This Week's Most Popular Games on The Great Games Experiment This Week's Most Popular Games on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg This Week's Most Popular Games on The Great Games Experiment en-us Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Step inside the most richly detailed and vibrant game-world ever created. Oblivion is the latest chapter in the epic and highly successful Elder Scrolls saga and utilizes the latest PC and next-generation video game hardware to fully immerse you into the experience.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 06:28:05 Wii Sports Tell us about your game here
]]> 30 Nov 2006 07:58:26 Starcraft An excellent RTS. Control one of three races to battle and destroy the opponents. The three races have different properties and abilities, but the balance in gameplay is superb.

Made by Blizzard, creators of Warcraft.
]]> 07 Dec 2006 01:22:55 Quake 3: Arena Welcome to the Arena, where high-ranking warriors are transformed into spineless mush. Abandoning every ounce of common sense and any trace of doubt, you lunge onto a stage of harrowing landscapes and veiled abysses. Your new environment rejects you with lava pits and atmospheric hazards as legions of foes surround you, testing the gut reaction that brought you here in the first place. Your new mantra: Fight or be finished.

Quake 3 is a multiplayer arena-style first-person shooter. Quake 3 follows in the footsteps of Doom and Quake in providing a frantic and exciting deathmatch experience.
]]> 14 Dec 2006 02:36:57 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic It is Four Thousand years before the Galactic Empire and hundreds of Jedi Knights have fallen in battle against the ruthless Sith. As the last hope of the Jedi, you must lead a band of freedom fighters in an epic struggle to save the galaxy. Can you master the awesome power of the Force on your quest to save the Republic? Or will you fall to the lure of the dark side?
Hero or villain, savior or conqueror...you must choose wisely as you alone will determine the destiny of the entire galaxy!
]]> 25 Nov 2006 04:18:12 Final Fantasy VII A giant energy manufacturing company known as Shinra Inc. is harvesting the sheer life energy of the Planet as a simple fossil fuel. Processed and made into products known as Mako and Materia, these materials can work miracles, granting the wisdom of the Ancients to the user. However, this substance, like all other fuels, is finite in supply, and the Planet's lifeforce is being malevolently drained by the constant explotation of Mako by Shinra. Though aware of the harmful effects, they function without remorse.

However, the real battle lies not with a corporation, but a force much more competent from the distant past. A long-thought dead warrior bent on becoming more and more powerful, coupled with the Planet's drained energy, threatens the very existence of everything sacred.

Now a small rebel group eminating from the slums must quell the various dangers toward the innocent, and one mercenary for hire must look amidst the lies and deception and find the man he is within.
]]> 30 Nov 2006 03:34:46 Doom The mother of all FPSes...

Doom. Run around, blast demons, get weapons. Uncompromisingly intense, with no shortage of challenge, Doom ushered in a new era - the age of the FPS.
]]> 26 Nov 2006 06:16:16 Planescape: Torment Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game developed for Microsoft Windows by Black Isle Studios. Released on December 12, 1999, the game takes place in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Planescape campaign setting. Unlike other computer role-playing games, such as Baldur's Gate, Torment places emphasis on conversation and storyline instead of combat.

The game begins in Sigil, where the protagonist, an enigmatic and heavily scarred immortal dubbed The Nameless One by the game's interface, wakes up in a mortuary with no memory of his identity and past experiences. Assuming the role of The Nameless One, players embark on a quest to solve the mysteries surrounding him.

Torment received almost universal critical praise, and has since become a cult classic. The game was added to Gamespy's "Hall of Fame" in August 2004, and to Gamespot's "Greatest Games of All Time" list in October 2005.

(from the Wikipedia page on Planescape: Torment)
]]> 04 Dec 2006 09:51:58 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Vice City is a loose prequel to the preceding game in the series, GTA III, which took place in the present day at the time of its 2001 release. The game is set in fictional Vice City, which is based on Miami, Florida. The game's look, particularly the clothing and vehicles, reflect (and sometimes gently parody) its 1986 setting (with the packaging and artwork in particular owing a great debt to 1980s artist Patrick Nagel). In contrast to the gritty urbanism of Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City, Vice City appears (mostly) clean and upscale, with golden beaches, waving palm trees, and vivid purple sunsets.

The player takes the role of Tommy Vercetti, who has recently been released from prison in Liberty City. While attempting to re-establish himself within the Forelli Mafia family, boss Sonny Forelli sends Tommy to Vice City to supervise an important drug deal. At the exchange, masked gunmen kill three of the people involved in the trade (two Forelli henchmen and Victor Vance, Lance Vance's brother), stealing both the drugs and the money Tommy was charged with protecting. Vercetti narrowly escapes and informs Sonny, who demands that Tommy get back both the "product" and the money. Both Sonny and Tommy wish to kill those responsible for the theft.

Much of the action in Vice City concerns Vercetti's burgeoning criminal empire, spanning drug trafficking, contract killings, counterfeiting, and protection. The player progresses through the game narrative by performing a series of missions, most of which involve criminal activities. This takes Vercetti from being a small-time hood staying in a beachfront hotel to being the city's crime kingpin, but Sonny is looming over Tommy until he finally comes down to get his stuff personally. And in a shootout similar to that of the ending of the Brian De Palma film Scarface, Tommy Vercetti kills Sonny Forelli and his traitorous partner Lance Vance.
]]> 07 Dec 2006 09:15:20 Half-Life Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title blends action and adventure with award-winning technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players must think to survive. Also includes an exciting multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and enemies around the world.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 04:10:36 Chrono Trigger The 32-meg Chrono Trigger utilizes time travel, science-fiction, and fantasy adventure to create one of the best role-playing games ever. The game's hero, Crono, is transported into the past and ends up altering the course of history, and with it the future as well.

The integral time travel element of the game enables players to alter the game by changing the past, give players multiple endings and excellent repeat game play value. There are mini-quests, a huge cast of characters, realistic time travel, non-linear game play, and more active and interactive battle scenes than Squaresoft's 1994, highly acclaimed, role-playing game Final Fantasy III.
]]> 06 Dec 2006 11:26:30 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, an ignorant young Ordonian farm boy named Link must awaken the hero within. When Link and his companions are attacked by a band of Moblins, Link is sucked into the Twilight Realm where he is transformed into a wolf. Link must scour the land in search of his friends and an answer for the ill-fated nation. With the aid of his trusty sword and shield, and a mysterious creature named Midna, only Link has the courage to save Hyrule from the twilight.
]]> 29 Nov 2006 10:30:09 Bioforge
Take the starring role in Origin's latest Interactive Movie"

Centuries in the future, a madman's interstellar plot is set in motion, and only you have the skills, the position and the armament to stop it. You are the Mondites' first success in creating the perfect warrior.

Stripped of memory and enhanced with both human and alien technology, you are a primary element of their master plan - unless you can rediscover who you are, uncover your enemies' plans and make your break for freedom. But you'd better be quick - time and opportunity are running out.

Game features:

  • Variable identity outcomes - your choices throughout the game determine your former identity from a list of experimental subjects.

  • Lifelike, fluid animation with 24 powerful combat maneuvers.

  • Interactive backgrounds - from ground-to-air weapons, to monitors and projectile-reflective surfaces.

  • 8-channel digital sound effects, cued by distance and camera location.

  • 3-D, texture-mapped synthetic actors whose images actually show the injuries suffered in combat.

  • Multiple camera angles and beautifully rendered alien environments.

  • 22 voice actors!

  • Believed to have the first single-skin, fully texture mapped, skeleton-based characters ever seen in gaming.

Origin Systems (An Electronic Arts Company) developed and published this single player adventure. It was released in the U.S. in April 1995. At the time the following system requirements were high end!

Requirements
MS-DOS: Intel486/50+ or 100% compatible PC system. Required: MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, 8MB RAM, 5MB Hard drive space (29MB recommended), 2x CD-ROM drive, MSCDEX version 2.2 or higher, Microsoft mouse , keyboard.
Graphics: 256-color VGA.
MUSIC: Ad Lib, Sound Blaster/SB Pro/SB 16/SB AWE, Wave Blaster, General Midi MPU-401 interface, or 100% compatible sound board.
DIGITIZED SPEECH and SOUND EFFECTS: Sound Blaster/SB Pro/SB 16/SB AWE or 100% compatible sound board.


Trivia: Spoiler warning! In spite of a highly detailed story that obviously was painstakingly crafted, the game ending is rather notorious for falling a bit short. The developers endeavored at one point to rewrite the ending, which then blossomed into a possible sequel, but at length the whole initiative was dropped.
]]> 14 Dec 2006 10:44:27 Need for Speed Carbon Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of adrenaline-filled street racing as players face the ultimate test of driving skill on treacherous canyon roads. What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon immerses you into the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of customization giving you the power to design and tweak your crew's cars in every way using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology. Represent your car class, your crew, and your turf in Need for Speed Carbon, the next revolution in racing games.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 09:41:25 Pac-man Control a yellow circle, eating dots in a maze while evading the four ghosts. When you eat a power pellet, you can eat the ghosts for a limited time. Clear out all of the pills in a maze to get to the next level.

Eat the fruit for bonus points, and use the transporters on either side of the maze to lose any ghosts on your tail.
]]> 19 Mar 2007 01:52:22 Gauntlet Gauntlet, the original arcade smash hit, is a fighting game where you choose a character and let rip into the hordes of enemies that assault you on you way to the end of the level. One or two players must make their way through 100 levels of mayhem and magic.

It featured a choice of four characters to play with, each with different weapons. Thor the Warrior, has a bludgeoning battle axe, Thyra the Valkyrie, has a close range sword, Questor the Elf has his long range bow, and Merlin the Wizard has magical bolts.

Ghosts, goblins and even the life draining Death are your enemies. Enemies stream out of generators, so destroy these before tackling the rest.

Keys are needed to open the many doors within the levels, and in some situations a door will contain only bonus items, not a progressive route. Scattered magic potions act like smart bombs and clear the screen of all enemies. Beware of poison though, this reduces your energy level. Treasure is abundant throughout the levels and adds to your score.
]]> 30 Jun 2007 11:43:12 Half-Life 2 The sequel to Half-Life, one of the most popular action games ever made, will feature the return of former Black Mesa research associate Gordon Freeman. In Half-Life 2, Freeman can expect to encounter several characters from the previous game, including Barney the security guard and the mysterious G-man, for whom Freeman now works. Freeman will also meet a new female character, Alyx, whose mother was killed during the events of the original game.

During initial installation of Half-Life 2 an internet connection is required to authenticate the game.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 04:15:35 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time After a nightmare involving a certain young princess and the evil thief Ganondorf, series hero Link wakes up in his home village tucked away behind the mysterious Lost Woods. The only Kokiri without a fairy, Link soon meets up with his new traveling companion, the winged Navi, and sets out on the adventure of his life. The quest, which inevitably turns into a rescue mission for Princess Zelda, leads players through dark dungeons, picturesque villages, into the heart of a volcano, to the bottom of a lake, through a haunted desert, deep into a magical forest, into a giant tree, the belly of a beast, and even through time.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 10:02:58 Diablo 2 Since the beginning of time, the forces of Order and Chaos have been engaged in an eternal struggle to decide the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now come to the Mortal Realm...and neither Man, Demon, nor Angel will be left unscathed...

After possessing the body of the hero who defeated him, Diablo resumes his nefarious scheme to shackle humanity into unholy slavery by joining forces with the other Prime Evils, Mephisto and Baal. Only you will be able to determine the outcome of this final encounter...

In Diablo II, return to a world of dark fantasy. As one of five distinct character types, explore the world of Diablo II -- journey across distant lands, fight new villains, discover new treasures, and uncover ancient mysteries, all in the quest to stop the Lord of Terror, once and for all...

Game Features

  • Five all-new character classes with unique attributes and abilities

  • Four different, fully populated towns complete with wilderness areas

  • Multiple dungeons, caverns, and crypts in every town for players to explore

  • Expanded world, filled with all-new quests, weapons, spells, armor, monsters, and non-player characters

  • Advanced combat system, incorporating class-specific fighting techniques and spells

  • Full Multiplayer support, including Internet play over Battle.net®

  • Optional 3Dfx and Direct3D support
    • ]]>     07 Dec 2006 12:38:51     You Don't Know Jack

    You Don't Know Jack: the show where high culture and pop culture collide!


    You Don't Know Jack is a series of quiz show-inspired computer games which combine trivia and comedy. The games are known for their humor and challenge, as well as simple presentation. The games rarely use graphics, relying heavily on voice acting and text.

    The games have recently been revived at the YDKJ official website, where new episodes are released every weekday. These are developed in Flash and are available to play for free within your web browser.

    Category: Quiz

    Release Date: Varied

    Developer: Jellyvision
    ]]>     26 Mar 2007 11:13:20     Unreal Tournament 2k4
    ]]>     20 Sep 2007 10:48:21     BioShock
    The idealistic surroundings and grim reality are constantly at odds.

    Often touted as the "Spiritual successor to System Shock 2", BioShock is a long awaited fps in development by Irrational Games, with lead designer Ken Levine promising to advance the definition of first person shooters.

    As a likely 2007 release grows closer more screenshots and trailers are being released, and one thing that's apparent is a gorgeous environment, seemingly inspired in great part by the art deco period of the last century.

    Game overview and features as reported at the official site
    BioShock is a revolution in the shooter genre that will forever change the expectations for the FPS. Going beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. BioShock is the Shooter 2.0.

    After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn.


    Features:

    • Take control of your world by hacking mechanical devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival.
    • Upgrade your weapons with ionic gels, explosives and toxins to customize them to the enemy and environment.
    • Genetically modify your body through dozens of Plasmid Stations scattered throughout the city, empowering you with fantastic and often grotesque abilities.
    • Explore a living world powered by Ecological A.I., where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience.
    • Experience truly next generation graphics that vividly illustrate the forlorn art deco city, highlighted by the most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game.
    • Make meaningful choices and mature decisions, ultimately culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?

    Developer: Irrational Games
    Publisher: 2K Games
    Released: currently targeted for August 2007 release!

    System Requirements
    To be announced.

    In motion, the water effects are truly amazing. In fact, Irrational has someone on staff whose sole job is to handle water effects - everything from the fountains and ripples to the distortion of the fish beneath the surface.

    ]]>     25 Dec 2006 12:58:07     Deus Ex The year is 2052 and the world is a dangerous and chaotic place. Terrorists operate openly - killing thousands; drugs, disease and pollution kill even more. The world's economies are close to collapse and the gap between the insanely wealthy and the desperately poor grows ever wider. Worst of all, an ages old conspiracy bent on world domination has decided that the time is right to emerge from the shadows and take control. No one believes they exist. No one but you.
    ]]>     22 Nov 2006 09:26:12     Runescape RuneScape is a Java-based MMORPG operated by Jagex Ltd. With over nine million active free accounts and more than one million paid member accounts, RuneScape is rated among the most popular online games in the world.More than five million unique players access their accounts to play RuneScape at least once per month. RuneScape offers both free and subscription content and is designed to be accessible from any location with an Internet connection and to run in an ordinary web browser without straining system resources.

    RuneScape takes place in the fantasy-themed realm of Gielinor, which is divided into several different kingdoms, regions, and areas. Players can travel throughout the gaming world on foot, by using magical teleportation spells or devices, or mechanical means of transportation. Each region offers different types of monsters, materials, and quests to challenge players.

    Players are shown on the screen as customisable avatars. They set their own goals and objectives, deciding which of the available activities to pursue. There is no linear path that must be followed. Players can engage in combat with other players or with monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing combative or cooperative mini-games.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 04:54:57     The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Arguably the finest example of two dimensional gaming goodness, the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the true inspiration behind the masterpieces that are Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. The fine soundtrack is but one of the seminal areas of inspiration;in fact, a majority of the most prominent Zelda themes -such as Zelda's Lullaby and Kakariko Village tunes; even the name entry music-were directly lifted from A link to the past's musical score.

    Between the environmentally based dungeons, two distinct realms, hookshot and punt-able chickens, it's clear to see that the original Legend of Zelda merely provided the canvas and a rough sketch of the series whereas A Link to the Past served as a the charcoal and oil paints.

    Yes A link to the Past is truly a Bob Ross inspired happy little tree in the corner of the masterwork that is the Legend of Zelda series.
    ]]>     28 Nov 2006 11:36:44     Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy III is the third game in the popular Final Fantasy Series. As with the rest of the games, this is an RPG. Four light warriors go and save the world from evil, similar to the story of the original Final Fantasy game. It has a job system where you can give a character a job, and then they gain the unique advantages and disadvantages of that job. It was recently released on the Nintendo DS as an enahnced remake, including new jobs, expading the storyline, 3d graphics, and being released outside of Japan for the very first time.
    ]]>     29 Jan 2007 09:19:47     Sonic Rush Adventure
    ]]>     31 Jul 2007 03:52:08     Creatures
    ]]>     29 Aug 2007 09:41:06     Robotech: Battlecry
    ]]>     17 Sep 2007 07:52:14     Cave Story - Doukutsu Monogatari Cave Story is a freeware sidescrolling action/adventure/platformer title with leanings towards Wonderboy and recent sidescrolling Castlevania titles. You control a little amnesiac who runs around helping out these rabbit-ish creatures called Mimigas while trying to find your way out of the giant cave inside the floating island which makes up the game's setting.

    This is a free game made by one man:

    Pixel said,
    It's been five years since I first thought to myself, "Hey, why not try making a game?" I developed Cave Story at my own pace, taking my time, and while doing so I released a few other smaller games as well.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 01:38:13     Knytt The Knytt was abducted by an alien! Traveling through space, the UFO flies into a meteor and crashes on a nearby planet. Luckily, the Knytt and the alien survive, but the UFO is a wreck. How can the Knytt possibly find it's way back home again?
    ]]>     06 Dec 2006 12:42:22     Flash Element TD This addictive little flash game uses the Warcraft defensive towers to protect your little strip of land from wave after wave of "creeps".

    Place your towers around the track to prevent the creeps from reaching the end. You earn interest based on the amount of gold you have left at the end of each turn, so place your towers sparingly.
    ]]>     30 Jan 2007 12:07:07     Scorched 3D Scorched 3D is a game based on the classic DOS game Scorched Earth. Scorched 3D adds amongst other new features a 3D island environment and LAN and internet play.

    The gameplay remains much like in the original game. Aiming towards a certain opponent is earily done with the A button, and after that the aiming with angle and power is exactly as in Scorched Earth. However, some weapons will react differently when landing due to the three dimensional terrain.
    ]]>     13 Feb 2007 01:38:57     When Orcs Attack!
    ]]>     19 Sep 2007 08:37:54     Metal Storm
    ]]>     17 Sep 2007 07:22:07     The Fancy Pants Adventure Fancy Pants Adventure is a smooth, flowing side scroller. You can do back flips, roll down hills, and run up walls all while wearing your fancy pants. There are three levels that end with a final boss fight.
    ]]>     27 Dec 2006 04:45:57     Blocksum Blocksum is a very new typed action puzzle game. For everyone who can add numbers to 20.
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 07:04:52     Arcade Phoenix
    ]]>     15 Sep 2007 05:23:45     Fallout 2 The sequel to the greatest rpg of all time (I think so anyway) This one packs even more humor and gratuitous violence than ever before.

    You play as an ancestor to the vault dweller after he founded a tiny village. You must go on a quest to find a G.E.C.K or Garden of Eden Creation Kit.
    ]]>     08 Nov 2006 07:52:41     Bow Man Practice your archery skills against a target, and then compete against a computer character or a firend.
    ]]>     15 Dec 2006 03:32:07     Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego There is a popular line of educational software mystery games based on Carmen Sandiego. Each game of the series has a particular theme and subject, where the player must use his or her knowledge to find Carmen or any of her innumerable henchmen. This series was originally produced by Broderbund, but it is now produced by The Learning Company.

    from wikipedia.com
    ]]>     15 Jan 2007 07:29:55     World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
    ]]>     04 Aug 2007 08:46:21     WolfQuest WolfQuest is an immersive 3D action role-playing game. Players join a wolf pack made up of AI-controlled wolves or friends online, and, through trial and error, instinct, and experience, learn to maximize both individual and pack survival. Players find they must balance individual and pack needs in order to increase their collective ability to hunt, defend territory, avoid danger, and protect their young. As they respond to realistic challenges presented by their environment, players will experientially learn about habitat quality, prey populations, and the impact of human presence on the landscape.

    Set in Yellowstone National Park, the game combines exciting third-person gameplay and accurate science about wolf behavior and ecology. This is a learning game, but it's not a "serious game." Instead, it is seriously fun.

    Built using Unity 3D, the Mac OSX-based game development IDE that "Just Works."
    ]]>     23 May 2007 02:58:14     Spank the Monkey Spank the Monkey as fast as you can!
    ]]>     01 Jun 2007 02:52:34     Micro Machines V3
    ]]>     29 Jul 2007 12:39:39     Codename: Gordon
    ]]>     31 Jul 2007 01:29:29     FAR Colony
    ]]>     31 Jul 2007 10:09:25     Engmo 2
    ]]>     17 Sep 2007 06:38:18     fl0w flOw is a Flash game created by Jenova Chen and Nicholas Clark. The game involves the player guiding a tiny, aquatic worm-like microorganism through various depths of the ocean to consume other organisms and to evolve their organism as the player advances.
    ]]>     08 Dec 2006 04:25:56     Pokemon Diamond and Pearl In this 4th generation of the pokemon game series, once again you play as a boy or girl dreaming of becoming a great trainer. You set out into the world of Shinou with the task of catching, training, and possibly breeding strong pokemon. You will need these in order to beat the eight gym leaders in this game, after which you are able to challenge the Elite Four and the current champion to become the new reigning champion.
    But along the way you will get involved in the plot of Team Galaxy, who intends to awaken a legendary pokemon. This legendary pokemon, like in Ruby and Sapphire, depends on the version of the game you own. Namely Dialga for Diamond and Palkia for Pearl.

    Check out the group for Pokemon Fans of the World!
    ]]>     20 Jan 2007 06:10:37