Monday, January 02, 2006
Games aren't good unless G-Pinions says so
I have no idea what makes January first such a special day, but the arbitrary beginning of a new year is reason enough to churn out a few posts remembering gaming past. I thought long and hard, maybe even for a full two minutes, trying to think of some category that has yet to be dissected by some enterprising site. It's hard to compete when standard categories - like best game and graphics - are done by everyone with a keyboard. And then I think about trying something ridiculous but only need to look at Gamespot's Best Use of Sweat to see the problem in that. If the standard categories are all covered (and should be on this site as well in the coming days) and the bottom of the barrel has already been swept clean, what chance is there to breathe some life into these tired awards? I have one idea...
I present to you:
The Best Game of 2004 That I Didn't Actually Play Until 2005. A completely arbitrary award that no one will be able to argue with since only I know what I actually played and didn't play. So, without further ado, I present my top three games, in ascending order, for the first, and only, time this award will ever be issued.
Drum Roll Please!
#3) Ribbit King (Gamecube)
There are certain games that just scream "Tom Game!" These may not be the best game around, but it's obvious that, if I get my hands on them, I will absolutely love their tasty silicon. They come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing remains constant - they are utterly ridiculous. The gameplay may be shoddy and even I admit that they probably aren't worth more than $10, but the unbridled joy is most certainly there. Other titles that are most assuredly "Tom Games" are It's Mr. Pants, with an art design that looks like they gave free reign to an epileptic 10-year-old with a crayon, and Adventures of Cookies and Cream, which proves that if you combine a ridiculous premise with cooperative play you may just have a Hall of Fame candidate for my list of favorite games.
But I digress. I'm supposed to be talking about Ribbit King. Basically, this is like a simplified Hot Shots Golf (I didn't think it was possible either) with courses that are filled to the brim with zany obstacles. The old school formula of getting in the hole before your competitor is thankfully disposed of. Instead you have to score more points. Trying to explain how scoring works certainly takes some of the joy away from this magic title, but I'm sure most people aren't familiar with the premise. Basically, every obstacle either gives you points or takes them away. But it's much deeper than that - the obstacles themselves actually move you around the level as well. For instance, you can hit your frog (it is Ribbit King, after all) into a river, which causes him to swim in whatever direction he's facing. You'll get 1 point per stroke, and then more depending on what bank he arrives. From there you end up in the mouths of vicious worms, who swallow you up only to toss you unceremoniously away, land on mammoth skins stretched taut over a hole to catapult you, conveyor belts to ride, birds to carry you, fire to burn you, and, if you eventually chose, a hole to drop down.
What makes this game such a joy is the sheer randomness of every hit. For instance, in the ice world, you'll have to estimate how far you'll slide. If you guess right, you can land on a target that gives you 100 extra points. Hopefully, after getting those points, a fly will be nearby. Seeing as you're a frog, you'll automatically jump to catch it. Your jump may take you farther than expected, placing you in the center of a cyclone. You'll shake the stick vigorously, fly out, land in some water, swim to land, and hop on a pad that will give you a power up to use on your next turn. Obviously not every turn is this ridiculous, but every time you hit the frog there is the distinct possibility it will just be.
This is one of the few games that I don't even try to win. Sure, I'll get as many points as possible, but I'll avoid the hole if I can. You get 8 strokes to finish each hole and I make sure I see as much of the course as possible in that time. Unfortunately, this is a short game, with only about 24 holes, and would be awfully tough to play single player. But it is cheap, so if you have a friend with a crazy sense of humor, this is a fantastic game.
#2) Daigasso! Band Brothers (Nintendo DS)
This was actually a launch title for the Nintendo DS in Japan. Nintendo of America, realizing it is amazing and unlike anything else out there, quickly announced an American name - Jam with the Band - which many believed would eventually lead to a US release. Unfortunately, it is now 2006 and this game still doesn't have a release date. Darn shame. This is the best rhythm game I have ever played.
Like just about every thing else in the genre, a stream of notes fly by and you have to hit the corresponding button at the appropriate moment to make beautiful music. Ho hum, right? Did you really think this would edge the immortal Ribbit King for my second slot if this was ho hum? There is a reason this is my first ever import title (though Tobal 2 came close) and, it is so good, I would buy it again if it ever comes to our open arms.
The first thing that makes this so good to me is that, unlike most rhythm games, you actually are playing an instrument. No matter when you hit the buttons a certain sound is produced. This means you can improvise if you like, supplying your own devilish guitar work to the song. Also, if you are striving for perfection, you hear every mistake you make. Unlike Guitar Hero, which doesn't allow you to jam as you wish, Band Brothers actually replicates playing an instrument.
Furthermore, there are over 50 different instruments available. There are different keyboards, guitars and drums to choose from, so you aren't just drumming along to Children's Songs over and over like the Donkey Konga experience. And since each instrument is accurately represent in these songs that means sometimes it will be almost boring. Sometimes you'll just hold down a bass note for a while and listen to the guitar play something fancy. Sometimes the song will play on but your drumsticks will be silent. It's like playing a real song - you aren't always the star.
And that's not even the best part: this is an 8 player game - with only one cart! I've only played two player so far, you can guess who my band mate was, but it was a complete blast. Since scoring doesn't really matter, Nick as able to do what he pleases on the drums while I go crazy Elton style on my keyboard. This is the first game I've played that actually replicates what it's like to be in a band, to have to struggle with a bad bassist, to get everything right just once and feel like a superstar.
But wait, there's even more. This has the most in-depth music creation editor ever seen in a game. All the songs are done in midi and, after you master amateur mode, a professional editor is unlocked that essentially lets you create any song you can imagine. You have all 50 instruments at your disposal and you can put up to 8 of them in one song. You are given a sheet of music and you decide what notes are played, where the rests go, and what key it comes out it. Extremely difficult, yes, but so in-depth that I could Google for a Pearl Jam song sheet and easily enter it in the game. I have never seen anything like this before. It's so overwhelming I haven't actually composed anything yet, but once I get the nerve I'm going to orchestrate something great. I may simply start with a Mega Man 2 classic, but I'd love to make my own, original songs.
Like so much software on the NDS, this is not simply a game. This is a music creation tool. This is something that could stimulate the mind of a young child. This is the perfect title to take with you on the road, when your piano will simply not fit in the overhead bin. It is still a video game, but any song you create in this game can be accurately played in the real world by just reading the music.
#1 Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PlayStation 2)
I love games with puns in the title.
After I went on and on about the last two games, I am actually completely blank on what to write about R&C3. Simply put - this is the best 3D platformer ever made. In fact, the archaic collect-a-thon that defined early 3D platformers seems completely obsolete now that Ratchet exists. Huge worlds, non-stop action, little backtracking, tons of secrets... this game has it all. Best of all, it has constant rewards as well. I decided that the main thing that attracts me to a game, that makes me wake up early to fire it up again, is the ability to earn something for even playing just a little bit. Ratchet and Clank, with a heavy duty arsenal of upgradeable weapons, does just that. I destroy enemies not only because I get stuff from them but because the controls are so perfect and the guns so imaginative that it's actually fun throughout. This is a concept few games fully realize. R&C3 is one of the best games of 2004, one of the top 5 platformers I have ever played, and one of the best games of this, or any, generation. Just imagine how much I'd love it if I had played the multiplayer mode...
I present to you:
The Best Game of 2004 That I Didn't Actually Play Until 2005. A completely arbitrary award that no one will be able to argue with since only I know what I actually played and didn't play. So, without further ado, I present my top three games, in ascending order, for the first, and only, time this award will ever be issued.
Drum Roll Please!
#3) Ribbit King (Gamecube)
There are certain games that just scream "Tom Game!" These may not be the best game around, but it's obvious that, if I get my hands on them, I will absolutely love their tasty silicon. They come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing remains constant - they are utterly ridiculous. The gameplay may be shoddy and even I admit that they probably aren't worth more than $10, but the unbridled joy is most certainly there. Other titles that are most assuredly "Tom Games" are It's Mr. Pants, with an art design that looks like they gave free reign to an epileptic 10-year-old with a crayon, and Adventures of Cookies and Cream, which proves that if you combine a ridiculous premise with cooperative play you may just have a Hall of Fame candidate for my list of favorite games.
But I digress. I'm supposed to be talking about Ribbit King. Basically, this is like a simplified Hot Shots Golf (I didn't think it was possible either) with courses that are filled to the brim with zany obstacles. The old school formula of getting in the hole before your competitor is thankfully disposed of. Instead you have to score more points. Trying to explain how scoring works certainly takes some of the joy away from this magic title, but I'm sure most people aren't familiar with the premise. Basically, every obstacle either gives you points or takes them away. But it's much deeper than that - the obstacles themselves actually move you around the level as well. For instance, you can hit your frog (it is Ribbit King, after all) into a river, which causes him to swim in whatever direction he's facing. You'll get 1 point per stroke, and then more depending on what bank he arrives. From there you end up in the mouths of vicious worms, who swallow you up only to toss you unceremoniously away, land on mammoth skins stretched taut over a hole to catapult you, conveyor belts to ride, birds to carry you, fire to burn you, and, if you eventually chose, a hole to drop down.
What makes this game such a joy is the sheer randomness of every hit. For instance, in the ice world, you'll have to estimate how far you'll slide. If you guess right, you can land on a target that gives you 100 extra points. Hopefully, after getting those points, a fly will be nearby. Seeing as you're a frog, you'll automatically jump to catch it. Your jump may take you farther than expected, placing you in the center of a cyclone. You'll shake the stick vigorously, fly out, land in some water, swim to land, and hop on a pad that will give you a power up to use on your next turn. Obviously not every turn is this ridiculous, but every time you hit the frog there is the distinct possibility it will just be.
This is one of the few games that I don't even try to win. Sure, I'll get as many points as possible, but I'll avoid the hole if I can. You get 8 strokes to finish each hole and I make sure I see as much of the course as possible in that time. Unfortunately, this is a short game, with only about 24 holes, and would be awfully tough to play single player. But it is cheap, so if you have a friend with a crazy sense of humor, this is a fantastic game.
#2) Daigasso! Band Brothers (Nintendo DS)
This was actually a launch title for the Nintendo DS in Japan. Nintendo of America, realizing it is amazing and unlike anything else out there, quickly announced an American name - Jam with the Band - which many believed would eventually lead to a US release. Unfortunately, it is now 2006 and this game still doesn't have a release date. Darn shame. This is the best rhythm game I have ever played.
Like just about every thing else in the genre, a stream of notes fly by and you have to hit the corresponding button at the appropriate moment to make beautiful music. Ho hum, right? Did you really think this would edge the immortal Ribbit King for my second slot if this was ho hum? There is a reason this is my first ever import title (though Tobal 2 came close) and, it is so good, I would buy it again if it ever comes to our open arms.
The first thing that makes this so good to me is that, unlike most rhythm games, you actually are playing an instrument. No matter when you hit the buttons a certain sound is produced. This means you can improvise if you like, supplying your own devilish guitar work to the song. Also, if you are striving for perfection, you hear every mistake you make. Unlike Guitar Hero, which doesn't allow you to jam as you wish, Band Brothers actually replicates playing an instrument.
Furthermore, there are over 50 different instruments available. There are different keyboards, guitars and drums to choose from, so you aren't just drumming along to Children's Songs over and over like the Donkey Konga experience. And since each instrument is accurately represent in these songs that means sometimes it will be almost boring. Sometimes you'll just hold down a bass note for a while and listen to the guitar play something fancy. Sometimes the song will play on but your drumsticks will be silent. It's like playing a real song - you aren't always the star.
And that's not even the best part: this is an 8 player game - with only one cart! I've only played two player so far, you can guess who my band mate was, but it was a complete blast. Since scoring doesn't really matter, Nick as able to do what he pleases on the drums while I go crazy Elton style on my keyboard. This is the first game I've played that actually replicates what it's like to be in a band, to have to struggle with a bad bassist, to get everything right just once and feel like a superstar.
But wait, there's even more. This has the most in-depth music creation editor ever seen in a game. All the songs are done in midi and, after you master amateur mode, a professional editor is unlocked that essentially lets you create any song you can imagine. You have all 50 instruments at your disposal and you can put up to 8 of them in one song. You are given a sheet of music and you decide what notes are played, where the rests go, and what key it comes out it. Extremely difficult, yes, but so in-depth that I could Google for a Pearl Jam song sheet and easily enter it in the game. I have never seen anything like this before. It's so overwhelming I haven't actually composed anything yet, but once I get the nerve I'm going to orchestrate something great. I may simply start with a Mega Man 2 classic, but I'd love to make my own, original songs.
Like so much software on the NDS, this is not simply a game. This is a music creation tool. This is something that could stimulate the mind of a young child. This is the perfect title to take with you on the road, when your piano will simply not fit in the overhead bin. It is still a video game, but any song you create in this game can be accurately played in the real world by just reading the music.
#1 Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PlayStation 2)
I love games with puns in the title.
After I went on and on about the last two games, I am actually completely blank on what to write about R&C3. Simply put - this is the best 3D platformer ever made. In fact, the archaic collect-a-thon that defined early 3D platformers seems completely obsolete now that Ratchet exists. Huge worlds, non-stop action, little backtracking, tons of secrets... this game has it all. Best of all, it has constant rewards as well. I decided that the main thing that attracts me to a game, that makes me wake up early to fire it up again, is the ability to earn something for even playing just a little bit. Ratchet and Clank, with a heavy duty arsenal of upgradeable weapons, does just that. I destroy enemies not only because I get stuff from them but because the controls are so perfect and the guns so imaginative that it's actually fun throughout. This is a concept few games fully realize. R&C3 is one of the best games of 2004, one of the top 5 platformers I have ever played, and one of the best games of this, or any, generation. Just imagine how much I'd love it if I had played the multiplayer mode...
// posted by Tom @ 3:37 PM 
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]