Best of 2003
This year, I (Rich) have asked the staff to pick their Top Five games of 2003 and then write a short piece on why they picked them. From those choices, I used a weighted tally to determine GAF's overall top 10 and you can see the results of that tally just below. Underneath the overall ratings are each editor's Top Five games of the year, and their opinions.
GAF Top 10
10)
Wario Ware, INC: Mega Microgame$ (GBA)
9)
Viewtiful Joe (GC)
8)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
7)
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)
6)
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)
5)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Multi)
4)
Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)
3)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)
2)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
1)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
Sam Altersitz
1)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Multi)
2)
Viewtiful Joe (GC)
3)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
4)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)
5)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: The
PoP Team at UbiSoft Montreal really gave us a game that makes me (and a lot of other people) go "WOW!" Ever since I played a demo of
PoP:TSoT from that crap ass magazine, OXM, I was dying to get it. Simple and intuitive controls, super sharp and detailed graphics, and just an all around great feel make
PoP:TSoT a game I recommend to anyone. If you have all three systems, go for the Xbox version (it's not often you'll hear me recommend the Xbox version first, but this time it really is the best version); if you don't have an Xbox then get it for the GameCube; but even if you only have a PS2, well, then get it on the PS2! This is a game I simply cannot reccomend enough, even if it is fairly short. The fact that it totally makes up for
Prince of Persia 3D, and is a fun game, even for people who have never played a previous
Prince of Persia game, allows me to state, with pureness of heart, that this is my Game of the Year on any system. Be thankful UbiSoft put it out on all three systems, and the GBA, so no one needs to be left out.
Viewtiful Joe: Capcom's Team Viewtiful outdid themselves in the creation of this game; and it's Team Viewtiful's first game!
Viewtiful Joe is simply a game that should not be missed, especially for fans of old school 2D beat-em-ups like
Battletoads,
Double Dragon, and
Final Fight.
Viewtiful Joe brings a classic feel into a brand new generation of hardware, and adds to that feel with ultra-cool special effects that aren't just for show; they're necessary parts of the game. Yes,
Vietiful Joe is hard; but that makes it all the more appealing to me. HENSHIN-A-GO-GO, BABY!
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: Link is back, baby! And with a new look that, while garnering criticism and the hateful term: Celda, brings this classic series into a whole new level of experiences.
The Legend of Zelds: The Wind Waker expands upon what many people beleive to be the greatest game of all time,
The LEgend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, in ways that not only make
The Wind Waker seem tried and true, but also still fresh and new. Although not a big innovator,
The Wind Waker does add to what has kept the
Zelda series as one of gamedom's top games, and this is good. If only the game was slightly longer, with more dungeons, then I would have had a tough time betwen this and
Prince of Persia for my GotY; but, GameCube owners should simply not miss out on this wonderfully fun and artisticly creative game.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: It was hard to put this below
Zelda in my top 5, it really was. I enjoyed
KotOR and
Wind Waker immensely, and pretty much had to flip a coin for my number 3 and number 4 spot.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is not only a great Star Wars game, but it gives the Xbox a serious boost in its pretty dry RPG category as well. With BioWare at the helm, it was almost a sure thing that it was going to r0xx0r, but I had my reservations. Thakfully, my reservations were in error.
KotOR is, by far, the best RPG on the Xbox to date, and one of my most favorite Star Wars games of all time as well. With lots of choices, a really easy to master battle engine, and graphics to make you die for (well, most of the graphics, we'll forget about the over-used character models you see everywhere); Xbox owners have the right to rejoice. If you own an Xbox, go and buy this game; it's more of a reason to own an Xbox than Halo, to me.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow: This is the
Castlevania game I have been waiting for ever since I completed
Symphony of the Night oh so many years ago. I only started playing it a few days before Rich asked us for our top 5 games... and it took over my gaming life. In fact, it still has control of my gaming life, as I vow to get 100% of the souls in the game before completing it.
Aria of Sorrow is, quite simply, the best
Castlevania game since the highly acclaimed
Symphony of the Night; and this is a GBA game! Incredibly fun, with an intuitive control scheme, and GBA graphics that are simply astounding,
Aria of Sorrow is a game that should not be missed by people with a GBA. Hell, I don't even own a GBA, just a GBPlayer, and I can't get enough of this game; if you don't want a GBA, then get a GBPlayer for your GameCube and play this game!
Richard Brownell
1)
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2)
2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
3)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Multi)
4)
Viewtiful Joe (GC)
5)
Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)
This year has been critisized almost as long as it has been going on. From the bleak months before E3 to E3 itself, the gaming world has largely been almost upset with the industry. The reason behind this seems to be a lack of surprise and innovation. E3 had almost no surprises, and hardly any games one might call "killer aps." Many magazines and web sites gave their Game of Show awards to videos instead of the games themselves. Hardly a good year for gaming.
Then one might wonder where all these good games came from. I would hardly call 2003 a dry year for gaming, as many quality titles made their way to store shelves this year. There were a few disappointments, such as
Mega Man X7, but those were quite few. 2003 represents a maturation of the industry. While there may not have been many excellent titles, there are a lot more games deserving of 7's and 8's. The lack of innovation that makes some hardcore gamers upset has resulted in many companies honing popular formulae and coming up with great games, though that does not eliminate the bad titles that slip by the radar.
It is with that honing of past game development techniques that my Top 5 have been selected.
Disgaea fits directly into the strategy RPG genre and does it well. It has enough regular gameplay for casual fans and gives hardcore gamers a chance to try for god-like characters.
Wind Waker has had its share of critisism, but it's one of my most cherished memories of this year. It improves upon the
OoT formula, adds in cel-shaded graphics and a more-lighthearted adventure and keeps the fun.
Viewtiful Joe does innovate with the superhero powers, but still keeps things within the realm of a 2D action game. It executes very well and very smoothly.
Prince of Persia is probably the least innovative of the five. It doesn't seem to do anything new, but the cohesion that all elements of the game have and the cinematic flare make it thoroughly enjoyable.
Panzer Dragoon Orta is another example of a game that just does not innovate and with good reason. The
Panzer Dragoon series has the fun part down and Sega knew that a major graphical boost and a few new gameplay elements were all that was needed to have a hit on their hands.
Luke Campbell
1)
Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)
2)
Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 (PS2)
3)
Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (Xbox)
4)
Pirates of the Caribbean (Xbox)
5) tie:
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)/
Wario Ware, INC: Mega Microgame$ (GBA)
1)
Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox) - Previously thought to be dead and gone, the Panzer Dragoon series was revived, thanks to Smilebit. PDO is not only a visual treat, but uses the on-rails style to create a shooter that starts out action-packed and stays that way until the very end. Toss in cool unlockables like the first Panzer Dragoon (amazing to see how far 3D graphics have advanced since 1995), and additional side stories, etc, and you've got a game that's as much a must-buy today as it was when it was released.
2)
Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 (PS2) - Genki's street racing series is often referred to as a poor man's racer, and TXR3 was released at a cool $19.99 in November, but do not let the price tag fool you; with two completely new areas to explore, as well as added car customization options, two-on-one races, and the new strategy of balancing oil and water temperature for optimal performance,
TXR3 is arguably the best bargain around.
3)
PSO I & II (Xbox) - I've always had a weak spot for Phantasy Star Online; though I dislike space fantasy settings, PSO's design is really sharp and since it initially grabbed me, it has yet to let go. The gameplay is simple, and it's a great way to lose track of several hours. Voice chat, despite having a small delay problem, allows you to focus on killing stuff and grabbing red boxes instead of typing "pipe plz." It currently has less content than the GC PSO, but being able to talk instead of type makes the box PSO worth checking out if you're looking for a fun time waster/diversion.
4)
Pirates of the Carribean (Xbox) - I love pirates. The mystique of the era really appeals to me. Just as Captain Morgan is one snappy dresser, so is Akella's Pirates of the Carribean; this is just a pretty game. The boats are incredibly detailed, and the storms at sea must be seen to be believed. PotC is an immersive game that lets you be a pirate however you choose. Sure, there's are story missions that are loosely based on the PotC movie, but sailing around and exploring the game's few islands while swordfighting and having battles at sea is where this one shines. Naysayers will cite a few design flaws as reasons for overlooking PotC, and perhaps an extra month or two in development may have helped recitfy these issues. But as it is, PotC is a cool pirate adventure for anyone willing to stick with it.
5) tie:
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)/
Wario Ware, INC: Mega Microgame$ (GBA) -
Aria of Sorrow is perhaps the best Castlevania since the now-classic Symphony of the Night on PSOne. The castle is huge and begs to be explored completely, and the soul collecting system lets players customize their character to a certain extent. A second playable character and the option to play the game in Hard mode (with items exclusive to that mode) make this one a great buy for any fan of action platforming.
Wario Ware is perhaps the best portable game ever, thanks to its design. The game is comprised of mini-games that play out in several seconds, making it a the perfect quick gaming fix, whether you are on the bus or the toilet. Add in the fact that some of the games are strange (shake hands with a dog, help a girl sniff a string of snot, etc) and you've got a quirky and fun title that's worth picking up. Plus, the instruction manual has stickers!
In 2003, I missed or skipped over a good number of games, so I'm looking forward to picking those up sometime during this year. But as far as 2004's new products and whatnot, I'm interested in the following:
1)
Resident Evil Outbreak (PS2) - The RE series heads online for this one, breathing new life into this undead series. Players cooperate with one another to avoid getting zombified, but in a series first, players can actually become zombies if they are infected with the T-virus. Sounds cool!
2)
Monster Hunter (PS2) - This Capcom online game looks like it plays similarly to PSO, but faster, prettier, and with more of a focus on team-based play. Video footage for Monster Hunter showed a group fighting a large dragon: one character places a trap for the dragon to fall into, while one character hacks away at the dragon close range, and another shoots arrows from afar. Plus, there's super cute cat people...
3)
Gran Turismo 4 (PS2) - The best racing series ever returns with perhaps its best installment yet. GT3 is still, a couple of years after its release, one of the best playing and best looking games on the system. GT4 is said to have an expanded Rally Mode, as well as more tracks, more cars, and more everything. What's not to like?
4)
True Fantasy Live Online (Xbox) - This MMORPG is looking like it's going to be pretty sweet. A cartoony look and a simple combat engine appeal to the PSO addict in me. Also, you can be a witch... and fly on a broom. I'm there.
5)
Pirates! II (PC, rumored multiplatform) - 1987's Pirates! is my all-time favorite game, despite having played thousands of games since it came out. The announcement of a sequel left me wet between the legs, so hopefully it will live up to its now 17 year-old predecessor.
Aside from that, I'm interested in seeing what advancements are made with Sony's Eye Toy, what Nintendo's "new hardware" is at E3, and how the PSP hype will build over the year.
Christian Kontul
1)
Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)
2)
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)
3)
F-Zero GX (GC)
4)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
5)
Viewtiful Joe (GC)
Andrew McClure
1)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
3)
Wario Ware, INC: Mega Microgame$ (GBA)
4)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
5)
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2)
When I think back on 2003 I think about the Gameboy Advance. I picked up Nintendo's newest handheld back when it was first released in 2001 along with a couple games. I bought a handful of other games for the system but it really didn’t get much playtime due to the poor visibility and other design problems. When the Gameboy Advance SP launched I was both shocked and awed: everything that was wrong with the Gameboy Advance was fixed, I could see the screen, I could put it in my pocket and not worry about a scratched screen, and it actually looked really cool. Suddenly, an entire game library was open to me and 2003 did not disappoint me.
There’s really nothing I can say about
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance that I haven't
said already. It’s a great game with tons of depth and character that should be played by anyone who calls themselves an RPG fan.
I actually got my copy of
Wario Ware a week before it was released; I was working at a videogame store at the time and my manager received a promo copy. He didn’t have a Gameboy so he gave it me when I asked, he later regretted that decision. The game is a not only groundbreaking and innovative with a great sense of design and humor it is also incredibly fun there’s no better pick up and play game on the GBA than Wario Ware.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is the best
Castlevania since
Symphony of the Night and there’s not really much more than I can say. It’s the pinnacle of IGA’s Gameboy Advance Castlevania games and all the hard work from the previous titles shows off here; from the amazing graphics, to the beautifully viscous boss battles, to the kick-ass weaponry just about everything about the game is a ten.
Don’t think that I only played the GBA this year though: the brilliant
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker gave my Gamecube quite a workout. To be honest this was the first 3D Zelda that I actually played all the way through. The N64 games, though good, never really clicked with me, maybe it was the sloppy combat or the darkness of the story but I was never compelled to finish the game. Wind Waker fixed all of that I didn’t like about the previous titles with a wonderful lighthearted story, beautiful graphics (I don’t care what everyone else says I’ve liked the Cel-shaded look ever since I saw footage of it in movement), great dungeons with equally amazing boss battles, great music, and what is probably the best 3D combat engine you’ll find on any system. I played this game almost non-stop for a month, sailing the seas of Hyrule and getting all the secrets, it’s rare for me to play a game that was so satisfying in every way.
Guilty Gear X2 is of a dying breed, the 2D Fighter, and it stands as a testament as to why the genre shouldn’t die. The game is in its essence Rock ‘n Roll. The amazing graphics, gameplay, music, and design all contribute to this feeling of rockin’. There’s nothing better than putting on my leather jacket, pumping some Maiden, and laying some smack down on some fools with Slayer.
Wade Monnig
1)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Multi)
2)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)
3)
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando (PS2)
4)
kill.switch (Multi)
5)
SOCOM II (PS2)
Josh Schwartz
1)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)
2)
Crimson Skies (Xbox)
3)
Deus Ex: Iinvisible War (Xbox)
4)
Shikigami No Shiro 2 (Xbox)
5)
SOCOM II (PS2)
Ash Paulsen
1)
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)
2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
3)
Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue (GBA)
4)
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC)
5)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
Ah, 2003. It's been an exciting year for the gaming industry. Top-tier, AAA games have more or less abundant for all three major consoles and especially the Game Boy Advance. And speaking of that little guy, the SP model was introduced in March to glowing reviews and freakishly rapid sales. But getting back to the games, there was a whole lot of good stuff to play this year - so much, in fact, that there were more than a few that I never got to finish (or even start). But I feel that I played the vast majority of the best (and just great or good) games this year had to offer, and it is with this certainty that I not so humbly (ha!) present my choices for five best games of 2003, starting with the one I feel was the best of them all. Now then, on with the formalities...
1)
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2) - For those of you who have read my
review, you probably know not to get me started on
Final Fantasy X-2 because I could wax poetic on it for hours. Simply put, it is my opinion that
Final Fantasy X-2 is nothing short of a breathtakingly amazing experience from start to finish. But what makes it Game of the Year material is not simply that - if that's all it came down to, then we'd have a tie between this and
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. No, what propels
Final Fantasy X-2 into the GotY spot in my eyes is simply the fact that it took so many risks with a franchise that had established so many traditions and set so many trends and rules about what RPGs should be... and it succeeded.
Final Fantasy X-2 could have failed on so many levels - it had so many chances just to turn out horribly... but it didn't. It completely did away with the boundaries that past games in the series (and other RPGs) had set on the genre, grossly expanded what RPGs could be and what sort of material they could contain, and still turned out to be one hell of a poignant, cinematic experience with awesome gameplay to back it up. And just the fact that
FFX-2 delivers an intensely emotional, powerful resolution to one of gaming's most dastardly cliffhangers is reason enough to pick this one up;
FF fans have been wanting a direct sequel to one of their games for a long time now, and Square could not have picked a better installment in terms of story continuation. Any and every way you look at it,
Final Fantasy X-2 was an ambitious, risky, and ultimately uber-impressive effort that has successfuly pioneered the idea there is room for both a dark, poignant narrative and a free-spirited, bright and genuinely funny presentation and feel in a single RPG, which is ultimately why this gets my vote for Game of the Year.
2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC) - Take nearly all the praise I just smothered
Final Fantasy X-2 in, subtract everything about pioneering new ideas and having the chance to fail on so many levels, and you'll almost have The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. But add intensely unique (and more impressive) in-game visuals, and the best cel-shaded animation gaming has ever seen and then - maybe then - you'll be about there. And really, the only reason The Wind Waker did not get my vote for Game of the Year is because it was, as I said, so much... safer than FF X-2. Yes, the cel-shaded, cartoony style of the game was a gamble for Nintendo, but we knew that otherwise, the game was going to be legendary... and it was, on every level. And when you consider the surprisingly catchy soundtrack and even more astonishingly deep (for Zelda) and emotionally appealing story, The Wind Waker just gets even sweeter. And for me, that was what set this installment apart from the others: I had come to expect weak soundtracks and stories from Zelda games (especially after the N64 installments), but this one thoroughly impressed me on both those levels, especially the latter. Being directly based off of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask was cool enough, but Wind Waker's story genuinely kept me guessing about what really was going to end up happening. And I love it for that, as well as everything else it does so damn well. And as I said, if FF X-2 hadn't come along, turned RPGs upside down, and delivered a narrative that appealed to my emotions so extremely intensely, this would be up there at #1. But things happened (as they tend to do), and so it is that this truly outstanding experience of a game gets my number two spot for this year.
3)
Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue (GBA) - Call me crazy (and I know many of you will), but there isn't a single portable game I enjoyed this year more than the third chapter in the oft-underrated Mega Man Battle Network series. Wario Ware this, FFT Advance that... both awesome games, to be absolutely sure, but neither of them roped me in and tied me up quite like this title did. Now I am going into this with a bit of a bias, but bear with me here; yes I am a big Mega Man fan, but I'm really sold on the whole idea of the MMBN universe - which stands independently from the other Mega Man stories - and, of course, I'm hooked on the story. And say what you will about Mega Man stories, but this is good stuff and MMBN 3 delivered some of the most emotionally effective scenes seen in portable games this year (thanks mostly to the story's oustandingly likeable characters and surprisingly dark undertones). Couple this with a really impressive soundtrack (I so love how most reviewers never even mention this) that defies the notion that portable-game soundtracks can't be good, and you've got one of the best Game Boy Player experiences to date. The graphics are of the same high quality as the previous two chapters, and the extremely unique RPG-based gameplay is expanded even more in this game, leaving me to look forward to what new tweaks and enhancements Capcom will add to the formula in part four (and yes, it is coming). To close, I can totally admit that MMBN 3 was certainly not the most original or technically impressive feat on the GBA this year, but I feel it had a whole lot of heart and is, simply, one extremely fun game to play - no GBA game this year kept me so thoroughly glued to both my SP and my Player as this one did.
4)
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC) - Two words: multiplayer mayhem. This is perhaps the first title to ever come close to dethroning Super Smash Bros. Melee as my reigning champ of ultra-fun and chaotic multiplayer gaming, on the GameCube or otherwise since that game's release. Now don't get me wrong; on its own merits, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is a great game in a great series that stands tall as one fun and hella-polished racing game, even without friends. But as good as this game is, it gets about 30 times better when played with friends who are really into the game, and words can't convey how cool 5- to 16-player LAN play is. Me and my friends have 8-player Double Dash!! LAN parties every weekend, and I'm not sure I've ever had so much fun gaming with friends. Flat-out racing is divine enough without mentioning the three battle modes and bevy of options available for multiplayer races and battles. Technically, Double Dash!! - though it looks very good and sounds, well, all right - won't blow you or your 'Cube out of the water as there are other games that are simply superior to it (such as Metroid Prime), but when a game's this fun, that hardly matters. Besides being a great all-around game, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was the best thing to hit the multiplayer gaming scene this year, and it has set a benchmark that's going to be tough for 2004's multiplayer offerings to top. And if it wasn't already apparent before this game's release, Double Dash!! has all but made it clear - there is and probably will never be any better kart racing series. You can stop now, other-characters-who-aren't-Mario.
5)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA) - One of the best looking, sounding, and playing games on the PSone gets reworked into one of the best looking, sounding, and playing games on the GBA. What's not to love? Though FFT Advance does not share its bigger brother's outstanding and thought-provoking plot, it makes up for that by having a simple, effective storybook-esque tale that is thankfully translated very well and lighthearted enough to be enjoyable yet presented well enough to gets its more serious message across without ever feeling too dire. Though the gameplay and ability-learning systems were considerably tweaked from the original for implementation into FFTA, they're no worse off for the wear and make the game one that's hard to ever put down once you pick it up. In fact, I prefer the FF IX-esque ability learning system in FFTA to FFT's often slow, tedious Job Point-based system, so I think FFTA actually has a few things on its older brother. All in all, I don't feel FFTA is what most fans expected or maybe even wanted it to be, but nevertheless it remains an extremely solid, enjoyable game that not only stands apart from the original but outshines it in a few ways as well. Oh, and there's a lot to FFTA too - if you want to do everything there is to do in the world of Ivalice, you can certainly expect to spend more than 100 hours glued to the game - very impressive indeed, and just one more reason FFTA nabs my number five spot for 2003's best game.
And so it is that, with the most impressive and personally enjoyable gaming experiences of 2003 duly recognized, I look ahead to 2004 with a whole lot of eagerness and anticipation. There's a lot to love about this year's lineup of games, and I'm now going to outline what I feel are the five games most worth getting excited about. Yes, two award features in one editorial - what's the world coming to?!
1)
Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) - One of the most unlikely and predictably lame duos in the history of game development - that is, Square Enix and Disney - made a huge splash on September 17, 2002 with their oustanding joint effort Kingdom Hearts, and fans of the game know that the surprisingly dark, un-Disney story left off on one giant cliffhanger. A sequel was inevitable, and now here it is: Kingdom Hearts II. The game's director, Tetsuya Nomura, has promised that all the questions posed and left unanswered by the first game's story will be answered in this sequel, and I can't wait. I'll be first in line to pick this up when it's released upon the masses late this year.
2)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) - This one's pretty self-explanatory: it's the next chapter in the
Metal Gear Solid series, which means more astonishing story revelations and double-, triple-, and quadruple-crosses than you can shake a stick at. No one really knows what's up with the whole 1960s theme and many fans have been left wondering if MGS 3 is in fact a prequel that focuses on Big Boss rather than a true sequel to MGS 2 (and what a shame I think that would be if it turned out to be true), but I've got a feeling that, in a move akin to MGS 2's Raiden, director/legend Hideo Kojima has something huge and all-important up his sleeve that he hasn't revealed to us about MGS 3's setting and story yet...
3)
Final Fantasy XII (PS2) - Call me a RPG whore or whatever you want, but the truth is that Final Fantasy XII is shaping up to be one hell of an interesting game. Apparently it's going to be a whole lot different than the kind of FF games we're used to (as if FF X-2 wasn't already different enough!) in that there's going to be a much more prevalent focus on strategic RPG battles (as opposed to straight-out fighting) than ever before. Additionally, FF XII surprisingly takes place in the world of Ivalice, the world (up to now) reserved for the setting of only the FF Tactics games. It looks cinematic enough though, yet I maintain just a hint of reserve because, apparently, the love story aspect of recent
FFs is going to be toned down in part
XII. Say it ain't so, Square!
4)
Mega Man Anniversary Collection (GC and PS2) - Yup, I'm a
Mega Man fan - sue me. But I don't care how much you may hate all the recent
Mega Man sequels and spin offs. You may scoff at X, scowl in disgust at Legends, laugh defiantly at Battle Network, and mutter something under your breath about Zero. But you know what? None of that matters, because Mega Man Anniversary Collection takes it back to the old skool, baby. I'm talkin' a complete retrospective on the Mega Man Classic series, the one that started it all. Anniversary Collection includes Mega Man 1 through 8 - which spans the early days of the original NES to the mid-life of the PS1 - and two Mega Man arcade games, The Power Battle and The Power Fighters, which were never properly released here in the States. Also planned are reworked, next-gen soundtracks for MMs 1-6, character bios, story timelines, developer/producer interviews (GCN only), anime videos (PS2 only), and more. It's more than any series fan could ask for, and will certainly attract any longtime gamers that know what Mega Man used to be about before the series branched out into so many different stories and genres (all of which I still say are great, however). In any case though, I can't wait for this one. PLEASE do a bang-up job on the emulation, Capcom. I'll send you mailbombs if you don't.
5)
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GC) - Many people feel that the first Metal Gear Solid was superior to the second, as great as it was. I'm one of them. Which is why I'm thrilled about this next-gen remake of said original, which sports MGS 1's timeless story and script but boasts MGS 2's graphics, sound, interface, and added gameplay elements. The cutscenes have been totally redirected as well, and in addition the script has received considerable tweaks and entire new scenes have been recorded (as well as some old ones re-recorded). All in all, so many updates and tweaks appear to be in place for this remake that it may very well end up being different and unique enough from the original to warrant even the most casual
MGS1 fans taking a return trip to Shadow Moses Island.
And there you have them - my picks for the most exciting, appetite-whetting games of 2004. And with that said and done, I think it's about time to wrap this up. I'm pretty sure this is far longer than Rich ever intended it to be anyway, so I'm going to go ahead and say goodnight. So... goodnight everyone!
Ian Pueschel
1)
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)
2)
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)
3)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)
4)
Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)
5)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter makes my top pick for being the most innovative and "new" game I've played this year. Taking the New Game+ concept and building an entire game around it, plus one the best battle systems any RPG has ever had.
Final Fantasy X-2 is another game that gets high marks for being different. But the same. But different!
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is great. What other game has Lightsabres, The Force, and countless opportunities to give into the Darkside?
Panzer Dragoon Orta is the perfect game for that boy or girl who's always wanted to take on an armada of bizarre creatures and enormous skyships from the back of a shape shifting dragon. Basically everybody.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is the improved upon sequel to one of the best games on the PlayStation, if not all consoles. Not much else to say that hasn't already been said, except maybe: Vini, vidi, kupo!
Mickey Shannon
1)
SSX3 (PS2)
2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
3)
Winning Eleven 6 (PS2)
4)
Sword of Mana (GBA)
5)
FIFA 2004 (PS2)
1)
SSX3 (PS2) - I loved the first two, and really, it takes everything from those two classics, and just explodes with new and innovative stuff. The tracks are amazing, the graphics are beyond amazing, the gameplay is even better than the first two, and the online play (possibly the best part) makes it that much better. Eh, just go read my review for all my thoughts on it, but really, this was probably THE must get game for me this year.
2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC) - Not quite my favorite
Zelda, but still an amazing game, and worthy of the Zelda title. The new graphics really worked out well, and the gameplay is great. A bit on the short side, but it's still great Zelda fun.
3)
Winning Eleven 6 (PS2) - I had to put this in here. It's about time we got a game that can outshine FIFA here in the States. If you're at all a fan of soccer, this is the game to get. The only reason FIFA even still gets played in my PS2 is because of the online mode, but in terms of gameplay, control, and the overall game, Winning Eleven blows FIFA out of the water.
4)
Sword of Mana (GBA) - I haven't finished this one yet, but from what I've played, I'm pretty happy with it. It really brings me back to my old SNES/Genesis RPG glory days, specifically those Secret of Mana play-throughs.
5)
FIFA 2004 (PS2) - It was between
FIFA,
FFX-2 and
Mario Kart here, but in the end I went with FIFA. And only because it gets the most playtime, via it's online gameplay. FFX-2 was good, but nothing special, and Mario Kart hasn't gotten enough attention from me yet to really get voted in. I spend a majority of my gaming time playing FIFA online right now though, and while it has some massive flaws I could mention that would be better suited for a review, it keeps me coming back for more. So FIFA gets the final spot from me.
Overall, there were some great games in 2003, more than I anticipated, but my RPGs are sorely lacking. And 2004 isn't looking all that much better. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles looks interesting, Growlanser is probably a must have, and Suikoden IV is definately on my most wanted list, but that's about it. Aside from RPGs, Ninja Gaiden may make me finally get an Xbox sometime next year. I'm really not all that interested in the gaming industry's lineup next year, so hopefully E3 2004 can bring a new batch of great games into the news.
Tito Olivo
1)
SOCOM 2 (PS2)
2)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
3)
True Crime: Streets of LA (PS2)
4)
Madden 2004 (PS2)
5)
Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 (PS2)
SOCOM 2 has lots of guns, huge maps, and girls that play online that can kick your ass. Now if this doesn't up the already-high replay value as you try countless times to claim your revenge, then nothing will!
These are the titles I'm looking forward to in 2004:
1)
Resident Evil: Outbreak (PS2)
I grew up in the decade where zombies were making a name for themselves and starring in just about every movie with "dead" in the title. I've grown animosity towards their kind for years now. To finally get a chance and fight them virtually alongside others in real time will prove to be the perfect training grounds for when they arrive in person...
2)
True Fantasy Live Online3)
Cy Girls (PS2)
4)
Halo 2 (Xbox)/
Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2)
5)
Final Fantasy: Advent Children (DVD)
What? I won't believe you if you told me you weren't waiting for
Advent Children as well. Where else can you see the characters you've grown to love to hate (or is that the other way around?) in full splendid CG action?! Start buyin' your microwavable popcorn now, because once this DVD is out I'm comin' over to your house to watch it!
