All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'casual, Playstation' on The Great Games Experiment All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'casual, Playstation' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'casual, Playstation' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Suikoden II Sequel to the early PlayStation RPG. As a member of the Alliance, a military force only really hinted at in the original, you play the unwitting hero of the game: an orphan who has been raised by a quiet, unassuming battle hero in a seemingly ancient war. Alongside you in the ranks is your best friend Jowy, a boy born of nobility but who has never been able to receive approval in his stubborn father's eyes. As the game begins, you are immediately tossed into a tale of political strife, betrayal and war on a grand scale beyond your scope in the early stages. As the game wears on, the plot will twist, turn and develop in numerous ways that expose the personalities of each of the characters involved. The battle system is turn-based, with the option to equip Runes for special abilities, combine party member attacks to create chain combos or devastating spells, and the option to run the battle in Auto mode.

--Original Source Text: IGN
]]> 24 Dec 2006 11:29:53 International Superstar Soccer Deluxe International Superstar Soccer Deluxe is the sequel to International Superstar Soccer, Konami's saga of soccer games. This Deluxe version was published first to the SNES, then the Mega Drive and Playstation.

ISS Deluxe has realistic animations and player sprites. You can compete with 36 national teams with recognizable celebrity players (like Valderrama, Baggio, Ravanelli, Petkov...), but their names are fictitious. You can choose too from 16 formations and 8 strategies to win.

The competitions available are: International Cup, World Series (League), Scenario Mode and customizable mini-cups/leagues.
]]> 07 Mar 2007 07:11:04 Worms: Armageddon Team warfare on a worm scale

Description:
Worms: Armageddon is a turn based strategy game in a 2d environment. There is a single player campaign, and training missions to complete; but the main attraction is playing against other people locally or over the internet. Games can be played with 2 or more people. The graphics and sound are very cartoonish, and entertaining.

Gameplay:
Each player starts with a number of worms on their team. Each worm has a fixed amount of health. If a worm runs out of health, it will die. Once you run out of worms, you lose the match. The game is turn based, so each team gets control of one worm during their turn. You have a limited amount of time to select one of many weapons and inflict damage on another teams worm. There are also other more subtle tools to choose from for more strategic play, such as terrain digging tools, girder construction, and ropes and other means to get around the map. Weapons vary from the ordinary guns and explosives, to odd things like exploding sheep, mad cows, and homing pigeons.

There are several other popular gameplay types, with specific rules for play.

Finding online games is easy when you log onto WormNet. It's an irc-like chat interface where you can host or join games.
]]> 21 Jan 2007 02:14:34 Worms Worms is is a classic strategy game where each player controls a team of four worms, trying to destroy each other. The worms have a wide array of weapons at their disposal, many of them which are subject to influences from wind and gravity.

Each game takes place on a randomly generated level in one of the ten available styles, ranging from forests and deserts to Candy land and the moon (complete with affected gravity).

The way the level looks at the start is never what it looks like at the end, since almost all weapons leave considerable marks in the terrains.
]]> 17 Feb 2007 06:23:42 Lego Star Wars 2 Lego Star Wars 2 is perfect for that lover of the first Lego Star Wars. Yes, the second one is now out! This time, with the ability to mix and match characters, Lego Star Wars 2 hosts the original trilogy. This game also has a key feature of vehicles in the game. When your finished with all the action of fighting for characters and studs, go play free play and use ships to blast down the death star. Available for two player action... Lego Star Wars, well, kicks butt!
]]> 20 Dec 2006 02:54:31 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 Legend Of Mana "The world of Fa'Diel is a formless mass. It is up to you to create the world, using artifacts that are spread throughout the world. At the beginning of the game, the player must choose a female or male character, a starting weapon, and place to start. Once in the starting area, the player will be able to complete a small quest and find more artifacts. With that done, the new artifacts can be placed on the map to create new areas that have their own unique mini-quests. There is a total of 60 quests and artifacts to discover. The best way to think of all of the stories is to consider them the songs on a record. Individually, they are great; however, when combined they make up something much larger. The world of Fa'Diel will become what you make it in LEGEND OF MANA."-IGN
]]> 05 Feb 2007 03:49:51 Vandal Hearts II: Heavenly Gate Vandal Hearts II: Heavenly Gate is the sequel to the Konami developed Turn-Based Tactical RPG "Vandal Hearts", also for the Sony Playstation.


"Aided by the power of a sacred sword, Nirbath led the blessed. The last of its powers used, the sword shattered into a thousand pieces, each of which is said to have become the first of every weapon known to mankind"


The story follows the life of the main character of the game, Joshua. The game begins in the country of Natra when Joshua, but a child is orphaned at a young age. His uncle, a lowly farmer, steps up for the boy and takes him to the village called Polata, where he now lives. Due to the progressive education system of Polatas Mayor Kossimo, Joshua is now able to be schooled amongst nobles. This is when he meets Adele, the niece of Kossimo, and they eventually form a close although mostly unspoken bond. As the game progresses Joshua is tricked into killing Kossimo. Realising the gravity of the situation he runs away, thus ending the prologue.

The next part of the game takes place many years later during a state of civil war when Joshua is the leader of the notorious and highly skilled bandit group called the "Red Wolves". This is when he meets Baron Pratue, and the dangerous journey to save the country begins.

The game had a similar feel to the first game despite having nothing to do with each other story wise. The combat system has changed somewhat in that it now features a Dual-Turn System, splitting the screen and allowing the player and opposition to move at the same time.
]]> 27 Feb 2007 06:53:36 Breath Of Fire III Breath of Fire III is the third RPG in the Breath of Fire series. It was originally released for the PlayStation in Japan in 1997 by Capcom, and was later brought to North America and Europe in 1998. It was ported to the PSP and was released in Japan in August 2005 and in Europe in February 2006.

The game follows the adventures of Ryu (the protagonist) who is the sole survivor of the Dragon Clan, as he struggles to discover why his clan was wiped out. The adventure takes him to many places, on journeys thought impossible, and in the end he will discover power in the ability to choose his own future.

As the last survivor of the Dragon Clan, Ryu must continue his struggle against the evil goddess Myria, who has taken over the world and now controls it.
]]> 07 Mar 2007 06:23:52 Worms World Party Worms World Party is a turn-based game. The objective of the game is to reduce the number of your opponents worms to zero. The game has a large amount of weapons, tools, and other abilities to arm your team of worms with.
]]> 29 Mar 2007 06:09:46 Wing Commander III Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger is the second sequel in the Sci-Fi Space Simulation series created by Chris Roberts.







"Professionally scripted and filmed in Hollywood, ORIGIN's multi-million dollar production combines the entertainment of film-making with the interactivity of computer gaming. The result is a spectacular spaceflight adventure.


Adrenaline, romance, danger -- Wing Commander III has all this and more. This sequel completes the turbulent chronicles of the Terran-Kilrathi war. The final showdown takes place on one of the homeworlds -- Earth or Kilrah. But only you can write the ending..."









Released in 1994, Wing Commander III was the first game to be marketed as a true "Interactive Movie". It was received with much critical-acclaim due to its high playability, state-of-the-art in-game graphics engine plus well scripted, produced and acted FMV sequences, all of which contributed to the games deep and absorbing atmosphere.


Wing Commander III was the first game in the series to use Full Motion Video as the primary story-telling device and is considered to be one of the best and successful examples of FMV use in a video game. The interactive element takes form during conversation cut-scenes where the player is asked to make a choice on how to proceed. This is done by either by giving a positive or negative response when prompted and this in turn affects the mood of the characters involved, altering theyre behaviour during missions and future conversations.


This was the final game in the Wing Commander series to deal with the Terran-Kilrathi conflict. As with the previous games, it is possible to play a winning or losing path, depending on the players performance during space-combat. The destruction of Earth or the Kilrathi's home planet of "Kilrah" is at the end of one of these two paths. However the series does continue with Wing Commander IV and Wing Commander: Prophecy.






Want to learn more about Wing Commander? Visit WCnews.com or Wing Commander Universe.
]]> 19 Feb 2007 09:11:53 Vanguard Bandits Vanguard Bandits is a Japanese strategic computer role-playing game (JRPG) for the PlayStation. It was originally released in Japan; later it was adapted for the PlayStation console, and it was translated for the American market by the video game company Working Designs. Released by Human Entertainment in Japan under the title Epica Stella, it was retitled Detonator Gauntlet by Working Designs before Acclaim forced the company to change it due to its similarity to the Gauntlet series of action-fantasy games. It was eventually released as Vanguard Bandits and included a bonus demo disc of Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete for PlayStation.

Vanguard Bandits is a strategy-RPG featuring tactical combat in a medieval fantasy world in which knights and soldiers pilot mecha.

This game takes place on the Continent of Eptina where numerous battles have taken place over territory, goods, and beliefs. In the midst of the conflict archaeologists in the Pharastia Kingdom discovered giant armored mecha that they called ATACs, or All Terrain Armored Combatants, that could be controlled by the thoughts of the pilot seated inside the unit's head. The Kingdom used the power of these ATACs to assume control of the entire continent, and then decided to use them to keep the peace in their new territories. Pharastia soon began to lose control as Coup d'etats and civil wars erupted which left it in a defeated state, with only their standing army remaining.

Vanguard Bandits is an RPG strategy game played on an isometric grid of squares with representations of all the player and computer controlled ATACs, similar to Final Fantasy Tactics and the Front Mission series by Squaresoft. Each character can move around on the grid, attack, and perform support abilities. All actions during that ATACs turn takes up AP (Actions Points), and attacks produce FP (Faint Points). If the Faint Points reach maximum, the pilot is knocked out and cannot perform any actions until he/she awakens, leaving him/her open to attack. When an ATAC unit attacks or defends from an attack, a detailed three-dimensional battle animation with music is shown over the normal grid. Between each battle is a story cutscene where the characters within the ATACs are represented on a similar grid and can interact and further the story line.

All-Terrain Armored Combatants, or ATACs, are the main fighting force of the various armies in the game; indeed, the entire combat system revolves around them. ATACs are large bipedal, humanoid (though one ATAC is a quadruped) mechs powered by gemstones. Despite their high technological complexity, ATACs still utilize traditional weapons such as swords and spears. However, they can also use special attacks such as fireballs, earthquakes, flying shards of ice and tornadoes, depending on their gemstone.
]]> 26 Jan 2007 12:32:16 Earthworm JIm 2 Earthworm Jim 2 is a platform video game released in 1995. It is a sequel to the original Earthworm Jim.

Earthworm Jim 2 follows the exploits of annelid superhero Jim and his new sidekick Snott as they try to rescue Jim's beloved Princess What's-Her-Name from a forced marriage to the nefarious Psy-Crow. While chasing them across the universe, Jim comes across the summer homes of a number of villains from the first game, including Evil the Cat and Bob the Killer Goldfish.

The game originally appeared on the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES and PC, with enhanced versions later released on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It was also ported to the Game Boy Advance.

Like the original game, Earthworm Jim 2 contains a lot of irreverent, random humor. It also features more diverse gameplay than the original, with each stage having a different style and mission, as well as various new weapons.
]]> 02 Mar 2007 05:09:24 SimCity 2000

Overview


SimCity 2000 was published in 1993 by Maxis. The game included many innovations over its predecessor, SimCity. The perspective of the game shifted from top-down to isometric, giving cities a new look. Cities could be rotated and viewed from different angles. The terrain now had elevation. Many new kinds of transportation and infrastructure were introduced. Variable generated newspapers were created, which features articles about recent inventions and disasters, as well as opinion-polls. The game also allowed for the development of custom content, through an external utility called SimCity Urban Renewal Kit, or SCURK.


Gameplay


The game begins with the player either using a random terain, or terraforming their own through several tools. After the God-mode phase is finished, now a staple in all SimCity products, players are asked to select a difficulty level and begin constructing their city. The difficulty levels impacted starting wealth, starting loan and the disaster frequency. Players then construct their cities from a variety of infrastructure and zones, balancing their budget. There is no set up objective, and the game never ends.

Other Notes


SimCity 2000 Network Edition was published 3 years later with the ability to play on-line. Similar to SimCity 4, players could buy and sell resources, as well as construct region wide transportation networks.

The SimCity 2000 Special Edition is packaged with SCURK.

SimCity 2000 cities can be imported into SimCity 3000.

SimCity 2000 can also be used to construct custom cities for use in the games Sim Copter and Streets of SimCity.
]]> 02 Feb 2007 03:25:57 Vandal Hearts Vandal Hearts is an original IP developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Nagoya. The game is a turn-based tactical RPG similar to "Shining Force" and "Final Fantasy Tactics". It was released for the original Sony Playstation and the Sega Saturn.


Story Synopsis:


"Thousands of years ago, the holy man known to history as Toroah the Messiah traveled far and wide across the continent of Sostegaria, spreading his teachings throughout the land. After his death, his descendants and heirs assumed absolute political power over the region, forming the basis of the Holy Ashah Dynasty and ruling through a combination of religious doctrine and military power for millennia. The kings and queens of the Holy Ashah Dynasty, however, did not always rule wisely or justly, and, as time passed, the citizenry began to resent the power of their leaders.

Fifteen years ago, this growing discontent found its ultimate expression in the person of Arris the Sage, who united the disparate anti-royal factions throughout Sostegaria and shaped them into a powerful guerrilla army. Under the cunning leadership of Arris, this Liberation Army managed to outwit and outmaneuver the Royal Army, and finally smashed through to the palace of the Ashah Dynasty itself, and burnt it to the ground.

With the monarchy dissolved, the rebels establish a ruling council founded on the principles of democracy and popular sovereignty. From the ashes of the Holy Ashah Empire emerges the Republic of Ishtaria. The leaders of the revolution naturally assumed leadership positions within the new republic: all, that is, except for Arris himself, who, the battle having been won, quietly slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

Today, the fledgling republic is in increasingly dire straits: the autocratic Minister of Defense, Hel Spites, and his elite anti-terrorism squad, the Crimson Guard, are using ever-increasing force to stamp out the last vestiges of resistance to Ishtarian rule, while they allow outlaws to roam the countryside and pirates to sail the seas. Meanwhile, Ash Lambert and his colleagues at the third battalion of the Ishtarian Security Forces begin to suspect a conspiracy at the highest levels of government. Ash's attempts to draw attention to the situation, though, only draw the ire of the conspirators themselves, leaving only Ash and his allies to foil the their plans and restore order to the nation."



Battles take place between two sides on three-dimensional maps viewed through a camera of which the player has complete control. Somewhat resembling the game of Chess the player moves their characters (think pieces) within the allowed movement squares on each turn. Once all the players characters have finished moving or have used an action - such as attacking, using potions or casting spells, the opposing side then takes the next turn until they have exhausted all movement opportunities, and so forth. Experience Points are earned by defeating enemies and casting spells, leading to characters levelling up and becoming more powerful.

The RPG element takes form in the aforementioned Experience Points system and between battles when the player is able to talk to NPC's, buy merchandise from stores, upgrade weapons and armour and even upgrade individuals within the party to a higher class of warrior.

The game spawned a sequel titled Vandal Hearts II: Heavenly Gate, which was only released on the Playstation. There is also a new Vandal Hearts game in development for the Nintendo DS.
]]> 26 Feb 2007 11:18:15 Rampage World Tour Rampage World Tour was a reinvention of the original arcade classic; created for Midway Mfg. by the original designers, Jeff Nauman and Brian Colin and the crew at Game Refuge Inc.

The game follows George Lizzy and Ralph as they smash and fight their way through hundreds of cities around the Globe. This update game added dimension to the characters andadvanced the storyline, but stayed true to the user-friendly "there's no wrong way to play it" gameplay mechanic of the original.

Though incredibly violent, the game treats all interaction with a cartoony, blood-free, tongue-in-cheek approach that keeps the action light-hearted and appealing to players of all ages.

This "Sequal" has spun off a number of additional "Rampages" on a number of platforms .. but many feel that RWT was the best of the lot.
]]> 12 Jun 2007 11:06:40 Tomb Raider The beginning of long running franchise originally released on PS1 our Heroine Lara Croft runs around killing dinosaurs and saving the world all in a skimpy outfit. The game spurned two movies thus far staring Angelina Jolie. What's not to like?
]]> 29 Jan 2007 01:30:45 Mega Man X3 Mega Man X3 was released in 1995 by Capcom. It was the third game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise and the last to appear on the Super Nintendo. An enhanced version was also released on the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and PC in Japan and Europe in 1996, and the PC version arrived in North America in 1998; the enhanced version included remixed music and anime-style cutscenes. It is currently available in the anthology collection Mega Man X Collection, which includes the first six Mega Man X games and Mega Man Battle & Chase. The PlayStation version of X3, not the SNES version, appears in the X collection. Mega Man X Collection was released for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 on January 10th, 2006.

Like its predecessor, Mega Man X2, Capcom included the C4 chip to allow for some limited 3D graphics and transparency effects. Mega Man X3 was the first game in which Zero is a playable character in addition to X.

Mega Man X3 is an action game where the player is given a selection screen of stages to begin. When selected, the player uses Mega Man X to blast various enemies throughout the level and reach the boss character, where defeating it wins the stage and earns a new weapon for the player to utilize.

The story of Mega Man X3 revolves around a Reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler. In the year 21XX, the threat of the Mavericks had been neutralized thanks to Doppler's technology, which prevented the Mavericks from going berserk. The reformed Reploids had formed an utopia near their new mentor called Doppler Town. It seemed that all was well, until the former Maverick Reploids suddenly reverted and once again began causing trouble. Dr. Doppler was held accountable, and X and Zero were sent out to contain the new threat. They were soon after called back to Maverick HQ, which was under attack by Doppler's forces.

However, the two did not realize that while Doppler was indeed behind the new Maverick threat, someone else was pulling his strings. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of X and Zero's old enemies is back from the dead, ready to take them down.
]]> 02 Mar 2007 02:48:09 Joust Joust's simple controls, and the fact that it was one of the few games two players could play together, helped make this arcade game a hit.

You play a knight mounted on an ostrich. You must use your lance to joust against wave after wave of enemies. The only controls you have are to flap your wings and to move left and right, making it quite easy to get into the game. You may defeat an opponent by colliding with them with your lance higher than theirs.

When you beat an enemy, they drop an egg. If you let it hatch by not collecting it, it will spawn a tougher enemy than the one who dropped the egg.

Other dangers include a lava pit at the bottom of the screen, a lava troll which tries to drag you into the lava pit, and a very tough-to-beat pterodactyl which appears if you take too long on a level.

Designer: John Newcomer
Released: 1982
]]> 13 May 2007 09:11:30 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 This game did not differ much from the original's formula (which isn't exactly a bad thing), but it offered more tricks, levels, and features than the first!
]]> 12 Feb 2007 05:55:09 Spyro the Dragon Spyro the Dragon is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation. It stars the title character, a young purple dragon named Spyro, and is regarded as one of the best platforming games for the PlayStation console.
]]> 09 Feb 2007 11:36:13 Mega Man X4 Mega Man X4 is the fourth game in the Mega Man X series. This game was originally released on July 31st, 1997 for the Sega Saturn in North America. Both the Sega Saturn and PlayStation versions were soon released simultaneously on August 1st, 1997 in Japan. The PC version was released in January 1st, 1998, and runs in operating systems after and including Windows 95. It was part of the Mega Man X Collection for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2.

Following the third defeat of Sigma, Cain Labs issues an initiative to create a supplementary military force to complement the Maverick Hunters. The army, called the Repliforce, is a strict military regime led by General and his second-in-command, Colonel.

Six months following the inception of the group, Cain Labs finds its methods to be ineffective, questionable, and potentially dangerous in the Maverick defense. To make matters worse, behind the scenes, General has been meeting with a mysterious figure who plots the Hunters' demise, insinuating that they are a "significant threat" to the Repliforce's jurisdiction.

Mayhem breaks out when the Sky Lagoon, a massive floating city, is sent crashing down onto the city below it, killing millions of civilians, humans and Reploids alike. The game begins here where either X or Zero is dispatched to investigate possible causes of the disaster only to become entangled, once again, in a struggle against Sigma to save the world.

At the beginning of the game, the player chooses to play either as X or Zero. Though both of them go through the same stages, they operate differently, and get different challenges from the terrain. They must avoid obstacles like falling debris and spikes, and destroy enemy robots to reach the end of the stages.

X wields a plasma cannon on his arm (X-Buster) that he uses to attack from a distance. It can be charged to fire stronger shots. He can dash to go beneath enemy shots, or also to jump twice as far as he usually can, letting him get to hard-to-reach places. When he defeats one of the eight bosses, he will gain a new weapon for his Buster, which fires an attack similar to one of the boss'. They have limited ammo, however, which is shown by an energy bar next to his health bar. In some stages, X will find capsules that contain upgrades that greatly enhance his capabilities.

Zero is more melee-oriented, and must get up close and personal with his foes. Though he is more prone to being damaged than X, his Z-Saber's power and accuracy compensate. Not all of his moves are weapon-based, so he learns different skills from the bosses, such as ones that increase his movement skills (such as double-jumping and air-dashing). From other bosses, he gains battle techniques, performed with combinations of a button and a direction on the control pad.
]]> 02 Mar 2007 10:58:31 Vib-Ribbon Here comes vibri, the coolest bunny on the block. A mean little mover, vibri loves to skip and jump to music as she meanders along the vib-ribbon. This line stretches into infinity but it's no straight and easy road. Your floppy-eared friend will come across lots of obstacles. As the music tempo shifts, so does the rate at which the obstacles appear and vibri the rabbit may soon devolve into vibri the frog. Can your bunny bounce to the beat and become a beautiful winged princess? Load up your soundtrack and watch vibri go!

vibri can ride the ribbon to all kinds of music. The game CD includes 6 songs from Japanese group "Laugh and Beats" but the fun feature of this game is that you can use your own music! Just drop your CD in and watch as vib-ribbon works its magic, creating a level that matches the tempo and tone of the music.

Stroll along to smooth jazz, groove to house 'n' garage, or roll with it to raucous rock - it's up to you! From Daft Punk to Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones to Britney Spears - vib-ribbon can be as cool or as cheesy as you choose!
]]> 07 Feb 2007 02:16:04 Ape Escape Ape Escape was the first game on Playstation to use both control sticks at the same time to move and attack.
In this 3D anime-style adventure, the un-named Professor has created a machine called the Peak Point Helmet, which increases the wearer's knowledge when worn. Unfortunately, he still needs to work some glitches out and a monkey called Specter has got hold of the prototype. Immediately deciding Earth would be a much nicer place if monkeys were the dominant species, with his army of helmet-clad chimps he hijacks the Professor's new time machine and begins to wreak havoc across time. Fortunately, the Professor's young friends Spike and Buzz are also sucked into the time vortex. Armed with a constant supply of gadgets at his disposal Spike now has to fight his way home, capturing monkeys as he goes, deal with a brainwashed Buzz and ultimately catch the now hyper-intelligent Specter with help from the Professor and his granddaughter.
As well as the main adventure there are also 3 mini-games to be unlocked including racing and boxing. The control sticks are used to move Spike around and operate his many gadgets and whatever useful devices he can get his hands on. The adventure sends Spike from the prehistoric era to the present day with over 100 monkeys to catch. Ape Escape proved to be so popular that it has spawned 2 sequels, 3 spin-offs (the Ape Academy series and the up-and coming racing game) a remake on PSP and even a brief cameo in the Metal Gear Solid series.
]]> 12 Feb 2007 04:48:40 Final Fantasy VIII In a time of both sophisticated technology and powerful magic, an evil sorceress corrupts the world's largest military power through manipulation and deception, enslaving mankind to do her bidding. Her goal is not something as simple as world domination; but to completely conquer all of space and time.

To counter the turn of events, various leaders head combat training schools, known as Gardens, that turn out elite fighting forces. Known as SeeDs, they defend, serve, and protect humankind from the sorceress. The sole purpose of these academies is to vanquish the sorceress and save humanity as we know it, although they take many other assignments for the right price.

A small, loose-knit group of SeeD graduates find themselves wrapped in a much bigger endeavor than simple military combat. Now, a gunblade specialist, together with a diverse group of young heroes, must set aside his fears, face the emotions he's run from, and become the leader that he never wanted to be.
]]> 14 Jan 2007 09:18:24 Megaman Legends Megaman's first move into 3D, Megaman Legends, or Rockman Dash in its native Japan was a unusual spin on the franchise turning it from a side-scrolling fast-paced shooter to an RPG-esque almost cartoon-like adventure.
Believed by fans to be set several centuries after the Megaman X series, Megaman Legends is set in 'a world covered by endless water.' In this world people must make a living on the tiny patches of land remaining above the sea, relying on Quantum Refractors to power their machines. These Refractors are located in ancient ruins underground and out at sea and tracked down by explorers called Diggers and their Spotters. One day after a successful dig, 14 year-old Digger Megaman Volnutt, his friend Roll, her grandfather Barrel Caskett and Megaman's robot monkey Data (don't ask, it's complicated) crash their ship, the Flutter, on a small island called Kattelox and soon have to contend with a band of sky pirates called the Bonne Brothers, Reaverbots (guardians of the ruins) activating of their own accord and the prophecy of a great disaster seeming to be coming to fruition. Now Megaman's left to deal with all thse problems, with help from his 'family' and the islanders and learn about his own mysterious past.
As always, Megaman is equipped with his Mega Buster, which can be upgraded with the many upgrades scattered around the island and he can also use a variety of special weapons, such as a mine-laying device, a giant cannon, and a drill just to name a few. These weapons aren't found whole however. Several items must be found first so Roll can put them together. The same process goes for upgrades for Megaman himself. For example, to get the Zetsaber, Megaman must first find a Broken Sword and Pen Light in the ruins or scattered around the island.
It looks a bit dated now, and some of the voice acting is pretty terrible but the story is enjoyable enough and the game is solid enough to have stood the test of time.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 03:43:29 Pong PONGââ€
]]> 13 Jan 2007 02:32:44 Brave Fencer Musashi The player controls Musashi, a boy summoned to the Allucaneet Kingdom by its Princess — named Fillet — to save it from the invading Thirstquencher Empire. Fillet's intention was to summon the legendary Brave Fencer Musashi, who had saved the kingdom from a monster called the Wizard of Darkness 150 years before; she is therefore disappointed when she gets a small boy instead. Nevertheless, Musashi is given the blade Fusion, and charged with the task of obtaining Brave Fencer Musashi's sword — Lumina, the Sword of Luminescence — before the Thirstquencher Army does.

The bulk of the game involves Musashi fighting a variety of enemies, using both Fusion and Lumina, to save the kingdom from various threats (which range from fires breaking out, to an invasion of half-vampire, half-zombie monsters called Vambees), and to acquire five scrolls which increase Lumina's strength and grant Musashi new abilities. There are also several minigames and puzzles scattered throughout which must be completed to advance the plot.
]]> 10 Feb 2007 01:38:47 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 The first game available on the PS2 and Xbox (though it was still available on the PS1 and N64). Graphics upgrades were very noticeable due to the hardware change, but this game also introduced the manual, to allow players to rack up even bigger combos!
]]> 12 Feb 2007 05:58:49 Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped is a platform game created and developed by Naughty Dog. Released in 1998, it was the third platformer game in the Crash Bandicoot series and the last platformer game in the series made by Naughty Dog, who became an in-house developer for SCEA after Crash Team Racing.

The game's story centers on a duo of anthropomorphic bandicoots and their mission to gather Power Crystals scattered across time before their enemies can.

A large critical and commercial success, Crash Bandicoot 3 is considered the best game in the series and one of the defining platform games of its era, alongside Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie.

Like previous installments in the Crash Bandicoot series, Warped consists of two main modes of gameplay: a hub room and the levels. The hub room (called the Time Twister here) is split into five areas, each containing five levels and a boss fight. Initially, only one area in the hub is accessible, but more are opened as the areas are completed. The levels featuring Crash largely follow the "follow-the-path" gameplay seen in previous games in the series, but other modes, such as riding a biplane, jetski, and tiger among others, can be seen along with this. Another new feature is the ability to gain new abilities by defeating a boss. These abilities include faster running speed, a longer spinning attack, and a bazooka among others. The game also makes heavy use of the then-new Dual Shock controller by using the vibration effect frequently.

In addition, the game features a new Time Trial mode, in which a level must be raced through in the fastest time possible. Boxes are laid throughout the levels that are able to freeze time for 1, 2, or 3 seconds. A Sapphire or Gold Relic will be earned if the given time is beaten. In addition, there are Platinum Relics and developer times set by the Naughty Dog and SCEA testers. A platinum relic can still be received before completing the game with 100%, but the times will only be seen on the level info box if the game is completed with 100%. Completing the game with 105% (the maximum percentage of the game) shows a sequence in which Crash and Coco watching a fireworks display.
]]> 04 Mar 2007 02:46:32 Virtua Tennis 3 The third entry in Sega's smash-hit tennis franchise, designed for the advanced Lindbergh arcade board. AM3 developed the PS3 version of the game, Sega got Sumo Digital to get the Xbox 360 (w/ live), PC and PSP ported.
]]> 09 Dec 2006 05:41:52 Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring (German: lit. "Ambition" Japanese: エアガイツ Eagaitsu) is a fighting game developed by Dream Factory and released by Namco in 1998 for the arcade platform. It was ported to the PlayStation by Squaresoft in 1999.

Ehrgeiz differs from most 3D fighting games by drawing heavily from the concepts of wrestling games and Dream Factory's own Tobal series, which allow for full 360-degree movement and do not require fighters to be facing each other at all times. This restricts the camera to a more or less fixed position, zooming in and out with the action, but not tracking around the arena as would be common in most other 2D and 3D fighting games. The fast-paced fighting allows for characters to move freely in a 3-dimensional stage which is filled with many interactive objects and changes in elevation, allowing characters to leap on top of crates or use them as weapons, for example.

Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the game is the inclusion of characters from Final Fantasy VII. Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, Sephiroth, Yuffie Kisaragi, Vincent Valentine and Zack are playable fighters, although the last three must be unlocked by various means. In fact, Ehrgeiz is sometimes affectionately known as "The Final Fantasy Fighter" by its fans due to the appearance of these characters. Ehrgeiz is highly sought after by Final Fantasy game collectors, due to it not making the Greatest Hits list and not being re-released.
]]> 10 Feb 2007 01:44:40 Tomba 2
]]> 20 Aug 2007 02:48:31 Akira hero Akira
  • Hero has all the stuff you expect from a platform game: head-jumping fun, diamonds, and a princess to save.

    • Akira
  • Hero is a traditional platform game with fun gameplay, Manga style graphics, and jumping on enemies to save the princess.

    • Featuring 9 animated levels spread over 3 worlds, 30+ hidden bonus rooms and a random-play feature that keeps you playing for ever.

    Upload your highscore to the FREE global ranking service at rumbleX.com.
    ]]>     14 Mar 2007 04:41:37     Mortal Kombat Trilogy Every character that has ever appeared in a Mortal Kombat game prior to Mortal Kombat Trilogy appears in this game. Rain and Noob Saibot are playable for the first time with their very own moves, combos, and finishing moves. Along with the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 roster, Mortal Kombat Trilogy adds Baraka, and Raiden as they appeared in Mortal Kombat II, along with a new version of Johnny Cage played by a new actor. The game also contains alternate versions of Jax, Kung Lao, Kano, and Raiden as they appeared the first two games (being the only characters not to change actors during the actual trilogy). Bosses Motaro, Shao Kahn, Goro, and Kintaro are also now playable. A new secret character appears, as well. This character, known as Chameleon, rapidly switches between all the male ninjas (Classic Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Noob Saibot, Human Smoke, Rain, Reptile, and Ermac) during combat. He is similar to the original Mortal Kombat's version of Reptile, but Chameleon changes his color, not just his stance. This character is playable by performing a special button combination.

    Almost every battle arena that has been featured in Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 makes an appearance in this game. The PC, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn versions only lack the Hidden Portal and Noob Saibot Dorfen from MK3, while the N64 version lacks Kahn's Arena and The Bank from MK2 and MK3, respectively. Only a handful of backgrounds from the first Mortal Kombat make it into this game such as the Courtyard, Goro's Lair, the Pit, and the Pit Bottom. Palace Gates, Warrior Shrine and Throne Room were removed. The N64 game also includes a new level: the Star Bridge, which is basically the Pit II background with a star-filled sky. Some older backgrounds are also "enhanced" with extra graphics and added animation. Some examples of this are The Portal, which now includes a temple-like building on each side of the stage, and the N64's Kahn's Kave, which has animated clouds and a glowing floor added to it. Kahn's Arena doesn't have anymore the sprites of Kano and Sonya tied in the background. The N64's Lost Bridge also has Hornbuckle and Blaze appear at random in its background.

    Also, this version introduced to the series the agression bar, unique to the game versions of finishing moves, including the introduction of the brutality finishing move.
    ]]>     09 Feb 2007 11:56:58     Jade Cocoon Popping up in the height of the world's Pokemon craze, Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu is a 3D fantasy-based RPG adventure.
    Early one morning the peaceful village of Syrus is attacked by a swarm of several forest minions called the Onibubu, the Locusts of Apocalypse. The dust they spreads plunges many of the villagers into a deep sleep which they cannot wake from, without the legendary Calabas Herb hidden deep in the massive forest. Since the resident Cocoon Master, Riketz, the Lion of Parel is no longer available, the village reluctantly sends his son Levant into the forest to retrieve the herb. His only hope of survival against the minions of Elrihm, god of the forest is to imprison the creatures in silk cocoons and tame them with the help of his childhood friend and young wife Mahbu, who is the only one able to purify the creatures. But eventually Levant finds himself involved in something much bigger than just saving his village...
    ]]>     17 Feb 2007 07:43:25     Crash Team Racing Crash Team Racing is a racing game for the PlayStation, made by Naughty Dog. It was released in 1999. This was the last Crash game made by Naughty Dog. After this game, they left Universal Interactive Studios (now Vivendi Games) and became an in-house developer for SCEA.

    Crash and his friends are preparing to enter a kart racing tournament. Unfortunately, an extraterrestrial named Nitros Oxide sees this, and travels to Earth to compete. He claims to be the fastest racer in the Galaxy, who travels the stars looking for creatures to test his skill. He then challenges Earth to a "little game" he calls "Survival of the Fastest", and explains the rules: Oxide races against the best racer on Earth. If Earth's driver wins, Oxide will leave Earth alone. But if Oxide wins, he'll turn the entire globe into a concrete parking lot, and make Earth's inhabitants his slaves. The drivers of Earth prepare to race for the fate of their planet.

    Gameplay is similar to that of Mario Kart; the following are gameplay elements original to CTR. Collecting ten wumpa fruit improves any item used. The game has a special "power slide" move that gives the player a speed boost while turning. It should be noted that in the last Jak and Daxter game from Naughty Dog: Jak X: Combat Racing also has a "power slide" which gives you an extra speedboost.

    In the races, boxes contain weapons or other powerups that give the player an advantage. Green and black arrows on the ground (turbo boosters) will give the player a short speed increase. Most of the courses contain obstacles that cause a loss of speed, and must be avoided.

    As in Mario Kart, CTR has a battle mode, in which players attack each other in one of several special battle arenas, some of which are unlockable.

    Collectible items include trophies, crystals, gems, and relics. A number of secret characters can be activated throughout the course of the game.
    ]]>     04 Mar 2007 03:17:32     Crash Bandicoot Crash Bandicoot is a platform game made by Naughty Dog in 1996 for the PlayStation, featuring the character by the same name. In it, Crash must fight Dr. Neo Cortex's henchmen in order to save Tawna, his beloved bandicoot girlfriend for revenge on Cortex.

    Evil dr. Neo Cortex and his sidekick dr. Nitrus Brio have captured Crash and his girlfriend Tawna to experiment on them. Crash was rejected as a failiure, but Tawna is still at the clutches of evil scientist Cortex. It is up to Crash to rescue her.

    In Crash' first appearance on the Playstation, you must run, jump and spin your way through this part 3D platform/part Side Scroller/part Mario 64 style adventure.
    ]]>     03 Mar 2007 02:03:56     Micro Machines V3
    ]]>     29 Jul 2007 12:39:39     Mortal Kombat 3 Mortal Kombat 3 is the continuation of the Mortal Kombat series, offering 15 playable Characters and new moves and fatalities. It is this game that Johnny Cage offically died, that a new Sub Zero arose to avenge his brother, and the appearance of the 3 cyborgs
    ]]>     09 Feb 2007 07:04:54     Alone in the Dark 2 Alone in the Dark 2 is the 1994 sequel to 1992's survival horror video game Alone in the Dark created by Infogrames. The game is the second installment in the series.

    It is Christmas 1924. Edward Carnby, a "Supernatural Private Eye," and Ted Striker are investigating the kidnapping of young Grace Saunders. The trail of clues leads to an old mansion named "Hell's Kitchen"--the home of an infamous gangster boss and his gang. Edward decides to pick up the trail when he learns of Ted's disappearance in the mansion. Unfortunately, Edward soon finds out that Ted has been murdered. Carnby eventually finds out that the mobsters are but the corporal forms of the spirits of pirates that plundered the sea years ago. Fighting his way into the house and ultimately onboard a pirate ship hidden in cliff on which Jack's house is built, Edward must rescue little Grace, and find out why the pirates have taken an interest in her.

    Alone in the Dark 2 introduced the concept of playing as more than one character within the same game. Although much of the game is spend playing as Carnby, the player will occasionally take control of Grace Saunders. Grace, a child, cannot fight and is instantly captured if the gangsters spot her, so instead she must sneak around and defeat the gangsters by turning common household objects into booby traps. Unlike the original game, the player cannot choose between two different characters at the start. It's Carnby or bust.
    ]]>     11 Mar 2007 06:00:37     Creatures
    ]]>     29 Aug 2007 09:41:06     Crash Bash

    Crash Bash

    Mario has his party game in Mario Party and Sonic has Sonic Shuffle. Feeling left out, Crash Bandicoot stars in his own party game with Crash Bash. Characters featured in the game include Crash (of course), Coco, Dr. Neo Cortex, and a variety of others from the Crash Bandicoot series of games. Up to four players compete against each other in 28 events that are played either as every man for himself or 2-on-2 teams.

    One example of the types of events found in Crash Bash is a bumper game where each player rides a baby polar bear and attempts to push the others off of a slab of ice. Another is a strategic game where players hop around a checkerboard attempting to turn each block to their assigned color while grabbing power-ups and cashing in their points before another player steals their square. ~ All Game Guide
    ]]>     12 Feb 2007 07:32:47     Frogger The game starts with three frogs. The player guides a frog which starts at the bottom of the screen. The lower half of the screen contains a road with motor vehicles, which in various versions include cars, trucks, buses, taxis, and/or motorcycles speeding along. The upper half of the screen consists of a river with logs, alligators, and turtles. The very top of the screen contains five "frog homes"â€â€
    ]]>     13 Jan 2007 02:39:31     Mega Man X5 Mega Man X5 is the fifth main game in the Mega Man X series by Capcom. It was released in 2000 for the PlayStation, three years after Mega Man X4, and in 2002 for PC. This was re-released on January 10, 2006 as part of the Mega Man X Collection for the GameCube and PlayStation 2.

    An indeterminate amount of time after the events of Mega Man X4, a new plot to destroy the Maverick Hunters is hatched by Sigma, who has been revived again (as in X4, it is unknown who revived him or how). Sigma, after conducting research on the origin and design of Zero, decides to discover how to unlock Zero's true power, hopefully destroying X in the process. Sigma attacks the Maverick Hunters directly, intending to lose. When he does, he spreads a Maverick virus across the Earth, throwing it into chaos. Meanwhile, a Reploid mercenary named Dynamo is hired by Sigma to make the Space Colony Eurasia collide with Earth. The Hunters have only 16 hours to avoid collision.

    X5 was developed by a different team than X4, and this is very evident in the style of gameplay. The most prominent difference in this iteration is the time limit of 16 hours, until the space station Eurasia crashes into Earth. If the crash is not prevented, this does not end the game - it merely changes the course of the story. Every time the player enters a stage, one hour is expended. Due to the nature of the storyline, there are multiple endings to the game. Which ending is seen depends on such factors as whether or not the crash of Eurasia is prevented, and whether X or Zero is used to defeat the last boss.
    ]]>     02 Mar 2007 11:24:21     Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a platform game made by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation and released in 1997.

    The game takes place after the end of the first game, where Crash sent Cortex falling to his supposed doom from atop his blimp and into a cave, where Cortex discovers a large Crystal, and has a flash of inspiration. One year later, he is seen in a space station, being told by his new assistant N. Gin that to harness the Master Crystal's power, he will require an additional 25 "Slave Crystals", which are scattered across the Earth. Cortex then abducts Crash (while he is searching for a spare battery for Coco's laptop) and persuades him to gather the Slave Crystals, telling him that he will use them to harness the power of the aligned planets and prevent Earth from certain doom.

    The gameplay is characterized by a limited environment, and by the breaking of crates, each of which contains some bonus. Breaking all of a level's crates earns the player that level's clear gem. The player can collect additional clear and colored gems by finding and touching them. Colored gems activate secret areas. If one collects all of the gems in the game, the secret ending is activated. Crash has several moves: jump, spin attack, body slam, slide, duck, crawl, and an extra-high jump performed by sliding or ducking and then jumping. Stepping on a question-mark platform/trap door takes Crash to a bonus level. Going to special locations, where something is somehow out of place, brings Crash to one of five secret levels. Also if the player manages to get to certain place in some levels with out losing a single life, the player can hop onto a platform with a Skull and Crossbones logo on it. It takes you to another path in the level of the main path and contains boxes and other secrets one might notice not being found on the main path.
    ]]>     04 Mar 2007 02:37:59     Mega Man X6 Mega Man X6 is the sixth main game in the Mega Man X series by Capcom, and is the first to not be directed by series creator Keiji Inafune. It was released in 2001 for the PlayStation. The game was released for the PC in 2003 as well, but only in Asia. The game was re-released on January 10th, 2006 as part of the Mega Man X Collection for the GameCube and PlayStation 2.

    The story begins three weeks after the Eurasia Incident - with Zero missing, presumed dead, and the Earth's surface rendered uninhabitable - when a Reploid researcher named Gate, curious about the state of the world, stumbles across the Eurasia colony crash site, where finds what he thinks is a piece of debris and takes it back to his lab to analyze it. A week later, Gate is revealed to have gained tremendous power, and as a result becomes Maverick and begins plotting against the Maverick Hunters.

    The gameplay is very similar to Mega Man X5. The player can select X with the option to outfit him with different armors offering unique abilities (most of which have to be downloaded, as always, through Dr. Light's hidden capsules.) Zero can be unlocked after finding and defeating the Zero Nightmare, bringing his own weapons and techniques to the fold, including a refined Z-Saber fighting style. Both characters can be equipped with various items earned after rescuing Reploids throughout every level, boosting their abilities further.
    ]]>     02 Mar 2007 11:49:31     vr powerboat racing Strap in and throttle up as you whip through the most realistic and immersive powerboat racing game ever. Jump over roadways and through passing convoys or speed between oil tankers before they close off the track. This is real Powerboat racing.
    ]]>     12 Feb 2007 01:45:23     Mortal Kombat 4 Early on, the development team at Midway decided to make a 3D Mortal Kombat to capitalize on the rising popularity of 3D games at the time. Midway decided to develop its own hardware, named "Zeus" from scratch however, resulting in development delays (a large amount of the game was tested on two dimensional hardware using pre-rendered characters).

    As revealed in later interviews, programmer Ed Boon was particularly concerned with maintaining the gameplay feel of a 2D game but with 3D graphics. He at first was worried that there was some intrinsic property of 3D graphics that would make this impossible. Essentially, the major gameplay difference between 2D and 3D fighting games of the time, was that up to that point all 3D fighting games had attempted to somewhat simulate realistic martial arts. One of the reasons this was done was to take advantage of the fluid keyframed and motion captured animation that was now possible using 3D models. For example, in Virtua Fighter, a real martial artist was filmed performing the moves, and this movement was imposed on the 3D model in the game. Thus, while a punch in a 2D game might be a rapidly responding move with two frames of animation, a punch in a 3D game might have a delay between when the button was pressed and when the opponent was hit, owing to the realistic animation.

    This delay however fundamentally changed the gameplay experience. Boon eventually decided to use the non realistic 2D rates of animation and movement, simply imposed onto 3D graphics. Thus the gameplay experience is nearly identical to the 2D versions of Mortal Kombat. While this was attempted before with the Street Fighter EX series, that series used more complex animation which did change the gameplay somewhat. Some critics however, were disappointed that Mortal Kombat 4 did not play like other popular 3D games of the time.

    This game introduced 8 new characters, weapons, and a limit inducer to stop people from having unlimited combos
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 12:17:05     Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare is the fourth installment of 1992 survival horror video game series Alone in the Dark created by Atari. The game was released on several platforms including PC, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation 2.

    Edward Carnby's best friend, Charles Fiske, has been found dead off Shadow Island, a mysterious island near the coast of Maine. Carnby's investigation quickly leads him to Fred Johnson, who informs him of Fiske's search for three ancient tablets with the ability to unlock an incredible and dangerous power. Johnson pleads with Carnby to take the place of Fiske and reopen the investigation in order to recover the tablets. Carnby accepts the mission making it his life's goal to avenge Fiske's death and find the tablets.

    Carnby isn't alone on his quest. Aline Cedrac, an intelligent, determined young archaeologist joins Carnby on the mission to Shadow Island. This high-spirited adventurer has taken it upon herself to find the missing tablets, but is there another reason she was so determined to come to Shadow Island? Time will surely reveal the secrets and the intentions, so on October 30, 2001 they approach Shadow Island.

    From their first steps on Shadow Island in the cold winter night, Carnby and Aline are immediately confronted by terrifying, evil creatures that are determined to halt their progress. Throughout the course of their investigations, every step they take, every corner they turn, they are met with suspense, intrigue and a sense of impending doom. Relying only on their instincts and limited resources, Carnby and Aline must destroy this sinister evil and uncover the truth.

    The player takes the role of either Edward Carnby (a rugged paranormal investigator) or Aline Cedrac (a feisty scholarly type), and find themselves marooned on Shadow Island, a haunted place where the shadows are rumored to come alive. The player soon comes under attack from "Creatures of Darkness" that appear out of nowhere and seem to be living shadows. These "Creatures of Darkness" are eventually revealed to be reptilian, silicon-based life forms from the center of the Earth, an enormous world of dark caverns known as the "World of Darkness". Shadow Island apparently contains one of the many entrances to this underground world. True to their name, the game's enemies are averse to light (which apparently turns them into sand), and this figures heavily in gameplay. Players can use their flashlight to repel certain creatures, and killing them is accomplished with such light-producing ammunition as "magnesium bullets" and "phosphorus shells."

    Light plays a significant role in this game. One of the game's main gimmicks is the use of a flashlight that players can use to light up the game's darkened pre-rendered screens, revealing hidden details and uncovering items.
    ]]>     11 Mar 2007 06:23:46