Welcome back to your most beloved feature on the internet, Drunken Gamers. This week, rather than drinking ourselves into oblivion and rambling on and on about God knows what, we bring to you the second annual GWX Awards. Every video game publication and site has ‘em, and we’re not one to let you down.
Let us tell you how we came to our decisions, as our process is a rigorous one. We begin by brainstorming until we have a massive list of the year’s most deserving games. Then John whines and pouts until he gets his way.
Simple, right?
And now we present to you, in order, our favorite games of 2003.
In Japan, old-school developer Treasure brought Dreamcast owners their spiritual successor to the Sega Saturn classic Radiant Silvergun. Sadly, this game was only available to American gamers through import shops. Luckily, Atari wisely snatched up the game for their GameCube and black and white shooting madness ensued.
At first glance, Ikaruga is merely a standard shooter with a gimmick: the color system. The Ikaruga ship can change from black to white and back again on the fly. Every enemy is also colored either black or white, and fires bullets of their color. The Ikaruga has the ability to absorb bullets of it’s own color, storing that energy up for screen-clearing laser attacks. However, bullets of the opposite color will destroy the Ikaruga in a single hit. Colliding with any enemy or a wall will also destroy the ship. Furthermore, attacking an enemy of the opposite color will deal double-damage; this is especially important for bosses and larger foes. Finally, destroying an opponent of the same color will release a small group of like-colored bullets from the exploding enemy, just in case the player didn’t already have enough to deal with. After a short while, it becomes apparent that the color system is essential to Ikaruga's gameplay, and is not just a gimmick.
For old-school shooter insanity, we can’t think of a better game this year than Ikaruga.
This game is freaking hard. How hard is it? Our own Jacob Bofferding has said that this game is so persistent in its difficulty that it’s likely to follow you to your grave, mocking and ridiculing even after your death. So why the hell do we like it so much? Could it be that we’re masochists? Perhaps. However, despite the fact that the game is hard as hell, F-Zero GX provides a deep and incredibly rewarding experience unlike any other F-Zero game before it.
What exactly is it that makes F-Zero GX so difficult? It’s the sum of three parts—intense speed, aggressive AI, and tracks seemingly designed with the implicit purpose being to kill you. For example, there’s a course called Mute City: Serial Gaps. Merely surviving on this course for three laps is an accomplishment. It's full of sharp turns, with many portions having no walls, and a few tricky jumps to boot. Now consider all of that when you're going stupid fast, and you're in for some bad times. And that's not even taking into consideration any attempt to place well on that race, as the competing AI racers are seriously cutthroat.
The ability to customize your own racer, build up abilities and race at break-neck speeds make this Sega/Nintendo collaboration a winner.
When you go to play a platform game, blowing shit up isn’t what generally comes to mind. Thanks to Insomniac, the platform genre has grown an extra arm. With this sequel to last year’s hugely popular Ratchet and Clank, Insomniac has also proven that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to keep a series fresh and enjoyable.
One of the main attractions in Ratchet and Clank was the weapon selection, and Insomniac has ensured that fans’ expectations will be far exceeded. The 20+ new weapons are not only bad ass, they’re also upgradeable. The Lancer is the standard weapon and packs quite a punch. However, the Chopper, Gravity Bomb, and their respective upgrades have room-clearing power. Upgrading is done by simply using the weapon, so blast to your heart’s content and you’ll eventually be rewarded. Throughout the Going Commando, you’re also allowed to import your old weapons from the first game, bringing both variety and familiarity.
Simply put, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando stands as the true evolution of the platform genre, proving that in order to evolve, a game does not have to steal from everything that’s popular at the moment. While it’s not as purely platform as Mario Sunshine, it’s also not trying to be “Ratchet Theft Auto” like certain other games.
It’s got Soul with a Capital S. Ok, Moe told me to write that and it looks about as lame as I suspected it would. Regardless of the introduction, this follow up to the Dreamcast smash hit looks about as good as a fighter can be. The first Soul Calibur gave fighters wet dreams with some of the most balanced gameplay to hit consoles yet. With counters, reversals, balanced move lists and a variety of characters to suit any appetite; it took fighter of the year pretty much all the way around.
Soul Calibur II has been long awaited and did not fail to disappoint the many fans it had garnered on the Dreamcast. With the same balanced gameplay, equally interesting counters and reversals, the game stays very true to form. With new and old characters and some of the best graphics to date, the game lives up to it’s name.
But gamers are a fickle bunch and don’t like to play the same game twice. SCII gives us what we hoped for with the vaunted Weapon Master mode, which gives it limitless replay potential. Tons of unlockables, huge weapons to collect and use, the game never seems to end. The true fighting fan’s game, SCII takes the top spot for fighter of the year.
Square set the PlayStation world on fire when it introduced Final Fantasy Tactics back in 1997. With great graphics, one twisted story, a great combination of job classes, chess-like strategy and awesome magic effects FFT has ruled the strategy RPG in most peoples’ minds.
The thought of a portable FFT has been the dream of most gaming geeks since the first game came out and Square Enix has answered the call, to our considerable joy. Taming the story down a bit since the last incarnation, the rest of the game matches the glory of the first, with some significant improvements.
The game has serious meat with numerous job classes, huge amounts of weapons with skills to absorb and the cool addition of rules of battle. While some find them a pain in the ass, they add a new level of strategy to an already formidable game. The aspect of joining a clan and gaining in rank has also added another element to the game that was lacking in the first. With different races tied to job classes, and a story you can keep track of, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect package. That’s when you realize you can take the game with you wherever you go. And that, folks, puts this game in a class by itself. The perfect pick up and play game, it’s ideal for the busy gaming generation to which we all belong. We can only look forward to the next game in this great series.
5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Developer: Nintendo
Who can forget the fanboy outcry caused by the unveiling of “Celda”? Every gaming chat room and forum (including our own) was flooded with disparaging remarks about how Miyamoto had officially lost his mind. Gone was the bad-ass tech demo that Nintendo showed off at E3 a few years back. Instead, Miyamoto went with a more whimsical feel that despite the nay-sayers’ best arguments, truly captured the esthetic of the Zelda franchise.
Once again, gamers are placed into a world threatened by the evil Ganondorf. However, this time, it’s Link’s sister that must be rescued. The water-covered world serves as the backdrop and sailing from island to island pushes the quest further.
Is Miyamoto losing his touch? Shut yo’ mouth! The Wind Waker is gaming at its finest and does this legendary franchise proud.
If you take the average role-playing gamer and then combine that soul with the average Star Wars fan, you get one sick bastard that no women will ever date. As scary as that fact is, the demographic must be a lot bigger than we all thought as Bioware has released one of the most popular RPG’s since FF7.
With a huge world full of interesting creatures spawned from the mind of George Lucas and the role-playing genius of Bioware this game has the stench of dork greatness. The combat system is turn based, but more exciting, the characters are interesting and deep. The planets are diverse and well cultured with interesting locations. And you get to use a double bladed light saber. Does it get any better?
With a story set in a time before the original Star Wars flicks, it manages to steer clear of the convoluted mess that is the story arc of George Lucas. Telling the history of the Republic’s war with the Sith, the plot has been described as better than any movie wearing the Star Wars name. The combat is innovative in being turn based, yet more exciting than your average RPG. The character customization is deep and what you’d expect from the master RPG design house.
All in all, it’s not a game any video game fan should pass up. RPG of the year, hands down.
3. Wario Ware: Mega Microgame$ Developer: Nintendo Puzzle/Miscellaneous Game of the Year Game Boy Advance Game of the Year
Next time you ask yourself if Nintendo is losing its touch, pop in a copy of Wario Ware and slap yourself in the mouth for even thinking such a ludicrous thought. Wario Ware took the staff completely by surprise by giving us the most addictive and compelling portable game since Tetris first hit nearly fifteen years ago. Composed of over 200 “micro” games, each of which lasting approximately five seconds, Wario Ware is the essence of pure, stripped down game design.
In fact, we’d be willing to say that Wario Ware is the perfect portable game, allowing gamers on the go to get in a quick fix and get on their way. It’s addicting, incredibly unique, and insanely enjoyable. It’s a game that anybody can get into and our choice for handheld game of the year.
2. Viewtiful Joe Developer: Capcom Action Game of the Year GameCube Game of the Year
Boot up Viewtiful Joe and look at us drool. We love old-school games, yet we thirst for cutting edge graphics and gameplay techniques. Viewtiful Joe has both and then some. Featuring some of the most incredible and stylized graphics ever seen on a home console, Capcom delivered in a big way on Nintendo’s little purple lunchbox.
At first glance, Viewtiful Joe is a beat ‘em up like any other. Joe moves through each area, punching and kicking dozens of “bad guys” until they die. Within each level, there are a few different types of goals. Some segments demand that you kill a certain amount of bad guys within a time limit or solve a simple puzzle, but basically the entire game consists of beating up the enemy. There is a boss at the end of each level, and then the next one begins. What makes Viewtiful Joe such a treat is his special powers.
At the top of the screen is the Viewtiful FX bar. Using VFX powers drains the power, which quickly replenishes itself when not in use. If the bar drains completely, Viewtiful Joe turns into regular Joe until the first segment of the bar refills. As regular Joe, the player can’t use any VFX powers or special moves. Collecting Viewtiful Film Reels allows Joe to expand the size of the VFX bar for the remainder of the level.
It isn’t enough to simply defeat the enemies in Viewtiful Joe; one must defeat them with style. That’s where Joe’s powers come in. The first of which, Slow, brings time to a crawl. When Slow is active, Joe can dodge bullets and other attacks Matrix-style, as well as deliver extra-powerful punches and kicks. Chaining attacks together is easy while Slow, and incredibly satisfying.
We can’t say enough about how great this game is. Word on the street is that Capcom is actively working on a sequel. Go Viewtiful Joe!
Ubi Soft loves you. Don’t ask why. Just take their gift of love, cradle it in your arms, and love it back. Let’s flash back to E3 2003, shall we? An unsuspecting GWX staff wanders innocently into Ubi Soft’s mammoth booth, strolls up to the Prince of Persia display, and leaves with their collective minds blown. The game took us completely by surprise and as a result, we pined for it from that day in May all the way until November when Ubi Soft dropped it at our doorstep.
When it was released fifteen years ago, the original Prince of Persia wowed gamers with the realistic way in which the Prince could run, jump, and hang from ledges, tip-toe through traps, and more. Ubi Soft has not only stayed true to this heritage, but expanded upon it tenfold for a new generation of discerning gamers. Upon entering a new area, the camera will pan around, giving you a full look at the different obstacles, routes, and your eventual goal. It’s then your job to find a way to that goal. This is done through a variety of acrobatic moves, which brilliantly seem simultaneously realistic and superhuman. After a bit of practice, you’ll have the Prince racing up walls, leaping to a rail, swinging off the rail like a pro gymnast, and sliding down a pole without even breaking a sweat. And as complex as these moves sound on paper, the developers do a marvelous job of easing you into the game by popping up little tips and hints to get you started. Soon, you’ll be able to exploit all of the Prince’s death-defying stunts with ease and the only challenges remaining will be figuring out which ones to use to attain the goal at hand.
The most important factor when we decided to name Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time our overall game of the year was the fact that not once during the entire adventure did we not have fun. Every level, every room, was brilliantly constructed. The story melded seamlessly into the gameplay and the stellar soundtrack bound the whole trip together into the most entertaining gaming experience of the year.
Honorable Mentions and Other Awards
So now that you’ve seen our top ten games of the year, let’s take a look at some well deserving games that missed the cut. These are games that were edged out, but still need to be recognized. Take Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, for example. While the majority of the staff feels that it is a better game than Soul Calibur II, we decided to look upon it as an expansion of last year’s game, rather than a full-fledged sequel. And as that game already received recognition as Fighting Game of the Year in last year’s awards feature, we gave the nod to Soul Calibur II this year.
Now, without further ado, this year’s Honorable Mentions.
Crimson Skies Developer: Fasa Studio Online Game of the Year
Rainbow Six 3 Developer: Ubi Soft
Sleeper Hits of the Year
And finally, we would like to give you a few of our recommendations for games that may not have had the sales numbers to draw a load of attention, but were quality gaming experiences nonetheless and deserve a second glance.
And that, as they say, is that. We’re sure you disagree with some of our choices and are screaming “What about Game X?!” at your monitors. But screw it. This is our awards show!
Seriously, we welcome any additions or detractions. Feel free to send in your comments to DrunkenGamers@gamingworldx.com. We’ll be sure to mock and ridicule you next week.
And although we didn’t really do any drinking this week, one can never refuse a toast. So with that in mind, raise your drinks and click here!
