Saturday, September 28, 2013

Top 10 First-Person Shooters

In response to IGN's comprehensive but poorly ranked top 100 shooters list, I've decided to make my own. This list won't be 100 games long, however. It will feature the best of the best of the best: the ten greatest first-person shooters ever made. These ten shooters come to you from several different development teams and originate in several different generations, but they all share a few things in common: excellent mechanics, addictive gameplay, top-notch level design, and, often, some terrific multiplayer modes.

You may notice that some "classic" first-person shooters haven't made this list. While I applaud old-school shooters like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom for blazing a trail for modern shooters, I don't think they belong on this list. They are among the most influential games ever made, but not among the best.

Please enjoy!


#10
Quake III Arena


Although the first Quake game is rightly hailed as one of the more influential games of all time, it was only in 1999, with the release of Quake III, that the series finally reached greatness. Eschewing a plot-based single-player campaign, the developers at id Software instead focused on multiplayer mayhem. The result is a whirlwind of violence, with bodies and bullets literally flying all over the place. While its contemporary Unreal Tournament might have the better maps and more interesting weapons, Quake III looks better, plays better, and just FEELS better. It's multiplayer "twitch" shooting at its finest.


#9
Halo 3


One of the more interesting phenomena of the original Halo trilogy is that as the series unfolded its single-player mode declined while its multiplayer options improved. That's certainly the case with Halo 3, which features a solo campaign inferior to its predecessors and multiplayer modes second-to-none. Apart from the standard death match and capture the flag modes prevalent in first-person shooters, Halo 3 introduced a few novel modes, like VIP and Infection. All are played through a much improved matchmaking system that allows players to veto certain maps and modes, and even team up with online players from the match before. Also available in Halo 3 is "Forge," a multiplayer map editor that allows players to customize existing maps with weapons and vehicles.


#8
Half-Life


Often described as "the thinking man's shooter," Half-Life frequently finds itself on the top of lists such as this one. Spoiler alert: it placed number one on the most recent IGN list. And it's easy to see why. Half-Life changed the rules for first-person shooters. Along with games like GoldenEye 007, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, and Unreal, Half-Life moved the genre away from the standard corridor shooter formula -- shoot first, ask questions later -- toward a more thoughtful formula centered around exploration, storytelling, and, yes, even puzzle-solving. Notably, Half-Life was the first shooter to use scripted sequences, predetermined in-game scenes activated by the hero's proximity to a place or person.


#7 
Far Cry Instincts


A remake of the PC hit, Far Cry Instincts is less open-ended and more linear than the original Far Cry, but adds several innovations that distinguish it as a unique experience. Set on a remote archipelago, Far Cry covers some seriously large real estate: rainforests, jungles, canyons, rivers, mines, and volcanic wastelands, to name a few. Traversing the game world is one of the many joys of Far Cry, whether it's hang gliding over a valley or jet-skiing around enemy forces in a bay. It's not all running and gunning in Far Cry, however. The hero, or, more accurately, antihero, is equipped with trap-making skills and, later in the game, "feral abilities," unique to the console version of the game.


#6
Halo 2


After the critical and commercial success of Halo: Combat Evolved, hopes were high for the inevitable sequel. Well, Bungie delivered on all fronts, developing a game with a stellar single-player campaign, an enthralling (if somewhat anticlimactic) storyline, and, most notably, much-improved multiplayer options. Whereas Combat Evolved launched before the introduction of Xbox Live, Halo 2 arrived in its prime, and quickly became its most popular application. For two years, Halo 2 was the most played game over Xbox Live, finally losing the top spot to Gears of War in 2006.


#5
GoldenEye 007


GoldenEye 007 ranks among games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake as one of the more important shooter ever made. Upon its arrival on N64 in 1997, GoldenEye proved two important things: one, that first-person shooters could survive, even thrive, on home consoles, and two, that they need not all be corridor shooters where players run from point A to point B, blasting everything in sight. In GoldenEye, stealth and strategy matter. Apart from its incredible and challenging single-player mode, which has tons of replay value, GoldenEye features a legendary split-screen multiplayer mode with customizable weapon sets and expertly-designed maps.


#4 
BioShock


A spiritual successor to the System Shock games, BioShock honors its predecessors by cleverly merging multiple genres into an amazing game experience. While it's predominantly a first-person shooter, BioShock features elements of adventure games, role-playing games, and even horror games. It's a masterpiece of game design, and it deserves its place on this list. It's difficult to elaborate on BioShock without giving away its many secrets, but suffice it to say that Irrational Games, who developed the game, created in BioShock one of the most unique and mesmerizing game settings of all time. From the very first moments of the game to its final frames, BioShock will steal you away to another world.


#3
Perfect Dark


Another spiritual sequel? This time it's Perfect Dark, Rare's follow-up to the massively successful GoldenEye 007. It seemed unlikely that Rare could create a worthy successor to one of the most critically acclaimed and popular games of all time, but that's exactly what happened. In fact, Perfect Dark surpasses its spiritual predecessor on all fronts: graphics, sound, presentation, and game modes. In single-player mode, heroine Joanna Dark fights across over a dozen levels to uncover a massive conspiracy. In co-operative or counter-operative mode, two players can take on mission objectives together, or try to sabotage one another. And in multiplayer mode, up to four players and eight computer-controlled bots, or "simulants" as they're called in Perfect Dark, can fight for bragging rights.


#2
Half-Life 2


Boasting an incredible physics system, in which objects and people obey the laws of gravity, friction and buoyancy, remarkably sophisticated artificial intelligence, and superior graphics, Half-Life 2 is, at least technically, a masterwork. Putting aside its technical marvels, however, it's easy to see the the prodigy behind the polygons, the talent behind the textures. In Half-Life 2, Valve created an incredible, extraordinary piece of software, one that in many instances transcends the limits of video game and becomes something more like an experience. This phenomenon is due largely to the narrative structure of Half-Life 2, which never removes the player from his or her character, Gordan Freeman. Exposition is communicated via in-game events, never cutscenes, so the player always experiences the game through Gordon.


#1 
Halo: Combat Evolved


There are only so many truly revolutionary titles in the history of video games, games like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, and Grand Theft Auto III. Then there's Halo: Combat Evolved, which achieved great things for Bungie, Microsoft, and the gaming industry in general. By providing the nascent Xbox with a "killer app," it secured Microsoft's spot in the gaming world. It also introduced features, control schemes, and themes that have, for better or for worse, infiltrated almost every mainstream first-person shooter since. And, lastly, it shifted first-person shooters away from computers and onto home consoles, finishing the work GoldenEye started four years earlier. So it's a hugely influential title, but it's also an amazingly great game, with superior graphics, a standout soundtrack, a well-written story, outstanding level design, and perfect gameplay.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Hiroshi Yamauchi Dies at 85

Hiroshi Yamauchi
There are only a few real visionaries in the video game industry, men and women who saw an opportunity, unseen by others, and seized upon it. One such man was former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi, who died this morning at age 85. The cause, according to Nintendo, was complications from pneumonia.

Yamauchi is rightly credited for transforming his grandfather's playing-card company into a video game juggernaut, and, in the process, delighting millions of fans, young and old.

Named President in 1949, at the age of 22, Yamauchi steered the company first toward board games, toy guns, and pitching machines before he turned his attention toward electronic games. In 1977, he hired a young apprentice named Shigeru Miyamoto, who would go on to create some of Nintendo's most beloved characters: Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, and Zelda. Thanks in part to Miyamoto's creations, and in part to smart marketing and quality control, Nintendo's premier system, the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom in Japan), went on to sell 60 million units, pushing quickly past its competitors.

The last Nintendo system overseen by Yamauchi was the Gamecube, which launched in 2001. He retired a year later, succeeded by current Nintendo President Satoru Iwata.

In one of his last interviews, conducted in 2003, Yamauchi spoke some wise words about Nintendo's place in the video game market:

"That’s absolutely wrong; the gaming wars, they will never end. That’s just not how this business works. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring."

Yamauchi's survivors include a son, Katsuhito.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wii Fit U Nintendo Direct

In an unannounced Nintendo Direct today, Satoru Iwata, Reggie Fils-Aime, and Wii Fit Trainer introduced some new features of Wii Fit U, the latest installment of Nintendo's fitness franchise. Wii Fit U will be available as a free download through the Wii U console beginning November 1. For one month, consumers will have complete access to the product, which uses the Wii Balance Board accessory, free of charge. During the free trial period, consumers can sync the new "Fit Meter" with the digital download and keep the game forever. The Fit Meter retails for $20 and will also be available November 1. Don't have a Balance Board and don't want a digital copy? Wii Fit U will be available at retail in two bundles beginning December 13.




Also announced during this Nintendo Direct was Wii Sports Club, an HD overhaul of the original Wii Sports with online multiplayer and Wii Motion Plus support. Although Wii Sports Club features the original five sporting events from the 2006 game, purchases in Club will be made a la carte. Each sport will cost $9.99 as a digital download. Alternatively, consumers can purchase a day pass for all five sports for $1.99. Tennis and bowling will be the first two sports available on November 7.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Sony Announces Vita Slim, Vita TV

At a gaming conference early yesterday, Sony unveiled a new model of the PlayStation Vita which will be released in Japan on October 10 for 18,980 yen ($190). It will be available in six colors. The system is 20% thinner than the existing model and is 15% lighter. It includes 1GB of internal memory, which will save consumers some money on proprietary memory cards. One disadvantage of the new model is its LCD screen, which offers lower image quality than an OLED screen, which currently ships with all standard Vita models. According to Sony, however, the difference isn't an issue: "Thanks to the rapid progress of LCD technology in recent years, the new display provides users with the highest-level image quality, perfect for deep and immersive gaming experience that is at the core of PS Vita." No announcements have been made of a Vita Slim launch outside of Japan.

Sony also announced Vita TV, a set-top box that plays Vita, PSP, and PS1 games on a TV. However, not all Vita games will work on the console. The system is compatible with a DualShock 3 controller, which is not included in the console's $100 price. A separate bundle, with controller and 8GB memory card, retails for about $150. Vita TV is due out November 14 in Japan.


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Pokemon X & Y Update

Representatives from Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokemon Company broadcast new information about two upcoming Pokemon games for 3DS this morning. Please enjoy:


Among other things, Nintendo announced that players will be able to transfer monsters from Black & White and Black & White 2 into the upcoming games. Using a feature called "Poke Transporter," players can upload captured monsters to a personal Pokemon Bank, which can store up to 3,000 monsters. The Bank requires a premium app and annual fee.

In addition, Game Freak's Junichi Masuda announced that the three new starter Pokemon -- Chespin, Froakie, and Fennekin -- will be joined by the three original starter Pokemon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. These three original monsters now have a final Mega Evolution that can be unlocked.

 Pokemon X & Y will release worldwide on October 12.