Unfettered Blather

This was a good gaming month. After rebuilding my X-Box and Playstation 2 libraries last month I had more cash available to finally pick up a few late 2007 and early 2008 titles. The truth is that I’m just not one of those gamers that must play the latest thing and then move on before I can really experience a game. Quite a few games got knocked off either list, and so we’ll say farewell and likely never see them again. Keep in mind, things are subject to change. I’m still playing a lot of these and I may find something I like well enough to displace something or vice versa. For example, Transformers actually starts out fairly decent but goes into hardcore repetition and frustration mode.

I’m still working to find a lot of older games before they disappear forever. On the other hand, no rush on getting games like Kingdom Hearts II and other popular games because they are everywhere!

BEST OF THE MONTH
	#1 Endless Ocean (Wii) At first glance it just doesn’t look like there is much of a game there, but there is a surprising amount of content for a game that I assumed would mostly be about looking at fish. Both of the kids have absolutely loved it. It’s low pressure, no real challenge, but very heavy on the encouragement of exploration and discovery. In many ways it reminds me of Pokemon without all of the obnoxiousness. This is not a game for the hardcore gaming nerd who has completed every version of Halo on Legendary.
	#2 Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games (Wii) This is not a perfect game. This is a game that highlights many of the problems with the Wii controls. On the other hand, this game is a lot of fun once you figure out how to play it. Yes, you’ll have to figure it out because the in game instructions are pretty bad. Once you get the different events figured out, the game becomes a lot of fun.
	#3 Transformers The Game (X360) I’ve been wanting to get this one for awhile and I was forewarned by the reviews that it wasn’t a great game, but it’s not a bad game either. There is definitely a sense that they could have gone deeper with the game, but it has its charms. The transformation sequences are great and the combat may be simplistic but it’s also surprisingly satisfying. There is a little bit of frustration in the mission structure as well. All that said, it has been a blast to play but it has a certain “fast food” feel to it, like the game desperately wanted to be a better meal but was prepared by a short order cook anyway.
	#4 Link’s Crossbow Training (Wii) A pack-in game that comes with the Wii Zapper, or the Wii Zapper is a pack-in that comes with the game, I guess it depends on how you look at it. I wasn’t really expecting much, especially since the Wii Zapper can easily be found for $20. The game is surprisingly good, though not very deep. Missions basically consist of target practice, which takes the form of standard light gun games, “Defender” which is similar to the light gun format except you actually can look around, and “Ranger” which is similar to a shooter and really shows off how the Wii controls can be used effectively. Once you’ve played the first level of challenges you’ve basically played the whole game, but it’s still surprisingly fun and it also shows how poorly some other games are utilizing what the Wii can do graphically. Though the Wii may not have the capabilities of the 360 or PS3, this game is surprisingly crisp in its visual presentation.
	#5 Earth Defense Force 2017 (X360) An under appreciated third-person shooter where you fight a lot of aliens, robots, and giant bugs Starship Troopers style. Somewhat repetitive, but surprisingly fun. It’s been a big hit for the kids and myself, and the co-op play is great.
	#6 Perfect Dark Zero (X360) It’s kind of a cool, passable shooter. It’s a little weird for me to see my character reloading their weapon with perfectly manicured fingers wearing jewelry no less! Still, I like the weapon selection and it’s got some neat little extras. On the other hand, the story sounds like a stealth game, but the game itself plays like a straight up shooter. It seems to have some serious identity crisis issues and the level design is merely so-so.
	#7 Aegis Wing (X360) A free download for the full game on X-Box Arcade. It’s not an outstanding game, but it’s passable as a side-scrolling shooter. It’s a good “sit-down, blow some random stuff up, and quit” game. It won’t rock your world but it is free and probably worth the download.

GAME OF THE MONTH Endless Ocean
Really, the surprise hit of the month. A game that delivered far beyond my expectations and apparently so mis-reviewed that you can’t judge it through the typical gaming media lens with any type of accuracy. If you think the games on X-Box Arcade are too casual but you want something that isn’t going to beat you over the head, this is your game!

BEST SO FAR

1. Crackdown (X360)
2. Endless Ocean (Wii)
   I’ve got to write another blurb on this? A great game where discovery is key. One of the few games to feature sharks without triggering my innate phobias.
3. Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games (Wii)
   This is essentially a “Super Smash Bros.” version of Wii Sports. Yes, the events are different, but the concept is largely the same. It wins on sheer variety alone.
4. Guitar Hero: Rock the 80’s (PS2)
5. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (GCN)
6. Guitar Hero (PS2)
7. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Wii)
8. Wii Sports (Wii)
9. Saint’s Row (X360)
10. Star Wars: Republic Commando (XBX)
    Not the strongest debut, it didn’t get the play time needed to make any list last month. It’s a solid shooter and a definite keeper. I absolutely love the “in helmet” view the game is played from. It’s a welcome level of immersion.

WORST SO FAR

1. Call of Duty 3 (Wii)
   I just don’t think the developers thought this game through, but it mirrors my experience with the original Call of Duty. Great ideas, great design, and really it used the Wii controller very well. However, the forced melee/wrestling portions of the game? Sucks every drop of enjoyment right out of it. This is twice now that a Call of Duty game has had some inexorable design flaw, like the people making the game just couldn’t let it be a great game. They would be the perfect World War II shooters if they’d just focus on making a shooter instead of putting in stupid crap like melee mini-games and escort missions. I honestly thought you couldn’t top Carnival Games, I figured that was the worst game played in 2008, that it was the winner in December. I was wrong.
2. Pac-Man: Championship Edition (X360)
   I don’t get the point of this game and it’s very possible that maybe it just “isn’t for me”. It’s a lot like Pac-Man, but with gameplay changes that have replaced tension with frustration. I always kind of appreciated the stress Pac-Man put players under, the need to make snap decisions that could mean life or death. Then there were the power players that just learn the ghost patterns. Anyway, I’m not sure what made anyone decide to “improve” Pac-Man, but what charm the game had is lost in this new version.
3. Road Trip: Arcade Edition (GCN)
   The same game as Everywhere Road Trip except without any point and no sandbox elements. The cars handle worse and it adds a lot of features that do nothing for the game. The original Road Trip was a fun little game easily accessible for anyone over the age of 5 and fun to play regardless of age. This is the lobotomized and amputated version of Road Trip. Avoid at all costs.
4. Carnival Games (Wii)
5. Yaris (X360)
6. Hexic HD (X360)
   A clever attempt to rip-off Bejeweled, but essentially the exact same game but without the incredible addiction factor. I’m sure there are some major Hexic fans who either will insist its better than Bejeweled or that it has nothing to do with Bejeweled. I have a low tolerance for blatant rip-offs, which is saying something when you’re talking about an industry that never hesitates to recycle the most trite crap they can find. I won’t drink the Kool-Aid on this one.
7. Uno (X360)
8. Virtual On Marz (PS2)
   If you buy a sequel to a game you thought was bad, whose fault is it? The problem with this installment is that there is no good reason why it should be bad. The PS2 can mimic the arcade control structure, so why didn’t they? Why does it play like the Dreamcast version? Did Sega even try to make this good?
9. Boom Boom Rocket (X360)
10. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

YOU’RE OUT OF THE RUNNING
And now we bid farewell to those games that won’t make either list. It’s a long list this month thanks to a busy acquisition period last month.

• Aegis Wing (X360)
  Not bad for a free game, but it’s not breaking any new ground in the side-scrolling shooter market. A worthy download for R-Type fans or people who just enjoy that style of gameplay.
• Battalion Wars (GCN)
  I have to start out by saying that right now the least offensive game on the “Worst Of” list is Jedi Knight Academy, which is not a bad game it just doesn’t have enough bad games in front of it to stay off the list. That said, anything better than that can’t be a bad game itself. I liked Battalion Wars, I really do, but it doesn’t quite stack up against Red Steel, but I still liked it well enough. It’s one of the few shooters I’d refer to as charming.
• Chromehounds (X360)
  I really didn’t have high hopes for this one, but it’s been on my list of “must haves” since the 360 was announced. It’s a solid robot shooter, if not great. It’s just a little too slow paced. Even as a longtime Mechwarrior player, I still expect my bots to move a little faster than this.
• Earth Defense Force (X360)
  There are a lot of game design quirks that drag this down, but the core gameplay is a blast. I also really appreciate the variety of opponents, which covers all the major monster genres from giant bugs, aliens, giant robots, and Godzilla style monsters.
• Excitebike (Wii)
  Yay! It’s off the worst of list! Boo, I actually have 10 games worse than this shallow and ancient motorcross game!
• Feeding Frenzy (X360)
  A surprisingly fun casual style game where you gobble up fish and get bigger so you can eat bigger fish. While that doesn’t sound all that compelling, it’s actually tons of fun to play.
• Justice League Heroes (XBX)
  Just inferior in every way in a field full of mediocre games. You’d really be better off buying Shrek 2 if you really wanted this style of game, and there are other superhero games that are better. Not that this is a bad game per se, and your only hope to play as the DC comic book characters, but it’s the worst of the mediocre.
• Link’s Crossbow Trainer (Wii)
  It’s a good game, but really lacks any depth or variety.
• Luxor 2 (X360)
  Actually, surprisingly fun despite my initial reluctance to try it. It is essentially a real-time puzzle game, which doesn’t sound that appealing if you were to describe the game to me that way, but the play mechanics are somewhere between Centipede, Bejeweled, and Breakout.
• Perfect Dark Zero (X360)
  A perfectly mediocre game, definitely worth a try if you like FPS games and want something a little different. The developers clearly had some good ideas, but perhaps the execution was a little weak due to the push to have this out at launch time for the 360. Still, it’s going ridiculously cheap and may be the best shooter you can find in the bargain bin.
• Red Steel (Wii)
  A fun shooter, but just couldn’t hack it in the top ten. Maybe if it had done more with the sword-fighting and contrived some of the action a LOT less it would have done better.
• Rygar (PS2)
  It’s everything I hoped it would be, though it plays a little too much like Devil May Cry or Onimusha. It’s not as much of a platformer as I thought it would be, which is an odd complaint since I really don’t care for platformers. Still, it’s a solid game.
• Star Wars: Jedi Knight Academy (XBX)
  This game is just like I remember it on the PC, which means it’s not great but it’s not a bad game either. I really think fans of Star Wars, Jedis, and/or Tremors (Yes, I said Tremors, like the first movie. Trust me.) should check it out. Assuming you can find it, which is the real trick.
• Transformers The Game (X360)
  It’s solid and pretty fun, hits a lot of good gameplay elements but doesn’t do anything great either. Transformers license aside, it’s actually a nice game for satisfying some of your giant robot urges and the ability to cut loose and play as a villain is probably good catharsis for all the time you spend as a good guy trying to not destroy the ever so destructible environment. The timed missions can be a real pain and the game outright cheats at times, but it treads such familiar ground that it’s not difficult to figure out what to do either.
• Ultimate Spider-Man (XBX)
  I don’t know that I’m convinced this is a better game than Spider-Man 2, but it’s still been a fun title. I think rendering everything in cel-shading was a good idea and one of the few times I’d call that appropriate. What game doesn’t deserve a comic book look if not Spider-Man?
• Urban Chaos (XBX)
  I really did like this game, it’s one of the better FPS shooters I’ve played in a long time. It’s very gritty and yet still encourages players to be “the good guy” for a change. Unfortunately, it’s not a great game and I have too many other titles that are just more fun to play, but it has earned a place in my library.

UNDETERMINED

• Skies of Arcadia: Legends (GCN)
  So many games…so little time…
• Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (XBX)
  For some reason this game does not run on my X-Box and it isn’t supported on the 360 yet. I know my X-Box is slowly dying and everything, but I still wish I could get this game to run!

REBUYS
It happens. From time-to-time I trade in a game I wish I had kept or because I needed the money. I wasn’t always as financially stable as I am today and trade-ins often made me able to continue the hobby. Unfortunately, some games I wish I had kept after all. With the older platforms phased out this represents a now or nothing approach to buying some of these old titles.

• Dead or Alive 3 (XBX)
  While I am purposefully avoiding some of the DOA side projects (I am still trying to forget what was probably supposed to be sexy but was actually disturbing DOA Extreme 2 trailer.) I am back to getting my old DOA main games back into my collection. I’ve had DOA 2 Ultimate for awhile and decided to once again add DOA3 to my collection. Interestingly enough, DOA3 was the first game I bought for my X-Box back in the day. I never thought it was as good as DOA2, not even compared to the Dreamcast version, and certainly not compared to DOA2 Hardcore on the PS2. On the other hand, DOA3 has my favorite (so far) character of the series. Brad Wong, the guy is hilarious and they nailed his fighting style.
• Everywhere Road Trip (PS2)
  After discovering that Road Trip on the Gamecube was not the same game as Everywhere Road Trip, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this game. Good clean family fun, an open structured (sandbox) game that’s fun for children and adults. Also, for car buffs it sports a huge selection of chassis, which allows you to play your dream car as a “character”. It’s an older game, so it’s missing some of the newer and cooler models, but the game itself is fun and the races are surprisingly good despite being simple. I love working my way through 24 opponents, I don’t care if the tracks aren’t the best and the AI isn’t great.
• Front Mission 4 (PS2)
  In the “I may live to regret this category”, I purposely ditched this game before not because I needed the trade-in value but because the missions just take longer and longer to do. I enjoy the game and it’s one of the best turn-based tactical games out there. On the other hand, the game is so complex and battles can literally take hours to complete. The story moves at an ever increasingly glacial pace as you find yourself spending a ridiculous amount of time further into the game. The only justification for this repurchase is that I’d like to replay the first half of the game where you have a lot of parts but it isn’t dragging too bad yet. That and my older son enjoys this genre as well.
• Halo (XBX)
  I actually bought this because if I’m putting together a list of “must have” last generation games, I feel guilty not having this on the list. You can actually get this for $10 brand new at Best Buy or you can download it off of Live for $15 and also give up your storage space. The Best Buy deal seemed like a real bargain. I also still have my save game on the old X-Box before I got sick of the same damn levels and quit. I’m trying to finish it even though it now is more of the exact same thing except with the Flood everywhere. I swore I did the Banshee missions already, but then realized they were new ones but now with zombies. Argh! Damn sense of guilt!
• Halo 2 (XBX)
  The compelling reason for owning the original Halo, I actually didn’t want to own 2, go out and get 3 (Eventually) and not have the first. Unlike the original Halo, which I bought out of a sense of completion, guilt, whatever, I actually like Halo 2. I liked it a lot. I actually finished it. I don’t really do multiplayer, so I traded it in eventually. Now that money isn’t so tight and I want to complete my last gen collection, I decided to get it again. Pretty much as good as I remembered.
• Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
  It’s sheer novelty and would be a mediocre game if not for the Square/Disney line-up. That said, it’s every kid’s fantasy game really and so I’ve reacquired this for my kids this time around.
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (XBX)
  Always did like this game, never sure why I traded it in. It’s not as fun on a second pass, unlike some prior BioWare games. Still, it’s a good RPG and my son’s are old enough to play it now so I know they’ll enjoy it. This is one of the best games available on the X-Box, and may be one of the best games of the last generation.
• Zoids: Battle Legends (GCN)
  I love giant robots, and Zoids is a little different in that it uses giant animals. The game has a somewhat frustrating control mechanic, but it is unique enough to stick with it. Unfortunately, upon original purchase I didn’t have time dedicated to really learning the game, so I traded it in because that’s what I used to do with games I wasn’t playing. Kind of disappointed the kids haven’t shown more interest in it. I figured giant robotic tigers would be right up any young boy’s alley.

FEBRUARY STATISTICS -
Average Cost: $13.93
Gamecube - 1 Titles (6.7%)
Playstation 2 - 3 Titles (20%)
Wii - 3 Titles (20%)
X-Box - 5 Titles (33.3%)
X-Box 360 - 3 Titles (20%)
15 Titles

STATISTICS SO FAR -
Average Cost: $14.24 per game
Gamecube - 5 Titles (9.8%)
Playstation 2 - 9 Titles (17.6%)
Wii - 10 Titles (19.6%)
X-Box - 15 Titles (29.4%)
X-Box 360 - 12 Titles (23.5%)
51 Titles

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