10/06 Update: Since we no longer write for the Edmond Sun, this section is temporarily housing our podcast links for our iTunes feed. All of the columns are in the archives menu if you feel like exploring.

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.

Column Archives:

2005's Most Wanted
Friday, January 14, 2005

Now that the incredible glut of quality holiday titles is behind us, it's time to turn our gaze towards the biggest titles on the horizon, because even though one in the hand is worth two in the bush, the grass is always greener on the other side. Or something.

Tom's Picks

Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat ‹ GC
With the advent of 3D technology and a swing towards realism in games, 2D platformers seemed like they were on their way to the graveyard, shovel in hand. Leave it to Nintendo to resurrect the genre that made them what they are today with a platformer unlike anything else out there. Sure, you can use your trusty GameCube pad if you want; but Jungle Beat was actually designed with the bongo drums in mind. Run, jump, swing on vines and punch enemies, all with the most intuitive control scheme ever devised for a platformer. Innovation for the sake of being different can kill a game faster than an Acclaim marketing campaign, but Jungle Beat looks like it will breathe life into a long suffering genre.

Jade Empire ‹ Xbox
This game is going to be so amazing I almost want to remain silent and let you experience it all for yourself come March. My editor is shaking his head on that idea, though, so I'll lay out a few details for you. First, this is a new, "choose your own adventure"-style RPG developed by the guys who made the amazing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Only this time, the galaxy far, far away is ancient China and lightsabers are replaced with nunchucks. Don't fear losing the Jedi because the new stuff in this should be well worth it. The most important feature is replacing the antiquated turn-based combat with some innovative real-time kung fu beat downs. Throw in an awesome 2D shooter mode reminiscent of '1941', and there is no surprise this finds its way to the top of my most wanted list.

Legend Of Zelda ‹ GC
It has to be very difficult to make a new Zelda title. Just about every game in the series has flirted with 'Best Game Ever' status so the pressure is much greater than your average sequel. Nintendo is finally giving fans what they have been clamoring for - a realistic-looking Zelda. If the screenshots are to be believed, this adventure looks better than anything else this generation. So what could Nintendo add to make this good enough for the Zelda name? First, remember what makes Zelda fun. The only weakness in 2003's Wind Waker was traveling around on that horrible talking boat. Thankfully they've ditched the chatty canoe and replaced him with a horse, the preferred mode of transportation for any game. Just about everything they have tried in previous Zelda titles has been amazing; I expect nothing less here.

Odama ‹ GC
Odama is the combination of the real-time strategy genre mixed with good old-fashioned pinball. Yes, if you were wondering, this game does originate in Japan. I honestly have no idea how this concept will work to form an actual, fun title, but it just seems so awesome I squirm with anticipation whenever I think about it. You control your troops by beaning them with the silver metal ball, just as real generals do. Looks like someone is striving to knock Katamari Damacy off the "Wacky Games We Love" throne.

Perfect Dark Zero > Xbox 2
Everything about Perfect Dark Zero is pure speculation at this point, including what system it's going to be released on and whether the game actually exists. Those tiny points will hardly deter me from speculating on what the future of first person shooters could hold. The rumor mill right now has this pegged for release alongside the Xbox 2 in the fall, and if that is the case expect some very big things. Unfortunately for Rare, their biggest competition is still their own Perfect Dark. In the sequel, they need to build on the original. I want to see a ton of bots for offline play, only much more intelligent this time around. I want to see a fully realized co-op and counter-op mode, designed from the ground up to fully incorporate two players. I want the emphasis in multiplayer to be on fighting rather than positioning and sneaking around. After five years of development nothing less than perfection is acceptable. If only the original Perfect Dark didn't already reach that level.

Super Mario 128 < GC
If I were a betting man, I would place all my chips on Super Mario 128 not only missing its intended 2005 release, but skipping the GC entirely, landing on their new system instead. But, Nintendo is still saying the new Mario will come out this year, so I will assume for a moment that is correct. While Mario 64 was a classic and Sunshine was fantastic, I would love to see this new Mario game go back to his roots. Bring back the Tanuki and Frog suit. Make the levels more action based, with a ton to plow through, rather than a limited number you play over and over again. Keep the cool, retro levels from Sunshine, but add even more in there. Revolutionizing the platform genre again may be too much to ask for, so here's hoping they forget about all the new gimmicks and just make Mario Mario again.

Nick's Picks

Wanda and Colossus ‹ PS2
Can the idea for this game be any more original? Can it come from a better team of developers? Can the screenshots and video released so far look any more awesome? I submit to you a very simple answer to all three: no. The game comes from the skilled people behind the cult-classic hit Ico for the PS2, one of the best, most artful adventure games ever released. I won't waste my space telling you too much about Ico, just know that you need to own it. So what do you do in Wanda? Well, a young girl has lost her soul and you're tasked with reviving her by defeating giant creatures that roam the land. And when I say giant, I mean several screens tall, your-character-is-as-big-as-one-of-their-fingers giants. You chase down the beasts on your noble horse, hop onto them, and climb around them until you figure our their weak points. They become the puzzle themselves, and solving them is sure to be awesome. If it plays as great as it looks (which I'm sure it will) we might just wind up with a new standard for adventure games.

God of War ‹ PS2
The fact that David Jaffe, who usually heads up games for Incog (Twisted Metal 1, 2 & Black, War of the Monsters, Downhill Domination), is directing this game is definitely one of the reasons I'm looking forward to it so much. The game already sounds brilliant on paper, but with him behind it it's certifiably guaranteed to be great. You play as Kratos, a super Spartan soldier of sorts, trying to bring down Ares (the titular God of War). The gameplay combines the best elements of several other great action series such as Devil May Cry and Prince of Persia, sets them in a somewhat twisted, stylistic interpretation of mythological Greece, and has you solve clever environmental puzzles while tearing through legions of minions and Gods alike. The combat looks super-smooth and dynamic, and the environments you'll find yourself in look amazing so far. Oh, and all of the boss encounters are wholly unique, such as employing a rhythm-based mini-game to, say, tear the head off of Medusa (which can be used later to turn enemies into stone). The fact that they're admittedly trying to improve on what's been done right before in action games, instead of create something new just for the sake of originality, really speaks volumes about the project; I for one am really looking forward to this "'best-of' the genre" title.

The Movies ‹ PS2
Shooting your own movie, in a game? Can the two best mediums of entertainment be successfully combined? I sure as hell hope so, and I've been anticipating this game since it was supposed to come out last fall. I do know that Peter Molyneux has been working his ass off on the project, which has assumably garnered his full attention since he finished Fable. As I said, you shoot your own film in the game - you do the casting, the placing of cameras, the directing - everything. There are also a handful of sim elements to running the studio, but they don't intrigue me nearly as much as the actual shooting part. Nothing close to this extent of filmmaking has ever been done in a game before, and I feel like Molyneux is one of the few people that can pull it off.

Stubbs the Zombie in "Rebel Without a Pulse" ‹ Xbox
Again, one person really can make me look forward to a game. This time it's Alex Seropian, co-founder of Bungie, and a handful of other Halo alums, under the moniker Wideload Games. The entire company is based around making great games that are also hilariously funny, and they seem to be doing a bang-up job so far with Stubbs. It's a third person action game utilizing the Halo 2 engine, so we already know it will look fantastic and play smooth as silk. What will the gameplay consist of? Not too much is known so far, but you CAN control your disembodied hand, shoot gut grenades and possess enemies, as well as eat their brains. Really, is there anything else you need to make a great zombie game? How about a dozen of todays best indie rock bands doing covers of 50's pop songs for the soundtrack?

Burnout 4 ‹ ?
I can't really imagine how Burnout 3 could have been any better, short of having a ninja ride on your roof and slash at passing cars with his sword. It was the fastest, most fun racing game ever, and that's not easy to do. And considering Burnout 2 was pretty fantastic in it's own right, it was all the more drastic of an achievement. So in theory it's possible for Burnout 4 to be even better, and that's what excites me so much. It can't really get any faster or better-looking, so I'm looking forward to crazy new modes they're bound to implement. What about including destructible buildings in Crash Mode? What about a Hydro-Thunder-style boat racing mode? What about some wide-open levels littered with land mines? My excitement might stem from the fact that it's simply the sequel to one of the best games released last year, but Criterion is a very talented developer and I'm sure they can still exceed my relatively basic expectations.

Black ‹ ?
Criterion strikes again. Very, very little is known about this First Person Shooter, besides the fact that they have every intent of reinventing the genre. Their whole philosophy is that it should be fun to shoot a gun in an empty room, and if you don't have that you have no business making a shooting game. Well, I added that second part. But really, it's true; games like Medal of Honor: Rising Sun spend so much time being historically accurate and trying to create interesting level design that they forget their basic shooting mechanics suck. It's ruined many a well-intentioned game, and it's something that will hopefully never happen again after Black. So yes, I know next to nothing about this game (like everyone else), but with a design philosophy like that they definitely have my interest.


|