Weekend Gamer - Gamecube GotY

[Jetherik]

DoctorSetebos has reminded me that the GotY for Gamecube hasn't been posted. What is your Gamecube Game of the Year?

[Grimmjow]

Resident Evil 4 hands down!

[Draft]

Doesn't RE4 being the overall GOTY automatically make it the Gamecube's GOTY?

[[Jez]]

How old is Tales?... buggerit Resident Evil 4

[Spigot]

RE4. I can't think of another Cube game that had me playing it as much as that did this year.

[Grifter]

Considering RE4 is the only Gamecube game I have played this year I guess it wins by default.

I just beat it last night and was wondering if it is worth another playthrough for unlockables and such.

[Worldcrafter]

RE4. I've gushed about it far too much not to vote for it. I think my Gamecube has started memorizing the data from those disks since I play it so much. If RE5 is anything like RE4, then that's a system seller for me.

[screwtape]

I just beat it last night and was wondering if it is worth another playthrough for unlockables and such.
Playing through on hard mode is a bitch. I found it to be quite fun, if incredibly difficult at times.

The unlockables are fun, but are generally so overpowered as to remove any challenge from the game, though it is rather satisfying to one-shot kill El Gigante with the upgraded Handcannon. Even if you don't want to use the unlockables, it's fun to go through Assignment Ada and the challenge mode.

And yeah, I'm in the same boat as everyone else thus far - I can't remember another new GC game this year. Even if I could, I'm sure it wasn't better than RE4.

[Heretic Machine]

Stupid question.

[jpublic]

Tales of Symphonia or X-Men Legends II.

[Deadend]

Resident Evil 4

[Kelegacy]

Yeah, it's pretty obvious.

Did we already do a PC game of the year?

[Blade]

It's clearly RE4. I mean, my brother and I play Mario Superstar Baseball daily but it's no GOTY.

[didragondi]

Fire Emblem tied with Resident Evil 4

[Syl]

Resident Evil 4.

As much as I enjoyed Killer 7, RE4 is definately the game of the year for me.

[Groo]

Resident Evil 4 was the only Cube that came out this year that I played all the way through. Metroid Prime 2 came out last year...

[LiquidRain]

Tales of Symphonia is a 2004 title. I remember playing it the summer before this one, as it was a great time waster as I waited for the rest of my furniture to arrive in my new apartment when I moved.

[agentgray]

I think it's okay that you didn't ask this one. We all knew it.

Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Hands Down. ;)

[AspectVoid]

My vote goes to Fire Emblem. I had far, far more fun then I did with RE4. And for me, that's what it all comes down to. What was the most fun for me to play.

[Rangoth]

Killer 7 :)

[MaiXu]

Is this even a question? What else was there on the 'Cube this year except Resident Evil 4?

So, uh ... my vote is for RE4.

[Pumped'Up]

Doesn't RE4 being the overall GOTY automatically make it the Gamecube's GOTY?
I'm not certain, but the question here is if the Cube GotY has to be an exclusive title. In this case, I wouldn't know then.

However, I've played both PS2 and GC versions of RE4 and both are equally absolutely fantastic - RE4 is/could be be easily GOTY for both systems.

Slightly off topic, many may nominate God of War as GotY for the PS2, although I thought it was entertaining (beautiful graphics but repetitive), it is definitely not GotY worthy imho. It simply doesn't have any where near the "meat"/content of RE4.

[Mozgus]

For the longest time, I thought that the entire gaming world was just on dope for thinking RE4 was so great. When I started hearing that RE4 was getting GOTY, I flipped. But then I took a look at the top 50 rated games at gamerankings for the 2005 year:

I realized...this has been one of the worst years of gaming ever. I was severely dissapointed with every hyped up title I got my hands on. Despite RE4 being the worst in the Resident Evil series, it still was a mediocre game, and I still played it through til the end; which is something I can't say for many other games this year. So...I unfortunately agree that RE4 deserves GOTY.

Some runner ups should be Burnout Revenge and Devil May Cry 3. Tales of Symphonia did not come out in 2005, and just like RE4, it was the worst in it's respective series. Go try Tales of Eternia sometime.

[Hugenex]

RE4 the only one game i bought this year for Game Cube! Did i buy Tales of... this year or last?

[i aint yer pa]

Is there an echo in here? Super Mario Strikers has been growing on me, big time, lately, but it's no contest.

Resident Evil 4. You probably don't need to hold a poll for this one. Best game of this generation of consoles.

[TrackZero]

DoctorSetebos has reminded me that the GotY for Gamecube hasn't been posted. What is your Gamecube Game of the Year?

DoctorSetebos doesn't sound too bright then. It's RESIDENT EVIL 4. I mean, does it really need to be said?

Hell, I think the only other games I even played on my cube this year were Donkey Konga and Ikaruga.

[xxBlackCrossxx]

For the longest time, I thought that the entire gaming world was just on dope for thinking RE4 was so great. When I started hearing that RE4 was getting GOTY, I flipped. But then I took a look at the top 50 rated games at gamerankings for the 2005 year:

I realized...this has been one of the worst years of gaming ever. I was severely dissapointed with every hyped up title I got my hands on. Despite RE4 being the worst in the Resident Evil series, it still was a mediocre game, and I still played it through til the end; which is something I can't say for many other games this year. So...I unfortunately agree that RE4 deserves GOTY.

Some runner ups should be Burnout Revenge and Devil May Cry 3. Tales of Symphonia did not come out in 2005, and just like RE4, it was the worst in it's respective series. Go try Tales of Eternia sometime.


silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.

[Mozgus]

silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.
Intriguing argument, but I'm sticking to my opinion, thanks.

[xxBlackCrossxx]

Intriguing argument, but I'm sticking to my opinion, thanks.


wasn't meant to be an argument. silly wabbit.

[Spigot]

How can you possibly state that RE4 is the worst of the series? And as for it being one of the worst year for gaming ever, I beg to differ. It may not have been a super duper banner year, but there were plenty of amazing titles on every system.

In other news, if we are talking about exclusives Fire Emblem is probably a great choice for the Cube. I really liked what I played of it, but I'd kind of burned myself out on Fire Emblem playing the two GBA titles earlier in the year. Ah well.

[Error]

How can you possibly state that RE4 is the worst of the series? And as for it being one of the worst year for gaming ever, I beg to differ. It may not have been a super duper banner year, but there were plenty of amazing titles on every system.

Oh I beg to differ with your begging to differ. The past few years have seen at least two, maybe three valid contenders for Game of the Year every year. This year is the first in a long time that's had people scratching their heads saying "Damn what came out this year?"

[Camel]

I'd kind of burned myself out on Fire Emblem playing the two GBA titles earlier in the year. Ah well.

My vote's for Fire Emblem, but I hear you loud and clear Spigot. I had so much fun playing the GC version that I immediately went and bought the two GBA games. I realized very quickly that a person can only handle so much Fire Emblem in a year.

I think it's great that so many people remember how awesome RE4 was, despite it coming out very early in the year. As some people have mentioned, however, I think a lot of this sentiment has to do with the lack of quality games this year on the cube.

[Mozgus]

How can you possibly state that RE4 is the worst of the series?
Because I can, and I did.

RE4 was made to please all the whiners who didn't like the series to begin with. I am a huge RE fan. I've never seen anything wrong with the pre-rendered backgrounds or the controls. I relish them like candy. The backgrounds please me with their artistry, and the controls allow the game a cinematic look and feel, unlike a game where the camera is always behind the character.

I also saw no need to remove the item boxes. RE4 forced me to permanently sell my valued arsonal to make room for the new stuff. That is bullshit. The old RE's would let me personally organize my vast array of weaponry, so I can use whatever I want to combat the enemies near the end of the game, without having to "save up money" to rebuy one specific gun I had in mind.

For that matter, I saw no reason for them to remove the DIFFICULTY and SUSPENSE. I didn't so much as flinch or get stuck the entire way. It was completely boring.

Oh, and they removed any punishment for dying. This is Resident Evil, not Team Fortress Classic. I don't want to RE-SPAWN when I die. That is not survival horror. There's no intensity or pressure when you have nothing to lose.

Then they went on to remove any puzzles that might require a brain.

Then, they decided that the game wasn't easy enough, so they gave it RPG elements, so that you can turn any weapon into a boss-raping monstrosity.

Then they decided that things weren't rediculous just quite yet, so they attached laser sights to every weapon known to man. I dunno what that was even about. I never needed laser sights in the other Resident Evils, and in those ones, I didn't have, nor want, a third person over-the-shoulder aiming viewpoint.

Then they blatantly stole the codec conversation idea from Metal Gear Solid. Except in this case, it served no purpose at all. Only to annoy you.

I could do this all day, and I have before. I might have enjoyed RE4 a lot more, if it wasn't called Resident Evil, if it didn't turn one of my favorite characters into a dipshit, if it actually offered some type of gameplay mechanic that I had not experienced in superior form in a previously released generic third person action game.

I expect that no one will actually read or attempt to apply my points to their experiences with RE4. That's fine. Continue to play in ignorance.

[Adam Blue]

I agree that RE4 was too easy....especially the weak penalty for dying...that should have been part of an 'easier' difficulty level. But the game is still tight as shit.

[The Iron Weasel]

Resident Evil 4, is there even any compition?

[Spigot]

Because I can, and I did.

RE4 was made to please all the whiners who didn't like the series to begin with.

Point well taken. That said, I am probably one of those whiners who somewhat enjoyed the previous entries in the series but never really cared for it as a 'survival horror' game. RE (the series) didn't have the creepy fear factor of the Silent Hill series and tended to rely a bit too much on ye olde zombie-in-the-closet twitch scare as opposed to being actually scary.

I found that RE4 had great voiceovers, an interesting and different story and very smooth action, even without the gorgeous graphics.

But to each his own.

Oh I beg to differ with your begging to differ. The past few years have seen at least two, maybe three valid contenders for Game of the Year every year. This year is the first in a long time that's had people scratching their heads saying "Damn what came out this year?"

And as for this not being a year with 2-3 games that could easily be GOTY, I beg to differ with your begging to differ with my begging to differ.

On the cube, sure. Slow year. But across all the platforms? You've got Psychonauts, God Of War, Guitar Hero, Shadow Of The Colossus, RE4, not to mention all the crazy fun handheld titles on the DS and GBA... and I didn't even start on PC games. I know I sure spent a bunch of money on quality titles this year. It just was a year that didn't seem to have as many big-name franchise releases... though it probably did.

[Mozgus]

Point well taken. That said, I am probably one of those whiners who somewhat enjoyed the previous entries in the series but never really cared for it as a 'survival horror' game. RE (the series) didn't have the creepy fear factor of the Silent Hill series and tended to rely a bit too much on ye olde zombie-in-the-closet twitch scare as opposed to being actually scary.
Now Silent Hill could be fantastic if they put some real effort into distinguishing the maps. When things get dark, the Silent Hill games tend to get lazy and take the old NES Metroid style of level design and exploration. Tons of duplicate rooms, with maybe only the slightest differences, like one door is locked when it wasn't before. But in Resident Evil, every room is 100% unique, and you immediately know where you are.

[Spigot]

Ah, but the sense of psychological tension and normal-person-in-distress in the SH games is what distinguishes them from the usual survival horror games that tend to go the RE route. RE's are the action movies of the genre, SH's are the indie horror films.

That, and I don't mind backtracking if there is a point to it, which the SH games tend to have.

[Loganrapp]

Resident Evil 4 changed when the original game's creator and designer, Shinji Mikami, returned to the series and decided to shake things up.

It was not done to "appease the whiners," which is ironic considering the way you're arguing, it was done because Mikami does whatever the fuck he wants, and decided to make RE4 more action-oriented because he was tired of the series becoming formulaic, which it was.

"Worst gaming year?" Please. For you, maybe. That argument is the equivalent of opening up a fully-stocked refrigerator and calling out "honey, there's nothing to eat!"

[Spigot]

"Worst gaming year?" Please. For you, maybe. That argument is the equivalent of opening up a fully-stocked refrigerator and calling out "honey, there's nothing to eat!"
I couldn't have said it better myself, so I won't!

[mister_slim]

Killer7, because it simultaneusly demonstrated that much of gaming conventional wisdom is wrong and that most people are dumb.

[Lodin]

Seriously, would it kill Nintendo to just make a Smash Borthers Tournament Edition type thing?
Just even up some of the characters, slap in about four new ones (Kid Icarus maybe), a couple of new stages and maybe some new sidescroller adventure.
Slap a thirty buck price on that bitch and tell me Ninty wouldn't make a mint.

BUT INSTEAD WE GET MARIO BLOODY PARTY NUMBER 37!

[Spigot]

Seriously, would it kill Nintendo to just make a Smash Borthers Tournament Edition type thing?
Just even up some of the characters, slap in about four new ones (Kid Icarus maybe), a couple of new stages and maybe some new sidescroller adventure.
Slap a thirty buck price on that bitch and tell me Ninty wouldn't make a mint.

BUT INSTEAD WE GET MARIO BLOODY PARTY NUMBER 37!

I want an unlockable, playable Eggplant Wizard.

And you should be able to fight as Tingle too.

Actually, you shouldn't...

[fushi]

Stuff
Thanks. I haven't played the game myself and this is (honestly) the first time I've heard someone criticizing it, with completely valid points. This reminded me of the differences between the first Zelda and the modern Zeldas: The first one was made for people who enjoy exploring unknown places, whilst the modern ones are made for people who have never played a videogame before. A more subtle way of dumbing down something.
Killer7, because it simultaneusly demonstrated that much of gaming conventional wisdom is wrong and that most people are dumb.
...

[Lodin]

And you should be able to fight as Tingle too. Brilliant! They should just get Namco in on it and copy Voldos moveset from SC3.

[xxBlackCrossxx]

Resident Evil 4 changed when the original game's creator and designer, Shinji Mikami, returned to the series and decided to shake things up.

It was not done to "appease the whiners," which is ironic considering the way you're arguing, it was done because Mikami does whatever the fuck he wants, and decided to make RE4 more action-oriented because he was tired of the series becoming formulaic, which it was.

"Worst gaming year?" Please. For you, maybe. That argument is the equivalent of opening up a fully-stocked refrigerator and calling out "honey, there's nothing to eat!"


Exactly. True about the fridge as well. Ha. I agree about killer 7, game is insane.

[alienchild]

Resident Evil 4... now thats controversy to an old-time survival horror fan like myself. Some time back me when me and some friends were running survivalhorror.com (RIP) I was a total fanatic. I really enjoyed the "tank-movement", the item box, the silly dialogue... but what happened was that the series itself did indeed need a breath of fresh air.

The background of RE4 was exceptionally cool. If you look at the stills/concept art after the ending, on the credits roll (PS2 version) I just sat there and imagined how utterly dark and scary the game could have been. Instead, it was fucking ridicilous - with some really cool gameplay. The midget/child or whatever you might call him was extremely silly - but when the fucker had a HUGE statue robot of himself I just threw my controller to the floor in disgust. Literally. That moment ruined the whole experience for me. Its like playing Half-Life 2 and the G-Man shows up in a g-string. Good for a laugh, but I take the story seriously!

Personally I consider RE4 to be the second worst game in the series, just above RE3 - meaning I enjoyed Gun Survivor and Dead Aim more than I did RE4. Havent played Gaiden yet though.

As for GOTY, I only got a few Cube games so sure, it has my vote.

[Banacek]

...an old-time survival horror fan like myself.

The midget/child or whatever you might call him was extremely silly - but when the fucker had a HUGE statue robot of himself I just threw my controller to the floor in disgust. Literally. That moment ruined the whole experience for me. Its like playing Half-Life 2 and the G-Man shows up in a g-string. Good for a laugh, but I take the story seriously!

What? If you've been playing RE since day one, and you think that's the height of cheesiness in the series, then you must not of been playing long...

/Barry: "...Jill, don't OPEN that DOOR!"

[Leon]

RE4 of course. Nothing else even comes close :)

[Rirath]

"Worst gaming year?" Please. For you, maybe. That argument is the equivalent of opening up a fully-stocked refrigerator and calling out "honey, there's nothing to eat!"

Wow, Quote of the Year.

[QUOTE=Banacek]What? If you've been playing RE since day one, and you think that's the height of cheesiness in the series, then you must not of been playing long...

/loves his Master of Unlocking Gameskins shirt.
//hates Penny Arcade for convincing the shutdown of Gameskins and merging with their store.

[Achilles]

It’s got to be RE4 for me as well. Not that much came out for it this year.

As for it being the worst RE game, I don’t buy that for a minute. Zero was my least favorite main RE game, after that Veronica, then RE1, then Nemesis, then RE4 then RE2. So it’s the second best RE game in my estimation. More fun moment-to-moment than 2 but less scary and more repetitious.Killer7, because it simultaneusly demonstrated that much of gaming conventional wisdom is wrong and that most people are dumb.Yep, it proved single-handedly that a game doesn't need to be fun or play well to get good reviews and a cult following- it just needs to be weird.

[Sensei-X]

Only bought one GC game this year, and therefore it gets my vote, Resident Evil 4. Oh and just to make things easier, I will only be buying one more game for GameCube next year and it also gets my vote for 2006, Zelda: Twilight Princess.

[Mozgus]

Thanks. I haven't played the game myself and this is (honestly) the first time I've heard someone criticizing it, with completely valid points. This reminded me of the differences between the first Zelda and the modern Zeldas: The first one was made for people who enjoy exploring unknown places, whilst the modern ones are made for people who have never played a videogame before. A more subtle way of duming down something.

Agreed. Compare Zelda AoL to Zelda WW in terms of difficulty...That's probably the widest gap you'll ever find in any one series.

[Redline]

Because I can, and I did.

RE4 was made to please all the whiners who didn't like the series to begin with. I am a huge RE fan. I've never seen anything wrong with the pre-rendered backgrounds or the controls. I relish them like candy. The backgrounds please me with their artistry, and the controls allow the game a cinematic look and feel, unlike a game where the camera is always behind the character.

I expect that no one will actually read or attempt to apply my points to their experiences with RE4. That's fine. Continue to play in ignorance.

Wow. I really couldn't stand all the previous Resident Evil games, much preferring the real daddy of survival horror: Alone in the Dark. But you make this version sound much more appealing!! Maybe I should give it a shot. :D

[PIPBoy3000]

I just bought a Gamecube a couple months ago and am enjoying playing the cream of the crop. Resident Evil 4 is a great game, one of the most memorable I've played in a long while.

Catching up on old titles, I find Metroid Prime a bit too frustrating for my PC-trained reflexes. I'm hopeful my son can get into Zelda WW - he's in the "never played a video game" category, on a console anyway. He's pretty good at the mouse and keyboard. Right now, he's doing work around the house in exchange for Animal Crossing. He cleaned the play room, watched his sister, and scrubbed the toilet, so I think he's excited about it.

[laggerific]

RE4. I've gushed about it far too much not to vote for it. I think my Gamecube has started memorizing the data from those disks since I play it so much. If RE5 is anything like RE4, then that's a system seller for me.


Exactly...I got this for my nephew for christmas...it's really the best game ever made...it's tight, captures the simplicity that shiggy is always talking about. truly a masterpiece

[alienchild]

What? If you've been playing RE since day one, and you think that's the height of cheesiness in the series, then you must not of been playing long...

/Barry: "...Jill, don't OPEN that DOOR!"

dude... bad voice acting is cheesier than a gigantic fucking walking robot statue? It's a Mecha-Strizand!

[Mozgus]

dude... bad voice acting is cheesier than a gigantic fucking walking robot statue? It's a Mecha-Strizand!
Now with the original RE, that cheesy acting was part of the reason why I loved it. Castlevania SOTN fans can probably understand. It's a type of cheese that only adds fun to the game. You and your friends can all laugh together at it. But something about that robot statue, or that annoying midget in general, just rubs me the wrong way. I can't laugh at him. I can only be annoyed by him.

[alienchild]

Now with the original RE, that cheesy acting was part of the reason why I loved it. Castlevania SOTN fans can probably understand. It's a type of cheese that only adds fun to the game. You and your friends can all laugh together at it. But something about that robot statue, or that annoying midget in general, just rubs me the wrong way. I can't laugh at him. I can only be annoyed by him.

I agree 110%

[Kefkataran]

Bandwagon: Resident Evil 4.

[Borys]

Baten Kaitos!!!

Yeah I know I'm alone with this pick :|

[mister_slim]

Yep, it proved single-handedly that a game doesn't need to be fun or play well to get good reviews and a cult following- it just needs to be weird.
So you get to define fun and good play?
Baten Kaitos!!!

Yeah I know I'm alone with this pick :|
That's alright, we can fight the zombie-loving hordes together!

[a|A]

Killer7!
Then RE4.

Those are the only two games I've played on 'cube this year. Oh, that and Soul Calibur2. Go link!

[Achilles]

So you get to define fun and good play?If you read the reviews every one of them mentions how bad the gameplay was, then gives it a high score. Are you saying that the gameplay of Killer 7 was fun and good? Would you like it to be in other games? Like have Metroid Prime 3 control that way?

[mister_slim]

If you read the reviews every one of them mentions how bad the gameplay was, then gives it a high score.
I think you're reading your own preconceptions into the reviews. Most of the ones I read made the point that the gameplay was decidedly different. It's obviously subjective, but I enjoyed the different feel of the gameplay, and some reviewers agreed with me, while some disagreed.
Are you saying that the gameplay of Killer 7 was fun and good?
I found it fun. I thought it was good. I find it arrogant of you to tell me what I should enjoy.
Would you like it to be in other games?
Depends on the game. If the game was designed by someone who understood the strengths and weakness of the Killer7 design, yes. If it was just blindly tossed into some licensed franchise by someone who doesn't understand what parts of the gameplay worked in this particular case (and many of the reviews I've read and many of the comments from players demonstrate that they didn't understand how the gameplay worked as part of the whole), no. The design of the gameplay did two things: it allowed them to ignore most of the problems with 3D level design, because the player couldn't wander off into a deadend area, and it allowed them to structure the combat around a character-based puzzle-solving design that made it somewhat more akin to an RPG than a FPS. There are areas, particularly a pivotal couple towards the end of the game, where a typical movement scheme would have made the game unplayable or ruined the game experience.

[Banacek]

Killer7 was an experiment in migraines, and it was a smashing success...

[Atepsflame]

It's hard to really make a case for anything except RE4. That's where my vote's going.

[Pumped'Up]

Killer7, because it simultaneusly demonstrated that much of gaming conventional wisdom is wrong and that most people are dumb.
I just picked up Killer7 for $9.95CAN brand new for PS2. Glad to hear someone's nominated this niche title...makes me feel better that the purchase was well spent ;)

[Rangoth]

I am wondering, is there any real difference between the GC and PS2 versions?

[The Iron Weasel]

I just picked up Killer7 for $9.95CAN brand new for PS2. Glad to hear someone's nominated this niche title...makes me feel better that the purchase was well spent ;)

Lemme guess, clearance at EB?

[ezzkmo]

Resident Evil 4

[Ravenlock]

Is this even a question? What else was there on the 'Cube this year except Resident Evil 4?

So, uh ... my vote is for RE4.

I agree with the vote for RE4 (though I actually just finally got it and haven't played through it yet... I know, I'm a horrible person), but there were other things on the Cube to play.

The two Mario sports titles (baseball and strikers) are both excellent party-style games. Fire Emblem got rave reviews from pretty much everyone. Killer 7 was not GOTY material, but was certainly a high-caliber production. Timesplitters: Future Perfect is a great shooter, with lots of replay value. Prince of Persia: Two Thrones is apparently pretty awesome, though I haven't gotten to play it yet.

And I really, really enjoy Battalion Wars, and though it wasn't a huge hit for some reason it's a very strong Cube-exclusive title.

So yeah, RE4 still wins, but to say there were no other decent Cube titles in 2005 isn't quite accurate. Had Twilight Princess made it out this year (sigh), I don't think there would have been any contest.

[Ravenlock]

I expect that no one will actually read or attempt to apply my points to their experiences with RE4. That's fine. Continue to play in ignorance.

Partway through RE4 at the moment and really liking it, partly because I didn't like the previous RE games. I'm just not a hardcore horror game fan, and the more action-game style appeals to me.

That said, I have no argument with any of your post except for this last part. Assuming that no-one else will listen to you out of the bat makes me wonder why you bothered (no matter, you were wrong), and differences in aesthetic preference do not equal ignorance.

So yeah, good post up until the prickishness took over at the end. :rolleyes:

[51|RandoM]

"Worst gaming year?" Please. For you, maybe. That argument is the equivalent of opening up a fully-stocked refrigerator and calling out "honey, there's nothing to eat!"

Only if that refrigerator is filled with empty calories. Some people are more picky about what they eat. :-)

oh and gc goty has to be re4. Fire Emblem was ok, but it was far too easy.

[LilAbner]

Piling on here....RE4.

Let me get a head start on '06: Zelda Twilight Princess. Probably the only GC game worth buying this year.

[Achilles]

I think you're reading your own preconceptions into the reviews. Most of the ones I read made the point that the gameplay was decidedly different. It's obviously subjective, but I enjoyed the different feel of the gameplay, and some reviewers agreed with me, while some disagreed.Here's some reviews. While it's impossible to extricate the story from the gameplay in Killer7, if judged purely on its merits as a fun-to-play video game, Killer7 comes up a little short. Your character can only move along a set path: You press and hold a button, and off he (or she) goes… the first-person shooting has a pretty good look and feel to it. Still, it can get to be fairly monotonous, especially since backtracking through environments will often mean having to face exactly the same array of heaven smiles each time you go through the area…As for the puzzle-solving portions of Killer7, they're mostly quite simple and blatant. A certain character is always there to help you through the puzzles if you get stuck, and his presence alone eventually clues you in that a puzzle is afoot. Most of the game's levels are thinly veiled key hunts, forcing you to find certain items before you can get through certain areas. In some cases, this hunting for stuff feels pretty excessive, especially when the puzzles are both nonsensical and mind-numbingly simple…Though the gameplay itself isn't always fun, the variety of settings and the desire for some answers ought to keep you going once you get past an initial learning curve in Killer7. Yes, the gameplay itself probably could have been more entertaining or more sophisticated.Gamespot – 8.3 The experience is akin to a fifteen-hour-long nightmare with shooting gallery segments – not exactly the type of gameplay structure that would grab the more gameplay-oriented of us. If you're not here for the full experience – mostly the art and story – then get out fast…On a purely mechanical level, there isn't much good to be said about Killer7's control scheme, outside of its ease to pick up and play. It is not the most variable of schemes, leaving little to the imagination of the player. The shooting segments are a case of "aim for weakpoint, shoot weakpoint, absorb thick blood." Everything works without a hitch, but there just isn't much to it.Worthplaying – 8.7This is a particularly difficult game to review because its Achilles heel is its awkward control setup, which feels archaic by today's standards…The truth is that we probably shouldn't like Killer 7. It breaks the number one rule in game design, which is to put gameplay before everything else. Readers who followed the title's long development cycle will know that Suda 51 focused primarily on the execution of the storyline and visuals. At one point well into the project's creation cycle, we asked the producer how it played and he told us he didn't know because the studio hadn't yet decided. Gameplay mechanics, specifically related to control, were clearly a secondary focus for Killer 7 and sometimes that shows.IGN – 8.1

Those are the three reviews from major sites that gave it above a 8.0. The glowing parts of the reviews almost exclusively talk about the presentation. The other reviews have comments similar to those as well.I found it fun. I thought it was good. I find it arrogant of you to tell me what I should enjoy.I’m surprised you found the gameplay fun. As for arrogant, it’s as arrogant as saying: “Killer7, because it simultaneusly demonstrated that much of gaming conventional wisdom is wrong and that most people are dumb.”
You’re saying that conventional wisdom is wrong, which is a bold statement, and that people who don’t like Killer 7 (I presume that’s what you mean by “most”) are dumb.

[Ravenlock]

Piling on here....RE4.

Let me get a head start on '06: Zelda Twilight Princess. Probably the only GC game worth buying this year.

Well, in fairness, I'm kinda hoping that the other Nintendo product worth buying in '06 is the Revolution. ;)

That plus Twilight Princess will just about do it for me.

[The Iron Weasel]

oh and gc goty has to be re4. Fire Emblem was ok, but it was far too easy.

I hear that the game gets mind numbingly hard.

[mister_slim]

I’m surprised you found the gameplay fun. As for arrogant, it’s as arrogant as saying: “Killer7, because it simultaneusly demonstrated that much of gaming conventional wisdom is wrong and that most people are dumb.”
You’re saying that conventional wisdom is wrong, which is a bold statement, and that people who don’t like Killer 7 (I presume that’s what you mean by “most”) are dumb.
Look at IGN's review. They begin by judging the controls based on conventional wisdom, and they count that against it. They don't seem to understand that the game experience doesn't work with a different control scheme. Gamespot seems to bump up against that realization, based on their intro sentence, but immediately demonstrate the pointlessness of trying to isolate the gameplay from the game.

You seem to be misinterpreting my statement. Killer7 demonstrates that people are dumb by showing how quickly they dismiss it (as you are doing) based on their ignorance of the actual game (I like how you are helping prove my point, by the way). A lot of people dismissed it based on what they heard about the gameplay, demonstrating their ignorance of how that gameplay is necessary for the game experience. I would compare it to someone dismissing Halo because it only allows the player to carry two weapons or Metroid Prime because the controls aren't the same as every other FPS. It's a good litmus test as to people's understanding of how controls form the gameplay and experience. I'm fine with people saying they did not enjoy the game, I just find it amusing how often their complaints demonstrate their ignorance. Slightly offtopic, none of those reviews seem to mention that the figuring out the story is a major element of the gameplay, even if beating that portion of the game is purely subjective (I suppose a Trace Memory-type solution could have been implemented, but that would have been detrimental to the experience).