modeps
11-30-2008, 11:37 AM
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For those of you who do not buy games on their release date and are still trying to see where your money should go, here is a collection of some of the more popular releases for the past week in the order of their overall scores. The scores and quotes are provided by Metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/games/).
Chrono Trigger (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E27DLM?ie=UTF8&tag=evilavatarcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001E27DLM) (DS) - 94%
For fans, the reason to pick up Chrono Trigger is simply because it's available, intact, and enhanced. For newcomers, it's because the game has easily withstood the test of time.
Chrono Trigger is a masterclass in RPG design, its execution so far beyond the quality and poise of contemporary JRPGs it's embarrassing. It represents the work of a company at the very top of its field, a team of designers so confident with the rules that they helped establish that they felt free to subvert and invert them to glorious effect.
It's a true classic, and playing it should be a government-mandated rite of passage for any role-playing fan.
Age of Empires: Mythologies (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B0BB2Y?ie=UTF8&tag=evilavatarcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001B0BB2Y) (DS) - 77%
A game that rivals that of Advance Wars, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2, and Disgaea. Age of Empires has returned to DS, and with it comes more units, more strategy, just as strong of an economy system, and even more to explore within the package.
A solid tactics title, and while it follows the beaten path, at least it takes you along the scenic route.
That being said, if you haven't yet played an Age of Empires title on the DS, Mythologies is without question the most competent turn-based strategy game available for the console, and if you're a fan of mythology, all the better.
Sonic Unleashed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017HPE7E?ie=UTF8&tag=evilavatarcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0017HPE7E) (360) - 64%
Sonic Unleashed is the best that Sonic the Hedgehog has been in years, but this is probably damning it with faint praise. The Sonic segments are fun, and die-hard fans will probably be quite satisfied with them, but everything else just isn't.
I love Sonic because his speedy style of platforming is fun, and Sega should have just developed a game around that and left everything else out.
Compared to Mario Galaxy or Ratchet & Clank - heck, even compared to Crash Bandicoot, another platforming mascot mired in mediocrity - Sonic Unleashed is an obviously poor effort from a series that is still hopelessly lost in the modern gaming landscape.
*editors note: At time of this writing, not enough data was collected on several of last week's releases, such as Neopets Puzzle Adventure, King of Fighters Collection and Ultimate Band.
For those of you who do not buy games on their release date and are still trying to see where your money should go, here is a collection of some of the more popular releases for the past week in the order of their overall scores. The scores and quotes are provided by Metacritic (http://www.metacritic.com/games/).
Chrono Trigger (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E27DLM?ie=UTF8&tag=evilavatarcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001E27DLM) (DS) - 94%
For fans, the reason to pick up Chrono Trigger is simply because it's available, intact, and enhanced. For newcomers, it's because the game has easily withstood the test of time.
Chrono Trigger is a masterclass in RPG design, its execution so far beyond the quality and poise of contemporary JRPGs it's embarrassing. It represents the work of a company at the very top of its field, a team of designers so confident with the rules that they helped establish that they felt free to subvert and invert them to glorious effect.
It's a true classic, and playing it should be a government-mandated rite of passage for any role-playing fan.
Age of Empires: Mythologies (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B0BB2Y?ie=UTF8&tag=evilavatarcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001B0BB2Y) (DS) - 77%
A game that rivals that of Advance Wars, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2, and Disgaea. Age of Empires has returned to DS, and with it comes more units, more strategy, just as strong of an economy system, and even more to explore within the package.
A solid tactics title, and while it follows the beaten path, at least it takes you along the scenic route.
That being said, if you haven't yet played an Age of Empires title on the DS, Mythologies is without question the most competent turn-based strategy game available for the console, and if you're a fan of mythology, all the better.
Sonic Unleashed (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017HPE7E?ie=UTF8&tag=evilavatarcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0017HPE7E) (360) - 64%
Sonic Unleashed is the best that Sonic the Hedgehog has been in years, but this is probably damning it with faint praise. The Sonic segments are fun, and die-hard fans will probably be quite satisfied with them, but everything else just isn't.
I love Sonic because his speedy style of platforming is fun, and Sega should have just developed a game around that and left everything else out.
Compared to Mario Galaxy or Ratchet & Clank - heck, even compared to Crash Bandicoot, another platforming mascot mired in mediocrity - Sonic Unleashed is an obviously poor effort from a series that is still hopelessly lost in the modern gaming landscape.
*editors note: At time of this writing, not enough data was collected on several of last week's releases, such as Neopets Puzzle Adventure, King of Fighters Collection and Ultimate Band.