System: Game Boy Advance
Developer: Konami
Release date: May 6, 2003
Although Castlevania games have appeared on over seven systems, the Game Boy Advance (GBA) collection might be the finest. The best of the bunch is Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, the first Castlevania game set in the future. Aria of Sorrow is the story of high-school student Soma Cruz, who accidently finds himself in Dracula’s castle, thirty-six years after the dark lord’s final defeat. Although Aria of Sorrow plays like Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance, the other GBA titles, it introduces a “tactical soul” system, whereby Soma can absorb and equip the souls of defeated enemies. Each soul has a different function: some grant projectile weapons, others raise attributes; the most important, “ability souls,” grant Soma skills needed to access certain areas in the castle.
System: Playstation
Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Release date: September 19, 1997
When it was released, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee was unjustly criticized for its level of difficulty and shortage of save locations. The game can be frustrating at times, but most great games dish out healthy doses of frustration to sweeten the eventual reward of success. Apart from a steep learning curve, Abe's Oddysee infuses traditional platform elements (running, jumping, crawling) with new and creative options. One of the most unique additions is "Game Speak," the ability to communicate with enemies, friends, and animals with everything from words and whistles to growls and flatulence. Abe’s Oddysee is set on an alien planet called Oddworld where Abe, an unlikely hero, does battle with an evil corporation threatening the planet’s native species with extinction.
System:Nintendo DS
Developer: iNiS
Release date: November 6, 2006
The Nintendo DS is perhaps the most significant piece of Nintendo hardware released in the past ten years and plays host to unique and innovative titles that combine traditional video game elements with new levels of interactivity thanks to the touch-screen and stylus. One of the most inventive titles for the DS is Elite Beat Agents, a rhythm game with a great sense of humor and huge replay value. Elite Beat Agents follows a trio of government agents who fly to the rescue of everyday people in need, using music and dancing to motivate them. Players must use the stylus to tap, drag, and rotate objects on the touch-screen in rhythm with one of sixteen pop or rock songs. Most of the episodes in Elite Beat Agents are very funny; others are touching and emotionally powerful.
System: Gamecube, PS2, PC, and Xbox
Developer: Ubisoft
Release date: December 1, 2005
Rarely does a video game trilogy close with its finest chapter, but that’s precisely what happened with the Prince of Persia trilogy. Set after the events of Warrior Within, which introduced more mature content into the series, The Two Thrones borrows elements from both its predecessors. The Two Thrones takes place in Babylon where the Prince encounters an old enemy and an old flame and once again attempts to set things right. Apart from the puzzles and acrobatics that define the series, The Two Thrones introduced new stealth fighting techniques, chariot stages and the emergence of a dual personality inside the Prince. This “Dark Prince” emerges at scripted moments in the game, allowing the player the use of the “daggertail,” a medium-range bladed whip.
System: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release date: July 26, 2009
It might share a title with Wii Sports, which was bundled with the Nintendo Wii in 2006, but Wii Sports Resort is light years ahead of its predecessor in terms of quality. Instead of five sporting events, Wii Sports Resort boasts 12, almost all of them winners. They include: swordplay; wakeboarding; frisbee; archery; basketball; table tennis; power cruising; canoeing; cycling; air sports; and golf and bowling, both returning from the original Wii Sports. All events make use of the Wii MotionPlus add-on, which is necessary to play the game, and therefore respond much more accurately to player movements. Wii Sports Resort is a title that could easily be overlooked or dismissed as a sports bundle for the very young or very old. On the contrary, Wii Sports is one of those rare games that appeals to all generations, has something for everyone, can be played – and enjoyed – alone or in a group, and can be used ad infinitum.
System: Xbox 360, PC
Developer: Bethesda
Release date: March 20, 2006
Had Bethesda stopped its production of The Elder Scrolls with its third installment Morrowind, it would be remembered as one of the top developers of both computer and console RPGs. In 2006, however, Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and added to its resume a hugely ambitious title with some of the most beautiful graphics ever seen on a console game. Oblivion takes place in Cyrodiil, the central imperial province of Tamriel, where a secret cult is working to literally open the gates of hell. Like Morrowind, Oblivion is an open-ended RPG where players can postpone the main quest indefinitely, opting instead to undertake any number of side-quests or simply wander around the gorgeously rendered game world.
System: Microsoft Xbox
Developer: Ubisoft
Release date: September 27, 2005
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. Far Cry Instincts is the story of antihero Jack Carver, hired to transport a woman to a remote archipelago. Once there, the seemingly innocent job becomes more complicated and much more deadly. Far Cry Instincts covers a lot of diverse terrain, including rainforests, jungles, canyons, rivers, mines, and volcanic wastelands, and features seven vehicles and seventeen weapons. Apart from a wide assortment of weapons, Jack is equipped with trap-making skills and, later in the game, “feral abilities” unique to the console version of Far Cry. “Feral abilities” include increased speed, night vision and a violent melee attack.
System: N64
Developer: Left Field Productions
Release date: April 30, 2000
Of all the great Nintendo 64 games, Excitebike 64 is probably the most overlooked. It’s neither as sexy nor as famous as titles like GoldenEye 007 or Super Mario 64 but it’s an essential game in the N64 library and the best racing game to appear on the system, surpassing fan favorites like Wave Race 64 and F-Zero X. Like its ancestor on the NES, Excitebike 64 is a motocross racing game that combines a realistic physics engine with some arcade embellishments. Players can choose one of six riders and compete against the CPU or against three friends in twenty indoor and outdoor tracks. Excitebike 64 features several special tracks, stunt courses and a track editor, which allows players to build their own personalized tracks from scratch.
System: Neo Geo
Developer: SNK
Release date: January 29, 1998
The Neo Geo played host to a great assortment of one-on-one fighting games, but none ever matched the style and substance of The Last Blade. Released late in the lifecycle of the Neo Geo, The Last Blade is considered by many fans to be a spiritual sequel of the Samurai Shodown series, another SNK weapons-based fighter. The Last Blade features an orthodox control scheme but adds a new flavor with the ability to deflect an opponent’s attack mid-swing and the option to choose a mode of attack before each match. Those who fight frenetically and rely on stringing together combos can choose “Speed mode”; those who fight with slower but more devastating moves can choose “Power mode.”
System: Playstation 2
Developer: Team Ico
Release date: October 18, 2005
The development team that produced the cult hit Ico returns with Shadow of the Colossus, an action game that pits a young warrior against sixteen colossi, enormous, formidable creatures that roam the plains, deserts, ruins and lakes of a forbidden and forgotten land. A mixture of organic and architectural parts, each colossus is a wonder to behold; each encounter with a giant is unique and memorable. Shadow of the Colossus eschews glossy graphics and complicated control schemes, opting instead to focus on mood, atmosphere, and expressionism. Although director Fumito Ueda has hinted at links between Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, it is officially a spiritual successor and not necessarily a direct sequel.
I'm surprised Shadow of the Colossus is not closer to the 20s. Now I'm curious to see what game beat it out!
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