Drack Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 ***ROUND TWENTY*** Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door YES If you liked the other paper mario games, this one is unskippable. The script is fantastic, the personalities of the characters are great. The battle system is turn-based as its predecessor was but involves timing and strategy, but in a better balance than the timing-fest that was the Mario & Luigi games. There were enough surprise/random moves like the appeals and the roulette that things are kept interesting. The story was good, and while the game takes many hours to complete, these hours are packed with content - the game doesn't make you run around doing boring tasks as much as Super Paper Mario, and makes you keep coming back for more. The paper elements that you get from the "Curses" are creative and fun. The boss strategies are interesting and creative. There is not much bad I can think of for the game, except a need to be able to run faster. Megaman ZX Borderline NO. This was a tough decision. ZX is a great game. It has creative enemies, cool bosses, great music, and nice levels. It's a very fun Mega Man game. However, it has some undesirable elements. For one, the whole "weak point" mechanic for the bosses was retarded. Having to AVOID hitting bosses at their weak point so you don't damage the suit you get form them added much tedium to the game, as the alternative to getting a good suit was to buy upgrades, and it cost a LOT of money. You only get 4 boss suits, your ZX suit, and a secret one . Most Mega Man players are accustomed to having 8 It's still very, VERY enjoyable, but I don't think it's a "Must Have" Sonic Rush NO NO NO NO NO. I'm probably going to catch a LOT of flak for this, but this game really did not jive with me. The premise was great: A 2-D sonic, to remedy Sonic's decline following its lackluster 3-D titles. And it was 2-D, save some bosses and some cool stage effects. It even adds a cool turbo mechanic, where you have a bar that lets you boost, instantly accelerating into the high speeds we're accustomed to for Sonic games. It even packed a very cool and very retro Sonic 2-esque SPecial Stage that used the touch screen very well. So what's wrong with it? Enemies, Levels, Bosses, Characters. The enemies were nothing new. A higher percentage could just be rolled or jumped on from any direction than most sonic games. Rooms would lock you in forcing you to defeat 4 or 5 of these dull enemies before you can continue. The levels were boring and uninspired, aside from some cool gimmicks. The main threats were not in creative ways to get through them, as was in Sonic 1-3&K, but instant death traps, pits, pistons that crush you, etc. Where most sonics would use these cheap tricks to get rid of your rings - perfectly acceptable - Rush throws death at you. A LOT. The bosses are interesting, until you realize that the same boss is repeated several times. Many times you find yourself running around a 2.5D ring waiting for the boss to finsh its routine and expose its weak point. It's the same kind of bosses that were criticized in Shadow, just in a more restrictive geometric plane. During every boss fight, you have Tails or Cream egging you on. This dialog is annoying and distracting. They state the obvious with very few voice samples whenever you hit or get hit by the boss. The dialog between stages is laughable, and the character development is idiotic and superficial. The conflict between Sonic and Blaze culminated in a somewhat interesting fight, but the fight itself copied so many boss moves from previous games it wasn't funny. The music for Rush is a far cry from the simple catchy tunes with great chord progressions etc. that ocremix fans know and love. Rush's music is much more similar to pop, with vocals much more intrusive and repetitive than those in Sonic CD. It was a nice attempt at changing the mix, but only a few tracks were worth listening to. Great premise, great ideas, poor content, poor execution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watkinzez Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - YES Oh man, you just reminded me of the chest demons. "FOOOOOOOOLS!" Nintendo's best in-house offering this generation, hands down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanthos Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Mega Man ZX: Haven't finished it yet, but I agree that the weak points are extremely annoying, especially since I don't yet know how to determine a boss's weak point without looking it up or just guessing. It's fun, and for a mega man fan, it being the only "classic" mega man on the DS, it's enjoyable, but definitely not a must-have. Hopefully ZX Advent out this fall will be better. Sonic Rush: No, for the same reasons given. It's not bad, but I just enjoyed the classic sonic games, particularly sonic 2 and 3, a lot more. Those are must-haves, not this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsx100 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Street Fighter Alpha 3: YES!!! This game is just awsome. SFA3 is really fast paced and really deep at the same time. I still personally prefer 3rd Strike but Alpha 3 is most definately no slouch either. The graphics might seem a little dated compared to other 2D fighters of the time but Alpha 3 looked great on the Dreamcast. It was very colorful and sharp and the animation was really nice and smooth. I also thought the sound was great, especially the music. The gameplay is just as tight as it could ever get. The alpha series was one of the first fighting games to introduce the multiple fighting systems aspect. Alpha 3 pulled it off perfectly. Great Street Fighter and just all around great fighter. Must play for Street Fighter fans and Dreamcast owners. If you can't find it for dreamcast then just pick up Street Fighter Alpha Anthology for PS2, which contains a Arcade perfect version of Alpha 3. Also this game is known as Street Fighter Zero 3 in Japan. Dead or Alive 3: No I personally don't like Dead or Alive games. I also think that the only Dead or Alive that has must play status is DOA2. Basically if you have played DOA2 and didn't care for it much or just felt indifferent about it then their is no reason for you to pick DOA3. It is pretty much the same and the fighting system feels looser as well. Not a must have game in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted June 8, 2007 Author Share Posted June 8, 2007 Three weeks and still going. Great work, OCR! ****************************************************************************** ***ROUND TWENTY-ONE*** Gunbird 2 Console: Dreamcast Publisher: Capcom Developer: Psikyo Meta Score: 6.7 Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Meta Score: 8.2 GunValkyrie Console: Xbox Publisher: Sega Developer: Smilebit Meta Score: 7.4 Pikmin 2 Console: Gamecube Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Meta Score: 8.9 Phoenix Wright 2: Justice For All Console: Nintendo DS Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Meta Score: 7.9 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Console: PSP Publisher: Rockstar Games Developer: Rockster Leeds Meta Score: 8.7 Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Console: Dreamcast Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Meta Score: 7.5 Soul Calibur 3 Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Meta Score: 8.7 Metal Slug 4 & 5 Console: Xbox Publisher: SNK Developer: BrezzaSoft Meta Score: 7.0 SSX Tricky Console: Gamecube Publisher: EA Sports Big Developer: EA Sports Big Meta Score: 8.7 ****************************************************************************** My votes: Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams -- YES This is the Onimusha game that was always meant to be. The trilogy before it had a lot of potential, and each installment perfected the formula more and more. This fourth Onimusha game is the finest yet. The graphics have never looked better, the character designs are interesting and varied, and the hack/slash and puzzle gameplay is more polished than ever. Simply put, if you want to see Onimusha at its best, play this. Pikmin 2 -- YES The original was charming and the sequel is no disappointment. Now we get two new Pikmin types and a second character to help lead the leafy hordes. Better yet, the 30-day survival limit is now removed, allowing you to explore the various mas and scavange waste at your leisure. This is an RTS so different, you can barely even call it an RTS at all. The Pikmin games are truly unique and well worth purchasing. Soul Calibur 3 -- NO Ugh, what a disappointment this was. With nothing but greatness in the Soul Calibur franchise history, I expected SC3 to be yet another grand slam, but noooooo. Now we get to fight psychic AI. Now, aside from that huge weakness, SC3 has a lot of good things going for it. Several new cool characters, custom hero creation, and slick visuals (though the character models seem to have taken a dip in detail). And if you have someone to play against, you probably won't notice a decline in quality from SC2. But if you aren't that lucky, you'll be screaming at your TV for hours. Frequency -- NO After playing it again, I think the difficulty curve is just too steep. Also, the notes are way too difficult to see , even when you turn off the crazy background stuff. I love the game and recommend it, but it's not quite good enough for must-have status. The potential is there, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arek the Absolute Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 SC3 - NO FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE SHITTY FANSERVICE Balance was horrible and they raped my Raphael! FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE FANSERVICE Seriously though, button reading AI, horrible balance changes, most returning charactes movesets raped, music wasn't nearly as memorable as SC2. Did I also mention the horrible balance changes? Character creation was fun, but once you found out that a lot of classes reigned over others really fast, what is the point besides to make novelty characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultranoir Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Soul Calibur III - YES Despite the balance issues previously mentioned, this game is a lot of fun, and I find it just looks and plays a bit better than Soul Calibur II. Plus, I made the best character I've ever made in a Create-A-Fighter mode in this using Saint + Soul of Sophitia. And we made some terrible crap too. If Dr. Wilhelm sees this...Remember Danny? XD Metal Slug 4 & 5 - NO Metal Slug Anthology is out, and even though it's expensive, it's definitive. As much as I love these two games, just go buy Anthology if you've got the scratch. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - YES I own the PSX version, which suffers from some load times, but overall the core game is basically untouched. I like this game a lot, and picked it up for 3 bucks at my local EB Games. Fun game all around. Something to break out when you're just like "let's play something we haven't played in a while," or "let's play something totally feckin' weird." Phoenix Wright 2: Justice For All - YES I cannot stress this enough, everyone must at least play these games once, full way through. This is the game that makes me wish the genre of Hot-Blooded Lawyer Action was established further than this game series. Hopefully Harvey Birdman for PS2 will be like the Ace Attorney games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesPip Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence -- YESOne of the greatest MGS games to date, plus MGS Online and a bunch of other bonus features? Count me in. The fact that the US servers have shut down online play already makes me cry, though. Just the same, the game was a must-have before this special edition. We Love Katamari --YES It's got everything Katamari Damacy had and more. This was one of the rare cases when almost everybody wanted a sequel with "more of the same." And we got it. Everyone with a PS2 should own one or both of these games. My votes are the same, and for pretty much the same reasons. Also, MGS3 is one of only two games that got me all teary-eyed during the ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsx100 Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Soul Calibur III: YES! I know this game will add up on the Majority No list but like with Metriod Prime 2, I will defend this game as long as I still have life in me. Yah the game is unbalanced but then agian the Soul Calibur Series was never that balanced to begin with. Also being Unbalanced doesn't make the game bad. If that was the case Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Capcom vs SNK 2 would be some of the worst fighters ever made. But of course, I m sure most agree, thats not the case as these games are praised quite often. Also I know the movesets have changed but that seriously isn't a big issue. Just relearn your character. It adds replay value anyway. Also people always complain that they want something new and when the company listens and does, those same people turn around and flame the game. It happened to Tekken 4 and now it happened to SC3. They try and do something new for a change and people quickly jump on it and criticize it. Yes the movesets are different, yes the new game modes aren't amazing, but it is something differen for a change and it brings new life to the series and adds more replay value. Also, as I have said with Metroid Prime 2, I don't think difficulty is a serious issue with this game. I am not a very good top level player at all and I still kick the CPUs ass. Yes the CPU is cheap but it makes up for it by being ridicously stupid. Like with MP 2, I am going to make a list of what makes this game great. Breathtaking visuals, the enviroments are the best I have seen in any fighter including next-gen (current-gen know). The models don't look worse than those of SCII's. If you honestly think they do then I would to say you have impared vision. At the very least they are they same which is still very good considering SCII's models looked great The Presentation is superb. Its amazing to me. I have never seen a game that has such a unique and beautiful interface. The artwork is amazing as always. The menu transitions are also well done. The sound is also very good. The support for surround sound really helps. The music is just as great as it was in the other SC games. The fighting system, unbalanced or not, is very deep, tight, and amazingly well done. With the new movesets, it just makes learning the system more fun and engaging. SC3 actually has a real canonical story mode unlike that that stupid conquest mode in SCII. You realy get sucked in to this story when your playing it. The ability to control things during cinematics is also a welcome addition. Also the their are actually cinematics in the game unlike previous soul calibur games where you just got a black and white picture at the end with some text. Finally and most importantly, SC3, just like all the other soul caliburs, is a very user friendly game that both casual and hardcore players can enjoy. It is similar to Smash Bros. in the way that is often very easy to control and learn but tough to master. Anyone can play SC3 and have fun. Great fighting game that every PS2 owner should at the very least give a chance and actually play it seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesPip Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 ^ That reminds me. SC3 - YES Why? If for no other reason than it had everything that made previous SC games great, plus the RPG/RTS type mode was pretty nifty. I've always thought an RPG whose battles were entirely fighting-game-like would be interesting. This is the closest I've ever seen to that idea. The closest I'd seen before was Tales of Symphonia, which is obviously quite different. With this mode, I think SC improved greatly upon the "dungeon master mode" or whatever it was called in SC2, since actual strategy was involved. It was pretty creative, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing it, albeit frustrating every now and then. So all in all, SC3 is a solid YES from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coop Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Gunbird 2 (Dreamcast)- While not the best shmup on the DC, it's still a fun one. Quirky characters, a good challenge, plenty of different characters to choose from (including Morrigan from Darkstalkers), and an easy to understand scoring system for those who like going for score. The graphics nice, and the tunes are decent as well. It's not really a big stand out shmup, but its well constructed qualities still bring it up into the Borderline YES range. GunValkyrie (XBox)- A sleeper hit. Very nice graphics, good control, big levels, fast gameplay that still allows you to explore, and a good challenge that keeps you on your toes as you play. The gameplay is kept simple, but flexible. You can choose your weapons, and then head out to scour the landscape looking for the bug-like aliens you have to kill. Whether it's running along the ground, or using your boost pack to bound high through the air, it's a lot of fun to play this game once you learn the controls. It came and went pretty quickly when it was released, but it's one I feel shouldn't be left to rot in the bargain bins. YES. Soul Calibur 3 (PS2)- dsx100 more or less summed up any points I had to say. The gameplay balance is a bit off from the second game, but like SCII, there's a lot to be done in this fighter. Between the large fighter roster, the very nice visuals, the good tunes, the sharp controls, and all the stuff that lies underneath them, this one's a YES to me. Metal Slug 4 & 5 (XBox)- While Metal Slug Anthology brought the whole 2D series together, some of the games on it didn't quite match the versions that came out on the XBox (MS-3, 4 & 5). The load times in the "Anthology" package don't hurt 4 and 5 much, but the XBox's lack of such load times gives it a point in its favor... as does the graphical handling (no shimmering). They're still the same fun and gun blazing madness-filled games on either compilation, but the XBox's MS-3, MS-4 and MS-5 do have a few qualities that "Anthology" doesn't. As such, I give this game a YES. There's no "Anthology" on XBox, and anyone with just an XBox (or simply no PSP, PS2 or Wii) would be well served to get this combo pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted June 10, 2007 Author Share Posted June 10, 2007 Only two more rounds after this one, guys. The end is nigh. ****************************************************************************** ***ROUND TWENTY-TWO*** Rayman 2: The Great Escape Console: Dreamcast Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Meta Score: 9.3 Street Fighter Anniversary Collection Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Meta Score: 8.0 Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors Console: Xbox Publisher: Sega Developer: From Software Meta Score: 8.1 Star Fox: Assault Console: Gamecube Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Namco Meta Score: 7.1 Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime Console: Nintendo DS Publisher: Square Enix Developer: TOSE, Square Enix Meta Score: (not available) Lumines II Console: PSP Publisher: Buena Vista Games Developer: Q Entertainment Meta Score: 8.2 Test Drive: V-Rally Console: Dreamcast Publisher: Atari Developer: Eden Studios Meta Score: 8.2 WipeOut Fusion Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: Bam Entertainment Developer: SCEE Meta Score: 8.4 Project Gotham Racing 2 Console: Xbox Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: Bizarre Creations Meta Score: 9.3 Super Monkey Ball 2 Console: Gamecube Publisher: Sega Developer: Amusement Vision Meta Score: 8.6 ****************************************************************************** My votes: Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors I don't feel qualified to vote because I didn't play much more than half an hour. It seemed decent enough, but there are plenty of other games like it that outclass it in a lot of ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coop Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors (XBox)- The first game took the hack 'n slash premise, and dressed it up in an interesting mythos based on real-world mythical people/beings, great and stylish graphics, constant action, cool bosses, very nice music, stages that were nearly 100% destructible, and a tough challenge... all while keeping the gameplay simple, streamlined and accessible to anyone willing to take the game on. This second game does all that, with even better graphics, more diversity in the stages, more characters to choose from, new spells, a quest that's nearly as long as the first one, more bosses, and a greater level of replayability. To paraphrase IGN's old review, "It's more of the same, but better". A very solid YES. Test Drive: V-Rally (Dreamcast)- This game was originally called V-Rally 2 on the PS1. But Eden Studios went back and gave the game a facelift, and tweaked various aspects of it. The result is a fun rally game that looked good for its time, had a nice solid framerate, some nice tunes, good controls, and something that adds a lot to the game's fun factor... a track maker. Yes, you can build your own tracks on this thing, and save them to your VMU. Massive hills and drops, hair pin turns, the terrain... a lot is at your disposal, and this addition makes for a lot of fun once you've bested the default tracks that the game offers (which are fun as well). The main downside to this game, is how easy your car flips over... unrealistically easy. Nudge a hillside, and your flipping like coin. This makes for some frustration at times, but it doesn't detract from the game too much. The good courses, variable weather, and the killer track maker help deaden some of the flipping pain. In short, it's a good game that stands in Rallisport Challenge 2's shadow, but it's still deserves a Borderline YES. WipeOut Fusion (PS2)- Like Otogi 2, "It's more of the same, but better". It plays basically just like the first three games in the series, but now it looks a lot better. Plenty of tracks to race on, some good electronica tunes, lots and hectic action as you bounce, blast and careen your way through the increasingly nasty courses, and it still delivers a sizable challenge without having to resort to cheap tactics that prevent you from winning. WF is a very good addition to consistently fun series, and worth a YES. Project Gotham Racing 2 (XBox)- MSR started the ball rolling with a quality racing game. PGR1 kept the momentum going by beefing up a lot of the traits of it's predecessor, from the graphics, to the music, and to the tracks themselves. Now here's the third game in the series, and it continues that upward climb. Graphically, the game is gorgeous, and littered with day, night and rain details that make the real world tracks look great. The kudos system still gives you points for stylish racing (power sliding through turns, etc.), and there are a lot of tracks and track variants to work through. They did a good job licensing some nice music for the game, and the AI in charge of the other drivers is tough, but not cheap. There's even a very fun mini game tucked away that many may have heard of... Geometry Wars. It's (supposedly) in the garage which you can walk through in first-person mode to view all the cars in the game. Of course, all this racing wouldn't mean squat if the controls sucked, but thankfully, they're kept, responsive, arcade-y and clean. This game's probably one of the best racers on the XBox. It does so much right, and so little wrong, it's a game that any race-loving XBox owner would be foolish to pass on. YES. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegendarySword Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Metal Slug 4 & 5 - NO Metal Slug Anthology is out, and even though it's expensive, it's definitive. As much as I love these two games, just go buy Anthology if you've got the scratch. As Coop pointed out, this and MS3 are the only Metal Slug Xbox offerings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Wilhelm Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Street Fighter Anniversary Collection - YES This collection is really the only way to be able to play Third Strike on your PS2, and mixing and matching different character versions from Street Fighter 2 to pit against each other is always a bit of fun. Unless your opponent is Championship Edition Bison... Star Fox: Assault - YES Why yes? While the game wasn't well received among many I consider it this generation's Starfox 64. Mainly because the multiplayer in it is just as fun, and multiplayer is always the main reason people play Starfox games, it's a blast. Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime - YES This was the most charming experience I've had on the DS yet, I mean who doesn't want to control a slime? The battles are quite fun and frantic as you're hopping around your giant slime-shaped tank to collect ammo to fire at your opponent's tank. It gets even better once you start recruiting other members with different abilities to support you in battle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsx100 Posted June 10, 2007 Share Posted June 10, 2007 Street Fighter Anniversary Colletion: Hell Yes! In my opinion any Street Fighter fan, or 2d fighter fan for that matter, would be a fool to pass this one up. There is one major reason to get this game and that is for Third Strike. I already said why I thought Third Strike is a must-have on the DC a while back and honestly it is any different for PS2. In fact I would say Third Strike on PS2 is actually better. The new filter system they implemented makes the game look realy good and polished without losing alot of detail and without making the sprites look very blurry like other filter systems. The color seems a little more vibrant to me a well. I also love the new arranged versions of the tracks and BGMs made exclusively for the PS2 version. Hyper Street Fighter II is also a very nice addition. We all know the legendary status that Street Fighter II holds so I am not going to say much on the subject. The ability to mix and match playstyles from all the versions of Street Fighter II is great. The collection also includes the consored version of the full length Street Fighter II movie (the anime not the crappy live action one). This is a very good collection that anyone should try out and it is alone worth getting just so you can play SF3 Third Strike on your PS2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 Last round tomorrow! ****************************************************************************** ***ROUND TWENTY-THREE*** Star Wars: Republic Commando Console: Xbox Publisher: LucasArts Developer: LucasArts Meta Score: 8.0 WarioWare: Touched! Console: Nintendo DS Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Meta Score: 8.2 Tekken: Dark Resurrection Console: PSP Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America Developer: Namco Bandai Games Meta Score: 8.8 Viewtiful Joe 2 Console: Gamecube Publisher: Capcom Developer: Clover Studios Meta Score: 8.5 The King of Fighters 2006 Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: SNK Playmore Developer: SNK Playmore Meta Score: 7.4 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Console: Playstation 2, Xbox Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Meta Score: 8.5 Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Console: Gamecube Publisher: Atari Developer: Pipeworks Software Meta Score: 7.4 In the Groove Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: RedOctane Developer: Roxor Games Meta Score: 7.5 God of War II Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: SCEA Developer: SCEA Meta Score: 9.4 ****************************************************************************** My votes: Star Wars: Republic Commando -- NOT REALLY, BUT TRY IT ANYWAY Every now and then, a Star Wars game comes out that doesn't suck. This is one of those rare gems. A squad-based shooter with good writing, solid acting and fun FPS goodness, this game has a lot going for it. However, when your biggest selling point is "Star Wars without sucking," I don't suppose you belong on a must-have list. Still, I strongly suggest you guys try it out. It's quite fun. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within -- NO I don't know what else they could have done to suck the charm out of the amazing Prince of Persia world. The Sands of Time had awesome gameplay, but its value also lay in it's beautiful atmosphere and "storybook fantasy" feel. Heavy metal, time sluts and general XTREME-ness are completely unnecessary. Now, underneath all the shallow moodiness, the acrobatic puzzles were still great and the mediocre combat was marginally improved. But the aesthetic of the franchise took such a hit that it was hard to ignore. God of War II -- YES It may be more of an "expansion" than a sequel, given how similar the two games feel. But when the first game kicked so much ass, why mess with a good thing? Like We Love Katamari, it gave us more of the same and we couldn't be happier. If you can handle the mature content, the God of War games are some of the finest of this entire console generation. Do NOT miss them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coop Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Wow. Nothing for me to vote on for the first time. ... Weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avaris Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Tales of the Abyss YES Where Tales of Symphonia let down Abyss succeeds. Fast paced battle system for non-rpg fans. Good story with some of the best dialogue in any rpg in recent memory. The dialogue feels like an anime. A well developed cast of characters that compliment each other very well. Even if you don't play rpg's the witty dialogue and battle system ought to be enough to at least get you to sit down for awhile and find something to enjoy. For rpg fans this is one of the best rpg's in recent memory. Twisted Metal: Black NO I love this series and this game had a lot goin for it. Although the controls felt awkard and the difficulty was insanely high. Stories and feel were incredible. 'Paint it Black' by the stones set the whole mood. Although awkard controls in an already insanely hard game will drive most people away...no pun intended. Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 YES Awesome game. Any sports fan should admire how this game is made. The players abilities and how they play are all based on the ratios between their stats. You can have a fast player with no dribble accuracy and run right by people. Or you could have a slow player with high technique and use some wicked moves to slowly work your way around. Every player feels different and unique. This really adds to the team building experience. The msot realistic sports game I've ever come across. Regardless if you play soccer/football/futball the controls and how the game plays should warrant a quick play at the very least. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria YES Awesome...in the age of fluff and high fantasy rpg's this is anything but. Not as dark as the original but still packs a punch. The graphics and scenery are pure art...lighting is better than any next gen game. Battle system is fun, fast paced, and strategic. Easy to learn fun to master. The story is good with plenty of twists and turns. The game presents an epic and desperate feeling in both style and presentation. Zone of Enders NO Everything about this game was decent and just that. It felt like it had the potential to be something special. Nothing really in this that sets it apart as a must play. Zone of Enders: The 2nd Runner YES This is the original Zone of Enders x2 on all accounts. The fastest game play I've ever seen next to Guilty Gears. Story is well done...the lead character has an endearing well0rounded personality. The only knock is...this game is wicked hard. Although it is insanely fun. Intuitive controls excellent story. If ever wanted to feel like your hair was on fire goin 200mph/kph fighting tons of enemy this game is it. Anyone heard of Hideo Kojima...yeah he made this game. There is a reason this game is almost impossible to find nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziellink Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 ***ROUND TWENTY*** Street Fighter Alpha III: Yes To my tastes, an easier game then Third Strike. Bordering old school games through it's open-ness, flashy moves, and a huge roster to pick from. But what this game really set's itself apart from other games, is because of all the modes of play. Eight kinds of Survival, Dramatic, Reverse Dramatic, World Tour. Sprites are fluïd, and characters are top-notch. ***ROUND TWENTY-TWO*** Super Monkey Ball 2: No No. It's catchy tunes, great controls, a few fun minigames and nice graphics can't help the fact that the game is impossible. Some stages cannot be completed without the help of a shitload of luck. I wasen't even able to beat it, because i couldn't get through a particular stage... I know it's supposed to be hard, but it shouldn't be impossible. I'd rather beat Super Ghost and Ghouls three times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Derrit Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 God of War II: YES I think this is kind of a given. Most all of us have played this game and its just rediculously good at what it does; combat is heavenly, puzzles are there but not quite aggravating, it just all adds up. Yes, for sure. Tekken: Dark Resurrection: YES I absolutely adored Tekken 5, and if you add on a couple new features and characters, its awesome. Loading times can be a bother, seeing as its on a portable, but if you can work through that its a gem. Warioware: Touched: NO I bought this game and beat it in two days, and not the good kind of "zomg this is awesome play nonstop" kind of two days. Maybe 6 hours, at the most. I had an awesome time doing it, but there just wasn't enough there to keep me playing it for any amount of time, and there wasn't much to make me go back and say, "well that was a great game." Fun, but not a must play by any means. EDIT: Looking back, there was one tie which I could not let stand. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: YES This game got a lot of crap for not being grown up enough, but that's a load of bull. This was a great Zelda game, just like most of them have been, and a little bit of cel shading doesn't change the quality of gameplay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsx100 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Wario Ware Touched! : Yes Wario Ware Touched! is one of the many DS games that really shows the potentional of the DS touch screen. The mini-games are what you expect for Wario Ware games which is loads of fun. The graphics, I thought, where pretty good for an early DS game. The touch screen mini-games are innovative and blast to play. I think anyone with a DS should try out this game. Tekken Dark Resurrection: YES!!!! This game is unbelievable to me. I didn't even think they could pull off a Tekken Tag port on the PSP let alone and updated Tekken 5 port. If there is any game that shows off the amount of potential the PSP has it is Dark Resurrection. The graphics and sound are just amazing for a handheld system. Other than this, DR still has a lot to offer just like Tekken 5. Basically Tekken DR is a must-have for the same reasons I said Tekken 5 was (minus the some of the extras like arcade history and devil within). It has an amazing fighting system which is now revamped and more balanced than Tekken 5's. The ability to fight Ghost characters is pretty awsome as well. Viewtiful Joe 2 I haven't gotten a chance to play Viewtiful Joe 2 yet. I just ordered on-line last week. I hear very good things about it. They say it is similar to Viewtiful Joe 1 but with a cool new story and the ability to play as Silvia. I am really looking forward to playing it and I am sure I will like it but for right now I can't give it a yes or no. King of Fighters 2006: NO This game is good and probably the best 3D SNK fighter ever made. It is also very fun to play. However, it is no where near good enough to meet "Must-Have" status. Its fun and I recommend it to fighting game and King of Fighters fans but it is not a Must-Have title. If any King of Fighters has "Must-Have" status its one of the 2D titles in the series. KIng of Fighters XI is probably the best one. For those that don't know, King of Fighters 2006 is known as King of Fighters Maxium Impact 2 in Japan. Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee: No Man I love this game. This easily the best Godzilla game ever made. However, I can't recommend it as a must-have. If you aren't a huge Godzilla fan, chances are you might not find much to like in this game. It has limited game modes, the story is a little bland and there isn't much replay value unless you have buddies to play with. The gameplay is unique, frantic and well done though. For me, this game is loads of fun just because I love and know the source material well and the game pulled it off great. I recommend this game to anyone who has a Gamecube but I just don't think it is must title. God of War II To tell you the truth I have never played either of the God of Wars. I just haven't had the time to pick one of them up. They look cool and interesting but at the same time it doesn't look as great as people say. The combat seems familiar to Rygar and the I heard that there where very few boss fights and that they sucked as well. When I get a chance I will try it out but for right now, I can't give it a yes or a no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raziellink Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 ***ROUND TWENTY-THREE*** WarioWare: Touched!: Yes As mentioned before, the experience only lasts short, but it's an excellent showcase for the DS, and a funny game to play. Though it is relatively short, it is an awesome game. It takes about 6 hours to complete, but it'll take two or three times the amount of time for you to get bored with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 God of War IITo tell you the truth I have never played either of the God of Wars. I just haven't had the time to pick one of them up. They look cool and interesting but at the same time it doesn't look as great as people say. The combat seems familiar to Rygar and the I heard that there where very few boss fights and that they sucked as well. When I get a chance I will try it out but for right now, I can't give it a yes or a no. Oh man, the boss fights are some of the most epic parts. Do yourslef a favor and at least rent the first one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sephfire Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 FINAL ROUND! We made it! Now, before we get to this slightly longer than usual round, let me share the game plan from here on. You may notice a lot of games in the purple, "NEEDS MORE VOTES" section on page 1. Now that we've covered all of the nominees, it's time to finish that section up. A game will remain "purple" if the vote is tied, or if there are fewer than two votes on the game. So look through that section and see if there are any left that you haven't voted on yet. After a certain amount of time, I'll have to start sending those games right into the NO pile if there are no more votes on them, which would be a shame. I'm sure a few of them might belong in the "green" section. If you've enjoyed this thread so far, let me know. If enough people are interested, I'd love to do it again with another batch of consoles. Tell me if you want this to happen! ****************************************************************************** ***FINAL ROUND*** Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition Console: Gamecube Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Meta Score: 9.3 Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Console: Gamecube Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Meta Score: 8.5 Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Console: Gamecube Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Meta Score: 8.7 Sonic Adventure 2 Battle Console: Gamecube Publisher: Sega Developer: Sonic Team Meta Score: 7.2 Bomberman Land Touch! Console: Nintendo DS Publisher: Atlus Co. Developer: Hudson Meta Score: 8.1 Metroid Prime Pinball Console: Nintendo DS Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Fuse Games Meta Score: 8.1 Star Fox Command Console: Nintendo DS Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Q-Games Meta Score: 7.6 Tetris DS Console: Nintendo DS Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Meta Score: 8.6 Odin Sphere Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: Atlus Co. Developer: Vanilla Ware Meta Score: 8.7 Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Tri-Ace Meta Score: 8.1 Okage: Shadow King Console: Playstation 2 Publisher: SCEI Developer: Zener Works Meta Score: 7.2 Half Life 2 Console: Xbox Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Valve Software Meta Score: 8.9 Indigo Prophecy Console: Xbox Publisher: Atari Developer: Quantic Dream Meta Score: 8.6 ****************************************************************************** My votes: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! -- YES Though I much prefer Mario Kart 64, this sequel is worthy of similar praise. The "doubles" aspect is a fun twist and the tracks give a good bit of variety. Solid racing game. Odin Sphere -- NO I actually love this game. Gorgeous 2d animation, beautiful story and solid acting. It's main downfall: the divided gameplay between the five characters. To get through the game, you have to play all five characters' stories, leveling them all up seperately. It's fun the first time or two, but it doesn't take long to feel like work, having to start over again every time. It's like having to play the same game 5 times, and then having to play them all again to level up for the final chapter. It just gets tedious, which is a huge shame given how amazing the rest of the game is. Half Life 2 -- YES I know the graphics took a slight dip down from the PC version, but this is one of the finest FPS games in existence. Incredibly well-written and acted. If you haven't had the priviledge to play this yet, do yourself a favor. Indigo Prophecy -- YES It's not without flaws. The ending is rushed and cluttered, to put it lightly. Other than that downfall, however, this is one amazing game. Interactive and cinematic gaming have never combined so smoothly. The only reason the ending feels so terrible is because the game was so incredible until then. Also, this game may have the coolest cover art ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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