: 
. ::Nick's Top Games of 2005
We are already well underway into the year 2006 so I don't have time for some stupid introduction. If you recall from last year's article, I awarded games based solely on the amount of enjoyment I got out of them. So just because a game like Resident Evil 4 is amazing in every way does NOT mean it deserves game of the year. My list is entirely opinionated, but completely fact-based! So without further Apu, here are the awards for the GREATEST games released in the year 2005. Please note computer “games” are not listed as they are not important and don't count.
Once again I will list games I have shrink wrapped and intend to play some day. Games denoted with a * were also mentioned last year and I have STILL yet to play them:
-Mega Man Zero 4
-Magna Carta: Tears of Blood
-Shadow of the Collosus (played the demo!)
-Stella Deus
-Pikmin 2*
-Growlancer Generations*
-Star Ocean: Till the End of Time*
I AM TOTALLY JUST EDITING MY 2004 FILE SO IT WILL LOOK REMARKABLY FAMILIAR!
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Best Graphics:
Resident Evil 4
runner up: Gunstar Super Heroes
::: Leon comes alive as he busts heads (literally) and pulls clues out of disgusting barrels. How much has to be said about this game? No game even came close to RE4's character models, environments, textures, and moody atmosphere. I'll be honest. I initially had no interest in this game, but the graphics of the RE-make was the first thing to draw me in. CG cut scenes are absolutely not necessary and the fluidity between them and gameplay really helps keep the tension in the game. Graphics assisting gameplay! Who knew? The lighting really helps make the game shine as well. If you want to include animation quality into the mix, RE4 has some of the most realistic weapon reloads ever seen in a game. Damnit rifle, hurry up!
Gunstar Super Heroes is a testament to the Game Boy Advance hardware. Treasure loves 2D and they make a damn good looking 2d game. Backgrounds explode and gigantic bosses animate fluidly, all while you are shooting 130 consecutive rounds of shiny balls. While I didn't play very much Gunstar this year, it definately must be recognized; especially because nothing even came close to RE4.
Best Sound:
Meteos
::: I decided to break the Sound/Music category up into TWO categories this year. It's almost as if I made this explicitly for Meteos because it just has to be mentioned. The music is good, but it's the sounds of launching those little blocks into the atmosphere that really make the audio enjoyable. Every planet looks and sounds different, and in turn, you get a different feeling from each one. When things get fast, as with all puzzle games, so does the music, but launching line after line of meteos, only to clear the entire screen with a resounding "DUN DUNAH!!" makes you feel like an orchestra is following you everywhere you go. Ok this is what the commercial should have been like: This guy is walking down the street with his orchestra right, and he throws an empty can of soda in the garbage and the trumpets bleet out DUN DUNAAAAAH!! Then he goes to a vending machine for some sour patch kids and 2 packs fall out DUN DUNAAAAHH!!! Then the vending machine launches into the air and hits a hot air balloon full of terrorists DUNdunundunDUNDAAHHH!!
Best Music:
We Love Katamari
::: Damacy got the shaft last year because I felt that Tales of Symphonia had a really fantastic orchestral score, but this year I couldn't even think of a runner up...Ok I was thinking MAYBE Devil May Cry 3 for the death metal badassness. But no, no runner up. As with last year, you roll your Katamari to all of the east's most famous pop stars and their wacky jams. Such hits include "Naaaaananananana" and "Naaaananana: The Remix." Seriously though, it's infectious and helps keep the mood of the game perfectly. That mood being rolling shit up without any regard for the environment or human lives. Weeee IM BEING CRUSHED TO DEATH!! Upbeat and functional wins the race.
Best Story:
Killer 7
but the Toadsworths were really awesome in: Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
::: The only game with a story that really grabbed me this year was absolutely Killer 7. Hell, it's 60% of the reason for playing it. I can't actually tell you about the story as much of it is left up to the player. Basically, it doesn't follow your standard Socratic method of storytelling. Sure there's a plot, but who cares! Yeah there's a common enemy and a protagonist, but it's not really so clear cut. Here's the deal. The main character isn't who you think he is. In fact, he's not even who the game makes you believe he is. I will not say anything more about it as I want all of you to go out and play this game. You may not like the halfway decent gameplay, but it's easily more of a game than some lameass point and clickathon. Political, violent, and confusing. It's nuts.
As for Mario & Luigi: PIT, the story really wasn't anything AMAZING, but last year I noted the dialogue in Paper Mario was hillarious, so I felt it was necessary to tell you that when an old man scolds his younger self on the exuberance of youth, hillarity ensues. How's THAT for a run-on sentence? Read it again. Done? Yeah, bad back jokes never get old!
Best Action:
Devil May Cry 3
::: Fitting games into genres nowadays really blows. I remember when an action game was defined as being one which ravaged the thumbs. You know. Run, jump, shoot, maybe kick a little. Twitchy, crazy, memorizing boss patterns, explosions: All these things are found in Devil May Cry 3 at some point. It's like a good 3d Contra game, only it looks and plays nothing like Contra. If you're not going to throw in elaborate platforming or a really bad racing minigame, you need to make your game have a more than functional combo system with a steep difficulty. Devil May Cry 3 is the hardest 3D game to date.
It's almost expected that the best games of our time should piss us off at least once. Luckily after every chapter of awesome action you get a badass cut scene that usually revolves around Dante going "wooo!" and killing 80 demons while falling off a building. In fact, EVERY CHAPTER ends with Dante falling off a building and I am not lying. Controls are spot on and pacing is handled well. The game ends when it should and the drive to play is always there...unless you're a baby.
Best Adventure:
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
runner up: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
::: What makes an adventure game? Well I believe in an adventure game, you should go on a journey...a quest of sorts. You should find yourself traveling around, sometimes back and forth, for the thrill of saying, "I have gone on an escapade of elaborate proportions." Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is an adventure game. I am constantly amazed at how much fun I have with these games. You enter a castle as a weakling with merely the power to control and rule over all that encompasses the vast depths of hell. From there you eventually rise to become a man...that still blushes when someone accuses you of having a girlfriend.
NONE OF THAT IS RELEVANT! The point is that Castlevania: DS is a fantastic adventure game despite being a formula more recycled than Grand Theft Auto...Ok maybe not THAT much, but it's still VERY similar to the last 4 two dimensional castlevania games. The touch screen elements of the DS don't really shine here but honestly how much fucking touching do you people need to do! It's nice to have a game that does it's thing without trying everything. Constantly having a map on the top screen? A GODSEND! It's such a simple feature but oh so important if you know what it's like to navigate a castle...or if you don't. I'll just say one more thing. Being able to draw on the final boss as he sits there dying and then snap your finger into an immediate "Cut-it-out" is the DS equivalent of the bitch slap.
Oh yeah! Zelda! It came out at the beginning of the year so everyone probably forgot about it. Link shrunk when he put a hat on, the story was alright, the final boss was surprisingly elaborate, and you collected these little trinkets that unlocked areas where you could collect fewer trinkets until there were no more trinkets left to collect. THE END
Best Action/Adventure:
Resident Evil 4
runner up: God of War
::: By now, you're probably wondering what the hell I'm thinking with these categories. Genres continue to expand and I find it very hard to differentiate action, adventure, and platforming games. So basically I am putting games in the categories that they stand out the most. In this case, Resident Evil 4 has very little platforming to speak of. Therefore, it does not count. On the other hand, a game like Prince of Persia is most recognized for its platforming elements. Because of this, it does not count for this category. Ok I think you get the gist of it.
God, how many times do I have to talk about this game? Have I talked about it yet? Let's just do a quick rundown of why it's better than everything else ever. Graphics are amazing. Sound is amazing. Level design is so well done that the only backtracking you really need to do is done during a different time of day and with different enemies. The game never feels tedious. The challenge is just about perfect as it's not too hard, not all that easy, and continue points are very generous. Shenmue style QTE events that make you jump for your controller during cut scenes make the game that much more enjoyable to play. Weapon selection as well as the core gameplay element (aiming) is great. Hell, there's even a gun called the Killer 7 that RAPES the final boss. BUT, despite all of this. RE4 manages to do the impossible. It makes escort missions fun! "Oh no, more spanish aliens...get in the dumpster bitch!"
It's a shame that God of War had to come out soon after Resident Evil 4. It had so much promise. The combo system was decent and I personally loved the context sensitive death combos. It has one of the greatest boss battles of all time. Hell, the bosses are the most impressive part of the game (except the last one). The production values were very high and you almost forgot this game was made by the same people that made the lowsy Twisted Metal games. Much M-rated content and the TRUE contender for an Ao rating, everything had to die...nakedly. Fun, but a little short, it just couldn't top RE4 perfection.
Best Platformer:
Sonic Rush
runner up: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
::: No, I'm not batshit insane. Sonic runs and jumps...THAT'S IT! You don't get more by-the-book platforming than that. The main reason why Sonic Rush deserves such acclaim is because it's a good Sonic game. A GOOD Sonic game. Ok now I definately enjoyed the running levels in the first 2 adventures, but not the other stuff. I hated Sonic Heroes for the most part and I heard Shadow the Hedgehog was the cause of over 11 hedgehog/gun/motorcycle related homicides. Sonic Rush on the other hand plays like a lot like the GBA sonics that took after the classic Genesis games. Only now the level design is better and there's a swank bonus stage that feels a lot like the one in Sonic 2. Any Sonic fan can appreciate certain elements in Sonic Rush such as actually moving quickly in water, an almost constant speed, the crazy boost that gets you up hills without stopping at the peak, and of course the complete and utter lack of Tails. Ok so he talks to you in the menu but that's where he stays!
Another Prince game already? Yes Ubisoft loves to churn out their sequels, but at least they touched upon the GOOD elements of the Prince of Persia this time. Platforming is more fun with the new ways in which Prince avoids touching the ground. Combat was improved in Warrior Within, but it was made better in a style reminiscent of God of War. Speed kills require you to press the attack button when the dagger glows. I just cannot forget that horrible level in the Sands of Time where you're in the cafeteria and you have to mindlessly kill tons of sandmen. This time you can almost completely avoid REAL combat entirely...if you're good enough. The Two Thrones is easily the best Prince yet in every respect.
Best Racer:
Mario Kart DS
Im sure if I bought Burnout Revenge, I would have loved it for a couple weeks
::: At one point in my life, I considered racing games to be my favorite type of game. Of course that was back when I always played Cruis'n World at the arcade. I'm really not a fan of racing sims so I'm not going to say how awesome any of those were last year. Burnout 3 was fantastic, but like any kind of racing game, things get repetitive and I opted NOT to purchase Burnout Revenge. I guess you can crush traffic now.
Mario Kart is really the only racing game that never gets old. That is, if you're playing multiplayer. Mario Kart: DS introduces the handheld to online gaming with moderate success. No real communicate and very little choice over who you can play with sets it back, but if you have some intelligent friends with a DS, who cares? Most can agree that this is the best Mario Kart yet. While you still cannot top 8 player Double Dash (over LAN on 2 TV's), it's close. Most of the new tracks are great like Waluigi Pinball and an airship from Mario 3 fame. New items like the bullet bill and the return of the tri-rotating shells show that Nintendo really wanted to take everything that was good from all the other games and put it into one. Not only do we get the jump back, but 16 old tracks too! Ok we don't really need most of those, but 32 total tracks is DAMN nice. The racing AND the battle mode are both fun this time and it's just a solid package overall. Ok maybe not the PACKAGE itself. Who came up with that thing?
Best Fighter:
Soul Calibur 3
runner up: Dead or Alive 4
::: This category is always easy because there are so few attempts at fighting games nowadays that it usually comes down to a couple crappy compilations by capcom, a poor 3d revival of a 2d classic, and 1 or 2 truely decent ones. Soul Calibur 3 comes out on top with the most refined formula in the Soul series. While it's not a huge leap over 2 in the gameplay department, it's a nice upgrade. Ignoring all the extra stuff like character creation and a relatively poor realtime strategy mode, the core gameplay is at its best in 3. Guard impacting is as hard as it was back in the original Soul Calibur, but after a while, I couldn't tell the difference. Maybe people need to attack lower hmm? The graphics are an improvement but it's a shame that we couldn't see this on the cube or xbox with NO framerate issues or occasional slowdown. Luckily these mishaps aren't too frequent that it ruins the game. Though if you're playing alone, one thing that may ruin the game for you is the computer AI. It LOVES to counter. In fact, that's just about all it does in the later stages of story mode. Luckily I'm done with story mode so I can just focus on playing against HUMAN players. Whether or not they are counter whores as well depends on the person...
Itagaki (sp?) thinks Soul Calibur sucks because his Dead or Alive series is oh so perfect. Sorry man, but DOA doesn't quite cut it. However, the upgrade to DOA4 is definately more impressive than SC3's update. Most people would say that warrants top honors. Fraid not since the game still isn't as good. I didn't play a whole lot of DOA4, but I played enough to know that there is much improvement here. Counters seem harder and do less massive damage than they used to. Environments are more interesting that before with stuff like fences and elephants and...dinosaurs? Did I mention the game is pretty? At first it doesn't seem like a big improvement, but that's only because the fighters still look a tad bit fake and sometimes even...wooden. I'm looking at you Jan Lee! The textures and environments are the most noticable standout elements. Ok let's move on...
Best Multiplayer Ko-op:
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
runner up: X-men Legends II
::: Everyone loved the 2d mortal kombat games back when they were 10 and stupid. The gimmicky fighting with copious amounts of blood made it worth playing. Unfortunately for Midway, videogames evolved and started to require GOOD gameplay. Notable substitutes were a popular license or an urban attitude. I didn't really like the last two "Kombat Revivals" very much. They felt a lot like Tekken, only incredibly bloody. I played around with Deadly Alliance for a while, but I'll never go back.
Enter the Shaolin Monks. It takes notable moves from Liu Kang and Kung Lao's repitoire and makes this sort of beat-em-up style game that hasn't been done well in years. While everyone knows the best game in this department is Streets of Rage 2, it was nice to play something a little deeper in the same vein. MK:SM has you leveling up your characters as the game progresses and even gives you a nice bonus if you do a fatality. Most of these are really lame, some are funny, but in the end you just want to do the quickest one for the most exp. The story is stupid and the voice acting is bad: *man gets burnt to death and thrown at our heroes* "Are you alright?" says Liu Kang calmly...The KOMbat is fun and you can even links moves and combos with your buddy for some impressive deaths. Unfortunately, the developers of Backyard Wrestling can't program for crap and you'll never beat the game because you'll get stuck inside a rock and SAVE. It was fun while it lasted...
X-men Legends II is a lot like the first game. The main difference is that you don't get that annoying story about that chick, Blaze or something. You can also play as members of the brotherhood on top of X-men and other questionable additions. The camera was thankfully improved and I found myself...finding myself on screen much more often than before. If anything, the only downside here is the interface for leveling up. It just seems more confusing and actually slower than before. That's really nitpicking though. The game is great with 4 people, but I couldn't say how fun it would be playing with yourself...
Best Multiplayer VS:
Ehhh...
runner up: hmm
::: I don't know...Saying that a fighting game is the best multiplayer game of the year is sort of a cop-out. I mean, it was fun playing Metal Slug 4 and 5 with someone else, but those games initially came out YEARS ago! Meteos spawned some awesome multiplayer action and it was always fun to secretly dump all my blocks onto one person and blame someone else...I ONLY DID IT ONCE! Mario Kart DS is great multiplayer, but I never tried an 8 player human race and 8 player Double Dash on TELEVISIONS has got to beat that out. Soul Calibur 3 is, of course, fantastic, but it doesn't add much in the way of "multiple players." I guess if I have to pick one game the sucked everyone in my group together, it has to be Animal Crossing: Wild World. It completely destroyed gaming night with it's simple trading and tree shaking. Digging holes can get you in trouble and stealing leaves is not allowed.
I guess if I have to pick a runner up, the key to great multiplayer gaming is a toss-up between slurpees and Joel's TV.
Best RPG:
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
it could have been the best, but Dragon Quest VIII's level grinding and long/boring battles turned me off
::: BARREL! Why your characters love to tell you when they see a barrel is beyond me. Atelier Iris doesn't necessarily have the greatest storyline in the world, but it manages to be a fun RPG regardless. The most notable aspect of the game is the way you create magical items through alchemy instead of just attacking with magic. The main character Klein can collect different elements from almost anywhere you go. From these elements, you create items. One perk about this is you never really have to use healing items with your main guy because if you need some health, you just whack a whole bunch of flowers. You can also give presents to your "Mana" (the spirits you beseech to create mana items). Pro tip: the big rhino rock loves big logs. Trust me, this is useful information.
Atelier Iris also has one of the most interesting "minigames" for an RPG. You can create a ton of useless items by combining ingredients you find and buy all over the world. While this rarely benefits you, it makes for some funny dialogue and well...it's just fun! I kept hoping the chick at the magic shop would try to mack on Klein, but it never happened. She did however, make some hillarious bread. Oh yeah, I should probably mention that Atelier Iris totally copied Breath of Fire's camp. I mean the sprites for the books almost look the same...
As the advertisements say, Dragon Quest is a huge hit in Japan. I can't deny the great game that it is. I CAN say that it is entirely boring and frustrating at times. I'm not a huge fan of random battles in general, but they can be quite irritating here. The story seems like it would really pick up at some point, but when an important cinematic about this "ghost ocean" comes up and your freaking fire alarm goes off, the mood king of dies off. The customization is really nice. The graphics are impressive and the music is...oh my god, the store music from Atelier Iris just came up on my winamp. That's just...I mean what are the odds, huh? But yeah, Dragon Quest is really good if you love leveling like crazy and hate fast battles.
Best Strategy/Tactics:
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
runner up: Advance Wars: Dual Strike
::: Everyone knows that strategy/tactic games are much different than your standard RPG's. There's no overworld and battles always involve an element of strategy in where you're going to place your men. The turn-based attack system and item equipping are there, but that doesn't define the genre. Well it sort of does BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT! The point is that a game like Fire Emblem is very different than Final Fantasy. For one thing, the graphics are pretty unimpressive. The artwork and CG cut scenes are amazing, but the character models and environments are quite plain. Luckily the gameplay is great. The thing that really sets the Fire Emblem series apart from the rest is the fact that if a guy dies, he's dead. You also recruit new allies on the battlefield, oftentimes convincing someone from the other side to join you on the spot. Choosing which weapon to use is also important because each one has only a certain number of uses. Recruiting and strengthening your army really makes Fire Emblem fun to play despite the frustration of seeing someone die after an hour of carefull maneuvering. Of course when this happens, you have to reset.
Advance Wars for the DS is very similar to Fire Emblem, but definately not the same game. It IS however, made by the exact same developer, Intelligent Systems. You move your units and station them in the same manner. The battle system also uses a similar attack/counter method where you can actually defeat an enemy without even attacking them. The big difference in Advance Wars is how you build up your armies and utilize a very diverse array of vehicles. Dual Strike adds the ability to swap CO's to give your men different benefits depending on the situation. This also means that if both CO's get their power meter up, you can completely turn the tide of battle. I found myself raping the AI at some points, only to have them regain half their units and weaken every single one of mine. Battles are kept fresh with a different objective every time. It's also nice to choose if you want to go in with 2 massive tanks or KEKEKEKE ZURG RUSH foot soldier attack. Then again, Advance Wars will never allow you to win without a good strategy. I guess that makes it a good strategy game then?
Best Puzzle:
Meteos
runner up: Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
::: Let me just say that I did not play Lumines in 2005. Im sure if I did, it would be the runner up. I WATCHED someone play it and it looked fun and shiny. Puzzle games don't come out very often nowadays. Luckily developers realize how well the genre works on handhelds and we were able to get Meteos this year. Something you don't really see in puzzle games that lends originality to the game is the different planets to choose from. It's almost like Puzzle Fighter in that each character changes your strategy. The only difference is that Meteos doesn't SUCK. Did I mention Meteos uses the stylus to get the job done? Instead of trying to destroy blocks, you're trying to shoot them up into the atmosphere. Matching up lines of the same kind of meteo results in a BOOST that acts differently depending on the level gravity, number of blocks alligned, and how many consecutive chains were lined up before it. With tons of stuff to unlock (extra planets and music) and numerous gameplay modes, it's important to bring this game with your DS as often as possible. Although the DS lineup this year was so strong, I didn't find myself playing Meteos as much as I would have liked :(
Dr. Mario is decent, but Puzzle League is my all time favorite puzzle game. There have been so many iterations of the game, but I was most fond of Tetris Attack for Super Nintendo with all the Yoshi characters. Unfortunately you do not get these little guys in Puzzle League, but the core gameplay is still there. Line up 3 or more same-colored blocks and throw the junk at your opponent. The interesting thing about creating combos in this game is you have a split second between lines that allows you to move a block or 3 into position right before the drop, allowing for a combo that wasn't really possible. One way to do things is just destroy everything in sight with simple lines, but that means certain death if you're playing against someone. It's a shame that this wasn't a DS release because I'd love to do some wireless multiplayer action. Oh yeah, Dr. Mario is pretty good too...
Most Unique:
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
runner up: Trauma Center: Under the Knife
::: This game was so damn fun for like 3 days...Luckily that's all it takes for this award. Beating the shit out of bongo drums is fun when a monkey responds respectively on screen. Something most people wouldn't take the time to figure out is that DK:JB has a very intricate combo system. You can get through most levels without touching the ground, but it's insanely difficult. Doing backflips, swinging from vines, walls jumps, and floating around on some kind of bubble or animal racks up a mutliplier and the bananas you collecting while in this combo also rack up much faster. It just sucks when you're hit and you lose every single point you collected up to that point. Again, the game is really fun for a while, but it ends pretty quickly. The game really isn't hard at all so the draw is just racking up crazy points. With so much of the same being released nowadays, it's nice to play something that feels like you have to be at arcade to experience.
It seemed only necessary that a DS game get mentioned here. The first DS game announced that DIDN'T seem like a gimic, Trauma Center plays entirely with the touch screen. You perform perfectly acceptable modern day surgery. And then, not so acceptable surgery with crazy parasitic viruses and THE TOUCH! Fortunately in Trauma Center, the "touch" doesn't make your patient explode. It just slows down time. Do I really have to explain how this all works? You're doing surgery on your DS. Using a real scalpel will only damage the screen.
Biggest Dissapointment:
Lunar: Dragon Song
7/10 crap: Star Fox Assault
::: I was so set on saying how horribly dissapointed I was with the new Star Fox game (being a huge fan of Star Fox 64) but then Lunar: DS had to come out. Usually when a company finds a winning formula for a game, they keep all the good stuff in tact and try to improve the graphics or something. Oddly enough, GameArts decided to do the opposite and vomit hot acid into the eyes and hearts of gamers everywhere. Original Formula: Decent story with enjoyable, strategic battle system, and good pacing. New Formula: Don't even think of chosing who to attack, no strategy, lame overworld interaction, leveling up makes no sense, GUM heals you, and oh yeah, you lose HP for running. Now, I'd say an RPG is supposed to be epic tale with incredibly strong characters that go on perilous journeys. HOW CAN YOU TRAVEL THE WORLD IF YOU'RE ALMOST DEAD AFTER REACHING YOUR MAILBOX?! For all I know, the story gets better eventually, but it's certainly not worth the effort. I bought this game and will be keeping it, but I have no intention of playing it ever again.
Yeah so Star Fox Assault...why? Why did you give it to Namco? Yeah I understand they made Ace Combat, but why did they have to take Fox out of the Arwing? There are 3 really good levels in this game. The rest range from alright to annoying. If you take out the "Star Fox" in this game, I'd say it's a very average 3rd person shooter with vehicles. I would have NO interest in this game. I think maybe level 1 is a little more fun than the worst level in Star Fox 64. I could complain about the voice acting and the story, but these things don't apply to Nintendo games. If I had to close with only one comment, it would be that Mickey Rooney does the voice of Peppy and yes I AM lying.
And now for the game of the year!?
!. Resident Evil 4
::: Woo boy, big surprise here! I wrote this article over a period of over 2 weeks so I don't even remember what I've already said. If you think I'm going to reread something, you can think again buster! I never had any interest in the Resident Evil series. Just as I have no interest in watching horror movies, I have no interest in a game that tries to scare me. I will admit that I enjoyed Eternal Darkness to some extent, but I HATE being surprised. Cheap scares are not my fortay.
Another reason why I never thought I'd buy RE4 is that I'm not a fan of first person or even third person shooters. Yes I do like some, but I don't play too many. Since you can't actually move while aiming in RE4, you can just concentrate on hitting your target and not strafing around. Sure, strafing can be fun, but aiming at the same time is just more frustration than I need. Maybe that's why I never complained about the control scheme in Metroid Prime? This is just how I feel and it doesn't really mean I loathe the standard FPS control mechanic.
Any game that reminds me of Shenmue and is still fun surely has to win some kind of award. Why, just yesterday I was racing a forklift at the dock and I thought to myself, "man, this is just like that Shenmue game, only all the sailors here are incredibly racist." Whether or not that actually happened is insignificant. Context sensitivity seems to be getting bigger all the time and Resident Evil 4's instant "pick up your controller stupid" events are just another thing that make the game so tense and fun. Dodging boulders, hopping mine carts, evading a giant statue, and a full fledged knife fight that tests your reflexes is my kind of game!
RE4 manages to exceed the standards of gameplay and graphics (this generation), making it the greatest game ever made. Sure, it's not MY favorite game of all time, but saying a game is better than Resident Evil 4 makes you BATSHIT INSANE. It may not be a pioneer of a new genre or have a fantastic story, but from a technical and design standpoint, it's right on top.
What, you want system specifics? Maaan...
At this point it would just be redundant. PS2 probably had the best year out of the main 3. I was really satisfied with the tweaks to Soul Calibur 3's gameplay, but dissapointed in their solo mode efforts and the fact that Abyss (boss) is playable. No naked Taki was also sorely missed from the color edit mode. Devil May Cry 3 is the hardest 3D game ever made and knowing I was able to beat it makes me feel special. I don't know why some reviews said playing on easy was recommended as the only real challenge came from the boss battles. If you like action games, you should know that mastering the combo system and boss patterns is necessary. Mindlessly hammering buttons and expecting to win is really sad and you should just stick to puppy simulators. God of War was really damn fun for 8 hours, then came the rotating spiked collumns, then it was fun again for another half hour. The Greek presentation was really something and the game never really seemed to get repetitive.
Let's see. Xbox. Well I didn't buy a single Xbox exclusive title this year. It's no surprise since they're all about sports and first person shooters. Xbox is the system you buy to get the prettiest version of a game you could get somewhere else. It's like a non-essential commodity for those of us with high definition televisions. Then again, Microsoft allows SNK to make games for their system so it's the only place to get the latest King of Fighters. Though this is probably temporary now that the PS2 is pretty much dead and the budget titles will start rolling in.
Gamecube had slim pickings this year. Despite this fact, I still bought 7 cube games in 2005. FIVE of these are mentioned here in my list. The only ones I didn't mention were Sonic Gems collection and Chaos Field. Sonic CD is overrated and NOT as good as Sonic 2. Other than that, who cares? Since PS2 snagged an inferior version of RE4 from GC exclusitivity, I guess Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance has to be the best cube game this year.
The Nintendo DS had a great year that really made up for the lackluster launch. Aside from what I've already said, Nintendogs was also really something. It was fun for a couple weeks, but after that it's about as boring as having a real dog, but the redeeming factors of real pets don't really apply to a game about them. For example: sitting your DS dog on your lap while watching TV doesn't really provide any therapuetic benefits. Putting your DS at the foot of the bed doesn't do much for me either. I would advise against placing your DS on the floor near your front door to protect your family as it will probably just get stepped on and possibly turned off. Best DS game this year? I can't decide. Let's just say Mario Kart DS, Meteos, Phoenix Wright, Advance Wars, and Castlevania were all awesome. I was only dissapointed with 1 DS game this year...
2005 wasn't the greatest year for games, but it had some great stuff at the beginning of the year and the rest of the year provided ample portable gameplay (if you own a DS). This year we will see fantastic games like Zelda: Twilight Princess and Phantasy Star Universe, and the two REAL next-gen systems. Viva 2006!
To wrap things up, here is the list of all the games I purchased this year:
Game Boy Advance:
-Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
-Gunstar Super Heroes
-Mega Man Zero 4
-Sigma Star Saga
-The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Gamecube:
-Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
-Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
-Killer 7
-Resident Evil 4
-Sonic Gems Collection
-Star Fox Assault
-Chaos Field
Nintendo DS:
-Animal Crossing: Wild World
-Advance Wars: Dual Strike
-Bomberman DS
-Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
-Jump Superstars
-Kirby Canvas Curse
-Lunar: Dragon Song
-Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
-Mario Kart DS
-Meteos
-Nanostray
-Nintendogs
-Sonic Rush
-Trauma Center: Under the Knife
-Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble
-Wario Ware Touched!
-Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Playstation 2:
-Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
-Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
-Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
-God of War
-Magna Carta: Tears of Blood
-Shadow of the Colossus
-Soul Calibur III
-Stella Deus
-We Love Katamari
-Ys: The Ark of Napishtim
Xbox:
-Capcom Classics Collection
-Metal Slug 4 & 5
-Midway Arcade Treasures 3
-Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
-Taito Legends
::: Nick Savino :::
