Looking Back – 1985 has Awards!

Wow, I was much quicker updating the 1985 Looking Back piece with awards than 1984′s!  Here I praise Mach Rider’s hero’s splitting powers, the chill music of Way of the Exploding Fist and the wondrous flyer of Gradius, and then poo poo on Kage’s dorky sprite from The Legend of Kage, wince at Exed Eyes’ chiming, and hate on Rush n’ Attack for being a little too cheap (and up close and personal for battle) for my liking.  Enjoy the additional thoughts!

Looking Back – 1984 Updated!

Well, I’ve added some awards to my 1984 Looking Back piece, as well as some general revision.  I praise Marble Madness’ music, Dragon Buster’s gorgeous flyer (see left) and Agent USA’s quirky hero, and slam Impossible Mission’s box and Circus Charlie’s protagonist…among others.  Check it out!

1985 will be next to see some awards, which I’ll try to keep completed a little sooner than a month off. XD

Looking Back – 1983 Updated with Awards!

I may have mentioned that I intended to update all of my older Looking Back articles with additional “awards” to further explain my gaming likes and dislikes, and the first of those updates has finally been finished – 1983 now features a slew of new content like Worst New Character (hint – see left!), Best Song and some others (not to mention a proper fourth contender for the Game of the Year).  I’ve put in some recycled thoughts on a couple of the awards for time’s sake – if I feel like revising them with fresh comments down the road, I shall.  As of right now, though, I felt that what I had previously stated elsewhere sufficed for the purposes of the article – I may not in a month or two. :p  Anyway, enjoy the new material, and this will be something I’ll be working on in bits and pieces over the school semester.

Looking Back: My Favorite Game of 2011

LVLs., in its earlier Wildcat Online days, ran a traditional awards show (i.e. post) for a couple of years where I awarded games I liked a recolored sprite of NES Link cleverly dubbed “The Golden Links”.  I’ve thrown that idea aside for several years, but this year I actually had a chance to purchase more than a couple games that are current enough for me to postulate my feelings toward them and actually have it be relevant, so I’m bringing the concept back.  However, the “Golden Link” is going to stay a part of the past.  Instead, I’m revising my Looking Back articles to be much more than they have been. Beyond the life ruminations, the shortlist and anecdotes about my favorite game, I’m also going to award some other aspects of games, like Best New Hero/Villain, Best Voice Acting, Best Box Art, and a few others.  It’ll make it more personal and appropriate for the Game of the Year festivities that frequent the ‘net this time of year, and more fun for me to ponder (and I will get back to revising all the older pieces with this material in time).  Note that this is incredibly spoiler-tastic, so I’d advise not reading if you don’t want anything about Skyrim, Dead Space 2, Monster Tale, Portal 2 or Zelda: Skyward Sword ruined. Click on if you don’t care!

Looking Back – My Favorite Game of 2003

2003 was a mostly good year.  I went to Ashland, Oregon for the first time as part of a drama club endeavor, and it felt like home to me.  Every time I step into Ashland I just resonate with the place, and I hope to make it my home one day.  I really do.  We saw awesome plays done by the Oregon Shakespeare Company and genuinely had a great time, despite a sour apple or two being along for the ride.  I took on being the President of the Club for the 2003-2004 school year, and it was a rewarding, yet tedious position.  I had to deal with a coup to try to impeach me (I’ll explain why in a moment) and a callous secretary that made a couple of attempts to undermine my authority.  The coup was staged by a couple of “members” who felt that the hours and hours I put into setting up a haunted house event (and the following clean-up) was insignificant compared to actually being at the site for it, which was in a terrible part of town and a hour away from my home.  Luckily, the officers banded around me and my decision and a decree was made the following meeting (which the coup was to take place) that only serious members could vote (i.e. bought the stickers that made us a college club), and the plotters stuttered off, probably angry that their plans were foiled and too cheap to buy a $10 sticker or whatever.  As for the secretary, well, it’s water under the bridge at this point.

Otherwise school was good, but I felt that drama wasn’t really the major for me anymore.  I enjoyed it at the educational level, but I don’t believe it’s what I yearn to do all my life.  It’s a lot of fun, and I do miss it, but I don’t need it, which is a big difference.  I decided to get into what I had originally planned to major in, which was journalism, but the major had been cut, so I went for the next best thing, English.  I decided to finish up the Drama major as well, so I was busy for quite a few more years getting two A.A.’s.

2003 was my introduction to Grace.  She worked for my mother at her daycare for a little while by this year, but she was very quiet and I was very weird. :p  However, we began to improve our communications this year and we slowly became friends.  Over time we started talking more and more, and by next year we became more than friends. O_O  So I’ll save the remainder of that tale for next time.  I will say that I was a confused fucker in terms of women at this point in my life.  I won’t name names or get into too many details (it’s stupidly unnecessary), but I will say that Grace is the perfect match for me in every way I could ask for (and beyond), so I’m glad things rolled the way they have.

Gaming in 2003 was excellent – three of the games on my Favorites list are here, for one thing, and I had plenty of opportunity to game with my friends Anthony and Seth before they both departed for the next phase of their lives.  I didn’t get any new systems, but I did experience some of the finest GBA and ‘Cube games ever made, so no complaints.

This was also the year that I invented Shi and April, among a myriad of other characters you haven’t seen, for another one of those secret projects of mine you hear so much about yet so rarely see.  I’m still working on that one, but perhaps you’ll see some fruits of that labor someday when I’m happy with how it is.  If I can stay focused enough to complete it, anyway. XD

Shortlist:

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA, Konami)

The final title in the ‘Vanias to hit the GBA, Konami managed to nearly rebottle Symphony of the Night’s magic with this attempt, plus give it enough differentiation to make it stand out on its own, too.

Fire Emblem (GBA, Nintendo/Intelligent Systems)

The first Fire Emblem to reach American shores remains the finest one we’ve seen in my view, with the best cast, story and gameplay.

Beyond Good & Evil (GC, UBI Soft)

Michel Ancel’s spin on a Zelda-esque action/adventure title with a journalism twist made the compelling plot its central focus, and balances that excellence with wonderful gameplay, music and visuals.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (GC, UBI Soft)

This reinvention of the Prince of Persia franchise had its creator on board and it shows – the fine balance of controls and level design is perfectly demonstrated here with some of the best platforming in 3D gaming has seen to this day.  Shame the combat kind of sucks.

In my opinion, the best game of 2003 was…

Beyond Good & Evil (GC, UBI Soft)

Shock and awe, I’m sure. :p  I’ve written more about BG&E than anything else on LVLs. (well, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 may beat it, and I’m sorry about that) – even Skies of Arcadia, and I really adore Skies!  Some of my best writing has been about Hillys and its inhabitants – this piece on Jade, for example, I still am very proud of.

So what can I say here that I haven’t already?  I may repeat myself, but I’ll try…

Beyond Good & Evil didn’t initially win me over, I will admit.  I enjoyed the first playthrough enough to put it on my favorite list, but its impact took longer to strike me.  The second time I played through it was when I realized how incredible this game truly is.  How vital a game like this was to me and to the industry on a whole, and how its sluggish sales didn’t give it the exposure it deserves.  How its plot can be such a beautiful parallel to our own world and its issues, and how a few people can make a substantial difference in improving it.   How a plucky, clever heroine can be created that is not overtly sexual or ditzy, but is a positive role model more developers need to learn from.  Each subsequent revisit is like visiting an old friend that you wish you saw a hell of a lot more than you do.

It’s an astounding piece of software, and I urge you to give it a shot.  It may not leave its mark on you immediately, but I truly believe it may in time like it did with me.

Some personal anecdotes:

Love, love, LOVE the cast in this, particularly Jade, who stands tall as the greatest heroine gaming has given us, in my opinion.

I’ve managed to 100% this game, and it’s currently the only one I have all the trophies for on PSN (for the HD re-release).  I still own the Gamecube disc and I’ll hold onto it for a long time.

I love the stealth areas you can access in Hillys – these are tight-knit, tense situations that battling will not save you.  You have to take your time, move slowly and keep out of sight…lovely stuff that rivals the best parts of Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell.

The music is fantastic, that it is – I’ve done a Tunage piece on Christophe Heral, its composer, as well as a Song Highlights on the game itself.  Kudos, Heral.

I WANTS THE SEQUEL NOWS

Back to 2002

Looking Back: My Favorite Game of 2002

Has it really been three months since I last did this feature?  Yikes.

2002 was a good year for me.  I began feeling more comfortable at college, and was quickly realizing that high school was a whole heap of bullshit served for a four year duration.  College was so liberating – I finally was feeling like I was not a target for insults, and that I could be accepted for who I was without sacrificing crucial elements of myself to do so.  I made some great friends, had a wonderful time with the drama program, and treasure those days to this very day.  They were very good times, times that were long in coming.

Beyond school, I had gotten my first pair of glasses.  In high school I had denied that my eyes were slowly deteriorating even as I had to sit upfront to read a white board – I think this was in part of a “hey, who wants ANOTHER reason to be made fun of?” line of thinking that I had latched onto while languishing, but I will never forget the moments after getting my glasses and putting them on.  It sounds really dumb to anyone who has 20/20 vision, but I had completely forgotten that trees had texture – individual leaves and branches that didn’t blur together to make a mass of green.  The clarity stunned me and made me realize how foolish I was to allow myself to let my vision suffer all because I was afraid of being teased a little more.  But, sometimes the fear of piling on more attention, positive or negative, can make one’s mind do weird and irrational things.

It was around this time that I had decided that I wanted to get into anime.  I bought Princess Mononoke first, and well…I’ve explained why that movie is so important to me elsewhere, so I’ll refrain from further comments here.  I relished the new medium, and picked arguably the best time to get into the craze, as it was right in its glorious golden age in America where product was readily available and was about to burst forth a plethora of merch on top of the DVD’s.  I discovered Trigun, Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo and Gundam Wing in this exciting time, and would soon be floored by such legendary pieces of anime like Cowboy Bebop, Spirited Away, Rurouni Kenshin, FLCL and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.  Alas, the balloon on American anime saturation would burst early, and my enthusiasm would go along it.  I still like anime, but it’s no longer an essential part of my daily life like it once was.  That is not to say that I have shunned it or anything – I have enjoyed some more modern shows like Ouran High School Host Club, Fruits Basket, and Le Chevalier D’eon.  But it’s just not something that compels me like it had.

I got a Game Boy Advance in 2002, if my memory’s not mistaken, and I had a fair amount of good times with my first portable.  I had a chance to explore Fire Emblem, becoming quite enamored with its strategic gameplay and excellent characters (who could die if I was careless, never to return).  Experiencing my first Metroid-inspired Castlevanias, Harmony of Dissonance (so-so) and Aria of Sorrow (spectacular).  Getting my hands on a true Treasure action title with Astro Boy: Omega Factor.  Not understanding what people see in Advance Wars. :p  I still have my Classic NES model and it sees a lot of action these days, as I am quite addicted to the GBA Street Fighter Alpha 3 for no inexplicable reason other than it’s fun to waste time with.

I also got my Super NES this year, thanks to my college friend Seth.  I had missed out on the 16-bit wars, so I’ve had a thrill trying out a ton of games I missed out on when I was a kid.  Super Metroid and Chrono Trigger left the largest imprints so far, but I’ve got a heap of games to still try out.  I got pretty lucky to snag some of the rarer cartridges, like Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, Earthbound, and Lufia II, but I need to actually play them to truly appreciate them. XD

Next year is a big year in terms of memories, so I’m looking forward to…um…looking back. :p

Shortlist:

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC, Bethesda)

Morrowind drops the player into a huge, open-ended world where the player’s imagination can truly run wild.  Fighters, mages, thieves and archers, or crosses and blends of those basic classes provide an infinite amount of replay and exploration.  A fantastic example of Western RPG design at its finest.

Age of Mythology (PC, Microsoft/Ensemble Software)

Age of Mythology has the best gameplay mechanics in the Age of… series if you ask me, with excellent diversity in the three powers you get to control.  It also helps that the game itself is a joy to partake.

Metroid Prime (GC, Nintendo/Retro Studios)

Samus’ first adventure under the direction of Retro Studios is among the best in the franchise’s storied history – Retro managed to recapture the discovery, awe and isolation the series does so well, and does it quite handily.  The first-person perspective does little to erase the pleasure – in fact, it brings a whole new side to the mythos of Metroid via the scan visor and precise gameplay.

Capcom Vs. SNK 2 EO (GC, Capcom)

Capcom and SNK butt heads (and fists, feet and fireballs) once again in this much improved sequel, adding in several new fighters (like Rock Howard from Garou: Mark of the Wolves and Maki from Final Fight II), Grooves and features that put it among Capcom’s finest 2D work.  Despite some laziness on Capcom’s half of the roster thanks to sprite recycling and some poor particle rendering for the special effects, I adore this fighter.

In my opinion, the best game of 2002 was…

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC, Bethesda)

Morrowind is a game I yearned to play for years and years before I had the opportunity to.  My old PC wasn’t up to the task.  Grace (somehow or another) had it on her laptop, and after we got together I had a chance to try it out, but the laptop’s touch pad was too persnickety for me to appreciate the gameplay (and the mouse didn’t seemingly work on her laptop, either), so I didn’t get to give it a proper runthrough until 2007 with the arrival of our current desktop.  It ran faster, controlled beautifully, and looked as good as it could get.  I set out with Chadwick (who is now named Delton in my Black Blood project), a paladin who wanted to subdue political corruption and free the poor slaves scattered throughout Vvardenfell.  My imagination took Chadwick on his own unique quest, crushing evil as he encountered it and ending the life of the dastardly sinister Orvas Dren, one of the seedier characters populating Morrowind.  After his death, Chadwick took over the estate and proclaimed it his own, populating its rooms with books, weapons, treasures and artifacts found along his travels.  Chadwick took on Dagoth Ur the correct, scripted way, ending that tyrant’s vain attempts to dominate the world.  Armed with his fiery blade and the sacred shield, Chadwick’s journey obviously left a strong imprint on me.  I relished wandering around Morrowind’s vast continent of Vvardenfell, interacting with its denizens, combating its enemies, and uncovering its secrets.  Chadwick’s quest was in turn my quest, my personal exploration into a game I had been dying to try, and now found myself quite attached to.

Further adventures have followed.  Karah, a necromancer in Black Blood, blossomed into a vengeful woman out to destroy the Redoran for slaughtering her family as she was young.  She rose to the top of the Telvanni, mastered many magical spells (especially in Conjuration and Destruction), crafted a wicked soul-rending short sword, and she too led me on a unique and rewarding journey.  Karah’s motives were darker and more bloody than Chadwick’s, and her focus on magic over brute strength changed the way I experienced the world of Morrowind significantly.  She also got a custom fortress thanks to my tinkering with the Construction Set, although I have inadvertently caused a bug to happen, so I’ll probably need to rebuild it down the road.  Kryst, the rogue you’ve seen in So..this Webcomic and Black Blood, had a short-lived quest of stealing the tons of treasure inside Vivec’s vaults, and became quite the wanted fugitive for it.  Not being able to talk to the majority of the game’s characters due to her enormous bounty has made that particular attempt somewhat unfun, though.  Nicole, an archer, developed her own unique quest with the expansions, ending Almalexia’s reign over Mournhold and conquering Bloodmoon’s werewolves.

In short, Morrowind has been a magical game for me, as it allows me to live out my own imagination in physical form.  I can take these concepts and give them a new lease on life beyond sketches and words.  And the gameplay is just about perfect.  The combat is choppy, but on the whole it’s only one piece of the grander puzzle.  I adore Morrowind, and it’s just shy of being an absolute of mine.  Definitely one of the best games I’ve played, and I felt that sharing my personal time and investments within its borders with my avatars would make a stronger argument than breaking it down gameplay-wise (which, hey, I’ve already done!).

Some personal anecdotes:

I will admit that yes, I use God Mode to play Morrowind.  Some may find that a sin, but personally, I’ve gotten so much out of the game that I don’t mind never truly dying.  Some of the strategy may disappear, but I’m not delving into it so deeply for the combat side of things – I’m doing it more to develop my characters and getting them closer to their goals that I’ve put in place for them.

The great thing about Morrowind is that it’s pretty difficult to be able to say “I’ve seen everything it has to offer”.  It’s such a huge game that each playthrough has opened up some new element or location I hadn’t been to before, and that’s part of the joy for me.

The expansions are fun additions, but lack the creative level design of the original game.  Dungeons in particular use less unique tiles and repeat a lot of the same map types over and over again, which Oblivion continued in greater severity.  That said, it’s nice to have two more areas to wade through, and the new enemies and gear make up for the lack of variety underground.

Grace has beaten the game without God Mode, and I applaud her for that.  That is a feat, if I may say so.

So stoked about Skyrim right now I can’t even tell you.

Do hate Cliff Racers, though.

Back to 2001   Forward to 2003

Looking Back: My Favorite Game of 2001

2001 marked the end of my high school career, and the beginnings of my college days.  My senior year had its fair share of tribulations – I spent my last significant time with Chad and Trent, lost both of them and Chris to drug addiction, crushed on, deliberated and eventually got the courage to ask my first girl out proper (and was declined), continued to avoid W. and his abuses, and had to take SAT tests.  Bleh.  On the flip side, my friendship with Anthony continued to grow, the drama program was awesome as hell (save one incident with a smart-aleck who was the son of the instructor who punched my testicles in some sort of dominance challenge – I stared at him, went to the teacher and reported the incident, and watched the torrent.  He never messed with me again), and I got a lot of kicks out of multimedia.  I began hanging out with a lot of young women this year – for some reason I felt that I got along with them better.  I have emotional understanding, significant amounts of it for a male apparently, and was able to listen to their problems and do my best to provide them with solutions, which helped my friends out a great deal, I hope.  I’ve continued to be more inclined to get along with women over most men to this day, although there are exceptions.  In short, despite a few setbacks and the loss of some of the dearest friends I had, I managed to have a solid cap to being a high schooler.  I wouldn’t EVER go back, though – I say fuck reunions. :p

College was a shock in many ways.  I grew up in a rural area which, I hate to say it, but I have to, was mostly white.  I went to college in a larger city and was flabbergasted at the cultural diversity.  It took some time to get over the culture shock, and I’m so glad I did.  It took a bit to get used to the changes in the schooling, too – I began with 17 units, mostly drama classes with a smattering of English and a Japanese writing course (which was difficult), and used the bus to get me to school and back.  I began learning how to drive at this point (late bloomer!), but it would be a year and a half before I felt comfortable enough to get myself to school via car.  I met some cool people on the bus who would become good friends I miss these days – Seth in particular was a joy to chat with.  Seth was a brilliant guy, especially at math, who aced everything he took (save one class, but the teacher was a douche and never gave A’s) and happened to be a huge Nintendo nut like me.  We spent a fair amount of time playing Smash Bros. Melee (woot) and Capcom Vs. SNK 2 (woot x 2), and Seth was responsible for landing me a Super NES!  So I have fond memories of hanging out with him, although we’ve lost touch today.  I also made many drama compadres during my tenure with that program, although, thanks to the death of Myspace as a social network and my hatred of Facebook, I haven’t talked to many of them lately.  No offense meant!  Drama was good fun, and many of the people were in multiple classes, so I had a great chance to bond with many of them.  However, I realized that I didn’t want to pursue that as a career a few years later, and changed my major to English after I had nailed the Drama one down pat.  I just didn’t want to be an actor – the fame and publicity didn’t appeal to me.  But I do love the stage and all of its aspects, and have a passion for live theater that gets fulfilled all too rarely.

I’ll save my other college thoughts for the next few posts of this, or I’ll have nothing to write about. XD

Anyway!  I acquired another new system this year – the Gamecube!  I bought Smash Bros. Melee before I had the system in my hands (which I got for Christmas if my memory is correct as a deal with my parents).  This game buying before system owning quirk  was a bit of a tradition that I wanted to continue but fell out of after this (shrug).  I had a black one, and I had a lot of great memories with it – you’ll notice Skies of Arcadia Legends, Resident Evil 4, Beyond Good & Evil, Tales of Symphonia, Metroid Prime and Zelda: Twilight Princess in my Top 30.  It felt nice to have another current-gen system, what with the Dreamcast suffering a premature death and the N64 wheezing its final breath.  I had a Game Boy Player for it, which was a nice if somewhat unneeded addition to my console, seeing as I had a Game Boy Advance, but playing GBA games on the TV was a pleasant novelty.  I also had all 4 controllers, although I’m down to three now (one broke, I think…the C sticks kind of wear out after a bit).  It’s the first console I wore out – the disc drive began to be unresponsive, so I dumped the thing once I had a Wii.  It’s the only console I don’t still own after all this time (alas, my personal Dreamcast died in 2010, but I had a spare, thank god).

This transition period is reflected in my candidates for the best game of 2001 – one N64 game, one ‘Cube, one Dreamcast, and one PS2 game.  Weird how that works.

But before we get to that, there’s two other topics I wish to briefly cover.  First off, my art began to evolve more toward its current form in 2001 in college.  I had up to that point relied on using circles to illustrate my character’s heads, which was something I wanted to get out of my system and make my characters look more human, so I began that here, and have been refining that for the last 10 years.  Secondly, and quite importantly to this site, I began Wildcat Online on August 6th, 2001!  I got a computer after a visit to my grandparents in Utah, and quickly immersed myself into the internet world I had been dabbling in with full haste.  My initial site and its long history are fully detailed out here,  if you care to read more.  And man, I can’t believe it’s going to be 10 years this August. O_O

Shortlist:

Paper Mario (N64, Nintendo/Intelligent Systems)

Taking the timing elements in battle from Square’s earlier Mario RPG outing, Intelligent Systems reinvented the concept with a unique graphical style and a more defined battle engine that pushed the action command aspect into the forefront.  A great beginning.

Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC, Nintendo/HAL Labs)

Building on the core from the N64 original came Melee, the game that launched Super Smash Bros. as a major Nintendo franchise and a system seller.  With more characters, stages, items, and moves, plus several new additions like the Trophy Mode and several new solo excursions, some still feel that this is the high point of the franchise.

Half Life (PS2, Sierra/Valve/Gearbox)

Valve’s seminal FPS took its own path and created a dynamic narrative all the while shooting up aliens and marines.  Its fantastic setpieces and top-notch level design made the entire experience one to remember.

Project Justice (DC, Capcom)

Capcom’s swan song for the Dreamcast is a fitting one, as it ended up being one of the best fighters on a system full of stand-outs.  Crazy-awesome characters, a versatile team system and a solid combat engine made Project Justice a joyous brawler.

In my opinion, the best game of 2001 was…

Half Life (PS2, Sierra/Valve/Gearbox)

To begin this, I think it’s necessary to delve into my prior experiences with First Person Shooters.  In short, only a few have kept me interested.  I’ve tried Doom, Quake, Unreal, and Halo, but they just didn’t click right with me.  Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Deus Ex and Half Life, however, did (I’m excluding Portal, even though it could be argued to be a FPS).  Goldeneye and Perfect Dark had a mission structure with objectives, which made the missions more than shooting fests.  Deus Ex had its RPG system and individual customization, plus multiple ways of solving the game’s levels, which also caught my attention.  Half Life managed to be compelling for different reasons – its brilliant choice to direct its narrative to be so tightly scripted to the gameplay, and the excellent level layouts that threw curveballs at you.  The chaos spinning around Gordon Freeman was very realistic feeling, and trying to escape the insanity was a stroke of gaming genius.  There’s plenty of shooting action, which is well done, but it’s the platforming and brain-turning elements that stole the show.  As Freeman continues deeper into Black Mesa, the plot keeps you guessing.  Alien infestation is what kicks this whole thing off, but government conspiracies, the introduction of U.S. Armed Forces assigned to kill anything within the base, and the exploration of the weird alien homeworld that concludes the game adds a lot to the overall pace of the game, keeping things delightfully fresh.  And the game’s meaty length gives you plenty of time to get acquainted with the controls and enemies.  A wonderful experience, and between this and Portal, I’ve become a fairly big fan of developer Valve.

Some personal anecdotes…

Headcrabs are some of the nastiest (and coolest) enemies I’ve encountered in a game yet.  A very clever spin on the zombie concept.

The puzzle with the giant alien tentacle in the middle of the game really challenged me.  I don’t know if it was intended to be that difficult, but man, I spent hours trying to figure out how to get past it.  I was pretty happy once I got the solution right, though.

The alien home planet was interesting…but was easily the weakest part of the game.  It just wasn’t as polished as Black Mesa’s headquarters, and was a bit baffling to figure out how to progress.  And the final boss…was wacky.  Took a while to figure that one out, too.  Despite the confusion, though, I still adore the game.

I’d love to play Half Life 2 one day.  Not quite sure how to, yet – my PC probably wouldn’t handle it, and The Orange Box on the PS3 wasn’t done by Valve, so I’m a little dubious about its quality (despite the patches).

This is another recent entry onto my list, so my reflections aren’t as deep as they could be for say…Mega Man 3. :p  Sorry!

Back to 2000 – Forward to 2002

Looking Back: My Favorite Game of 2000

2000 was a good year as far as high school went.  Despite Chad’s departure, I was able to meet some awesome new people.  Anthony entered my life due to a Home Economics (i.e. Cooking) class, and we became fast friends.  He and I would spend oodles and oodles of time together while he was in high school, and he was the best man at my wedding.  He was there in many of my gaming memories – beating Street Fighter Alpha 3′s Dramatic Battle together, witnessing me crush the super-hard final stages in World Tour Mode (same game), me serving as his fighting game trainer (as Chris had done with me), playing Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, Alpha 3, Smash Bros. Melee, Capcom Vs. SNK 2 and Soul Calibur with me all the time.  It was a rare weekend when we weren’t at his or my place.  Beyond games, though, he was and is an awesome man, and despite hardly seeing or hearing from him these days, I’d have to say he’s the finest friend I’ve had outside of Grace.

My junior year also got me into classes I wanted to take – I was back in the drama program, which ours was a unique one.  Usually drama programs are where a bunch of outcasts and eclectic kids end up getting into (which I would consider myself both :p ), but ours had football players, ASMC officers, some of the most popular people on campus and the outcasts/eclectics.  And we all got along for the most part.  I became friends with a wide array of people thanks to our diverse program, and our instructor I would rank highly among the most influential teachers I’ve had.  I served as a stage manager for all of the shows, with small bit parts in a couple.  I also got into Multimedia, where I had the chance to use these newfangled computer do-dads I’ve heard so much about.  I learned Photoshop, video editing, audio editing and other skills, which I occasionally utilize here for the blog.  I adored this class, despite bumping into my newest and most contested rival, my former friend W. (I’ll save using his name, since he’s not a pleasant memory).  W. had always taken to belittling me for some reason, and 2000 was the year I parted ways with my old comrades (since Chad was gone and Chris and Trent were hanging with new people before I wised up), which apparently incited him to up the ante.  He would go out of his way to say some sort of negative remark to me (including shouting across campus), and made any class I ended up with him unpleasant.  I don’t know what crawled up his ass to become so vindictive – I imagine he had a shitty life outside of school and needed a scapegoat.  I made the right choice to jump ship, though, as they all got into pot and drunk shenanigans not too far afterward.  We had some good times, no doubt – Goldeneye battles and whatnot, but overall I was and am relieved that I no longer have to deal with them.

I also had fun with girls.  Well, not really.  I unintentionally developed a slight stalker phase with one crush, which I quickly realized and crushed as I talked to her about it (and apologized).  It was my first attempt to ask a girl out, and although she and I got along well, she wasn’t interested in taking it further…which was fine in the end.  She and I remained solid friends through high school.  I look at any past rejection as a good thing, as it got me into dating and marrying Grace down the road, and I wouldn’t trade her for nothing.   The last play introduced me to a new crush, who I would spend the whole summer dreaming about.  Heh.  God, revisiting my crushes is such a goofy self-analysis.  I can see how immature and idiotic I was.  Ah, youth.  I’ll save my senior memories for 2001.

In 2000 I believe that I had four personal projects running.  One is tied to So…this webcomic/Snow Dragon, as I’ve mentioned before.  It’s where Blade and Claire/Janelle/Mike/Lindsay/Drew’s powers in Shi Kurai are from.  The others I’ll be a little more open about, as two of them are obsolete now and one may become a webcomic on here in due time.  One of the aborted projects revolved around Bobby, the cat, based on my own cat of the same name.  I loved Bobby – he was an affectionate and lovely cat.  So I merged him into a game design that he would collect alphabet scrolls to gain magical powers.  Sort of Metroid-ish.  It never really got too far – I think I progressed more on compiling what Foo Fighter songs I wanted to use than any real design aspects. :p  The second was taking Jamiroquai’s Space Cowboy persona into a game premise, which also didn’t get too far.  That’s where Didjital came from, and somehow I combined the two universes for Shi Kurai.  So those two ideas are long gone, now.  The last is titled Black Blood, and it’s where Kryst originates.  It’s a fantasy-tinged title, but I’m not 100% sure where I’m taking it yet.  But I am considering a webcomic for it, so I guess look forward to that!

Shortlist:

Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (N64, Atlus/Quest)

Easily the best RPG for the N64, Ogre Battle 64 features a robust character development system, a fascinating plot and some intense strategical battling.  Well worth looking into if you love strat-based RPG’s.

Skies of Arcadia (DC, Sega)

Sega’s sky-faring opus, with a dynamic and likable cast, an incredible world to poke around in, a solid set of battle engines and is simply an experience that I can not recommend enough.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 (DC, Capcom)

Capcom’s final chapter in the Alpha subbranch is the finest one, with its richest cast, glorious animation and a myriad of gameplay options and styles to tinker around in.  The RPG-esque World Tour mode and Dramatic Battle adds immensely to the pleasure.

Grandia II (DC, UBI Soft/Gamearts)

Grandia II is a visual tour de force for the Dreamcast, and has one of the most gripping battle systems in any RPG I’ve played.  Add in a solid soundtrack and a decent cast of adventurers and I’m happy as hell.

In my opinion, the best game of 2000 was…

Skies of Arcadia (DC, Sega)

You wouldn’t have expected anything else, right? :p

I’ve gushed so much about this game on the site that it’s hard to think of something new to say about it.  I think that my Dreamcast Anniversary reflections does that insanely well.  I’ve also covered my adoration of the game’s excellent art direction (led by Itsuki Hoshi), soundtrack (done by Yutaka Minobe and Takayuki Maeda), characters (I’ve covered Vyse, and plan to get Aika and Fina’s spotlights done this year) and have drawn more fan art and wallpapers (1 – 2) for it than any other game.  But, I’ll try very hard to come up with something original here.

Skies of Arcadia is not a perfect game.  It has its flaws – overly common random battles, Vyse is a little clunky in the overworld (and climbs up ladders way too slowly), its plot relies on the Magical McGuffin school of progression a little much, the default battle engine can drag on for too long, and I’m sure other problems other gamers have experienced that aren’t leaping to mind.  For me, though, I was able to look past all of that and see something that was absolutely amazing.  A game that, despite its design issues, completely wowed me every step of the way.

Part of that enrapture has been Vyse, Aika and Fina’s phenomenal characterization.  Vyse is such an optimistic guy with his heart set on big things, and is quite able to keep himself composed and focused in even the toughest circumstances.  This trait is one to admire.  Aika’s feisty behavior and zeal for being a pirate is a nice counterbalance to Fina’s more subdued and shy personality, and both build upon that foundation and become extraordinary sidekicks to Vyse (who also grows beautifully) throughout the game’s story.  And while Skies does run with the magic crystal collection trope, it does a whole bunch more with its plot than merely idling around those objects.  It tackles cultural issues, as the Valuans attempt to dominate the other realms and eradicate what they consider inferior.  It reveals that other cultures are something to preserve, and that assimilation is not always the greatest answer.  As Vyse and Co. try to protect these locales from Valua’s military, and as they explore and chat with residents in those places, my mind was blown at how well Sega captured such cultural diversity and its importance so well in this game.  My revisit brought those memories flooding back, even more poignantly now that I’m going to be a cultural anthropologist myself.

I’ve delved into Skies’ handling of exploration before, but it’s the flipside to the cultural aspects that caught my attention most.  I LOVE exploration in games.  Linear games can be fun, no doubt, but I appreciate and relish being able to poke around and discover areas and secrets.  Many of my favorite games have such an aspect to them, and that component was fully realized thanks to Skies.  With a multitude of discoveries to track down, a huge world to sail in, hidden sidequests and battles for the persistent (which the Gamecube port enhances with its extra boss battles), and the eventual acquiring of a base you can build to your liking…as long as you can gather all of the various crewmates needed to construct it! – there’s nothing quite like sailing the blue skies in …Skies.  Honestly.  It left such an impact that I used “Sailing the Blue Skies since (year here)” at my old site for years.

But the most telling piece of evidence is how MUCH I’ve written or created or admired about this game.  I can ramble on and on about it if I can, and have devoted massive amounts of my time into playing and discussing and sharing it.  And really, it’s been THE game of games for me – the one that I can quickly point to as my favorite without a lot of thought.  I don’t know what else I can do to showcase my passion for Skies than merely pointing out the Skies of Arcadia tag for LVLs. and asking you to look at the records of the site’s coverage of it (the Imagery and my Favorite Games won’t pop up there, but I know how to link to those!) to see for yourself how much I love this game.

Some personal anecdotes…

I own the DC original and GC port, although my DC copy has issues on the second disc (and I’m too scared to try to dip it into hot water to remove the probable film that is screwing with it).  Won’t sell either!  I also have the soundtrack, but it’s a bootleg copy.  If I had the money, I would import the collector’s stuff from Japan and the real soundtrack – I’m that serious.

I’d kill for some Skies of Arcadia figures.  Well, that’s strong – I’d really love to have some, let’s put it that way.

Is it wrong I’m more interested in Vyse, Aika and Fina’s cameos in Valkyria Chronicles than anything else?

I have a Nintendo Power poster of Skies on the wall in my house.  Grace doesn’t like it that much, but it’s the biggest piece of Skies adoration I own, and we’ve luckily reached a compromise about me keeping it up.

Back to 1999 – Forward to 2001

Looking Back – My Favorite Game of 1999

1999 was sophomore year, which was a vast improvement to being a freshmen.  However, I didn’t really get into any classes I wanted that year – the drama program excluded me for some odd reason, and my electives were, for the most part, fairly dull or boring.  It wouldn’t be until next year that I’d start relishing some of my classes and actually enjoy high school some.  Sad for me.  This was Chad’s last full year before transferring, so I at least had that.  To be honest, of all my high school years, this is the one that is the most unexciting to recollect…so much so that I’m not remembering much. XD

One thing I do recall is the acquisition of my latest console at the time – the Dreamcast!  If you haven’t gathered by now, I love Sega’s swan song, and managed to amass a fairly sizable collection for Christmas, getting Marvel Vs. Capcom, Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur, 4 controllers and a VMU right off the bat (I bought Marvel Vs. Capcom in advance!).  Since the Nintendo 64 was still kicking, I now had two consoles to split my income on.  I began working to gain a little more money to cover my passions.  It’s the only time I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of two separate consoles releasing new games at the same time, and it was a frenzied, yet fun time for me.  There’s gems for both consoles I missed due to this, but in the end I’m quite happy to have had the chance to be involved in such a great time for games.

I don’t miss washing dishes. :p  I’d rather sell books, no question.

I apologize for the overall lack of information here – I honestly am drawing huge blanks about this particular year.

Shortlist:

Super Smash Bros. (N64, Nintendo/HAL Labs)

Nintendo’s major mascots finally unite for a fighting game different than most – instead of draining a life meter, it grows in size, which makes your fighter fly further the higher it goes.  The goal is to KO your foes offscreen and minimize taking off yourself!  A fresh and fantastic take on the conventional fighter.

Resident Evil 2 (N64, Capcom)

The sequel to Capcom’s second (counting Sweet Home) survival horror attempt refined the formula, adding in several new and awesome enemies, a compelling world to poke around in, and provided two quests to further expand the gameplay.  My favorite of the old-school RE’s.

Sega Swirl (DC, Sega)

Swirl manages to overcome my usual dislike of puzzle games by providing simple yet addicting gameplay – match the swirls by their color to clear the board.  It’s a great multiplayer experience.

Soul Calibur (DC, Namco)

Namco’s weapon-wielding 3D fighter brought the Dreamcast one of its first jaw-droppers – amazing visuals and deep gameplay combine with intriguing characters and a variety of modes for an excellent game that has yet to be beaten by its sequels.

In my opinion, the best game of 1999 was…

Soul Calibur (DC, Namco)

Powering up Soul Calibur for the first time was a very prominent moment of awe for me (and most gamers, I’m sure). The power of the Dreamcast was quickly evident with SC’s crisp modeling, detailed backdrops and smooth animation.  Watching a fight was almost as great as participating.  Namco’s team took the crusty PS1-based engine the arcade release featured and turned it on its head completely in its seven month porting, ensuring that it would be a strongpoint in the early days of the system.

Luckily, Soul Calibur is not reliant on its beauty alone to wow, as its gameplay is full of depth.  Personally, I’ve yet to play a 3D arena game that has left as much of a lasting impression as the first Soul Calibur.  It managed to click a ton of the right switches for me.  Developing your tactics required a different method of playing than Capcom/SNK designed 2D fighters, as Namco had three attack buttons – vertical strikes, horizontal strikes, and kicks, and a guard button.  Directional input altered these attacks, as did running, jumping, crouching and occasional commands.  Guard plus a Strike button allowed you to throw your opponent in vicious ways, and you could counter attacks with well-timed taps of back or forward with the Guard button.  Most fighters held unique movesets and weapons, with a few unlockables that mimicked other fighters, but with a few tweaks.  In short, there was plenty to experiment with, and a heap of gameplay gold to be found within the engine.

What ultimately cements Soul Calibur as such a classic to me though is the fact that Namco has made such pains to pad its sequels with unnecessary crap for questionable reasons.  The first game was nigh-perfect, but Namco has never returned completely to the template they first established.  With guest characters from other franchises (several of which make little to no sense at all – Spawn?  Darth Vader and Yoda?), female character designs that dive deeper and deeper into the smut shop on the corner (and whose breasts grow exponentially per game, and become more and more prone to nipple exposure), idiotic modes that ruin the overall vibe of the game (a strategy RPG?!?), modifications to the core gameplay that are not needed (walls, alternate weapons with bonus effects, quick time events in between matches), a plot line that seems content in retconning itself with every chance it gets, and a myriad of other gripes I could continue piling on, I secretly wonder if Namco is trying to sabotage its second major 3D fighting franchise as it rolls along its course (another point – SC3 corrupts PS2 memory cards, and this issue was never resolved!).  Thankfully, I can forget all of Namco’s mistakes by revisiting this game, the one that launched the franchise into the big leagues, and remains unbeaten as the champ of 3D fighters, as far as I’m concerned.

Some personal anecdotes…

I tend to play as Nightmare or Siegfried, as both have similar styles and work well for me.  I also enjoy playing as Taki (although I’m terrible with her), Seung Mina and Maxi.

I’ve completed this 100%, including the hidden missions.

I LOVE the art gallery for this game – no other has come close to topping it.  It’s full of awesome art of many styles, and is a delight to pour through.

The only addition I would make to Soul Calibur is III and IV’s Character Creation system – that was arguably the best thing Namco’s come up with so far to its sequels.  It’s fun recreating my OC’s and seeing them in motion.  It helped design some for a project of mine, actually.

Back to 1998 – Forward to 2000

Looking Back – My Favorite Game of 1998

1998…a big year.  I became a sophomore, losing the stigma of freshmen status, which was nice.  It was the last year I spent hanging out with Chad, who had begun to get pretty heavy into drugs at this point in his life.  He also felt isolated, like the whole high school was against him, so he transferred out to an alternate high school that helped troubled students get through school the following year.  It was a pretty big loss to me.  Chad and I had been essential pillars of strength to each other (as far as I’m concerned, at least) through some difficult years, so it was odd to not see him anywhere near as often as I used to.

1998 also introduced me to a guy named Trent, who was and is one of the coolest people I’ve ever known.  To be honest, I wish I had known him longer than I had to chance to.  He walked on his own path, marched to a different beat…any sort of goofy metaphor you can come up with for an individual, he was it.  He was a big inspiration on me, and really helped push me towards becoming such a big believer in individualism.  Sort of odd how I was inspired to be individualistic by someone else (sort of goes against that premise :p ), but I can’t imagine myself now without the convictions I hold for it, so I appreciate the nudge Trent provided.

Chris and I also spent a ton of time together, and began our fighting rivalry with the arcade version of X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, which popped up at a local arcade.  We also battled in a completely unexpected game – Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  Chris had a few friends over when he had just picked the game up.  I was amazed, enthralled even about what I was watching.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  When I started the game at his house, I recorded it.  I got through the Deku Tree, but not much farther.  When I returned home, I asked my mom if we could go and get it, but alas, she was busy working and didn’t want to take me.  I had the game on reserve as it was, but I just had to witness the game again, so I watched my tape.  My mom walked in while I was glued to the screen…and decided to take me down to pick it up if I got it quickly.   What’s best about this story is when I got it, I became completely addicted to the stellar gameplay and level design.  So much so, that I beat the game in about 20 hours in 4 days. The best part?  I beat it 5 minutes before Chris, who had it a week before I did.  I called him after the credits rolled to let him know I had conquered it and he was (I paraphrase) “What?  I’m fighting Ganon now!”   Years later, when I brought this back up, he told me that he was quite upset at me. :p

Let’s see, what else happened…my crush told me her story I mentioned last time.  Took some time to get over that one. XD  It was around this time that I came up with my OC Claire.  I was so devastated by losing my crush to alcohol that I made Claire up to be what I considered at the time my ideal dream girl.  It’s really hokey and stupid to look back on, but that’s what I did in order to try to counteract the heartache I felt.  I did have real crushes following this :p – two in high school (both wanted to stay as friends) and more than a few in college (only two I dared ask out, though – one I wanted to stay as friends with, but my brain was all fucked up with emotive feelings, so I just wanted to get that resolved with, and the second…I married ^_^ ).  So that wraps that that tangent. :p

It was around this time that I began reading The Bard’s Tale series of books put out by Mercedes Lackey and various co-authors.  I adored them.  I still consider them the best fantasy books I’ve read.  I don’t know if they are all that literary, but they do their fantasy spiel quite well, and despite having next to nothing to do with the games they plucked the name from, they are engaging and quick to read.  I was quite taken with these, and was inspired to venture out a new game concept utilizing the license (I had no clue about copyright back then).  As I’ve gotten older I’ve removed the Bard’s Tale from that concept, but I still fiddle with the thought once in a while, and you may see some fruits of that labor in the near future.  Maybe.

Shortlist:

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, Nintendo)

Link’s first foray into three dimensions maintained the Zelda legacy, if not exceeding its predecessors with its rich gameplay, enormous world and puzzling dungeons.  Definitely a milestone in gaming history.

Body Harvest (N64, Midway/DMA Design)

A tense action game that requires quick reflexes and a fast trigger finger, DMA Design’s alien blaster may not have the critical acclaim it deserves, but is a fine example of 3D action games at their best.

Marvel Vs. Capcom (Arcade, Capcom)

The third Vs. game with Marvel, mixing in Darkstalkers, Strider, Mega Man, Captain Commando and Cyberbots characters on top of Street Fighter for Capcom’s side, plus plucking the best reps from Marvel’s (plus Venom), this was a frantic free-for-all fighter that entertains for hours.

International Superstar Soccer 98 (N64, Konami)

Building upon its earlier success, ISS 98 perfects the gameplay set into motion prior, adding in a ton of new technical aspects to the core, and delivered a soccer experience unlike any other.  A landmark in sports gaming, and is possibly the best one ever made.

In my opinion, the best game of 1998 was…

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, Nintendo)

I mentioned that Goldeneye was in the Top 5 of games that left an impact on me. Ocarina of Time is at the top.  There may be four games ahead of it on my favorites list now, but Nintendo’s N64 Zelda debut shook me to my gaming core back in the day.  I don’t know if I’ve ever been so mesmerized by a game as I was with this.  I really wish I could go back in time and revisit myself discovering the intricacies buried within this golden cartridge a second time.  Alas, I will have to live with the memories alone.

Starting up Zelda: OoT was such a pivotal point for my gaming career.  Prior to my exposure with Ocarina of Time, I had beaten the first NES game, dabbled with Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening, and couldn’t get myself to comprehend Zelda II’s unusual gameplay alterations.  I can’t say that I was a fan of the franchise, though.  As the opening cinema began, with Link riding Epona through Hyrule Field, with one of the more poignant intro themes I had heard at the time, I knew I was in for a very special treat.  Getting past the menu and into the game’s exposition was thrilling.  Settling in to control Link was even more so.  Link was amazingly responsive – not quite as loose as Mario was in Mario 64, but his ease of maneuvering through the environments was awesomely done.  The game prodded you along to progress deeper, but allowed plenty of freedom to explore and poke around (minus Navi griping at you all the time XD ).  Secrets were everywhere – rolling into trees, bombing walls, dropping bugs into patches of dirt, firing hookshots into trees and treasure chests, diving deep underwater…just a taste of the hidden surprises awaiting persistent players.

The visuals were unprecedented for the system, too.  It was a visual feast for the eyes.  Naturally, it’s lost that appeal to the march of technology, but it was quite a tour de force for my young mind to undergo.  The music has not lost its edge, however, remaining as rich as it did over a decade ago.  And the cast of NPC’s Link could interact with are still some of the finest in the series.  The Happy Mask Seller, Malon, Talon,  and Ingo, the Carpenter Brothers, the Kokiri children, and of course, the emerging wickedness of one of gaming’s oldest villains, Ganon.  His new “human” form as the Gerudo Ganondorf added something new to his character, and the game’s handling of his villainy made him much more devious than the prior games were able to convey.  And I will eternally remember crossing blades with him.  That is a hallmark of a boss battle, let me tell you.  Zelda too had a chance to grow as a character, and despite falling into the damsel-in-distress role the moment she ceases being her alter ego Sheik, the expansion of her was greatly appreciated.

All and all, I consider Ocarina of Time to define the finest of early 3D games.  It is huge, deep and had a profound emotional significance to me that not many other games can claim, and remains one of the greatest joys I’ve had in my life, gaming or not.  A massive, massive thanks to Nintendo for this crowning achievement.

Some personal anecdotes…

My fun story of topping Chris in beating the game above is probably the best anecdote I have of Ocarina of Time, and a solid testament to how attached I was to this game…man.  Five minutes ahead of him.  I still am floored by the fact I beat him to the end.

I’ve gotten everything in this game.  I’ve even abused the bottle duplicating trick on items I rarely or never used. :p

The Master Quest variant of the game you can track down on the Gamecube is a nice remix of dungeon delving.  Jabu-Jabu’s Belly in particular stands out as one of the more surreal moments in a Zelda title, and yes, I have played Majora’s Mask. :p

The 3DS remake has me naturally interested, but seeing what Nintendo did to Mario 64 DS makes me a little weary.  The analog nub will resolve control issues (with any luck), but will Nintendo make unnecessary additions to the game that could jeopardize what made Ocarina so incredible in the first place?  We’ll see soon, I guess.

And lastly, comparing the later 3D Zeldas…

Majora’s Mask – While having a far more intriguing atmosphere and some cool gameplay ideas with the various masks, the steep decline of dungeons (which were excellent, I must say) and the reliance on timing things just right to achieve everything made the overall game a little paler than Ocarina.  It is very good, though.

Wind Waker – Link’s first Gamecube adventure would have been wonderful if that damn boat wasn’t used so much, the AI buddies in two particular dungeons were easier to switch to (and controlled better), and if the game didn’t rely on the Tingle Triforce Shard Parade over dungeon dives or some other form of gameplay than the tedious sailing, I would consider it in my top 25 without question.  Has the best combat engine for Link in the 3D games, too, which makes it unfortunate that it got saddled with some poor design choices.  More on that here.

Twilight Princess – My second favorite Zelda of all time, it has so many things that are awesome about it for me to rattle off here.  I’ll focus on what makes it not quite an Ocarina killer – namely, a stretch of the game where the story takes a back seat to constant dungeon trips, ruining the earlier plot focus; mechanics that needed to be fleshed out a little more (the hawk or horse combat, for example) to not feel fluffy, and the slight downgrade the combat engine received.  It’s fluid, but not quite as smooth and transition-friendly as Wind Waker’s.

Back to 1997 – Forward to 1999