The past few months have seen an avalanche of AAA games on all four consoles. So many, that it's been hard to keep up. This week, our editors talk about the recent onslaught of quality titles and which games they'll be catching up on over the holiday break.
Care to join the discussion? Click here and tell your fellow readers what's on your holiday list. As always, feel free to drop us a line at our mailbag feature, X-Communication.
The last few months have been rough. I feel like a crack addict with a never-ending supply of crack. Gamers everywhere are losing sleep, skipping classes and work, all just to pack in much game time as possible in order to catch up.
Me? I'll be wrapping up the steady Metroid diet I've been on. After playing Prime and Fusion, I naturally went back to Metroids One, Two, and Super Metroid. It's time to put Samus to bed. (Mmmm...yummy).
Beyond that, I'm looking forward to some crazy Xbox Live time, complimented by SOCOM, Everquest Online, and Tony Hawk 4. Regardless of what Nintendo would have us believe, I truly relish online gaming and believe that it is indeed the future of gaming.
Offline, I plan on getting in some serious time with both Dead to Rights and Ninja Assault. Namco's really been pulling out all the stops lately and I'm loving every minute of it.
As great as the last few months have been, I don't really see any break in the near future. Xbox has an amazing stream of games in the pipe, including Panzer Dragoon, Capcom Vs. SNK Online, Ninja Gaiden, and more. And then there's Zelda; all three of them. Yes, I fully intend on venturing back through Ocarina when the free disc lands in my 'Cube.
You can take it John? I wish I could. Every year we're bombarded with all sorts of gaming goodness, and every year, I'm swamped.
I've recently put time into the first Red Faction and Everquest Online Adventures. I plan to catch up on my Timesplitters 2 and Red Faction 2, and maybe even some more Contra Shattered Soldier. And of course, I can't stay away from Vice City any longer. I've got to be on my way there now, actually...but I can wait it out a few more minutes.
I'm also revisiting the PSone oldie Clock Tower, Maniac Mansion for the NES, and De Ja Vu Case 1 and 2 for Game Boy Color.
Over the holidays, I plan on serious Ratchet and Clank time, even more serious SOCOM time, and this Christmas, it's all about the GBA for me! Castlevania: HoD, D&D: Eye of the Beholder, The Lord of the Rings, and Altered Beast Guardian. Mmm Mmm good.
And let's not even speak of the new year. D&D Heroes, Everquest Online, Resi Online, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, The Sims....oh, the mouth waters.
Well, as it is Christmas, it's time to go back to a tradition of mine that has been since 1997. I pull out Parasite Eve and follow that game's day by day progression as the days occur in real life. I've also got a LOT of other old games to revisit - like the first two Tenchu titles, Chrono Cross, Valkyrie Profile, and hopefully Xenogears, if my copy still works. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Having watched the past few months drip countless excellent titles into the PS2 Greatest Hits line, I'll definitely be revisiting Devil May Cry and Tekken Tag Tournament. I still stick to my guns for that being one of the best pre-Virtua Fighter 4 3-D fighting titles available. I'll also be (pathetically) reading and rereading Aamir's preview of Soul Calibur 2, hoping that Namco doesn't put me through any more torture of delay.
Christmas is also been my GBA catch-up time. Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and Metroid Fusion are, of course, on the top of my list, and I might even get reckless and try out Worms World Party, as that series offers some of the finest, funniest multiplayer action on other systems.
But looking more recently, there are a few PS2 titles that I unfortunately missed out on, namely Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Haven: Call of the King, Robot Alchemic Drive, and Sly Cooper. And I will definitely be playing Halo...again...and again...and again...
I've got a full plate and roughly 13 days to take care of it all. Wish me luck, and happy holidays to you all.
Indeed, there are many prime titles (no Metroid pun intended) floating around right now. And it is good to see our GWX editors using the time for pleasure-driven, "catching up" on all the hottest titles of the season.
But I plan on taking a different tract with all that holiday free time. I shall probably spend most of my waking hours on my Baby White PS1 filling in all the wholes in my RPG education.
First and foremost, it is time to finally finish off Xenogears in anticipation of Namco's Xenosaga. Our very own RPG specialist Craig Harwood has made me a convert to the Suikoden series -- but before you jump into Suikoden III (Which appears to be the only "real" RPG of this season) you have to play I & II, right?
Later, if I have time, I shall then take this RPG completion mission back to the Black Box and finish off Shadow Hearts (I must have only 5 hrs left on that one) and Grandia Xtreme. (See, I play new games too!)
So there it is, Santa, Fei, Yuri, and I caroling and powering up over the holiday break. If I seem to you like the kind of guy who has six half-read books lying around the house... well, you wouldn't be wrong.
Best wishes this Holiday Season to all the Editors and Readers at GWX.
P.S. Early New Year's Resolution: Get more staying power! (At least as far as video games are concerned.)
Paul, got any room for one more? I think I’ll join you this holiday and revisit a few classic RPGs on my dainty old grey box (none of this baby white modernism). I still have to play through Xenogears, but from what I’ve heard about it there’s no way I’m going to fit it into my short holiday period. Hm, maybe I’ll give Wild Arms 2 another shot... or, then again, Suikoden. I don’t have any game time planned this season, which is strange for me. Maybe I should buck up my ideas and take advantage from my days of emptiness.
Good to see you’re getting to grips with Suikoden, Paul. Once you begin to like that game there’s no turning back and you’re soon hooked on a major RPG. Shamefully, I’m still waiting on Suikoden III due to myself being a PAL gamer; so get a damn move on would you! There’s only so many times you can play Suikoden and Suikoden II in a year, and frankly I getting a bit sick of it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the games, but after hearing about Suikoden III, I wanted it, there and then. Sigh...
Being a PAL gamer does have it’s good points this holiday, as it’s likely I will get to play The Getaway in a few days. Yippee! I finally get to play the cockney version of Grand Theft Auto, which is based around the city I live in – London. So what’s my line up this holiday, you ask?
I think I’ll take a look at Wild Arms 2 tomorrow, which should keep me going until Christmas Day. On Christmas day, it is possible that I could be playing either The Getaway or 007 Agent Under Fire – which is all good, but the lack of RPG titles this season angers me! Grrr. I wanted to be playing Wild Arms 3 (yes, still not out in the UK) by Christmas and loving Suikoden III, but no. Oh well not to worry - Wild Arms 2 it is then, after I finish Ghost Recon and Medal of Honor: Frontline that is.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, to all our readers and, of course, the Gaming World X team.
Hmm, New Year’s resolution... do less things, play more games.
I'll be sticking with NHL 2K3, practicing my online play in case there are any tournaments coming up! In addition to that, I'll be spending some time in Mortal Kombat racking up Konquest and Arcade victories, fuelling my Krypt addiction. MechAssault will be luring me away from time to time, I've completed the single player campaign though so online play will once again rule the day.
Multiplayer gaming rules the holidays as opponents are always easy to find, but in straight single player action Steel Battalion is the way to go. It arrives tomorrow, so I'll be unpacking and assembling it as soon as is humanly possible. Anyone coming down my chimney will be summarily stomped on by a forty foot tall mech. Life is good.
Until that NHL RPG hits, then life is better. Flashing Blades: From the Minors to the NHL, you heard it here first!
Like the rest of you guys, I too have a load to play through.
First, I haven't even had time to play Metroid Prime much - I've clocked in about 8 hours ever since I bought the game at the start of the month. Then there's still TimeSplitters 2, which I'm slowly progressing through with a friend, but I still have to beat the later Arcade challenges... which are incredibly hard. God only knows what the Elite league demands of me.
When I'm through with those, I'll cleanse my pallet perhaps with some Super Mario Sunshine love. Sue me, but I honestly don't like this game very much. To me, the game is more like a chore, but nevertheless every time I play I just end up sliding around for an hour, and say it sucks. I come back the next day, and it's fun all over again. Perhaps if I actually focused on collecting shines, the game would get somewhere.
Beyond Mario, I still have to beat RE. This game freaked me out so much to the point that I would play less and less everyday, to the point where I stopped playing and bought Mario (which I also stopped playing...).
I probably don't deserve a present from Santa this year, I've been a naughty gamer.
