liked this new turn for the franchise. The best part, no Liu Kang. He gets blown up in a hilarious fashion at the beginning of the game. It's OK, because his screams were always terribly annoying.

Primal

Also on: None

Primal is a dark and puzzle heavy adventure game. The game's larger focus on exploration and puzzles will bore the God of War crowd. There is some action to be had, but it's not the most in depth combat system.

I personally love this game. It's a great game for those willing to get into it. If you like the older adventure games that are more exploration based, then you should definitely look into this game. You won't be disappointed. Expect to be lost a lot though, but that makes it more rewarding when you finally figure out the solutions.

Prince of Persia series

Also on: Xbox, GC, PC, and GBA

OK, so I don't honestly own a PoP game on the PS2. I actually own Sands of Time, and Two Thrones on the Xbox, but since the PS2 version retains the same great gameplay, I can also suggest it to action-adventure gaming fans. Think an action adventure games that further refines the gamplay mechanics found in the Tomb Raider series (which was based on the 2D Prince of Persia games to begin with), and makes the whole experience smoother, and throws in some cool sword play as well.

Project Eden

Also on: PC

This is another one that won't be for everyone. Project Eden is a puzzle over action focused third person squad based shooter. In the game each character has their own special unique abilities that you'll need to take advantage of in order progress through the game.

Project Eden isn't completely and totally devoid of action sequences, but that's not the game's main focus. There is plenty of action in the later levels for those itching to get some, but it's getting to those levels that will be the problem for those gamers who aren't willing to tough it out.

This game is not easy. It's definitely one for those who like to think a lot with their games, but I'd expect no less from the people who brought us Tomb Raider. It does not hold your hand like most games of today. It expects you to be able to figure everything out on your own, and that's why many people will probably pass on this one.

Project: Snowblind

Also on: Xbox, and PC

Project: Snowblind is a branch off of the Deus Ex series. The game still shares similar elements to the Deus Ex series, like a bio-modification like system, but it plays as a more scripted FPS game as opposed to the more open approach in the Deus Ex games. The game is short in length, and the online multiplayer in the PS2 version has already been killed.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Also on: Xbox, and PC

Psi Ops is a really well made third person shooter that enfuses gunplay with psychic abilities. I got this game because I'd heard many good things bout it, and I really like it. It's similar in concept to another lesser known game called Second Sight.

R-Type Final

Also on: None

Supposedly the final game in the long running R-Type series (they lied of course), R-Type Final keeps the series' tradition of tough, but satisfying shmup gameplay. Like the other shmups, this game will eat you alive if you're not prepared or practiced in it. Just like the games of old, you have to learn this game, or this game will school you. That means that many weaker gamers won't have the patience to see this one through.

Those who do, however, will find an awesome Shmup with tons of unlockables (giving the game a lot of replay value), and beautiful 3D environments.

RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive

Also on: None

RAD is an interesting very Japanese style game where you control a giant robot with intent of protecting your city from attack from other giant robots know as the Volgara.

The game is really fun to play, and has it's own very unique control scheme. The story however, isn't anything worth talking about, and the voice acting is strictly "B" material. Also, at times it's hard to get a good angle on the action, because you're playing from your human character's perspective, and the controls, while unique, may be too difficult for some people.

However, if you're a fan of giant robot on giant monster violence (and who isn't?), then try R.A.D. out.

Ratchet and Clank

Also on: None

To tell you the truth, I do not own any of the R&C games but the original. Yes, I know, shame on me. I'll get them eventually for sure, because the original is one of the best platformers on the PS2. I can't recommend it enough, if you're a fan of platfomers, then you need to get the R&C games if you haven't already. I know i'll be collecting the other two fromt he main series soon.

Red Faction

Also on: PC

Red Faction's story unfolds in a similar manor to Half-Life, which isn't a bad thing, but the best part about the game is that it still has the best destruction engine in gaming history. Not even it's next gen big bro....bastard child comes close to the coolness of the Geo Mod engine in the original Red Faction. Mixing the Geo-mod with a lengthy, and well designed FPS campain make Red Faction one of my favorite FPS games on the PS2. It had a really innovative concept that unfortunately hasn't fully been followed up on even nine years after it's release.

Red Faction II was kinda meh IMO, but it had a fun bot-deathmatch. Doesn't come close to being as good as the original though.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection

Also on: Xbox, and PC

I honestly have never played the PC original, but this PS2 port is a surprisingly fun game. It lacks multiplayer like the Xbox version (which I also own), but it has a cool system where you can buy upgrades for your character in-between the single player levels. You get the skill points by finding all the secrets in each level. This adds a cool customization element that is missing from the Xbox version of the game, and give you a reason to try and find every last hidden area in the game. The controls are also 100% customizable like they would be on the PC.

From a single player-standpoint, it may not be as pretty as the xbox version, but it plays better.

Rez

Also on: Dreamcast (import), and Xbox 360 (as Rez HD on XBLA)

The best way to describe Rez is Panzer Dragoon on acid. It's a rail shooter/music game hybrid that puts on a mesmerizing light show too. This game is a lot of fun. If you don't like rail shooters, however, it probably won't change your mind. It's also relatively short, but it's still worth a look from every PS2 owner.

Rise of the Kasai

Also on: None

This is the sequel to The Mark of Kri, and it retains all the good stuff from the original. It's got a good story, an expanded cast of playable characters, and it retains all the great gameplay elements that I liked about The Mark of Kri. If you liked the original game, then you should look into this one.

Rumble Racing

Also on: None

Rumble Racing is the non Nascar lisenced sequel to Nascar Rumble on the PS1. It still maintains the thrills of it's predecessor, but throws in an extra stunt system that gives you extra boosts. For those who don't remember the original, Rumble Racing feels like a mix between Rush 2049,a nd Mario Kart. It's fast, it's furious, and it's damn fun. Every PS2 owner should play this one. This is proof that even EA can make great games.

S.L.A.I. -Steel Lancer Arena International-

Also on: None

This is a really fun mech combat game. It's the sequel to an Xbox game called Phantom Crash. It's similar to mixing Armored Core with Virtual On, and maybe some Custom Robo as well.

It had an online mode, but Konami shut the servers down. Even without it, it's a great game that should be played by everyone.

Samurai Warriors series

Also on: Xbox, and Xbox 360

As with the Dynasty Warriors series, this is a fun beat 'en up on an epic scale. Yes, they're repetitive in nature, but they're just more blatant about it than other games. Like I said simple, yet fun.

Second Sight

Also on: PC, GC, and Xbox

Second Sight is very similar in concept to Psi-Ops. They have different executions, but I think it's a case of developers thinking the same thing at around the same time.This game was developed by Free Radical of Timesplitters fame, and runs on the Timesplitters game engine. You'll even hear similar voices (I can hear Cortez), and, of course, great music.

SEGA Genesis Collection

Also on: PSP

This is a great collection of Sega Genesis games. There are a few notable missing Genesis classics like the Streets of age series, but overall, this is another great classic game compilation. However, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis collection has most of these games on it, and more, so if you have a PS3, or Xbox 360, get that instead.

Serious Sam: Next Encounter

Also on: GC

Though this isn't the best game in the Serious Sam series, this is still a very fun arcadey first person shooter. As in other games in the series, the developers love to throw hordes, and hordes of baddies your way. Think Duke Nukem, and Doom to the extreme. It's got the oldschool shooter style. Not too big on story, and huge on action. That's what makes the Serious Sam games so fun, and this one is no exception.

Along with the Single Player, the PS2 version also has an online component. However, no one is ever on it, because it doesn't support a USB headset for communication. It does, however, support a USB keyboard for communication. It's online play would be of the oldschool Quake variety. Fast and furious arcade action.

For those of you who want to know how many people are playing click this link:

http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/mods.asp?id=887&s=1

Shadow of the Colossus

Also on: None

This is also one that has gotten a bunch of attention lately, and probably needs no introduction. Anyways, thing Zelda, minus the dungeons, but all boss fights, and you'll get some of the idea. The bosses in the game are absolutely massive, and you have to climb up on each one, and stab them in their glowing weak spot. Like Ico before it, SoTC is an artistically beautiful game, with some very unique gameplay. There's nothing quite like it.

Shinobi

Also on: None

Sega brought one of their most beloved 2D characters into the 3D realm for this game. While many people will dismiss this game as just trying to be another DMC, it's actually quite different in structure. The way the game is structured actually does remind me of oldschool games. The levels have a straightforward linear feel to them which some will complain about. There is a little exploration to be had, but in keeping up with the oldschool games, exploration isn't this game's focus. This isn't DMC where you have a place to explore. You won't have to find keys to unlock doors. You just go from point A to point B killing stuff. It's just that simple.

Shinobi is also tough, but learnable. Each boss has a specific pattern like the games of old, and while it's tough going at first, it's not like DMC where the bosses cheaply kick your ass 99% of the time, and you get lucky the other 1%. These bosses are tough, but learnable.

Sky Gunner

Also on: None

Sky Gunner reminds me a lot of Panzer Dragoon minus the rails. It's a charming little airplane shooter game that has a similar art style hasa Japanese anime flair . It is a really fun little shooter. It does have some slowdown issues, but the game is still very fun to play despite that issue.

Sniper Elite

Also on: Xbox, and PC

Sniper Elite is quite simply put the ultimate sniping game. Though it's gameplay setup has been done before in other games before, this game is the most realistic to sniping game to come along period. I'm not saying that it's 100% realistic to using a real sniper rifle and real scope (no game is nor do I believe will ever be on account that it wouldn't make for good gameplay), but it's the only game that I've seen that accounts for bullet drop.

You know those little notches on a scope that are just there for decoration in pretty much every game that has a sniper rifle in it? Unlike those games, in Sniper Elite, you really have to use them. This makes for an a lot more realistic an experience. Most games seem to think that scopes always shoot where they are aiming and the bullet always hits perfectly. In real life, that's quite simply not the case. A scope sighted-in at 50 yards will shoot low at 100, and a scope sighted-in at 100 yards will shoot high at fifty.

Socom series

Also on: PSP, and PS3

This is the PS2's biggest online series there is hands down. Even now in 2010, there are still people who play all four Socom games online every day. Think of a more tactical Counterstrike, and you'll get the gist of what the online play is like.

The single player experience in the Socom series, I think, is underrated. The common belief (or as I like to call it, common ignorance) about the series is thatthe single player mode was lagluster, but that's quite simply not the case. The Single player missions may not be the most in-depth tactical game ever made, but they are still well designed, and make for an enjoyable experience.

Soulcalibur II

Also on: Arcade, GC (with Link as the bonus character), and Xbox (With Spawn as the bonus character)

Featuring Heihachi from Tekken as the bonus character, Soul Calibur II features all the great fast and furious weapons-based fighting that I first experienced in a little game called Soul Blade (Soul Edge in the Arcade) on the PS1. The big appeal of the series besides the great fighting gameplay is the Weapons Master Mode where you compete in a series of battles that usually have preset conditions for victory in order to unlock new characters, weapons, stages, and outfits. The Soul Calibur series is my favorite fighting series the Namco produces hands down.

Space Channel 5: Special Edition

Also on: Dreamcast as Space Channel 5, and Space Channel 5 Part 2 (Import)

What can I say, this is an awesome deal. For the price of one mere game, you get two great Dreamcast ports for the price of one. SC5 is along the lines of Parappa the Rappa. It's a rhythm and dance game where you mimic the computer by putting in the same control sequences in that are called out to you. It's a simple concept with addictive gameplay.

Space Channel 5 Part 2 even has a cameo from the late Michael Jackson

Spartan: Total Warrior

Also on: Xbox, and GC

This game will definitely appeal to the Dynasty Warriors crowd. Playing like a more objective based Dynasty Warriors, Spartan Total Warrior was definitely overlooked by the general gaming public. Not to mention that it's overshadowed by a certain other Spartan on the PS2 (I think you know the guy I'm talking about). If you're into epic beat 'em ups, then give this Spartan a chance.

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

Also on: GC, and Xbox

This one I just got a few days ago, and I'm completely hooked already. Think a more platformer heavy version of Zelda, and you'll have a decent idea of what it is. I overlooked this game for years, and am now kicking myself for doing it. This is a very well designed game, and I can't suggest it more.

SSX series

Also on: GC, Xbox, GBA, and PSP

This series made snowboarding fun again by mixing intense racing with killer over-the-top tricks in tracks that were littered with tons of hidden shortcuts. I cannot tell you how many hours my friends and I logged into the original SSX alone. Great series. If you still haven't checked it out, now would be the perfect time to do so.

Star Wars Battlefront, and Battlefront II

Also on: Xbox, PC, Mac, and PSP

Borrowing the idea from the Battlefied series, the Star Wars Battlefront series lets you relive the classic star wars battles in a third person over-the-shoulder view (with a first person view as an option if you want it). The battlefields replicate many popular locales in the Star Wars universe, and you can play battles from the original Trilogy, or the new Trilogy. Overall, these games are some of the best Star Wars games ever made, and even if you're not a Star Wars fan, Battlefront 1, and 2 are still fun to play.

Steambot Chronicles

Also on: None

Steambot Chronicles is one of those games that is hard to describe. It is an adventure game with sandbox style gameplay, mech combat, an RPG feel, and even a little music game thrown in for good measure. The story, and feel remind me of an RPG, but the game plays like an adventure game. It is a really neat, and charming game, and I would recommend it to anyone. If you're into these types of games, you'll be hooked.

Summoner 1, and 2

Also on PC, and Mac for Summoner 1, and the GC as Summoner A Goddess Reborn for Summoner 2

Summoner 1 and 2 are two quality hack-and-slash RPGs that never get a lot of mention. Summoner 1 was a launch game for the PS2 and has some first gen issues, but is still a good RPG to sink some time into.

Summoner 2 changes the setting, the battle system, and the characters, but is also an RPG worth of your time if you're a fan of these kinds of RPGs.

Taito Legends 1 & 2

Also on: Xbox, and PC

I don't own the original on the PS2, I have it on the Xbox, but I do own Taito Legends 2 on the PS2. This is an awesome collection by one of the most underrated developers of all time. Just look at the lineup, of games, Darius Gaiden, G Darius Elevator Action, Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands, Rastan, Nastar, Dungeon Magic, Ray Storm, and so many other great arcade classics. Taito Legends 2 is the better of the two IMO, but both are great compilations. This is further proof that developers had a lot of love for we retro freaks last generation.

Tekken Tag Tournament

Also on: Arcade

To be honest this was the last Tekken game I ever cared about. It's feels like a director's cut of Tekken 3 (the best game in the series still) with an added tag feature, and a full cast of Tekken characters from the previous Tekken games. Tekken 4 and 5 didn't do much for me, but Tekken tag is still a great fighting game.

Timesplitters Series

Also on: None for the original, but Xbox and GC for Timesplitters 2, and Future Perfect

The Timesplitters series is the ultimate hardcore FPS fan dream come true. The first TS is a little basic as it was rushed out for the PS2's launch, but even it is a blast to play in multiplayer. Aside from solid single player experiences, the Timesplitters series also game FPS fans a great multiplayer, an innovative map editor for you to create your own multiplyer (and single player for the second two games) map, and tons of cool challenge modes with which to unlock all the extras in the games. If you think getting all the achievments in modern games makes you hardcore, try unlocking everything in a Timesplitters game. Sure, you don't get a trophy to show to the world, but you win at life. I'm serious.

This series comes from ex-Rare employees, and as far as I'm concerned, are the true heirs tot he Goldeneye, and Perfect Dark throne. Forget Perfect Dark Zero, Timesplitters is where the series really went. If you've never played this series, you have to try them.

Unfortunately, the online play in the PS2 version of Future Perfect has been canned, but you can always use Xlink for some crazy Online matches.

True Crime: New York City

Also on: GC, and Xbox

Overshadowed by the GTA series, the True Crime series seems at first like a second rate ripoff. I used to think that playing from a cop's perspective would cripple the fun, but I really enjoy the way this game makes being a cop seem like more than a title. You'll constantly have the ability to respond to a variety of emergency calls (or you can just ignore them and play the missions), or even shake down random people on the street. Throughout the game you'll gain police levels in an almost RPG kind of way which unlocks new weapons, and new vehicles, and etc. The combat system is also more in depth than GTA's, and the dual stick control is a godsend.

The biggest and most crippling part of the game is that is has a lot of glitches. I know it's a hassle, but if you save often, it can be dealt with. Whenever I boot the game up, I get sucked in for hours at a time. There's just something about it that grips me. Maybe I'm just crazy, but this was a great $10 buy for me, and I initially had no interest in playing this game.

Twisted Metal: Black

Also on: None

Though I still put Twisted Metal 2 at the top of all car combat games, Twisted Metal Black is up there near it. It brought the series in a new darker direction, and did it while retaining all the great gameplay that is a series trademark.

If you missed this one, or are still waiting for Sony to finally release a PS3 sequel, then now is the time to play it. Easily the best car combat game of the last decade.

Note: Twisted Metal Black Online (the free online multiplayer disk that Sony gave out with the PS2 Netword adapter) is no longer online on it's main servers. However, it does support Lan play, and hence can still be played on Xlink.

Urban Chaos: Riot Response

Also on: Xbox

This game shares the same name as a game previously released on the PS1, Dreamcast, and PC, but it actually has nothing to do with the original Urban Chaos. It's a case of them taking the name, but making a different game with it. UC is an objective heavy FPS. One of the cool things is you have to earn extra weapons in game playing bonus levels that you ave to earn based on how you play each level. If you play each level, you get coins, and if you get a certain amount of coins, you unlock said bonus levels. It's a really fun concept that really adds a lot of replay value for completeists.

Virtua Fighter 4

Also on: Arcade

I was first introduced to the Virtua Fighter series via Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn. I never realized exactly how much Tekken stole from VF till I played VF2 (long after I had already played Tekken 3). I was hooked. The depth in this game is unrivaled. Knowing when to block, duck, and when to use what attack it the key. It may only have one punch and one kick, but it still has more depth than Tekken ever did.

Virtua Fighter 4 doesn't have all the neat little mini games, or farting dinosaurs like Tekken does, but the added Kumite mode, and the A.I. mode (where you can train an A.I. Opponent, and let him compete in the Kumite mode) more than make up for it. It may not have all the distractions of Tekken, but it definitely has the better gameplay.

I don't have Virtu Fighter 4 Evolution, but that would be the better version to get than plain old VF4. Heck, they're both so cheap now, you can get them both.

Way of the Samurai

Also on: None

Do you remember those old choose your own adventure books? No? Well, in those books, you got to make your way though them by choosing what the next actions of that character were. They'd give you a choice, and you choose it, and depending on what you chose, your outcome would be different. It's the same concept with the way Way of the Samurai plays. The game is relatively short, but you never play through it the same way twice. It's got the whole ground hogs day thing going for it too where you'll have to play through it over and over again, but it'll still take you quite a while to see everything the game has to offer.

what may turn some people off to this game is that you only get to save at certain points, and there's no reloading your data. It actually deletes it once you load it, so you have to play until you either beat it, or you die. However, you keep all the swords, and earned abilities that you get throughout the game when you start back at the beginning next time, so it makes things easier as you go along. There's a lot more gameplay to the game than at first glance.

XIII

Also on: Xbox, PC, Gamecube, and Mac

XIII (13) is based off of a French comic book, and it's story parallels the Bourne Identity. It is a cell shaded FPS game that beyond all the graphical flash, is a very fun shooter. It doesn't do anything particularly new, but it's a refined and fun experience. It's also got a good storyline as well. It has an online mode too which very few people play on the PS2. I guess the biggest problem was the fact that the game doesn't support a USB headset, or a USB keyboard.

Yakuza

Also on: None

Yakuza is pretty much a beat 'em up RPG. It's similar to combining Shenmue and Streets of Rage. You even get item inventory, gain experience that you can use to level up your character's abilities, and even some random battles with street thugs. It's a fun game, and if you don't mind mature language, and beat 'em up gameplay, you should really look into this one.

I also really need to pick up Yakuza 2

Well that's it for now. I'm still collecting, and experiencing the games the PS2 has to offer, so this list is far from done. Who knows if it's even half done. There are a number of great games that I do own that I didn't post, because I haven't taken the time to fully experience. As I do I will update this list. Games like the Suikoden series, Metal Arms, Viewtiful Joe, Zone of the Enders, Drakan, The Thing, and so many more that I'd like to suggest, but haven't myself taken the time to fully experience as of yet. Just begun this list has.

My new review oriented website

2010-01-07T01:08:00.000-08:00

My new review oriented website

http://teh2dgamer.tripod.com/dookiecakes/

I've decided not to post new game reviews of mine on my blog. Instead, I made a website specifically for not just writing my new reviews on, but also archiving my old reviews that I've posted on various sites over the years.

I haven't written anything new for the site as of yet, but I've already got a handful of reviews on the site from my archives.

Be warned, I'm not the worlds best writer, so my writing has more passion than writing skill behind it (not to mention plenty of typos). Don't expect professionally written stuff, but I try to give each review the best I can.

Anyways, that's all there really is to say about that I guess. Sorry for not posting more on my blog lately, but I've been lazy in regards to posting here lately. I'll try to post more in the future.

My Gaming Week Version 7 (Week of 10-04-09)

2009-10-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Alright, I keep trying to put this in the description, but youtube keeps telling me it's too long, and it's driving me apes***-batty. So instead of trying to cut it down any more while being further frustrated, I decided to post this on my personal blog.

This week was all PS2. It's funny, nine years old, and still my most played console. Nothing this gen even compares to it.

Anyways, I has the urge this week to play tactical FPS. I realized that this gen is nearly devoid of an in depth tactical shooter (which is about to change with Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising). The only two games I'd say fit the bill, are GRAW 1/2, and Rainbow Six Vegas 1/2 (though the Vegas series is a completely watered down sad shell of the tactical shooter that the RS name used to be, and can only very loosely be classified as a tactical shooter). Here's hoping for a good Socom sequel (that isn't Hollywooded) with a good single player. I know that UBI says there is no more money in such games, but I'm so tired of seeing developers take the in-depth gameplay of such games of the past, and water them down, till they don't even have a fraction of that depth. I for one am definitely going to look into OF:DR, because I've been wanting to experience a good tactical shooter for a while, but have to look to last gen to find them.

Anyways, enough rambling, here are the games I played this week:

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)-

OK, so this isn't a tactical shooter, but it is a very addictive game. In fact I went through the PS1/N64 era not being much of a platformer fan (which is why I constantly hear about not having Spyro in my PS1 vid). In fact I only really had the Crash series on my PS1 for the longest time, and Donkey Kong 64 (DK64 was $40 and came with the expansion pack, and the expansion pack on it's own was $30, so I decided to pay a little bit more and get a game with it, but I bought the expansion pack for Perfect Dark).

Jak and Daxter is actually the game in the genre the made me decide to give the whole genre another chance. I borrowed it from a friend many years ago, and it was the first platformer that I tried to complete 100%, and I was one scout fly away from doing that when I had to return it to my nagging friend. I believe that this was 2001 or 2002. Either way, I only just finally got the game for myself earlier this year, and it's completely addictive to me. I don;t know what it is about this game, but when I get into it, I find it harder than hell to stop playing it. Maybe it's because the game feels more like a straight up adventure game than a traditional platformer.

I'm currently trying to complete the game 100% again (minus some Precursor Orbs that I've missed here and there), so this time when I beat it, I'll finally have earned the good ending.

Rainbow Six 3 (PS2)-

OK, I suppose that this is where the Rainbow Six series first started to get watered down, but unlike in Vegas, you don't regenerate health, so it still feels a lot more tense in that way. It just feels a lot more strategic, and tense when you actually get punished for getting hit aside from it messing with you view while letting you regenerate.

The PS2 port of the game is a pretty good port. I already had it on the Xbox, and always wondered how the PS2 port stacked up. The enemy animations are a little choppy, but overall, it's a solid game.

The online mode is a ghost town, so if you're the type who likes to take an online game with your friends,a nd claim it for your own, this game is definitely one you can do that in. I log on every time I've booted the game up this week, and haven't even found so much as a trace of antoher player aside from the leaderboards.

Granted, the biggest nail to the coffin in the online mode is that it only supports up to 6 players in a room for some inexplicable reason. It have voice chat support, but 3 on 3 isn't exactly exciting considering that the Xbox port allows up to 16 players.

In all honesty, they should have degraded the visual quality of the game, and allowed for at least 4 on 4. 3 on 3 is just sloppy, but that's kinda how UBI was with their PS2 ports. Sloppy.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs (PS2)-

I actually finished up a save game I had for Socom II before I booted the original up. I don't think that I have ever beaten the SP campaign in the original Socom. I used to play it all the time at my friend's house when his Internet was down (I didn't get high-speed internet untill 2005, so I used to have to get my Socom online fix at a friend's house).

Despite the popular claims that the single player in Socom is crap, I find the Socom SP to be very good. Think of them as a mixture of the slower methodical pace of a Ghost Recon mixed with some of the more arcadey feel of Rainbow Six 3. It's plenty heavy on the tactical aspects of the game, but also allows you to do a fair share of running and gunning.

What I like about the mission structure is that you actually have a bit of choice in how you tackle a mission. There are quite a few secondary mission objectives in each level that you can choose to complete, or not. If you fail a secondary objective, then no big deal. It's only the main objectives in the game that you can't fail. You also don't have to stay stealthy if you don't want to. Like I said, you can run a gun with an M60 in most of the levels if you so chose.

Now that may lead some people to ask, if you can just blindly run and gun in most missions, then where exactly is the depth in the gameplay, well, because of the mission structure, you can get as much in-depth tactical gameplay as you personally want to get out of the game. I like running and gunning a lot, because I run out of patience for hiding, but those with more patience who want to go the stealthy route as much as they can will find that this game is also completely immersive in that regard.

It's the kind of game where you get out of it what you put into it.

SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs (PS2)-

Like the original Socom, I had never beaten this game in all my years of owning it. I mainly just played it online, but it's also got a very good SP.

They even improved a few things over the original. The graphics are of course better, the arsenal more varied with the guns being more balanced, but the squad A.I. is also vastly improved, and watch your back a lot better. Just tell them to fire at will, and they'll have a field day taking out guys you never even would have seen. The only downside is that they like to block you in hallways, and doorways which can sometimes get you killed, but overall, they do their job admirably.

I finally beat this one. granted, I didn't go on the hardest difficulty, but even on the the difficulty I chose, this game is hardly a cake walk. Just like the original, there are no mid-mission check points, so if you happen to die (which death can come so swiftly in this game), it's back to the beginning of the level. This will no doubt be frustrating to most of those who have been spoiled by some games who hand out checkpoints like candy on Halloween.

Spotlight PS1: First Person Shooters

2009-08-28T23:52:00.000-07:00

One of the most frustrating things I hear coming from modern gamers is this idiotic belief that all the games on the PS1 were either overrated or crap. Seeing as I own nearly 200 games for Sony's original grey box, I know better.

The problem is most people never went below the mainstream titles that the system had to offer, so when they talk about how "crappy" the PS1 is, they haven't even scratched the surface of the system's library of games which is massive, and varied.

This has led me to make the decision to spotlight the various genres that the system has to offer, and show games that some of you have probably never even heard of, or played. Some of them I have yet to play as well.

One of the genres most often quoted as being crap on the PS1 is the First Person Shooter genre. I know from experience that the lineup of PS1 first person shooters is extremely solid. Are there better shooters on other consoles? That's all a matter of opinion, but what can't be denied is the fact that there is a lot more to the PS1's FPS lineup that most people realize.

Here is a list of the more notable FPS on the PS1:

007: The World is not Enough

This is actually one that I haven't played as of yet. I do own the N64 version of TWINE, and it's great fun, but the PS1 version is completely different, and lacks the multiplayer of the N64 version (which wasn't that spectacular to begin with).

From the reviews I've read and the vids I've watched it still appears to be a solid FPS outing. This is definitely going to be one of the next PS1 games I pick up.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member laxity83):

Alien Resurrection

This is one to play with the lights on. The tense atmosphere will keep you on your toes in this game. This hit near the end of the PS1's lifetime, and is a solid, but very challenging FPS. The enemies are numerous, check points far apart, and the ammo is in short supply. It's a tough, but satisfying experience.

Plus it supports Dual analog control, and even the PS1 mouse for aiming.

Here's a vid of my own creation of the game in action (as played on a PS2 with texture smoothing on):

Alien Trilogy

This being the older of the two Aliens games on the PS1 is less atmospheric than Resurrection, but it was great for it's time. If you're still a fan of Doom style games, then this should be right up your alley. Essentially this is Doom in the Aliens universe. I still love Doom, and I still really enjoy this game.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member shittygamer):

Codename: Tenka

Codename Tenka has the distingueshed honor of being the first fully 3D FPS on the PS1. It's gameplay is simple get the key and open the door, but it's engaging nonetheless. The soundtrack is rocking with the trademark Psygnosis electronic beats.

Here's a vid of my own creation of the game in action (as played on a PS2 with texture smoothing on):

Delta Force Urban Warfare

This one was released in 2002, and is an objective based modern FPS. It's a little choppy, but it's still one of the best looking PS1 games ever released, and what's better, it's actually a fun game to play. There were some people who even made claims around the time the game was released that the graphics were PS2 quality.

It's level setup is similar to Goldeneye, but with a more tactical feel. The missions also have a good variety to them, and this also supports dual analog control for more precise aiming.

Here's a vid of my own posting of the game in action (As played on a PS2 with texture smoothing on):

Disruptor

Essentially just another Doom clone, but from what I've read a solid one at that. It puts it's own unique spin on the formula. It adds psychic powers called psionics which gives the player various new abilities and attacks at their disposal.It's worth a look for fans of Doom's gameplay who are looking for some oldschool FPS action.

This one comes from the good folks at Insomniac, and you though Resistance was their firs foray into the FPS genre.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member SogekingSama . the footage is a little glitchy, so I assume they're playing it on an emulator, but it's the best footage I could find):

Doom

I've never had the pleasure to play the the PS1 port, but from what I've read up on it, it's the premier console port of Doom. It's not quite as good looking as the original PC version, but it adds colored lights and ambient music for a more atmospheric feel.

The PC version may be king, but if you're looking for a version of Doom where you can sit down on your gaming chair in front of your TV, you won't find a better port than this (except for maybe the new Xbox 360 port of the game, but even then you may dig the atmosphere in the PS1 version).

Even now, with the exception of the 32X port, all ports of the original Doom to the multitude of consoles will still run you a decent price(even the sub par 3DO port and the choppy Saturn Port), so you may as well go with the PS1 version over the rest.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member KarntheHellknight):

Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown

This is the PS1 port of Duke Nukem 3D. From what I've heard it has some framerate issues. I've heard various arguments over which port of Duke 3D is the best. Some say the Saturn version is better than the PS1 version, but the N64 version is the best because of more areas, and multiplayer, but the N64 version is edited.

One thing the PS1 version has in it's favor is a rocking remixed soundtrack.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member elbryan42):

Final Doom

I've also never played this PS1 port, but apparently it doesn't have all the levels of the PC original. In fact, they actually threw in 13 levels from the The Master Levels of Doom 2, but it still retains the classic Doom gameplay, and the ambient music, and colored lighting that made the first PS1 port so atmospheric.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member elbryan42):

Hexen

OK, Hexen isn't so much a FPS, it's got more adventure elements in it, I have the N64 version, but have never played the PS1 version. The PS1 port retains the music and the FMV sequences of the PC original, and from the vids I've seen looks like it runs a little faster than the N64 version, but has grainier visuals which is to be expected, and also appears to have some slowdown when a multitude of enemies are on screen.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member elbryan42):

Medal of Honor

This is the obvious one that everyone knows about. When people are attacking the PS1's FPS, they're pretty much talking only about this game and it's sequel. MoH started the historically accurate WWII FPS craze. Unlike Wolfenstien 3D which used a WWII theme, MoH actually had missions based on historical events.

MoH was an objective based WWII shooter. It's feel is more light than later WWII games. It's more Indiana Jones (minus the supernatural elements) than Saving Private Ryan where it goes more into the myth, and legends surrounding WWII, and OSS operations in WWII than the battles fought. Overall I'd say it's a great game, but it's still not my favorite PS1 FPS.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member, you guessed it, elbryan42):

Medal of Honor Underground

In all honesty, I haven't played Underground. It's not that I never wanted to, it's that I just never got around to it.

MoH Underground It a prequel to the events of the original MoH where you play as the French resistance contact form the original MoH named Manon.

From the reviews I've read, some people have complained about how the later missions turn towards the occult practices of the Nazis, but I couldn't say for sure. I do know that the Nazis were into strange occult practices, so such missions would be historically accurate, but it depends on how they executed such levels I guess. I'll tell you when I finally play the game.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member chilloutgames):

PO'ed

This one is another Doom clone, except with a unique cast of enemies, and a unique weapons set. In fact, instead of the cliche badass space marine, you play as a cook on a space ship that's been invaded by aliens.

I've actually got the 3DO version of this on order, because it was a fraction of the cost of the PS1 version.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member TheSeriousCacodemon):

Powerslave (aka Exhumed)

Now this is one that I completely overlooked, but now really want to play. I've heard various reports that the Saturn version is better than the PS1 version, but it's also more expensive. One day I'll have to get both versions to see for sure what the differences are.

Apparently the game has something to do with aliens invading Egypt, and stealing the mummified body of King Ramses, and you're on a mission to get it back.

Yeah, story isn't that important, but the game receives extremely high acclaim form those who have played it. It's definitely an overlooked title.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member elbryan42):

Quake II

As far as I'm concerned, this is the crowning achievement for PS1 first person shooters. They never even brought the original Quake to the PS1, because they said the system couldn't handle it, but sure as heel, the brought Quake II.

Not only is it an extremely impressive port, but it's a remarkable technical achievement for Hammerhead to get a game that required a top of the line PC and a Voodoo 3D accelerator card in it's original form to run on the old PS1. What's even better is that it plays great.

I was always one of those PS1 Quake II doubters. I had the N64 version of Quake II, and figured that the PS1 version was probably crap, but boy was I wrong. Not only is Quake II now my favorite PS1 FPS, but it's superior to the expansion pack using N64 version. It runs smoother, looks better, and doesn't use sprites for guns like the N64 version does. The only advantage the N64 version has is that it's an all new adventure whereas the PS1 mostly mirrors the PC version in it's levels.

The PS1 port even allows for 4-player split screen deathmatches which is also remarkable for a system that isn't known for it's multiplayer capabilities.

My only real complaint about the game is that none of the control schemes feel quite natural. I use the one where you move with the D-pad, aim with the right analog stick, and fire with L1 which takes some getting used to at first, but works just fine.

The PS1 port of Quake II is extremely underrated not only because most people probably assume that the PS1 port has to be crappy, but because it launched around the same time as the original Medal of Honor, and was overshadowed by that game.

Here's a vid of my own posting of the game in action (As played on a PS2 with texture smoothing on):

Here's a comparison vid I made comparing the PS1 version of Quake II to the N64 version (The PS1 version isn't using texture smoothing, but the N64 version is using the expansion pack):

Star Wars: Dark Forces

The humble beginning to what eventually blossomed into the Jedi Knight franchise for Lucasarts, Dark Forces has you playing as Kyle Katarn a former Imperial stormtrooper who defected to the Rebellion. You blast your way through a multitude of Doom inspired levels and hordes of Imperial baddies.

The game came under fire for it's blurry, and choppy visuals, but if you can look beyond that (it actually looks like a first gen N64 games with the amount of the blur), you'll find a fun and rewarding adventure set in the Star Wars universe. This is actually my newest acquisition in PS1 FPS games, and I'm really enjoying it.

There was also a PC version, but I'm not sure what you need in order to get it to run properly on today's modern computers (probably have to deal with Dos Box). The easiest version to just plug and play is the PS1 version.

The game didn't get good reviews even at it's time, but after playing it, I find it to be a much better game than the much heralded Shadows of the Empire which was blander in feel.

Here's a vid of the game in action (courtesy of Youtube member elbryan42 who's also a big advocate of the game):

In Conclusion:

My point of making this post is that, even if all of of these games still do nothing for you, and you're still convinced that the PS1 had nothing but crap for FPS games, the very least you PS1 detractors out there could do is insult the variety of FPS available on the PS1 instead of just mentioning Medal of Honor. The PS1's library is very deep, and varied, so if you're going to insult the console, at least do it right.

Do you ever get tired of the over exposure some games get?

2009-07-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

Note: I originally posted this in a topic on GamePro.com, but I decided that it was worthy enough to add to my blog

It seems lately that, though there are hundreds if not thousands of games released every year, we only really hear about a small handful of them. I know that it's not realistic to expect any magazine/website to possibly cover them all. There are just too many. However, why does it seem that only a small handful of games even get any attention from the gaming media?

I know that those games are more likely to get the website hits, and to sell the magazines, but am I the only one who gets so tired of hearing about these games that by the time they come out I couldn't force myself to care about them?

Back in the day I was completely content on reading one page to half a page about what the premise of a game was, and then that was good enough. If it sounded interesting then I'd look into it. Today however that doesn't seem to be good enough. They've gotta be ten, twenty, or even thirty page blowouts focusing on just one game. Maybe it's just me, but I could never be so into just one game to want to read that much about it. Do you really need to know everything about that one game before you get it? There are no surprises anymore.

The worst part is, all that extra space could be given to games that won't get the attention they deserve. The reason why gaming seems to be stagnating as of late isn't so much that alternative games aren't out there, it's that they aren't getting the attention they deserve due to the massive over-hype of the big name games. If they don't get the attention, they don't get the sales, and they don't get sequels. It's sad to see some truly innovative games go completely unnoticed by the gaming public at large, because the magazines and website decide to spend their time hyping up every aspect of one or two big name games.

Look, the big name games are going to sell millions of copies regardless. Why not focus more energy trying to help out the lesser known games?

The internet sites are worse about it than the magazines I'm afraid. Every little detail is given front page status. "Breaking News: The main character now has a knife as a weapon. Breaking Breaking News: It's not a knife it's a pair of scissors. Breaking Breaking Breaking News: It's actually a pair of scissors that morphs into a knife." I can't imagine how anyone out there could possibly care enough to salivate over every minute detail of one game enough to want hear about that same game every hour on the hour. Does that kind of stuff really deserve front page treatment? Wouldn't you rather that space be used to bring your attention to a potentially great game that you previously didn't even know existed?

I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I just don't care that much about any one game to want to devote that much time and energy looking over every last detail while ignoring every other potential great game out there. Maybe it's because I'm an out-of-the-mainstream gamer. I don't know.

What are your thoughts on this?

Area 51 and Cold Winter Online Gameplay Videos

2009-07-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

I decided to make higher quality vids of the online play in the PS2 version of Area 51, and in Cold Winter.

Here are the vids:

Area 51 (PS2) Online Gameplay (Two To tango) Part 1

Area 51 (PS2) Online Gameplay (Two To tango) Part 2

Cold Winter PS2 Online Deathmatch

Cold Winter PS2 Online 2 vs 2 Team Deathmatch Part 1

Cold Winter PS2 Online 2 vs 2 Team Deathmatch Part 2

Two More PS2 Underrated Gems

2009-07-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

Sub Rebellion

Sniper elite

2.5D Issue #8

2009-06-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Note: I previously posted this on GamePro.com, and am posting it here to archive it. Some of the content may apply to that site, or members of that site.

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The Ranting Gamer

(by: ShortHairedOffender)

I have been gaming for many years... and for me one of my favorite franchises has always been the Tony Hawk Series. Well... let's just say that was thrown out of the window about 2 years ago. What caused this? Project 8. Rag doll physics were put in. The level design is bland unlike past games. There are no secret areas.

In my eyes the last good game will always be Underground 2. It was the first to have a plot and let you get off your skateboard but it did not try hard to be an open world game like the others. You went from place to place across the world. Where is that? It is lost. Now they try to give you a more realistic world. That is not the Tony Hawk world I want to live in!

Come on! In T.H.U.G. you did insane lines. Everything was crazy. I am not saying the new games are bad but you have to realize that it has to beat itself and with realism you can not do that.

It is ok Tony... you are not the only one doing it. But you are doing it the most.

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Teh reviews is bought!!!

(by teh2Dgamer)

The obsession with review scores lately is really starting to bug me about my fellow gamers. It's mainly just the fanboys, but even in non-fanboy arguments, I've noticed that people seem to take reviews as fact. If you didn't like a game that has been proven to be the best game of all time, they'll not only tell you that your opinion is wrong, but they'll pull out all the reviews, or ranking sites (I really hate ranking sites) to prove that your opinion is wrong. It was given game of the year, so you're obviously wrong. No matter how much you explain your viewpoint on the matter, the reviews say it's good, so you're wrong. Never mind that it's your opinion, and there's no such thing as a wrong opinion.

If your views don't match some these people's views, then they'll prove to you that your wrong by showing you that everyone else thinks differently than you, so your opinion is wrong. I find this lack of free thought shown by my fellow gamers to be disturbing (A disturbing lack of thought if you will). Not only will they not listen to different views, but they don't even understand the concept of agreeing to disagree. Not everyone will like everything you do. Take for example your favorite band of all time. Think of the band who's songs and lyrics have changed your life. They've helped you through the good times and the bad times. Now realize that there's someone out there that thinks your favorite band in the whole wide world sucks. They hate your favorite band. It's the same thing in gaming. Just because you love a game doesn't mean that everyone else will regardless of how many reviews you show them. An opinion is an opinion, and you can't change most people's opinions no matter how hard you try, so quit trying.

This brings me to the fanboy uses for reviews. Fanboys use some random score to prove that their system of worship is obviously superior to the enemy system. "Game A" got a 9.1 on the Colecovision from cr4ppyg4mer.com while the Atari 2600 version got a 9.12. The VCS is obviously the superior console. It sounds pretty lame when you think about it. What does a .002 prove? Never mind that it may not even be the same guy who reviewed both versions, and that the differences are so minute that it really doesn't effect the enjoyment of a game one bit. Not that I'd ever accuse fanboys of rational thought, but squabbling over a few points does nothing to make your console look better. It just makes you look petty, and turns people off to your console of worship. Seeing also that reviews are just someone else's opinion, and not facts, it makes this practice all the more petty. You guys turn a .1 into 10 points in your propaganda speeches. Do you even know how pathetic that makes you look?

There's also the tactic of fanboys trying to prove the other system sucks because a highly anticipated game didn't get perfect scores. My personal favorite is the ""Game-A" got a 9.1, it flopped because it didn't get a 10. Ha ha, my system is obviously better." Then there's the ones where a game really doesn't score as high as expected, and they again use the reviews to attack the console and the game despite never playing it themselves. A good example is Socom Confrontation. Yes, it had server issues that were highly publicized in the reviews. The fanboys jumped on it saying that the game was obviously crap, and it played like crap despite the fact that most of the reviews were attacking it because of the server issues. I've actually played Confrontation at a friend's house, and I had no problems with it, and it's gameplay is everything a Socom fan would want. It's IMO a good game from what I've played of it, and that's the key, I've actually played the game. People who bash games having never played them are the worst. It's one thing if you played a game and hated it, because you've at least played it, but it's a whole nother thing to let someone else do your thinking for you. If you haven't played the game then you don't get an opinion. Just because someone says it sucks in an "official" review, doesn't mean it's not a good game. Remember it's just someone's opinion, and you won't always see eye to eye.

Speaking of not seeing eye to eye, this whole equation has a flip side. You see, you people who use reviews as facts in arguments, and believe so much into the reviews as the gospel truth, don't seem to like it when the reviews go the other way. When a reviewer gives a game a score other than the one you think it should be, they catch hell. Absolute hell from you same people who worship their reviews, and are so obsessed with them. It's sad that to these people reviews are fact until they don't agree with them. You'll never see so many accusations of "bought" review scores, or bias than when a highly anticipated game scores lower than what some people thought it should (see GP's review of Resistance 2 and a certain Sony fanboy's reaction). Never mind that they haven't played the game themselves, and are just going on the hype of the game. Heaven forbid someone who's actually played the game give it their honest opinion of the game. That's just stupid. In the very least, it'd be polite to actually play the game yourself, before you try and tear the reviewer a new one for the score they gave it. Of course that may actually make it sound like you know what you're talking about, and that just doesn't fly in gaming nowadays.

What I'm trying to say is that gamers need to start thinking for themselves more. This constant bickering over review scores, is getting really damn annoying. How could any rational person make an argument about any game good or bad if they themselves have not played it? My fellow gamers have seemingly become nothing more than mindless followers, and it's time for a change. If you can't argue from your own point of view, then what's the point in arguing in the first place?

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Teh Graficks!!!!!!!!! Teh Graficks!!!!!!!!

(by teh2Dgamer)

I'm going to try and make this a quick rant. Today I got a message on one of my youtube vids by a fellow gamer, and it's not an uncommon occurrence on my vids. This little turd of a youtube member attacked the game I was showing in the vid saying it was crap. Now if he'd played it, and was talking about the gameplay, I suppose I could understand more, but his reasoning, "This game sucks ass. Seriously loo kat the graphics they are horrible" (those were his exact words).

I can understand the appeal of visuals to gamers to an extent. I know that people spend a lot of money on their HDTVs, and top of the line Graphics Cards for their PC to get the best visual presentation possible. Even I turn up the effects on the PC games I play, and I even use the texture smoothing feature on my PS2 when playing PS1 games, so I can understand wanting to have the best visual presentation possible. If you've got it flaunt it.

However, my complaint is over people who can be so ignorant to judge an entire game on it's graphics. How does a game having bad graphics make it bad? I dare anyone to go back and play the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES, and tell me that the gameplay sucks, because it's visuals are old. Tell me that it won't suck you in just as well without the flash.

I like games to movies in a way. Though the special effects technology in movies has improved drastically over the years, that doesn't suddenly make every old movie suck, because it has a more primitive visual presentation. Classic movies are classic movies. An old movie with a great plot can still stand the test of time. When applied to games though, the good plot gets replaced as an old game with great gameplay can still stand the test of time.

Maybe it's time that gamers opened their mind a little to the fact that visuals fade. Like a movie that relies on special effects over substance, a game that relies on great visuals graphics will fade over time. The years will make even cutting edge visuals look old and outdated. Take away the flash, and the bid question is, does the game still stand on it's own in the gameplay department? That's the most important question, and that's also why I don't care how pretty a games graphics are, but only for how fun the gameplay is.

The belief that a game with dated, or bad visuals is crap doesn't make any sense to me. To use an example I've used before, the belief that older games are crap compared to new games because of their bad graphics is like saying that the old Star Wars Trilogy is crap compared to the new Trilogy. How many people in the world would say that?

Since I'm on a Star Wars kick, I'll use a quote I heard George Lucas say once "Special effects are just tools, means of telling a story. A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing." I say that pretty graphics are just a means of experiencing good gameplay. Pretty graphics without good gameplay make for a pretty boring gaming experience. Gameplay has and always will be the most important part of gaming. That's just something to keep in mind next time you decide to scoff at a game because of it's visuals.

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My Life in Quake II

(by teh2Dgamer)

I have to admit that lately, I've not really been interested in the current generation of consoles. I've really been losing interest in playing the online games of this generation. None of them truly appeal to my gaming tastes. They just can't hold my interest for long. I tend to crave more mayhem in my games. Something fast paced, and, though I still do like a good strategic shooter like Socom, I like the arcadey shooters better.

Seeing little prospects for this gen, I decided to go back to play the PC greats of the past I missed when I was younger due to never having a PC growing up. Lately there's been one game in particular that I've been playing more than the rest. That game is Quake II.

Quake II was without a doubt the biggest PC game of 1997. I remember the huge hubbub this game created. I remember all the talk of heat.net, and all the stuff about the clans. Even the GamePro staff at the time had a clan I do believe. The buzz about this game has stuck in my head like no other PC game since for some reason. It was the Halo of it's time, and the biggest online game of 1998.

I, however, being poor, was not able to participate in the Quake II pwnage at the time, because I had not a computer. In fact, I didn't get my own personal computer until many years later. Probably about 6 years to be exact, and it was a mere hand-me-down 500 MHZ Pentium III computer. However, I still didn't instantly run out and buy Quake II when I finally got a computer that could handle it. I received the original Quake, and already had Aliens vs Predator, from playing on my dad's computer, but I didn't end up getting Quake II until mid 2005.

I only really played the single player mode at first, and was a little scared to try the multiplayer. Why? Because I knew that I'd be coming up against people who had been playing the game for eight years at the time, and was a little intimidated to be the new guy. I tried it once or twice online, and left it at that.

I then moved on to online console gaming on my PS2, and had great fun playing Socom, Delta Force, Battle Field 2, and a number of others online. During this time, I really didn't try online gaming on my PC, I was perfectly satisfied playing my PS2 online. However, as servers go, most PS2 online developers let theirs fall into laggy disrepair on some of the games I liked to play, and, though I had eventually bought Live on my Xbox, I rarely used it. Halo 2 wasn't my game really, and not much else was played. In fact, I still played my PS2 online more than any other console.

Cut to now, most of the online PS2 games are too laggy, or too glitchy because the developers could care less about them, and I used my Gold account on my 360 so little (aside from a little Halo 3, and a lot of Team Fortress 2) that I just stopped paying for it. I just can't justify paying for something that I don't want to play any games for, so I'm back down to a choice between my PS2 online or my PC, and I'm burnt out of the old games I used to play.

I finally decided to give Quake II the chance I didn't give it in 2005, because I felt like I missed out on it in the past. For the last, probably about, two months (as of me writing this a few months ago), I've been fragging away at id's 1997 masterpiece, and I'm having an absolute blast. In fact, I'm having more fun in Quake II that I've had in any online game in a long time.

Quake II isn't a game that you can just jump into and do good without any practice. QII requires a whole new set of skills just to move around in the game let alone move and shoot. Those of you out there who maintain that run-and-gun games take no strategy have obviously not played a game like Quake II. There so much technique that goes into even the simplest movements in the game. I scoff at anyone who thinks there is no strategy involved. In fact, it takes more skill to get good at a game like Quake II than it does most modern online games that give you more of a break to think. It's the type of game that requires on-the-fly strategic decisions that mean the difference between being victorious and being a red bloody soup-like substance.

There so much more going on in this game beyond just the run and gun. strafing, mastering the many types of jumps, hitting the pickups, and precision aiming with each weapon are just a few things that go into playing a successful round in Quake II, and you've gotta be able to do all of those in a split second. Make no mistake about it, this isn't a campers game (what most gamers are referring to when they say strategy). Sitting still and hiding may work for a little bit in some of the levels, but more often than not, you're going to eat a rail if you do it. In fact, the whole idea is to constantly be moving. Even if you're on a lift waiting for it to cary you up a level, you had better not stop moving. Not for a split second, because that's all it takes for a rail to connect. If you come into this game thinking that your Halo skills will be of any use, you're in for a surprise.

It's suffice to say that Quake II has fulfilled my need for fast paced mayhem in my online games. I'm in no means good at the game. In fact, I mostly do terrible in it, but I still have a blast, because it's so fun for someone with my gaming tastes. On occasions, I go over to a friend's house to play Halo 3 online with our other friend who's stationed in Guam, and, while I have fun playing with them, Halo 3 just isn't exciting to me at all anymore after spending time with Quake II. To me, it's a slower, and less interesting version of the deathmatch in the Quake series. It takes the arcadey feel of Quake, and makes it painfully slow, but with more realistic weapons, and a few obvious differences. I know that having this opinion won't gain me any fans, but I can't help it. Halo 3 just isn't exciting to me when compared to Quake II. Every time we play it, I'm thinking about Quake II. Every slow floaty jump, and floaty step I take in Halo 3 makes me yearn for the fast paced action of Quake II. Halo will never be the same for me after tasting Quake II. I know that's saying a lot, but, for me, it's true. A game who's gameplay is considered to be archaic by many modern gamers has captivated me better than any of the modern equivalents.

Some people may wonder exactly what I see in old games. I mean, why would I bother playing a 12 year old PC game online when there are newer prettier games out there? I, however, see the potential to be entertained by a game I missed the opportunity to experience the first time through. You may be perfectly satisfied with playing just Halo 3, and Call of Duty 4 (the status quo) online, but, as a true passionate gamer, I want to experience every game possible, and in experiencing every game you can, you never know when when you may find an old game that sucks you in the way Quake II has me. I may get bored with it, and move on tomorrow, but I will always cherish the fun I've had in playing Quake II online. Those reading this would be well served to go back and experience a game they've always been curious about. You may just enjoy yourself after doing it.

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Here's a vid of my own personal Quake II Suckage (loud volume warning):

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REVIEWS

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Quake II

(System: Playstation | Developed by: Hammerhead | Published by: Activision | Review by: teh2Dgamer)

I have to admit that for years, even I just assumed that the N64 version of Quake II was the superior version of the game, so I overlooked the PS1 version. Now, having played the PS1 version multiple times, I feel dumb for making that assumption for all of these years.

QII PS1 is a technical marvel considering how graphically intense the PC version was at the time requiring a top of the line 3D accelerator to run. How could they possible make a decent port to the PS1? They didn't even port the original Quake to the system because because they said it couldn't handle it, but yet they made Quake II, and It's a damn impressive port.

I'm not sure what Hammerhead did to get these kind of results out of Sony's old grey box, but the PS1 version of Quake II is the most impressive console port of the game (not counting the 360 port). It runs at a smooth 30 FPS with a little slowdown in a few areas. It also has better lighting effects than the N64 version, and fully polygonal gun models (QII N64 uses 2D sprites).

The PS1 version more closely follows the PC version than the N64 version. Instead of being a completely new experience, Hammerhead opted to try an include as many of the originals levels as possible (though there are some that are MIA), and it even retains the original music. This game just feels more like Quake II than the N64 version.

QII's design has expanded more from the get the key to open the door to a more objective's based gameplay. The level design feels like a precursor to Half-Life in some ways. There are what you could call levels, but they're huge and are divided into multiple areas that the game loads in. You can even, and actually will have to back-track to previous areas at points in the game giving it a more Half-Life than Doom feel.

It's not big on story, something about the Strogg (Borg-like creatures) invade earth, and your company is dispatched in a covert mission to the Strogg homeworld to try and kill the leader. That mission goes horribly wrong during the invasion, and you're separated from the rest of your company who is decimated by the Strogg defenses leaving you as the lone "Doomed Space Marine." It's a pretty typical story, and QII is more focused on action, so the only progression of that story comes in getting new objective sent you way from your command ship.

Quake II's gameplay is simple. You fight your way through hordes of Strogg baddies along your way to fulfill your objectives. The adrenaline pumping gameplay really makes you feel like the lone badass. No hiding like a sissy for your little shield to recover, just run and gun, and kick some ass, and pick a heath pack here and there if you're low on life. It's pure run and gun gamplay, and that what I love about it. It keeps it simple, and sometimes less is more. The shooters of today try too much to be these big cinematic experiences, but, sometimes, you don't care why you're doing it, you just want to shove you super shotgun up a Strogg Enforcer's ass and let the shrapnel fly. QII may be primitive in nature, but it's still a blast.

While, you won't find a control scheme that completely mirrors the dual stick control of today (though the "Right Stick" is the closest with movement w/ the d-pad, aiming with the R-stick, and firing with the L1 button), most of them work smoothly, and the game even supports play with the PS1 mouse.

Another great feature of the PS1 version is four player split screen multiplayer. I can't vouch for how smooth it is with four players, but I've played it two player, and have seen vids of three player matches, and the game still ran buttery smooth. There aren't many games on the PS1 that even support up to four players let alone many (if any other) FPS games. This is the PS1's best answer to Goldeneye for four player deathmatches, and it's a blast.

Bottom Line: Quake II on the PS1 is not just an impressive port, but a very fun game. Some of the newer FPS player will be turned off by it's oldschool gameplay, but those who love the old FPS would do well to pick up this PS1 port.

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Halo 2

(System: Xbox | Developed by: Bungie Software | Published by: Microsoft Game Studios | Review by: captaininsano15)

Halo 2, the Xbox's killer game. The one that really saved Microsofts system. The game that really made Xbox Live what it is today.

The story starts you off where you left off in Halo. You're Master Chief, as one of the last Spartans. You and the Marines fight against the Covenant and the unbearable Flood. The story has it's dull spots, but it's not quite as bad as most people put it to be. It has co-op, which is actually one of the best ways to experience the game in my opinion, and you also have some of the best multiplayer on Live to date.

The multiplayer is where this game it at. It's truly fun and great, even with the annoying ass-holes on Live. The maps are good, the gameplay is better, and the matchmaking is awesome. It's the one of the best matchmaking systems to date.

All in all, the game lived up to the hype to me. I played this game for years, and still do occasionally.

PROS: Great multiplayer, some of the best in it's time. Fun co-op. CONS: Story can get boring.

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Timesplitters

(System: Playstation 2 | Developed by: Free Radical Design | Published by: Eidos Interactive | Review by: teh2Dgamer)

Made from ex Rare employees who branched off to form Free Radical, Timesplitters immediately caught my eye as the PS2 launch game I wanted the most. Those of you who have played Rare's superb Goldeneye and Perfect Dark will see many similarities in the gameplay, music style, and the overall feel of Timesplitters.

TS' storyline is pretty basic, and not very clear. It's something to do with saving humanity from some ancient evil race that travels time, or something to that effect. The game doesn't spend much time on story, and the single player gameplay consists of simple go get the artifact and return it to your spawn point without dying gameplay. It's pretty obvious that this game was rushed to meet the PS2's launch, and the single player mode suffers because of it. It really just serves as an extension of the multiplayer mode which is Timesplitter's main draw.

Despite the inclusion of a slightly lagluster single player mode, and even an added challenge mode (both of which are used to unlock new things in the multiplayer mode), Timesplitters was made as a multiplayer experience and in that regard it out shined every other game of it's time save those that had online play. Taking the best elements of Perfect Dark's much heralded multiplayer, TS will have you and three friends fragging away for hours in it's intense fast paced arcadey deathmatch action, and if you and your friends aren't competitive, or you have no friends, TS also allows up to 10 bots to join in on the mayhem.

Not only is TS' deathmatch a top notch and fun experience, but it ups the ante by allowing players to create their own map. This makes for almost endless replay value for the game, because even if you get tired of the developer created maps, you now have the ability to create a million different maps for you and your friends to frag in. The map editor in both TS sequels may have more tiles, and allow for better maps, this version allows you to create the biggest maps in the entire series. It's a trade off, less tiles for more expansive maps. This version doesn't, however, allow you to create single player maps like it's sequels do.

The greatest multiplayer in the world would mean nothing if the game didn't control like a dream, and didn't have as smooth a frame rate. Even with four players, and 10 bots on screen, there isn't even a hint of slowdown in the game. In fact, the game was actually called Timesplitters because of it's immaculate 60 fps frame rate. The awesome frame rate does mean that there's a lack of graphical detail. Even when compared to Dreamcast games at the time, TS looks pretty bland, but it's a small price to pay for having such a smooth experience. It may look basic, but it's still one of the fastest FPS I've ever played, and it's still faster moving than either of it's sequels. I'll take smoothness and playability over pretty graphics and frame rate dips any day.

The only other complaint that can be waged about the game is it's first gen PS2 load times are a little long, but it's worth the wait.

Bottom Line: Though it has in many ways been surpassed by it's sequels, the original Timesplitters is still a solid experience for FPS junkies looking for a great multiplayer fix. If you're a fan of the series, or a fan of Goldeneye or Perfect Dark, then TS is still a solid buy.

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Assassin's Creed

(System: Xbox 360 | Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal | Published by: Ubisoft | Review by: miamifinfan)

Since the first CGI trailer popped, Assassin's Creed has been a long awaited game among gamers. When the game did finally release, it was met with mixed reviews and bandwagon hopping upon the industry. Many said it was repetitive and had no replay value, and this is true to an extent, but when one sat down, and played the game, Assassin's Creed is a polished experience.

The story has a major twist at the beginning of the game, and a whole concept people were not expecting. I will not spoil that here. Go find that out yourself. You play as Altair, an Assassins in the Assassin's Guild during the Crusades. You are given a list of nine people to assassinate in order to bring peace upon the land. You'll be doing this three humongous cities. The cities are Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. There are many twists and turns that keep you engrossed throughout.

As for the gameplay department, Assassins Creed shines. Hopping and climbing on buildings should be a game in its ownself. It is addicting, and tremendously fun. You basically have three modes, if I can say that. High-profile mode, where you can sprint, jump, etc. Low profile which is essential when near guards and assassin targets, and normal mode, which is what you'll be in most of the game. Altair has four(five counting his fists) weapons at his disposal. His sword, short-blade, throwing knives, and his hidden blade, which is is essential in your assassination missions. Assassinating the targets take time, and thought. Trying to go in blazing will get you killed easily.

The controls are tight and responsive, so there isn't much I can say about that department. The sound is really nothing to talk about either, but the voice acting is done very well, so well in fact, you'll feel like watching a movie. There are no cutscenes, except for in-game story dialogue. Coming over to the graphics department. WOW. There are very little games today that can match Assassins Creed in visuals and art Everything feels so real. The building stones and cities themselves feel so alive. I was very stunned of how a multi-platform game could do this.

Now, the cons of the game(which shouldn't sway you at all). Before each mission, you are to do a few side missions, which stay the same throughout the game. Pickpocketing, eavesdropping, and intimidating/interrogating. You'll have to do these before every assassination, and it does get a bit repetitive admittedly, but since each city is shaped so different, it feels different each time. In my eyes at least. After the assassinations and the game is over, there isn't much to do. It is a sandbox game, but other than climbing buildings and assassinating random people, not much. There are however, a total of 420 flags to collect (100 in each city, and 20 in Masyaf) and 40 Templars to kill. Now, I found this part to be fun. I managed to find all the flags and kill every Templar, and if you attempt to do this, it is VERY time consuming. This all depends on how dedicated you are. I found this fun, and very enjoyable. Once you find all flags and kill every Templar, the satisfaction is beyond great. You'll feel accomplished. After that, there isn't much to do. Now, i know this review is a little late, but this game deserves attention. At a price of $29.99 for both the Xbox 360 and PS3, this is a steal in my eyes. Go Buy It.

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Metroid Prime

(System: Gamecube | Developed by: Retro Studios | Published by: Nintendo | Review by: James_Earl_Cash)

What a game should be...

Being a fan of the franchise for years, I was totally amazed on how well put together this game was. The graphics weren't state of the art, but it doesn't need them to be a great game. The soundtrack was awsome and inspiring. I couldn't find anything wrong with the gameplay. Prime had just the right amount of control, level difficulty, and inginuity. The button reaction timing was spot on and the puzzle solving to proceed through each level was balanced. I was surprised at how well certain atmospheric and invirons reacted with Samus's helm such as mist, or condesation collecting on her screen, to a blast from an enemy's cannon fire causing her own reflection to appear momentarely on her face plate. All information was easily accessible to her HUD screen and stored for later use. Though there were times that I became frustrated with certain areas of the game, it was nice to know that the mistakes I made were of my own rather than poor game construct.

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Far Cry Instincts: Predator

(System: Xbox 360 | Developed by: Ubisoft Montreal | Published by: Ubisoft | Review by: FETALJUICE)

I have always liked the Far Cry series for its rock solid gameplay and fun underrated multiplayer. This one is no exception, as it includes 2 Original Xbox ports of Far Cry Instincts and Far Cry Instincts: Evolution. It stays faithful to the originals but with somewhat beefed up visuals. The water effects are amazing and very realistic but that's about it for the visuals. As Far Cry is a first person shooter, all of the cutscenes in both campaigns are in first person too so it makes you feel part of the game world. The Instincts campaign is pretty lengthy for a first person shooter, clocking in at about 8 to 10 hours to complete. Evolution is a bit shorter by about an hour and half.

Since the settings of both games take place a tropical island with lots of tropical forests, waterfalls and rivers, the game is somewhat open-ended but not to the extent of the original Far Cry on the PC. Basically, you are Jack Carver, a dude with a mysterious past who is being hunted by mercenaries for reasons unknown. The gameplay consists of a mix of stealth and run and gun gameplay. If you aren't playing on the Predator mode (no radar mode), you have a radar that tells you the location of your enemies, whether they are alert, cautious or simply just minding their own business and all of this is color coded. Red is alert, yellow is caution and green is normal. You can set up tree whip branches on tree and lure your enemies towards them by throwing rocks where the trap is setup. The enemy will be searching to see what's going on and POW!!, he gets nailed by the tree whip. Its an awesome way to kill.

It is recommended that you stay out of sight, as you can take a lot of damage from enemies. You can die ALMOST instantly from turret fire (obviously lol) It is better to pick them off silently with silenced weapons or booby traps like the aforementioned tree whip. Not all of the segments require stealth, as a good portion of the game is mindless shooting. Here is when the fun starts. There are about 12 weapons to choose from (excluding the feral abilities which I will talk about in a bit) that ranges from silenced pistols to P90s to Rocket Launchers. In the campaigns, certains weapons are available after reaching a certain level. Weapons like pistols and SMGs can be duel wielded for extra firepower but at the cost of accuracy. The Assault Rifle is the only gun to have a secondary fire option, since it has a grenade launcher attached to it.

As you progress through the first game's campaign, you start gaining supernatural abilities. Of course, this has its price, as the abilities have a Adrenaline gauge that dertermines how many times can you use or how much time can you use your abilities. Feral Attack: An extremely powerful one-hit kill punch/slash that sends enemies flying. Consumes a good amount of adrenaline. Feral Speed: Ability to run freaking fast and jump at very long distances. Adrenaline is consumed based on how long you remain in this state, since you can relax or run fast at any time. Feral Sense: Ability to smell enemies out to easily locate them. In later levels, Jack starts to improve his senses by being able to see in the dark and better determine whose smell is it coming from. Adrenaline is consumed the same way Feral Speed does but a slower rate. These abilities are crucial to your survival on the island. If your adrenaline runs out, it recovers back at a slow rate but, if you encounter MRE units, it instantly restores it back to full bar.

There is also swimming in the gaming but you are REALLY helpless, as you can only punch or slash with your knife underwater. There are quite a variety of vehicles to drive including ATV's to Hand Gliders.

The game is somewhat difficult since there are a lot of enemies and few medipacks to restore your health. If you are looking for the ultimate challenge, I suggest you play Predator mode, which has no radar and you take extra bullet damage.

Lets talk about multiplayer. It is so underrated that is almost a crime not to play it. Even though it only contains 5 gametypes: Steal the Sample (a variant on Capture the Flag but instead you steal a sample and aren't confined to being helpless, as you can use a SMG or pistol to defend yourself. You can even throw the sample to another teammate if you are in danger of dying so that the team still scores. Its kinda like football LOL) Chaos (deathmatch) Team Chaos (Team Deathmatch) Predator (up to 4 players can be predators that have all of the supernatural abilities from campaign. They have to kill the mercenaries while the mercenaries team must find the generator and power it up for 40 secs to defeat the predators. One of the popular gametypes) and Seek and Secure (King of the Hill) The built-in maps are plentiful but no one plays them. Its all about the user maps. How to download them? You simply just join a room and it downloads it automatically. I forgot to mention that you can make your own maps for multiplayer use. It has a robust map maker with many tools and options to make the best map. A small group of people still play this game online and I encourage everyone to at least give this game a try, as the online is pretty fun. The user maps range from platforming, to good old fashioned maps for killing. Its pretty cool.

Overall I love this game and its only $18 bucks used at Gamestop. It's a steal. I encourage everyone to play this massively underrated shooter.

Score: 9.8/10

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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

(System: Playstation 3 | Developed by: Kojima Productions | Published by: Konami | Review by: DGeneral)

Whew it's been a long time since i've written a review folks but i'm finally back to give you my unbiased review of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. MGS4 indeed is a wild ride tying up all the loose ends of the story of Solid Snake and his cloned brother Liquid Snake. But is it worth your time? I'll share with you my review of Guns of the Patriots while staying spoiler free. Now let's get into the meat and potatoes part of the review shall we?

First off let me start off by getting this off my chest. I very much dislike the opening scene and gameplay mesh of MGS4's opening. It really takes you out of the action you've been waiting to get started with. While the dialog for the opening scenes are good i feel that it was a bit over extended and Kojima should have either had a opening cutscene to get you into the feel of the game and the surrounds or shortened out the length of the opening segments. It felt like player control of Solid Snake was tooken away from you too often too soon. After the opening then that's when you real fun begins as you maneuver snake through the war torn middle east. During this time is where you really start to see what i've come to dub the "New face of MGS" with MGS4 heading more towards a action orientated game.

Yes the sneaking bits is still very much in tact but they seem very secondary compared to previous MGS games where stealth is the best bet that's not so much the same for MGS4. In MGS4 you can very easily go into the game guns blazing taking out any mofo that stands in your way or you can stealthily sneak past patrolling guards or even stick up one of the flanking guards to take his weapons and knock him out. But there are also new little things that you have to pay attention to such as Solid Snake being a old man now you have to keep him out of the sunlight since you don't want him to have any heat strokes or not staying crouched to long to mess up his arthritic back. While these things are nice little touches to really solidify (no pun intended) Snake as being old they never feel like a gameplay burden such as taking some of your friends out for social events in GTA4.

Also another new gameplay element in MGS4 is the expansive levels. In all of the acts there's more than 1 path you can take to reach your destination. No it's not as open as Assassins Creed or GTA4 but the level expansion is more like what you'd see in a Hitman game where you have multiple ways to execute your objective and even some hidden routes in which you can take to get to your target point. I don't want to delve into how each act plays out because i think it's best to experience them for yourself. What i will talk about though is the Boss fights and not what it takes to beat them or anything like that but the quality of the boss fights. I have to say the Boss fights in MGS4 save for the final 3 that you do aren't as creative as the previous boss battles in MGS games. It's not that their quality is bad but they aren't as creative (over the top) as previous boss battles in the MGS series which for me as a fan was disappointing.

Now to the most controversial part of MGS4: Cutscenes, i'll be frank with you guys here, there is alot of cutscenes in MGS4. They take up, i'd wager a good 40 percent of the overall time for Guns of the Patriots. No there is not a cutscene that lasts half the time of a LOTR movie but the longest cutscene in the game is roughly 56ish minutes and that's the final cutscene of the game. Though the quality of the cutscenes are simply put great specially the fighting cutscenes but the cutscenes that consists of lots of dialog are also good as well and are pretty accessible for newcomers to the series and vets alike. Though there is 1 particular cutscene that could potentially throw off first time players but it's at actually at the end of the story that occurs so if you kept up with the story there shouldn't be much trouble "getting it".

MGS4 has it's strong points and weak points but it is not the best game ever nor is it the best MGS game in my opinion. While the story in i believe is a true benchmark for storytelling in video games, the controls are more accessible and not as clumsy as before, and there's good amounts of action and it's level's aren't linear. There are some blemishes such as alot of cutscenes that take up quite a bit of time, the boss fights are a bit underwelming compared to previous installments and "installing" after every act in MGS4 for 2 minutes is pretty lame. Also the stealth takes a backseat to action in the majority of the game so if you like more gung ho and like to shoot shit up i'd say you'd really like the new face of MGS but if you like stealth gameplay like me you could be slightly disappointed in MGS4.

In the end I'd give MGS4 a 9.5 out of 10. It's not the best game ever or even the best MGS game in my opinion but the story, new elements of gameplay and honed mechanics of previous MGS gameplay makes MGS4 a great game that's worth your time and money. It's not the end all be all of games but it's extremely entertaining and fun. Yes the game gets spotted a few times while trying to sneak past getting away with a few things but before you react to them you've already been tranquilized.

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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

(System: Xbox 360/PS1 | Developed by: Konami | Published by: Konami | Review by: FETALJUICE)

This Castlevania is the most popular of all the other games, and with good reason. I think I can sum up the gameplay perfectly in two video game names: Super Metroid, Castlevania style. It is so amazingly addictive that you won't want to stop playing it even after you beat it. And dont get me started on the massive amount of extras in this game.

The gameplay in SOTN revolves around exploring a castle and finding weapons, special abilities to make you stronger and find secret areas, much like Super Metroid's system of hunting and gathering. There is a lot more to it than that. I was impressed that this 2D platformer had RPG elements. Like most RPGs, when you kill monsters, you gain EXP and when you reach a certain limit, you gain levels, which obviously increases your stats. You can equip many different types of weapons that range from swords to brass knuckles. You also equip armor and accessories to boost your stats (some armors and accessories have special powers). Its like an RPG in a 2D platformer. I think that is the greatest idea in a video game.

The prologue of the game starts as you playing as Richter Belmont (from Dracula X: Rondo of Blood) in the final stage from that game I just mentioned. So in other words, you begin the game kicking Dracula's ass. The fight takes place 4 years before the events of Symphony of the Night. In the fight between Dracula and Richter, Alucard's (the main character) stats is determined on how fast you kill Dracula, if you get hit, how many weapons you picked up, and if you used subweapons. So if you kill Dracula without getting hit and rapidly, Alucard starts with great stats like a lot of HP and STR. Of course if you die and get revived by Maria (another character from Rondo of Blood) Alucard gets the worst stats. Once the battle is over, you are treated to a summary of the story so far. Then you gain control of Alucard&&&..

As Alucard, you have a variety of moves that are button input sensitive (example: Right, Down Forward, Right + Attack button does a stronger weapon attack) Magic Spells are cast this way. As you explore the castle, you begin to find abilities to travel/enter places you couldn't normally do. I will only reveal one of the transformations in the game. Wolf transformation allows you to run swiftly to attack enemies. Each of these 3 transformations in total can get upgraded by picking up upgrades found in secret areas.

There are ally monsters called Familiars that aid you in your quest. These monsters level up individually so that means that if you kill a monster, your familiar won't gain EXP unless the Familiar kills an enemy. There are 5 in total but I will only reveal the most basic one. The Fairy is a support Familiar. When low on HP, she'll administer potions from your items menu in the heat of battle, administer status-curing items when you are inflicted with status ailments like Poison, Curse, etc. She also warns you about secret areas in a room. She'll say something like "This wall looks weird." Like any other item, these Familiars must be found by exploring the castle.

There are so many items and weapons in this game. There food items, items that temporarily increase a specific stat, throwable items like Shurikens, etc. There are also a lot of weapons but most of them are garbage and a minority are really good.

It is recommended that you find explore the entire castle (including secret areas) to actually continue playing the game. I won't ruin it for you but lets just say there is a surprise waiting for you if you complete the entire castle with 100% completion.

Yes, there is voice acting in this game. I was kinda surprised. Some of it is so bad its good. But its nothing that detracts from the experience. Its pretty decent actually.

You don't have to be a Castlevania freak to enjoy this game (this was actually my first Castlevania). You can find this gem on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 points. Its also available on the PS1 but I think its really hard nowadays to get a copy of it and if there are any copies, its on eBay but ridiculously overpriced. Please play this game. Once you play it, you will be addicted to it. Its like a freaking drug.

Score: 10/10

(the first perfect score I've given to a game)

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On the Toilet

New Super Mario Bros.

(System: Nintendo DS | Developed by: Nintendo | Published by: Nintendo | Review by: ShortHairedOffender)

This months review is New Super Mario Brothers. Anybody who has ever played a game knows the basics of Mario. And those are still there. But now it is bigger and better. If I was forced to describe this in just a sentence I would simply say it was the way Mario was meant to be.

What makes it that way you may ask. Well first off just graphically this looks great. It is a mix between 2d and 3d or as some call it 2.5d. Things you would not think would look good looks good, even pipes.

Now onto sound. There is nothing new here. The sound is still everything it has always been. Catchy as always as memorable as all ways. I still hear it when I go to sleep at night.

The most important thing though is gameplay and it is greater then ever. Now not only can Mario shot fireballs but he can also become huge. In this mode you destroy anything in your way. Even pipes. Depending on how much you destroy depends on how many lives you get out of it. Destroy a level get a lot, destroy a pipe you get none.You can also hold an extra powerup to use if you lose whatever is powering you up.

So overall this has everything Mario is knows for a few things he is not known for.

5/5

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My Gaming Life

(By teh2Dgamer)

It's been a long while since I wrote one of these, and I've done so much gaming since that I just don't know where to start. I guess I could say that lately, I've been buying and collecting more games for my PS1 and PS2 than any other console. I've been picking up stragglers that I missed, and taking chances on games that got mixed reviews. The sting of buying flawed (some are still really good in their own right) games ten years past is that the sting isn't so bad over a five dollar purchase than it would have been for full price. I've been picking up games for my other systems as well, but those are the main two I've been focusing on.

It's amazing how many great games fall through the cracks. I've got 230+ PS2 games, and I'm still finding hidden gems in the system's library. In fact, I've been more focused on that than playing anything new that's come out recently. Part of it is that I've begun a series of youtube videos showing off Underrated Gems for the PS2. I've started branching it off to my other consoles as well (I can't stay focused on any one game system for too long), but I'm still so amazed on how many great games never got their day in the sun.

It's simple, if you only stick to the mainstream games, you're going to miss out on some of the best experiences that gaming has to offer. Some may require a more open mind when going in, but once you get past the quirk, you'll find an extremely rewarding experience underneath it all. Some of the games on the list do take an acquired taste to appreciate, but as a person with a true passion for gaming, I want to experience it all. If there are people who love a game that got crapped on by the gaming public, then I'm inclined to give the game a chance to see if I can see what they're talking about. More often than not, I do find myself enjoying that game for what it has to offer. Once again, I don't expect everyone to enjoy every game I do, and I'm very clear in the descriptions when it's a game that won't be for everyone. However, I find that most open minded gamers buy the games, and also enjoy them. If I can get more people to open their minds to the other side of gaming, than I feel I'm doing my job.

I've got nothing against the Halo's and Gears of the gaming world, but they create so much buzz that it absolutely buries other deserving games. In fact, that's part of modern gaming that's really starting to bug me. Huge hype, and then the gameplay is more limited than ever in the majority of the games out there. It seems like this gen, instead of using the extra power to expand gameplay possibilities, they just use it to make prettier scripted events. There are exceptions, but it feels like most of the game of today play themselves.

That's also why I despise Quick Time Events. They work for a game like Shenmue, because Shenmue isn't an action based game, it's more of a story based game. However, in an action game, I want to be in control of the action. I'll use Tomb Raider as an example. Instead of showing a scene where Lara is escaping traps, let me control it. It takes all the fun out of playing when the developers take the control away from you and let you watch a scene, and occasionally press buttons.

I remember a scene at the end of the first level of second Tomb Raider game where you run over falling floor tiles into a hallway with falling boulders which you follow to a more narrow hallway that has a pit of spikes you have to jump over after which the hallway turns into a slide. The slide dumps you in a room where two spiked walls are closing in and you have to quickly jump up to another hallway that also has falling floor tiles and sword like traps that you have to jump over. Once you leave that hallway you come to a corridor where the walls on one side have spikes that close in on you, and there's a secret pickup on the ground if you're brave enough to try for it. That hallway takes you to another slide that takes you into a room where one side is closing in on you, and you have to run to a corner of the room and wait for a floor tile to fall to escape into an are where you can finally catch your breath. The whole time you're playing this, your testies are in your throat.

I'm telling you this, because a scene like that in todays gaming world would probably be covered with a QTE scene thus cheating the gamer of the exhilaration of completing that scene using their own skill. QTEs used that way kill the fun of a game for me. I want to be the one running and avoiding traps. Never in my entire gaming life did I think that the play styIes of the Sega CD would ever resurface in gaming, but they're back, and as lame as ever. This mindset of "We'll let you watch this awesome scene that we spend more time on then we did on the gameplay, and so you don't get bored, we'll let you occasionally press a button or two." is driving me crazy. It's another example of why modern gaming is going one way, and I'm going in a different direction.

If you love QTEs, that's fine. I, however, despise them in my action games, and will barely tolerate a game that relies on them. I liked God of War, but that was for the core gameplay of the game. The QTEs, are a blemish on that series IMO.

Anyways, before I rant on, I guess I'll call that an end to the final version of My Gaming Rant...er..Life. You can be assured that I shall have many more gaming adventures before my number is up that I'll write about in the future in some form or another. For those of you who have actually bothered to read this section of 2.5D over the many issues, I'd like to give you my thanks (and probably my apologies too).

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Underrated Gem of the Month.

Cold Winter

(System: Playstation 2 | Developed by: Swordfish Studios | Published by: VU Games | Review by: wulfshelmut/game_fan/Skip_Sparks/whatever he's going by nowadays)

I remember first seeing Cold winter in PSM. I was thrilled that the ps2 was getting a more realistic FPS, with current day weapons. I rented it and played through it. I enjoyed every minute I played it. I bought it two months ago and still enjoy it still. It has one of the best stories in any FPS I can think of.

Its almost like reading a spy novel but your playing it and its almost as believable. I play the game just to hear the story, thats just how good it is. The cutscenes dont look as good, however, but that can be overlooked. For a ps2 FPS it looks good. Still it doesnt look bad. The character models look nicely detailed and so do the enviroments. The weapon models look excellent and they even flash light onto your surrondings when being fired. I like this effect, and it makes the weapons seem more realistic.

You also get a nice selection in weapons though you're limited to what you can carry, only two weapons at a time. The weapons also sound well, they all have a fairly realistic sound when fired which adds to the experience. The other in-game sound effects like music and ambient sounds are also of good quality.

Cold winter also controls well. You dont have to struggle with the controls. When playing your character moves fluidly. This makes your experience with cold winter even more enjoyable. Its also simple and easy to get into and play. I enjoy its simplistic style of gameplay.

The gameplay in cold winter is top notch. The enemy AI isnt the best but they do prove to be more challenging on higher difficulties. I also like the ability to pick up items and use them as shields, or flipping tables over to use as cover. You can make your own items through out the game, molotov cocktail, lock picks and bombs. This is also a nice feature that some times allows you to gain access to better weapons.

Cold winter seems to be overlooked by alot of people. I never see many people mention it, even people that own ps2s. It really is one the ps2s best FPS. I dont think it gets enough attention. But You can get it really cheap now at gamestop and EB games. I got my copy for $10. Its definitely worth a purchase if your looking for a great ps2 FPS. This game should be in every ps2 owner and FPS fan's collection.

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A Look Back

PS2 underrated gems

Call me too lazy to write a long feature if you will. However, I was actually planning to write out a whole feature for this section of the mag highlighting underrated PS2 games of last gen, so I decided that I'd make vids of each game and link to them in the article. However, seeing as I've taken forever to get the current issue out, I've been making the PS2 vids like crazy, and have instead of deciding to list them all, I'm going to embed the entire playlist in my blog and let those interested scroll through all of them at their leisure. I'm still working on it, so as time goes on, more games will be added to the playlist.

Be warned, some of these won't be for everyone. In fact, some of them may indeed be hated by some of you who decide to play them, because they take a specific gaming taste to appreciate:

Here's the Underrated PS2 games list (some of these are on other consoles as well, and I list that in their Youtube descriptions):

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The Final Sendoff

Well folks, that's it for the eight and final issue of 2.5D a Blogzine Dedicated to the Games of Old and of New. As you can tell, it's been quite a long while since my last issue. Too long, and that's exactly why I decided that eight was a nice round number to end the zine on. I don't want to promise, and get people's hopes up for something that I'm not putting 100% into anymore. I feel like that would be cheating people.

I'll still continue to write articles for my blog, but not in the same capacity of 2.5D which I put a lot of time and effort into creating. I've become busy with other things in my life, and cannot put as much effort into my blog as I feel is needed. I don't want to cheat the many members who have contributed, and have been waiting for me to finish this issue for months by promising further issues, and not be able to publish them in a timely manor. It's not fair to them. As it is, I'm sure that those who have submitted their writings for this issue have completely forgotten what they wrote, because my lack of focus has caused them to wait so long.

I'd like to thank any and everyone who ever submitted an article to my blogzine, and to anyone who's ever taken the time to read an issue.

I'd also like to thank The Video game Museum for all the pics I've borrowed over the course of the zine, and GamePro.com for first allowing the members to create their own blogs which gave me the inspiration to finally see the fanzine I had always wanted to make for years come to life. I've also borrowed my fair share of pics from GP as well.

That's it for the final issue of 2.5D. I hope you enjoyed it, and sorry for it being so late.

2.5D the blogzine came gave it it's all, and now will ride off into the sunset with it's head held high. I thank you for the time that we shared together in making this blogzine.

My favorite youtube vids I've made.

2009-05-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

This is a playlist collection of my personal favorite youtube vids I've made. Some of them are on there for sentimental reasons, but, for the most part, these are the ones I've worked the hardest on to make.

Last Bronx Sega Saturn Gameplay

2009-05-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last Bronx hit near the end of the Saturn's life, and is a pretty fun fighting game once you get into it. At first glance, I wasn't that impressed with it, but once I learned a few combos to use in the training mode, and played it more, I can see the appeal of the game.

I still haven't given it as much attention as I know I should have though. I've got so many games that it's hard to focus on any one game for too long. Some games get lost in the shuffle.

FIghter's Megamix (Sega Saturn) Gameplay

2009-05-02T16:57:00.001-07:00

I captured some footage of the Japanese version of Fighter's Megamix which is a great game. As you'll notice, most of the game is in English anyways.

I was going to record more video, but my Saturn couldn't read it. I took my Action Replay out earlier, to use my memory card, and now the AR won't work as a converter. It's happened to me before, and it should work again soon.

My experience with Sega's CD based systems, is that they can be extremely moody at times. Sometimes they'll work just fine, but other times they'll have the hardest time reading a simple disk. When they don't feel like reading a disk, it's best to just move on, and come back to it some other time.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 PS2 Online Gameplay

2009-04-22T01:59:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest youtube vid:

I'm not particularly good at this game, but that's because I don't play it much.

40 Reasons to Love Sega

2009-04-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

Note: I previously published this on GamePro.com, so some of the content may involve that site, and some of the old links may not work anymore.

40 Reasons to Love Sega

It's no secret that in recent years Sega has fallen from their former glory. With the death of their extremely promising Dreamcast, their turn to a software only company, the death of arcades (which Sega was the undisputed king of), their merger with Sammy, and some lackluster efforts in some of their recent offerings, it seems like Sega is kinda going down the tube as of late. However, I'm not one for giving up hope on any game developer (I still had hope in Acclaim, and 3DO to the bitter end). I always hope for a brighter future filled with a plethora of great games, and Sega is hardly beyond hope. If any developer can pull themselves out of a slump it's Sega.

IMO Sega has always been the true innovator in gaming. While other developers would play it safe with their games by whoring out their established characters, Sega was always the one to charge balls first into an innovative game idea, and give us something truly great. Instead of throwing Sonic on everything (like a certain other company does with a certain plumber), they'd opt to create something completely new, and even the games they made where they "borrowed" from other games were usually still high quality.

It's sad to me that Sega can no longer afford to be the innovator they once were. That's what helped put them in the hole (hardware debacles aside, most casual gamers just didn't "get" Sega's games), and is also responsible for the recent whoring out of Sonic. Sometimes I fear that we'll never see another company that's as un-afraid of Taking risks like Sega used to be. The day that that fear comes true is a sad day for gaming indeed.

In the spirit of the many great games Sega has provided us over the years, I give you 40 reasons to love Sega.

Altered Beast- This early Genesis pack-in keeps it simple. Move from one side of the screen to the next and beat up everything that moves. If you collect three powerups then you get to morph into an animal and take baddies out in that form. It's simple, and it doesn't need to be anything else.

Astal- A beautiful watercolored platformer on the Saturn. It doesn't do anything remarkably new, but what it does it does good. It's a very refined 2D platformer. The gameplay is simple, grap, throw, and jump. If you're a fan of the genre, then you'll love Astal.

Beyond Oasis / Legend of Oasis- These games were Sega's take on the Zelda formula, and they were damn good. Beyond Oasis was on the Genesis, and Legend of Oasis was on the Saturn. I rarely ever hear anyone talk about these games, but if you've got the hardware to play them, then go for it. They're two truly underrated gems.

Chu Chu Rocket- In this quirky puzzle game your job is to save a bunch of space mice known as ChuChus from evil space cats called KapuKapus by placing arrows on a grid and leading them to the safety of their rocket before the KapuKapus can get to them. The puzzle mode is totally addictive in ChuChu Rocket, but the multiplayer mode is where the game really shines. You'll compete with four other players to see who can collect the most ChuChus in the alloted time.

Columns- One of the millions of Tetris style puzzle games, but like Tetris, Columns is plenty addictive. You have to line up falling columns (hence the name) of multi-colored gems. In order to get the gems to dissappear, you have to line up three or more same colored gems either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Crazy Taxi series- Who prior to the release of Crazy Taxi had ever though "Hey a game about being a taxi driver and having to deal with impatient passenger would make a fun game?" I'd say only the designer that's who. I'm not sure where they got the idea for this game, but it really doesn't bother me because Crazy Taxi is just so damn fun to play that it doesn't matter. Sure, the game gets knocked of it's lack of depth, but there are few things more exhilarating in videogames than hitting huge air in your taxi while collecting cool cash from your passenger to get them to their destination within the alloted time. Yeah, it's all the same thing over and over again, but even after all these years, I still boot up some Crazy Taxi for some mindless arcade fun. Even today if I hear one of the Offspring songs from the first CT, it put me in the mood to play the game.

Daytona series- When I think of arcade style racing, there are two series' that always pop into my mind. One is Namco's Ridge Racer series, and the other is the Daytona series. The game might have stock cars in it, but it couldn't be farther away from being a racing sim. What Daytona offers it fast and furious arcade racing action. Who needs realism when you can have fun?

Die Hard Arcade- A fun but mindless beat 'em up based very loosely on Die Hard. I remember spending almost $20 in quarters once with a friend trying to beat the game in the arcade. I've been wanting the Saturn version ever since I read about it in Gamepro years ago, but I've still yet to acquire it, but It's on my list.

Ecco the Dolphin Series- Beautiful underwater side scrolling adventure games for the Genesis, and Sega CD (I haven't played the new one released on the DC and PS2 yet, but it's on my list) where you play as a dolphin named Ecco (hence the name), who's on a mission to save his pod who disappeared due a mysterious storm hit after Ecco jumps into the air. Ecco migh be a little boring for you action buffs, but those who love a good adventure should really check this series out.

Eternal Champions- The hottest genre of the early 90's was the fighting game genre. It seemed like every developer under the sun was throwing a me-to Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat clone at us. I could name a bunch off the top of my head. Eternal Champions is one of the stand-outs from that time in gaming history. EC plays like a mix between SF and MK. It had hand drawn fighters like SF, but it also had stage fatalities (dubbed Overkills in this game) and a darker storyline like MK. The game give you a plethora of modes different modes to play. If EC has any hitches, it's that the single player mode's enemy A.I. is stupid hard. It knows every move you make before you make it and it'll counter and block just about everthing you throw at it. They made a sequel on the Sega CD. Hardcore Sega fans have been screaming for a sequel for years, but Sega has yet to respond to their pleading.

Ferrari F355 Challenge- For those of you who know they'll never drive a real Ferrari, Yu Suzuki feels your pain (he doesn't share it though). In honor of driving Ferraris being all the rage amongst game developers (just ask John Carmack), Yu Suzuki decided to create Ferrari F355 challenge for the arcades (with three screens of view and three naomi boards running it), it was then ported to the DC, and eventually the PS2. F355 Challenge is pretty much a complete sim of driving the Ferrari F355. It's not for everyone, but racing enthusiasts should feel right at home in this game.

Fighter's Megamix- It's pretty much Virtua Fighter vs Fighting Vipers with a bunch of other Sega characters thrown in for good measure (including the stock car from Daytona). I still have yet to acquire it, but it'll definitely be the next Saturn game I buy.

Fighting Vipers- Sega's other popular 3D fighting series. Though it has less depth than Virtua Fighter, it's still a really fun game in it's own right. The only game I can liken it to in recent years is the Bloody Roar series minus the morphing into animals thing. They brought the first one out to the Saturn, but they never brought the DC port of the second game to America. I think it's high time Sega graced us with a sequel. However, fighting games are pretty dead as of late (minus a few established franchises that is), so I can't blame Sega if they choose to pass on a sequel.

Golden Axe series- This game reminds me of a mixture of Gauntlet, and other arcade beat 'em ups. You've got your generic warrior, valkyrie, and dwarf. even the use of potions to do magic spells reminds me of Gauntlet, but that's ok because Golden Axe is still great mindless beat 'em up fun.

Hang-On series- I remember playing this motorcycle racer for the first time in an arcade. I didn't get it at first and just started out going like five miles an hour. Needless to say I missed the first checkpoint. I didn't realize that I had to pull the handle back on handlebars just like you would on a real bike. The first Hang-On has you racing against the clock to reach checkpoints before the time runs out. Though you're not racing against any opponents, there are a bunch of evil guys riding bikes that of course make you bike explode if you even so much as brush against them. I also have Super Hang-On on the Genesis, and that game adds some more depth to the equation by letting you buy parts to upgrade you bike.

House of the Dead series- Think Resident Evil with lightguns....no, no wait. Think RE with lightguns except it doesn't suck ass, and you'll get the general idea of what the House of the Dead Series is all about. If you're a fan of lightgun games, then you'll love HotD (lets just forget that the movie was ever made).

Jet Grind Radio/Jet Set Radio series- The original Jet Grind Radio on the Dreamcast is fighting with Shenmue as my favorite DC game. There's just nothing like it in the world. You're a member of a Tokyo-to street gang named th GG's, and your job is an easy one, don a pair of rocket skates, and start tagging up your turf with the cans of spray paint found in the environment while fighting off rival gangs, and the police force. The games story progresses via cutscenes that feature Professor K who's a DJ for the pirate radio station known as Jet Grind/Set Radio. JGR started the whole cell shading craze that is still effecting gaming to this day. I personally prefer the original to it's sequel on the Xbox, but you can't go wrong with either game.

Kid Chameleon- This is a pretty blatant rip off of Mario, but it's still a damn good one. You play as Kid Chameleon who gets sucked into a virtual reality game at his local arcade, and you must defeat the evil A.I. Heady Metal. Like I said, it's a platformer that borrows liberally from Mario, but it does put it's own twist on the formula.

Monkey Ball series- The concept is simple, take a monkey, put him in a giant hamster ball, and have him go through a multitude of puzzle stages collecting bananas. The games are also filled with a ton of fun multiplayer minigames. I know the recent versions haven't gotten that great of reviews, but you should definitely check out the early versions if you like quirky puzzle games.

Nights- NiGHTS is one of those games that's truly hard to explain so I'll just send you to the wiki page instead of trying to explain it myself.

OutRun- OutRun isn't so much a racing game as it is a driving game. You hit the streets in your Ferrari (yet more proof of Yu Suzuki's obsession with the cars), and your girl in a race against the clock. You have no rival racers to contend with, just traffic and the clock. You also get to choose your path through to the end via choosing a direction at the many forks in the road. You also get to choose your tunes as well.

Panzer Dragoon series- To me, the panzer Dragoon series is the ultimate rail shooter. You play as a human character riding on the back of a dragon shooting down all sorts of enemies in a multitude of environments ranging from ancient ruins to lush forests to even inside giant battle ships. For your typical rail shooters, the Panzer Dragoon series has remarkable atmosphere. In fact, the series has such good atmosphere and back story, that they even decided to make the third game in the series an RPG. I've still yet to play Panzer Dragoon Saga, but that's because I'm not willing to pay the price all the ***holes on ebay are asking me to pay for it. I'm hoping Sega will wake up and re-release it.

Phantasy Star series- Though I prefer a great many other RPG series' to the Phantasy Star series, I still think most of the PS games are pretty good (PS IV being the best IMO, but PS III is just too boring to hold my interest). While Shining Force is my favorite Sega RPG series, PS was always good enough to make any Sega system owner proud. I haven't played the online version though.

Rez- I've said it before and I'll say it again (no it's not man I love being a Turtle), Rez is Panzer Dragoon on a acid trip. Think Panzer Dragoon as a music game with a bunch of trippy effects. Every time you lock on to an enemy, it makes a sound that adds to the music. Also, when you get later into the levels, your controller will even vibrate in tune with the music. It's truly a trippy game.

Ristar- During the 16-bit days another thing besides fighting games that was all the rage was creating platformers that had an animal with an attitude (we can all thank Sonic for starting that craze). Ristar however follows it's own path. In Ristar you play as a star. Ok that's not much different, but the main focus of the game is Ristar's arms that he uses to grab things like enemies, items, or other various things in the game environments. It might not set your world on fire, but Ristar is another example of a really refined platform effort from Sega. It's a shame the game didn't do that well in the sales department, but they did add it to The Sega Genesis Collection on the PS2 for those of you who might be interested in playing it.

Seaman- Do you remember the tamagotchi phase that swept America in the 90's? You know those little gameboy looking things with those small screens that had an animal or something that you had to take care of and feed virtual food to, and that would generally be a huge pain in the ass, and would die all the time. Well, Seaman would be Sega's version of a tamagotchi except this tamagotchi could learn to speak your language that you teach him via a microphone attachment to your DC controller. I don't know if you've ever seen a picture of what Seaman looks like, but he's absolutely hideous. It's a human head on a fish's body. The game runs on your DC clock, so raising and maintaining your Seaman is a day to day affair (assuming you don't just set your DC clock ahead a day to cheat like I do). It's truly an interesting game, but it's definitely not for everyone.

Sega Rally- Once again, I'm not sure if Sega was the first company to bring Rally Racing to videogames, but I am sure of the fact that Sega Rally is an awesome arcade racer with incredible depth. It doesn't have a lot of courses or car choices, but the depth is in learning the courses. Nailing a perfect run on one of the courses can put in a state of gaming zen. Yeah, sure games like Gran Truismo have more depth, but Sega Rally is a great mix of Arcadey racing and serious racing.

Shenmue series- If memory serves me correctly I believe that Shenmue started out life as a Virtua Fighter RPG. Somewhere along the way, it morphed into one of the most ambitious games ever released. Shenmue follows the story of Ryo Hazuki, who's on a quest to find the man who killed his father. The games throw you into Ryo's world, but it let you choose how to proceed. You get to explore Ryo's world while progressing the storyline forward(if you choose to do so that is). While there is a story path you have to follow, getting there is a totally non-linear experience. I believe that Yu Suzuki intended players to explore Ryo's world. You can talk to everyone (though, NPC's are rarely helpful), and explore almost everywhere. You can spend all day at the arcade playing the various classic Sega arcade games (it depends which of the two Shemue games you're playing because each has different arcade games in it) if you so please, or you can spend it talking to everyone or just exploring your surroundings. What you want to do is your choice. Think of it as a GTA style sandbox game without the killing. That's not to say that Shenmue is totally devoid of action. Throughout various points of the storyline, you'll be able to fight various thugs with moves you learn throughout the game, or participate in Quick Time Events (QTE) in which you have to press the corresponding button or d-pad direction than the one that pops up on screen. The QTEs kinda remind me of all those terrible full motion video games on the Sega CD that just require you to press a button at the right time in order to watch the video, but they're not as bad. Overall, I say that it's a damn shame that Shenmue bombed so badly that we'll probably never see a sequel, but we Shenmue fans can always dream can't we?

Shining Force series- My favorite RPGs on the Sega Genesis were the Shining force games. These strategy RPGs (forget about the new games in the series) gave the Genesis one of the very few RPGs that reached the level of quality of Snes RPGs of the same time period. Sega also made Shining Force 3 for the Saturn in three different episodes, but they only localized the first episode to America because the Saturn was dying at the time. I'm still hoping that Sega will eventually re-release all three episodes so we can enjoy Shining Force three whihout having to donate a kidney to afford it.

Shinobi series- If you look through the history of Ninjas in videogames, you'll find hundreds if not thousands of games with ninjas in them. The Shinobi series has always stood out as one of the best in the bunch. I just recently acquired a Sega Master System and the original Shinobi, and I must say that it's as engaging as ever. That's a testament to it's great design. The series as a whole has always been challenging, but challenging in a rewarding way. I'd liken this series to say a Castlevania (in gameplay style not level design) where it takes, finesse, patience, and memorization to learn the levels well enough to eventually beat it. The most recent 3D Shinobi on the PS2 is one of those games that people either love or hate.

Sonic series- Say what you want about Sonic's most recent games, but there's no doubt that the original 2D games were awesome. Even Shigeru Miyamoto has admitted to playing them. The best part about the design was there wasn't a set path to go. The levels were huge, and had so many different ways to get through them. I haven't played any of the newer 3D ones post the first Sonic Adventure, but from what the reviews say they weren't that good (I'm still going to eventually pick them up to see for myself). I have the utmost faith in Sonic Team, and I'm sure they can find a way to re-invent the series.

Space Channel 5 series- Parappa gets sexy. Space Channel Five is Sega's off the wall spin on the music game formula. It's kinda like the 60's idea of space atmosphere meets Parappa the Rappa style gameplay. You play as Ulala and you're the news anchor for Space Channel 5, and your job is to report the news and keep your ratings up via dancing fighting and shooting the aliens who have suddenly invaded in the game. Sega actually got sued by Lady Miss Kier (who?) a singer from the group Deee-Lite (once again who?) because she thought Ulala was too close to her likeness. She ended up losing and having to pay Sega's $600,000 in legal fees.

Space Harrier- Space Harrier is an early rail shooter from Sega. It's just purely mindless blasting fun, but that's ok in my book. I'm not quite sure what the story is (like it matter in a game of this type), but you play as a guy who runs/flys through a multitude of levels blasting everthing that moves while dodging everything they throw at you from trees and other environmental hazards to enemy fire. it might be to repetitious for some of you, but for you fans of oldschool style game, it should be right up your alley.

Streets of Rage series- Yeah, Yeah, if you look at the first Final Fight, and then you look at a bunch of enemy characters from the Streets of Rage series, you'll find that the SOR enemies are a blatant and direct rip off of the enemies in FF. However, that being said, SOR is by far the better series IMO. I can't really explain what I find so engaging about these games, but I don't really feel the need to. They're just mindless beat 'em up fun, but even after all these years, I still can't get enough of these games. SOR 2 is by far my favorite in the series. Some people swear by the third one, but other use it as a swear word. I think they just tried to jam too much into one game, and made some changes to the formula that were for the worst IMO.

Typing of the Dead- This is one of those off the wall games that makes one say "Only Sega would think of this". Imagine playing through House of the dead, except instead of killing the undead masses with a light gun, you use your keyboard instead to type up messages that appear on your enemies in order to kill them. I've been meaning to pick this one up for years. I even have the DC keyboards with which to play it. Blieve me, I need all the typing help I can get.

Vectorman series- Hitting near the end of the Genesis' lifespan, Vectorman 1&2 were top notch action games that showed that the Genesis was still capable of competing with the Snes graphically. The game plays like an action platformer. Each level has plenty of powerups and other items to collect, platform jumps, and enemies to blast. It's like kinda Sonic meets Contra.

Virtua Cop series- I'm not sure if the original Virtua Cop was the first lightgun game to use polygons, but it was definitely one of the first. You play as a cop trying to take down a powerful crime syndicate by going through the city while blasting hordes of criminals. If you're a fan of light gun games then this is one of the best IMO. Light gun games might be a dying breed of games, but VC is a testament to what makes those games so fun.

Virtua Fighter series- Despite being the first 3D fighting game series, Virtua Fighter is also the deepest fighting game series out there. Just learning the moves isn't enough, you have to know to do a move or when and how to either block a move and counter or just simply duck it. It goes more in depth than that, but let's just say that it takes just as much devotion to master VF as it does to master a real martial art.

Virtua Tennis- Virtua Tennis did for tennis what Hotshots golf did for golf, it made tennis fun. A tennis game might sound pretty stupid to some of you, but believe me, VT is virtual crack. Whether you be playing by yourself or with three friends, the game is super fun to play.

Virtual On- Giant Japanese style mechs in a fighting game. That pretty much sums Virtual On up. It's a new take on the traditional 3D fighting game. Think of it as Armored Core without the missions but just all the mech on mech fighting. The combat also moves a whole lot faster than AC's does as well. I heard Virtual On Mars wasn't that good, but I've yet to play it myself. However, the original on the Saturn and Oratorio Tangram on the Dreamcast are great games even if the control scheme is off because the original arcade versions had dual sticks for aiming and moving.

Sorry if some of these explanations seem a little quick or weak to you, but I've been working on this blog all day, and have run out of steam near the end.

Anyways, feel free to tell me what you think of the blog, or to add any Sega developed games to the list that you feel should be there.

The PS1

2009-04-22T00:10:00.000-07:00

Note: I previously published this on GamePro.com, so some of the content may involve that site, and some of the old links may not work anymore.

The PS1

You are not ready huh? It seems like an appropriate tag-line when describing the effect the Playstation had on the gaming world. When people ask me what my favorite system of all time is, I never hesitate to say the PS1. While yes, it did have a bunch of mainstream titles that were great, it's the underrated gems that truly make the system my favorite. It drives me nuts when so-called "Hardcore" gamers label the PS1 as a casual gamer system. Yes, the Saturn had more hardcore gamer type games, but the PS1 had it's fair share if you new where to look.

That's the beauty of the PS1's game library. It had the best variety. It was the old circus analogy. There's something for everyone, and while it didn't always have the best game in each respective genre (2D fighters, and FPS come to mind), what it had in those genres was still pretty good, and at-least it had games in that genre (I'm still waiting for a 2D fighter on the N64). It was the void filler of the super hardcore of the Saturn and the mainstream 3D only of the N64. It had great games in the genres that those systems were found lacking in. Whoever said "A jack of all trades is a master of none." never played the PS1.

Another great thing about the PS1 was the great innovations it made for gaming. Beyond bringing gaming into the mass market (you decide if that was a good thing or not), they made innovations in many other areas. id might have pioneered the demo disk with Doom, but Sony perfected it with things like Playstation Underground, and OPM (may they rest in peace). They turned the demo disk into a game selling art. They also made the $20 greatest hit a standard (which is no longer the standard, but maybe in the future), and Nintendo might have brought rumbling, and analog (well analog in it's current form) to the consoles, but Sony perfected them by putting the rumble standard in the controller, and adding another joystick as well.

All those hardware innovations mean nothing without gameplay innovations, and the PS1 had plenty. I'm not sure if Parappa the Rappa was the first music game, but you gotta believe that it brought the genre into the limelight. Would we be playing guitar hero today without Parrappa? I'm not sure. Also the modern stealth genre as we know it wouldn't exist. Metal Gear Solid would have been bastardized on the N64 (it may have worked on the Saturn though). People were jacking cars in Liberty City on the PS1 long before it was the kewel thing to do in GTA3. It might not played as well, but the core gameplay came about on the PS1, and let's not forget Driver's hand in that as well. Speaking of driving, where would racing games be without "The real driving sim"? What about the modern extreme sports game? Street Sk8ter hit the PS1 first, but Tony Hawk's Pro skater blew the genre wide open. There are so many other examples of innovation shown by developers on the PS1. Some might say that all those games would have happened without the PS1, and fair enough some of them might have, but they probably wouldn't have been the same.

When I think of the PS1 theres just so much to it beyond the surface of what most people who own one saw. So many great games (with a ton of hidden gems for those who feel like digging), so many great innovations, and so many great memories make the PS1 my favorite system of all time. There are many other great systems out there, but there is only one Playstation.

teh2Dgamer's list of must play PS1 games:

Air/Ace Combat series- These are the best jet fighting games on the PS1. There's plenty of mission objectives to accomplish and plenty of intense dogfights to be had. If you like mission based flight games or if you liked the sequels, then you shouldn't miss these games. The first game was Air Combat, and the Sequels are Ace Combat 2&3.

Akuji the Heartless- You play as Akuji, a voodoo priest who savagely has his heart ripped out on his wedding day by his brother, and is now cursed to wander the depths of hell. The game runs on the Gex engine, and has an atmosphere similar to Soul Reaver's. It does have some camera issues, but they don't hurt the experience that much.

Alundra- It's an action adventure RPG in the same vein of Zelda except it's a lot more puzzle heavy and it completely sprite based. If you like old school style Action RPGs, then this is the game for you. The puzzles are really tough at some points so keep the faq handy.

Ape Escape- One of the quirkiest and most innovative platformers ever. It's innovative uses of the analog sticks is still unmatched. This is probably the best 3D platformer for the PS1. I still haven't seen any other game use the analog sticks in such an innovative way. You use the right analog stick to control the gadgets in this game. Who doesn't like playing with R/C Cars, and catching highly intellegent evil monkeys??

Armored Core series- A mission based mech game where you build your own mech. The controls are tough to get the hang of, and if you're tired of the newer versions of the AC series, then the PS1 versions probably won't set your world on fire, but if you still have a PS1, and have never played an AC game or are a fan, then go for it.

Bloody Roar 1&2- These are some really fast and fun fighting games where the fighters can change into animals in mid fight. I remember seeing the Gamepro review that first got me interested in the first BR. The game kinda came out of nowhere and its a fast and furious fighter. The BR series has kinda of fizzled out in recent years, but I have hope that the right developer can do it justice with a next gen sequel, but since fighting games are pretty dead, I don't see that ever happening.

Breath of Fire III&IV- These are top notch RPGs from Capcom where your main character can morph in to dragons. This series started on the Snes, and it peaked on the PS1 IMO. Every RPG fan should have these games in their PS1 collection.

Bushido Blade 1&2- Samurai weapons based fighting games with one hit kills. You can switch between multiple sword stances and weapons. The combat is more engaging that you may think.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night- It's a perfect mixture of Castlevania, Metroid, and RPG level gaining elements. It's the best Castlevania in the series IMO, and It's also my favorite PS1 game. Whips are for pansies. Allucard (despite looking like a woman) is one of the coolest Castlevania characters in the series. "What is a man? A miserable little Pile of Secrets. But enough talk. Have at you!"

Colony Wars series- The best space flight games on the PS1. The rebel fighters taking on a evil empire storyline might be overdone, but the action is top notch, and the game goes forward whether or not you fail a mission. If you fail one, the next mission will be easier. They really need to make a sequel.

Crash Bandicoot series- There are some of the best platformers on the PS1. There is a reason that these games put Naughty Dog on the map (I guess Way of the Warrior didn't do the trick for some reason). Warped is the highlight of the series, but the first two are still top notch offereings. Who can forget the Crash Dance. It's almost a shame that Crash is a sad shell of his former self now.

Crash Team Racing- Mario Kart be damned. CTR is still my favorite kart racer of all time. Sure, it's a Mario Kart Clone, but It's boost system just added so much extra depth to the racing. The track designs are great, and the multiplayer is fun. Note: I still love MK so please don't release your attack dogs.

Crusader: No Remorse- This isometric shooter from Origin Systems is really fun. I picked it up recently for two bucks. It's also on the Saturn and the PC (along with it's sequel Crusader: No Regret) for those of you who have those options.

Descent/Descent Maximum- Take a ship shooter like Colony wars and put it in a First Person Shooter environment and you get Descent. That's pretty much the best way to describe it.Also, if you're prone to motion sickness I really wouldn't suggest it to you. 360 degree movement in first generation PS1 graphics isn't ideal for some those with weak stomachs.

Devil Dice- Who could have predicted that such a simple game where you play as a cutesy little devil who turns over giant dice trying to line up their numbers to make them disappear (for example, you need five die with five dots in order to make them disappear, and you can continually chain more die to that chain so long as all the die haven't disappeared yet. It's hard to explain, but this game is virtual crack. Whether you be playing the puzzle mode or the hectic multiplayer games you'll be totally addicted to Devil Dice.

Einhander- This is probably the best Shmup (shoot 'em up or side scrolling shooter) the PS1 has to offer. It's fully polygonal and like other shmups it's plenty challenging. Who ever would have expected this type of game from Squaresoft?

Final Fantasy series- While I do believe the FF series on the PS1 is overrated as hell, it's still a great series. Square had enough sense to port FF III/VI (by far the best FF in the series and my favorite game of all time) to the PS1 so I guess I can deal with all the FF noobs (that's right, FF VII has been out for almost a decade, and I still consider you a noob to the series if it was your first FF) who think FF VII is the greatest thing ever. They're all great games despite my ramblings. Also don't forget Final Fantasy Tactics which is considered by most to be the best strategy RPG on the PS1.

Front Mission 3- Mechs in a strategy RPG Like it gets any better. If you dig mechs, and strategy RPS, then this is the game for you. If Armored core and Final Fantasy Tactics had a bastard child, you'd get Front Mission.

G-Darius- Another great Shmup for the PS1. Damn the fishes.

Gran Turismo series- The best racing sims for the PS1. I remember taking a chance on the original GT before I ever read a review of the game, and I was completely blown away. This game took the racing genre to a whole new level. It ditched the arcadey gameplay of other racers, and added a ton of depth by letting gamers choose from hundreds of real cars from real manufacturers, and then letting the gamer upgrade and customize their car.

Grandia- One of my favorite RPGs for the PS1. 2D sprites in a fully polygonal world, lovable characters, a great storyline, and a cool battle system. Game Arts was truly one of the best RPG developers. It's sad that they went under. I do hear that the Saturn version of Grandia is superior to the PS1 version but it's Japanese only.

Hot Shots Golf- Yes that's right, I put a golf game up there. Hot Shots isn't your average boring game of golf. It's hella addictive, and it made golf games fun again, or fun for the first time.

Jumping Flash 1&2- In JF, you play as a robotic rabbit named Robbit who has to save world from a mad scientist (does gaming know any other kind?) named Baron Aloha. The original JF hit before Mario 64, and plays like a mix between a FPS and a 3D platformer. You character can jump really high in the air, and he looks down at his feet when he does which used to give me that wierd falling feeling in my gut. This is another one that people who get dizzy or sick from games should try and avoid.

Klonoa- An addictive 2.5D platformer for the PS1. It's simple Jump, Grab, and throw, but it's still very engaging. I've seen copies of this game go for $80+ on ebay before. Don't let it's kiddie appearence fool you, this game packs a punch in the gameplay department.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver- IMO, this dark adventure game is superior to both of the Zeldas on the N64(I know I'm in the minority here). This game has great atmosphere, a huge world to explore (quite a bit bigger than the one in OOT that everyone made such a huge deal over), and a deep storyline told with excellent voice acting. The combat system is also very innovative because there are so many ways to kill your enemies. There are tons of things in the environment that can be used as a weapon weather it be a spear you can tear off a wall and impale you enemies with, a pool of water you can throw them, or even the Soul Reaver itself there are just so many ways to do your enemies in.

Legend of Legaia- A tough RPG with a cool combat system. It's got a PS2 sequel for those of you who are interested.

Lunar 1&2- Another great RPG series from Game Arts. They were updated ports of the Sega CD games. These games are full of the charm and humor that makes Game Arts RPGs shine.

MDK- A purely mindless shooter from the great people at Shiny. It's got some really trippy levels, and the sniper helmet is a cool touch. It's also got it's own unique atmosphere.

Medal of Honor/MOH:Underground- Easily the best FPSs on the PS1. These games kicked off the whole WWII FPS craze.

Medievil 1&2- Two awesome adventure games with great Halloweenish atmosphere.

Mega Man Legends 1&2- It's kinda like Mega Man meets Zelda. There's plenty of exploration to be had and you can use items you find to make more weapons and items for Mega Man. Though these games play nothing like their 2D counterparts, this is one of the few cases where that doesn't matter.

Metal Gear Solid- Do I really have to tell you about this game. If you own a PS1 than you should own this game. It did so much for gaming that I could probably write a few pages about it.

The Misadventures of Tron Bonne- This quirky offshoot to Mega Man Legends follows Tron and her Servo Bots on their own adventure. The game mixture of a bunch of games. A little strategy, adventure, and puzzle elements. It's truly a charming little game.

Monster Rancher 1&2- How cool is it to create monsters by putting in another cd in you system. It's similar to Pokemon. You raise a monster and then have him fight against other's monsters in an arena.

Mortal Kombat 4- I don't know what everyone had against this game, but IMO it's a top notch fighting game. It's super fast and furious, and I love the bone breaks. My only complaint is that the uppercut is pretty much worthless in this game, but the game moves so fast, that it's not a big deal, because pulling off combos is hella easy.

Nascar Rumble- What happens when you mix Nascar with Mario Kart? You get Nascar Rumble. There's plenty of cool powerups and hidden shortcuts to be had in this game. Even if you hate Nascar with a passion, you'll like this game. You should also chech out it's sequel Rumble Racing on the PS2.

Oddworld Abe's Oddysee/Abe's Exodus- These are two awesome 2D platformers. You're Abe an escaped Mudoken slave who's charged with saving his own kind from a horrible fate. These games have all the elements that make 2D platformers great. They're really challenging, but you get infinite lives so the game isn't impossible.

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4- The best arcade style racer on the PS1.

Resident Evil series- I'll put this series up here just to keep it's fans happy. I personally can't stand the series anymore. I loved the first two games, but then Capcom decided to whore the series out to everyone with a nickel. there were six RE games (not including the asstacular light gun games) on the PS1. Resident Evil, Resident Evil Directors Cut, Resident Evil Directors Cut: Dualshock, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 2: Dual Shock, and Resident Evil 3. See what I mean about whoring the series out?

Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman- Think of it as diet Devil May Cry. It's got similar sword and gun play, a mode similar to the devil mode, an annoying fixed camera, and extremely cheap bosses just like DMC. However, the thing it's got that DMC doesn't is Sexy Points. Dante might be a badass, but does he get Sexy Points? No sir he does not.

Rival Schools: United by Fate- Have you ever wanted to beat someone up for insulting you school? Yeah me neither. I was usually the one insulting my school, but the Japanese have school pride, and in Rival School they're ready to fight to defend their school's honor. Rival Schools playes like a 3D Street Fighter (it even has Sakura from SF in the game). There are plenty of flaming projectiles, air juggles, super moves, and team up moves in this game. This is one of the PS1's best. The only Fighting game that beats it out IMO is Soul Blade. Also, if you buy it used, make sure it comes with both the discs. Don't let the stores try and screw you over.

Silent Hill- This game is far superior to the RE series IMO. Just having the ability to move and shoot at the same time makes this game so much better. And pre-rendered backgrounds be damned. I love the fully 3D environments which give the game a much creepier atmosphere.

Sled Storm- A snowmobile racer that's got multiple shortcuts like Nascar Rumble. EA was a better developer in the PS1 days.

Soul Blade- This is my favorite fighting game on the PS1. It's the prequel to the Soul Caliber series, and I love the Edge master mode where you earn new weapons for your characters in a story adventure. Getting all the weapons is a pain in the ass, but their final weapons are kicks ass so it's worth it.

Suikoden 1&2- "So you like Suikoden!" I love Suikoden. It's my favorite original RPG series for the PS1. Polygons be damned I'm gonna search for all 108 starts in beautiful 2D.

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo- An addictive tetris style puzzle game that pits super deformed Street fighter character against eachother.

Syphon Filter series- These are some of the best action games on the PS1. Second only to MGS IMO. Gabe might sound like a terrible Alec Baldwin impersonator, but he's still an ass kicker. These games don't rely on a bunch of lame ass special effects and annoying as hell scripted un-skipable cutscenes like the action games of today, it's just 100% gameplay. You sometimes you charge ahead with guns blazing or sometimes you use stealth to complete the objectives in the exciting levels. Syphon Filter is a must for PS1 action fans.

Tail Concerto- A cutesy and charming platformer from Atlus. You play as a dog who goes around in a mechanical suit who goes around rounding up kittens who are up to no good. It's cutesy, but it's got all the elements that make platform adventure games fun. It does have some camera issues though.

Tales of Destiny- A 2D RPG from Namco with a cool fighting system, and you can even get an item that allows another player to play it with you. There's also a hidden tower. I haven't played the sequel so I can't put that one up here. It's a part of the Tails series that started on the Snes, and has gained popularity over the past couple of years.

Tekken 3- Tekken 3 is a good game, but it's just way overrated IMO. It's a great game, but I just find Rival Schools and Soul Blade to be better. There's still plenty of great and in depth fighting fun to be had in Tekken 3, but I just prefer other games over it.

Tenchu 1&2- The first Tenchu hit a little before MGS and was a ninja based stealth game. The sequel is also great, and it adds a map editor which is a great addition.

Tomb Raider series- If you ask me Tomb Raider got an undeserved bad rap from gamers and the game media. Yes they put out five games that were very similar, but when you look at a series like RE it took RE the sixth try to even get to RE3. At least TR gave you a whole new adventure each time. Yeah it lost sight of raiding tombs, but the levels were still engaging IMO. I really have to disagree with Maestro on this series sucking (**edit** I wrote this at the time that Maestro had a feature on gamerhelp of his top 10 worst games of all time, and TR was on that list). Yeah the controls have issues (even I occasionally still struggle with them), but I feel they're the best fit for Tomb Raider's level setup. I don't think the jumps would work if Tomb Raider had a Mario 64 type of control scheme. TR also had a great atmosphere of tension that rivaled games in the survival horror genre.

Tomba 1&2- Two very charming 2.5D platform/adventure games. I only have a really long demo of the first game on a Jampack, but I just recently found the second one for cheap at Game Crazy. It's really a great series for those of you who aren't 3D only snobs.

Trap Gunner- This game is hard to describe. It's kinda like a puzzle action game.

Twisted Metal 2- This is still the best car combat game ever IMO. Black is awesome, but TW2 is still the king. This game was the first to reveal the Davinci Code, but only after you napalmed the Mona Lisa.

Um Jammer Lammy- I don't own Parappa the Rappa, but I do have Um Jammer Lammy which is an increadibly addicitve music game. It's really hard though.

Vagrant Story- It's Square's take on a dungeon crawling RPG. Think Diablo meets Parasite Eve. The opening sequence is as cinematic as PS1 games get.

Vandal Hearts- Another great strategy RPG released pre FF VII on the PS1. Like most of the RPGs released prior to FF VII, it's an overlooked gem. I haven't played the sequel though.

WWF Smackdown 1&2- The two best wrestling games on the PS1. Attitude has a better create-a-wrestler mode though.

There's probably plenty more that I've missed so feel free to post any of your must play PS1 games. Also, these are my must play from the PS1 games I actually own so if I've missed some obvious ones (like Xenogears) then it's because I don't own them. I have more games I like on the PS1, but I realize that I'm a very forgiving gamer, and most people aren't so I tried to stick to the ones I think most people would enjoy.

I also decided to write this blog for all the idiots out there who swear that the PS1 had no good games.

I'd like to thank the Videogame Museum for the screen shots that I've edited in. Go check that site out.

Edit: Here is a link to my PS1 collection just in case any of you might have any questions about any of my games.

Note: This is the first blog I ever made, and I have added more must play games to that list. I may revise this blog in the future

2.5D issue #7

2009-04-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Note: I previously published this on GamePro.com, so some of the content may involve that site, and some of the old links may not work anymore.

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The Poor Gamer's Guide to Being Entertained.

(by teh2Dgamer)

Wi th gas and food prices on the rise, a slumping housing market, and the whole economy on the fritz, we're all going to be feeling the economic crunch soon. It's getting harder and harder to keep up our gaming habit while still having enough money to pay the bills. With that in mind, Ive decided to write a guide on how to get great games without breaking the bank. The only catch is, most of them are older games. Now despite no longer having the graphical punch they used to, many older games still hold up in the gameplay department, and you can get a handful of oldies for the price of one brand new game.

Right now we're at the end of last gen's life cycle which means that stores are currently dumping as many last gen games as they can. This means great prices for old games that can still entertain. Now I have around 185 PS1 games (give or take). Many of them rarer RPG games. Some people would think that means I'm rich, but in reality, I bought most of them for dirt cheap at the end of the PS1's life cycle. You'd be surprised how far even $50 can get you in old games. It's the same concept with this gen. If you go to stores like Gamestop, Game Crazy, or even a mom and pop game store, you can literally find huge bins full of cheap used games. Game Crazy in particular has a 3 for $10 promotion where you get three last gen games for a mere $10. Though some of them might not be the best quality, you can find a number of gems in that pile.Similarly, Gamestop also has a bunch of cheap used PS2, GC, and Xbox games for under $10. I was able to find a copy of Deus Ex: The Invisible War for a mere $2.99 (I didn't buy it, because I already owned it). The problem might be that it's not compatible with the 360 (be sure to check the list of backwards compatible Xbox games on Xbox.com), however, if you've still got your old Xbox, you don't have to worry about it. You can also find cheap Gamecube games as well, but the GC games are disappearing faster than the other system's games. You may also be able find some great deals for used games on ebay, amazon, or even Craig's list.

Now you might be one of those who doesn't believe in buying used games, because it doesn't give money back to the developers, and while I can understand that thinking, you are still giving your money to someone, and in the end, gamestop employees, and ebay sellers have to feed their families too. Also, since Gamestop sells new games, you are technically giving them more revenue with which to invest in those new games who's preorders they love to shove down our throats every two seconds in the store. Furthermore, there aren't many stores that still sell new Xbox, or GC games, and if they do, they're probably a clearance item in which case the store has no plans to buy more, so the game companies won't be getting any new revenue from the store buying more to replace those that have sold. That technically makes it no different from buying a used game.

If you're still dead set against buying used games, then the PS2 is the most economical system to own. With many new PSP ports coming out a a mere $20, and tons of greatest hits to choose from, the PS2 is the cheapest and best choice for gamers who are strapped for cash. There are tons of great games on the system, and it still has enough life left in it to be getting new games made for those looking for some new experiences (assuming that you don't already own a PSP). Many Xbox 360 games have come down to a mere $20 budget price in stores as well. Granted, it's mostly games like Viva Piñata , and Sonic, but you can find some good ones like Prey as well. Just keep your eyes pealed.

There's also the Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, and the PSN Store which sell downloadable games that you don't have to expend gas to get. However, sometimes the prices of the games in each service is relatively steep when compared to the prices of the originals, and my faith in hard drives, and other storage devices isn't that great due to having one that was less than three years old die on me the other day taking much precious PC data with it.

Then there's the question of retro games. Sure, you can find a number on each console's download service. However, there are still tons of classics that you can't find on those services, and sometimes, there's nothing like playing them in their original form on their original console with their original controller. The bad thing about retro games is that unless you have a local mom and pop store that still sells them, you probably have to go the ebay route to get them, because the big chain stores have stopped carrying them. The unfortunate thing is that as you well know, the ebay sellers can be parasites who try and suck every last dime from you with not only a way overpriced asking price, but with exorbitant shipping costs as well. It's almost a wonder that people download illegal roms.

That brings me to my next subject: Roms. Some of you might ask, "Why pay for retro games, when I can just get them free online?" That's more up to your own moral code. I was always taught to work for the things you want, and to never take the free ride. There's really nothing stopping you from illegally downloading games, it's easy and free to do if you wish. I however, am dead set against roms. Not only am I a materialist who like to have the original game in his hands, I was taught to respect the laws of the land. Chances are that no one is going to bust down your door to arrest you over downloading Snes games, so it's up to your conscience on what to do. There are some people who use the excuse that there are some extremely rare game out there that you'd otherwise not be able to play, and that one thing, but the majority of rom players are just getting a free lunch, and while this feature is about saving money, there are some depths that this writer will not stoop to to obtain certain games. Besides, working for things makes you have more respect for the tings you have.

Plus playing roms requires a computer, and a computer eats up way more electricity than say a classic gaming console, so though you may have to pay for cartridges, they can save you money in the long run assuming you turn your computer off when you play your retro consoles. That might seem like a dumb excuse, but electricity cost will probably be on the rise just like everything else soon. Also those of you with a conscience can have piece of mind knowing that you're taking the moral high ground.

Bottom Line: Gamers who aren't totally new game only snobs can find tons a cheap games that are being dumped by retailers in their bargain bins. Not to mention that you can occasionally find great deals on Amazon, Ebay, and Craig's List. There's also the Virtual Console, XBLA, and the PSN Store for those wanting to save gas money. Even gaming retailers have websites where you can check the prices of their games, find the number to the stores around you so you can call ahead, or even check online to see what each store has in stock, and for what price. When is comes to being cheap, $50 can go really far in old games. Even $10-$20 can score you a number of great older games if you shop around right. And that's the most important thing, shop around, and do your homework before you waist time or gas money. There are tons of ways to still get your gaming fix, and save money doing it.

Note: One thing I forgot to work in to the article is absolutely, positively, do not trade your old games in to a game store. They completely and totally rip you off while making a killing on the game when they sell it. I know it might not be the easiest, option to go with, but get an ebay account, and sell you game for the same price that the game stores are selling it at. You'll still lose money from the purchase price, but you'll get a lot more back than you would if you just trade your game in to the store, and when it comes to saving money, or trying to recoup more money from the cost of selling your games, then there's no better way to do it. The retailers are highway robbers in that regard.

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HACKED

(by FETALJUICE)

So it all began at 11 am when I decided to play some Gears because I had no school today. I try to log in but an error message appears that says someone recovered my account into another 360. I was pissed. It also turned out that someone figured out my email password and changed it so I would no longer be able to use it. Good thing I have this extra email account for emergency situations. So I reset the password and change it. I get my account back and a mere 5 minutes when I recovered my gamertag into my 360, I get a message from Jr0dY iS fReSh, saying that he has all of my credit card information, where I live and that if I don't give him the account back to him in one day, he will spend every single penny in that credit card. It was a voice message by the way (what a retard). So I call my dad to go cancel the credit card as soon as possible and so there he goes and cancels it. The hacker has no idea. He still sends me more messages about changing the password from my account to 123456. The nerve! I call 1800 My XBOX to tell them of my troubles. It turns out this douchebag bought 3 bundles of 5000 MS points for 67 bucks each and downloaded picture packs and lots of arcade games. The support lady tells me to change my Windows Live ID so that the hacker wont have access to my account. I try but I get this error message telling me that you can only change it once a month. It so happens that today is when I made my new email account and set it as the default ID for my gamertag. And that was the email that got hacked. I still have my original email untouched. Talk about bad luck huh? Xbox Live is investigating into the matter and they gave me this number code so that when I call again, they can check what is going on with me when I provide that number code. I just hope that everything works out for the best and the asshole gets caught and rots in prison.

I have taken new measure to protect my Gamertag. Even though I have to wait 30 days before I can change my Windows Live ID, I changed my password and I set up the pass code for the controller should he be able to hack my account again. I am no longer purchasing stuff with credit cards online anymore. F*** that. I will now purchase those retail cards with a set amount of points/ the subscription cards from now on. It is a drag but the most safest way to protect yourself from this kind of sh*t. I might even have to change my password every day until those 30 days pass by so that I can protect the account.

Word of advice: NEVER buy stuff with credit cards on Xbox Live. Go safe with buying the retail cards.

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Ten Questions for A_a_A

(by teh2Dgamer)

1. What is your official job title, and what duties does it entail?

My official job title is Reviews Editor for GamePro. Basically, I am responsible for assigning, editing and preparing reviews for GamePro's monthly print magazine as well as our website. On top of covering video games, I am also in charge of GamePro Labs; this means I get to review and test out all the cool gadgets and tech gear as well. Oh, and I run contests on the site to give crap away to the readers.

2. How did you get your start at GamePro?

It's kind of a weird story. I had interned with George Jones, who is our Editorial Director (read: Big Cheese) at another magazine way back when. After I graduated from grad school, I gave George a buzz just to see what he was up to and he was hiring for GamePro. He told me to come in and interview, I did and the next thing I know, I'm the Reviews Editor.

3. What suggestions or tips do you have for anyone who interested in writing about games for a living?

You need to obviously be a good writer; having a strong grasp of the fundamentals and having an accessible and entertaining writing style helps as well. Organizational skills come in handy, though you wouldn't think I was organized if you saw the state of my cube, and being knowledgeable about the video game industry is key. You should also be a pretty good video game player. Aside from that, know your audience, don't be a jackass and keep trying to improve your writing.

4. Is a college degree required for writing for a magazine like GamePro, or do you hire based more on a person's passion than whether or not they have a degree?

A college degree helps but it doesn't matter to me who you are or where you come from: if you know your games, have a great writing style and are reliable, I'll give you a shot. It's not about finding good college graduates, it's about finding good people.

5. What's your favorite issue of Gamepro that you ever worked on?

Probably the one where I wrote the cover feature for Twilight Princess. I got to go Nintendo HQ and play Twilight Princess before anyone else outside of Nintendo. That was pretty special. I also got to interview Eiji Aonuma, who produced the game, for that story, which was fun.

6. What's the worst game you've ever played? What makes it so bad?

I try not to focus on bad games, just the good ones. So let me tactfully ignore your question and say that the best game I've ever played is the original Half-Life. The thing I loved about that game is the way it totally encapsulated you inside the persona of Gordan Freeman; there was no exposition shots that took you out of the character from the moment you started playing to the ending credits, you were Gordan Freeman. It's still the high point for me in terms of video game narratives.

7. Where do you see gaming in ten years?

I see it being far more mainstream and accepted as a form of entertainment. I think the hardware's going to get pretty nuts and I think we'll see games that offer up unique gaming experiences that we've never seen before. It'll be an exciting time for sure. Unfortunately, I also think fanboys will still be around, they're like cockroaches, you can't get rid of them.

9. Capcom or SNK?

I'd have to go Capcom for sure. I spent more time playing Street Fighter II during my youth than I did doing homework (I wasn't that great of a student). And Marvel vs Capcom 2 on the Dreamcast is still my favorite fighting game of all time. And you know, there's the none fighting stuff like Resident Evil and stuff like that too.

10. How's the unicycle working out?

Good. I haven't ridden it in a while but it's still hanging out in my cube. Travis Moses, our previews editor, takes it out for a spin every now and again. I haven't fallen off and broken anything on it yet, though there have been a few close calls involving a certain part of my male anatomy that left me feeling a little queasy, if you catch my drift. Those unicycle seats are freaking dangerous.

-tae

Tae K. Kim

Reviews Editor

GamePro

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http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/KKSparkles94/SaddestMomentsinGaming.png

(by ViciousJ)

Let me warn you all that there will definitely be spoilers in this article, if you aren't a fan of spoilers don't read on.

6. Death of Sniper Wolf - Metal Gear Solid

For the first time you get to face off against a sniper in MGS, it's pretty unexpected and you have no idea what to do, but somehow you finally take that one final shot, just barely seeing her hair above the white snow you pull the trigger. You walk up to her and the cutscene of her death unfolds. Then you learn that all along Otacon had a secret love for her. Of course he is crushed to learn that you had killed her, his one true love. And that is why Sniper Wolf's death made number six on the list.

5. Death of Emma - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (part 1, and Part 2)

Otacon's lucky streak just continues as his sister is killed by the bastard Vamp in Metal Gear Solid 2. Again, Otacon feels the pain of losing a loved one, hopefully this can be resolved some other way...to where he doesn't commit suicide.

4. Death of Gremio - Suikoden

In an attempt to save his party, Gremio has to lock himself in a room with man-eating spores. This is, of course, a sad scene, partly because no one likes getting eaten by man-eating spores and the other part because...well Gremio did a good thing for his party and no one likes to see a good man of the party die to save the entire rest of the party, no matter how necessary. I don't think I even need to say more of why this made number four.

3. Death of Odessa - Suikoden

After suffering many wounds, Odessa knows that she is going to die and cannot be healed, so she decides to give an earring to Mathiu of the village Seika and her final request is to have her body thrown into a nearby stream. Confused they say they won't do it, but she explains that if she is found dead the Liberation Forces will find her the Movement will lose faith and die....What is with all the dying in the Suikoden series!?

2. Death of the Boss - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

We all know that The Boss was an annoying bitch. Well, that may be so, but she was pretty BA in the beginning of the game, and we all respected her. After she traited on Snake it was true that we liked her a bit less...but when she died and all that you could see was her limp body on the ground and the white flowers surrounding her you knew that it was an amazing setting. No matter for who it was a sad thing to see. The setting is really what made this death the perfect death and the saddest death as well. As she lay there barely alive she gave Snake the Patriot a tommygun that you can use the second play-through. And then...as you sit there she says to you,"Kill me." You have to follow her dying wish and you pull the trigger to end it all and as you do so the flowers surrounding you that were once white now turn red by the blood she shed. This was an unforgettable death

1. Aeris' Death - Final Fantasy VII

The most, undeniably, tear-jerking death in gaming history! As you sat there seeing both Cloud and Aeris becoming an obvious couple you had to have been happy just a little, even if you were a heartless bastard *cough* AngelOfChaos. Then when the game seems like a little ball of joy it's ripped right out from under you, as the next scene you see is Sephiroth flying down with his long Sasamune in his hands, he pulls it back as he inches his way closer to the unknowing Aeris, the next thing you see is the sword slicing through her chest. As she has been stabbed the sweet sound of her music emanates through the room creating a beautiful scene for her death. Cloud grabs her body and walks into the water and puts her Materia in her hands and holds her soon he drops her. The blue waters surround her as her body sinks into the land for one final scene that is the most amazing scene in the entire game. Cloud stands and watches her sink into the seemingly never ending body of water. After this scene of Cloud's love dying it was obvious that this drove him more to want to kill Sephiroth, for now it was not only to save the world but also to avenge Aeris

Thank you for reading, and I already warned you about spoilers so I don't want to see any hate mail. Haha, I wouldn't read it anyway!

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Reviews

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Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

(System: Xbox | Developed by: Climax | Published by: NovaLogic | Review by: FETALJUICE)

I'll keep this review short and to the point. Black Hawk Down set out to be the best multiplayer game on Xbox Live when it came out in 2005. Well, it turned to be a EPIC FAILURE. The game's box art had a stamp that said 50 players online enabled. While this sounded good, this was a nightmare when playing online. HORRIBLE lag plagued the multiplayer. You couldn't enter a room without lagging. The maps were too big and you couldn't restrict the fighting to certain parts of the map. Its very frustrating too. The single player campaign is lacking and not fun at all. Please do yourselves a favor and avoid this game at ALL COSTS.

Score: 1/10

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Fighting Force

(System: PS1 | Developed by: Core Design | Published by: Eidos Interactive | Review by: teh2Dgamer)

Taking a cue from games like Streets of Rage, Fighting Force takes you to the streets to get down and dirty oldschool beat 'em up style.

You assume the role of one of four characters who are each in their cliched beat 'em up roles. Smasher's the slow musclebound tough guy, Hawk and Mace are the two mid level characters, and Alana is the fastest and weakest one.

The gameplay is your typical run of the mill beat 'em up where you go area to area beating up any and everyone you see and rinse and repeat. As you can well guess, Most gamers won't be impressed due to the repetitive nature of games in the genre alone. Only fans of beat 'em up games will truly find this game to be worthwhile, but even then they'll also find it to be a pretty average experience by comparison to other games in the genre.

There's just nothing that really makes Fighting Force standout among it's peers in the genre. The fighting system is typical, characters are typical, and though the game offers a few branching paths, you'll still pretty much see everything the game has to offer in one playthrough. You can't even throw your enemies into eachother in this game. You can pick an enemy up and toss him at his buds, but he'll just go flying through them like nothing happened. That's one of the main things this game should have lifted off the brawlers of the past. On the gameplay merits alone, Fighting Force, though still relatively fun for fans of beat 'em ups, doesn't really do anything to standout. That being said, the game does have some good things going for it.

The control is great. Even though it's too old to support an analog stick, this 3D brawler game still controls like a dream with the D-pad. You won't have any trouble getting your character to go where you want them to. The only bad thing that can be said about the controls is that because the back attack button, and the grab button are the same button, you'll often times miss a grab, because your character will go into the back attack motion. It's a small complaint though considering that the rest of the controls are very responsive. It's also fun in the game to destroy many of the objects in the 3D world. Whether it be destroying a coke machine to get a drink, tearing a pipe off the wall, or even destroying a car, the game gives you a number of other items to destroy. You even get rewarded with extra points at the end of each level for your destruction. Also, those who don't like playing alone, can have a friend join them in the two player mode which adds some extra replay value.

Bottom Line: Fighting Force is just an average beat 'em up. If you never liked beat 'em ups, then you'll probably hate this game, and even if you do like them, FF won't be anything remarkable. The beat 'em up genre is probably the PS1's weakest genre, so pickings are slim for PS1 owners. However, if you don't have a Saturn with which to play Die Hard Arcade, or Guardian Heroes, then Fighting Force might give you a decent fix for your 32-bit beat 'em up needs. Otherwise Gekido is the better choice for PS1 beat 'em up fans.

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Area 51

(System: Xbox | Developed by: Midway Studios - Austin | Published by: Midway | Review by: wulfshelmut)

I bought Area 51 for xbox for $10 and it was well worth it. The game play is great. I would even say its one of the best FPS I have played. It controls well to. Over all their pretty fluid and I had no problems with the controls or their layout.

Graphics wise Area 51 isn't a let down. the game looks good. the character models and the models of the enemies look very detailed and well done.The game also has very good lighting effects that add to its creepiness. Just as a side note I have heard the ps2 version looks just as good. It might not be next gen but the game does a good job of showing off the graphics gamers got to experience later in the last gen systems lives.

The story is also top notch as well. The ingame story is a little lacking but the majority of the story is backed up by secret documents you find through out the game. These make Area 51 and its story shine and come together. They also make whats going on in the game more believable and even more creepy. I would say the documents are the best part of the story and its worth it to find every one so you can just read them. Some are so good I have read them again for the hell of it.

It took me about 5 days to finish the game. Its not very long but its great while it lasts. I would recommend it to any one. But there are some minor complaints. The game can be tough at times. Not real tough but just enough to irritate you. also the enemies in the game that use the assault rifles can fire them in fully automatic mode like sniper rifles. That can be a real pain, at least it was to me. Its still a very good game.

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Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

(System: PSP | Developed by: Konami | Published by: Konami | Review by: BluSlime)

Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles (PSP) is simply fantastic. It's still one of my favorite games of all time. As an owner of the original Japanese Turbo Duo version, the PSP version has lost nothing in its up-grade to the PSP. The up-dated graphics (2.5D) are very nice to look at and the soundtrack is still one of the best around. The game play is spot on and follows the traditional Castlevania controls with a few extra tricks. The game is only $29.99 and is packed with extras including multi-play. It also includes Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and the original NEC PC-Engine version of Dracula X. Konami has really done a great job at bringing this lost classic to the US, so gamers here can enjoy it. Its a must own for any Castlevania fan or PSP owner.

I rate this game a perfect 5 out of 5............Blu

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Castlevania: Bloodlines

(System: Genesis | Developed by: Konami | Published by: Konami | Review by: teh2Dgamer)

Highly anticipated by Genesis owners at the time, Castlevania: Bloodlines, was the only installment of Konami's long running series to appear on Sega's 16-bit machine.

One striking difference that Castlevania fans will notice in this version is that the game lets you chose between two different heroes, and neither of them is a Belmont. John Morris is an ancestor of the Belmont clan (whatever that means) who uses the traditional Vampire Killer Whip with which to vanquish his enemies, and is given the ability to swing from ceilings with it. Eric Lecarde ditches tradition, and uses the Alcarde Spear which he can vault off of to do a high jump maneuver.

For those of you not familiar with the classic Castlevania games, they played through in stages as opposed to the newer games in the series which mimic the Metroid games. You start on the left side of the screen and move right while vanquishing hordes of tricky enemies, making platform jumps, and taking care of pesky mid-level and level-end bosses. Bloodlines is classic Castlevania in that everything clicks. the controls are great, and the graphics were a great showpiece of what effects the Genesis was capable of with some outright trippy stages (especially stage 6), The gameplay though challenging will keep you hooked. Bloodlines will challenge players, and force them to play with a certain amount of finesse.

The Castlevania series has always required the right amount of finesse. Whether it be perfectly timing your swing to hit a Medusa head, or timing your jump on a tough to reach platform, Castlevania is a game of perfect timing, and Bloodlines both requires oldschool patience.

Bloodlines, in fact, is one of the harder games in the Castlevania series for the simple reason that, unlike it predecessors, it limits the amount of continues you're allowed. This makes the game a lot harder to get through then other games in the series, because it makes password saves less effective. You might have a password to make it through the first couple of levels, but that doesn't matter if you don't have enough continues to finish the game on. This however is a small complaint that can be remedied by either cheating, or by learning the game and making skillful runs through it's levels. The second option is perfectly doable (and is preferred by this author), but is made harder by the limitation on continues.

Another complaint is that, despite coming out after Super Castlevania IV, Bloodlines lacks a few gameplay refinements made in that game. This made Bloodlines seem like a step back in the series because it played more like the earlier games in the series. This is another small complaint, because Bloodlines is still great on it's own merits.

Bottom Line: Though not quite as good as Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania Bloodlines on the Genesis is still a top notch adventure for those willing to partake in it. Be ready to be challenged, but also be ready to have some good oldschool fun.

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Super Castlevania IV

(System: Snes | Developed by: Konami | Published by: Konami | Review by: fatface)

The first Castlevania game I played is also one of the best of the series. A remake of the first Castlevania for the NES, this game exceeds with fantastic graphics, a killer soundtrack, responsive controls, and game play that is purely fun. Playing as Simon Belmont, you whip through 10+ stages of Dracula's castle; fighting off skeletons, Medusa, dragons, Frankenstein, and death itself until reaching the prince of darkness.

But as mention before, it's the easy to use controls and addicting game play that makes this title shine. Youre able to attack the enemies in 8 directions with Simon's whip (a first for the series) because they'll be attacking Simon from all different directions. The Snes controller is very responsive and makes it a breeze to dodge the deadly booby traps and counter attack.

The game plays similar to the older Castlevania games so Symphony of Night and GBA/DS fans beware; this game has NOTHING in common to those games. There is no leveling up, backtracking, or magic attacks Simon can use. It's straight forward whipping and jumping.

Overall, I think this is one of the finest action games I've played. If you own a Super Nintendo, I recommend this game as a must have.

I think you'll like this game if you enjoy the following - Love action side-scroll games - A fan of classic Castlevania game play. - Prefer straight forward action than large levels in which you return later in the game (i.e. the Castlevania games of today).

I don't think you will like this game if the following annoys you... - You can not use items, equip armor, or level up. - Simon can't run or learn any new abilities. - Spikes kill you instantly and stages include a decent amount of bottomless pits.

About the Japanese Famicom version I haven't played this game on the Japanese Super Nintendo but I've read that it includes blood, naked statues and paintings that were removed for the American audience. One particular level is stage 8; the underground dungeon has blood that drips from the ceilings while our version has acid.

User Score: 5.0 out of 5.0

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Cold Fear

(System: Xbox/PS2 | Developed by: Darkworks | Published by: Ubisoft | Review by: AngelofChaos)

Cold Fear is about a smart ass Coast Guard who has to go save some people on a giant ship, which just so happens to be infested with Zombies. As usual some scientists went crazy and created a virus or something that turned the crew into savages. Go figure.

It seems as though this game was hastily released after RE4 simply to cash in on the same battle system concept, and to some extent it worked. Cold Fear fixes some problems that some RE4 fans may have encountered. For example, in Cold Fear you can move and shoot in the over the shoulder style, as well as weapon swap on the fly, which RE4 does not have. However, in every other department this game pretty much falls flat. The story is meh, the scare factor is almost non-existent, the voice acting is meh, the music is meh, and the environment creativity, etc is inferior to RE4.

So why bother with Cold Fear? To see why RE4 is superior in almost every possible way? Not quite. I'd say it's because it's a pretty rewarding experience.

While the story is basically B movie material, it does keep you going along.. The water effects are quite well done, even though the environments are bland as all hell at times. Holding onto a railing while getting head shots in the pouring rain on a rocking ship is cool at first, but that doesn't last long (you'll know why if you play through the game for more than an hour). The overall feeling of the levels aren't very scary at all, but rather monotonous and bland more than anything.

Being able to move and shoot while swapping weapons feels much more seamless than in RE4. The combat style itself can even be thought of as an improvement because of this. Sadly it's never really brought out to its full potential due to the lack of boss fights in the game. The only boss fight is the final boss fight which seems quite familiar. RE4 perhaps?

The enemies are pretty much the same throughout the game. Its really easy to see them coming, and because of this the scare factor is not there at all. I would know this because I am the biggest scaredy cat when it comes to horror games. I couldn't even get through the first half hour of RE1 for crying out loud (not literally). There is the occasional "well that's disturbing" moment, but those are rare and are not that noticeable unless you have acute attention to detail. Fear barely fits in the title of the game. The only kind of fear you'll experience is the "Oh crap, I have to reload". Reloading is probably the biggest fear in this game by far. Nothing is worse than having to reload when you have three zombies chasing after you at the same time.

Cold Fear isn't really that difficult, but it is by no means that easy either. The game is very generous with medical kits and ammo, but the enemies are quite vicious so it balances it out. The game quality follows in a similar pattern. It's not that great, but it's not the bad either. It's definitely worth a rental IMO.

Aw hell, I guess the only really good reason to play this game is if you're an RE4 fan after all. You'll probably find yourself wanting to play through RE4 again like me after playing through this game.

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Quake II

(System: N64 | Developed by: Raster | Published by: Activision | Review by: teh2Dgamer)

Released in November of 1997, the PC version of Quake II made huge waves in the PC gaming world. It later went on to be the most played online game of 1998. It was the Halo of it's day, and console ports were seemingly inevitable.

Almost two years after the PC version hit, the N64 finally got it's chance to get in on the Quake II action.

That begs the question, how does it stack up to the PC version, well, it really doesn't, but not in the way you think. You see, the N64 version of Quake II is nothing like the PC version weapons and enemies aside. It's actually like it's own Quake II mission pack because the developers decided to go with 19 original levels over just a simple port.

The game plays in the typical oldschool FPS fashion. You'll get different objectives to complete in each of the game's levels, but it basically just comes down to the old throw the switch, get the key type. However, Quake II was never about puzzle solving, and this port is no different. It's all about the action in Quake, and this game delivers it in droves.

Throughout Quake II 64, you'll be forced to deal with the hordes of enemies that come your way. This is no simple task, but thankfully, this port has almost all the weapons of the PC original which equip you to deal with all the baddies the Strogg throw your way. Also, if you get tired of fragging the not so bright A.I. enemies, the game has a pretty fun deathmatch for up to 4-players.

The game steals it's control scheme from Turok where you move with the C-buttons, and aim with the analog stick which works pretty well despite the N64's overly sensitive analog stick. There is a little bit lost in translation from PC to console where it'll often times take you a little extra time to line up your shots just perfect on an enemy which can cost you a few hits from the enemies.

Graphically, the game runs at smooth rate, but the enemy animations are extremely choppy, even with the expansion pack, and the music is also different from the original's. The music in the N64 version is now more ambient as opposed to the more adrenaline pumping tracks of the PC original.

Bottom Line: Though it's nothing like it's PC predecessor, Quake II on the N64 still manages to be a fun addition to any N64 gamer's FPS collection. If you've still got a 64, and want a good single player and multiplayer FPS game, then Quake II is worth a look. However, if you hate the oldschool style of FPS, and need a story, and the highly scripted elements of modern day FPS games, then avoid this one.

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Deus Ex: Invisible War

(System: Xbox | Developed by: Ion Storm | Published by: Eidos Interactive | Review by: teh2Dgamer)

Taking place 20 years after the events of the original Deus Ex, Deus Ex: Invisible War once again plunges you Ion Storm's world of conspiracy's, half truths, and whole lies. The game follows the path of Alex D. who's pulled into a convoluted narrative of who's screwing who after having to flee his/her (you get to pick) Tarsus training facility terrorist attack destroys the entire city of Chicago.

Deus Ex: Invisible War can best be described as nonlinear linearity where, though the game takes you through a narrative, it's still your choice in what manner you wish to tackle said narrative. IW is all about choice. IW's environments are riddled with multiple paths, and hidden areas. There's more than one solution to every problem. It's your choice of how to forge ahead, and as to how you'll play the game. If you're the balls out player who wants to go in Rambo style, then the direct route will work the best for you. However, if you're the stealthy type, look for a back way into the area. Dead set against killing? Run through the game with non lethal weapons. It's all your choice.

There's also an emphasis on making moral choices. Throughout the game, you'll even be given opportunities to make a moral choice. Many of these opportunities show up in the game's many optional side quests which often times feature shady characters offering you rewards in order to perform underhanded tasks to suit their purposes. One of the first sidequests is given to you from the owner of a large chain coffee shop in Upper Seattle who wants you to go destroy the coffee shop in the slums of Lower Seattle. When you meet the owner of the coffee shop in the slums, he wants you to hack into a computer at the WTO office any allow a zoning permit for him to build a shop in Upper Seattle. Do you help the big guy who will pay you more? Do you side with the little guy against the corporation? Or do you double dip and collect the money that comes with doing both tasks? It's all up to your sense of morality and justice.

IW's gameplay at it's core is a first person shooter with RPG elements. The biomods act as kind of a magic system, and give you multiple abilities of your choosing such as the ability to cloak yourself from mechanical enemies, heal yourself, run at super speed, and so on. You'll even be able to upgrade your weapons with weapon mods that you'll find throughout the course of the game that give your weapons extra attributes as well. You'll also deal with inventory management of healing items and weapons.

One of the coolest things about the game is the level of interactivity in the environments. Turning on and off light switches, buying a can of soda from a vending machine, and opening and closing cabinet doors, and refrigerator doors might not sound like a big deal in the real world, but in a game they really enhance the experience. You'll have fun just playing around and seeing which objects you can interact with. Flush toilets, turn sinks on, or throw a coffee pot across the room to watch it shatter. The objects in your environments aren't just there for decoration. They're there for the type of interactivity that really adds to the game.

Graphically, the game shines for an original Xbox game. Even graphics whores won't be disappointed even if the visuals are dated when compared to your average next gen game. The physics engine it pretty good as well. Dead or unconscious NPCs will ragdoll when thrown, and often times make a sickening thud when hitting the ground after being thrown straight up in the air. The sound effects and voice acting are right on, and the music, though a lot more subtle in this game than the first, is also top notch.

The biggest complaint about Deus Ex: The Invisible war is that it though it's extremely fun on it's own merits, it doesn't hold a candle to the original. It an attempt to make the game more open to the mainstream masses, they dumbed down many of the features that made the first Deus Ex game great. Though this makes the game more accessible for the mainstream crowd, many of the hardcore fans of the original took it as a slap in the face. The biomod system in IW has combined the skills system, and the augmentations of the original. The damage to individual limbs from the PC version of the original is gone and replaced with just a plain life bar (though the PS2 version of the original had already done this), and the story isn't as deep or complex either. The stripped away many of the hardcore elements that fans of the previous game loved. However, on it's own, IW is still an awesome game. Another complaint about the game is that there is some nasty slowdown as the action heats up (especially when someone throws a spiderbot). Plus the load times happen too frequently, and are rather long which put a damper on the experience at times. These complaints, overall, are small, and don't stop Deus Ex: Invisible War from being one of the best games of all time.

Bottom Line: While slightly disappointing when compared to it's predecessor, Deus Ex: Invisible War is still one of the best gaming experiences out there. Even at it's worse, it's still better than the majority of other games on the market, and should be experienced by everyone.

Note: The Xbox Version of Invisible War is not compatible with the Xbox 360 at present time. Who knows it it'll ever be compatible.

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On the Toliet

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

(System: DS | Developed by: Nintendo | Published by: Nintendo | Review by: ShortHairedOffender)

Alright, this months game is Legend Of Zelda The Phantom Hourglass. What can I say about this game that has not been said about other Zelda games? Almost nothing. Everything you would expect is still there with little additions. They do add puzzles using the mic and stylus. Then that adds another problem. Sometimes you have no idea what to do. Sometimes it will tell you to do something that you would think you would only be doing in the game that involves you to do in real life. (IE Close the DS or scream into the mic.)

With that complaint out of the way it does have some good features like drawing a path for your boomerang. Plus you have a mouse like bomb that you can guide across levels. You can draw a path for you boat but all that rship riding is boring. You will see blue... and blue... and blue.... and then an enemy... and then more blue.

The fighting all involves the stylus so there is no button pressing. You just tap an enemy for a basic attack on them and you swing it around to attack with a spin. And it you finish the side quest you get the swordsman's scroll which makes it so that if you spin a lot you will spin with a very strong attack. The enemies are fun to fight and sometimes need creative ways to beat them.

Something REALLY new in this game is stealth. There are some unbeatable creatures (well until you have the Phantoms Sword) in one part of the game that you must sneak past. Which adds a whole new play type. It adds safe zones so you can escape.

You will encounter a lot of wacky characters who will make you laugh. Just like past LoZ characters. All of this game is fun if you look past the puzzle difficulty. And for anyone who has a DS you should pick this game up.

4 out of 5

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My Gaming Life

(by teh2Dgamer)

I've been playing Grandia on the PS1 a lot lately. I had to replay most of the game on account that in previous years, I had a save that was 30-40 hours into the game that was on a memory card that took a dump on me. I'm near the end of the game, but I haven't played it for a few days. I've been taking my retro systems over to my friend's house a lot recently. It started with the Sega Genesis. After losing to his younger brother on the Snes versions of NBA Jam (two of the games by two points, and the thrid by three), and Mortal Kombat (I beat him in Killer Instinct, and we broke even on Street Fighter 2), I took my Genny over there and beat him in NBA Jam Tournament Edition, Mortal Kombat, and Mutant League Football. My friend and I also ran though Gunstar Heroes, and Streets of Rage. This last weekend I took my N64 over there and made up for my loss in Smackdown vs Raw 2008 by beating my friend in No Mercy. I also destroyed him, and his little brother's friend (who claims to have been a semi pro Halo 2 player at one time) in a round of Goldeneye. I aslo beat my friend in Mario Tennis which is strange, because he's freakishly good at tennis games. In fact, I won't even bother challenging him in a game of Virtua Tennis. He's got like a sixth sense in Virtua Tennis that makes him destroy anyone he plays. It's weird.

Anyways, I thoroughly suggest having a retro night with you friends, or even a split screen night where you guys meat up for some multiplayer action where you can actually interact in the same room as your opponents. You'd be surprised on how much fun it can be. I'm sure that many of you have forgotten about split screen deathmatches in this modern online gaming world. Sometimes it's just better to chill out and play with your friends in the same room instead of dealing with other online players.

I recently bought God of War 2 for $20 at Walmart. I was burnt out of Devil May Cry after the first one, and had yet to touch another DMC clone for years until I finally caved in to the mainstream and asked for the original God of War for last Christmas. Though I still have my issues like my hated of quick time events, which might work for a game like Shenmue, don't belong in an action game. I mean, if I wanted to play games that were that passive, I'd buy me a Sega CD and buy some of the crap that Digital Pictures developed for that system. The think I liked about GoW is that it's also got the adventure and exploration elements to go with the button mashing mayhem, and the fighting system is, overall, really fun. I was expecting just a repackaged DMC, but the game actually surprised me. There are still many other games in the genre that I prefer more (Like The Mark of Kri/Rise of the Kasi), but GoW was definitely better than I though it would be. QTE issues aside.

My hard drive that had all my high quality versions of my youtube vids died on me a few weeks ago. Suffice to say that I'm still a little upset about that. I'd spent a lot of time on my 100 PS1, and 100 PS2 vids, and now all I'm left with is the crappy youtube versions of them. The worse part is that after that happened, I found out how to upload high quality vids on youtube that go above the 100 mb limit. I could have posted the high quality versions on there, but now it's too late. Oh well. I guess that give me ground to make them all over again. From now on, I'm going to make sure I back my vids up to more than one source.

Oh, and for anyone who wants me to make a gameplay video, just check out my Any Gameplay Video Requests topic and make a request. If I can't find the vid already for you on youtube, then I'll make it.

That's about all I can think of that's going on in my recent gaming habits, aside from playing the hell out of Deus Ex: Invisible War (I beat it, and then instantly restarted it), and even some oldschool descent, and some Battletanx: Global Assault, I really haven't been that active in my gaming as of late.

That's about all for version number 7 of My Gaming Life. Enjoy, and keep gaming GamePro.

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A Look Back

Dead Gaming Mags of the past.

(by teh2Dgamer)

Here is a list of magazines that came saw, and died on us. Some of them left their mark, others are quite forgetable. Some of them I had subscriptions to when they died (caution for Gamepro, I currently have a subscription to your mag).

Next Generation

Next Gen was a magazine who's focus from the start was the older more mature gamer. From the writing, focus based more on the industry at large, to even the magazine's page design catered to the more mature gamer than say GamePro did at the time. In fact, I see a lot of Next Gen influence in the modern gaming mags who have attempted to shed their adolescent image by maturing up their magazines. Even the page layouts in many current magazines are reminiscent of Next Gen.

I'm not quite sure why it was shutdown, but I'd assume that it didn't make a lot of money for Imagine Media (essentially Future).

Their Review Scale: Next Gen went on a basis of five stars. No half stars. In fact I think that the new Playstation: The Official Magazine (formerly PSM) has taken the same review scale from them. Also, Their reviews would be text, and under the score there'd be a Bottom Line: that summed it up for you. I guess I subconsciously took this from them, because I didn't to it deliberately.

GMR

GMR was a free giveaway magazine the came with a membership card to Electronics Boutique. As a magazine, there's nothing in particular that made them stand out aside form the Game Geezer who would rant on the last page of every issue about certain gaming related issues (the current issue I've got in my hands right now has him ranting on drunken eight year olds playing Xbox live). They also covered PC games, and had a retro section like Game Informer did, but GI's retro section blows their's away.

The magazine was shut down when Gamestop merged with Electronics Boutique, because Gamestop already had Game Informer. I had a subscription to it at the time of it's demise.

Their Review Scale: Was a simple 1-10 scale with no halves. Some of the reviews would have small Second Opinion boxes, and under the score they'd post interesting little text boxes with misc info.

GameNow/Expert Gamer/EGM2

Starting out as EGM2 which was branch-off magazine to EGM. The name was later changed to Expert Gamer in issue number 50 and was focused more as a strategy/tips magazine along the lines of Tips and Tricks (another dead mag that I'm not covering in this feature). In November 2001, Expert Gamer became Gamenow and dropped the main focus of strategy and tips and turned into another reviews/previews magazine. This is another one that I had a subscription too when it died. From the less than a year's worth of issues I got of the mag I found it to be enjoyable. In fact, the last issue of GameNow not only was a special 3D edition (that came with 3D glasses and all), but it also had an awesome article about creating your own fanzine. Though I'd been thinking about making one for quite a while, that article is what eventually convinced me to write the very blogzine you're reading right now. Wiki doesn't list a reason, but I'm willing to bet the mag was shut down because of Ziff-Davis' piss poor financial situation ($390 million in debt. Ouch!)

Their Review Scale: GN's scale was a simple grading scale F minus to A plus. They would also use a Bottom Line: in order to sum up the review, and would also list the Pros, and Cons of each game.

Game Players

Game Players was a multiplatform magazine started by Imagine media that was know for it's sense of humor, and having text captions under every screenshot (a tradition carried on into PSM). Their letters section is pretty fun to read as they had various ways to get their readers involved. Aside from the traditional letters, they'd have readers submit game ideas, answer their Burning Question, write in to ask for tips on their games, or even a place to link up for pen pals. In fact, now that I think about it, most of GP's charms were carried over into PSM (though PSM is longer PSM, or charming). That's no surprise considering that a number of the staff members from GP ended up working for PSM later (Chris Slate, Francesca Reyes, and Bill Donohue off the top of my head). The mag later turned into Ultra Game Players, then Game Buyer, and then it died. According to wiki, when it changed into Ultra Game Players it lost most of it's great sense of humor that made the original GP great which alienated most of it's fans, and led to it's eventual demise.

Their Review Scale: GP's scale in the issue that I have went on a 1-100 scale, and would rate other individual attributes on a 1-10 scale. These attributes included Graphics, Music & Sound, Innovation, Gameplay, and Replay Value.

Gamefan

Starting out as Hardcore Gamefan, but shortened later on, Gamefan magazine had more of a hardcore niche focus. They're editors were hugely into japanese games and culture. They'd constantly be reviewing import games, and were also into Japanese Anime. They would review anime films in the AnimeFan section in the back of their magazine. They'd cover retro games as well. The editors also used caricatures instead of their real names like Gamepro used to.

According to wiki, the mag was shut down due to constant Lawsuits being waged against it.

Their Review Scale: In the few issues that I have of the mag, they used a 1-100 scale. They'd have three editors write quick blurbs on each game, and score it in the front of the magazine, and then the main big text review would be back past the previews.

These are just a few examples. Gaming's past is filled with many more dearly departed publications. These are just a few of my favorites.

My Take: They made us laugh at times, they made us cry at times (ok, maybe not cry), and they made us pissed off at times, but in the end, all these mags have my appreciation for the time we shared, and continue to share (I still read the old issues). They say that print magazines are dying, and that may be true, but for those who have come, gave it their best shot, and gone out into the sunset, my hat's off to you.

I hope that print mags are still here 20 years from now. There's something more special to me about holding a real mag in your hands then squinting at a computer screen to read. What the heck, they still got news papers, and radio don't they?

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Underrated Gem of the Month

Shadow Hearts: From the New World

(System: PS2 | Developed by: Nautilus | Published by: Xseed Games | Underrated Gem by: AngelofChaos)

In short, Shadow Hearts: FtNW is about a 16 year old teenagers who saves the world with an "interestingly" designed heroine, which is basically a wet dream for him.

What really sets this game apart is its unique style and humor. In no other game will you have a giant female cat that fights by using drunken boxing and a flamenco guitarist who has rocket launchers and shotguns built in his guitar, let alone in an RPG.

As usual this Shadow Hearts series has a tendency of poking fun at the entire genre itself while keeping the game-play interesting. The battle system is by far one of the greatest and most entertaining battle system you will ever experience. It works seamlessly and is incredibly easy to use at the same time, all the while being fun. The voice acting is solid, but there is the occasional hiccup voice that makes you raise your eyebrow. The music is nice to listen to, and for the most part in this game, it is light hearted compared to its predecessors.

Where this game truly shines is through its characters. The unique and dramatic story helps carry this along as well. Personally, I thought the game was just alright before I did the side quests. When you do them, you gain a feeling of attachment to the characters, and you learn a lot about them. It's a truly rewarding and feel good experience that can't be described in words.

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Well that's it for issue number 7 of 2.5D A Blogzine Dedicated to the Games of Old, and of New. I'd like to thank all those who contributed to this issue:

AngelofChaos, FETALJUICE, ShortHairedOffender, ViciousJ, fatface, BluSlime, and wulfshelmut

I'd also like to thank Gamepro for the pictures I got from the site.

Anyways, that's it for Issue number 7 of 2.5D. I hope you enjoyed it. Now it's time for me to go take a nap of something.