Welcome back to Drunken Gamers, our weekly display of debauchery and decadence. This week, we will be foregoing the boozing and bawdy behavior to bring you part one of our 2004 preview. During this episode and the next, we’ll be looking at a handful of the games that are currently scheduled to be released in 2004. No, we’re not going to get to all of them, so if you don’t see the next game in your favorite franchise listed, don’t get your undies in a bundle.
We’re also bringing you the first of a two-part story in our weekly comic, The Real GWX. Watch and be entertained as our own Joe Mackie glues himself to… himself.
And now we present to you the Drunken Gamers’ Most Anticipated Games of 2004.
Of the original “Capcom 5” for GameCube, we’ve had our asses kicked by Viewtiful Joe, been disgusted by P.N.03, seen Dead Phoenix cancelled, and are still waiting for Resident Evil 4. That leaves us with Killer 7, perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch.
Rarely do we get so excited about a game we know so little about. Is it an FPS, an RPG, an action/adventure/dating simulation? Well, probably not the latter, but we can’t say for certain. What we do know is that the game is that it is based around a character named Harman Smith, a wheelchair-bound killer who has seven different personalities, which the player will be able to switch between throughout the game.
To pique our interest, Capcom has posted an official Killer 7 website complete with a simple mini game. The graphic style and eerie ambiance displayed has us more curious than ever and if our hopes our matched, this could be one of the Cube games of the year.
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Developer: Square Enix/Game Designer’s Studio Platform: GameCube Release Date: 2/9
At last, Final Fantasy has returned to a Nintendo home console; or has it? While the game bears the Final Fantasy name, this isn’t your typical Square RPG. The first big name title to require GBA/GCN connectivity, Crystal Chronicles plays more like Gauntlet than Dragon Warrior, which as it turns out, isn’t a bad thing at all.
Each player will control his/her character on the television screen using the Game Boy Advance and a link cable. Instead of having to deal with the annoyance of a split screen or LAN play, gameplay will take place all on the same screen, while each gamer will be able to control his/her individual character’s menu on the GBA screen.
Gameplay is much more action based than the average RPG. One character is required to carry a crystal that protects the party from the toxic gasses in the air. If you should stray too far from this crystal-bearing character, you’ll take damage and eventually die.
It’s an intriguing concept and one that we’re sure will receive mixed reactions from the Final Fantasy hardcore, who can be some of the most obsessive and finicky gamers in existence. However, from what we’ve played, we can’t wait for the final release version.
R-Type Final Developer: Irem Platform: PlayStation 2 Release Date: 2/3
Last year’s Ikaruga on the GameCube got us all misty-eyed, longing for the days of the blistering arcade shooter. This year Irem will be delivering the next (and last?) in the long-running R-Type shooter franchise.
R-Type Final tries to differ from other shooters in its ship selection. Instead of choosing from one or two different varieties of space shooters, players will be able to unlock what is purported to be around 100 different ships. Each comes with its own specific modes of attack and each features a unique feel to suit every gamers’ needs.
We asked for old-school action, and this year we’re surely in for it.
True Fantasy Live Online Developer: Level 5 Platform: Xbox Release Date: TBA
Ok, so we think the name is a little hokey. Let’s just get that out of the way. And will the game ever be released? That we don’t know either. We assume it will, but when? These two factors notwithstanding, TFLO stands to be one of the most ambitious games ever released. Like another upcoming Xbox title, Fable, everything a character does will have an affect on their appearance. For example, a character who spends a lot of time working as a blacksmith will gain incredible amounts of muscle mass, but as a result of standing in one place for so long, they will be unable to move as fast. Similarly, if a character is too poor to afford food, they will become frail and skinny – something that, while exaggerated in the game, will be interesting to look out for.
While we’re not always down for the MMORPG action, the scope of this game has us more than intrigued. Games like these make Xbox Live more than worth the price of admission and we can’t wait to finally get through the gate.
Ninja Gaiden Developer: Team Ninja Platform: Xbox Release Date: 2/11
Originally set for a December, 2003 release, nothing gets our geek spider senses tingling like the thought of a new Ninja Gaiden game. Ryu Hayabusa returns in this long-awaited game with a story that doesn’t exactly follow the grain of the earlier games.
The story follows Ryu in his quest for revenge against the Vigor Empire. The empire’s forces have slaughtered his clan, and the clan sword, Ryuken, has been stolen. As is par for the course, the game will follow Ryu Hayabusa’s (extremely gory) body trail until he can exact revenge upon the Holy Emperor, all the while showing off some excellent acrobatics and the amazing graphical effects that we’ve come to expect from the folks at Team Ninja. Although there’s no word if any of the ninja of Dead or Alive 3, such as Kasumi or Hayate, will be making cameo appearances, the assumption at the moment is no despite massive fan speculation otherwise.
With the game less than a month away (knock on wood), Ninja Gaiden lands very near the top of our personal “Most Anticipated” lists.
Metroid: Zero Mission Developer: Intelligent Systems Platform: Game Boy Advance Release Date: 2/9
Ok, remember when we said that nothing gets our geek spider senses tingling like the thought of a new Ninja Gaiden game? Well, we were wrong. The thought of a new Metroid game makes us just as, if not more, giddy.
Ok, so maybe it’s not an entirely new Metroid game. Zero Mission is a remake of the original NES Metroid game with myriad improvements and new features. The game retells the story of Samus’ first encounter with the Metroids on Planet Zebes. These peculiar creatures sap the energy from their victims and are therefore potentially valuable for more than just being blasted to bits. Unfortunately, that means Samus must not only contend with the Metroid creatures, but also the Space Pirates looking to use the Metroids for their own evil intentions.
Metroid Fusion was one of the most incredible portable experiences in 2002, and we cannot wait to get our hands on sexy Samus’ old/new adventure next month.
Halo 2 Developer: Bungie Platform: Xbox Release Date: April
Do we really have to include this one? It almost seems redundant. Almost. When one mentions “Most Anticipated Games”, Halo 2 is most certainly a given. Microsoft’s launch day cash cow, the original Halo blew people away with its intensity, its numerous modes of play, and its incredible AI.
Once again, Master Chief must be a virtual one-man army against the Covenant, who are dead set on wiping out humanity. Unlike the first game, which had an admittedly enjoyable but limited one player experience, Bungie promises an epic solo adventure unlike any other. And if early movies and gameplay demonstrations are any indicator, their promises have been kept.
The only aspect missing from the original Halo was online play, and now with Xbox Live up and running, Halo 2 promises to be the Xbox Live killer ap.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Developer: Tri-Ace Platform: PlayStation 2 Release Date: June
This mammoth RPG has been a long time coming. Till the End of Time is the third in the Star Ocean series, a franchise known for deep, customizable gameplay, and quests that could span in excess of eighty hours.
Once again, gamers will travel the far reaches of space, this time in the year 2859. The story revolves around Fate Lingod, a student in the Bahkutain Science Academy whose quest unfolds after the planet he is visiting is attacked. He is separated from his family and as you would expect, a sizable quest ensues.
Star Ocean avoids the typical random battle encounters and instead uses avoidable attacks in the same vein as the Lunar or Grandia series. As mentioned, the customizable characters will surely wind up sucking up almost as much of your time as the proper quest will.
Star Ocean: The Second Story for PSone wound up ruining our social lives and causing us to practice unsafe hygiene habits. We’re looking forward to becoming fat, stinky and antisocial once again this summer.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes Developer: Silicon Knights Platform: GameCube Release Date: March
There’s a story that goes a little something like this: it’s John’s last year in college and he’s sitting in his large college house enjoying his fifth consecutive night of Mac n’ Cheese when suddenly he hears a rap-a-tap-tap at the door. Since it was a cold, dark evening, John was curious as to whom it could be rap-a-tap-tapping at his door. Lo and behold, it was Hilden, carrying a PSone, a copy of the first Metal Gear Solid, and a flask of Captain Morgain. Thus began the Drunken Gamers’ rekindled romance with Metal Gear series.
We were as shocked as anybody when it was announced that Silicon Knights would be developing a remake of the original PSone masterpiece for Nintendo’s GameCube. The game was only five years old. Did it need to be remade? By looking at the screenshots and getting a hands-on with it at E3, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
Now, there will immediately be gamers who will cry "rehash!". The same was said when Capcom released their remake of Resident Evil. It is true that The Twin Snakes isn't entirely new. But in no way is it a rehash of any kind. Using MGS2's engine, The Twin Snakes is being rebuilt from the ground up on Nintendo's Cube. There is no porting going on here. Everything save for the origins of the engine, are being integrated with the GameCube's strengths in mind.
Players will be happy to see the return of the hiding of bodies, and the ability to shoot in first-person. Snake will be able to hang from ledges as well, meaning that most likely, some environments will support the idea of such abilities and take advantage of them accordingly. At the same time, Snake will also be able to do everything he could do in the original MGS, like hiding beneath the tanks, and crawling through ventilation ducts. And even better is the fact that all of this can be done while playing through the more popular of the two stories.
We can’t wait to relive the memories. If nothing else, it’s a great excuse to break out the Captain… like we need an excuse.
Gradius V Developer: Konami Platform: PlayStation 2 Release Date: 4/6
Unlike Brett Favre, somebody up there truly watching over us. Because not only will we get the aforementioned R-Type Final in 2004, Konami is blessing us with a new Gradius game, developed exclusively for the PS2. Like most shooters, Gradius V will retain the horizontal-scrolling aspect gamers have come to expect in games of this genre. Unlike other shooters though, the games ship (the Vic Viper mech-type craft) has an unusual amount of weapons and upgrades. Front-mounted lasers, bombs, shields, weapon pods, and 12 upgradeable power-ups will be available for collection throughout the games several stages. A special orb that gives your ship a protective shield that fires at enemies can be used as well. Shooters of late a la Ikaruga have developed new methods of attacking – but Gradius V is looking to stay true to its roots and deliver gamers a classic, tried-and-true shooting experience.
Just last year’s object of our infatuation (Ikaruga), Gradius V will also include a two-player mode for those without the seeds to go it alone. And with both R-Type Final and Gradius V retailing for under $30, 2004 is definitely the year for the shooter enthusiast.
Thus ends part one of our Most Anticipated Games of 2004 feature. Come back next week for the part two, where we’ll pick ten more must-have games that are sure to keep your ever-expanding asses glued to your chairs.
The Real GWX In keeping with our apparent “To Be Continued” theme, we present to you the first in a two-part episode of The Real GWX entitled “The Terrible Super Glue Morning.” This comic is actually based on the true terror experienced by our own Joe Mackie when attempting to be Mr. Fixit. You can read about the entire ordeal here.
Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Although we’ve given our livers a rest for this week, we can’t help but encourage you to raise your glasses and click here!
