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These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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How not to waste your money
Saturday, September 04, 2004

On a ten point scale of horrible column ideas to focus on in your first appearance in a newspaper, I would give this particular column a solid 7 out of 10. It won't incite any groups to boycott the paper, but writing a column on how to not rely on video game journalists, such as myself, to tell you what games to buy may seem like biting the hand that feeds me while punching you in the stomach and stealing your lunch money at the same time. So, without further ado, the column that makes me irrelevant.

As someone who has devoted more than 18 years of his life to the noble hobby of gaming, I can tell you it's not all fun and games. Finding information about every single game out there, regardless of how bad it is, actually causes physical pain at times. Using just my eye sight as an example, I went from having perfect vision before I played my first game, to needing to wear a pirate like patch because I developed lazy eye, to needing to wear glasses only when I drive, and now I can't see 10 feet in front of me without corrective lenses. Genetics may have played a small part in this, but sitting 2 feet from the TV couldn't have helped much. The pain was worth it, though, because I have honed by gaming radar enough that I no longer need to read reviews. And I am here to pass that talent along to you without the apparent side effects.

The most important step in finding a good video game is being aware of who developed it. Obvious, I know, but not nearly as easy as you might think. For example, you may remember the Twisted Metal series that originated on the PlayStation. The first two titles, both published by Sony, were of the finest quality. They created a new genre and were a blast to play. The next 3 games in the series, Twisted Metal 3 and 4 plus Small Brawl, were still published by Sony and found exclusively on the PlayStation, but the original developer SinglTrac was gone, replaced by the less than adequate 989 Studios. The games suffered. To make matters even more confusing, when Twisted Metal made its debut on the PS2 with TM: Black, the original developer SinglTrac was thankfully behind it, albeit with a new name: Incog.

Developers changing their name is, unfortunately, all too common. Going back to the previous generation once more, you will find the critically acclaim Goldeneye and Perfect Dark (N64) - both developed by Rare. If you loved these games and are looking for more First Person Shooters developed by this fine company, you would be out of luck. In their 20 year history they have exactly two FPS to their credit. However, after the completion of Perfect Dark, a number of people left Rare and formed their own company called Free Radical. With the foundation of this new company they brought their love of great FPS to the land of multi platform gaming. If you are in need of more Goldeneye-esque gameplay look no further than Timesplitters 1 and 2, and the soon to be released 3, available on all 3 consoles.

Other than keeping track of movement, it's good to have a general idea of what to expect from all the major video game makers. Capcom, for instances, has a knack for making extremely fun, original titles. However, they also have a tendency to sequel said games to death. So, if you are buying a Capcom game, be aware that all of their sequels are just minor updates to the original. Be weary of plopping down $50 for any Capcom game ending in a numeral. This rule of thumb actually works almost flawlessly considering one of Capcom's few original games to avoid, P.N. 03 for the Gamecube, conveniently ends in a numeral.

Knowing who developed a game is clearly the easiest way to know if a game will be worth playing or not without wasting money on it. However, there are a few more tips I can impart on you to help you completely avoid buying horrible games.

First of all, when you are dealing with two games that appear very similar, be aware which game came first and which is merely copying the other. For instance, though Grand Theft Auto was hardly the first game ever to allow the freedom to do whatever you want in a realistic environment, it did this with more freedom than ever and in a way that was more fun than ever. That GTA3 is one of the best selling games this generation is no surprise - it's a great game. However, many companies are trying to cash in on GTA's popularity. From True Crime: Streets of LA to The Getaway and a slew of other titles, it seems that half the new games coming out are best described as "GTA except..."

A copy of an original is rarely as good as the original itself. Unless you have played through GTA in its entirety and crave more random violence, steer clear of these pretenders.

Also, any game that bills itself as a "___ Killer" should be approached with caution. For instance, there are many FPS coming out, such as Killzone (PS2), that are being described as "Halo Killers." Halo is being used as this end all destination point for a reason - Halo is an amazing title. Chances are high that some random first person shooter is not going to be able to unseat the highly acclaimed, hugely popular Halo.

The last tip, and maybe the most important one, I have to share is about licensed games. From Star Wars to Mary Kate and Ashley, many companies purchase the rights to popular names in an attempt to sell more copies. While being licensed certainly doesn't mean a game is bad - look at the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront (Xbox and PS2) or X-Men Legends (All 3) for licensed games that should be really fun - many developers simply stick that licensed name on a mediocre title and hope the name alone will sell it. The reason these two games, along with other notable licensed titles, are actually worth playing is the goal of the developer. Instead of merely pasting popular characters in a generic enviroment, these two games were built from the ground up to incorporate all that make the license enjoyable while making a game worth playing.

Now that you have the power to deduce what games are worthy of your wallet paper, make sure you use this power wisely. Companies make games for a profit, if they can't sell their below average titles they just might have to make games that are worth playing.

Nick's Response:

Another thing to watch for is whether larger publishers develop their own games. Whereas the ridiculously prolific Final Fantasy series has always been developed by Square themselves (and is therefore still pure quality going into the twelfth game), the most recent game bearing the Square logo, Star Ocean: Till The End of Time, wasn't actually developed by Square, only published by them (technically, Square-Enix, whom they've merged with). That's not to say that the game is bad by any means, but it's also not Final Fantasy, so don't expect as much. Same goes for Nintendo. They are arguably the best developer in the video game business, but the games that they only to publish aren't nearly as consistent. Just because you see their logo on the package doesn't mean it's a sure-fire bet - you need to look a bit closer.

It's definitely tough to stay in the know as to which developers are turning out the best games, but another suggestion I have is to learn the names of a few second-party developers. Second parties (as opposed to first or third) are either internal development teams within one of the three big gaming companies, or an outside one whose games are published exclusively by one of the larger companies. Microsoft has Bungie and Rare, Sony has Naughty Dog and Insomniac, and Nintendo has Camelot and... well, you get the idea. For the most part, second party games are a good bet, as their products are crucial to system launches and branding. Companies spend a lot of money to have these development houses on their respective sides, and usually with good cause. There are always exceptions, such as Sony's horrid 989 Studios, but you'll usually find that you've gotten your money's worth with a second-party game.

- Tom


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