Grabbed by the Ghoulies
October 31, 2003
October is a month of ghosts and goblins. In the past, Sony has tried to capitalize on that by releasing titles like Medieval. Microsoft is also trying their hand at creating a fun and spooky title with the release of Grabbed by the Ghoulies. This also marks the first game that Rare has developed for the Xbox. The popular developer was purchased by Microsoft when Nintendo decided to not renew their contract. The first fruits of Rare’s new relationship with MS produce a lighthearted adventure that will provide fun� at least for a few hours. Read more
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
October 29, 2003
Castlevania is a franchise that has been loved by gamers since it first appeared on the NES. It began as a simple side-scrolling action game. From there, the series slowly evolved and it wasn’t until Castlevania Symphony of the Night that I became a huge fan of the series. SotN introduced us to Alucard who wielded a sword instead of a whip. Players were also given an EXP system that gave much more depth to the game. However, Castlevania remained as a 2D game until the release of Castlevania 64. This title proved to be a huge disaster and the series continued on with several excellent 2D titles on the Game Boy Advance. As the Castlevania series continues to excel in 2D, I was shocked to hear Konami was developing the next incarnation of the series, Lament of Innocence, in 3D. While images of Castlevania 64 were dancing in my head, after spending some time with Lament of Innocence, I am amazed with how good this title is. Read more
The Phantom: Unmasked
October 28, 2003
Does anyone out there remember The Phantom? You know, the console that Infinium Labs was working on? Yeah, well, it’s ok, neither did I until October 23rd. On that night it just so happened that the local chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) held their monthly meeting at the school I’m attending, and I had the chance to sit in on it. I had only found out about the event about a half hour before it started; rumor had it that Infinium Labs would be showing off The Phantom game console and I definitely didn’t want to miss it. Read more
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
October 27, 2003
I don’t know about you, but I have fond memories of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Just typing those words brings that classic theme song to memory. I also recall being a big fan of the cartoon and arcade game. On the console side, the last Turtles game I remember playing was TMNT 4 on the Super Nintendo. The only downside about it was that it was very short. It has taken Konami a long time, but they have finally decided to try and relaunch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with a title that is appearing on all “big three� consoles.� The result is a fun but shallow action game. Read more
Jak II
October 25, 2003
A couple of years ago, Sony introduced a new platformer from the creative minds of Naughty Dog. While it wasn’t an all-new Crash adventure, we were introduced to a new hero, Jak, and his furry friend, Daxter. Together, they set off on a wonderful platforming adventure that sold like crazy and can now be found on the PS2 Greatest Hits at a reduced price. For those of you who still have not gone through the original game, it is well worth the price of admission and still has plenty of platforming goodness to be found. Read more
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
October 20, 2003
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is the second Jedi Knight game developed by Raven. Their first effort in the series, Jedi Outcast, was met with success, both with critics and gamers. However, Jedi Academy has some pretty significant differences from the previous game. Is it an improvement? Well, let’s first take a quick look at the whole series to see what’s going on. Newcomers will definitely want to pay attention as they will understand the story of Jedi Academy a little better if they’ve never played the past few games. Read more
DDRMAX 2
October 20, 2003
Konami’s latest entry into it’s signature dance phenomenon is yet another example of why this game is so darn fun; even if half the people who play it will never admit it. DDRMAX 2 on the PS 2 continues the fine tradition of rhythmic beats and insane step combinations required to keep up with them. Even after several incarnations, the game represents a fresh and pleasant alternative to your standard gaming genres. Read more
Tiger Woods 2004
October 20, 2003
Why is golf a four letter word? I couldn’t tell you. But I can tell you that the newest installment of EA Sports ì´¯p selling golf franchiseî ©s not only good, it’s Grrreat! In fact, this game just might be videolicious enough to get some respect in Game of the Year voting. Read more
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
October 20, 2003
Super Mario Bros. 3 is the best selling video game of all time. Well if you want to get technical, it’s the best selling stand-alone game. The original Super Mario Bros. actually has the most copies sold, but it had the advantaged of being packed in with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Anyways, Mario 3 has finally arrived on the Game Boy Advance in the form of Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. Read more
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
October 17, 2003
Good, solid strategy RPG’s seem to be few and far between in these manic days of ultra-fast FPS’s and rugged sport sims, but once in awhile, a real gem appears out of nowhere. Such is the case with the new strategy RPG from Atlus, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. This game does a ton of things right, and goes far deeper than even the hardest of the hardcore fans could possibly imagine. So what, you ask, in particular does the game do so magnificently? Well, well, where do I even start… Read more