All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'Action' on The Great Games Experiment All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'Action' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'Action' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Shadow of the Colossus Tales speak of an ancient land where creatures the size of mountains, roam the majestic landscape. Bound to the land, these creatures hold a key to a mystical power of revival - a power you must obtain to waken a loved one.

Shadow of the Colossus is a majestic journey through ancient lands to seek out and destroy gigantic mythical beasts. With your trusty horse at your side, explore the spacious lands and unearth each Colossi. Armed with your wits, a sword and a bow, use cunning and strategy to topple each behemoth.
]]> 18 Jan 2007 10:58:36 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Link, after setting sail for new experiences and adventures, finds himself caught in a squall at sea. Helpless in spite of his valiant efforts to last through the storm, he is overwhelmed by vicious waves and lightning...

Some time later, a gentle girl named Marin discovers him washed up on Toronbo Shores.. the beach of Koholint Island. She finds a way to get him home and takes care of him until he finally awakens. Marin and her father, Tarin, explain to him where he is, and after he sets out to reclaim his sword, he encounters a mysterious owl... The owl cryptically warns Link about the perils this island faces should the Wind Fish be disturbed from his slumber, and thus Link decides he must do something to save them.

This owl guides him throughout the rest of his journey, slowly helping him uncover just what exactly is going on. Link learns that, unfortunately, in order to save the islanders he had grown to love, and to set himself free, he must also end a dream, a romance that he might not want to... To save all those people he had come to know and cherish from the Wind Fish's Nightmares, he would also have to end the illusion that caused them to exist in the first place.

It's a heart wrenching choice to confront, one that Link no doubt regrets with every deep ache of his very soul.. but the only alternative was to let the Nightmare take over and destroy everything.. This was the only fate he could offer them...

A tragic, touching tale that is told in the simplest way, Link's Awakening is a dream that I'll always hold dear to my heart...
]]> 08 Feb 2007 11:34:05 Mega Man X Mega Man X, released in 1993 by Capcom, is the first game in the Mega Man X series. The first subseries of the popular Mega Man series, it was made primarily as a stepping stone between the NES and SNES incarnations of the original series. In Japan, it is titled Rock Man X. It was released on the SNES first, then ported to the PC in 1995. The game was remade in 2006 as Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (Irregular Hunter X in Japan), for the PlayStation Portable.

The Mega Man series has always been an action game that focuses on "run-and-gun" gameplay. The player takes control of Mega Man X ("X" for short), a Maverick Hunter who seeks to stop Sigma's rebellion against humans. After an introductory stage, the player is presented with a stage selection screen that depicts eight Maverick boss characters.

After the player selects a Maverick to battle, X is teleported into the Maverick's base of operations. The player must dodge obstacles, destroy enemies and other hazards, and keep their life bar as high as possible. Defeating a stage and its boss Maverick rewards X with the boss's weapon, which can be used in a rock-paper-scissors fashion to defeat other boss characters. This mechanic is carried over from the Mega Man Classic series; Capcom maintained the tradition throughout the new series, with a few twists. In the X series, completing a stage may affect the environment of other stages, possibly making them easier or more hazardous.
]]> 02 Mar 2007 02:12:59 Caveman Ugh-lympics
Before corporate sponsors and fashion gear, there were Cavemen. Competition was ugh-ly. Athletes won by bashing the other guy first. pick your favorite Ugh-lympian. Club your way through six pre-hysterical events. Beat your friends to the Caves Of Fame.

Caveman Ug-lympics was Dynamix's 1988 entry into the realm of the sports game, caveman style.

The prehistoric olympiad consisted of: The Mate Toss, Clubbing, Dino Vault, Dinasaur Race, Firemaking, and the Sabertooth tiger Race. Plus athlete interviews and profiles.

Originally published by Electronic Arts and available for Commadore 64 and DOS. Later it was released for the NES under the title "Cameman Games."

Play Now @ nintendo8.com
]]> 08 Dec 2006 11:15:02 Toejam & Earl
Toejam said,
Check it out... We're Toejam and Earl. And we ran into a small problem. More specifically, a large planet (I shoulda never let Earl drive...). Help us hunt down the pieces to our rocket ship and we'll let you jam out some tunes on our megawatt rapmaster. Deal?
]]> 08 Feb 2007 05:23:16 Clock Tower: The First Fear
patente101 said,
I thought a SNES game couldn't be scary. I was wrong. Really wrong. Clock Tower made me scream and made nightmares form in my mind. For almost a month, I checked behind each single door in my house...

The true title of this game is simply "Clock Tower". It was released in Japan only, for the Super Famicom (Japanese market equivalent of the SNES). It was later ported to the Playstation (also in Japan only), and Windows 95, but under the title "Clock Tower: The First Fear". Thus it was natural for the sequel to be titled "Clock Tower 2" in Japan, but the North American sequel was entitled "Clock Tower", since the title had not yet been exploited here. In keeping with the North American release title, it is the sequel that's listed as "Clock Tower" elsewhere here at GGE.


We enter the story just as the 15 year old orphan Jennifer and three of her friends are adopted by the reclusive Mrs. Barrows. Upon arriving at the imposing Barrows mansion in the mountains of Norway, Jennifer and her friends are left alone for a long while and finally the girl sets out after Mrs. Barrows, but runs back in search of her friends when she hears a scream. The power has gone out, and Jennifer finds herself in the dark and alone.

As Jennifer, you now must seek out your friends, and save them if you can as you discover the depth of evil at work, witnessing a murder at the hands of the Scissorman, leaving you terrified throughout your ordeal as you try to evade and hopefully, escape.

Jennifer's adventure will unravel mysteries of the mansion, the murderous evil Barrows twins, and even her own past as she explores the eerie mansion and encountering it's evil inhabitants.


Additional Game Features:


  • Simply point and click gameplay means you have to use your head and keep your wits. Choices made throughout the game will sooner or later have consequences.

  • Keep an eye on Jennifer's avatar throughout the game. Her current strength is indicated by the window color and must be managed wisely, and her reactions to what's going on may provide useful hints.

  • Sounds and music used sparsely and cleverly, adding to the overall tension and drama.

  • Explore the numerous rooms and levels of the Barrows Mansion.

  • Intricate story full of mystery and puzzles, with many alternate endings adding to the replay value.

Developer: Human Entertainment
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Released: Sep 14, 1995 (JP)

System Requirements
Windows 95 version information unverified. Contributions welcome!
]]> 26 Jan 2007 06:53:43 Blocksum Blocksum is a very new typed action puzzle game. For everyone who can add numbers to 20.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 07:04:52 Beyond Good and Evil For centuries, the planet Hyllis has been locked in conflict with a race of relentless alien invaders.

Wary of her government's promises to repel the aliens for good, a rebellious action reporter named Jade sets out to capture the truth behind the prolonged war.

Armed with her camera, dai-jo staff, and fierce determination, Jade soon finds herself inside the jaws of a horrific conspiracy, and face to face with an evil she cannot possibly fathom.

In a world where deception is the deadliest weapon of all, will Jade's discoveries be enough to free her people?
]]> 26 Nov 2006 11:41:51 Metal Gear Solid This game is the game that started it all, sure the other ones after this are great, but I think this is the best. It has level design that is genious. The storyline is compelling and full of plot twists, and the action and gameplay is groundbreaking.

basic Plot outline:
An elite group of Next Generation Special Forces lead by members of FOX HOUND has attacked and captured an Alaskan nuclear weapons facility.

Their demands state that the US government hand over the remains of their former commander (Big Boss) within 24 hours or they will launch a nuclear weapon.

Solid Snake's mission comes in a two phases. First, he needs to rescue both DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and the President of Arms Tech Kenneth Baker, both are being held captive in the facility.

Next, Snake needs to investigate weather or not the terrorists have the ability to actually launch a nuclear weapon, and stop them if they do.
]]> 13 Dec 2006 05:20:13 Ruff 'n' Tumble Remake A young Ruff Rogers was happily playing with his marbles (ooohey!) in his local park. When suddenly one happened to go a stray and fall down a nearby rabbit hole. Not knowing this hole was a teleport to another dimension, he reaches down to see if he can retrieve it. To his suprise, he suddenly gets sucked into the darkness.

Ruff now dazed and confused, finds himself on an alien planet which is run by Mr evil himself, Dr Destiny. He also discovers that this mad doctor controls a fearsome army of robots called the tinheads. Furthermore, he spots his marble collection is now lying scattered throughout the planet. As you can imagine, Ruff is a little displeased with his current predicament. So with this, he makes the decision to accumulate his marble collection once more and save the planet from the evil clutches of Dr Destiny and his Tinhead Army.
]]> 07 Feb 2007 11:02:33 Hellgate: London Notice: In production

London, 2038. The once great city lies in ruins. A massive, sinister gash in the fabric of our reality gnarls and churns, dominating the horizon as it blends into a permanently darkened sky. The unspeakable cataclysm that befell London threatened to engulf the world as the shadow of the demons fell across the face of mankind.

  • Introduction

    • According to legend, when the ravens depart the Tower of London, it will crumble to rubble and disaster will befall England. As man became more dependent on science, ancient lore and rituals were lost to the antiquity of time.

  • Classes

    • Mankind is a race of survivors. A rebellious few survive in the shadows of their former dominance, combining the holy, ancient, and arcane rites with the fringe sciences of the modern era.

  • Demons

    • Emerging from the swirling chaos of the Hellgate, the demons overwhelmed humanity's defenses. The Hellgate writhes and seethes like a living thing, a tornado of eldritch energies through which the minions of the netherworld surge forth.

  • Mods

    • Some equipment can be modified through the introduction of various technological and magical elements, commonly called Mods. These Mods are typically integrated into pre-defined slots or hard points on an item through a simple procedure that can be performed by any adventurer.

    Bill Roper said,
    Success should be based on skills, level, items, and so on. So it's really based on what makes you successful in an RPG. That being said, it certainly isn't going to hurt a guy if he's good at shooters.

    Additional Game Features:

    • First person perspective!

    • Dynamically generated content and levels including tons of weapon and item drops for scavenging.

    • PvP will be included, although it is likely that it will be for Elite members only. PvP modes may include duels and arena matches

    • Has some combat aspects of a shooter, but is first and foremost an action rpg. Players will not need to scavenge for ammo. The only mention of "ammo" refers to a type of modification.

    • Quest driven story, yet with a lot of freedom to adventure and treasure hunt in hopes of finding the best of the randomly generated goodies, as was so popular in the spiritual predecessor Diablo!

    Proposed Subscription Details (thanks Hellgate Guru!) These are just a few of the features discussed, visit the Hellgate Guru links for more info:

    • Free player accounts as well as "elite" optional subscription play options that are currently stated as $9.95 per month for U.S. players.

    • Free players can access all initial content and play with free or elite players, but elite accounts will receive regular content updates.

    • Elite players can access premier 24/7 customer support via phone and email, and will have priority in case of player ques.

    • Free players may create 3 characters, Elite players up to 12. Elite players will have a 40 item "swap stash" versus 20 items for free players.

    • Elite accounts can access additional play modes.

    • Elite players will have enhanced graphical options for characters.


    Ex-Blizzard employees Bill Roper, Erich Schafer, Max Schafer, and Dave Brevik--the men behind Diablo, are the heart of the development of Hellgate: London.

    Developers: Flagship Studios
    Co-publishers: Namco Bandai Games & Electronic Arts

    The game runs on a proprietary engine developed specifically for this game. The only other component that Flagship has licensed is Havok for physics.

    System Requirements: Pending!
    ]]>     16 Dec 2006 10:48:21     Aquaria Lonely, restless Naija has spent her entire life wrestling with questions about her identity. We join her as she takes her first steps away from the comfort of home and into new, potentially dangerous waters. Through exploration and magical combat, Naija will unearth the history of Aquaria and connect with beings lost in the depths of time. On the search to discover the fate of her people, her destiny and that of Aquaria's will be forever altered.
    ]]>     12 Feb 2007 05:49:13     Mr. Robot Asimov is a lowly service mechanoid aboard the interstellar colony ship Eidolon. Carrying hundreds of frozen human colonists to a new world. When the Eidolon's computer brain malfunctions, it falls to Asimov to undertake a perilous journey through the bowels of the massive ship to save his robot friends and the precious human cargo. Solve puzzles. Overcome obstacles. Hack hostile networks. Evade crazed robots. Save the mission.
    ]]>     14 Nov 2006 04:37:13     Assassin's Creed The game takes place during the Third Crusade, exact year 1191. The gamer plays as a member of the assassin sect Hashshashin known as Altair (Arabic, "The Flyer") whose objective is to assassinate the nine historical figures who are propagating the Crusades, and the suffering of the people. As the gamer finds and kills these targets, their conspiracy is unveiled. The player will be able to travel through three cities, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. The environment is completely interactive, from the people to the historically accurate cities. These cities are populated by many people and the way the player controls Altair affects how people around him react to his presence. For example, when going through a crowd, if the player lightly moves someone out of the way, it will not have a significant effect. However, if the player throws someone to the ground and kills them, the crowd may unite against him and he will then have to find a way out. Similarly, if the player shoves a person aside, they may shove him back. If he climbs walls, civilians will gather around, attracting unwanted attention from guards.
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 04:44:17     Landstalker Landstalker is an isometric action RPG, not all that different from the Zelda games. You play Nigel, a treasure hunter who has come to a small island to find the legendary treasures of King Nole.
    ]]>     06 Feb 2007 08:58:38     Monkey on Your Back On a small, uncharted island a mysterious organization is breeding Bio-Enhanced Animal-Cyborgs at the bidding of the brilliant, albeit evil, Dr. Randolph Montague Krenwinkle. In a small cage down in the deepest level sits Nim, a rebellious test monkey who has acquired a secret and powerful ability. An experimental treatment has given Nim enhanced psychic powers that allow him to take control of any human simply by jumping on their backs! Now is his one chance to escape. Use Nim’s ability to take control of scientists, soldiers and A-Bots! Blast and sneak your way through the Krenwinkle facility in a desperate attempt for freedom! Revel in the ironic justice of using your enemies against each other! Experience innovative action gameplay on your phone and with a monkey!
    ]]>     23 Feb 2007 12:23:01     Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles Shivering Isles is an expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It is available for download on Xbox Live or for the PC.
    ]]>     10 Apr 2007 02:46:54     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     God Of War Similar to franchises like Devil May Cry, Rygar, and Castlevania, the game draws its inspiration from ancient Greek mythology and boasts a heavy emphasis on exploration and battle strategy. Broken into three to four acts, the game also has a strong focus on story-telling and boast tons of magic spells and abilities. Described as "Clash of the Titans meets Heavy Metal", God of War equips its hero with a pair of sword-like chain weapons that can grab enemies, perform multi-hit combos, and pull off a variety of different aerial attacks. Slight platforming elements and an energy collection system similar to that of Onimusha have been incorporated as well, and players are even able to use certain elements of their fallen enemies as a weapon (re: Medusa's head, for instance, can be used to turn enemies to stone after you've defeated her).
    ]]>     31 Jan 2007 03:07:48     Mega Man II In the year of 200X, a super robot named Megaman was created. Dr Light created Megaman to stop the evil desires of Dr Wily. However, after his defeat, Dr Wily created eight of his own robots to counter Megaman.


    Original Box Art
    ]]>     09 Oct 2006 06:37:48     Contra Playing with fire and murder in the eyes.
    Keep squeezing that trigger and never let go.
    If it moves, shoot it.
    If it doesn't move, shoot it anyway just to be sure.
    ]]>     09 Dec 2006 09:14:23     Determinance A multiplayer sword-fighting game in development for three years.
    ]]>     29 Nov 2006 10:50:06     Battlefield 1942: Desert Combat Battlefield 1942 Desert Combat was a mod created before Battlefield 2. It essentially did what BF2 did before it ever came out brining modern warfare to the fold.
    ]]>     29 Jan 2007 01:36:51     Tribes 2 The ultimate team-based action experience for you and up to 60 others. Tribes 2 is a sci-fi first-person shooter (FPS) computer game, currently the second-latest game in the fictional Earthsiege universe . It was developed by Dynamix and published by the company then known as Sierra Entertainment in March 2001.
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 07:08:58     Thief: The Dark Project Developed by: Looking Glass

    Number of Players: 1
    Release Date: December 3, 1998
    ]]>     11 May 2007 01:42:53     Chalk Chalk is an arcade style scrolling shooter with a different kind of control scheme. Instead of shooting, you only have a piece of chalk with which you can draw. The way you defeat the enemies is different depending on the type. Some require all of the green dots to be connected, and others need to have their bullets connected back to them. There are bosses at the end of each level that will take a bit more thinking to destroy. The game is controlled entirely with the mouse, but the keyboard can be used as well.
    ]]>     30 May 2007 06:39:39     Gesundheit! Help an allergic pig save a city from snot-eating monsters using a clever combination of brains and boogers.

    While keeping out of sight, you must lure your enemies through each single-screen level with your delicious nasal discharges. Objects scattered around town provide your pig with different ways of solving each puzzle. Control is simple and intuitive, requiring only a two-button mouse.
    ]]>     13 Mar 2007 12:32:37     Overlord Overlord casts you as the ruler of a fallen dark tower. Collect your minions and go out into the countryside to crush all who oppose you and bring their wealth back to repair your tower.

    Battle pesky heroes!
    Commit evil deeds!
    Command a small army of irritating goblins!
    ]]>     08 Jun 2007 10:37:14     Little Nemo: The Dream Master
    ]]>     02 Aug 2007 05:28:39     Escape Velocity The original game in the Escape Velocity series from Ambrosia Software. An open ended space trading, combat, adventure rpg. It's similar to Elite, but with all the fun distilled and purified into one big addictive lump of super fun.

    The following is the blurb from the official Ambrosia website:

    Check your calendar: It's 2246, and the galaxy just isn't what it used to be. Spacefaring pirates roam free, civil war rages, and simple traders cheat death to make a living. Welcome to life in the 23rd century!

    Ambrosia Software's Escape Velocity puts you smack-dab in the middle of that booming galaxy. As the captain of a shiny new spacecraft, you make your fortune and build your empire. If that sounds like a walk in the park, you're in for a surprise - dangers abound! Your lowly shuttle craft will need more than a little luck to make a profit... and survive.

    Escape Velocity offers a rich and open-ended environment that evolves as you play. Over a hundred worlds occupy the galaxy, each with its own technology, alliances, and commodities. As you earn credits and gain fame, Confederation peace keepers and Rebel patriots struggle for power, leaving you in the middle.

    Numerous sub-plots fill Escape Velocity's world; your choices affect the story's development, guaranteeing that each game will be different from the last. You'll have the opportunity to infiltrate hostile military bases, ferry emergency supplies to distant star systems, rescue passengers from stranded cruise ships, stop alien invaders, and more. In addition, Escape Velocity sports an open game engine. Future scenario designers will be able to create their own worlds for other players to explore...
    ]]>     14 Nov 2006 04:32:58     Armored Core 4 Armored Core 4 is a video game for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the 11th installment of From Software's Armored Core series, despite being titled Armored Core 4. Armored Core 4 is set in the near future in an alternate universe where a great war has left the nations of Earth devastated and corporations have taken over the role of the government. The game features a system for personalized customization of the player's mech and an online mode where players can battle each other over the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. The game is similar to the MechWarrior series and is the spiritual sibling to From Software's other mecha-based game, Chromehounds. An OAV due out this spring entitled Armored Core: Fort Tower Song is based on the game and its history.
    ]]>     19 Feb 2007 12:27:55     Wing Commander II: Special Operations Wing Commander II: Special Operations is a continuation from the storyline told in Wing Commander II.

    "If you thought you could snatch a few Zs after that victory at K'tithrak Mang, you'd better look for another line of work!


    The cats are restless and rebellion is brewing throughout Kilrathi slave worlds. As a show of force, the Emperor plans a brutal assault on the rebel populations. Millions of lives are in jeopardy until you and the Special Operations team can blunt the attack."





    Having had great success with the Secret Missions distribution model, two expansion packs were planned out for Wing Commander II. Blair, Paladin and Hobbes were engaged in covert operations when they became entangled in the mutiny aboard the TCS Gettysburg. They meet up with ace pilot Jason Bondarevsky and begin to learn about the rival factions that have developed among the mutineers. To make matters worse, the Gettysburg was testing an experimental new bomber. The special ops team must defeat ruthless Kilrath and bring the rogue members of the Gettysburg crew to justice. Bondarevsky later goes on to become one of the main characters in several Wing Commander novels.





    Want to learn more about Wing Commander? Visit WCnews.com or Wing Commander Universe.
    ]]>     27 May 2007 11:36:29     Wing Commander II: Special Operations 2 Wing Commander: Special Operations 2 is the second mission add-on pack for Wing Commander II."The Confederation's electronic grapevine is running amok with rumors that vital intelligence has been withheld from the High Command. Luckily, Special Operations has its own sources of information, and they say the waiting game just won't cut it any longer. Someone has to lead the way, and you're getting the call!"

    Special Operations 2 brought Blair into contact with Maniac's Wild Eagles Squadron and their prototype Morningstar fighters. The special ops team had to also contend with mounting pressure from the traitorous Society of the Mandarins seeking to sell out the Confederation to the Kilrathi. Secrets were revealed and Blair engaged in a final showdown with Jazz Colson.





    Want to learn more about Wing Commander? Visit WCnews.com or Wing Commander Universe.
    ]]>     27 May 2007 11:52:56     Steezy Snowskating Steezy Snowskating is a freeskate "tony hawk" style of game.
    it has a total og 1 character but with the aviablility to customize it just as you want!
    this game has been worked on for 1 year or so now by Christopher Boe and Alex Lecours.
    modelling,animation and graphics are done by me
    programming is done by Alex Lecourse

    The game will be aviable for you to download this summer!
    ]]>     19 Feb 2007 07:41:41     SMABU: Earth Wars On a distant planet populated by Robots and Monkeys there is a new phenomenon known simply as S.M.A.B.U. - The ultimate combination of reality TV and maximum carnage!
    ]]>     23 Feb 2007 12:41:00     NecroSPACE 2
    ]]>     26 Jul 2007 12:15:44     Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End - Mobile Edition
    ]]>     03 Aug 2007 11:30:56     The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay was released in June, 2004 for Xbox, and in December, 2004 was released for Windows as the "Developer's Cut", with the improved shading effects and higher resolution expected with the pc release, as well as added content.

    Inspired by the Vin Diesel movie, the story begins with you captured by mercenaries and locked down in the toughest and bleakest prison in the galaxy. Your obvious task is to make an unprecedented jail break, and will require intelligence, sharp wits, combat skill and sometimes stealth.

    Additional Game Features:

    • First person shooter, but with some third person actions, and even some RPG aspects.

    • Over 30 levels, split into checkpoints.

    • High quality musical soundtrack befitting the movie tie-in.

    • Player eventually acquires "eye shine", a vision enhancement that becomes very useful in the often dark environments.

    • Tied to the movie not only be relating to the story and atmosphere, but including movie star vocal talents such as Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser as Johns, Kirsten Lahman as Shirah, Willis Burks II as Pope Joe, and Ron Perlman as Jagger Vance.

    • Among the first games to use "normal mapping".

    • Fight with melee weapons, special moves, pistols, rifles, shotguns, and more, although by default, guards weapons are DNA coded.

    • Single Player campaign only.

    Developer:Starbreeze Studios
    Publisher: Sierra/Vivendi Universal Games
    Released: Xbox in June, 2004 followed by Windows release in December, 2004

    Minimum System Requirements, PC Version
    CPU 1800MHz, 256MB RAM

    ESRB Rating: Mature (17+) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
    ]]>     22 Dec 2006 09:51:54     Prince of Persia The Grand Vizier Jaffar has thrown you into a dark dungeon and plans to marry the girl of your dreams in an hour. You're not going to let that happen are you? Try to escape from the dungeon, take out Jaffar's guards, find your way through the sultan's palace and defeat Jaffar himself. Now go, you've got 60 minutes!

    Prince of Persia is a 2D action-adventure / platformer with run & jump gameplay. Avoid deadly traps, solve some puzzles and engage in sword fights. The player has an infinite amount of lives but has to restart at the beginning of a level each time he dies and must complete the game within an hour. An especially noteworthy aspect of the game is the very fluent animation of your character.

    from the (Moby Games Price of Persia page)
    ]]>     24 Dec 2006 08:39:15     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     God of War 2 Armed with all-new brutal combat moves and magic, players retake the role of Kratos and embark on a new epic adventure to change the fate of mortals and Gods alike. The original God of War saw Kratos, a mortal warrior, set upon an epic quest to dethrone a God. But his journey did not end there. In God of War II, Kratos sits atop his Olympus throne, as the new God of War – far more ruthless than Ares ever was. To end his continued torment, Kratos must journey to the far reaches of the earth and defeat untold horrors and alter that which no mortal, or god has ever changed: his fate. God of War II sets an epic stage for a devastating mythological war to end all wars.
    ]]>     03 Apr 2007 12:31:44     Counterclockwise Counterclockwise is a remake of 1983 Spectrum game "Knot in 3D". Your goal is to navigate a mass-trail propulsion craft through zero-G space and survive as long as you can. There are other crafts (chasers) around, trying to cut you off with their trails. Avoid crashing into trails and showoff some fancy flying and shooting skills for extra score.
    ]]>     02 Feb 2007 12:37:48     Alan Wake Alan Wake's first novel is hailed as a masterpiece of horror, its source material having come from dreams that began just before meeting his fiancee Alice. Her sudden dissappearance leaves him devastated. Suffering from insomnia, he can no longer write, nor even dream. Desperate for help he travels to a sleep clinic in the secluded, small town of Bright Falls, Washington.

    At the clinic he overcomes his insomnia, but meets a woman that looks remarkably like Alice. He begins to have nightmares, and starts writing a new novel based upon them, but soon finds that Bright Falls appears to be turning into the horrible place of his nightmares. With gun and flashlight in hand, he must find out what's going on.
    ]]>     14 Dec 2006 03:01:56     Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Released in the US on December 5, 2006 and in Japan on December 21, 2006, MPO is the third Metal Gear title for the PlayStation Portable and the first one to retain the series' action-based gameplay. It is also the first canonical outing of the series for a portable platform (that is not adapted from a previous game), being a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. It was originally planned as a new non-franchise title.[1]

    Unlike Metal Gear Acid and its sequel, which were turn-based strategy games with stealth elements, MPO retains the action-based gameplay from the console iterations, drawing heavily from Snake Eater and utilizing the camera system from Subsistence.

    The main addition to MPO is the "Comrade System". Instead of the solo-based missions that the series is known for, MPO goes for a squad-based approach, with Snake having to recruit his own allies and form his own team of trained specialists. At the beginning of each mission, the player must compose a four-man squad, which, at the player's option, includes Snake himself. The desired squad is then sent into the battlefield. Each member of Snake's squad has their own strengths and weaknesses. While some units are best utilized on the battlefield, others may specialize in producing items, healing allies, or providing intel for each of the game's maps.

    During gameplay, the player controls only one squad member at a time. The squad members not in use hide themselves inside a cardboard box, and can be swapped into play when the player-controlled character finds a "hiding spot", where they can hide in their own cardboard box.

    Characters who are killed in combat are eliminated from the player's squad permanently. The player can abort the mission if they feel one of their comrades is dying, or they may choose to restart the mission if a favorite character has died (similar to Fire Emblem games). However, this does not apply to major plot-based characters, who instead of being eliminated from the team, are sent into the infirmary to recover.
    ]]>     07 Feb 2007 11:56:32     Kingdom Hearts II From IGN.Com:
    The unlikely but successful collaboration between Square Enix and Disney Interactive returns in Kingdom Hearts II; where a darkly-cloaked Mickey Mouse joins Donald, Goofy, and Sora as they continue their adventure into several popular Disney-inspired worlds. Battling against the Heartless once more, the dedicated group of friends now find themselves up against an all-new enemy threat -- a mummy-wrapped ruler of unknown origin. Also fresh to the series is a brand new meter known as the "Transformation Drive" that allows players to merge with other team members to create more powerful versions of themselves. New costume designs, improved camera controls, and the answer to lingering plot questions from the first game are also included. Developed exclusively for the PlayStation 2.
    ]]>     20 Jan 2007 08:27:25     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     Streets Of Rage 2 From Streets Of Rage Online:



    "Streets of Rage 2 exploded onto the Genesis/Megadrive in late 1992 and was quickly hailed as an absolute classic. The game used Sega's new 16-meg cartridge (double the size of the original game) and was intended to be their answer to the SNES version of Final Fight.
    Anyone who played the game quickly saw where that extra memory went. Gone were the tiny sprites and grainy backdrops of the original. Now the graphics were huge, highly detailed, well-animated and easily of arcade quality. This showcased what the Genesis/Megadrive was capable of and showed that it was still a serious rival to the technologically superior SNES.

    The character roster expanded to 4, with 2 new characters; Max and Skate. All the characters had a large selection of individual moves and were now quite different to play. New special moves replaced the old rocket special attack and led to much smoother gameplay as players could now fight their way out of a situation without wasting a special attack. Wisely, the new special attacks cost energy, so players could not just walk through the game using them.

    As well as more characters to choose from the number of enemies pitted against the heroes increased also. New, more interesting enemies with special attacks of their own were added alongside the old ones to create some formidable opposition. New weaponry was introduced to liven things up further. The 8 levels were much longer, more ambitious and with multiple scenes.

    A 2-player Duel feature was also introduced, which allowed players to just fight each other one-on-one in a Streetfighter-style best of 3 battle. This was a feature that Sega had included with similar Genesis/Megadrive side-scrolling games such as Golden Axe and Alien Storm. Although it wasn't particularly fun to play, it was an interesting addition none the less.

    Streets of Rage 2 is a perfect sequel. Usually videogame sequels, like with movie sequels, are rehashes of the original. Not so with Streets of Rage 2. Everything from the original is improved and expanded to create one of the best games of the 16-bit era."



    This was Sega in their prime!

    Special mention must go to Yuzo Koshiro's excellent and memorable 90's club-scene soundtrack, which not only added depth and intensity to the overall feel of the game, but made many people question the widely accepted fact that the Mega Drive's sound chip was vastly inferior to its competitors. The soundtrack is even available on CD.

    "Streets Of Rage 3" was released two years later in 1994 - though SOR2 is considered by many to be the best in the series.
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 11:48:37     S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
    Man made hell...

    S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl takes you into a near future where nuclear disaster has taken place. When a strange second explosion at the old Chernobyl site rocks the landscape, it leaves a vast "Exclusion Zone" plagued with deadly energy disturbances in its wake. The quarantined Exclusion Zone expanded over time, and by 2012, specially equipped poachers, known as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, venture into the Zone to claim radioactive artifacts for the black market. You are a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. battling for survival among rivals, soldiers and mutant creatures while trying to discover the true nature of Chernobyl's dark past and horrific future.
    ]]>     07 Jan 2007 09:06:28     Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is the follow-up to one of the most captivating and intelligent adventures on the original PlayStation. Solid Snake, everyone's favorite mullet-sporting supersoldier, is back, along with many other familiar faces and voices. While its predecessor was lauded for telling a complex story, this sequel has even more fascinating twists and turns. Also, like Metal Gear Solid, MGS2 takes console-game storytelling to an entirely new level with stunning in-game movies, great graphics, and game mechanics that let you find your own solutions to challenges. The game's twisting and at times bizarre plot will undoubtedly keep some gamers perplexed.

    Konami has replaced the moronic enemies from the first MGS with more cerebral and capable foes; this causes an even greater emphasis on stealth than the original. The controls have been refined and Snake's repertoire of moves has grown, significantly deepening the gameplay. This is, technically and stylistically, one of the best-looking PS2 games on the market. The sound is also topnotch, with a fabulous score and outstanding voice acting. What makes this game such a standout, however, is how all of these sight, sound, and story elements combine to immerse the player into an entertainment form somewhere between movie and game. It will be years before Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is surpassed. This is interactive entertainment at its finest. --Raymond M. Padilla
    ]]>     05 Dec 2006 07:17:05     Tyrian Need we describe the best of all shmups?
    ]]>     09 Dec 2006 09:25:39