5 Games in 2003

Sunday, January 18, 2004 » gaming list thought

The previous entry reminded me that I meant to do a post not unlike my 5 Movies in 2003, but for games.

First of all, I would like to disqualify The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, because if you own any sort of console you've already heard too much about them.

Here we go.

#5 - Wario Ware: Mega Microgame$
Many times I've played an addicting Flash game and thought it would make a killer Gameboy game, although it would be wasteful to use an entire cart just for something like the worm game. Nintendo's solution: Put 200 on one cart. The result is the quintessential GBA game: Quick to pick up and easy to put down, but with enough to offer to ensure it's not put down for too long.

#4 - F-ZERO GX
While the first two F-ZERO games were pretty nifty, F-ZERO GX is the first time it feels like the concept of the series has been truly realized; the controls are tight, the tracks are inventive (and insane), and, for the first time, there's a real sense of speed. Although the game can be cruelly unforgiving, there's a lot of stuff to unlock with enough practice. That's another great thing about this game: It never feels like the difficulty is because some some cheap trick the game is pulling. Everything feels achievable with enough work. Also the multiplayer is ridiculous.

#3 - Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
In case you missed my many previous Xenosaga thoughts, I'll recap: While its lengthy cutscenes made the game infamous, they were at least exceptionally well-directed and with top-notch voice acting. The story, if a bit pretentious, was genuinely compelling. Other highlights included refreshing tactical elements in battle, a degree of character customization, and some truly amazing and expansive environments. My biggest gripe is that, due to the game's short length, the vast majority of mysteries and questions raised along the way were left unanswered after the ending. Nevertheless, I eagerly await Episode II and hope it can pick up some of the slack.

#2 - Soul Calibur II
I never played Soul Edge or the original Soul Calibur, and I've never been too fond of 3D fighting games in general. It must be saying something, then, when I say that I feel just as comfortable playing SC2 as I do playing any of the Street Fighter or The King of Fighters series. It may have a steeper learning curve than other games, but once I became familiar with the different characters and moves I understood why everyone praises these games as two of the best fighters ever made.

#1 - Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
I wouldn't go as far to say FFTA is better than the original, whose epic storyline and five-star score helped to form more of a complete package. Gameplay-wise, though, FFTA is far and away the superior title. With all the countless new abilities to learn and jobs to master, it's no wonder my game timer is so embarassingly high. The mission-based format and quicksave option makes this an excellent on-the-go game as well. A straight-out 6-on-6 versus mode would have been a great addition to the multiplayer options, but that omission hardly detracts from the rest of the experience. Here's hoping we see the next FFT installment before 2008.

And now, runners up (also includes older games that I didn't get around to playing until 2003):

Metroid Prime - Retro Studios actually defied the laws of spacetime when they made this game. This wasn't supposed to be good, let alone awesome.

Ico - Fantastic puzzles and a unique design aesthetic. Also, pronounced ee-ko.

Ikaruga - Maddeningly difficult, but so beautiful to look at. The last chapters have have to be seen to be believed.

Shadow Hearts - An exceptional RPG overshadowed by the tenth entry to a slightly wider-known series, featuring entertaining dialogue, a groundbreaking score by Mr. Yoshitaka Hirota, and a welcome timing-based battle system. Let's have Shadow Hearts II soon, please.

Overall, a very good year for Nintendo systems. I wouldn't say the PS2 had a bad year as it still enjoyed many other fine titles (Silent Hill 3), but it looks like it will fare much better in 2004.