The Latest and Greatest Console Games

[Cylor]

I just got my EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly for those not aquainted) in the mail this afternoon and man, it's a great time to be a gamer. This being the Holiday Issue, they reviewed about every game I've been anticipating for the past year (and even beyond that). So, knowing most of you have been waiting too, I thought I'd share with you what some of the games got:


Multi-Platform

Need for Speed Underground 2 - 8.0/9.0/8.0 (Silver Award)

Good: Huge Game, equally huge car customization options
Bad: Desperately hip faux street lingo, long load times
Hard to Unlock, but It's in There: Nissan Skyline

Viewtiful Joe 2 - 8.0/8.0/8.5 (Silver Award)

Good: It's more Joe!
Bad: Hasn't changed much over the last game
Hottest Fashion Accessory: Silvia's pompoms

Lord of the Rings: The Third Age - 7.0/7.0/5.0

Good: Lovely graphics, decent fighting system
Bad: No story...literally
Try To Avoid: The choppy, slower-loading PS2 version


PS2

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - 9.0/9.5/10 (Gold Award)

Good: Gripping Story, breathtaking graphics, tight controls
Bad: Camera problems, some wonky dialogue
Extras: Minigames, downloadable camouflage, and secrets galore

Jak 3 - 8.0/8.0/8.5 (Silver Award)

Good: Challenging yet not insane difficulty
Bad: Needs more platforming levels
Now Playable: Daxter

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - 10/10/10 (Platinum Award)

Good: Gigantic world, limitless play variety, "Freebird"
Bad: A little janky at times
Going out with a gang: San Andreas is the last GTA until PS3

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - 9.0/9.0/10 (Gold Award)

Good: Strong mix of platforming and combat
Bad: Single-player game might be too short for some
Taste of Yesteryear: Captain Qwark's 2D levels

Killzone - 7.5/8.0/7.0

Good: Fantastic presentation gets you all gung ho for action
Bad: The action's rough and unpolished
Overly Animated: Cocking/reloading guns, throwing grenades...


Xbox

Halo 2 - 10/10/10 (Platinum Award)

Good: Story, controls, and multiplayer we'll be hooked on for months
Bad: A couple single-player levels drag on a bit
Worth It: Five bucks more for the Limited Edition box


Gamecube

Metroid Prime 2 - 9.0/9.0/10 (Gold Award)

Good: Gorgeous graphics, plentiful secrets
Bad: Some overly convoluted level design
Ugly: Dark Samus' creepy third eye

Mario Power Tennis - 9.0/7.5/8.0 (Silver Award)

Good: Great gameplay, solid additions
Bad: Some minigames get tedious
Doubles Trouble: Mario's current gal Peach paired with ex Daisy


GBA

Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls - 9.0/8.5/8.0 (Silver Award)

Good: Cool new dungeons, weapons, and bosses
Bad: FFII's weird experience system
MIA: Final Fantasy III


You're welcome.

[Twerp]

Thank you for the reviews. I'll just come to you when I want to know whether I should get a game or not. ^_^

[Richard Creager]

No it's a horrible time to be a gamer, has been since '98.

Need for Speed Underground 2
No.
Viewtiful Joe 2
Eh.
Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
If I wanted to play Guantlet, I'll go to the arcade.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid has always sucked.
Metal Gear has always sucked.
Jak 3
3D platformers ended with Mario 64.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
GTA ended with GTA2.
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
See above.
Killzone
Never heard of it, I vote No.
Halo 2
Console FPS's ended with Goldeneye.
Metroid Prime 2
Metroid began and ended with Super Metroid.
Mario Power Tennis
To hell with tennis, the volleyball minigame in Mario Party 5 is more a game than any tennis game.
Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls
ORIGINAL AND GOOD!
OH WAIT!

[Troll King]

Creager's the Grumpy Old Man of gaming.

[Cylor]

I bet he shouts about how music ended when Kurt Cobain died, too.

[Dameon Angell]

Creager's the Grumpy Old Man of gaming.

[Richard Creager]

Especially because nirvana fucking sucks?
Idiot.

[Troll King]

Lennon maybe?

[Cylor]

I'd rank Lennon up there with ol' Black Francis, wouldn't you Creags?

[Saturn V]

My wife is playing DKC this very moment. It's still a great game.

[Richard Creager]

I'd rank Lennon up there with ol' Black Francis, wouldn't you Creags?

I only listen to the beatles on the radio.
So no.
[Edit: Radio in the car.]

[Nockm]

I don't really like any of those games in that list. However, I'll be getting GTA: SA anyway since it's gotta be a good laugh. Games indeed do suck more since back then but if you can't find any enjoyment out of today's offerings then you're missing out.


Stuff I'll be getting for my PS2 this Xmas:
Gradius V
Burnout 3
GTA: SA

Anyone else with PS2 suggestions? (no FPS/RPGs)

[Richard Creager]

The only good recent games are on handheld, and even then they're far and few between.
And of course I'm grumpy after seeing what cames can be, and then seeing nothing churned out but shit due to trend demands of dumbasses. You all play this game longer and more often than any other game. When was it made? The mid/late 90's, things that make you go "HMM..."
Oh but hell, whats the point in making a good involving and replayable game when it will only take up your time from buying a sequel of it, which struts a proverbial boob job in graphics and a useless(most of the time hindering) bell/whistle added to the gameplay. And then there's the clones of the exact same game made by other developers to try to capitalize on what was marginally a decent thing. God forbid they try to put any sort of interesting spin on it. If it's broke, don't fix it, not worth the time and effort if it's the industry standard.
But I suppose programmers do need the food their developers feed them. Food, not money, all the money goes to the meth popping, self proclaimed "visionary", cornball hollywood failures that are the directors and designers.

[Jerome Scuggs]

yeah, i really don't like new games either. even halo 2 was sort of a let down, because the campaign is basically shoot-shoot-shoot and save any non-shooting action for the cut-scenes.

but it's ok...multiplayer

[Verthanthi]

Molyneux tries, creag.