Top 10 Most Overlooked Games of 2009: The Hidden Gems

It happens every year. Hundreds of games are released, and only a handful go on to be blockbusters. There are numerous reasons that contribute to games being overlooked; everything from little to no marketing budgets, to coming out on the same day as a much bigger title. However, as we all should know, the size of a game’s marketing budget doesn’t directly correspond to the quality of the game, which means that every year there are good games out there that go unplayed. Here are some of this year’s best: [Continue Reading]

Top Ten Most Disappointing Games Of 2009

2009 is almost gone, and, looking back, there has been numerous key moments in the gaming industry: Capcom has managed to revive the fighting genre single handily with “Street Fighter 4.” The Wii has been receiving titles that are actually marketed towards gamers with doubledigit ages. And Star Wars fans have been drooling at the many developer walkthrough videos for the upcoming Star Wars MMO by Bioware. To say the least, in term of gaming, things are looking good.

With that being said, this doesn’t necessary the gaming industry did a perfect job this year. While sale records have been broken, there have been a few games released that received a ton of hype but failed to fufill their promises. The rules for this year’s list remain the same as last year: Any game that I was personally hyped about and didn’t meet my expectations is a candidate for this list. Because I only have a Wii, 360, and my PC, don’t expect anything from the handheld consoles or the Playstation 3.

10. Madworld

I know it’s very strange to label “Madworld” as disappointing game when I’ve given the game a favorable review, there’s a logically reason behind this.

“Madworld” was developed by Platinum Games, but they didn’t always go by that name. A few years ago, they were called Clover Studios and worked under Capcom, many artistically unique games were released by them, such as “Okami” and “Vietiful Joe.” It was one of their games in particular that had me hyped about “Madworld,” “God Hand.”

“God Hand” was a visually poor beat’em up that didn’t receive great reviews. It was released on the Playstation 2, and it was the last game created under the Clover Studios name. While the mainstream public didn’t bite, those of us who wanted to challenge ourselves and enjoyed punching people in the face got one hell of a game. I won’t list the features, but you can search on Youtube to see how the game works. It might be a good idea to do so, and then compare it to videos of “Madworld.” You might see a resemeblence.

And this is where the disappointment comes in. I liked “God Hand” and when I saw “Madworld,” I was hoping for a next-gen upgrade to the underrated game. Instead what we received was a dumbed down version of it. “Madworld” is still a great game, and you should try it if you haven’t done so, but considering this game from the same guys who made “God Hand,” I was disappointed with this one. [Continue Reading]

Sega’s Top 10 Biggest Business Mistakes

Sega has been as big of a part of my childhood as Nintendo was. However, this wasn’t by choice, since I was the Nintendo fan in my household, and the Sega player was my older brother. To best describe my experience, I’ll put it into a metaphorical scenario: picture a typical GameFAQs or GameTrailers forum poster who constantly boasts about how great their console is while eating, living, and sleeping under the same roof for over a decade, and that’s what I grew up with.

So, that may be a bit of an exaggeration; it wasn’t that bad, but there were regular conflicts over whose system was better, which one had better games, and bunch of other pointless arguments I’m sure you’ve read/heard/been involved in before.

So, you may now be asking yourself, “Why this particular topic, and why focus on Sega?” It’s because of today’s current economic crisis. People are losing jobs, including yours truly, and many longtime companies within the game industry are fading away. I wanted to examine some of the business mistakes made by these large corporations, and I figured Sega would be a good starting point since they are a big highlight from my past. My other reason for choosing Sega is because they are getting a lot of attention lately, with the releases of “House of the Dead: Overkill,“ “Empire: Total War,” and “MadWorld.”

#10 – Treatment of Franchises

There is no doubt that Sega has a very long history of unique characters and themes. “Alex Kidd,” Sega’s former platformer mascot, made you fight to the death with your enemies by playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. “After Burner” turned you into an ace F-14 pilot without the questionable undertones of Top Gun. For the Dreamcast, there was the oddly addictive “Seaman,” the short-lived rhythm based “Space Channel 5,” and the cel-shaded anti-authority “Jet Grind Radio.” All classics in their own right, but then there’s the king of Sega’s franchises, Sonic.

Sega’s mistake here is how they’ve treated these franchises. Although not necessarily as strong as Nintendo’s cast, Sega still has a place amongst the older (and still biggest) market share of the game industry. However, with the constant release of mediocre games based on these franchises (recent examples include “Sonic Unleashed” and “Golden Axe Beast Rider”) it really does make one question Sega’s judgment. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with changing the direction of a franchise (see “Resident Evil”), going in the complete opposite direction tends to alienate the already existing, and most likely dedicated audience. Taking “Golden Axe,” a well known co-operative arcade beat em’ up, and turning it into some plot-heavy single player game, is a good (or bad, depending on how you look at it) example of this. Another standout example from Sega is changing a platformer franchise known for its obstacles, neat theme, and speedy blue rodent, and adding in a werewolf “plot” or giving it a sword.

But despite the past few years of missteps, gamers still respect Sega. There is still a huge, although disturbing, fan base of hedgehog lovers, so much so that Archie Comics is still publishing their “Sonic” series, oh, and there’s this kid too. So while there are definitely ways to improve on how Sega treats its mascots, it’s not the worst thing Sega has done.

Continue Reading Sega’s Top 10 Biggest Business Mistakes

Nintendo’s Top 10 Games Still Missing From The Virtual Console

It has been 844 days since the Wii was released here in the U.S., and since the day it was released, classic titles from my childhood show up every Monday courtesy of the Virtual Console. It’s like a little chocolate chip cookie for me to wake up to first thing in the morning as I begin my trudge through another week. Over the last two plus years the V.C. has had its ups and downs; from great classic titles that never saw Stateside release, to weeks and weeks of virtual drought. However, through the thick and thin, the retro gamer inside me has stuck with it, in hopes that some of my all-time favorites would become available for me to download, and play again, all at the click of a button. However, even after all this time, and all these weeks, there’s still a hearty list of essential Nintendo titles that are still missing – and I’m talking about first party Nintendo published games. I mean, it’s fine with me, just one more missed opportunity for Nintendo to take my money, but the thing is, I’ll gladly pay to play a lot of these games, in most cases for the second or third time. Whether these games will ever make it on the V.C. is unknown to me, but hopefully someday I’ll be able to give Nintendo more of my hard earned money, just to reminisce about being a kid. Below is my list of Nintendo’s Top 10 games that are still missing from the Virtual Console, and it’s restricted only to games that were published by Nintendo at the time of their original release. Who owns them now might be a whole different story. [Continue Reading]

Top 10 Overlooked Games of 2008

It’s bound to happen every year; there’s always going to be a handful of great games that get overlooked by the general gaming population. It can happen for a variety of different reasons – bad release date, not enough buzz, or it simply just slips through the cracks. While it’s sometimes a good thing that gamers missed out on some of the crap that was shoveled this past year, there are some quality titles in the mix that that didn’t even land on most gamer’s radars, and that’s why I’ve put together my list of the top 10 games of 2008 that were overlooked – from least to most disregarded.

10. de blob

“de blob” was the little game that couldn’t this year. One of the Wii’s most unique and inspired games this year was lost to the fact that it was the Wii’s most unique and inspired games this year. While the gaming press really loved the game, it seemed that your average Wii owner would rather buy a balance board and not use it, instead of playing a quality game.

9. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

Square Enix’s remakes are getting to be a dime a dozen lately, but the release of “Dragon Quest 4” went off with barely a blip on the radar. Maybe that was because it came out the same week as “Rock Band 2” and “The Force Unleashed” but that’s still not a good reason to pass on this DS update of a PS1 update of a classic NES title; especially since it was the first time the game hit American shores. [Continue Reading]

Top 10 Reasons The Video Game Industry Is In Trouble

Yes I will do it! I’m the bearer of doom and gloom. Someone has to do it. While most publications are rife with BEST this and that about the industry, few are looking at what ails it. I intend to rectify this with my list and hopes for the fixes of my favorite hobby. Without further ado…

10. Sequelitis

Yes, the industry has gotten sick with it. Following Hollywood tit for tat video games, for the most part, have become wholly un-original. Before you come stampeding my way with torches, let me explain. I don’t mean original as in a new genre or way to play a game (ducking Wii-motes). I mean original as in a new IP (Intellectual Property). What happened to getting excited over new characters? All of the gaming icons we know were once new. Instead of creating new characters, we get the same ones for the fifth, sixth, and eleventh installments.  I subscribe to the financial reasoning of betting on a name that people know, but it also smacks in the face of how that character became popular in the first place. No! I don’t want to play as Dante anymore, at least not for a while. I’m tired of hopping around with Mario, can I get a new character? Everyone talks about how this year was so great for gaming, but virtually every game on the Best Sellers list is a sequel – GTAIV, MGS:4, DMC 4, GHWT, Rock Band 2, GOW2, Res: 2, Mario Kart, etc etc  (You know these titles so well I can abbreviate them) How about a year without any sequels and totally new IP? Wouldn’t that be refreshing… [Continue Reading]

Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of 2008

With the awful Spike TV VGA concluded, us gamers are now able to reflect back on a rather interesting year for video games. Long awaited sequels like “Gears of War 2” curb-stomped their way into our homes, and the shareholders at Rockstar celebrated the release of “Grand Theft Auto 4.” But, much like any kid who waited months for that special toy on their birthday only to be disappointed once they got it, gamers also follow the same path.

So, here is the Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of 2008. The rules are quite simple: any game that I, Marky X, was personally hyped about, and then it didn’t meet my standards will be on here. This means games like “Crysis,” “Far Cry 2,” “Dead Space,” “Metal Gear Solid 4,” and “Tomb Raider” won’t be on this list, because I didn’t care about them in the first place.

10 – Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix

I won’t give a history lesson on this game, as I’m sure if you’re reading this, you know about the franchise’s impact on not only the arcade scene but organized gaming competitions as well.

When Capcom announced a “Street Fighter” “HD Remix” with online play, balance changes, and easier controls, I couldn’t wait. I really enjoyed the concept and character designs of the “Street Fighter,” but couldn’t really get into it because controls were such a pain in the ass.

That wasn’t the case. The game is still unbalanced, as Ryu and Ken are grossly overused, but now the ex-banned Akuma breaks into the scene as the third most used character in the game. Controls are still horrid, especially with some of the charge characters being harder than it was on the SNES D-pad days. At least the netcode is pretty damn good and the artwork is sharp, despite the creative anatomy by Udon.

9 – Mario Kart Wii

When the Wii version was announced with the Wheel and online play, I couldn’t wait. I have a MOMO Steering Wheel, and it does add to the experience of any racing game, and playing “Mario Kart” against people around the world was something I’ve dreamed about since the SNES days.

Unfortunately, what I got was a game that had way too many players on the track with stupidly overpowered and overused weapons. Even the pointless drifting is still here, but instead of waggling the stick left and right, while giving the player the illusion of “skill”, all you have to do is hold down a button. The tracks are overcrowded with 12 players, making it nearly impossible to get the items if you’re at the back of the pack. Speaking of tracks, where’s the variety and innovation? Most of them are just simple GC or SNES remakes. And finally, the blue shell.

8 – Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I’ve never been a big follower of the “Smash Bros.” franchise. I didn’t own a Gamecube so I never got a chance to play ”Melee,” and the amount of minutes I spent on the Nintendo 64 debut could be counted on one hand. I don’t know why, but I was never really that hyped about it.

Then came “Brawl,” which not only supported online play, but allowed me to play as Sonic. Finally, a game where two favorite childhood mascots of mine can finally beat the shit out of each other, and I can do it online.

Instead what I got was a game that had perhaps one of the worst netcodes in my so-called gaming “career.” This is a game which only dealt with four people, yet suffered from nearly unplayable matches most of the time (Mario Kart handled 12 just fine). Even if I did find a lagless match, everyone would choose Ike or Metaknight since there are such a broken characters. And then if people didn’t choose them, then we’d end up on a crappy stage would be selected where I needed the Hubble Telescope just to see my tiny character.

As for single player campaign, I’ll be brief: crappy enemies, floaty controls, and copy-paste levels. [Continue Reading]

Top 10 Games of 2008 That I Didn’t Play

As each year goes by, it feels like the number of good games released over those 12 months just keeps rising. This year was no different. I would argue that it saw a bigger increase than previous years largely because of the influx of quality casual and indie games. I think nearly every gamer missed out on a game they planned to get because they didn’t have the time, or saw yet another awesome game and just didn’t have the resources to cop it. I was definitely a victim. I’m closing out the year with empty pockets, plenty of great games, and a stupid-long list of games I really wanted to play and didn’t.

This is the top 10 games from that list:

10. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy

Why I wanted it: It was a movie-licensed game that didn’t suck. Bonus: I actually liked the movies.

Why I didn’t play it: It just barely missed the must-buy list. It got some decent reviews, but something about buying a game where the title includes a full name that isn’t Tom Clancy or Sid Meier made my stomach turn.

9. de Blob

Why I wanted it: Who can resist a fun platformer where the plot centers on putting a smack-down on conformity? Not to mention, their marketing blitz blind-sided me a couple of times in the backfield.

Why I didn’t play it: I must confess–I have been neglecting my Wii. I won’t let myself buy another Wii game until I finish “Zelda: Twilight Princess” and “Metriod Prime 3: Corruption.”

8. Soulcalibur IV

Why I wanted it: “Soulcalibur” has made a healthy impression on me with every game since the original was released for Dreamcast. Ivy’s Snake Sword and Maxi’s Nunchucks (I am a huge Michelangelo of TMNT fan) sealed the deal pretty much every time. A little hint of Star Wars doesn’t hurt either.

Why I didn’t play it: Lately I just haven’t had the urge to play fighting games. Seems like those Street-Fighter-II-Turbo-at-birthday-parties-and-sleepovers glory days have faded. Plus, fighting games just aren’t the same when your opponent isn’t in the room with you.

7. Dead Space

Why I wanted it: I always wanted to be trapped on a dark space station with limited ammo and vicious creatures, who would love to rip my body into nice happy meat chunks…

Why I didn’t play it: WHAT!?!?! I am not scared to play this game…

6. Ninja Gaiden II

Why I wanted it: Ninja + Speed + Buckets of Blood = Fun

Why I didn’t play it: This is the first (but not last) game on this list that I am truly puzzled about. I think I just didn’t have 60 bucks to shell out when it was released. [Continue Reading]

Top 10 Franchises That Deserve A Retro Update

Growing up, a pixel used to be a boy’s best friend. Nowadays, everything all fancy, and “rendered” with anti-aliasing. What’s the fun of that? When we were kids, not having a definitive face on our character meant that it was easier for us to imagine that we were that character with the giant sword and magic spells.

“Mega Man 9″ may not seem like the most innovative game of the year, but, for long-time gamers it is a welcome homecoming for a franchise that has gone astray from its roots. Over the last 30 years of gaming “innovation” has driven many on-going franchises into the ground with constant reworking of beloved classics. Unfortunately, these “updates” don’t always pan out too well, and the only thing that is similar between a new title and an original, are the characters – and sometimes even that’s a stretch.  Sure, “Super Mario 64″ introduced the series to 3D very successfully, but for every success there have been more than a few failures.

Hopefully, “Mega Man 9″ will be such a success that some of gaming’s oldest franchises may stop and take note of their roots, and maybe their next release will be an old-school “update.” Here’s a list of the 10 franchises that could stand for a trip down memory lane – preferably in glorious 8 (or 16) bits. [Continue Reading]