The SEGA Generation
- Thread starter EternalMadness1997
- Start date
Thanks!
Trying to decide if this style can handle the rest of 2005 or not, haha
2005 III Part 1: Surprise Mofo
O. M. Goodness. I apologize greatly for this latest, massive, enormous hiatus. Writer's block is no laughing matter. I tried to write in the more novel-like format but I ended up, as you can see, gaining absolutely insane writer's block which resulted in this hiatus. Honestly due to how many other things I manage in my to do list I feel like going forward sticking to this format is just better for now.
SONY ACQUIRES CREATIVE ASSEMBLY
June, 2005
Yet another Sony related buy-out has occurred in this the decade of our lord the 2000's - this one being the acquisition of British Development studio Creative Assembly - the masterminds behind the Total War franchise, a popular series of computer games. This purchase is the latest high profile acquisition made by video game behemoth Sony, preceded by their 2001 acquisitions of Sega & Naughty Dog. This purchase was done primarily to assist SSCEE Europe in establishing a presence in North American and European gaming markets - which of course implies that it was Sony's European division spearheading this particular acquisition.
SSCEE Europe is already seeking to purchase publishing rights for prior Total War titles, and has announced plans to begin releasing them on the Sony Neptune and - in the near future - Sony Solaris as well, though also maintains interest in releasing PC versions as well - perhaps in keeping the tradition of 'Sega PC' games alive.
- Business Insider
- Forum Discussion, 2005
SET 2 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW & MORE
June, 2005
It's been a good bit since we first learned that Sony's partnership with Warner Bros. was actually merely a cable television channel, branded SET-2: but what do we actually know about this upcoming channel itself? The answer is, actually quite a good bit! For starters, it actually is branded as part of an existing line of 'SET' channels across the world, though they weren't widely known in America. This one will be the first of it's kind to act as though it is in the same league as channels such as Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon - that is, it will feature animated content as part of it's staples. Albeit, things seem to be taking a turn towards a more older demographic as it has been described by head of Sony America Thomas Kalinske as "Our and Warner's answer to Teen Nick". Key programming already confirmed to be on the incoming network include various programming from both Sony and Warner's catalog - most of the Warner content being shared with Saturday Morning block Kids' WB such as Teen Titans, Static Shock, Justice League, Justice League: Unlimited, Jackie Chan Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Duck Dodgers, Animaniacs, and Xiaolin Showdown. Seeing as how shows like these are typically made for younger audiences, these will reportedly be getting an early time slot. Other programs include virtually every single Sonic show created up to this date, with a similar time slot allotted. More importantly though, there is a plethora of new, original programming unveiled for the channel: the first among them being the latest Sonic Anime from the land of the rising run:Sonic the Hedgehog: Savior of the Universe, which will come to america as "Sonic: Freedom Fighters" despite it not actually being related at all to the SatAM show. Though this anime has already been airing in Japan, it's not coming to America until SET2 begins broadcasting - it will be the first Sonic anime made since Sony cut ties with 4kids earlier this year.
Speaking of anime, SET-2 will host a plethora of content that wouldn't be all too out of place on Toonami, though the bulk of it's anime programming are original productions made based on Sony's various franchises. To name a few: Space Channel 5, and Jet Set Radio both have got dubbed anime planned for release on SET-2, with CG-based Jak & Daxter and western animation styled Ratchet & Clank also being on the menu. Other anime content coming to SET-2 includes Bleach, Hell Girl, Naruto (shared with Toonami) and Fullmetall Alchemist. It's easy to tell that this was something that had been cooking for quite a good while, though are more fully original productions on the network as well - case in point being The Boondocks, which is anime-inspired though not actually an anime, and will be airing on SET-2 during daytime hours though will also be shared with Adult Swim for late night hours. Reruns of Cartoon Network's Megas XLR will also be broadcasted.
One of the more interesting debuts for this network is a brand new show: American Dragon: Jake Long, a western show that is gearing up to be one of the network's true premier series, complete with character designs done by Phil Bourassa (of Ben 10 over on Cartoon Network), giving it a clearly western but anime inspired look, very fitting for a show starring an asian-american character!
Speaking of Asian-Americans, the network in general seems to fixate on representing and appealing to that target demographic as much it does teens and young adults in general, seeing as how the majority of it's remaining content is compromised of live action teen drama shows and sitcoms primarily focused on having Asians or Asian-Americans in the main cast of each, taking up the bulk of the Afternoon and Night time programming. These shows include: The Okuyamas which is a sit-com featuring an Asian-American family living in San Francisco; East turning West which is a teen drama featuring a predominantly Asian-American cast; Chinatown USA, a young adult/teen drama centered in a Chinatown district; Behind the Sentai, which is a parody of 'Super Sentai' series such as Power Ranges that features a majority asian-american cast and takes a more slice of life with mature themes approach to the genre. Other shows include Life of Yumi which is an Ugly Betty and Daria inspired slice of life about an Asian girl growing up in America, The Dong Dynasty which is a late night satire of a slice of life show that follows a down-on-their-luck Chinese family literally named "Dong". And that's not to mention the occasional movie from the vast Sony library that will occasionally be found playing.
As a whole, the future looks bright for SET-2, which some are calling "Teen CN" already!
Originally slated to launch in January of 2006, it has been revealed that SET-2 is now going to launch in November of this year, just in time for the holiday season.
- Sony Magazine, June 2005, Excerpt
SHADOW & KNUCKLES: THE FUTURE OF SONIC GAMING
June, 2005
Shadow the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna.
Two of the most well known Sonic characters after Sonic and Eggman themselves - having debuted back in 2002 and 1994 respectively. Only this time, in 2005, both of them will be among the first Sonic characters to branch out from under Sonic's shadow (heehee) and carve out a name for themselves via their own spin-off series! That's right, Sonic is taking a page from Mario it seems, and allowing some of his friends to start getting their own games! Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Sony decided to drop such a scheme on the world, though.
Initially advertised as only a Knuckles the Echidna title for consoles, it has been revealed that Shadow the Hedgehog will also be getting a console game as well this year alongside a portable version of that same title. Of course, we except a fair share of differences between the two. Naturally, the entire 'Sonic World' is a buzz with these two upcoming titles, neither of which are even being developed by Sonic Team at all. Instead, Knuckles the Echidna is being developed by Sega Technical Institute (who will be renamed Sony Technical effective 2006), while the Shadow the Hedgehog game for consoles is being developed by Sony's Japan studio, with the portable version being developed by Sonic Team.
That's not to mention some of the other Sonic titles coming out both this year and next as well; Sonic Team themselves are going to be releasing Sonic Winter Games this holiday season, with Saber Interactive working on Sonic Jam '05 (A Sonic themed basketball game) and Backbone Entertainment on Super Sonic Rugby, more than likely intending to compete with games such as Mario Superstar Baseball and Super Mario Strikers that are set for release later this year as well. That's not to mention the Dimps developed Sonic Rush, too. Now when it comes to most of these games, the basics of them are largely self-explanatory, being mostly sports titles that are simplified and giving a Sonic coat of paint. However, it's Knuckles and Shadow's games that are creating a stir.
From what we can gather, Knuckles' story will feature a surprise appearance of a character from the Archie Sonic Comics - albeit with a new backstory to properly fit him into the game universe, and will center around Knuckles' battle with this debuting antagonist as well as uncovering more lore about the ancient echidnas and by extension the master emerald and it's power. Shadow's game on the other hand is taking some influence from Ratchet & Clank, it seems, as a key point of the gameplay is a combination of Shadow's chaos powers as well as a very similar weapon system. We know that this game will be addressing Shadow regaining his memories after returning without them in Sonic Heroes, and that another new villain to the franchise will be introduced, though we don't really know any further major details about the game at this time. The portable version seems to be largely a simplified, on-the-go version of the main game. We do however know that both games will be featuring a multiplayer mode, which is always a welcome addition in a Sonic game!
In addition, we see a bit of a return to form with both of them - who use very similar aesthetics and character models to Sonic Adventure 2, though much more refined as the teams have learned about what the Neptune is graphically capable of. This appearance for the blue blur does seem to be the most common for the ongoing Neptune era, with the majority of the other Neptune titles sporting roughly the same sets of Character models - exceptions being Sonic Adventure: Millennium Edition, Sonic Shuffle, Sega Superstars, and Sonic Heroes. Which is certainly not a bad thing, as it makes those games stand out - though it is notable. Of course, by saying this we take note that the Soap Shoes are still SA2 exclusive.
But games are more than just came play - what do these upcoming releases offer for gameplay? Well, when it comes to Knuckles it appears as though much of the gameplay taken from Sonic Adventure 2 will return as well as get expanded, as digging through various parts of the levels is a fundamental part of game-play used to traverse the landscapes which the game uses for it's, well, levels. Essentially what that means is that digging is more than only for secret rooms, and instead reveals entire pathways of levels for you to travel through - as well as of course, puzzles to solve. Both games also feature a greater influence of combat - though while Knuckles adds beat-em-up style combos, Shadow goes for a Ratchet-and-Clank influence of bringing firearms and firearm customization to the table - a first for the Sonic franchise. Hell, Sonic hardly seems to even appear in either title for that matter!
Overall, it seems that while Mario is winding down to spin-offs as the next consoles prepare for release, Sony is instead going out with a bang - no doubt only to have an even bigger bang when the Solaris comes out next year! We look forward to all that they have to offer us!
- Sony Magazine, 2005 excerpt.
EINHERJAR
July, 2005
"It's like Percy Jackson meets JRPG except with the Finnish gods....who nobody literally ever heard the names of before this game came out."
THE LIGHTNING THIEF
July, 2005
"The first in a planned series of books written by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief follows Percy Jackson, a dyslexic kid who lives in modern times while being a descendant of one of the Big Three Greek Gods - namely Poseidon. While many will inevitably compare this series to Harry Potter, I assert that there's more than enough in this book to separate itself from Harry Potter. Not only does it have great mysteries, but it also sports Greek Gods and an element of tragedy truly befitting of the myths themselves. In other words, Rick truly does know what he's writing about and is just as passionate about it! These books are perfect for just about anyone too. Honestly, I say you just get ready to join Camp Half-blood and become a demigod!" - Website review excerpt, 2005
CONFINEMENT
July, 2005
"Abandoned over 50 years ago, Mechelin Asylum stays in it's place as a remnant of a bygone era and a final resting place for memories of the darkest kind, as well as mysteries that in all honesty are perhaps better left unsolved. However, those who still live aren't known for leaving well enough alone - as it's when you and your team of fellow paranormal investigators enter the asylum as part of the latest investigation that things prove to be more than you could handle; not helping is the fact that you are all rather trapped in a long series of maze like hallways, with nothing but your equipment, darkness, and vague memories of a distant pass around you. You have people with you, yes, but for how long? And, are they even real?" - Blurb at back of game box, 2005. Confinement was a Nokia Neo exclusive
"A mix of survival & psychological horror that works with the powerful graphics & processing abilities of the Nokia Neo to create both a beautiful and haunting experience that will leave you on the edge of the seat if not clutching a crucifix while in the corner of of your room - or sleeping with one eye open. A must-have game for anyone that wants to be both a horror enthusiast and a gamer!" - IGN, 2005
"For 2005, this game was actually terrifying." - Anonymous comment
APE ESCAPE 3
July, 2005
"Sony has no shortage of first-party-developed platformer franchises. But amid glory hogs like Ratchet, Jak, and of course the big star that is Sonic, the Ape Escape series has quietly plugged along since the Saturn era, providing consistently great platforming experiences peppered with generous amounts of bizarre humor and colorful aesthetics--albeit with minimal recognition compared to those juggernaut franchises. Ape Escape 3 for the Neptune is the most refined entry in the series yet. It doesn't stray far from the monkey-nabbing concepts found in the previous games; rather, it simply tightens up the whole package, adding a boon of new content, new abilities, new minigames, and lots and lots of those loveable monkeys. It's no giant step forward for monkeykind, but it's pretty much exactly what you would want from an Ape Escape game. " - Gamespy, 2005-2006
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"I want an Ape Escape 4." - Anonymous comment
NINTENDOGS
August, 2005
"Do you like puppies? Do you like the Nintendo DS? Well then, get ready to have them both in the same place at once! Never leave your adorable pooches alone at home again with Nintendogs! That's right, adopt, name, and give endless amounts of love and playtime to actual, real life breeds of adorable pups! Using your stylus pen, you can play with these adorable animals made of love like never before, for hours and hours on end if you so like - since after all, who could say no to such adorable faces?" - Nintendo Power, 2005
"This is the most adorable game I have ever played in my entire life." - Anonymous comment, 2005
"This entire game is basically 'AAAAAWWWWW LOOK AT THE CUTE DOGGY!'. That's it, that's the entire game." - Anonymous comment, 2005
CHAO: OPERATION JAILBREAK
August, 2005
"Chao! Chao Chao Chao! That's right, the Chao are coming right into the palm of your hand for an adventure starring them and them alone! In this adventure, you can create or import your own Chao for the ensuing adventure to escape from the Chao-napping organization of PUTC, while not forgetting to free your fellow Chao either! This game contains all you could ask for, platforming, puzzle solving, a party of diverse and varied Chao to join you on your quest, the potential to level up and evolve while gaining more items for your custom Chao & party members - and the potential to import and export your Chao to compatible Chao gardens! What more could you ask for in a Chao game?" - Sony Magazine, 2005, excerpt.
"PUTC. People for the Unethical Treatment of Chao. lmao. So many Sonic game players would be considered members of that organization lmfao." - Anonymous comment
"I love how Sony is really pushing Chao to be their answer to Pokemon. Like, they are hardly subtle about it at all." - Anonymous comment
"This game is okay. It's obviously meant for little kids and/or people who REALLY like the Chao....or are just in general weak to anything that is inherently adorable. It's basically trying to attract younger people to Sony's handhelds, which does need more games like this and such to compete with Nintendo properly." - Anonymous comment
"I wonder how PETA feels about their, ahem, parody, in this game." - Anonymous comment
MARIO SUPERSTAR BASEBALL
August, 2005
"As a multiplayer game, Mario Superstar Baseball is pretty excellent. Up to four players can participate in straight up baseball games, the various mini-games, and an interesting Toy Field mode (which is really just a bigger mini-game that's given its own menu option). While the regular baseball games are great whether you're going solo or playing with your buddies, the mini-games are exponentially more entertaining with friends. With a great main game and lots of fun mini-games, I'd go as far as to say that this is a much better party game than the last few Mario Party releases. " - Gamespy review excerpt, 2005
"It's a Mario baseball game for the GameCube and that's pretty much all anyone needs to know really." - Anonymous online comment, 2005
SONIC GEMS COLLECTION
August, 2005
"A treasure chest of rare gems!"
"Face off against the evil Metal Sonic in this rare Sonic action game!"
"The cult classic arcade 3D fighting game comes to console!"
"Speed demons and blistering circuits make this one the craziest races ever!"
- Back of box; Game was a Neptune exclusive
"The complete list of games in Sonic Gems Collection: Sonic CD, Sonic CD Zone 2, Sonic the Fighters, Sonic R, Knuckles' Chaotix, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Triple Trouble, Sonic Blast, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Vectorman, Vectorman 2, Wonder Boy III: Monster's Lair, Monster World IV, Wonderboy V: Monster World III and NiGHTS into Dreams." - - Anonymous comment
"They made NIGHTS into Dreams one of the playable games even though that game has it's own Neptune release wtf." - - Anonymous comment
"Sonic Gems Collection is a very nice collection with a healthy collection of games both Sonic and otherwise - though I'm not sure if all of them are actually all that 'rare', though for the most part the games themselves are just outright emulated with little to no visible enhancements. I personally wish they had kept some form of a 3D hub world like Sonic World from Sonic Jam due to how unique that was compared to other compilation games, though in typical Sonic Team fashion they replace such creativity with a very large gallery - that is unique in it's own right - complete with unlock able concept art, Sonic the Screen Saver images, and even images from more recent Sonic games as well as some game demos to play for short spurts of time! Overall, I actually do think Sonic Team did a pretty decent job with this game and I look forward to seeing more compilation title from them." - - Anonymous comment
"That moment when Sonic Team isn't working on the next major Sonic title and is only working on some spin-off titles and a compilation." - - Anonymous comment
HURRICANES KATRINA & RITA: A MODERN DAY DISASTER
September, 2005
This year's hurricane season has been one of the most volatile and active seasons in recent memory - and no pair of storms exemplifies this more than the Hurricanes known as Katrina and Rita, who just a few weeks ago absolutely battered the gulf coast - New Orleans in particular. While a good few weeks apart from one another, Katrina alone has caused over 1,800 deaths and $125 billion in property damage - the costliest tropical cyclone in history to date. While it made landfall as a Category 3, it still managed to completely devastate the gulf coast area, with many residents of New Orleans being forced to either flee the state or desperately huddle together within the city's super dome hoping for it all to be over soon. The wind damage, debris, and flooding has left countless injured and many survivors homeless.
That's not to mention the salt on the wound that was Rita which arrived a mere few weeks later, and actually did make landfall as a Category 5 storm. It devastated the Lower Mississippi Valley area and in addition to causing an ungodly amount of destruction in it's own right, made the damage caused by it's predecessor even worse - even toppling the hurriedly repaired levees that Katrina had damaged - and killing at least over 100 people and causing an additional $18 billion in estimated damage. "it's just unreal" some Louisiana residents have commented on the situation as they look over the remnant damage and flooding left in the wake of the two storms.
Despite the immense amount of damage these two storms have caused however, communities across Louisiana and the rest of the gulf coast remain confident that they will rebuild and come back "stronger than we were before". "This happens all the time down here, storms come and go, all you can do is try and survive - and if you do, rebuild after. Not much else you can do." one resident said in regards to that.
While Louisiana and the rest of the gulf coast is trying to heal from Katrina and Rita, the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season is not yet over and still has a few months left to churn new storms across the Atlantic. We have yet to see if there will be a third storm in the vein of Katrina or Rita, though of course we are all hoping that there isn't.
- Local Louisiana news website, 2005, excerpt.
MEDIEVIL: RESURRECTION
September, 2005
"Has anyone seen Sir Daniel Fortesque?"
"Lead Sir Dan, the undead hero, on a brave journey to thwart the evil sorcerer Zarok's plans of ruin. Battle your way through mystical lands with masses of weapons and moves. Resurrect the adventure alone if you dare, or play head-to-head with Wi-Fi mode." - back of box, excerpt. Game was a Sony Pluto exclusive.
EYETOY: GAMES WORTH BUYING
September, 2005
The Sony Neptune's EyeToy Camera, released in October of 2003, is the primary motion control peripheral designed for the Sony Neptune, though it also doubles as something of a camera and webcam as well to a lesser extent. Within games, it allows users to interact with the game through a combination of motion, color direction and even sound via it's built-in microphone!
Games utilizing this device come in primarily two flavors: Designed for EyeToy and Enhanced with EyeToy. The latter use the camera as a largely optional feature, while the former are virtually unplayable without it!
So with all of that out of the way, you may wondering to yourself what games of interest could possibly be coming out for this thing with the Solaris right around the corner? Well, actually a fair bit of them. Among the list of EyeToy (required) releases for this year and into the next, we are looking forward to:
- Sony Magazine, 2005
CHAD & RIO
September, 2005
"A platforming adventure like there's never been before!"
"Meet Chad and Rio. One wouldn't expect an Ocelot and a python to be friends but these two have become quite literally intertwined with one another. Rio is a defector from the forces of the evil Dr. Angela - a massive Anaconda scientist who is using her knowledge in robotics to make work on her goal to conquer the entire Amazon rain-forest and from there the world! Only by working together can Chad & Rio traverse the vast expanse of the jungle and put a stop to her and her army of cybernetic vipers."
"Use Chad to pounce onto your enemies and tear them to shreds with your claws and sprint to escape debris. Use Rio to pull enemies to you, pull yourself to your enemies, or as a method of dispatching foes from a greater distance. Work in tandem for maximum results!"
"Traverse the landscape of the Amazon Rainforest - from the watery banks of the river basin, to the jungle interior and the ruins that lie within. There is an entire world of treasure & excitement begging to be explored!"
- Back of box; Game was a Nokia Neo exclusive
"Nokia couldn't have Banjoe & Kazooie, Jak & Daxter or Ratchet & Clank. So they just made their own. Basically what this is." - - Anonymous comment
"The villain's name is Angela, and she's an Anaconda. I laughed at that for hours I'm not kidding." - - Anonymous comment
"The game is a very bare bones late era platformer, there isn't really much to say about the game-play. It is interesting how you use a snake instead of a bird as your partner character. Rio can of course be used as a ranged attack (in that his bite has a long enough range), as a grappling hook and even as a makeshift vine swing, and Chad's own ability to sprint, pounce, and combo melee attacks give him a lot of edge against the enemies in the game. Though a lot of these concepts have been done in other platformer games made before it, leaving this game with not much to really truly stand out besides the uniqueness of it's characters. The game is not bad by any means, and I would definitely consider it a well made Nokia game, as it doesn't have many things I'd classify as problems - it just doesn't really hold up to the bigger name platforming mascots that we've already gotten is all. Perhaps if they make more games with these characters things can improve though." - - Anonymous comment
SLY 3: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
September, 2005
"The thieving gang returns for it's greatest heist ever!"
"Your favorite characters return from Sly 2: Band of Thieves as well as new playable specialists like Carmelita Fox and the Guru!"
"Experience all the action in 3D! Sly's World comes to life with the enclosed 3D glasses!"
- Back of box; Nokia Neo exclusive
"It is truly the end of an era." - - Anonymous comment
"A very solid conclusion to the Sly Cooper series, though I do hope they decide one day to make another game. The series certainly is popular enough for it, though as it stands this game seems to be the definitive ending to the series for the foreseeable future." -- Anonymous comment
"Sly 3 isn't very different gameplay-wise from Sly 2 besides Bentley being in a wheelchair and the addition of 'specialists' in certain 'jobs', but it makes up for that in the story it has to tell - or is trying to tell. I still personally prefer Sly 2, though Sly 3 is a decent enough follow-up and has an acceptable conclusion." -- Anonymous comment
"This was the best Nokia Neo series. RIP." -- Anonymous comment
SLY COOPER IN FINLAND: WHAT?
September, 2005
- Forum Discussion, 2005
THE PROBLEM WITH NOKIA
September, 2005
- Forum Discussion, 2005
CASTLEVANIA IN THE 2000'S:
October, 2005
It is a series that had it's start in 1986, and ever sense has held a special place in the heart of any true gamer worth their stuff. It's Castlevania, and it was the pre-eminent horror (or horror-esque) gaming franchise well before Resident Evil and Devil May Cry ever hit the scene. While it's not at the peak of it's popularity anymore, it still commands respect and retains a bit of it's former relevance via being a regularly releasing franchise that still is going strong to this day. It may not be the horror series of choice for gamers anymore, but there will perhaps always be many players who just prefer literally whipping away at ghouls and ghosts to shooting zombies with a gun or slashing demons with a sword.
I personally feel that a major issue with the series maintaining it's popularity was Konami's decision to release it's first 3D outing exclusively for the Nintendo 64 - which of course lost tremendously to the Saturn. Though I can not prove it, that very well may have cost the series a lot of relevancy points during the time of the late 90's when games such as Tomb Raider and Resident Evil were entering the scene.
This isn't really so much an in-depth review of each and every game that has come out - this is more of an overview of the Castlevania titles that have entered the gaming world over the course of this decade we call the 2000's:
As a whole, what do I think the state of Castlevania is? About as healthy as it can be, personally! I personally see a bright future ahead for this franchise. - Blog Post, 2005
"While I agree Castlevania's not going anywhere anytime soon (though may be dead sooner than you think) I think it sort of died when Konami decided to make the games be 3DO/Nintendo exclusives during the Saturn era." - - Anonymous comment
"Lament of Innocence literally flew under my radar I didn't know Konami never released a game for a Sega/Sony system at all for a straight 10 year gap, damn." -
"I feel like Symphony of the Night had a Saturn version? Or was that only regional? The fact is I literally do not know and that is very telling." - - Anonymous comment
"The change of gameplay from Castlevania to Metroidvania, inspired by Symphony of the Night, I think is also a factor in the decline of Castlevania as a franchise. It wasn't the worst of changes but it really did divide the series between a new style and the old style that made it famous in the first place. It's not the worst franchise but it's basically just not relevant anymore. It really just lost it's way, plain and simple." - - Anonymous comment
"Lol you really love Castlevania but truth is everyone moved on to Metal Gear, Resident Evil and Devil May Cry." -- Anonymous comment
MEGA MAN IN THE 2000'S:
October, 2005
While Mario, Sonic, Gex and (I guess?) Sly represent the predominant console mascots, we seldom give any attention to the characters that represent dominant mascot characters to the third party companies - the characters we find on all consoles and not just one (though yes I know Gex is technically third party now). I'm talking characters like Pacman, Bubsy, Ty, Croc, Rayman and the subject of this post - Mega Man.
Now, obviously Mega Man is not as much of an historic icon as Pac-Man is, that yellow ghost eating...dot, thing has been around since even before the NES, where as Mega Man didn't exist 'til '87, a full 7-8 years after Pacman arrived. That said though, while Namco's Pacman has largely gone the way of being a celebrated but not really high selling mascot, Mega Man has remained both recognizable and a high seller for Capcom ever since the fateful day he debuted on the Famicom/NES. However, some people seem to be confused into believing that he's vanished since the 2000's started, as ever since the 1990's have ended there has been a drought of main series Mega-Man games. However, that couldn't be further from the truth - you clearly just don't know much about Mega Man X or Mega Man Battle Network, basically.
One thing that is interesting about Mega Man is it's association with Nintendo. Though the franchise was created by the third party Capcom, the classic games were only ever released on Nintendo hardware - the NES and SNES, during the 80's and early 90's, never being found on a single piece of Sega hardware until the second half of the 90's when the sheer success of the Saturn inevitably forced Capcom to bend the knee to their arcade rival. Granted, they also released some of the games on the 3DO consoles too, but unlike the likes of Konami and Namco they never supported 3DO with nearly as much faith - something which seems to have kept Capcom very relevant in the current era of gaming, while Konami is saved by Metal Gear and Namco had to become purchased by Sammy.
Now, rather than covering the entire history of Mega Man, I'm mainly covering the Mega Man and Mega Man related games that have been released over the course of this current decade so far. So while this won't touch upon the 80's and 90's titles, just know that I did not forget they exist. I'm also not going to really tell you which ones I think you should buy or not, I just want to chronicle these for fun and also just as an excuse to talk about Mega Man really.
(Also I don't really count PC/Windows releases, if any)
- Blog post, 2005
"TBH modern Mega Man games have some problems but overall I'd call them decent enough games. It's not a franchise I want to see wind up extinct, anyway." - Anonymous comment
SPACE CHANNEL 5'05
October, 2005
"Get ready for the ultimate Space Channel 5 experience!"
"Enjoy the complete story of Ulala and Space Channel 5!"
"Shake your booty to the entire soundtrack of the series as you drop the scoop on what's happenin'!"
"Connect online to world leader-boards and see if you can be #1!"
"Play with yourself or with friends in a multiplayer dance-off mode!"
"Experience all new tracks created just for this!"
- Back of Box; Sony Neptune exclusive
"This game was literally released purely so that title would exist. I am convinced that is the sole reason for this thing's existence." -- Anonymous comment
"Space Channel 5 '05 is actually a combination of the original Space Channel 5: Special Edition and Space Channel 5: Part 2 as a single game with a few added features and special content. The game's adverts tell you that in the standard 'extremely subtle' way, but that's what this. It's not Space Channel 5: Part 3 or anything. That said, this does mean that '05 is arguably the definitive way to play both games." - IGN, 2005
JET SET STREET RACING
October, 2005
"Play as members of a street-smart posse as they partake in the most classic of street side activity: racing. Street racing. Play as a member of Beat's crew or even as rival crew members as you cruise the streets, show your rivals what your made of, and evade the pursuing police forces and corporate goons! Unlock special characters from both Jet Set Radio and even other games entirely! Do all sorts of very real skater tricks as you speed up, pulling them off of rails, walls, rooftops and anything else you find that can be used for super rad tricks! Play offline by yourself, offline with friends, or connect to SegaNET for access to online play and world leaderboards!"
- Sony Magazine, 2005
"A combination of a skating game and a racing game. I like it." - - Anonymous comment
"Pretty much every character from the Jet Set Radio games is playable here, though some of them have to be unlocked. They also included some other Sony characters as guests, such as Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Ulala and even Jak & Daxter - though they are naturally the hardest characters each to unlock. Overall I really like this game, it's not Jet Set Radio 3 or Future 2 or anything but it's a solid spin-off entry for the series and has a lot of character, very fun gameplay though there is a bit of a learning curve - honestly I'd reccomend this to any gamer who likes skating, racing or Jet Set Radio." - Gamespy, 2005
PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY
October, 2005
"OBJECTION!"
"As a rookie defense lawyer, you'll take on five intriguing cases to reveal dramatic, stunning and even comical court proceedings!"
"Survey crime scenes, interview witnesses, gather evidence."
"Present evidence, Cross-Examine witnesses, Listen to testimony
"Voice recognition capabilities"
"First-person perspective."
- Back of box; Nintendo DS exclusive
"OBJECTION!" - - Anonymous comment
"Capcom strikes again, they are definitely on a roll right now." - - Anonymous comment
"Not much to say besides this is one of, if not the, best court-case video game franchise ever created. If you own a DS and value gaming, get this. Now." - - Anonymous comment
"My favorite handheld/portable game franchise." -- Anonymous comment
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG
October, 2005
"HERO OR VILLAIN?"
"Uncover the truth about Sonic's arch-rival, Shadow the Hedgehog."
"To destroy or to protect? Shadow the Hedgehog carries a dark past that is shrouded in mystery. Embark on a journey to unveil his true identity. The way you play the game determines the outcome of Shadow's future."
"Nothing gets in the way of Shadow!"
"Exilerating action, speed and shooting!"
"Tons of missions, branching storylines, and multiple endings!"
- Back of box; Sony Pluto exclusive
"As a portable game for the Pluto it's passable but the entire premise of this thing is just what." -- Anonymous comment
"Sonic Team has gone batshit crazy." -- Anonymous comment
"The portable version of the upcoming Neptune game, everybody. I'm super excited now..." -- Anonymous comment
"This entire thing comes off like a watered down version of what was originally expected or intended to be a console release. Now, I know that Sony's uncreatively named "Japan studio" is working on the console version, and Sonic Team worked on this one because they have nothing better to do this year than spin-offs and compilations, but this entire thing is just....it feels off. It feels rushed. It feels like an after thought. It feels like Sonic Team just wanted to rush this thing out before the console version was released. This game features Alien Invaders, Branching Storylines via a "morality" system (though it has a last ending anyway so it's all pointless), artificial replay value (you need to play this thing 10 times to get the full ending), unnecessary PG swearing ("damn" and "hell" pretty much every 5 seconds), and in general a very flawed, repetitive mission structure which usually just amounts to killing a set of enemies or finding x amount of objects. I'm very glad this is only a portable game and not something to be taken very seriously." - Forum Post, 2005
"If I had been in charge when this game was supposed to be released, I would have refused to release it in the west and just flushed that crap down one of the toilets." - Tom Kalinske, 2005 interview
"The hilarity of it is that the console version is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT in EVERY way to this thing. Not even the premise is the same. Sonic Team legit just made their own game ALSO called Shadow the Hedgehog instead of just doing a port of the console game and releasing it earlier. The hilarity of that is just, wow. I'd say it's a reference to when the Game Gear had their own full on versions of the classic games instead of being just straight 8-bit ports but I feel like that'd be too generous." - Forum Post, 2005
"I actually kind of like this game, though a lot of people call me crazy for it." -- Anonymous comment
RESIDENT EVIL 4
October, 2005
"RESIDENT EVIL REINVENTED"
"As U.S. Agent Leon Kennedy looks into the abduction of the President's daughter, his investigation leads to a mysterious location in Europe. Encountering unimaginable horrors, he must find out what is behind the terror."
"Experience the thrill-a-minute Resident Evil 4! Now the smash hit, award winning game delivers exciting new gameplay and bonus features exclusive to the Sony Neptune Computer Entertainment system!"
"NEW chapters - play as Ada Wong in "Separate Ways", 5 terrifying, adrenaline pumping missions that reveal additional horrifying surprises"
"NEW weapons, including the P.R.L. 412 laser cannon and the gunpowder bowgun"
"NEW unlockable costumes for Leon and Ashley"
"Supports progressive Scan, 16:9 Widescreen, and Dolby Pro Logic II"
- Back of Box; Released for GameCube in 2004, Neptune in 2005
"Capcom yet again hits it out of the park with this franchise, this one is arguably even better than most if not all previous installments in the series. I can easily see this game revolutionizing the survival horror genre for years to come. Everything about this game is just perfect for our time, from it's story to it's refined gameplay, even the voice acting for once is actually quite decent. Sure took a long time, didn't it?" - IGN, 2005
"The Best Yet. Period." -- Anonymous comment
"I really like the Over the Shoulder view this game added into the mix, I think it really adds to the Survival Horror/Third Person Shooter genre, allowing you to see the character you play while also helping you aim better. Very helpful." - - Anonymous comment
"So they finally finished the game Devil May Cry 1 was supposed to be. Awesome." - - Anonymous comment
"I...I thought this was meant for Nintendo!" - - Anonymous comment
"We here at Nintendo Power are still awaiting to see if Mikami-san follows through on this promise to 'cut his head off' if this game were ever released for anything other than the GameCube." - Nintendo Power, 2005
RATCHET: DEADLOCKED
October, 2005
"Ratchet and Clank are captured while investigating the disappearance of several famous heroes. Our duo discovers that the missing heroes (including themselves) have been abducted by a deranged media mogul, who intends to use them as contestants on an underground combat show called "DeadZone". To keep himself and his friends alive, Ratchet will have to participate in the games and keep driving up the show's rating with victories. Will our hero break free and take down the evil media mogul? Stay tuned... "
- Back of Box; Sony Neptune exclusive
"2005: the year in which Sony got edgy." -- Anonymous comment
"So it seems that Sony's 'darker and edgier' approach does not stop with Jak & Daxter or Shadow the Hedgehog and instead extends even to Ratchet & Clank now. Well, ok both this and Jak III are passable games, and the console version of Shadow hasn't come out yet - but the point still stands. This certainly is not a favorite Ratchet & Clank game of mine though, with the darker tone being jarring for a veteran player and the absence of Clank as a playable character being a puzzling change. That's not to mention it's gameplay and level design tends to be very repetitive compared to previous iterations of the franchise. I hope that Insomniac Games or Sony or whoever is in charge of the series' development takes more care the next time around and gets things back on the right track. This just isn't the way to go." - Blog post, 2005
"Sony's 2005 Priorities: MAKE. IT. EDGY." -- Anonymous comment
- Forum Discussion, 2005
SONY ACQUIRES CREATIVE ASSEMBLY
June, 2005
Yet another Sony related buy-out has occurred in this the decade of our lord the 2000's - this one being the acquisition of British Development studio Creative Assembly - the masterminds behind the Total War franchise, a popular series of computer games. This purchase is the latest high profile acquisition made by video game behemoth Sony, preceded by their 2001 acquisitions of Sega & Naughty Dog. This purchase was done primarily to assist SSCEE Europe in establishing a presence in North American and European gaming markets - which of course implies that it was Sony's European division spearheading this particular acquisition.
SSCEE Europe is already seeking to purchase publishing rights for prior Total War titles, and has announced plans to begin releasing them on the Sony Neptune and - in the near future - Sony Solaris as well, though also maintains interest in releasing PC versions as well - perhaps in keeping the tradition of 'Sega PC' games alive.
- Business Insider
- Forum Discussion, 2005
SET 2 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW & MORE
June, 2005
It's been a good bit since we first learned that Sony's partnership with Warner Bros. was actually merely a cable television channel, branded SET-2: but what do we actually know about this upcoming channel itself? The answer is, actually quite a good bit! For starters, it actually is branded as part of an existing line of 'SET' channels across the world, though they weren't widely known in America. This one will be the first of it's kind to act as though it is in the same league as channels such as Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon - that is, it will feature animated content as part of it's staples. Albeit, things seem to be taking a turn towards a more older demographic as it has been described by head of Sony America Thomas Kalinske as "Our and Warner's answer to Teen Nick". Key programming already confirmed to be on the incoming network include various programming from both Sony and Warner's catalog - most of the Warner content being shared with Saturday Morning block Kids' WB such as Teen Titans, Static Shock, Justice League, Justice League: Unlimited, Jackie Chan Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Duck Dodgers, Animaniacs, and Xiaolin Showdown. Seeing as how shows like these are typically made for younger audiences, these will reportedly be getting an early time slot. Other programs include virtually every single Sonic show created up to this date, with a similar time slot allotted. More importantly though, there is a plethora of new, original programming unveiled for the channel: the first among them being the latest Sonic Anime from the land of the rising run:Sonic the Hedgehog: Savior of the Universe, which will come to america as "Sonic: Freedom Fighters" despite it not actually being related at all to the SatAM show. Though this anime has already been airing in Japan, it's not coming to America until SET2 begins broadcasting - it will be the first Sonic anime made since Sony cut ties with 4kids earlier this year.
Speaking of anime, SET-2 will host a plethora of content that wouldn't be all too out of place on Toonami, though the bulk of it's anime programming are original productions made based on Sony's various franchises. To name a few: Space Channel 5, and Jet Set Radio both have got dubbed anime planned for release on SET-2, with CG-based Jak & Daxter and western animation styled Ratchet & Clank also being on the menu. Other anime content coming to SET-2 includes Bleach, Hell Girl, Naruto (shared with Toonami) and Fullmetall Alchemist. It's easy to tell that this was something that had been cooking for quite a good while, though are more fully original productions on the network as well - case in point being The Boondocks, which is anime-inspired though not actually an anime, and will be airing on SET-2 during daytime hours though will also be shared with Adult Swim for late night hours. Reruns of Cartoon Network's Megas XLR will also be broadcasted.
One of the more interesting debuts for this network is a brand new show: American Dragon: Jake Long, a western show that is gearing up to be one of the network's true premier series, complete with character designs done by Phil Bourassa (of Ben 10 over on Cartoon Network), giving it a clearly western but anime inspired look, very fitting for a show starring an asian-american character!
Speaking of Asian-Americans, the network in general seems to fixate on representing and appealing to that target demographic as much it does teens and young adults in general, seeing as how the majority of it's remaining content is compromised of live action teen drama shows and sitcoms primarily focused on having Asians or Asian-Americans in the main cast of each, taking up the bulk of the Afternoon and Night time programming. These shows include: The Okuyamas which is a sit-com featuring an Asian-American family living in San Francisco; East turning West which is a teen drama featuring a predominantly Asian-American cast; Chinatown USA, a young adult/teen drama centered in a Chinatown district; Behind the Sentai, which is a parody of 'Super Sentai' series such as Power Ranges that features a majority asian-american cast and takes a more slice of life with mature themes approach to the genre. Other shows include Life of Yumi which is an Ugly Betty and Daria inspired slice of life about an Asian girl growing up in America, The Dong Dynasty which is a late night satire of a slice of life show that follows a down-on-their-luck Chinese family literally named "Dong". And that's not to mention the occasional movie from the vast Sony library that will occasionally be found playing.
As a whole, the future looks bright for SET-2, which some are calling "Teen CN" already!
Originally slated to launch in January of 2006, it has been revealed that SET-2 is now going to launch in November of this year, just in time for the holiday season.
- Sony Magazine, June 2005, Excerpt
SHADOW & KNUCKLES: THE FUTURE OF SONIC GAMING
June, 2005
Shadow the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna.
Two of the most well known Sonic characters after Sonic and Eggman themselves - having debuted back in 2002 and 1994 respectively. Only this time, in 2005, both of them will be among the first Sonic characters to branch out from under Sonic's shadow (heehee) and carve out a name for themselves via their own spin-off series! That's right, Sonic is taking a page from Mario it seems, and allowing some of his friends to start getting their own games! Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Sony decided to drop such a scheme on the world, though.
Initially advertised as only a Knuckles the Echidna title for consoles, it has been revealed that Shadow the Hedgehog will also be getting a console game as well this year alongside a portable version of that same title. Of course, we except a fair share of differences between the two. Naturally, the entire 'Sonic World' is a buzz with these two upcoming titles, neither of which are even being developed by Sonic Team at all. Instead, Knuckles the Echidna is being developed by Sega Technical Institute (who will be renamed Sony Technical effective 2006), while the Shadow the Hedgehog game for consoles is being developed by Sony's Japan studio, with the portable version being developed by Sonic Team.
That's not to mention some of the other Sonic titles coming out both this year and next as well; Sonic Team themselves are going to be releasing Sonic Winter Games this holiday season, with Saber Interactive working on Sonic Jam '05 (A Sonic themed basketball game) and Backbone Entertainment on Super Sonic Rugby, more than likely intending to compete with games such as Mario Superstar Baseball and Super Mario Strikers that are set for release later this year as well. That's not to mention the Dimps developed Sonic Rush, too. Now when it comes to most of these games, the basics of them are largely self-explanatory, being mostly sports titles that are simplified and giving a Sonic coat of paint. However, it's Knuckles and Shadow's games that are creating a stir.
From what we can gather, Knuckles' story will feature a surprise appearance of a character from the Archie Sonic Comics - albeit with a new backstory to properly fit him into the game universe, and will center around Knuckles' battle with this debuting antagonist as well as uncovering more lore about the ancient echidnas and by extension the master emerald and it's power. Shadow's game on the other hand is taking some influence from Ratchet & Clank, it seems, as a key point of the gameplay is a combination of Shadow's chaos powers as well as a very similar weapon system. We know that this game will be addressing Shadow regaining his memories after returning without them in Sonic Heroes, and that another new villain to the franchise will be introduced, though we don't really know any further major details about the game at this time. The portable version seems to be largely a simplified, on-the-go version of the main game. We do however know that both games will be featuring a multiplayer mode, which is always a welcome addition in a Sonic game!
In addition, we see a bit of a return to form with both of them - who use very similar aesthetics and character models to Sonic Adventure 2, though much more refined as the teams have learned about what the Neptune is graphically capable of. This appearance for the blue blur does seem to be the most common for the ongoing Neptune era, with the majority of the other Neptune titles sporting roughly the same sets of Character models - exceptions being Sonic Adventure: Millennium Edition, Sonic Shuffle, Sega Superstars, and Sonic Heroes. Which is certainly not a bad thing, as it makes those games stand out - though it is notable. Of course, by saying this we take note that the Soap Shoes are still SA2 exclusive.
But games are more than just came play - what do these upcoming releases offer for gameplay? Well, when it comes to Knuckles it appears as though much of the gameplay taken from Sonic Adventure 2 will return as well as get expanded, as digging through various parts of the levels is a fundamental part of game-play used to traverse the landscapes which the game uses for it's, well, levels. Essentially what that means is that digging is more than only for secret rooms, and instead reveals entire pathways of levels for you to travel through - as well as of course, puzzles to solve. Both games also feature a greater influence of combat - though while Knuckles adds beat-em-up style combos, Shadow goes for a Ratchet-and-Clank influence of bringing firearms and firearm customization to the table - a first for the Sonic franchise. Hell, Sonic hardly seems to even appear in either title for that matter!
Overall, it seems that while Mario is winding down to spin-offs as the next consoles prepare for release, Sony is instead going out with a bang - no doubt only to have an even bigger bang when the Solaris comes out next year! We look forward to all that they have to offer us!
- Sony Magazine, 2005 excerpt.
EINHERJAR
July, 2005
"It's like Percy Jackson meets JRPG except with the Finnish gods....who nobody literally ever heard the names of before this game came out."
THE LIGHTNING THIEF
July, 2005
"The first in a planned series of books written by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief follows Percy Jackson, a dyslexic kid who lives in modern times while being a descendant of one of the Big Three Greek Gods - namely Poseidon. While many will inevitably compare this series to Harry Potter, I assert that there's more than enough in this book to separate itself from Harry Potter. Not only does it have great mysteries, but it also sports Greek Gods and an element of tragedy truly befitting of the myths themselves. In other words, Rick truly does know what he's writing about and is just as passionate about it! These books are perfect for just about anyone too. Honestly, I say you just get ready to join Camp Half-blood and become a demigod!" - Website review excerpt, 2005
CONFINEMENT
July, 2005
"Abandoned over 50 years ago, Mechelin Asylum stays in it's place as a remnant of a bygone era and a final resting place for memories of the darkest kind, as well as mysteries that in all honesty are perhaps better left unsolved. However, those who still live aren't known for leaving well enough alone - as it's when you and your team of fellow paranormal investigators enter the asylum as part of the latest investigation that things prove to be more than you could handle; not helping is the fact that you are all rather trapped in a long series of maze like hallways, with nothing but your equipment, darkness, and vague memories of a distant pass around you. You have people with you, yes, but for how long? And, are they even real?" - Blurb at back of game box, 2005. Confinement was a Nokia Neo exclusive
"A mix of survival & psychological horror that works with the powerful graphics & processing abilities of the Nokia Neo to create both a beautiful and haunting experience that will leave you on the edge of the seat if not clutching a crucifix while in the corner of of your room - or sleeping with one eye open. A must-have game for anyone that wants to be both a horror enthusiast and a gamer!" - IGN, 2005
"For 2005, this game was actually terrifying." - Anonymous comment
APE ESCAPE 3
July, 2005
"Sony has no shortage of first-party-developed platformer franchises. But amid glory hogs like Ratchet, Jak, and of course the big star that is Sonic, the Ape Escape series has quietly plugged along since the Saturn era, providing consistently great platforming experiences peppered with generous amounts of bizarre humor and colorful aesthetics--albeit with minimal recognition compared to those juggernaut franchises. Ape Escape 3 for the Neptune is the most refined entry in the series yet. It doesn't stray far from the monkey-nabbing concepts found in the previous games; rather, it simply tightens up the whole package, adding a boon of new content, new abilities, new minigames, and lots and lots of those loveable monkeys. It's no giant step forward for monkeykind, but it's pretty much exactly what you would want from an Ape Escape game. " - Gamespy, 2005-2006
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"I want an Ape Escape 4." - Anonymous comment
NINTENDOGS
August, 2005
"Do you like puppies? Do you like the Nintendo DS? Well then, get ready to have them both in the same place at once! Never leave your adorable pooches alone at home again with Nintendogs! That's right, adopt, name, and give endless amounts of love and playtime to actual, real life breeds of adorable pups! Using your stylus pen, you can play with these adorable animals made of love like never before, for hours and hours on end if you so like - since after all, who could say no to such adorable faces?" - Nintendo Power, 2005
"This is the most adorable game I have ever played in my entire life." - Anonymous comment, 2005
"This entire game is basically 'AAAAAWWWWW LOOK AT THE CUTE DOGGY!'. That's it, that's the entire game." - Anonymous comment, 2005
CHAO: OPERATION JAILBREAK
August, 2005
"Chao! Chao Chao Chao! That's right, the Chao are coming right into the palm of your hand for an adventure starring them and them alone! In this adventure, you can create or import your own Chao for the ensuing adventure to escape from the Chao-napping organization of PUTC, while not forgetting to free your fellow Chao either! This game contains all you could ask for, platforming, puzzle solving, a party of diverse and varied Chao to join you on your quest, the potential to level up and evolve while gaining more items for your custom Chao & party members - and the potential to import and export your Chao to compatible Chao gardens! What more could you ask for in a Chao game?" - Sony Magazine, 2005, excerpt.
"PUTC. People for the Unethical Treatment of Chao. lmao. So many Sonic game players would be considered members of that organization lmfao." - Anonymous comment
"I love how Sony is really pushing Chao to be their answer to Pokemon. Like, they are hardly subtle about it at all." - Anonymous comment
"This game is okay. It's obviously meant for little kids and/or people who REALLY like the Chao....or are just in general weak to anything that is inherently adorable. It's basically trying to attract younger people to Sony's handhelds, which does need more games like this and such to compete with Nintendo properly." - Anonymous comment
"I wonder how PETA feels about their, ahem, parody, in this game." - Anonymous comment
MARIO SUPERSTAR BASEBALL
August, 2005
"As a multiplayer game, Mario Superstar Baseball is pretty excellent. Up to four players can participate in straight up baseball games, the various mini-games, and an interesting Toy Field mode (which is really just a bigger mini-game that's given its own menu option). While the regular baseball games are great whether you're going solo or playing with your buddies, the mini-games are exponentially more entertaining with friends. With a great main game and lots of fun mini-games, I'd go as far as to say that this is a much better party game than the last few Mario Party releases. " - Gamespy review excerpt, 2005
"It's a Mario baseball game for the GameCube and that's pretty much all anyone needs to know really." - Anonymous online comment, 2005
SONIC GEMS COLLECTION
August, 2005
"A treasure chest of rare gems!"
"Face off against the evil Metal Sonic in this rare Sonic action game!"
"The cult classic arcade 3D fighting game comes to console!"
"Speed demons and blistering circuits make this one the craziest races ever!"
- Back of box; Game was a Neptune exclusive
"The complete list of games in Sonic Gems Collection: Sonic CD, Sonic CD Zone 2, Sonic the Fighters, Sonic R, Knuckles' Chaotix, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Triple Trouble, Sonic Blast, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Vectorman, Vectorman 2, Wonder Boy III: Monster's Lair, Monster World IV, Wonderboy V: Monster World III and NiGHTS into Dreams." - - Anonymous comment
"They made NIGHTS into Dreams one of the playable games even though that game has it's own Neptune release wtf." - - Anonymous comment
"Sonic Gems Collection is a very nice collection with a healthy collection of games both Sonic and otherwise - though I'm not sure if all of them are actually all that 'rare', though for the most part the games themselves are just outright emulated with little to no visible enhancements. I personally wish they had kept some form of a 3D hub world like Sonic World from Sonic Jam due to how unique that was compared to other compilation games, though in typical Sonic Team fashion they replace such creativity with a very large gallery - that is unique in it's own right - complete with unlock able concept art, Sonic the Screen Saver images, and even images from more recent Sonic games as well as some game demos to play for short spurts of time! Overall, I actually do think Sonic Team did a pretty decent job with this game and I look forward to seeing more compilation title from them." - - Anonymous comment
"That moment when Sonic Team isn't working on the next major Sonic title and is only working on some spin-off titles and a compilation." - - Anonymous comment
HURRICANES KATRINA & RITA: A MODERN DAY DISASTER
September, 2005
This year's hurricane season has been one of the most volatile and active seasons in recent memory - and no pair of storms exemplifies this more than the Hurricanes known as Katrina and Rita, who just a few weeks ago absolutely battered the gulf coast - New Orleans in particular. While a good few weeks apart from one another, Katrina alone has caused over 1,800 deaths and $125 billion in property damage - the costliest tropical cyclone in history to date. While it made landfall as a Category 3, it still managed to completely devastate the gulf coast area, with many residents of New Orleans being forced to either flee the state or desperately huddle together within the city's super dome hoping for it all to be over soon. The wind damage, debris, and flooding has left countless injured and many survivors homeless.
That's not to mention the salt on the wound that was Rita which arrived a mere few weeks later, and actually did make landfall as a Category 5 storm. It devastated the Lower Mississippi Valley area and in addition to causing an ungodly amount of destruction in it's own right, made the damage caused by it's predecessor even worse - even toppling the hurriedly repaired levees that Katrina had damaged - and killing at least over 100 people and causing an additional $18 billion in estimated damage. "it's just unreal" some Louisiana residents have commented on the situation as they look over the remnant damage and flooding left in the wake of the two storms.
Despite the immense amount of damage these two storms have caused however, communities across Louisiana and the rest of the gulf coast remain confident that they will rebuild and come back "stronger than we were before". "This happens all the time down here, storms come and go, all you can do is try and survive - and if you do, rebuild after. Not much else you can do." one resident said in regards to that.
While Louisiana and the rest of the gulf coast is trying to heal from Katrina and Rita, the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season is not yet over and still has a few months left to churn new storms across the Atlantic. We have yet to see if there will be a third storm in the vein of Katrina or Rita, though of course we are all hoping that there isn't.
- Local Louisiana news website, 2005, excerpt.
MEDIEVIL: RESURRECTION
September, 2005
"Has anyone seen Sir Daniel Fortesque?"
"Lead Sir Dan, the undead hero, on a brave journey to thwart the evil sorcerer Zarok's plans of ruin. Battle your way through mystical lands with masses of weapons and moves. Resurrect the adventure alone if you dare, or play head-to-head with Wi-Fi mode." - back of box, excerpt. Game was a Sony Pluto exclusive.
EYETOY: GAMES WORTH BUYING
September, 2005
The Sony Neptune's EyeToy Camera, released in October of 2003, is the primary motion control peripheral designed for the Sony Neptune, though it also doubles as something of a camera and webcam as well to a lesser extent. Within games, it allows users to interact with the game through a combination of motion, color direction and even sound via it's built-in microphone!
Games utilizing this device come in primarily two flavors: Designed for EyeToy and Enhanced with EyeToy. The latter use the camera as a largely optional feature, while the former are virtually unplayable without it!
So with all of that out of the way, you may wondering to yourself what games of interest could possibly be coming out for this thing with the Solaris right around the corner? Well, actually a fair bit of them. Among the list of EyeToy (required) releases for this year and into the next, we are looking forward to:
- EyeToy: Kinetic [SCE London]
- SpyToy [SCE London]
- EyeToy: Play 3 [SCE London]
- Knuckles' Boxing [STI]
- Motion Force [STI]
- NiGHTS EyeToy [Sonic Team]
- Team Rose: Flower Power [Sonic Team]
- Sony Magazine, 2005
CHAD & RIO
September, 2005
"A platforming adventure like there's never been before!"
"Meet Chad and Rio. One wouldn't expect an Ocelot and a python to be friends but these two have become quite literally intertwined with one another. Rio is a defector from the forces of the evil Dr. Angela - a massive Anaconda scientist who is using her knowledge in robotics to make work on her goal to conquer the entire Amazon rain-forest and from there the world! Only by working together can Chad & Rio traverse the vast expanse of the jungle and put a stop to her and her army of cybernetic vipers."
"Use Chad to pounce onto your enemies and tear them to shreds with your claws and sprint to escape debris. Use Rio to pull enemies to you, pull yourself to your enemies, or as a method of dispatching foes from a greater distance. Work in tandem for maximum results!"
"Traverse the landscape of the Amazon Rainforest - from the watery banks of the river basin, to the jungle interior and the ruins that lie within. There is an entire world of treasure & excitement begging to be explored!"
- Back of box; Game was a Nokia Neo exclusive
"Nokia couldn't have Banjoe & Kazooie, Jak & Daxter or Ratchet & Clank. So they just made their own. Basically what this is." - - Anonymous comment
"The villain's name is Angela, and she's an Anaconda. I laughed at that for hours I'm not kidding." - - Anonymous comment
"The game is a very bare bones late era platformer, there isn't really much to say about the game-play. It is interesting how you use a snake instead of a bird as your partner character. Rio can of course be used as a ranged attack (in that his bite has a long enough range), as a grappling hook and even as a makeshift vine swing, and Chad's own ability to sprint, pounce, and combo melee attacks give him a lot of edge against the enemies in the game. Though a lot of these concepts have been done in other platformer games made before it, leaving this game with not much to really truly stand out besides the uniqueness of it's characters. The game is not bad by any means, and I would definitely consider it a well made Nokia game, as it doesn't have many things I'd classify as problems - it just doesn't really hold up to the bigger name platforming mascots that we've already gotten is all. Perhaps if they make more games with these characters things can improve though." - - Anonymous comment
SLY 3: HONOR AMONG THIEVES
September, 2005
"The thieving gang returns for it's greatest heist ever!"
"Your favorite characters return from Sly 2: Band of Thieves as well as new playable specialists like Carmelita Fox and the Guru!"
"Experience all the action in 3D! Sly's World comes to life with the enclosed 3D glasses!"
- Back of box; Nokia Neo exclusive
"It is truly the end of an era." - - Anonymous comment
"A very solid conclusion to the Sly Cooper series, though I do hope they decide one day to make another game. The series certainly is popular enough for it, though as it stands this game seems to be the definitive ending to the series for the foreseeable future." -- Anonymous comment
"Sly 3 isn't very different gameplay-wise from Sly 2 besides Bentley being in a wheelchair and the addition of 'specialists' in certain 'jobs', but it makes up for that in the story it has to tell - or is trying to tell. I still personally prefer Sly 2, though Sly 3 is a decent enough follow-up and has an acceptable conclusion." -- Anonymous comment
"This was the best Nokia Neo series. RIP." -- Anonymous comment
SLY COOPER IN FINLAND: WHAT?
September, 2005
- Forum Discussion, 2005
THE PROBLEM WITH NOKIA
September, 2005
- Forum Discussion, 2005
CASTLEVANIA IN THE 2000'S:
October, 2005
It is a series that had it's start in 1986, and ever sense has held a special place in the heart of any true gamer worth their stuff. It's Castlevania, and it was the pre-eminent horror (or horror-esque) gaming franchise well before Resident Evil and Devil May Cry ever hit the scene. While it's not at the peak of it's popularity anymore, it still commands respect and retains a bit of it's former relevance via being a regularly releasing franchise that still is going strong to this day. It may not be the horror series of choice for gamers anymore, but there will perhaps always be many players who just prefer literally whipping away at ghouls and ghosts to shooting zombies with a gun or slashing demons with a sword.
I personally feel that a major issue with the series maintaining it's popularity was Konami's decision to release it's first 3D outing exclusively for the Nintendo 64 - which of course lost tremendously to the Saturn. Though I can not prove it, that very well may have cost the series a lot of relevancy points during the time of the late 90's when games such as Tomb Raider and Resident Evil were entering the scene.
This isn't really so much an in-depth review of each and every game that has come out - this is more of an overview of the Castlevania titles that have entered the gaming world over the course of this decade we call the 2000's:
- Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001, Gameboy Advance) - While it's portable only, this game served as a return to form for the Belmont clan and their eternal enemy Dracula as well as a critically acclaimed launch title for Nintendo's portable system.
- Castlevania Chronicles (2001, 3DO M2) - A port of a Japanese '93 Home Computer release with a plethora of added features, Chronicles is an uprgaded remake of the original '86 NES classic, yet again you play as Simon Belmont saving Transylvania from the evil that is Dracula.
- Castlevania: Harmony of Darkness (2002, Gameboy Advance) - Another portable title, serving as a follow-up to Circle of the Moon, though this one was made to be very reminiscent of the acclaimed Symphony of the Night ('97).
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003, Gameboy Advance) - A third portable installment, this one takes place in the 2030's as you play as Soma Cruz, a teenager with the potential to be a vessel for Dracula's power - whom many monsters seek after to inherit it instead.
- Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003, Sony Neptune) - The first Castlevania game for a Sony/Sega console in 10 years, Lament of Innocence takes things back to the medieval period and is actually chronologically the first game in the series, as we fall Leon Belmont storming Dracula's castle in search of his kidnapped betrothed in the conflict that - presumably, started it all. It is also the third game in the series (first since '99) to utilize 3D graphics.
As a whole, what do I think the state of Castlevania is? About as healthy as it can be, personally! I personally see a bright future ahead for this franchise. - Blog Post, 2005
"While I agree Castlevania's not going anywhere anytime soon (though may be dead sooner than you think) I think it sort of died when Konami decided to make the games be 3DO/Nintendo exclusives during the Saturn era." - - Anonymous comment
"Lament of Innocence literally flew under my radar I didn't know Konami never released a game for a Sega/Sony system at all for a straight 10 year gap, damn." -
"I feel like Symphony of the Night had a Saturn version? Or was that only regional? The fact is I literally do not know and that is very telling." - - Anonymous comment
"The change of gameplay from Castlevania to Metroidvania, inspired by Symphony of the Night, I think is also a factor in the decline of Castlevania as a franchise. It wasn't the worst of changes but it really did divide the series between a new style and the old style that made it famous in the first place. It's not the worst franchise but it's basically just not relevant anymore. It really just lost it's way, plain and simple." - - Anonymous comment
"Lol you really love Castlevania but truth is everyone moved on to Metal Gear, Resident Evil and Devil May Cry." -- Anonymous comment
MEGA MAN IN THE 2000'S:
October, 2005
While Mario, Sonic, Gex and (I guess?) Sly represent the predominant console mascots, we seldom give any attention to the characters that represent dominant mascot characters to the third party companies - the characters we find on all consoles and not just one (though yes I know Gex is technically third party now). I'm talking characters like Pacman, Bubsy, Ty, Croc, Rayman and the subject of this post - Mega Man.
Now, obviously Mega Man is not as much of an historic icon as Pac-Man is, that yellow ghost eating...dot, thing has been around since even before the NES, where as Mega Man didn't exist 'til '87, a full 7-8 years after Pacman arrived. That said though, while Namco's Pacman has largely gone the way of being a celebrated but not really high selling mascot, Mega Man has remained both recognizable and a high seller for Capcom ever since the fateful day he debuted on the Famicom/NES. However, some people seem to be confused into believing that he's vanished since the 2000's started, as ever since the 1990's have ended there has been a drought of main series Mega-Man games. However, that couldn't be further from the truth - you clearly just don't know much about Mega Man X or Mega Man Battle Network, basically.
One thing that is interesting about Mega Man is it's association with Nintendo. Though the franchise was created by the third party Capcom, the classic games were only ever released on Nintendo hardware - the NES and SNES, during the 80's and early 90's, never being found on a single piece of Sega hardware until the second half of the 90's when the sheer success of the Saturn inevitably forced Capcom to bend the knee to their arcade rival. Granted, they also released some of the games on the 3DO consoles too, but unlike the likes of Konami and Namco they never supported 3DO with nearly as much faith - something which seems to have kept Capcom very relevant in the current era of gaming, while Konami is saved by Metal Gear and Namco had to become purchased by Sammy.
Now, rather than covering the entire history of Mega Man, I'm mainly covering the Mega Man and Mega Man related games that have been released over the course of this current decade so far. So while this won't touch upon the 80's and 90's titles, just know that I did not forget they exist. I'm also not going to really tell you which ones I think you should buy or not, I just want to chronicle these for fun and also just as an excuse to talk about Mega Man really.
(Also I don't really count PC/Windows releases, if any)
- Mega Man Legends 2 (2000; Sega/Sony Neptune, 3DO M2)
- Mega Man X5 (2000; Sega/Sony Neptune, 3DO M2)
- Mega Man XTreme (2000; Gameboy Color)
- Mega Man XTreme 2 (2001; Gameboy Color)
- Mega Man Battle Network (2001; Gameboy Advance)
- Mega Man Battle Network 2 (2001; Gameboy Advance)
- Mega Man X6 (2001; Sega/Sony Neptune, 3DO M2)
- Mega Man Zero (2002; Gameboy Advance)
- Mega Man Zero 2 (2003; Gameboy Advance)
- Mega Man X7 (2003; Sony Neptune)
- Mega Man Anniversary Collection (2004; Sony Neptune, Nintendo GameCube)
- Mega Man X: Command Mission (2004; Sony Neptune, Nintendo GameCube)
- Mega Man X8 (2004, Sony Neptune)
- Mega Man Zero 3 (2004, Gameboy Advance)
- Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (2005; Sony Pluto)
- Mega Man Zero 4 (2005, Gameboy Advance)
- Blog post, 2005
"TBH modern Mega Man games have some problems but overall I'd call them decent enough games. It's not a franchise I want to see wind up extinct, anyway." - Anonymous comment
SPACE CHANNEL 5'05
October, 2005
"Get ready for the ultimate Space Channel 5 experience!"
"Enjoy the complete story of Ulala and Space Channel 5!"
"Shake your booty to the entire soundtrack of the series as you drop the scoop on what's happenin'!"
"Connect online to world leader-boards and see if you can be #1!"
"Play with yourself or with friends in a multiplayer dance-off mode!"
"Experience all new tracks created just for this!"
- Back of Box; Sony Neptune exclusive
"This game was literally released purely so that title would exist. I am convinced that is the sole reason for this thing's existence." -- Anonymous comment
"Space Channel 5 '05 is actually a combination of the original Space Channel 5: Special Edition and Space Channel 5: Part 2 as a single game with a few added features and special content. The game's adverts tell you that in the standard 'extremely subtle' way, but that's what this. It's not Space Channel 5: Part 3 or anything. That said, this does mean that '05 is arguably the definitive way to play both games." - IGN, 2005
JET SET STREET RACING
October, 2005
"Play as members of a street-smart posse as they partake in the most classic of street side activity: racing. Street racing. Play as a member of Beat's crew or even as rival crew members as you cruise the streets, show your rivals what your made of, and evade the pursuing police forces and corporate goons! Unlock special characters from both Jet Set Radio and even other games entirely! Do all sorts of very real skater tricks as you speed up, pulling them off of rails, walls, rooftops and anything else you find that can be used for super rad tricks! Play offline by yourself, offline with friends, or connect to SegaNET for access to online play and world leaderboards!"
- Sony Magazine, 2005
"A combination of a skating game and a racing game. I like it." - - Anonymous comment
"Pretty much every character from the Jet Set Radio games is playable here, though some of them have to be unlocked. They also included some other Sony characters as guests, such as Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Ulala and even Jak & Daxter - though they are naturally the hardest characters each to unlock. Overall I really like this game, it's not Jet Set Radio 3 or Future 2 or anything but it's a solid spin-off entry for the series and has a lot of character, very fun gameplay though there is a bit of a learning curve - honestly I'd reccomend this to any gamer who likes skating, racing or Jet Set Radio." - Gamespy, 2005
PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY
October, 2005
"OBJECTION!"
"As a rookie defense lawyer, you'll take on five intriguing cases to reveal dramatic, stunning and even comical court proceedings!"
"Survey crime scenes, interview witnesses, gather evidence."
"Present evidence, Cross-Examine witnesses, Listen to testimony
"Voice recognition capabilities"
"First-person perspective."
- Back of box; Nintendo DS exclusive
"OBJECTION!" - - Anonymous comment
"Capcom strikes again, they are definitely on a roll right now." - - Anonymous comment
"Not much to say besides this is one of, if not the, best court-case video game franchise ever created. If you own a DS and value gaming, get this. Now." - - Anonymous comment
"My favorite handheld/portable game franchise." -- Anonymous comment
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG
October, 2005
"HERO OR VILLAIN?"
"Uncover the truth about Sonic's arch-rival, Shadow the Hedgehog."
"To destroy or to protect? Shadow the Hedgehog carries a dark past that is shrouded in mystery. Embark on a journey to unveil his true identity. The way you play the game determines the outcome of Shadow's future."
"Nothing gets in the way of Shadow!"
"Exilerating action, speed and shooting!"
"Tons of missions, branching storylines, and multiple endings!"
- Back of box; Sony Pluto exclusive
"As a portable game for the Pluto it's passable but the entire premise of this thing is just what." -- Anonymous comment
"Sonic Team has gone batshit crazy." -- Anonymous comment
"The portable version of the upcoming Neptune game, everybody. I'm super excited now..." -- Anonymous comment
"This entire thing comes off like a watered down version of what was originally expected or intended to be a console release. Now, I know that Sony's uncreatively named "Japan studio" is working on the console version, and Sonic Team worked on this one because they have nothing better to do this year than spin-offs and compilations, but this entire thing is just....it feels off. It feels rushed. It feels like an after thought. It feels like Sonic Team just wanted to rush this thing out before the console version was released. This game features Alien Invaders, Branching Storylines via a "morality" system (though it has a last ending anyway so it's all pointless), artificial replay value (you need to play this thing 10 times to get the full ending), unnecessary PG swearing ("damn" and "hell" pretty much every 5 seconds), and in general a very flawed, repetitive mission structure which usually just amounts to killing a set of enemies or finding x amount of objects. I'm very glad this is only a portable game and not something to be taken very seriously." - Forum Post, 2005
"If I had been in charge when this game was supposed to be released, I would have refused to release it in the west and just flushed that crap down one of the toilets." - Tom Kalinske, 2005 interview
"The hilarity of it is that the console version is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT in EVERY way to this thing. Not even the premise is the same. Sonic Team legit just made their own game ALSO called Shadow the Hedgehog instead of just doing a port of the console game and releasing it earlier. The hilarity of that is just, wow. I'd say it's a reference to when the Game Gear had their own full on versions of the classic games instead of being just straight 8-bit ports but I feel like that'd be too generous." - Forum Post, 2005
"I actually kind of like this game, though a lot of people call me crazy for it." -- Anonymous comment
RESIDENT EVIL 4
October, 2005
"RESIDENT EVIL REINVENTED"
"As U.S. Agent Leon Kennedy looks into the abduction of the President's daughter, his investigation leads to a mysterious location in Europe. Encountering unimaginable horrors, he must find out what is behind the terror."
"Experience the thrill-a-minute Resident Evil 4! Now the smash hit, award winning game delivers exciting new gameplay and bonus features exclusive to the Sony Neptune Computer Entertainment system!"
"NEW chapters - play as Ada Wong in "Separate Ways", 5 terrifying, adrenaline pumping missions that reveal additional horrifying surprises"
"NEW weapons, including the P.R.L. 412 laser cannon and the gunpowder bowgun"
"NEW unlockable costumes for Leon and Ashley"
"Supports progressive Scan, 16:9 Widescreen, and Dolby Pro Logic II"
- Back of Box; Released for GameCube in 2004, Neptune in 2005
"Capcom yet again hits it out of the park with this franchise, this one is arguably even better than most if not all previous installments in the series. I can easily see this game revolutionizing the survival horror genre for years to come. Everything about this game is just perfect for our time, from it's story to it's refined gameplay, even the voice acting for once is actually quite decent. Sure took a long time, didn't it?" - IGN, 2005
"The Best Yet. Period." -- Anonymous comment
"I really like the Over the Shoulder view this game added into the mix, I think it really adds to the Survival Horror/Third Person Shooter genre, allowing you to see the character you play while also helping you aim better. Very helpful." - - Anonymous comment
"So they finally finished the game Devil May Cry 1 was supposed to be. Awesome." - - Anonymous comment
"I...I thought this was meant for Nintendo!" - - Anonymous comment
"We here at Nintendo Power are still awaiting to see if Mikami-san follows through on this promise to 'cut his head off' if this game were ever released for anything other than the GameCube." - Nintendo Power, 2005
RATCHET: DEADLOCKED
October, 2005
"Ratchet and Clank are captured while investigating the disappearance of several famous heroes. Our duo discovers that the missing heroes (including themselves) have been abducted by a deranged media mogul, who intends to use them as contestants on an underground combat show called "DeadZone". To keep himself and his friends alive, Ratchet will have to participate in the games and keep driving up the show's rating with victories. Will our hero break free and take down the evil media mogul? Stay tuned... "
- Back of Box; Sony Neptune exclusive
"2005: the year in which Sony got edgy." -- Anonymous comment
"So it seems that Sony's 'darker and edgier' approach does not stop with Jak & Daxter or Shadow the Hedgehog and instead extends even to Ratchet & Clank now. Well, ok both this and Jak III are passable games, and the console version of Shadow hasn't come out yet - but the point still stands. This certainly is not a favorite Ratchet & Clank game of mine though, with the darker tone being jarring for a veteran player and the absence of Clank as a playable character being a puzzling change. That's not to mention it's gameplay and level design tends to be very repetitive compared to previous iterations of the franchise. I hope that Insomniac Games or Sony or whoever is in charge of the series' development takes more care the next time around and gets things back on the right track. This just isn't the way to go." - Blog post, 2005
"Sony's 2005 Priorities: MAKE. IT. EDGY." -- Anonymous comment
- Forum Discussion, 2005
- Forum Discussion, 2005
2005 III + 2006: Sun Sets Again
TY THE TASMANIAN TIGER 3: NIGHT OF THE QUINKAN
November, 2005
"The evil Quinkan have invaded Ty's Australian Outback, intent on destroying Ty and his friends. It's up to you to reunite Ty with the Bush Rescue Squad to battle the Quinkan -- and discover the evil force controlling them. This is Ty's most exciting and dangerous quest yet -- save Ty and his friends before it's too late!" - Back of box; Multi-platform for all three major consoles (Neptune, Neo & GameCube)
"This is just....this year has been nothing but darker and edgier takes on established game franchises. Why.....why must it happen. Why is this happening?" -- Anonymous comment
"Ok so the plot of this game is....interesting. The main difference in this game is the addition of new gameplay styles and mechanics, starting with the addition of melee combat (literally whacking enemies with boomerangs), later extending to mecha-bunyip 'combat', to airship flying and even kart racing. Though the kart racing in this game is basically the Mario Kart game you get if you are literally one step away from being homeless. Key problems with this game include several things: The first being that all missions are mandatory for completion as well as story progression, meaning you WILL be piloting the airship and going through poorly constructed kart racing whether you like it or not. In addition, you spend arguably more time in the shadow bunyip than you actually do on your feet, albeit do not quote me on that. The airship levels are also not very well made either, not only in that they stray farther from the core gameplay than Sonic Adventure 2 ever could accomplish but they are in general very slow, clunky and have tedious objectives. Doesn't really feel like you are piloting a particularly well made gunship. THAT SAID, the driving around the Outback part of the game is greatly improved - the crabmersible being very fun to drive as it slows down for nothing, fires missles, and can even jump over the muddy areas that were a pain in Ty 2. I could literally just drive around Australia for hours in that thing with little to no desire to play any of those terrible gunyip or kart racing missions. In addition, while the ground bunyips are virtually everywhere in this game, they are improved on from the last game as the bunyips tend to have more abilities and before each bunyip mission starts they have the shop to buy their upgrades directly near to you - cutting down backtracking entirely. As for the moments in which you play as Ty on his feet? For the most part, they are just as they were in both previous games, with the addition of the melee system and also a customizable boomerang feature in which you apply elemental crystals to certain types of rangs rather than acquire elemantal rangs themselves. However, it is largely superfluous due to the game's focus on the aforementioned melee combat. As a whole, this game is not very good. Half of it is borderline terrible and the story takes itself far too seriously for what it is, and a lot of the new additions to the gameplay are either poorly implemented or outright worthless." - Blog Post, 2005
GUITAR HERO
November, 2005
"If you had the choice between hopping around to one of Britney Spears' "classics" or strapping on a Gibson SG and rocking out to freakin' Iron Man, which would you choose? If you chose the former, then head over here. If you're like us, though, and would rather watch Ozzy bite the head off of living creatures than watch a scantily-clad blonde... err, hmm, on second thought... Bah, we'll take Ozzy every time.
Music games have a tendency to be great fun for parties and such, but very few of them have ever struck that certain primal chord deep inside all of us -- the same chord that makes you want to kick back with a cold one and eat three pounds of meat hot off the barbeque in the middle of summer while lounging in your backyard in a ripped up t-shirt you've been wearing since high school. Guitar Hero is one of those rare games that does just this, and we even say that it's better than three pounds of meat. Beer? That's a close one. But meat? Hell yeah. It kicks meat's ass. " - IGN, 2005; Guitar Hero was released exclusively for Sony Neptune, and required it's own Guitar-based controller for proper use.
"Where it all started." -- Anonymous comment
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG
November, 2005
"Ever since he's returned from the dead, Shadow the Hedgehog has been unable to remember his dark and mysterious past. This is his state of mind when an entire fleet of aliens invades the planet, proceeding to let loose their imperial ambitions for the planet. Shadow must now work yet again alongside Rouge and E-123 'Omega' to combat this new alien threat, and uncover not only who contacted them in the first place but also the secrets behind his past. He really just doesn't know how deep this rabbit hole goes, though."
"Increase your score by performing vicious and stylish combos against your enemies using the ultimate lifeform's powerful punches, kicks and chaos powers"
"Level up your power by unlocking increasingly powerful weapons via campaign progress"
"Battle hordes of powerful enemies, reunite with old friends and old foes, vanquish massive bosses."
"Visit diverse environments both on earth and in space."
"Customize Shadow's appearance by buying new gear - make him look as ultimate as you like."
"Speed through levels as fast as you slash through your enemies."
"Battle against your friends in both local and online multiplayer battles."
- Back of box; Neptune exclusive
"This game is literally nothing like the portable 'version' Sonic Team made." -- Anonymous comment
"This is something the Sonic franchise needs to do more of. Putting it's large cast of characters into their own game franchises so they don't clog up the Sonic franchise. I'm actually excited for the Knuckles game set to be released at the end of this month now." -- Anonymous comment
"Devil May Hedgehog" -- Anonymous comment
"The combat system of this game is going to remind you of Devil May Cry, though is easy enough on normal difficulty for beginners to this kind of game to get used to. That said, like any hack and slash game there are higher difficulties that range from a fair challenge to insanity inducing nigh impossible unless you are a gaming god." -- Anonymous comment
"I love how they actually have what's basically a dress up mechanic where you can actually put Shadow in clothing during gameplay. It's actually my favorite part of the game." -- Anonymous comment
"This game is a massive improvement over the portable take on it that Sonic Team developed last month. This one was instead developed by SSCEE's 'Japan Studio'. While that name is unoriginal, this game is actually quite the opposite. From what I can tell, this game is heavily inspired by games such as Grand Theft Auto and Devil May Cry - as it styles itself a member of the Hack-n-Slash genre rather than the platformer genre - though there are parts where it feels like a platformer. This game primarily fixates on it's combat system though, and whereas the portable game shoehorned in every single Sonic character imaginable into the plot this one sticks only to those most relevant to Shadow; Rouge, Omega, Professor Gerald, Maria, a minor appearance by Eggman, and the new characters created for this game and the portable version. That actually helps it maintain an identity of being a spin-off, rather than just another entry in the series. However, the greater focus on performing combos and stylish combat tricks to maintain a high score as well as the use of weapons achieves that as well. I can't say I like the alien invasion route, though this game handles it better in that they actually dive deeper into why the aliens are invading and bring back a plot point from Adventure 2 in the process. They even make the alien designs be more creative in this version as well, with more unique designs than merely the generic standard ones. I don't really like how you have to grind rings in order to unlock certain moves though, rather than a simple upgrade points system. There also isn't any secret level system like in DMC, instead you unlock secret weapons that usually serve as references to other Sony titles - such as unlocking weapons from God of War, Ratchet & Clank, or even Jak & Daxter to name a few. You also have to grind rings in order to purchase gear for Shadow to wear; yes, you can actually buy clothes for him in this game, though all of it is purely cosmetic and affects little to nothing gameplay-wise, making it largely pointless to waste rings on it instead of actual combat moves. The game is also not very difficult compared to other games of this genre, though I assume this was intentional as I imagine it wants to be a game accessible to those who have never played a game like this before. That said, for those who have there are harder difficulties that make up for normal's lack of relative challenge. There is also the inclusion of a multiplayer, though it's really just you and your friends duking it out against each other in a small amount of stages. Fun as primarily a time killer. As superfluous as that did, they did include the game's soundtrack in the sound test and an unlockable gallery for all of the concept art so you can tell they had some level of fun making this. Also you only have to play the story mode once. Would I recommend this over Devil May 3? Not necessarily. Would I recommend this over the Pluto version though? A hundred times over." - IGN, 2005
"There are many DMC fans who unironically suggest people play this game in place of playing DMC 2 sometimes." -- Anonymous comment
KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA
November, 2005
"NO MORE CHUCKLING "
"Knuckles the Echidna, guardian of the Master Emerald for as long as he can remember - for reasons that he is still only barely knowledgeable of. As far as he knows, he's the last of his kind. At least, until a white echidna known as Dr. Finetivus arrives from a mysterious alternate dimension and captures the Master Emerald with intent to use it for what can best be described as engineering mass anarchy. Ever the dutiful guardian, Knuckles is swift to follow after him to get the emerald back to save both Angel Island and the the entire dimension."
"Blast your way through hordes of inter-dimensional foes with your mighty punches"
"Use your fists to reveal various secrets"
"Glide across vast distances"
"Dig in the ground to enter secret paths, secret levels, or even access different sections of levels entirely."
"Climb walls to save yourself from pit hazards or get the high ground over your enemies."
"Battle challenging bosses that will test your skills."
"Play with yourself or with friends in multiplayer party or battle mode."
- Back of box; Neptune exclusive
"Ken Penders' favorite game." -- Anonymous comment, 2010's
"There were many Sonic fans who questioned why Knuckles was constantly tagging around with Sonic & Tails in the previous Sonic titles for seemingly arbitrary reasons, and this game addresses that by giving Knuckles his own personal gaming experience - completely absent of either Sonic or Tails. Or any other 'Sonic' character for that matter. The inclusion of Dr. Finetivus catches everyone off-guard though, certainly. From what I can gather, this inclusion is largely because Finetivus' creator from the Archie Comics, Karl Bollers, was involved with the game's story. He obviously changed Finetivus' origin to fit with the game canon, though I consider it a welcome inclusion nonetheless; it's also one that opens the door to future comic characters entering the game canon in the future. As a whole, the story of the game is decent enough for what it is, and Dr. Finetivus makes a great 'Eggman' figure for the red echidna. As for gameplay, the game is essentially a hybrid of exploration, platforming and beating the hell out of enemies with your fists. While Knuckles is no Dante or Shadow, he still packs a punch quite literally, and is able to literally punch his way through enemies in ways that would make Captain Falcon proud. You even upgrade your punches and gain more combos while you progress through the story as well. Knuckles is not as fast as Sonic or Shadow though, so this game does not focus so much on speed as it does on combat and platforming. The upside of this is that you get to take in the refined, late-era Neptune scenery during some of the games' quieter moments. The decision to make the game utilize the digging ability and expanding on it to access completely different chunks of the level is a genius move after Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, as is expanding Knuckles' combat abilities in general. In fact, it almost reminds me a bit of the also-STI developed Comix Zone from the Genesis days. The gliding and wall climbing isn't as expanded upon, though I'm not sure what there is to do really. I also like how the multiplayer features Knuckles, Metal Knuckles, Finetivus and the Chaotix as playable characters - almost like an inverse of SA2's multiplayer. The multiplayer itself is also divided into a bare bones battle mode and a party mode with a selection of Mario Party inspired mini-games to go through. It's actually a decent way to kill a few hours. As a whole, Knuckles the Echidna is a surprisingly solid game. STI has done it again in making a great experience out of the Sonic franchise, definitely buy this game if it sounds like something that's up your alley." - IGN, 2005
"I really like Tony Todd's performance as Dr. Finetivus' voice; I think he did the job very well. I couldn't tell who he was at first but then I looked him up and turns out it's cuz he hasn't really been in a whole lot of games before." -- Anonymous comment
"Little known gaming secret, if you stack the Sega CD port of Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 ontop of Knuckles the Echidna in the disc tray for the Neptune, you will unlock Knuckles the Echidna & Sonic, and be fully able to play as Sonic in his very own story mode within Knuckles' game!" - EGM, April 1st 2006.
SONIC JAM 2K5
November, 2005
"SHOOTING HOOPS HAS NEVER BEEN SO WAY PAST COOL"
"Basetkball, Sonic style!"
"Use super moves to spike the ball at critical moments!"
"Play as virtually all of the Sonic characters, including Shadow & Knuckles!"
"Build your own team for maximum performance on the court!"
"Wide variety of courts, ranging from standard to themed after various levels of Sonic games past!"
"Use various power-ups and items to either ehance your game or hinder the other team's"
- Back of box; Neptune exclusive
"What in the hell does this game have to do with Sonic Jam?" -- Anonymous comment
"Developed by the newcomer studio Saber Interactive and published by Sony, this game is another of this year's examples of Sonic virtually spamming this year with content. There really isn't a whole lot to say though, it's a Sonic basketball game. You can build your own team of Sonic characters, choose a court to play on, use items for yourself or against your opponent, and use super moves as a flashy way to finish each game. It's a very strange way to see Sonic, but actually rather fun. Virtually every Sonic character is accounted for - Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Big, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Finetivus, Eggman, Metal Knuckles and Metal Sonic compromise the playable characters of this game and you can select any of them for your designated B-ball team. They do have stats, but for the most part those are irrelevant. As a whole, the game actually plays about as well as your ordinary Basetball game - with a few added Sonic themed twists. I actually find myself recommending this, to be honest." - Blog Post, 2005
"Sonic Jam 1997 - Compilation Game. Sonic Jam 2005 - BASKETBALL." - - Anonymous comment
SET 2 LAUNCHES
November, 2005
Well the day has finally come, the Sony & Warner co-owned SET2 has just launched this past week and so far the experience has been interesting to say the least. As promised when this mysterious project was revealed, Sony came out with a plethora of content both old, new and not owned by them in some cases to flesh out this emerging new cable network, which is essentially Cartoon Network's closest thing to a Teen Nick equivalent. We call it that only because of the fact Warner shows are present on this new platform.
Now as far as networks go - there isn't much to say. It opens up with a similar aesthetic as the Sony Neptune has in terms of it's between show bumpers very space-like and very blue. But beyond that being a good looking aesthetic, there is nothing much else to really say. So instead, we're going to get right into the content this network provides and offer our two cents on each.
First up would be the syndicated shows and reruns featured on the channel. This takes up the bulk of the Warner related content, as most of what Warner lets Sony air here seems to be Kids' WB shows and shows that have already finished: Teen Titans, Static Shock, Justice League, Justice League: Unlimited, Jackie Chan Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Duck Dodgers, Animaniacs, Sonic X, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Underground, Sonic the Hedgehog and Xiaolin Showdown are all listed as television shows for syndicated reruns on SET2 - and usually are all regulated to the early morning hours - playing for an hour longer on saturdays.
There is nothing to say about these though, because truth be told they are just the same as they are on other networks.
So instead, let's move on to the new content that SET2 provides:
First lets get the Sonic show out of the way first - Sonic: Freedom Fighters is a solid return to Sonic the Hedgehog in the shape and form of an anime series. It's actually significantly better than Sonic X was in my personal opinion. Both in animation and in basic premise. The English Dub also contains all of the current video game voice actors, though it is rumored Tails' voice actor will yet again change pretty soon. As for the anime itself, it's actually been airing in Japan since the middle of last year and both the original and the dub follow a fresh new take on Sonic's world that is more faithful to the current game series: essentially, the main premise is about Sonic & Tails going on regular adventures while trying to prevent Eggman and other villains (yes, other villains) from getting their hands on the Chaos Emeralds or thwarting their various other schemes for world domination. The series also includes G.U.N. and Chao prominently as well, and the 1st series serves primarily as a way to introduce Sonic's world to the viewer, though they do get the Sonic Adventure & Sonic Adventure 2 adaptations out of the way - not to give away too many spoilers. If Sonic X is any indication, it's safe to expect this show to be one of its higher rated shows - and it already is one of the more advertised.
Then we got Space Channel 5, the second of the 'Sega' animes. It's also been running in Japan since about last year, but it's dub has just now reached the west with the launch of SET2. The premise is pretty just that of the games, Ulala and the titular Space Channel 5 in that 1960's style depiction of the 25th or so Century. It's very surreal and fitting if you pair this up with Duck Dodgers as this anime technically takes place half a century later. Regardless though, the primary focus of this anime is that Ulala is the sexy reporter main character for the struggling Space Channel 5 and is the center piece of it's various attempts to maintain it's audience in the intergalactic age. I assure you that there are more reasons to watch than just Ulala herself, but can confirm SET2 does not censor her like 4Kids probably would.
Jet Set Radio is another exciting video game themed anime from Sony as well, following the story of Beat from the game series as he leaves his home, forms his street crew, and begins his so-called 'career' as a 'professional' spray paint skater gang delinquent. Pretty much every character from the game and even some anime exclusive characters are all present in this adventure, which is as insightful for the series as it is entertaining.
The Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter series cap off the bulk of the at-launch video game based series on SET2. The former is a western style animated series, while the latter is animated with CGI for a more game accurate look. The Ratchet & Clank series actually picks up where the games left off and overall follow what can be described as a traditional saturday morning series in which the Wombax and his robot compadre are thwarting baddies while having fun on their free time with some slight deconstruction of the games and their tropes. The Jak & Daxter series however returns the two do their original game appearances in a surprise return to immediately after the first game, and follows an overall similar format. Both I consider similar yet solid shows for tweens & young teens as they both feature a healthy dose of action and more mature themes than you may expect.
Then we have the newcomer to the television world, American Dragon: Jake Long. A young Chinese-American boy who lives in New York City while sporting the secret ability to turn into a powerful dragon; sworn protectors of the magical underworld - an underworld who have plenty of threats for that matter. With character designs by Phil Bourassa of Ben 10 fame, this show has gorgeous and advanced character design leagues above Nickelodeon "counterpart" Danny Phantom and in my personal opinion this show is leagues better anyway, as this show balances quite the amount of mature themes not usually seen in these types of shows and in general comes off a lot like Ben 10 in how it balances that and the comedy - though it also touches upon topics of bigotry both amongst humans and between humans and the magical creatures, among other such topics which I was surprised to see, and in the subtle way it does so. While it's true the characters say street slang, I actually give it a pass because it's not as often as one would think and the show does take place in inner city New York. I honestly feel like Jake is solid representation for our modern urban youth, and his sleek, slender dragon form is very hot (and cool) to look at. This show is also looking to be one of the network's top animated shows.
Another set of content I won't dwell very long on, the rest of the anime content - Bleach, Hell Girl, Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist are the rest of the anime currently running on SET2. Since these are covered in-depth elsewhere, there is not much sense in going over them - just know that I think it's a good enough selection to start off with.
Then we get into the only animated show besides the anime that is mostly regulated to late afternoon/late night hours - The Boondocks. Based on the popular comic strip and also airing on Adult Swim, the Boondocks is about the Freeman family. A grandfather and his two grandsons who have moved to Woodcrest - a white neighborhood with only two really noteworthy black inhabitants, one of whom is a self-hating black man and the other is a privileged lawyer with a white wife. The show deconstructs the black community and offers challenging yet also humorous social commentary about virtually everything from modern politics, race relations, the black and white communities, other minority groups, and all in ways that never come off as mean spirited but rather hilarious. Honestly I'm not even black and I think this is objectively the best show the network has, and thankfully here it does get an earlier time slot than on Adult Swim (though still in the later hours). This show is what I would consider to be SET2's equivalent to South Park. Also the anime inspired style is gorgeous.
Last but not least, there is the live action programming that takes up the bulk of the afternoon and late night programming on SET2. Despite what you may be inclined to believe, some of this stuff actually is rather good - though it does feature an overwhelming amount of Asian-Americans, which seem to be a demographic that SET2 is particularly marketing itself to, with some critics of the platform already calling it "Asian Entertainment Television", or "AET."
The live-action shows this network is starting off with include:
Behind the Sentai - A satirical look at super sentai shows (such as Power Rangers), deconstructing the genre and really showing what real life is like for the people behind the costumes. Essentially parodies Japanese superhero team shows in general, rather than just the one we all know it is satirizes. Really fun to watch if you are in to those shows and are down for some mature-humor deconstructing and parodying of them. The characters are actually far more realistic than any of the ones you'll find on those shows, and it's absolutely hilarious how they explain the tropes.
Chinatown USA - A young adult drama series taking place in a Chinatown district located in San Francisco California - primarily starring a struggling Chinese-American single mother as she tries to take care of her son & daughter while also trying to get her life in order. Goes over the drama of single parenthood, trying to find love again, teen agnst, teen romance, middle school drama, high school drama, and really just drama all around with some asian humor sprinkled all over the place.
The Okuyamas - The go-to sitcom of the network, the Okuyamas is a sitcom about, well, the Okuyama family, as they live their middle class life along the west coast. The wife, the husband, the kids, and the pets. That, and the neighbors of course. And of course, the wacky situations they get up to everyone episode. One funny thing about this show is that it actually doesn't have a laugh track, and instead makes fun of the moments of awkward silence that said situation creates at times. The show mainly gets you in that it's not afraid to bring up topics that Disney or Nickelodeon would ever dream of featuring on their show - must be seen to be believed. I think the show wants to bait you into thinking it's a sitcom, then a drama show, then it hits you with it being near full comedy. Honestly I wasn't expecting to like this show.
Life of Yumi - Asian Ugly Betty is the best description of this show. It's about Yumi, a girl who's just moved with her demanding family to America where she is forced to adapt to rapid change in a short amount of time ontop of all the drama that a book-smart girl like her would put up with at a brand new high school. If you liked Daria and Ugly Betty, you're likely to get a kick out of this show.
The Dong Dynasty - A live-action show for adults, that's for sure. At least, those who laugh at immature humor as the entire joke of this show is in the main family's name. That's right, it's about a family who are struggling to get by primarily because their surname is literally Dong. Oh, Mr. Dong tries to be an upstanding Businessman in America, but nobody takes him seriously. Nor do they take his family legacy seriously either, for that matter. Get ready for a lot of dirty humor with this one, is what I'm saying.
Turning Japanese - A show about a white "anime enthusiast" who actually buys an apartment in Japan to move out of his parent's basement literally because he thinks it makes him Japanese, only to be repeatedly told by everyone that no he's not actually Japanese and have his expectations about Japanese life be constantly crushed. I'm not giving anything else away about this show other than some episodes had me almost piss myself laughing.
Late Night Gaming with Shogo Ozawa - The first of three late night talk shows, this one being centered around gaming news. Particularly Sony related news, we imagine, but gaming news nonetheless as it is hosted by Shogo Ozawa? Who is he? Some Asian teen who likes gaming, obviously. Some Asian guy who's here to report on the latest gaming news, trends, and even the obscure stuff, and even have the occasional comedy skit! All of it gaming related, of course.
Sony Quiz Wars - A Sony, gaming themed quiz show! Hosted by Shogo Ozawa as well! This show offers teens, tweens and grown ass adults as contestants to compete for a selection of prizes ranging from tickets to Sonypolis Greece, a Sony Neptune, a Sony DVR with a Built-in Neptune, a special edition Sony Saturn, thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of cash prizes - and more! All you have to do win is know your gaming stuff, and occasionally you might be put through a game-themed obstacle course! Also contains small animated skits of relevant game characters & series!
And of course, pretty much any Sony Pictures or Columbia Pictures film tends to show up once or twice on the schedule per day, so that pretty much rounds out the content for SET2.
As a whole, Sony sure went in guns blazing with this venture - hopefully the ratings allow it to stay afloat.
- Sony Magazine, 2005
NEOPETS GAMES
November, 2005
- Forum Discussion, 2005
PETER JACKSON'S KING KONG: THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOVIE
November, 2005
"PLAY AS MAN. PLAY AS KONG."
"Embark on an epic adventure created in collaboration with Academy Award winning director Peter Jackson and based on Universal Pictures' film. Survive as Jack in a world crawling with predators and live the legend as Kong."
"Use weapons, traps and your team wisely to survive in first-person as Jack."
"Break Jaws, slam enemies and throw objects in Kong's third-person battles."
- Back of box; Multi-platform release (PC, Neptune, Neo, GameCube, Gameboy Advance, Pluto)
"By far one of the most ambitious titles of this gaming generation, and something I predict is going to be selling like hot cakes. The sheer amount of effort that has gone into making an immersive experience in the same vein as the recent movie is truly something that needs to be seen - if the accurate word for it isn't 'lived through'. It captures the feeling of the movie near perfectly." - Blog Post, 2005
SONIC RUSH
November, 2005
"Sonic Rush is a 3D & 2D Sonic Experience not only combined, but also put onto the small portable screen of the Sony Pluto - and I gotta say, it's actually quite amazing. Developed by Dimps alongside Sonic Team, it actually does have a good job of recapturing the magic of the Sonic franchise. That said, they do have the Sonic Team design of featuring dash panels, though it doesn't detract from the game's fun factor. The primary new mechanic of Sonic Rush is the boost mechanic. Via the tension gauge either one of the two playable characters are able to perform some kind of boost - a Super Boost for Sonic and a Fire Boost for Blaze. They function as, well, a boost power. You speed up as fast as you possibly can and absolutely plow through everything in your path in what can best be described as a true Sonic speed experience. Besides that the game features everything from the modern Sonic titles - high speed action, grind rails, the homing attack, and the spin dash as forms attacking enemies. It does however, add something new besides the boost in the form of mid-air tricks that you can perform at ramps and dash panels that send you into the air. The game is also mainly in 2.5D rather than full 3D, but occasionally goes into full 3D for bosses and certain level segments. As mentioned before, the game also introduces a new character - Blaze. A lavendar colored cat who is a firebending princess from another dimension who plays a key role in the story - as this game concerns the Sol Emeralds rather than the Chaos Emeralds. Thankfully, Blaze is actually very fun to play as she is just as fast as Sonic and actually is entertaining to watch in the story mode where she's voiced by Tia Carrere and has an interesting personality that contrasts with Sonic. Of the story, there's not really a whole lot of depth to it. Essentially, there is a bit of worlds collide in that Blaze is now in Sonic's dimension, and this is the doing of Eggman and Blaze's version of Eggman - Eggman Nega. Yes really. naturally, the game is about stopping whatever it is that the Sonics are up to and setting things straight between Sonic and Blaze. As a whole, Sonic Rush is perhaps the best portable Sonic game to date and if you needed a reason to buy the Sony Pluto, this just might be it." - IGN, 2005
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE TWO THRONES
November, 2005
"ONE WARRIOR. TWO SOULS."
"I returned home expecting peace, instead I found my kingdom ravaged by war and enslaved. A curse reside within me, plauging my every move. Although I must embrace this and use this mysterious power to save my land, people and my own soul."
"Mysterious puzzles to be solved."
"Intense battles using both the prince and dark prince."
"Gruelling story featuring innovative gameplay and an experience like no other"
- Back of box; Multi-platform release (Neptune, PC, GameCube, Neo)
"The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy has always been known for its tight controls and satisfying environmental puzzles set in beautiful levels. The series' control scheme has served as a model for countless other games that also feature an acrobatic protagonist like the prince. The same great interface remains in the third game of the series, The Two Thrones. Like the other two games, you'll find yourself wall running, jumping, flipping, and vaulting your way up fiendishly designed environmental puzzles, as well as fighting vicious enemies with the improved combat system introduced in the last game, Warrior Within. The prince has a few new tricks up his sleeve as well, but longtime fans of the series should still feel right at home. " - IGN, 2005
KARELIA
December, 2005
"THE WAR THAT DECIDED THE FATE OF THE NORTH"
"It is 1939, the world and all of Europe is plunged fresh into the second World War. The war to end all wars. The Soviet Union is hellbent on reuniting the entire borders of the former Russian Empire that it just recently replaced on the world map, but one nation stands in it's way. Finland. In the deepest reaches of Scandinavia, the nation is vulnerable but strong to such a raging behemoth. Despite being the undisputed underog, the Finnish people have bite to match their bark and stand firm and proud in the face of an impending Soviet onslaught. You are but one member of the Finnish forces, but can you stand up to Stalin and show him that Finland will not be devoured easily? Perhaps you can even lead Finland towards pushing the Soviets out of Karelia entirely."
- Back of box blurb; Nokia Neo exclusive
"I love how this game has an alternate history ending where Finland manages to defeat the Soviets out of Karelia & the Kola peninsula entirely and if you get that ending the song that plays during the credits is Säkkijärven polkka. I literally love it, and that ending is very hard to get too." - - Anonymous comment
"A solid Nokia historical FPS game that isn't afraid to diverge into alternative history while also teaching players about history in the hands-on way that these kinds of games are known for. I like how the game has three major endings, the Soviet Victory ending, the historical ending, and the complete Finnish victory ending. All of them are achievable, though difficult to pull off. The game values historical accuracy as much it does the impressive Neo visuals and FPS game-play. Honestly it's a solid late era FPS game, Nokia did a very good job with this one. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who's into FPS games. Especially if you hated the Soviet Union when it existed, you can definitely have some venting get done with this game." - IGN, 2005
YAKUZA
December, 2005
"BLOOD. HONOR. RESPECT. LIVE THE YAKUZA LEGEND!"
"Just as Kazuma, a former rising star in the Yakuza, emerges from prison after a murder cover-up, 10 billion yen vanishes from the Yakuza vault, forcing him once again into their brutal, lawless world. A mysterious young girl will lead Kazuma to the answers if he can keep her alive."
"Yakuza offers you the oppurtunity to fully experience the Japanese underworld's vast network of violence and mistrust... In all it's glorious brutality."
- Back of box, Neptune exclusive
"The best Sony franchise. Period." -- Anonymous comment
"Yakuza is an absolutely phenomenal game. It captures the immersive open world feel we previously saw in Shenmue and adds the Yakuza to it. It vividly portrays modern Japan and the Yakuza lifestyle, and even improves on aspects of play that Shenmue started such as hand-to-hand combat. Seeing as how so many of the games that have come out this year have been darker and grittier takes on existing characters, it's a welcome sight that Sony have opted to release this IP upon us now. It is far, far different and more nuanced than those other games though - being far more it's own magnificent beast. It's immersive world, offbeat humor, surprisingly good story telling, and brutal Yakuza action strongly tempt me into naming this one of the best games ever made in recent years. Since we're nearing the end of the Neptune era, I say definitely pick this up while you can. - Gamespy, 2005
SUPER MARIO STRIKERS
December, 2005
"SOCCER WITH ATTITUDE!"
"Get ready for crazy five-on-five matches as Mario and co. hit the pitch for the first time ever!"
"Score impossible goals, showing off fantastic techniques like acrobatic bicycle kicks and amazing super strikes"
"From friendly grudge matches to 16-person tournaments, there are tons of options available."
"Crush opponents with Power-Ups like shells and Bob-ombs. If that doesn't work... unleash the Chain Chomp!"
- Back of Box; GameCube exclusive
"Super Mario Strikers will release to a fraction of the fanfare that Big N fanboys would have given to their truly desired holiday title for 2005. No, it's not teenage Link taking down goblins with a bow while riding Epona, but it's definitely the must-own first-party title for a relatively weak GameCube showing this holiday season. The single-player should keep people tided over for a little bit, but not long for too long. The multiplayer more than covers the bases, though, as Strikers will join Super Smash Bros. Melee and the Mario Party games as one of the 'Cube's best titles for armchair warfare. Plus, how many Mario games get away with letting one of the characters do a crotch chop as a victory dance? " - Gamespy, 2005
"The last Mario game released for the GameCube in Japan and North America....wow....just, wow." -- Anonymous comment
MARIO TENNIS: POWER TOUR
December, 2005
"There are other nit-picky aspects to Power Tour, such as the use of ugly rendered models for all of the characters during actual tennis matches instead of the great 2D sprites featured in the academy portion of the game (when you're roaming around looking for your next match). This pre-rendered nonsense ultimately turns characters like Donkey Kong and Bowser into pixilated messes. You'll hardly notice the visual discrepancies when playing, but it's a bizarre choice that hopes to maintain the visual consistency between the console and handheld games that doesn't really work. In all other respects, Power Tour stands as a perfect example of how to bring a fleshed-out console sport onto a handheld, and all of the seemingly frivolous extras only help to enhance the experience when you're tired of battling the A.I. For Mario and arcade tennis fans alike, this is a must buy." - Gamespy, 2005
SONIC VS KNUCKLES: RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
December, 2005
"IT'S TIME FOR FOOTBALL - RUGBY STYLE FOOTBALL"
"Sonic and Knuckles are at it again, and this time they're taking their rough housing to the field in a brutal game of rugby! Which team are you on?"
"Select your captain from among Team Sonic & Team Knuckles and lead your team to victory!"
"Speed to the goal as Sonic, or stop Sonic in tracks with the furious fists of Knuckles!"
"Friends and rivals alike of both Sonic & Knuckles join in the fun!"
"Use items from across the Sonic world to make the scene even more chaotic!"
"Watch out for Dr. Eggman & Dr. Finetivus as they may just crash the party!"
"Connect to other players for multiplayer mayhem!"
- Back of the game cover for Sonic vs Knuckles: Rugby Championship, a Sony Pluto exclusive.
"It's rugby, but with Sonic characters. It's very similar to Super Mario Strikers, though lacks the super strikes and is a portable game. They included Finetivus and the Chaotix but not Blaze though which I do not understand. As a whole, this is a solid spin-off game for the series, and if you have interest in both Rugby and Sonic I say go for it." -- Anonymous comment
SONIC WINTER X
December, 2005
"THE X-GAMES; SONIC STYLE"
"The coolest sports competition just got even cooler!"
"Sonic and his friends have decided to partake in the Winter X-Games in what best be described as the greatest combination of coolness in all of history! Get ready to have one of the best winter experiences of the entire year!"
"Compete in various real Winter X-Games events as your favorite Sonic the Hedgehog characters!"
"Compete in the games as a team or solo, or compete in single events on your own!"
"Score high scores through performing tricks and coming in 1st place with style & grace!"
"Use rings to purchase and equip upgrades to give yourself an edge in each event!"
- Back of Box; Released exclusively for Neptune
"This is basically the X-Games except everyone is allowed to be like Bradley from An Extremely Goofy Movie and just openly cheat all over the place." -- Anonymous comment
"It's the X Games, but with Sonic characters and gameplay elements designed to make it more chaotic than real life. It's honestly a pretty solid title that there isn't a whole lot to. Get it if you like Sonic, and especially if you like Ice Cap Zone because obviously as this is the Winter X-Games, they pretty much have nothing but snow in every outdoor environment. That said, they pretty much have all of the X-Games events covered and turns of Sonic and Sony video game references hidden throughout the game so there's enough to keep you entertained for a few hours or more. A very decent spin-off title to finish this year off with." - IGN, 2005
PRINCE OF PERSIA: REVELATIONS
December, 2005
"Extend the epic adventure of Prince of Persia Warrior Within with more than 20 new levels and maps; devise vicious new combos using melee weapons, projectiles, walls, and more with the free form fighting system; journey through non-linear environments and engage in soul shattering boss battles." - Official Game Description; Revelations was released exclusively for Sony Pluto.
"Despite having a different title, it's basically a port of Warrior Within with additional content added in - and in that regard is basically just as good of a game if not a little battle, save for the fact it's limited to the small screen of the Pluto. Even so, solid experience." -- Anonymous comment
KINGDOM HEARTS II
December, 2005
"Kingdom Hearts II, the sequel to the 2002 classic that is Kingdom Hearts, has just been released in Japan and already it's fanbase there is blowing up with sheer excitement about how awesome the Sony Neptune release is as a faithful and well produced sequel to the beloved Square Enix & Disney crossover franchise. While the gameplay is mostly the same, there many new key features and a plethora of new disney worlds to visit as you trod along the storyline. Set for American and European Neptune release for next year, we eagerly look forward for those versions before offering further critique though so far we have to say we are highly impressed with this offering just as we were with the original!" - Blog Post, 2005
"One last major game to cap off the year!" -- Anonymous comment
THE CONTINUED DEATH OF SEGA: SEGA TECHNICAL INSTITUTE BECOMES SONY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
January, 2006
SEGA. It's been a long time since that name has been uttered in the context of it being an actual company. Rising from being second best to being the number one titan of gaming, it was practically inconceivable when Sony purchased the entire corporation from CSK in 2001 - quite literally 100% of it's stocks, and proceeded to destroy the entire thing by merging it with their existing gaming division [Sony Computer Entertaiment], forging what is currently known as Sony-Sega Computer Entertainment Enterprises [SSCEE]. Since the creation of this larger entity however, the SEGA name has become increasingly rare to see, with the only remnants being arcade games & cabinets which happen to be old enough, some Japanese arcades that are still named 'Sega World', the second 'S' in SSCEE's name, the online gaming service SegaNet, and until now Sega Technical Institute.
Of these, only the last three are currently in use - all new arcades, arcade cabinets, and games feature Sony's logo rather than SEGA's, and many Sega World locations are slowly being remodeled into 'Sony World', or 'Sonic World' locations.
Sega Technical Institute, or STI, was also the only one of these to be an actual gaming company - specifically a 1st party developer, that over the years have created classic titles such as work on the original Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, Comix Zone, Sonic X-Treme, Sonic Adventure 2 and more recently their work on the Byzantium series and Knuckles the Echidna, among many other projects. While not the biggest news in gaming, their recently announced decision to change their name to 'Sony Technical Institute' effective immediately has many gamers, especially old SEGA fans, discussing it across the internet. Perhaps it is mostly nostalgia for the good ol' days when Sega's local and the jingle of their name was said at the beginning of every game be it Sonic or otherwise, or perhaps it's just a refusal to let go of the past in a world changing ever rapidly.
Or perhaps it's even both.
STI of course, are quick to state that nothing about them is changing besides an increased amount of employees thanks to the renovation of the former Sega of America HQ into a larger office for primarily themselves, and their name. Their name will only impact their logo, and nothing more. As for why they bothered to change it, they seemingly felt it was appropriate considering it's been almost 6 years since the buy-out first occurred, and that keeping the 'SEGA' name is largely pointless now that they are a Sony studio and SEGA themselves no longer exist.
While most fans are perfectly okay with the change, there of course many who are not happy with this change - grieving for yet another loss of existing SEGA branding. However, it does little to sway the final decision.
- EGM, 2005
SONIC VS MARIO: IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!
January, 2006
June 23, 1996 is a day that is remembered by virtually all who considered themselves a gamer back in the era of the Saturn, Nintendo 64 and 3DO. The day that Mario crashed Sonic's anniversary party and both the plumber and the hedgehog delivered to the world 3D gaming experiences - leaving everyone absolutely stunned and for once incapable of crediting Mario with revolutionizing the industry. To make matters worse for the Red N, Sonic X-Treme out-sold Super Mario 64 in it's overall sales records - even in Japan. Japan. A place where Nintendo thought themselves indestructible when it came to Mario. Ever since then, Sega and later Sony has been hammering away at their greatest competitor with two hit movies [compared to Mario's one that got less than stellar reception], and a massive increase in productivity when it came to game output - last year alone Sonic-related releases were roughly equal with Mario-related ones.
It's 10 years later now, and things have only increased between the two companies as the next generation is gearing up to begin - with Sony's Solaris system and Nintendo's 'Wii' being prepared for release later this year if not the next at the latest, not to mention Nokia's next system as well. With new consoles, there comes new games - as well as the re-release of those from the past.
But what does this have to do with Sonic and Mario? Well, lots of them actually!
For one, Sonic X-Treme will be coming to Sony's handheld system later this year alongside a remake port of the original Sonic the Hedgehog title from 1991 - both of these ports being released for the Sony Pluto on June 23 of this year to commemorate their shared anniversary! They will be released as Sonic the Hedgehog GENESIS and Sonic X-Treme Pluto (or just Sonic Pluto in Japan), and the latter is very much in the vain of Super Mario 64 DS in largely being an enhanced remake of the original, featuring more playable characters, more advanced graphics, and also an ability to play with multiple people even in the single-player mode thanks to the Pluto's multiplayer capabilities. The development is also being handled by a Sony's Japan Studio, perhaps banking on the game's original success with the Japanese market.
As for Sonic the Hedgehog GENESIS, it is largely a handheld port of the original Genesis/Mega Drive classic, complete with modes allowing for the spin dash, super peel out, and the ability to play as Knuckles and Tails - possibly even Metal Sonic, from what we can gather. While it's not as impressive as the X-Treme remake, it's still sure to make many of Sonic's longtime fans satisfied with his upcoming anniversary!
There's even more! Following Sony's initiative to ramp up Sonic production to compete with Mario, there have been the following announcements for the Sonic franchise for 2006, made at a Sony press conference in Tokyo:
And of course, who can forget the Next-Generation Sonic the Hedgehog title that's coming out at the end of this year as a launch title for the Solaris? Set to be the first major Sonic title for the upcoming system, in the same tradition of many Sonic games before it, it has people all across the world hyped to see how the blue blur enters the next generation of video games! As it's going to be coupled with a theatrical film, it's sure to be an absolutely amazing time to be a Sonic fan!
As for Mario, for the most part this year is not going to be a very busy year for the plumber - as besides Mario Party 7 most incoming Mario titles are handheld titles for the DS or otherwise installments in the Red N's various spin-off series related to Mario, though some promising titles are New Super Mario Bros and Super Princess Peach, which seems to be what sparked Sony to commit to making games for Blaze and Amy. Regardless though, these upcoming Mario titles are causing a healthy amount of attention to come the famous Plumber's way, and Nintendo themselves do not seem concerned with the massive increase in Sonic game productivity these past few years - seemingly they are indeed taking a business as usual approach to their ever present rival.
- IGN, 2005
WILL SONIC BE IN THE NEXT SUPER SMASH BROS. GAME?
January, 2006
- Forum Discussion, 2006
November, 2005
"The evil Quinkan have invaded Ty's Australian Outback, intent on destroying Ty and his friends. It's up to you to reunite Ty with the Bush Rescue Squad to battle the Quinkan -- and discover the evil force controlling them. This is Ty's most exciting and dangerous quest yet -- save Ty and his friends before it's too late!" - Back of box; Multi-platform for all three major consoles (Neptune, Neo & GameCube)
"This is just....this year has been nothing but darker and edgier takes on established game franchises. Why.....why must it happen. Why is this happening?" -- Anonymous comment
"Ok so the plot of this game is....interesting. The main difference in this game is the addition of new gameplay styles and mechanics, starting with the addition of melee combat (literally whacking enemies with boomerangs), later extending to mecha-bunyip 'combat', to airship flying and even kart racing. Though the kart racing in this game is basically the Mario Kart game you get if you are literally one step away from being homeless. Key problems with this game include several things: The first being that all missions are mandatory for completion as well as story progression, meaning you WILL be piloting the airship and going through poorly constructed kart racing whether you like it or not. In addition, you spend arguably more time in the shadow bunyip than you actually do on your feet, albeit do not quote me on that. The airship levels are also not very well made either, not only in that they stray farther from the core gameplay than Sonic Adventure 2 ever could accomplish but they are in general very slow, clunky and have tedious objectives. Doesn't really feel like you are piloting a particularly well made gunship. THAT SAID, the driving around the Outback part of the game is greatly improved - the crabmersible being very fun to drive as it slows down for nothing, fires missles, and can even jump over the muddy areas that were a pain in Ty 2. I could literally just drive around Australia for hours in that thing with little to no desire to play any of those terrible gunyip or kart racing missions. In addition, while the ground bunyips are virtually everywhere in this game, they are improved on from the last game as the bunyips tend to have more abilities and before each bunyip mission starts they have the shop to buy their upgrades directly near to you - cutting down backtracking entirely. As for the moments in which you play as Ty on his feet? For the most part, they are just as they were in both previous games, with the addition of the melee system and also a customizable boomerang feature in which you apply elemental crystals to certain types of rangs rather than acquire elemantal rangs themselves. However, it is largely superfluous due to the game's focus on the aforementioned melee combat. As a whole, this game is not very good. Half of it is borderline terrible and the story takes itself far too seriously for what it is, and a lot of the new additions to the gameplay are either poorly implemented or outright worthless." - Blog Post, 2005
GUITAR HERO
November, 2005
"If you had the choice between hopping around to one of Britney Spears' "classics" or strapping on a Gibson SG and rocking out to freakin' Iron Man, which would you choose? If you chose the former, then head over here. If you're like us, though, and would rather watch Ozzy bite the head off of living creatures than watch a scantily-clad blonde... err, hmm, on second thought... Bah, we'll take Ozzy every time.
Music games have a tendency to be great fun for parties and such, but very few of them have ever struck that certain primal chord deep inside all of us -- the same chord that makes you want to kick back with a cold one and eat three pounds of meat hot off the barbeque in the middle of summer while lounging in your backyard in a ripped up t-shirt you've been wearing since high school. Guitar Hero is one of those rare games that does just this, and we even say that it's better than three pounds of meat. Beer? That's a close one. But meat? Hell yeah. It kicks meat's ass. " - IGN, 2005; Guitar Hero was released exclusively for Sony Neptune, and required it's own Guitar-based controller for proper use.
"Where it all started." -- Anonymous comment
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG
November, 2005
"Ever since he's returned from the dead, Shadow the Hedgehog has been unable to remember his dark and mysterious past. This is his state of mind when an entire fleet of aliens invades the planet, proceeding to let loose their imperial ambitions for the planet. Shadow must now work yet again alongside Rouge and E-123 'Omega' to combat this new alien threat, and uncover not only who contacted them in the first place but also the secrets behind his past. He really just doesn't know how deep this rabbit hole goes, though."
"Increase your score by performing vicious and stylish combos against your enemies using the ultimate lifeform's powerful punches, kicks and chaos powers"
"Level up your power by unlocking increasingly powerful weapons via campaign progress"
"Battle hordes of powerful enemies, reunite with old friends and old foes, vanquish massive bosses."
"Visit diverse environments both on earth and in space."
"Customize Shadow's appearance by buying new gear - make him look as ultimate as you like."
"Speed through levels as fast as you slash through your enemies."
"Battle against your friends in both local and online multiplayer battles."
- Back of box; Neptune exclusive
"This game is literally nothing like the portable 'version' Sonic Team made." -- Anonymous comment
"This is something the Sonic franchise needs to do more of. Putting it's large cast of characters into their own game franchises so they don't clog up the Sonic franchise. I'm actually excited for the Knuckles game set to be released at the end of this month now." -- Anonymous comment
"Devil May Hedgehog" -- Anonymous comment
"The combat system of this game is going to remind you of Devil May Cry, though is easy enough on normal difficulty for beginners to this kind of game to get used to. That said, like any hack and slash game there are higher difficulties that range from a fair challenge to insanity inducing nigh impossible unless you are a gaming god." -- Anonymous comment
"I love how they actually have what's basically a dress up mechanic where you can actually put Shadow in clothing during gameplay. It's actually my favorite part of the game." -- Anonymous comment
"This game is a massive improvement over the portable take on it that Sonic Team developed last month. This one was instead developed by SSCEE's 'Japan Studio'. While that name is unoriginal, this game is actually quite the opposite. From what I can tell, this game is heavily inspired by games such as Grand Theft Auto and Devil May Cry - as it styles itself a member of the Hack-n-Slash genre rather than the platformer genre - though there are parts where it feels like a platformer. This game primarily fixates on it's combat system though, and whereas the portable game shoehorned in every single Sonic character imaginable into the plot this one sticks only to those most relevant to Shadow; Rouge, Omega, Professor Gerald, Maria, a minor appearance by Eggman, and the new characters created for this game and the portable version. That actually helps it maintain an identity of being a spin-off, rather than just another entry in the series. However, the greater focus on performing combos and stylish combat tricks to maintain a high score as well as the use of weapons achieves that as well. I can't say I like the alien invasion route, though this game handles it better in that they actually dive deeper into why the aliens are invading and bring back a plot point from Adventure 2 in the process. They even make the alien designs be more creative in this version as well, with more unique designs than merely the generic standard ones. I don't really like how you have to grind rings in order to unlock certain moves though, rather than a simple upgrade points system. There also isn't any secret level system like in DMC, instead you unlock secret weapons that usually serve as references to other Sony titles - such as unlocking weapons from God of War, Ratchet & Clank, or even Jak & Daxter to name a few. You also have to grind rings in order to purchase gear for Shadow to wear; yes, you can actually buy clothes for him in this game, though all of it is purely cosmetic and affects little to nothing gameplay-wise, making it largely pointless to waste rings on it instead of actual combat moves. The game is also not very difficult compared to other games of this genre, though I assume this was intentional as I imagine it wants to be a game accessible to those who have never played a game like this before. That said, for those who have there are harder difficulties that make up for normal's lack of relative challenge. There is also the inclusion of a multiplayer, though it's really just you and your friends duking it out against each other in a small amount of stages. Fun as primarily a time killer. As superfluous as that did, they did include the game's soundtrack in the sound test and an unlockable gallery for all of the concept art so you can tell they had some level of fun making this. Also you only have to play the story mode once. Would I recommend this over Devil May 3? Not necessarily. Would I recommend this over the Pluto version though? A hundred times over." - IGN, 2005
"There are many DMC fans who unironically suggest people play this game in place of playing DMC 2 sometimes." -- Anonymous comment
KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA
November, 2005
"NO MORE CHUCKLING "
"Knuckles the Echidna, guardian of the Master Emerald for as long as he can remember - for reasons that he is still only barely knowledgeable of. As far as he knows, he's the last of his kind. At least, until a white echidna known as Dr. Finetivus arrives from a mysterious alternate dimension and captures the Master Emerald with intent to use it for what can best be described as engineering mass anarchy. Ever the dutiful guardian, Knuckles is swift to follow after him to get the emerald back to save both Angel Island and the the entire dimension."
"Blast your way through hordes of inter-dimensional foes with your mighty punches"
"Use your fists to reveal various secrets"
"Glide across vast distances"
"Dig in the ground to enter secret paths, secret levels, or even access different sections of levels entirely."
"Climb walls to save yourself from pit hazards or get the high ground over your enemies."
"Battle challenging bosses that will test your skills."
"Play with yourself or with friends in multiplayer party or battle mode."
- Back of box; Neptune exclusive
"Ken Penders' favorite game." -- Anonymous comment, 2010's
"There were many Sonic fans who questioned why Knuckles was constantly tagging around with Sonic & Tails in the previous Sonic titles for seemingly arbitrary reasons, and this game addresses that by giving Knuckles his own personal gaming experience - completely absent of either Sonic or Tails. Or any other 'Sonic' character for that matter. The inclusion of Dr. Finetivus catches everyone off-guard though, certainly. From what I can gather, this inclusion is largely because Finetivus' creator from the Archie Comics, Karl Bollers, was involved with the game's story. He obviously changed Finetivus' origin to fit with the game canon, though I consider it a welcome inclusion nonetheless; it's also one that opens the door to future comic characters entering the game canon in the future. As a whole, the story of the game is decent enough for what it is, and Dr. Finetivus makes a great 'Eggman' figure for the red echidna. As for gameplay, the game is essentially a hybrid of exploration, platforming and beating the hell out of enemies with your fists. While Knuckles is no Dante or Shadow, he still packs a punch quite literally, and is able to literally punch his way through enemies in ways that would make Captain Falcon proud. You even upgrade your punches and gain more combos while you progress through the story as well. Knuckles is not as fast as Sonic or Shadow though, so this game does not focus so much on speed as it does on combat and platforming. The upside of this is that you get to take in the refined, late-era Neptune scenery during some of the games' quieter moments. The decision to make the game utilize the digging ability and expanding on it to access completely different chunks of the level is a genius move after Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, as is expanding Knuckles' combat abilities in general. In fact, it almost reminds me a bit of the also-STI developed Comix Zone from the Genesis days. The gliding and wall climbing isn't as expanded upon, though I'm not sure what there is to do really. I also like how the multiplayer features Knuckles, Metal Knuckles, Finetivus and the Chaotix as playable characters - almost like an inverse of SA2's multiplayer. The multiplayer itself is also divided into a bare bones battle mode and a party mode with a selection of Mario Party inspired mini-games to go through. It's actually a decent way to kill a few hours. As a whole, Knuckles the Echidna is a surprisingly solid game. STI has done it again in making a great experience out of the Sonic franchise, definitely buy this game if it sounds like something that's up your alley." - IGN, 2005
"I really like Tony Todd's performance as Dr. Finetivus' voice; I think he did the job very well. I couldn't tell who he was at first but then I looked him up and turns out it's cuz he hasn't really been in a whole lot of games before." -- Anonymous comment
"Little known gaming secret, if you stack the Sega CD port of Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 ontop of Knuckles the Echidna in the disc tray for the Neptune, you will unlock Knuckles the Echidna & Sonic, and be fully able to play as Sonic in his very own story mode within Knuckles' game!" - EGM, April 1st 2006.
SONIC JAM 2K5
November, 2005
"SHOOTING HOOPS HAS NEVER BEEN SO WAY PAST COOL"
"Basetkball, Sonic style!"
"Use super moves to spike the ball at critical moments!"
"Play as virtually all of the Sonic characters, including Shadow & Knuckles!"
"Build your own team for maximum performance on the court!"
"Wide variety of courts, ranging from standard to themed after various levels of Sonic games past!"
"Use various power-ups and items to either ehance your game or hinder the other team's"
- Back of box; Neptune exclusive
"What in the hell does this game have to do with Sonic Jam?" -- Anonymous comment
"Developed by the newcomer studio Saber Interactive and published by Sony, this game is another of this year's examples of Sonic virtually spamming this year with content. There really isn't a whole lot to say though, it's a Sonic basketball game. You can build your own team of Sonic characters, choose a court to play on, use items for yourself or against your opponent, and use super moves as a flashy way to finish each game. It's a very strange way to see Sonic, but actually rather fun. Virtually every Sonic character is accounted for - Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Big, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Finetivus, Eggman, Metal Knuckles and Metal Sonic compromise the playable characters of this game and you can select any of them for your designated B-ball team. They do have stats, but for the most part those are irrelevant. As a whole, the game actually plays about as well as your ordinary Basetball game - with a few added Sonic themed twists. I actually find myself recommending this, to be honest." - Blog Post, 2005
"Sonic Jam 1997 - Compilation Game. Sonic Jam 2005 - BASKETBALL." - - Anonymous comment
SET 2 LAUNCHES
November, 2005
Well the day has finally come, the Sony & Warner co-owned SET2 has just launched this past week and so far the experience has been interesting to say the least. As promised when this mysterious project was revealed, Sony came out with a plethora of content both old, new and not owned by them in some cases to flesh out this emerging new cable network, which is essentially Cartoon Network's closest thing to a Teen Nick equivalent. We call it that only because of the fact Warner shows are present on this new platform.
Now as far as networks go - there isn't much to say. It opens up with a similar aesthetic as the Sony Neptune has in terms of it's between show bumpers very space-like and very blue. But beyond that being a good looking aesthetic, there is nothing much else to really say. So instead, we're going to get right into the content this network provides and offer our two cents on each.
First up would be the syndicated shows and reruns featured on the channel. This takes up the bulk of the Warner related content, as most of what Warner lets Sony air here seems to be Kids' WB shows and shows that have already finished: Teen Titans, Static Shock, Justice League, Justice League: Unlimited, Jackie Chan Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Duck Dodgers, Animaniacs, Sonic X, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Underground, Sonic the Hedgehog and Xiaolin Showdown are all listed as television shows for syndicated reruns on SET2 - and usually are all regulated to the early morning hours - playing for an hour longer on saturdays.
There is nothing to say about these though, because truth be told they are just the same as they are on other networks.
So instead, let's move on to the new content that SET2 provides:
First lets get the Sonic show out of the way first - Sonic: Freedom Fighters is a solid return to Sonic the Hedgehog in the shape and form of an anime series. It's actually significantly better than Sonic X was in my personal opinion. Both in animation and in basic premise. The English Dub also contains all of the current video game voice actors, though it is rumored Tails' voice actor will yet again change pretty soon. As for the anime itself, it's actually been airing in Japan since the middle of last year and both the original and the dub follow a fresh new take on Sonic's world that is more faithful to the current game series: essentially, the main premise is about Sonic & Tails going on regular adventures while trying to prevent Eggman and other villains (yes, other villains) from getting their hands on the Chaos Emeralds or thwarting their various other schemes for world domination. The series also includes G.U.N. and Chao prominently as well, and the 1st series serves primarily as a way to introduce Sonic's world to the viewer, though they do get the Sonic Adventure & Sonic Adventure 2 adaptations out of the way - not to give away too many spoilers. If Sonic X is any indication, it's safe to expect this show to be one of its higher rated shows - and it already is one of the more advertised.
Then we got Space Channel 5, the second of the 'Sega' animes. It's also been running in Japan since about last year, but it's dub has just now reached the west with the launch of SET2. The premise is pretty just that of the games, Ulala and the titular Space Channel 5 in that 1960's style depiction of the 25th or so Century. It's very surreal and fitting if you pair this up with Duck Dodgers as this anime technically takes place half a century later. Regardless though, the primary focus of this anime is that Ulala is the sexy reporter main character for the struggling Space Channel 5 and is the center piece of it's various attempts to maintain it's audience in the intergalactic age. I assure you that there are more reasons to watch than just Ulala herself, but can confirm SET2 does not censor her like 4Kids probably would.
Jet Set Radio is another exciting video game themed anime from Sony as well, following the story of Beat from the game series as he leaves his home, forms his street crew, and begins his so-called 'career' as a 'professional' spray paint skater gang delinquent. Pretty much every character from the game and even some anime exclusive characters are all present in this adventure, which is as insightful for the series as it is entertaining.
The Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter series cap off the bulk of the at-launch video game based series on SET2. The former is a western style animated series, while the latter is animated with CGI for a more game accurate look. The Ratchet & Clank series actually picks up where the games left off and overall follow what can be described as a traditional saturday morning series in which the Wombax and his robot compadre are thwarting baddies while having fun on their free time with some slight deconstruction of the games and their tropes. The Jak & Daxter series however returns the two do their original game appearances in a surprise return to immediately after the first game, and follows an overall similar format. Both I consider similar yet solid shows for tweens & young teens as they both feature a healthy dose of action and more mature themes than you may expect.
Then we have the newcomer to the television world, American Dragon: Jake Long. A young Chinese-American boy who lives in New York City while sporting the secret ability to turn into a powerful dragon; sworn protectors of the magical underworld - an underworld who have plenty of threats for that matter. With character designs by Phil Bourassa of Ben 10 fame, this show has gorgeous and advanced character design leagues above Nickelodeon "counterpart" Danny Phantom and in my personal opinion this show is leagues better anyway, as this show balances quite the amount of mature themes not usually seen in these types of shows and in general comes off a lot like Ben 10 in how it balances that and the comedy - though it also touches upon topics of bigotry both amongst humans and between humans and the magical creatures, among other such topics which I was surprised to see, and in the subtle way it does so. While it's true the characters say street slang, I actually give it a pass because it's not as often as one would think and the show does take place in inner city New York. I honestly feel like Jake is solid representation for our modern urban youth, and his sleek, slender dragon form is very hot (and cool) to look at. This show is also looking to be one of the network's top animated shows.
Another set of content I won't dwell very long on, the rest of the anime content - Bleach, Hell Girl, Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist are the rest of the anime currently running on SET2. Since these are covered in-depth elsewhere, there is not much sense in going over them - just know that I think it's a good enough selection to start off with.
Then we get into the only animated show besides the anime that is mostly regulated to late afternoon/late night hours - The Boondocks. Based on the popular comic strip and also airing on Adult Swim, the Boondocks is about the Freeman family. A grandfather and his two grandsons who have moved to Woodcrest - a white neighborhood with only two really noteworthy black inhabitants, one of whom is a self-hating black man and the other is a privileged lawyer with a white wife. The show deconstructs the black community and offers challenging yet also humorous social commentary about virtually everything from modern politics, race relations, the black and white communities, other minority groups, and all in ways that never come off as mean spirited but rather hilarious. Honestly I'm not even black and I think this is objectively the best show the network has, and thankfully here it does get an earlier time slot than on Adult Swim (though still in the later hours). This show is what I would consider to be SET2's equivalent to South Park. Also the anime inspired style is gorgeous.
Last but not least, there is the live action programming that takes up the bulk of the afternoon and late night programming on SET2. Despite what you may be inclined to believe, some of this stuff actually is rather good - though it does feature an overwhelming amount of Asian-Americans, which seem to be a demographic that SET2 is particularly marketing itself to, with some critics of the platform already calling it "Asian Entertainment Television", or "AET."
The live-action shows this network is starting off with include:
Behind the Sentai - A satirical look at super sentai shows (such as Power Rangers), deconstructing the genre and really showing what real life is like for the people behind the costumes. Essentially parodies Japanese superhero team shows in general, rather than just the one we all know it is satirizes. Really fun to watch if you are in to those shows and are down for some mature-humor deconstructing and parodying of them. The characters are actually far more realistic than any of the ones you'll find on those shows, and it's absolutely hilarious how they explain the tropes.
Chinatown USA - A young adult drama series taking place in a Chinatown district located in San Francisco California - primarily starring a struggling Chinese-American single mother as she tries to take care of her son & daughter while also trying to get her life in order. Goes over the drama of single parenthood, trying to find love again, teen agnst, teen romance, middle school drama, high school drama, and really just drama all around with some asian humor sprinkled all over the place.
The Okuyamas - The go-to sitcom of the network, the Okuyamas is a sitcom about, well, the Okuyama family, as they live their middle class life along the west coast. The wife, the husband, the kids, and the pets. That, and the neighbors of course. And of course, the wacky situations they get up to everyone episode. One funny thing about this show is that it actually doesn't have a laugh track, and instead makes fun of the moments of awkward silence that said situation creates at times. The show mainly gets you in that it's not afraid to bring up topics that Disney or Nickelodeon would ever dream of featuring on their show - must be seen to be believed. I think the show wants to bait you into thinking it's a sitcom, then a drama show, then it hits you with it being near full comedy. Honestly I wasn't expecting to like this show.
Life of Yumi - Asian Ugly Betty is the best description of this show. It's about Yumi, a girl who's just moved with her demanding family to America where she is forced to adapt to rapid change in a short amount of time ontop of all the drama that a book-smart girl like her would put up with at a brand new high school. If you liked Daria and Ugly Betty, you're likely to get a kick out of this show.
The Dong Dynasty - A live-action show for adults, that's for sure. At least, those who laugh at immature humor as the entire joke of this show is in the main family's name. That's right, it's about a family who are struggling to get by primarily because their surname is literally Dong. Oh, Mr. Dong tries to be an upstanding Businessman in America, but nobody takes him seriously. Nor do they take his family legacy seriously either, for that matter. Get ready for a lot of dirty humor with this one, is what I'm saying.
Turning Japanese - A show about a white "anime enthusiast" who actually buys an apartment in Japan to move out of his parent's basement literally because he thinks it makes him Japanese, only to be repeatedly told by everyone that no he's not actually Japanese and have his expectations about Japanese life be constantly crushed. I'm not giving anything else away about this show other than some episodes had me almost piss myself laughing.
Late Night Gaming with Shogo Ozawa - The first of three late night talk shows, this one being centered around gaming news. Particularly Sony related news, we imagine, but gaming news nonetheless as it is hosted by Shogo Ozawa? Who is he? Some Asian teen who likes gaming, obviously. Some Asian guy who's here to report on the latest gaming news, trends, and even the obscure stuff, and even have the occasional comedy skit! All of it gaming related, of course.
Sony Quiz Wars - A Sony, gaming themed quiz show! Hosted by Shogo Ozawa as well! This show offers teens, tweens and grown ass adults as contestants to compete for a selection of prizes ranging from tickets to Sonypolis Greece, a Sony Neptune, a Sony DVR with a Built-in Neptune, a special edition Sony Saturn, thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of cash prizes - and more! All you have to do win is know your gaming stuff, and occasionally you might be put through a game-themed obstacle course! Also contains small animated skits of relevant game characters & series!
And of course, pretty much any Sony Pictures or Columbia Pictures film tends to show up once or twice on the schedule per day, so that pretty much rounds out the content for SET2.
As a whole, Sony sure went in guns blazing with this venture - hopefully the ratings allow it to stay afloat.
- Sony Magazine, 2005
NEOPETS GAMES
November, 2005
- Forum Discussion, 2005
PETER JACKSON'S KING KONG: THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOVIE
November, 2005
"PLAY AS MAN. PLAY AS KONG."
"Embark on an epic adventure created in collaboration with Academy Award winning director Peter Jackson and based on Universal Pictures' film. Survive as Jack in a world crawling with predators and live the legend as Kong."
"Use weapons, traps and your team wisely to survive in first-person as Jack."
"Break Jaws, slam enemies and throw objects in Kong's third-person battles."
- Back of box; Multi-platform release (PC, Neptune, Neo, GameCube, Gameboy Advance, Pluto)
"By far one of the most ambitious titles of this gaming generation, and something I predict is going to be selling like hot cakes. The sheer amount of effort that has gone into making an immersive experience in the same vein as the recent movie is truly something that needs to be seen - if the accurate word for it isn't 'lived through'. It captures the feeling of the movie near perfectly." - Blog Post, 2005
SONIC RUSH
November, 2005
"Sonic Rush is a 3D & 2D Sonic Experience not only combined, but also put onto the small portable screen of the Sony Pluto - and I gotta say, it's actually quite amazing. Developed by Dimps alongside Sonic Team, it actually does have a good job of recapturing the magic of the Sonic franchise. That said, they do have the Sonic Team design of featuring dash panels, though it doesn't detract from the game's fun factor. The primary new mechanic of Sonic Rush is the boost mechanic. Via the tension gauge either one of the two playable characters are able to perform some kind of boost - a Super Boost for Sonic and a Fire Boost for Blaze. They function as, well, a boost power. You speed up as fast as you possibly can and absolutely plow through everything in your path in what can best be described as a true Sonic speed experience. Besides that the game features everything from the modern Sonic titles - high speed action, grind rails, the homing attack, and the spin dash as forms attacking enemies. It does however, add something new besides the boost in the form of mid-air tricks that you can perform at ramps and dash panels that send you into the air. The game is also mainly in 2.5D rather than full 3D, but occasionally goes into full 3D for bosses and certain level segments. As mentioned before, the game also introduces a new character - Blaze. A lavendar colored cat who is a firebending princess from another dimension who plays a key role in the story - as this game concerns the Sol Emeralds rather than the Chaos Emeralds. Thankfully, Blaze is actually very fun to play as she is just as fast as Sonic and actually is entertaining to watch in the story mode where she's voiced by Tia Carrere and has an interesting personality that contrasts with Sonic. Of the story, there's not really a whole lot of depth to it. Essentially, there is a bit of worlds collide in that Blaze is now in Sonic's dimension, and this is the doing of Eggman and Blaze's version of Eggman - Eggman Nega. Yes really. naturally, the game is about stopping whatever it is that the Sonics are up to and setting things straight between Sonic and Blaze. As a whole, Sonic Rush is perhaps the best portable Sonic game to date and if you needed a reason to buy the Sony Pluto, this just might be it." - IGN, 2005
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE TWO THRONES
November, 2005
"ONE WARRIOR. TWO SOULS."
"I returned home expecting peace, instead I found my kingdom ravaged by war and enslaved. A curse reside within me, plauging my every move. Although I must embrace this and use this mysterious power to save my land, people and my own soul."
"Mysterious puzzles to be solved."
"Intense battles using both the prince and dark prince."
"Gruelling story featuring innovative gameplay and an experience like no other"
- Back of box; Multi-platform release (Neptune, PC, GameCube, Neo)
"The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy has always been known for its tight controls and satisfying environmental puzzles set in beautiful levels. The series' control scheme has served as a model for countless other games that also feature an acrobatic protagonist like the prince. The same great interface remains in the third game of the series, The Two Thrones. Like the other two games, you'll find yourself wall running, jumping, flipping, and vaulting your way up fiendishly designed environmental puzzles, as well as fighting vicious enemies with the improved combat system introduced in the last game, Warrior Within. The prince has a few new tricks up his sleeve as well, but longtime fans of the series should still feel right at home. " - IGN, 2005
KARELIA
December, 2005
"THE WAR THAT DECIDED THE FATE OF THE NORTH"
"It is 1939, the world and all of Europe is plunged fresh into the second World War. The war to end all wars. The Soviet Union is hellbent on reuniting the entire borders of the former Russian Empire that it just recently replaced on the world map, but one nation stands in it's way. Finland. In the deepest reaches of Scandinavia, the nation is vulnerable but strong to such a raging behemoth. Despite being the undisputed underog, the Finnish people have bite to match their bark and stand firm and proud in the face of an impending Soviet onslaught. You are but one member of the Finnish forces, but can you stand up to Stalin and show him that Finland will not be devoured easily? Perhaps you can even lead Finland towards pushing the Soviets out of Karelia entirely."
- Back of box blurb; Nokia Neo exclusive
"I love how this game has an alternate history ending where Finland manages to defeat the Soviets out of Karelia & the Kola peninsula entirely and if you get that ending the song that plays during the credits is Säkkijärven polkka. I literally love it, and that ending is very hard to get too." - - Anonymous comment
"A solid Nokia historical FPS game that isn't afraid to diverge into alternative history while also teaching players about history in the hands-on way that these kinds of games are known for. I like how the game has three major endings, the Soviet Victory ending, the historical ending, and the complete Finnish victory ending. All of them are achievable, though difficult to pull off. The game values historical accuracy as much it does the impressive Neo visuals and FPS game-play. Honestly it's a solid late era FPS game, Nokia did a very good job with this one. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who's into FPS games. Especially if you hated the Soviet Union when it existed, you can definitely have some venting get done with this game." - IGN, 2005
YAKUZA
December, 2005
"BLOOD. HONOR. RESPECT. LIVE THE YAKUZA LEGEND!"
"Just as Kazuma, a former rising star in the Yakuza, emerges from prison after a murder cover-up, 10 billion yen vanishes from the Yakuza vault, forcing him once again into their brutal, lawless world. A mysterious young girl will lead Kazuma to the answers if he can keep her alive."
"Yakuza offers you the oppurtunity to fully experience the Japanese underworld's vast network of violence and mistrust... In all it's glorious brutality."
- Back of box, Neptune exclusive
"The best Sony franchise. Period." -- Anonymous comment
"Yakuza is an absolutely phenomenal game. It captures the immersive open world feel we previously saw in Shenmue and adds the Yakuza to it. It vividly portrays modern Japan and the Yakuza lifestyle, and even improves on aspects of play that Shenmue started such as hand-to-hand combat. Seeing as how so many of the games that have come out this year have been darker and grittier takes on existing characters, it's a welcome sight that Sony have opted to release this IP upon us now. It is far, far different and more nuanced than those other games though - being far more it's own magnificent beast. It's immersive world, offbeat humor, surprisingly good story telling, and brutal Yakuza action strongly tempt me into naming this one of the best games ever made in recent years. Since we're nearing the end of the Neptune era, I say definitely pick this up while you can. - Gamespy, 2005
SUPER MARIO STRIKERS
December, 2005
"SOCCER WITH ATTITUDE!"
"Get ready for crazy five-on-five matches as Mario and co. hit the pitch for the first time ever!"
"Score impossible goals, showing off fantastic techniques like acrobatic bicycle kicks and amazing super strikes"
"From friendly grudge matches to 16-person tournaments, there are tons of options available."
"Crush opponents with Power-Ups like shells and Bob-ombs. If that doesn't work... unleash the Chain Chomp!"
- Back of Box; GameCube exclusive
"Super Mario Strikers will release to a fraction of the fanfare that Big N fanboys would have given to their truly desired holiday title for 2005. No, it's not teenage Link taking down goblins with a bow while riding Epona, but it's definitely the must-own first-party title for a relatively weak GameCube showing this holiday season. The single-player should keep people tided over for a little bit, but not long for too long. The multiplayer more than covers the bases, though, as Strikers will join Super Smash Bros. Melee and the Mario Party games as one of the 'Cube's best titles for armchair warfare. Plus, how many Mario games get away with letting one of the characters do a crotch chop as a victory dance? " - Gamespy, 2005
"The last Mario game released for the GameCube in Japan and North America....wow....just, wow." -- Anonymous comment
MARIO TENNIS: POWER TOUR
December, 2005
"There are other nit-picky aspects to Power Tour, such as the use of ugly rendered models for all of the characters during actual tennis matches instead of the great 2D sprites featured in the academy portion of the game (when you're roaming around looking for your next match). This pre-rendered nonsense ultimately turns characters like Donkey Kong and Bowser into pixilated messes. You'll hardly notice the visual discrepancies when playing, but it's a bizarre choice that hopes to maintain the visual consistency between the console and handheld games that doesn't really work. In all other respects, Power Tour stands as a perfect example of how to bring a fleshed-out console sport onto a handheld, and all of the seemingly frivolous extras only help to enhance the experience when you're tired of battling the A.I. For Mario and arcade tennis fans alike, this is a must buy." - Gamespy, 2005
SONIC VS KNUCKLES: RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
December, 2005
"IT'S TIME FOR FOOTBALL - RUGBY STYLE FOOTBALL"
"Sonic and Knuckles are at it again, and this time they're taking their rough housing to the field in a brutal game of rugby! Which team are you on?"
"Select your captain from among Team Sonic & Team Knuckles and lead your team to victory!"
"Speed to the goal as Sonic, or stop Sonic in tracks with the furious fists of Knuckles!"
"Friends and rivals alike of both Sonic & Knuckles join in the fun!"
"Use items from across the Sonic world to make the scene even more chaotic!"
"Watch out for Dr. Eggman & Dr. Finetivus as they may just crash the party!"
"Connect to other players for multiplayer mayhem!"
- Back of the game cover for Sonic vs Knuckles: Rugby Championship, a Sony Pluto exclusive.
"It's rugby, but with Sonic characters. It's very similar to Super Mario Strikers, though lacks the super strikes and is a portable game. They included Finetivus and the Chaotix but not Blaze though which I do not understand. As a whole, this is a solid spin-off game for the series, and if you have interest in both Rugby and Sonic I say go for it." -- Anonymous comment
SONIC WINTER X
December, 2005
"THE X-GAMES; SONIC STYLE"
"The coolest sports competition just got even cooler!"
"Sonic and his friends have decided to partake in the Winter X-Games in what best be described as the greatest combination of coolness in all of history! Get ready to have one of the best winter experiences of the entire year!"
"Compete in various real Winter X-Games events as your favorite Sonic the Hedgehog characters!"
"Compete in the games as a team or solo, or compete in single events on your own!"
"Score high scores through performing tricks and coming in 1st place with style & grace!"
"Use rings to purchase and equip upgrades to give yourself an edge in each event!"
- Back of Box; Released exclusively for Neptune
"This is basically the X-Games except everyone is allowed to be like Bradley from An Extremely Goofy Movie and just openly cheat all over the place." -- Anonymous comment
"It's the X Games, but with Sonic characters and gameplay elements designed to make it more chaotic than real life. It's honestly a pretty solid title that there isn't a whole lot to. Get it if you like Sonic, and especially if you like Ice Cap Zone because obviously as this is the Winter X-Games, they pretty much have nothing but snow in every outdoor environment. That said, they pretty much have all of the X-Games events covered and turns of Sonic and Sony video game references hidden throughout the game so there's enough to keep you entertained for a few hours or more. A very decent spin-off title to finish this year off with." - IGN, 2005
PRINCE OF PERSIA: REVELATIONS
December, 2005
"Extend the epic adventure of Prince of Persia Warrior Within with more than 20 new levels and maps; devise vicious new combos using melee weapons, projectiles, walls, and more with the free form fighting system; journey through non-linear environments and engage in soul shattering boss battles." - Official Game Description; Revelations was released exclusively for Sony Pluto.
"Despite having a different title, it's basically a port of Warrior Within with additional content added in - and in that regard is basically just as good of a game if not a little battle, save for the fact it's limited to the small screen of the Pluto. Even so, solid experience." -- Anonymous comment
KINGDOM HEARTS II
December, 2005
"Kingdom Hearts II, the sequel to the 2002 classic that is Kingdom Hearts, has just been released in Japan and already it's fanbase there is blowing up with sheer excitement about how awesome the Sony Neptune release is as a faithful and well produced sequel to the beloved Square Enix & Disney crossover franchise. While the gameplay is mostly the same, there many new key features and a plethora of new disney worlds to visit as you trod along the storyline. Set for American and European Neptune release for next year, we eagerly look forward for those versions before offering further critique though so far we have to say we are highly impressed with this offering just as we were with the original!" - Blog Post, 2005
"One last major game to cap off the year!" -- Anonymous comment
THE CONTINUED DEATH OF SEGA: SEGA TECHNICAL INSTITUTE BECOMES SONY TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
January, 2006
SEGA. It's been a long time since that name has been uttered in the context of it being an actual company. Rising from being second best to being the number one titan of gaming, it was practically inconceivable when Sony purchased the entire corporation from CSK in 2001 - quite literally 100% of it's stocks, and proceeded to destroy the entire thing by merging it with their existing gaming division [Sony Computer Entertaiment], forging what is currently known as Sony-Sega Computer Entertainment Enterprises [SSCEE]. Since the creation of this larger entity however, the SEGA name has become increasingly rare to see, with the only remnants being arcade games & cabinets which happen to be old enough, some Japanese arcades that are still named 'Sega World', the second 'S' in SSCEE's name, the online gaming service SegaNet, and until now Sega Technical Institute.
Of these, only the last three are currently in use - all new arcades, arcade cabinets, and games feature Sony's logo rather than SEGA's, and many Sega World locations are slowly being remodeled into 'Sony World', or 'Sonic World' locations.
Sega Technical Institute, or STI, was also the only one of these to be an actual gaming company - specifically a 1st party developer, that over the years have created classic titles such as work on the original Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, Comix Zone, Sonic X-Treme, Sonic Adventure 2 and more recently their work on the Byzantium series and Knuckles the Echidna, among many other projects. While not the biggest news in gaming, their recently announced decision to change their name to 'Sony Technical Institute' effective immediately has many gamers, especially old SEGA fans, discussing it across the internet. Perhaps it is mostly nostalgia for the good ol' days when Sega's local and the jingle of their name was said at the beginning of every game be it Sonic or otherwise, or perhaps it's just a refusal to let go of the past in a world changing ever rapidly.
Or perhaps it's even both.
STI of course, are quick to state that nothing about them is changing besides an increased amount of employees thanks to the renovation of the former Sega of America HQ into a larger office for primarily themselves, and their name. Their name will only impact their logo, and nothing more. As for why they bothered to change it, they seemingly felt it was appropriate considering it's been almost 6 years since the buy-out first occurred, and that keeping the 'SEGA' name is largely pointless now that they are a Sony studio and SEGA themselves no longer exist.
While most fans are perfectly okay with the change, there of course many who are not happy with this change - grieving for yet another loss of existing SEGA branding. However, it does little to sway the final decision.
- EGM, 2005
SONIC VS MARIO: IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!
January, 2006
June 23, 1996 is a day that is remembered by virtually all who considered themselves a gamer back in the era of the Saturn, Nintendo 64 and 3DO. The day that Mario crashed Sonic's anniversary party and both the plumber and the hedgehog delivered to the world 3D gaming experiences - leaving everyone absolutely stunned and for once incapable of crediting Mario with revolutionizing the industry. To make matters worse for the Red N, Sonic X-Treme out-sold Super Mario 64 in it's overall sales records - even in Japan. Japan. A place where Nintendo thought themselves indestructible when it came to Mario. Ever since then, Sega and later Sony has been hammering away at their greatest competitor with two hit movies [compared to Mario's one that got less than stellar reception], and a massive increase in productivity when it came to game output - last year alone Sonic-related releases were roughly equal with Mario-related ones.
It's 10 years later now, and things have only increased between the two companies as the next generation is gearing up to begin - with Sony's Solaris system and Nintendo's 'Wii' being prepared for release later this year if not the next at the latest, not to mention Nokia's next system as well. With new consoles, there comes new games - as well as the re-release of those from the past.
But what does this have to do with Sonic and Mario? Well, lots of them actually!
For one, Sonic X-Treme will be coming to Sony's handheld system later this year alongside a remake port of the original Sonic the Hedgehog title from 1991 - both of these ports being released for the Sony Pluto on June 23 of this year to commemorate their shared anniversary! They will be released as Sonic the Hedgehog GENESIS and Sonic X-Treme Pluto (or just Sonic Pluto in Japan), and the latter is very much in the vain of Super Mario 64 DS in largely being an enhanced remake of the original, featuring more playable characters, more advanced graphics, and also an ability to play with multiple people even in the single-player mode thanks to the Pluto's multiplayer capabilities. The development is also being handled by a Sony's Japan Studio, perhaps banking on the game's original success with the Japanese market.
As for Sonic the Hedgehog GENESIS, it is largely a handheld port of the original Genesis/Mega Drive classic, complete with modes allowing for the spin dash, super peel out, and the ability to play as Knuckles and Tails - possibly even Metal Sonic, from what we can gather. While it's not as impressive as the X-Treme remake, it's still sure to make many of Sonic's longtime fans satisfied with his upcoming anniversary!
There's even more! Following Sony's initiative to ramp up Sonic production to compete with Mario, there have been the following announcements for the Sonic franchise for 2006, made at a Sony press conference in Tokyo:
- Sonic vs Knuckles: Home-Run Hitters (Pluto)
- Princess Blaze: Savior of the Sol Dimension (Pluto)
- Amy Rose: My Sweet Passion (Pluto)
- Sonic & Tails: Ghostly Adventure (Pluto)
- Knuckles' Boxing Championship (Pluto)
- Sonic Shuffle: Dream Remix (Pluto)
- Sonic X-Treme Pluto (Pluto)
- Sonic the Hedgehog GENESIS (Pluto)
- Babylon Riders (Neptune)
- Chao Karate Tournament '06 (Neptune)
- Chao Adventure: Yamato (Pluto)
And of course, who can forget the Next-Generation Sonic the Hedgehog title that's coming out at the end of this year as a launch title for the Solaris? Set to be the first major Sonic title for the upcoming system, in the same tradition of many Sonic games before it, it has people all across the world hyped to see how the blue blur enters the next generation of video games! As it's going to be coupled with a theatrical film, it's sure to be an absolutely amazing time to be a Sonic fan!
As for Mario, for the most part this year is not going to be a very busy year for the plumber - as besides Mario Party 7 most incoming Mario titles are handheld titles for the DS or otherwise installments in the Red N's various spin-off series related to Mario, though some promising titles are New Super Mario Bros and Super Princess Peach, which seems to be what sparked Sony to commit to making games for Blaze and Amy. Regardless though, these upcoming Mario titles are causing a healthy amount of attention to come the famous Plumber's way, and Nintendo themselves do not seem concerned with the massive increase in Sonic game productivity these past few years - seemingly they are indeed taking a business as usual approach to their ever present rival.
- IGN, 2005
- Online comment section, 2006
- Forum Discussion, Forum unknown, circa 2006
WILL SONIC BE IN THE NEXT SUPER SMASH BROS. GAME?
January, 2006
- Forum Discussion, 2006
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Interesting but Does Super Smash Bros. fans really want sonic in Super Smash Bros? It's not like Nintendo would steal Sonic from Sony anyway.
Haha it's probably not really that many fans, but he was for a long time IOTL the most requested character til he was actually in. Here even though Sonic is still a console-maker's mascot, people still want him in anyway. Narrative wise I mostly include it for comic relief (and some foreshadowing for later on) really but consider it just fanboys being stupid fanboys lol.
I'll admit that It was a funny post. From my SEGA-Sony fanboy perspective, Nintendo fanboys are just stupid as Xbox Fanboys *
And, What about that time when Sonic had a Storybook game in 2007?
* I know that Xbox barely exists in this alternate universe but sure.
Right. Right. I'll continue to wait for this timeline.
anyways @EternalMadness1997, Would Sonic Storybooks series still be made in this timeline but on a SEGA-Sony Console?
Well, the term for this timeline would be Neo fanboys but still indeed Haha.
I'm not even gonna bring up the modern Smash Community that whole can of psychotic worms lol.
Well we'll get to those when/if I get to 2007, obviously. But if I do decree they are worthy of still existing yes obviously they'd be on the Solaris (Basically PS3) or Pluto (Basically PSP),
Yeah, Sonic Wild Fire is no-brainer and I liked this nickname of Sonic and the Secret Rings in 2007.
@EternalMadness1997 Amazing update, well worth the long hiatus buddy, so packed and SET2 would have been an amazing channel, hope Sony don't kill it as badly killed animax OTL,
.
.Say what ever happened to Bandai ITTL? In OTL they merged with Namco (in march 31 2006 IOTL) but Namco got bought out buy Sammy ITTL, so maybe Nintendo, Nokia or Sony buys out Bandai? Personally i'd give em to Nintendo, Sony's already a corporate-Goliath and Nokia's got a line up of highly successful cell phones they sell every year. Nintendo's got... video games and the Pokemon anime IIRC they don't got much else aside from that. So Nintendo buying out/merging with Bandai makes a lot of sense on the they're end, they'd get Bandai's animation studio's, toy factories and Bandai's IP. Plus it'd be something different then Mega-Sony buying up another company for the umpteenth time , something TTL's Sony seems to do all the time. Just imagine a rated T for teen or M for mature Cowboy Bebop video game that'd be badass!👍
, something TTL's Sony seems to do all the time. Just imagine a rated T for teen or M for mature Cowboy Bebop video game that'd be badass!👍
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Ask the Author about it.Say what ever happened to Bandai ITTL? In OTL they merged with Namco (in march 31 2006 IOTL) but Namco got bought out buy Sammy ITTL, so maybe Nintendo, Nokia or Sony buys out Bandai? Personally i'd give em to Nintendo, Sony's already a corporate-Goliath and Nokia's got a line up of highly successful cell phones they sell every year. Nintendo's got... video games and the Pokemon anime IIRC they don't got much else aside from that. So Nintendo buying out/merging with Bandai makes a lot of sense on the they're end, they'd get Bandai's animation studio's, toy factories and Bandai's IP. Plus it'd be something different then Mega-Sony buying up another company for the umpteenth time
Good idea! I've done just that, wish I'd thought of just starting a conversation with him/her sooner... 🤦♂️
January 2006: Welcome to '06
Since 2006 has proved to have a lot of content (and also because of my tendency for massive hiatuses), here's a bit of a "month-by-month" post.
A NEW TYPE OF PHONE: FROM NOKIA
January, 2006
Technology these days is more advanced than it ever has been before. In just a few short years, little over a decade, we have become more internationally connected than ever before in world history via the invention and mass commercialization of cell phones and the internet. And while for some people things may be moving too fast, these complaints fall on deaf ears as the world keeps marching on into the future. Case in point being Nokia, which at last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, teased the unveiling of their next line of 'smartphones' which will not only bring cellular phones into the 'next generation' but also - so they say - begin a 'tech revolution' the likes of which the world has ever seen.
Now, this kind of talk is nothing new from a major tech company like Nokia - in fact it's pretty regular to boast that your next product is going to revolutionize the industry. Whether or not such a thing will happen will have to wait for until the product actually releases.
Information about this new phone is still locked in a fair bit of secrecy, though we are told it will feature 'cutting edge' technology as well as a touchscreen not unlike what the Nintendo DS has - though whether or not a pen will be required is to be seen. We are told it will also have some form of optional connectivity with the Nokia G-X and the Nokia Network, though will be able to also function completely independent of it. We also have information that Nokia is going to be using a customized version of Windows as the basis for their phone's operating system, optimized for the upcoming piece of technology.
While we don't have a lot of information at this current time, we have assurance from Nokia themselves that more is sure to come sooner than we may think.
- EGM, 2006, excerpt
ELECTROPLANKTON
January, 2006
In this sea, you'll encounter ten unique species of tiny Electroplankton that respond to your touch and voice to create unforgettable sounds and melodies. Interacting with this wide and wild variety of Electroplankton is as simple as sliding your stylus across the Touch Screen. Toy with Tracy plankton and listen to their music as they swim along the lines you draw. Clap your hands or use your voice to lead a microscopic synchronized swimming team of Nanocarp. There are ten fascinating plankton to play with in all! The latest work by world-renowned Japanese media artist Toshio Iwai, Electroplankton bursts to life exclusively on the Nintendo DS.
- Back of box art cover for Electroplankton, released in Japan in April of 2005, though coming to the west in 2006.
"This was one of the most relaxing and arguably most beautiful games I've experienced in my many years of gaming. Like, I'm not kidding. This is the kinda game that if you're really stressed about something you could just pick it up, play it for even just a bit, and feel significantly less tense within a matter of minutes. The style of the game too, even though it's very simplistic, manages to still come off as very beautiful and easy on the eyes. Definitely would recommend this game to just about anyone." - Anonymous Review, 2006
HACK AND SLASH GAMES
January, 2006
- Forum Discussion, 2006
SONIC NEXT-GEN: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
January, 2006
The next generation of video games is upon us, set to begin in the final weeks of this very year, and as the big three are bracing for their console releases none have much on the line as Sony. The current champion of the market with the highest selling console, Sony has kept a relatively tight lid on the actual development behind many of their big projects - the biggest being perhaps the Sonic game to go along with their upcoming Solaris console. However, seeing as how the game is being prepped for a coinciding-with-system release this holiday season and will also be released alongside a theatrical film (the third to be related to Sonic), here's what we know so far!
Now, last time we spoke of this film we were told that it was being developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio (God of War) as well as Sony's Japan Studio, with limited involvement from Sonic Team themselves. As it turns out, that is not entirely true anymore, as Santa Monica Studio left relatively early in development to focus on God of War, so we have been told - leaving Japan Studio to lead the majority of the game's development. That said, we have confirmation that Santa Monica Studio is still going to be handling the game's American dubbing and localization. As for Sonic Team, while they do yes have a diminished role in this project they are still working together with the Japan studio on the storyline and art direction of the game, though they are listed as the leaders of the game's a-life system, which we can only assume means a definite return of the chao gardens (though no chao have yet appeared in any leaked or official images nor footage of the game).
As for why this has allegedly lead to the recent announced departure of Yuji Naka, Sony has declined to comment.
- Gamasutra, 2006, excerpt
PIE BUYS FIRAXIS & IRRATIONAL GAMES
January, 2006
Panasonic Interactive Entertainment (based in Redwood City, California), has revealed in a recent press release two major acquisitions for their growing company - that being the acquisition of gaming companies Firaxis and Irrational Games. The reveal that they are the buyer of Firaxis actually originates from news first published in November of 2004 that Infrogrames had previously sold all of the Intellectual Property rights of the Civilization franchise to an undisclosed buyer for$22.3 million, with it being revealed that Firaxis themselves were also part of that same deal. In January of 2005 it was then promptly revealed that the buyer of Civilization & Firaxis had been Panasonic Interactive Entertainment, an American video game developer & publisher that is itself a subsidiary of Japan-based electronics giant Panasonic.
While this acquisition was reiterated in the press release, the main course of recent news was directed at the fact PIE was unveiling that they had just finalized a deal in acquiring Irrational Games - developers of the critically claimed System Shock 2 (1999), and that this acquisition comes with an agreement for PIE to publish the company's upcoming game BioShock, set for release next year in 2007. The company had also previously registered a trademark for the game, implying that this purchase had been on the table before it had been official. There are also plans to release it on the upcoming next generation consoles, which implies confidence in the game's quality on the part of PIE.
These recent acquisitions provide prime examples of PIE's recent moves in expanding their influence within the gaming industry after dropping out of the console market and losing their former '3DO' branding in 2001. "We are excited to be aligned with a publishing label like Panasonic Interactive that shares similar development goals and vision," said Ken Levine, co-founder and President of Irrational Games. "Fans will be blown away when they see the next-generation titles we are working on."
Besides their acquired franchises such as Civilization from Firaxis and the upcoming BioShock from Irrational Games, Panasonic Interactive is mostly known for their franchises such as The Legacy of Kain, Army Men, Heroes of Might and Magic, Gex, High Heat Major League Baseball, Captain Quazar, and more recently and perhaps most famously the Halo franchise. These recent acquisitions show an ambition for further expansion as well as financial recovery since the turn of the decade where they had been dangerously close to potential bankruptcy.
CEO of Panasonic Interactive Entertainment, Laura de la Cruz, has stated she is "confident in the future" regarding the company.
- Gamasutra, 2006, excerpt
MEGA MAN X COLLECTION
January, 2006
- Back of the cover for Mega Man X Collection, released in 2006 for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony Neptune.
NICKTOONS UNITE!
January, 2006
- Back of the cover for Nicktoons Unite, released in 2006 for the Sony Neptune and Nintendo GameCube, with ports for the Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance as well.
HOT COFFEE: ROCKSTAR IN HOT WATER
January, 2006
Hot Coffee.
Normally a cup of it is really good to get you up in the morning.
But in Rockstar's case, it's spilled in their lap and has become the cause for quite a lot of stress.
Now, for the sake of decency we're not going to go into too much detail about what 'Hot Coffee' in this context entirely means, but just know that thanks to leaving the source code of a particularly sexual mini-game in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, that modders were capable of restoring it into the game. Now the massive horde of people who routinely complain about the GTA series have some actual teeth to their complaints, as not only is this mod available for the Windows versions but also has expanded to console due to players using modding tools. Since the discovery of these assets in the console versions of the game, both lawmakers and the public have been hard at work giving Rockstar hell for this.
This past August, Rockstar ordered a mandatory recall of the games following the rating being forcibly changed from M to AO, which in return has caused platforms ranging from retailers to Ebay to stop selling the game en masse. However, Rockstar has since announced and released an update to the game in order to completely remove the offending assets as well as hopefully restore the original M rating so that the game will be more readily accessible again.
However, the firestorm rages on regardless - for yes, there are ongoing lawsuits.
In December of last year, which is to say last month, several high profile senators introduced the Family Entertainment Protection acts which calls for federal mandated enforcement of the ESRB. And just this very month alone the city of Los Angeles itself has launched a lawsuit against Take-Two alleging that they failed to disclose the game's sexual content. There is also an ongoing suit between Rockstar/Take-Two and the FTC, with settlements unlikely to happen until June this year. Last but not least, there is also a team of attorneys preparing a lawsuit against Take-Two for allegedly committing 'consumer fraud'.
Are we surprised that any of this happened? To be honest, given the nature of the GTA series it's hard to actually say that. Perhaps it was inevitable that some of them would decide to take things a little far with what they already had.
That said though, we certainly wish Rockstar and Take-Two the best with whatever happens next. Lord knows their fans are gonna have to be praying hard for them to get out of the mess they're in.
- Online Article, Excerpt
SAMURAI SHODOWN V
January, 2006
BRAND NEW ANNOUNCEMENT FROM NOKIA!
Samurai Shodown V, one the last games released for the Neo Geo, is getting a release for the Nokia Neo!
First released for the Arcades and Neo Geo AES in 2003, Samurai Shodown V takes place before the 1993 original installment in this classic SNK fighting series. We also have word that the Neo port will be capable of online connectivity via the Nokia Network as well - which will no doubt further enhance the gamplay of this incoming blast from the past which stays true to the feel and look of an old-school arcade title!
- Nokia Neo Magazine
SONY WORKING ON A "N-NETWORK" KILLER
January, 2006
According to a scan posted on the PlayStation forums, the March issue of Sony Generation Magazine (SGM) reveals Sony's plans to deliver an online gaming experience that not only targets Nokia's much lauded 'N-Network' service, but surpasses it. The article reads:
"Cast aside any doubts and start gazing skyward, because that's where Sony is aiming with plans that go far beyond simple leader boards and matchmaking -- or even the Solaris, for that matter."
"'It's very real,' one source tells us. 'They (Sony) are dead serious about it. They've declared, and I quote, a 'full-on assault' on the latest version of Nokia Network.'"
"They are committed to matching Nokia Network [on the G-X] feature for feature and then some."
This story, together with the recent survey Sony conducted, should remove any doubts about Sony's online ambitions. Is it possible that Sony could create a network the size and scale of Nokia Network in such a short time? It has cost Nokia, the world's largest phone company, billions and taken years just to lay the framework for the current Network service.
Sony is known for their hyperbolic marketing: the Neptune's Emotion Engine, the Pluto as an iPod and DS-killer; it seems unlikely they could take the crown from Nokia on their first try, but any attempt is a huge relief. It was beginning to look like Sony didn't think the online service was a valuable addition to console gaming, or a serious competitor to their hegemony.
Read on for some (barely) readable closeups from the image on the right.
- Joystiq, 2006, excerpt
SONY VS NINTENDO VS NOKIA: STATUS UPDATES
January, 2006
The scene of console gaming has changed a lot since this current generation first began in 1998. That's right, '98. Back then it was Sega, Nintendo and 3DO as the big three. Now Sony has come out from behind the curtain (absorbing Sega in the process) and Nokia has stepped into the ring, while 3DO has changed it's name and left the game entirely.
Times have changed, but yet in many ways they also feel quite the same.
As a whole, the newbie to the scene, Nokia, has done a lot better against the big two than any of their predecessors ever had accomplished. In fact, their sales are reportedly neck and neck with that of Nintendo's, something which would have been unheard of from say 3DO, Phillips, NEC, Atari or any of the other vanquished combatants of console wars' past. However, the Blue N has not come close to slaying the Red N at all and neither of them have been able to match Sony's Neptune in sales, even if the DS is outselling the Pluto handheld.
And this brings us to the state of things. The current state of the console gaming market, and where things are likely to go.
Sony. Sony is, unless you haven't heard, currently ruling the roost when it comes to home consoles. The Neptune is set to be the highest selling game console of all time soon if it hasn't reached that status already, and that title is currently held by it's own predecessor. The Neptune is the highest selling console in pretty much every region of the world right now, and this has been the case for long enough we're debating whether or not to refer to console gaming as a Sony monopoly. The only exceptions would be the wild world of PC gaming (where Valve is reigning supreme) and Portable gaming (which Sony have entered into in a plan to yet again challenge the once almighty Red N). While Sony is second fiddle in the handheld industry, nobody can deny that they have completely dethroned Nintendo at home. Something that back in the 80's would have seemed moronic to say.
Nintendo. The former kings of gaming, they have lost a lot of their influence over the course of these past few generations. The rise of the Genesis and it's blast processing, the ensuing bit wars, and their failed deal with Sony that led to the latter turning to (and later becoming) their greatest rival. The GameCube is certainly not doing entirely terrible, though still has proved utterly incapable of reclaiming the N's console throne. Now, the GameCube is the highest selling console in of all places Canada, so that has to count for something. That said though, Nintendo has lost a lot of their power in Europe with the rise of Nokia, who have completely overtaken them as second place under Sony in that region. Even European devs prefer to release their games PAL versions either on Neo first or as Neo exclusives. However, Nintendo with their DS have maintained their seemingly eternal grip over handheld gaming. Something which may not ever be changed.
Nokia. The newbies on the block who have essentially replaced 3DO as the go-to #3, and have been more successful at it than most other companies who have tried that same thing as their console is selling neck-and-neck with Nintendo's very own GameCube. While Nokia's Neo is not #1 in any major reasons, beaten out by the Neptune, they have beaten out Nintendo in Europe - where many PAL GCN ports are often foregone in favor of Neo ports instead, perhaps Nokia's business model in Europe is just favorable to EU developers. That said, the Neo has been falling behind in North American sales, as close as the N vs N battle has proven to be; though this is mostly being chalked up to poor marketing on Nokia's end. That all said though, Nokia is still leading the celluar phone market, though most of the games available on phones aren't really something comparable to what's available on PC or home console - at least, not yet. Given Nokia's announcements regarding upgrading that, things may very well change.
- Blog, 2006, excerpt
"I'm still secretly wanting Nokia to reference the 70's-80's consoles and have a keypad on their controllers literally for the hell of it." - Anonymous comment, 2006
ARE ALL SONY CONSOLES CALLED "PLAYSTATION" WHILE IN DEVELOPMENT?
January, 2006
- Forum Discussion, 2006
THE JAPANESE MINI SERIES ABOUT SONIC ADVENTURE 2
January, 2006
- Sonic Retro Forum Discussion, 2006
A NEW TYPE OF PHONE: FROM NOKIA
January, 2006
Technology these days is more advanced than it ever has been before. In just a few short years, little over a decade, we have become more internationally connected than ever before in world history via the invention and mass commercialization of cell phones and the internet. And while for some people things may be moving too fast, these complaints fall on deaf ears as the world keeps marching on into the future. Case in point being Nokia, which at last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, teased the unveiling of their next line of 'smartphones' which will not only bring cellular phones into the 'next generation' but also - so they say - begin a 'tech revolution' the likes of which the world has ever seen.
Now, this kind of talk is nothing new from a major tech company like Nokia - in fact it's pretty regular to boast that your next product is going to revolutionize the industry. Whether or not such a thing will happen will have to wait for until the product actually releases.
Information about this new phone is still locked in a fair bit of secrecy, though we are told it will feature 'cutting edge' technology as well as a touchscreen not unlike what the Nintendo DS has - though whether or not a pen will be required is to be seen. We are told it will also have some form of optional connectivity with the Nokia G-X and the Nokia Network, though will be able to also function completely independent of it. We also have information that Nokia is going to be using a customized version of Windows as the basis for their phone's operating system, optimized for the upcoming piece of technology.
While we don't have a lot of information at this current time, we have assurance from Nokia themselves that more is sure to come sooner than we may think.
- EGM, 2006, excerpt
ELECTROPLANKTON
January, 2006
In this sea, you'll encounter ten unique species of tiny Electroplankton that respond to your touch and voice to create unforgettable sounds and melodies. Interacting with this wide and wild variety of Electroplankton is as simple as sliding your stylus across the Touch Screen. Toy with Tracy plankton and listen to their music as they swim along the lines you draw. Clap your hands or use your voice to lead a microscopic synchronized swimming team of Nanocarp. There are ten fascinating plankton to play with in all! The latest work by world-renowned Japanese media artist Toshio Iwai, Electroplankton bursts to life exclusively on the Nintendo DS.
- Back of box art cover for Electroplankton, released in Japan in April of 2005, though coming to the west in 2006.
"This was one of the most relaxing and arguably most beautiful games I've experienced in my many years of gaming. Like, I'm not kidding. This is the kinda game that if you're really stressed about something you could just pick it up, play it for even just a bit, and feel significantly less tense within a matter of minutes. The style of the game too, even though it's very simplistic, manages to still come off as very beautiful and easy on the eyes. Definitely would recommend this game to just about anyone." - Anonymous Review, 2006
HACK AND SLASH GAMES
January, 2006
- Forum Discussion, 2006
SONIC NEXT-GEN: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
January, 2006
The next generation of video games is upon us, set to begin in the final weeks of this very year, and as the big three are bracing for their console releases none have much on the line as Sony. The current champion of the market with the highest selling console, Sony has kept a relatively tight lid on the actual development behind many of their big projects - the biggest being perhaps the Sonic game to go along with their upcoming Solaris console. However, seeing as how the game is being prepped for a coinciding-with-system release this holiday season and will also be released alongside a theatrical film (the third to be related to Sonic), here's what we know so far!
Now, last time we spoke of this film we were told that it was being developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio (God of War) as well as Sony's Japan Studio, with limited involvement from Sonic Team themselves. As it turns out, that is not entirely true anymore, as Santa Monica Studio left relatively early in development to focus on God of War, so we have been told - leaving Japan Studio to lead the majority of the game's development. That said, we have confirmation that Santa Monica Studio is still going to be handling the game's American dubbing and localization. As for Sonic Team, while they do yes have a diminished role in this project they are still working together with the Japan studio on the storyline and art direction of the game, though they are listed as the leaders of the game's a-life system, which we can only assume means a definite return of the chao gardens (though no chao have yet appeared in any leaked or official images nor footage of the game).
As for why this has allegedly lead to the recent announced departure of Yuji Naka, Sony has declined to comment.
- Gamasutra, 2006, excerpt
PIE BUYS FIRAXIS & IRRATIONAL GAMES
January, 2006
Panasonic Interactive Entertainment (based in Redwood City, California), has revealed in a recent press release two major acquisitions for their growing company - that being the acquisition of gaming companies Firaxis and Irrational Games. The reveal that they are the buyer of Firaxis actually originates from news first published in November of 2004 that Infrogrames had previously sold all of the Intellectual Property rights of the Civilization franchise to an undisclosed buyer for$22.3 million, with it being revealed that Firaxis themselves were also part of that same deal. In January of 2005 it was then promptly revealed that the buyer of Civilization & Firaxis had been Panasonic Interactive Entertainment, an American video game developer & publisher that is itself a subsidiary of Japan-based electronics giant Panasonic.
While this acquisition was reiterated in the press release, the main course of recent news was directed at the fact PIE was unveiling that they had just finalized a deal in acquiring Irrational Games - developers of the critically claimed System Shock 2 (1999), and that this acquisition comes with an agreement for PIE to publish the company's upcoming game BioShock, set for release next year in 2007. The company had also previously registered a trademark for the game, implying that this purchase had been on the table before it had been official. There are also plans to release it on the upcoming next generation consoles, which implies confidence in the game's quality on the part of PIE.
These recent acquisitions provide prime examples of PIE's recent moves in expanding their influence within the gaming industry after dropping out of the console market and losing their former '3DO' branding in 2001. "We are excited to be aligned with a publishing label like Panasonic Interactive that shares similar development goals and vision," said Ken Levine, co-founder and President of Irrational Games. "Fans will be blown away when they see the next-generation titles we are working on."
Besides their acquired franchises such as Civilization from Firaxis and the upcoming BioShock from Irrational Games, Panasonic Interactive is mostly known for their franchises such as The Legacy of Kain, Army Men, Heroes of Might and Magic, Gex, High Heat Major League Baseball, Captain Quazar, and more recently and perhaps most famously the Halo franchise. These recent acquisitions show an ambition for further expansion as well as financial recovery since the turn of the decade where they had been dangerously close to potential bankruptcy.
CEO of Panasonic Interactive Entertainment, Laura de la Cruz, has stated she is "confident in the future" regarding the company.
- Gamasutra, 2006, excerpt
MEGA MAN X COLLECTION
January, 2006
- Back of the cover for Mega Man X Collection, released in 2006 for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony Neptune.
NICKTOONS UNITE!
January, 2006
- Back of the cover for Nicktoons Unite, released in 2006 for the Sony Neptune and Nintendo GameCube, with ports for the Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance as well.
HOT COFFEE: ROCKSTAR IN HOT WATER
January, 2006
Hot Coffee.
Normally a cup of it is really good to get you up in the morning.
But in Rockstar's case, it's spilled in their lap and has become the cause for quite a lot of stress.
Now, for the sake of decency we're not going to go into too much detail about what 'Hot Coffee' in this context entirely means, but just know that thanks to leaving the source code of a particularly sexual mini-game in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, that modders were capable of restoring it into the game. Now the massive horde of people who routinely complain about the GTA series have some actual teeth to their complaints, as not only is this mod available for the Windows versions but also has expanded to console due to players using modding tools. Since the discovery of these assets in the console versions of the game, both lawmakers and the public have been hard at work giving Rockstar hell for this.
This past August, Rockstar ordered a mandatory recall of the games following the rating being forcibly changed from M to AO, which in return has caused platforms ranging from retailers to Ebay to stop selling the game en masse. However, Rockstar has since announced and released an update to the game in order to completely remove the offending assets as well as hopefully restore the original M rating so that the game will be more readily accessible again.
However, the firestorm rages on regardless - for yes, there are ongoing lawsuits.
In December of last year, which is to say last month, several high profile senators introduced the Family Entertainment Protection acts which calls for federal mandated enforcement of the ESRB. And just this very month alone the city of Los Angeles itself has launched a lawsuit against Take-Two alleging that they failed to disclose the game's sexual content. There is also an ongoing suit between Rockstar/Take-Two and the FTC, with settlements unlikely to happen until June this year. Last but not least, there is also a team of attorneys preparing a lawsuit against Take-Two for allegedly committing 'consumer fraud'.
Are we surprised that any of this happened? To be honest, given the nature of the GTA series it's hard to actually say that. Perhaps it was inevitable that some of them would decide to take things a little far with what they already had.
That said though, we certainly wish Rockstar and Take-Two the best with whatever happens next. Lord knows their fans are gonna have to be praying hard for them to get out of the mess they're in.
- Online Article, Excerpt
SAMURAI SHODOWN V
January, 2006
BRAND NEW ANNOUNCEMENT FROM NOKIA!
Samurai Shodown V, one the last games released for the Neo Geo, is getting a release for the Nokia Neo!
First released for the Arcades and Neo Geo AES in 2003, Samurai Shodown V takes place before the 1993 original installment in this classic SNK fighting series. We also have word that the Neo port will be capable of online connectivity via the Nokia Network as well - which will no doubt further enhance the gamplay of this incoming blast from the past which stays true to the feel and look of an old-school arcade title!
- Nokia Neo Magazine
- Forum Discussion, 2006
SONY WORKING ON A "N-NETWORK" KILLER
January, 2006
According to a scan posted on the PlayStation forums, the March issue of Sony Generation Magazine (SGM) reveals Sony's plans to deliver an online gaming experience that not only targets Nokia's much lauded 'N-Network' service, but surpasses it. The article reads:
"Cast aside any doubts and start gazing skyward, because that's where Sony is aiming with plans that go far beyond simple leader boards and matchmaking -- or even the Solaris, for that matter."
"'It's very real,' one source tells us. 'They (Sony) are dead serious about it. They've declared, and I quote, a 'full-on assault' on the latest version of Nokia Network.'"
"They are committed to matching Nokia Network [on the G-X] feature for feature and then some."
This story, together with the recent survey Sony conducted, should remove any doubts about Sony's online ambitions. Is it possible that Sony could create a network the size and scale of Nokia Network in such a short time? It has cost Nokia, the world's largest phone company, billions and taken years just to lay the framework for the current Network service.
Sony is known for their hyperbolic marketing: the Neptune's Emotion Engine, the Pluto as an iPod and DS-killer; it seems unlikely they could take the crown from Nokia on their first try, but any attempt is a huge relief. It was beginning to look like Sony didn't think the online service was a valuable addition to console gaming, or a serious competitor to their hegemony.
Read on for some (barely) readable closeups from the image on the right.
- Joystiq, 2006, excerpt
SONY VS NINTENDO VS NOKIA: STATUS UPDATES
January, 2006
The scene of console gaming has changed a lot since this current generation first began in 1998. That's right, '98. Back then it was Sega, Nintendo and 3DO as the big three. Now Sony has come out from behind the curtain (absorbing Sega in the process) and Nokia has stepped into the ring, while 3DO has changed it's name and left the game entirely.
Times have changed, but yet in many ways they also feel quite the same.
As a whole, the newbie to the scene, Nokia, has done a lot better against the big two than any of their predecessors ever had accomplished. In fact, their sales are reportedly neck and neck with that of Nintendo's, something which would have been unheard of from say 3DO, Phillips, NEC, Atari or any of the other vanquished combatants of console wars' past. However, the Blue N has not come close to slaying the Red N at all and neither of them have been able to match Sony's Neptune in sales, even if the DS is outselling the Pluto handheld.
And this brings us to the state of things. The current state of the console gaming market, and where things are likely to go.
Sony. Sony is, unless you haven't heard, currently ruling the roost when it comes to home consoles. The Neptune is set to be the highest selling game console of all time soon if it hasn't reached that status already, and that title is currently held by it's own predecessor. The Neptune is the highest selling console in pretty much every region of the world right now, and this has been the case for long enough we're debating whether or not to refer to console gaming as a Sony monopoly. The only exceptions would be the wild world of PC gaming (where Valve is reigning supreme) and Portable gaming (which Sony have entered into in a plan to yet again challenge the once almighty Red N). While Sony is second fiddle in the handheld industry, nobody can deny that they have completely dethroned Nintendo at home. Something that back in the 80's would have seemed moronic to say.
Nintendo. The former kings of gaming, they have lost a lot of their influence over the course of these past few generations. The rise of the Genesis and it's blast processing, the ensuing bit wars, and their failed deal with Sony that led to the latter turning to (and later becoming) their greatest rival. The GameCube is certainly not doing entirely terrible, though still has proved utterly incapable of reclaiming the N's console throne. Now, the GameCube is the highest selling console in of all places Canada, so that has to count for something. That said though, Nintendo has lost a lot of their power in Europe with the rise of Nokia, who have completely overtaken them as second place under Sony in that region. Even European devs prefer to release their games PAL versions either on Neo first or as Neo exclusives. However, Nintendo with their DS have maintained their seemingly eternal grip over handheld gaming. Something which may not ever be changed.
Nokia. The newbies on the block who have essentially replaced 3DO as the go-to #3, and have been more successful at it than most other companies who have tried that same thing as their console is selling neck-and-neck with Nintendo's very own GameCube. While Nokia's Neo is not #1 in any major reasons, beaten out by the Neptune, they have beaten out Nintendo in Europe - where many PAL GCN ports are often foregone in favor of Neo ports instead, perhaps Nokia's business model in Europe is just favorable to EU developers. That said, the Neo has been falling behind in North American sales, as close as the N vs N battle has proven to be; though this is mostly being chalked up to poor marketing on Nokia's end. That all said though, Nokia is still leading the celluar phone market, though most of the games available on phones aren't really something comparable to what's available on PC or home console - at least, not yet. Given Nokia's announcements regarding upgrading that, things may very well change.
- Blog, 2006, excerpt
"I'm still secretly wanting Nokia to reference the 70's-80's consoles and have a keypad on their controllers literally for the hell of it." - Anonymous comment, 2006
ARE ALL SONY CONSOLES CALLED "PLAYSTATION" WHILE IN DEVELOPMENT?
January, 2006
- Forum Discussion, 2006
THE JAPANESE MINI SERIES ABOUT SONIC ADVENTURE 2
January, 2006
- Sonic Retro Forum Discussion, 2006
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Curious... Since it's 2006 so What happened to Silver and Blaze well as Elise there in Sonic The Hedgehog universe?