New Games on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg en-us

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]]> 31 Jul 2007 02:48:03 Liberal Crime Squad is a political role-playing game with rogue-like elements where you recruit extreme liberals in an attempt to change the ultra-conservative USA.

In the beginning you create your LCS founder's background and start alone, but you can recruit as many liberals as you like. The mission is pretty straight forward, change the nation, place liberals in charge. There are many ways to do so, using raw violence, kidnapping important people and converting them into sleepers, changing public opinion, invading the radio station and broadcasting your ideals, freeing criminals, and so forth.

Please be aware that LCS is a rather mature game with lines inappropriate children, but they add a nice comical aspect to it.

]]> 17 Jul 2007 07:32:12 Progress Quest is a next generation computer role-playing game. Gamers who have played modern online role-playing games, or almost any computer role-playing game, or who have at any time installed or upgraded their operating system, will find themselves incredibly comfortable with Progress Quest's very familiar gameplay.

Progress Quest follows reverently in the footsteps of recent smash hit online worlds, but is careful to streamline the more tedious aspects of those offerings. Players will still have the satisfaction of building their character from a ninety-pound level 1 teenager, to an incredibly puissant, magically imbued warrior, well able to snuff out the lives of a barnload of bugbears without need of so much as a lunch break. Yet, gone are the tedious micromanagement and other frustrations common to that older generation of RPG's.

]]> 26 Jun 2007 12:02:47 Tales of Pirates is a free, 3D Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game developed by the Chinese company MOLI. Tales of Pirates is published by IGG (Internet Gaming Gate), who have also published two other games, Voyage Century Online and Myth War Online. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions such as an older version Pirate King Online.

In the game, players fight monsters to develop their skills, levels and other items. With these attributes the player may also do quests and use items. Players gain experience points to level up, which in turn allows them to be stronger. With each level, players get skill point which allow them to advance in certain areas to their liking.
When a player levels up, they have a choice of five attributes to increase.

Strength: Increases damage for swords, staffs, and daggers.

Accuracy: Increases accuracy for all classes. More damage for bows.

Constitution: Increases health, faster health regeneration, and defense.

Agility: Increases attack speed and dodge rate.

Spirit: Increases magical energy as well as increasing SP (Spirit Points) regeneration rate.

(Quoted from Wikipedia)

]]> 12 Jun 2007 06:52:05 Set in a post apocalyptic world, you are required to transport goods between towns to gain money. Fallout style turn based battles with RPG stat system and party management. Quite a good little Flash based game for any Fallout/Wasteland fan.

]]> 11 Jun 2007 04:55:05 Element is a platform MMORPG project. You start as a little white blob, and depending on how you play and what you buy, it changes.

Most of the servers require a free program called Hamachi to play. It's included in the zip. For more info, go to:

http://www.hamachi.cc

Our Network is:
Name: ElementOnline
Pass: IM1337

If you need help setting it up, let me know, I've helped a lot of people get this thing up and running, I know what I'm doing.

Controls:
Arrows: Move
Click: Interact
F4 Fullscreen

To get in a battle, collide with an enemy.

]]> 24 May 2007 03:55:41 This game features an incredibly convoluted plot consisting of several popular past anime series revolving around 'Mecha' and throwing them all into 1 game for some craziness in a simulation strategy game along the lines of shining force.

The anime used include, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, Gundam Seed, Gundam SEED Astray, Nadesico, Full Metal Panic, Mazinger, Tech Man Blade, and Voltron (Golion in japan) and a couple others I could not read due to being entirely in japanese.

The gameplay is very flat but the animations make it worth playing to see the new robots and characters.

]]> 23 May 2007 12:37:06 Join the World of Avatar!

Calling all adventurers!

The great land of Avatan is being threatened by a terrible power, and only you can defeat the monsters that are trying to destroy all we hold dear. Equip yourself with magical items imbued with powerful effects, travel the world, and complete over 25 quests! Wow!!


----------------------------------------------------------
Developer's Note:

Avatar started originally as a class exercise in validating forms in PHP, but ended up becoming a full-fledged web game. There's 3-4 hours of playtime, but it is still quite incomplete.
The project might become active again in the future, in which you can expect: implement AJAX, character classes, abilities and skills, and other stuff!

Thanks for playing.
- Jason

]]> 26 Apr 2007 03:00:15 Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a brand new, genre-bending title that ups the ante on traditional puzzle games by incorporating strategy, role-playing elements and a persistent storyline. Set in the Warlords universe, the game challenges players to save the land of Etheria from evil Lord Bane as gamers engage in battles fought by means of competitive, head-to-head "match-three" style puzzle games in one of three gameplay modes: Single-player, Instant Action or Multiplayer. Victory will advance a player's customisable hero, magical arsenal, creature companions and more—ultimately rewarding gamers at nearly every turn and deepening their immersion into the richly diverse world. The game's remarkable mix of classic puzzle gameplay and an abundant suite of characters, customisations, spells, companions, tameable monsters and more provides a fresh take on the puzzle genre that offers endless hours of replayability. Designed specifically for handheld gaming systems, Puzzle Quest can be enjoyed in long or short doses, cultivating a casual but deeply satisfying and compelling gameplay experience.

]]> 31 Mar 2007 09:08:10 From the game's description:
"The Shapers have the ability to create life, in any form they choose. They can make plants to grow in harsh wastelands, living tools that obey their commands, and powerful monsters to crush any who oppose them. They jealously guard their powers and destroy any who question their will.

Or so they did. Then the revolution came.Your Army

Some of their creations, tired of bondage, rose up. Jealous humans, wanting the powers of the Shapers for themselves, joined them. Now the lands of Terrestia are full of ruins, refugees, and maddened mutant beasts, hunting for prey. There is war. And the Shapers are winning."

You play as an apprentice life crafter, a rebel in the war against the Shapers. Of course, like most Spiderweb games, you have a choice of allegiance. Will you continue to fight against the tyranny of the Shapers, or will you help the Shapers restore order to the world?

]]> 26 Mar 2007 10:10:40 You are a character involved in the struggle between two mighty nations, Istan, and Kourna. You are a sunspear in the Istani General Kormir's army. You face increasingly difficult challenges until you finally face off against the gods themselves.

(Sorry about the URL, made a mistake on the shortcut to my other Guild Wars profile, so I had to make this one different.)

]]> 17 Mar 2007 04:55:11 You are a character in the Shing Jae Academy, who find out about a plauge that is sweeping the land of Cantha. you must choose between joining the faction of the Kurzichs, or the Luxons. you must join with henchmen and different people is the game to defeat the source of the plauge, the corrupted spirit of an assasin Shiro Tagachi, the bodyguard of the emperor of Cantha who murdered his charge many years ago.

(Sorry about the shortcut, the actual nightfall one is http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/GuildWarsNightfallforreal)

]]> 17 Mar 2007 12:11:21 BYOND is a Coding Tool provided by Dantom, a smallish company that specialize in this sort of stuff. It isn't a Game in itself, but with it people are able to create and host games, it's a Labyrinth of them, some good, some bad. It's mainly focused for RPGs.

]]> 11 Mar 2007 05:24:27 In the near future, the world as it was known collapses and emerges once more as a network of barely connected city-states.

No longer the wide-eyed youth, you yearn to explore the world to learn the true mystery of the other city-states. Guide your team through this dangerous, unexplored world, and do battle in rich, multifaceted system that rewards thought and planning as much as brute force.

]]> 10 Mar 2007 05:48:18 This is a turn based RPG fan game featuring 3 cute children. They are Xenosaga's Nephilim, HDM's Lyra, and Aveyond's Rhen. This game is at a middle stage of being in-development. Note that in this game, the term "nephies" means "children".

Not enough screenshots? Click here to view all screenshots!

]]> 10 Mar 2007 04:43:31 Story

In a distant land, long, long ago there once lived a prince, he was righteous and just, noble and honourable by nature and above all evil. Dark and treacherous powers joined together to spread evil over the land and to banish the prince from the principality and the thoughts of the people. Then because of an unsuccessful spell from the despicable lords the prince was banished to another dimension, but not from the memory and hearts of the people. Some years later, through the opening of a portal between dimensions by a good hearted magician, the prince was able to return to his principality. The task then was to drive out the evil lords from power and to allow peace and order to return. A bitter fight against the powers of evil is now imminent...


Gameplay

The Single Player RTS part of the game consists of three addictive, story driven campaigns. Each of them takes place in a different geographical area and bounds you every minute with new challenges like rescuing a kidnapped Princess or fighting a ferocious Dragon - or combat with nasty, ugly, smelly monsters and the bones of the walking dead. During the campaigns the player develops his characters and gains access to new weapons, special armour and magic items. He also has the possibility of creating new characters or building new structures. Additionally, an extensive RPG mode surprises with an even larger selection of maps, quests, weapons and enemies, plus a highly improved character development. For RTS fans and friends of massive multiplayer battles, several RTS skirmish and MP modes guarantee endless hours of exciting gameplay.

]]> 09 Mar 2007 01:27:19 In this "RPG" style action adventure, you are a former super hero sidekick and have been assigned to protect "Smalltown" by the A.S.H.A. (American Super Heroes Association). As you fight crime and put evildoers in their place, you climb the super hero ladder, your superpowers increase and you'll be promoted within the A.S.H.A.!

Build your hero, male or female. Choose your costume from an unlimited combination of colors and decide on which of the over 50 superpowers you need and you're ready to hit the streets!

]]> 07 Mar 2007 08:48:59 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 Breath of Fire II is the second role-playing game in the Breath of Fire series. It was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan in 1994 by Capcom, and was later brought to North America in 1995 by Capcom, before Laguna released it in Europe in 1996. It was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan under the name Breath of Fire II: Shimei no Ko, which translates to Breath of Fire II: The Fated Child. It was re-released in North America and Europe in 2002 under the original title.

]]> 07 Mar 2007 06:17:16 Breath of Fire is the first role-playing game in the Breath of Fire series. It was originally released for the Super NES in Japan in 1993 by Capcom, and was later brought to North America in 1994 by Squaresoft (now Square Enix). It was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance worldwide, this time by Capcom themselves.

]]> 07 Mar 2007 06:08:53 Freedom Force is a computer game developed by Irrational Games and published by Electronic Arts in 2002. The player guides a team of superheroes as they defend Patriot City from a variety of villains, monsters, and other menaces. A sequel, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich was self-published in early March, 2005.

The game is noted for its humorous but respectful evocation of the Silver Age of Comic Books; in particular, its visual style emulates the art style of the Marvel Universe co-creator, Jack Kirby. Also important is its versatile, expandable game engine, which has allowed a considerable fan-community to spring up. Total conversions featuring Marvel and DC Comics characters have considerably extended the life of an already entertaining game.

The alien mentalist, Mentor, fleeing Lord Dominion and his invading forces, heads towards Earth in a small spaceship containing many canisters of the mysterious "Energy X." Lord Dominion's ships pursue Mentor and destroy his craft just outside the Earth's atmosphere; the blast scatters containers of the substance over the metropolis of Patriot City. Energy X strikes several of the city's inhabitants, giving them superpowers that typically echo their personality traits (for instance, Minuteman and El Diablo) or draw on the situation they were in when energized (e.g., The Ant or Nuclear Winter). Most of the game is set in Patriot City, but a number of other locations and time periods are used, including magical realms, prehistoric times, and realms entirely removed from time and space.

]]> 03 Mar 2007 12:41:40 Secret of Evermore, released in North America on September 18, 1995, is a role playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. The game was created by Square Co., Ltd.'s new development house, Square USA.

The story of Secret of Evermore revolves around an anonymous teenage boy and his dog, whom the player may assign names of up to fifteen characters each (a tremendous amount at the time, when names were typically six characters or shorter). In the beginning of the game, the boy, who has a penchant for B-movies, is leaving with his dog from a matinee in a small town called Podunk, USA. Upon leaving the theatre, the dog begins to chase after a cat in the street. The boy hurriedly follows his best friend, finally reaching a large, abandoned mansion. When the dog begins to chew on some wires in a hidden laboratory, the pair soon find themselves transported to the mysterious world of Evermore.

Throughout the course of the game, the player explores Evermore's main areas, many corresponding to different epochs of Earth's history: Prehistoria is an area with dense jungle and primitive men; Crustacia is a land of pirates; Nobilia remembers the Roman Empire and Ancient Egypt; Gothica draws on the Middle Ages; and Omnitopia is a futuristic space station.

In each of the four areas, the boy will encounter a citizen of Podunk involved in the original experiment gone awry 30 years ago in the same mansion where the boy and his dog were transported to Evermore. The player will learn that the regions are manifestations of those citizens' personal Utopias. The boy's ultimate goal is to escape from this fantasy world and return to his hometown of Podunk.

The game shares two major surface similarities with Secret of Mana: It uses a freshly coded interpretation of that game's ring-based menu system, and it requires the player to control multiple characters one-at-a-time. The player guides both the boy and his apparently shapeshifting dog through Evermore, free to switch between characters and sometimes forced to do so to solve various puzzles.

A unique element to Secret of Evermore is its system of magic. Rather than using a traditional system of collecting magic points and using them to cast learned spells, the boy must, with the help of his trusty dog's nose, find various ingredients that may be used to perform alchemic formulas which the alchemists across Evermore teach him; the rarer the ingredient, the fewer times a particular spell may be cast.

The boy wields four different styles of weapons throughout the game: sword, spear, axe, and bazooka. His Bone Crusher is roughly categorized as the first sword. Each type of weapon has different characteristics; for instance, the spears at a high enough level may be thrown at an enemy across the screen, while the swords and axes can cut swaths of destruction around the boy's vicinity. With the exception of the Bone Crusher, all swords, axes, and spears may cut through vegetation. The boy operates the bazooka for the first battle of the game, but abruptly loses it and only receives it again at Ebon Keep to utilize against the deadliest monsters near the end of the game. Each category of weapon has four versions (one for each world the boy visits), and repeated use of them can increase their levels to a maximum of three, unlocking a new charged attack move with each level. The bazooka has three types of ammunition, each more destructive than the last; no charged attacks are possible, and when ammo runs dry, the bazooka can be swung as a weak club.

Although both the boy and his dog are playable characters for the majority of the game, Secret of Evermore is a single-player game.

]]> 02 Mar 2007 06:32:08 This version of Pokemon includes the option to choose your own gender, a new subplot involving the legendary Pokemon Suicune and the Unown, and battle tower.

You are a novice trainer hoping to become world champion. You use your Pokemon to train, breed, and fight to achieve this goal.

Check out the group for Pokemon Fans of the World!

]]> 02 Mar 2007 02:00:58 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 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 The Fire Emblem series is regarded as one of the finest RPG franchises on any system, but this is the first time the series has appeared on the cube.
The story revolves around Ike, the son of a mercenary soldier, who must stop a conflict between the human Beroc and the half human, half beast Laguz.
The gameplay is classic turn based strategy fare, but with a brutal twist, if one of your characyters fall in battle they are gone for good, this has been a staple of the series since the original titles.
As with most games of this ilk, the combat is fluid and easy once you have the menu system down. If you enjoy your turn based games, RPG's and own a GC then this comes highly recommended.

]]> 26 Feb 2007 03:09:46 Pokemon Emerald is an enhanced version of the RPGs Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. This version includes the removal of Battle Tower and the addition of Battle Frontier, a large area that has seven different battling areas. Also 2-on-2 battles can now be random.

You start out as a novice Pokemon trainer. You train, breed, and use your Pokemon to battle so you can finally achieve your goal of gaining the title of World Champion.

Check out the group for Pokemon Fans of the World!

]]> 21 Feb 2007 06:47:01 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 You arrive as the young soldier Adol alongside your friend Dogi in the town of Redmont. After a short catching up with his friends you soon find that the town is in fairly grave economic times. Travelers and marketeers have stopped showing up, and the mines are being shut down due to strange occurrences. Monsters and animals are attacking people left and right, but what's the cause of all the mayhem?

Battles range from hack and slash, to strategy based attacks, to Gradius style projectile dodging.

]]> 16 Feb 2007 02:31:14 Dune, by Cryo Interactive, was the first attempt of making a commercial game based on Frank Herbert's Dune universe.

Dune blended adventure with economic and military strategy, and is considered by many the most immersive Dune computer game. Loosely following the story of the novel, the game casts the player as Paul Atreides, with the ultimate goal of driving the Harkonnen from Dune, while managing spice extraction, military, and later, ecology through the native Fremen tribes. As the player progresses, his troops are equipped with weapons from "krys knives" to atomics, tap into Paul's latent psychic powers, and get acquainted with such characters from the book as Chani and Liet Kynes.

The game, seen always through the eyes of Paul, is a mix between RTS and adventure gaming. While the basis of the game is the strategy component, dialog between characters and a linear plotline give the game more depth than most strategy games. The player is also required to do some miniquests involving talking to characters and traveling to locations, which adds a small adventure game element.



(loosely edited text from wikipedia)

]]> 13 Feb 2007 06:52:47 Cubivore's gameplay is an action/adventure game with a few RPG elements in it. The purpose of Cubivore is to kill the Killer Cubivore and its cronies. To accomplish this your Cubivore must go through several mutations, through several lifetimes "laps" and generations of "offspring". Upon attaining 100 mutations, your Cubivore can become powerful enough to produce an offspring capable of fighting the Killer Cubivore. Thus, Cubivore is a game that is meant to somewhat represent natural selection.

Combat is simple, but strategic and often fast-paced. When facing another cubivore, your job is to attack it, weaken it, and finally kill it by tearing off its limbs. Cubivores are able to attack, jump, run, evade i.e. walk backwards, and block. Much of combat consists of trying to learn the enemy's attack patterns and hitting a weak point. Once the enemy has been subdued, it becomes a battle of wills when your cubivore clamps down the opponent and attempts to tear off its limbs (resulting in a large spurt of purple square-shaped blood, uncharacteristically dark for Nintendo). On eating a limb your Cubivore heals itself a bit, absorbs the color of that limb, and mutates if possible. Finally some boss monsters have a special limb called "Raw Meat", which grants special abilities when comsumed.

]]> 10 Feb 2007 11:19:43 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 In this final iteration of Harvest Moon for the GameCube, you can choose to play as a girl or a boy and start life in a farming village with the goal of becoming an expert farm manager. Taking over your own farm, you raise plants and animals, catch lots of fish, build up your farm, and see your character grow into adulthood. The game features cows, horses and sheep, among other animals, but this time around, if you don't have a gate around their grazing area, they may get out from your farm area and, when night comes, get attacked by wild dogs. You also have added freedom with your planting, as you can now raise plants outside your own farm area. Once again, interacting with townsfolk and falling in love are major points of the game. Your choice of love interests changes depending on your choice of boy or girl at the start of the game.

]]> 09 Feb 2007 05:22:19 Updated version of the original Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, primarily targeted at female players. Not only is the main character in the game a girl, all the romance scenarios have been completely changed to work better from the viewpoint of the female player. There are three male non-player characters to pursue -- which of course comes in addition to all the standard farm work, tending to crops, expanding the house, and taking care of farm animals. Like its predecessor, the game can be linked up with the Game Boy Advance installment in the series.

]]> 09 Feb 2007 04:41:29 The first in the Harvest Moon series for the GameCube, a Wonderful Life pits gamers in a real-life simulation that spans the equivalent of 30 years. As you blossom from a young man into a mature adult you will be able to date, get married, and have a child that will eventually become a huge part of your life. For instance, you might have a boy who will grow to work side-by-side with you helping to farm your crops. So, having a child will have a huge affect on your life. The third-person roleplaying simulation features more than 40 characters to interact with as well as Game Boy Advance link-up.
A "Special Edition" of the game was also released on the PlayStation 2, with additional content not available in the GC version.

]]> 09 Feb 2007 04:24:57 In a land ruled by magic, a band of heroes must save the world. The protagonist is a boy named Klein who's been studying alchemy for a little while. Klein and his mana, a physical incarnation of the element of wood who serves as his guide, find out that there life is about to get a lot more interesting.

Not only does Atelier Iris offer a gripping boy-saves-the-world storyline, and in-depth character development, it also offers a unique recipe system. By bringing certain items to certain NPC's, you can create new items. Anything from food items to weaponry can be created with the recipe system. The items you create generally have a story sequence following them. The only way you can fully develop the characters is by creating all of the items available.

The game features a unique way to explore your surroundings too. You can hop on top of things to reach previously inaccessible places. You can make a step ladder using one of the various manas you'll find. All done in a wonderful anime environment.

Atelier Iris is a great game combining the status building elements of Harvest Moon, with the RPG elements of Breath of Fire III, but adds enough of its own flair to succeed them both.

]]> 09 Feb 2007 12:55:13 You play as Jack Russell a young man who only gets into the Radiata Knights because his father was famous. Jack is certainly not the sharpest sword in the armory, but he is willing to do anything to help his friends. The story is pretty simple but is still lots of fun. This game never takes itself too seriously and is very humorous to play. Plus it has lots of replay value with over 175 playable characters you can recruit and the choice between siding with the Humans or the Fairies in the coming war.

]]> 08 Feb 2007 11:53:27