Top 5

[Depressio]

It's really sad that, despite your good points, none of your concerns will be addressed at all, with the possible exception of Kid Icarus. I was thinking of Metroid Dread and "Kirby: The Game" when I wrote my list too, but I can see both missing the show entirely.

I'm glad you brought up Elite Beat Agents 2, because it once again reminds us of the bizarre tendency Nintendo has to abandon North American support of its IPs. The original EBA found a niche audience, myself included.

I can see WiiWare support continuing to be lackluster-yet-popular. I can see developments like the "Blackboard" or the "Journal" being revealed (i.e. overpriced, single-purpose non-games) that are designed for people who actually use their Wii for communicating with their family and/or keeping up a schedue. If there is a single person on this board that actually uses their Wii for that purpose, I will be shocked. Retro revivals (you mentioned Geometry Wars and Mega Man 9) seems like a logical step for a company that is deep-rooted in nostalgia, but Nintendo seems utterly disinterested in such a plan.

Your point about the storage space is excellent. You're completely right: many casual gamers who actively support the Wii will soon find their consoles have reached their data capacity, and many will likely be unaware of how to remedy this situation. Nintendo should change their help line to a 1-900 number: they stand to make a fortune off of confused parents who want to download the new "Pet the Kitty" WiiWare game but can't find a place to put it.

I can actually see a new mature Zelda showing up at E3 this year, if not only to prove that Nintendo hasn't completely forgotten about the "hardcore crowd." If that happens, I don't see it being released for a while. Furthermore, I see it being VERY similar to Twilight Princess in terms of art style and controls.

I think the Virtual Console is slowly fading out. In fact, I can see Nintendo completely ignoring it at E3. The service has become a dumping ground for NEOGEO shooters and Genesis platformers, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Brawl: Tournament Edition? Heck, I'd settle for Brawl: Director's Cut, where they DIDN'T cut out characters. Seriously: I've tried telling myself the opposite countless times, but 35 characters is TOO FEW. What is so very frustrating is that there was simply so much to work with: so many characters, stages, items, etc. that could have fit perfectly. For me, Brawl was a missed opportunity in many ways, a game packed with features yet strangely underwhelming. A tournament edition would settle this, but it will never happen.

No more Brain Training huh? Well, everyone will have to make due with the dozens of other clone games that provide the exact same gameplay.

[Bonkava!]

Brawl: Tournament Edition? Heck, I'd settle for Brawl: Director's Cut, where they DIDN'T cut out characters. Seriously: I've tried telling myself the opposite countless times, but 35 characters is TOO FEW. What is so very frustrating is that there was simply so much to work with: so many characters, stages, items, etc. that could have fit perfectly. For me, Brawl was a missed opportunity in many ways, a game packed with features yet strangely underwhelming. A tournament edition would settle this, but it will never happen.

I was promised 2-3 more third party characters after Snake.

1 =/= 2 or 3

Maybe they meant 3-2, which equals one. Mewtwo had no reason to leave - neither did Roy. There were all sorts of characters that everyone wanted in, some that became assist trophies, and some that... were completely ignored. Some of the assist trophies should have been playable. 15 new characters might be enough, but they didn't have to take away 5, and there was a lot they could do. I wholeheartedly agree with what you said.

[stinkoman k]

Mewtwo had no reason to leave

 WRONG

[Depressio]

Top 5 sequels that will probably NOT be revealed E3

Like it or not, the gaming industry has a deep fondness for repeating successful formulas (formulae?). The problem is, while certain franchises are guaranteed annual sequels (Call of Duty, Madden, Guitar Hero, etc.), others seem to lag behind. Here are 5 sequels that I would want to see discussed at next week's E3, but am not getting my hopes up to see. I am avoiding Nintendo stuff, as I mentioned a lot of it in my last Top 5. Also, I'm excluding stuff like Bioshock, which I am pretty sure will see a debut trailer or something.

5. Skies of Arcadia 2 - A phenomenal RPG for the Dreamcast (and later Gamecube), Skies combined dramatic ship battles with a great sense of exploration. Discovering new land masses, recruiting crew members, hunting criminals, and establishing your own base added to a great atmosphere. Just tone down the encounter rate...please?

4. Mass Effect 2 - BioWare's MASSIVELY dissapointing roleplaying/squad-shooter title (bring on the -1s!) thrilled critics last year, so isn't it about time to discuss the future of the franchise? Make the combat system more user-friendly, introduce a deeper alignment system that DOESN'T force you to be either the nicest guy in the world or the biggest jerk ever, and eliminate the terrible Mako sections. The developers already promised that our Shepards would transfer over to the next game, but it seems less likely that the series will continue on this current console generation.

3. Final Fantasy XIII - What? Wasn't this game already announced? A PS3 debut of Final Fantasy seems like a no-brainer, but keep in mind that it was 5 years between X and XII. The bizarre Fabula Nova Crystallis project (the desire to make FFXIII a ten-year-long brand that exists over many games) isn't helping much, either. I do not anticipate any concrete information this year.

2. Kingdom Hearts III - You know what Square-Enix loves doing? Giving us cell-phone and handheld sequels instead of the console follow-up everyone actually wants to see. Instead of bizarrely titled spinoffs, how about moving forward on a true sequel to Kingdom Hearts II. We all pitched cool ideas for levels, remember?

1. Half-Life 2: Episode 3 - Valve is known to hold back their games until they are completely satisfied with the end result, which is bad news for the ongoing adventures of glasses-wearing hero Gordon Freeman. Considering how Episode 2 leaves us with a major cliffhanger, it's a shame to think that it might be a year (or two) before the next installment.

[Depressio]

Top 5 Rareware Games

With Banjo-Kazooie returning after a lengthy hiatus, here are my top 5 Rare games. Though my selections might be limited to a specific period, I have played many of the company's old-and-new games, from the absurdly difficult to the extremely bizzare. Here goes.


5. Donkey Kong Country (Super Nintendo): Though Miyamoto disagreed (he publically criticized the game for "prov[ing] that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good"), Donkey Kong Country balanced great graphics (at least for the time) with addicting and challenging gameplay. It's a little short and lacks the replay value of other games on this list, but DKC introduced Donkey Kong to a new generation of gamers and helped (re)establish the character as one of Nintendo's most recognizable mascots.

4.  Goldeneye 007 (Nintendo 64): While Nintendo faced stiff competition from Sony's popular Playstation, this first-person shooter solidified the N64 as the system for multiplayer gaming (at least in 1997...). Though the game hasn't aged particularly well (many of its "revolutionary" gameplay mechanics are cookie-cutter by today's standard), the title proves that licensed games CAN be good if given the right amount of time and attention.

3. Perfect Dark (Nintendo 64): This is how a "sequel" should be: Rare took Goldeneye's gameplay and gave it new depth: weapons now had secondary functions, enemy AI was smarter, and players could complete the campaign in co-op mode (as well as the ahead-of-its-time-yet-oddly-underwhelming counter-op mode, where player two acted as an enemy trying to sabotage the mission). Additionally, the multiplayer received a substantial boost: players could now customize what weapons they wanted to play with, make their own scenarios, and even include several different types of AI controlled "bots" to compete in multiplayer matches. It's too bad the much-delayed Perfect Dark Zero was so utterly dissapointing, since this franchise could have been capable of great things.

2. Conker's Bad Far Day (Nintendo 64): One of the company's gutsiest moves, Rare chose to abandon their plans for a kid-friendly game featuring a chipper squirrel, radically transforming the title into a crass, vulger, and foul-mouthed platformer. With excessive amounts of potty humour, foul language, and violence, Bad Fur Day earned a hard M rating, turning away younger games expecting another Banjo-Kazooie. Questionable subject matter aside, the game itself is quite solid, with great control, gameplay variety, and voice acting. Another note: it features one of the most jarring, numbing endings ever in the history of video games. I really hope someone else here knows what I'm talking about.

1. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Super Nintendo): Incredible atmosphere, top-notch play control, and an absolutely stellar soundtrack are among a few of DKC2's successes. One of the best platformers ever made, and easily one of the best titles in the Super Nintendo's already stellar library.

[stinkoman k]

extremely bizzare.

That one shoulda made the list.

[Burled Holiday Cabbage]

Let's go wiiiiiith.....

5. Donkey Kong Country

4. Banjo Tooie

3. Goldeneye 007

2. Diddy Kong Racing

1. Perfect Dark

[Alexisonfire]

Ok, let's get this over with.

5. Viva Pinata - What could a game that is obviously marketed towards a young crowd be doing on this list? Well, it's because the members of the marketing department for rare are dumb. Viva Pinata, featuring a mish mash of the great gameplay from games like Harvest Moon and the Sims, is a title of incredible depth, micromanagement, and challenge far beyond the capabilities of (most) children. This is the return to true Rare quality not seen since the N64 days.

4. Banjo Tooie - The second outing of the bear-bird duo introduce a variety of brand new gameplay options to not only the series, but the adventure genre. But as part of the series, Tooie seems to be a little more grown up than the original, dealing with grittier environments and a big boost in the difficulty section. They even killed off one of the characters in the first game in the opening scene, along with introducing you to his happy (and unknowing) family not long after it. That's just cruel on so many levels. 

3. Goldeneye 007 - Before Goldeneye was shown, demoed or even released, people would scoff at the idea of an FPS on the consoles. The practice was unheard of, as the genre was made for the PC world and any game that tried to break that mindset turned out to be crap. Goldeneye changed that. While the multiplayer was split screen, it never detracted from the frantic firefights that would ensue, ensuring Goldeneye as the multiplayer game of the generation. And that's not mentioning its amazing campaign that both was faithful to the original source material and went beyond it. Did I mention that this game is one of the best (if not the best) licensed game ever made?

2. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest - For every reason Depressio stated. But just edged out by....

1. Banjo Kazooie - A true classic. Banjo Kazooie was one of the few adventure titles that were made in the wake of Super Mario 64 and kept up with it in quality. While its sequel improves on the game in almost every area, there is a certain level of charm and originality in Banjo Kazooie that cannot be ignored. The introducton to the lovable cast of characters, the great music, the stereotypical worlds that all had their unique twists to make the ideas new again, Grunty's random rhyming couplets. My sister and I have beaten this game so many that its become second nature for us, beating the game in a fraction of the time usually necessary. But, you know, we always find ourselves coming back to it, spending a random saturday afternoon running through the game and being immersed in the world once more. And I don't see that trend ending.

It should be noted that I have played Conker for all of 10 minutes, due to me being so young when it was released. So I unfortunately didn't really consider it for my list.

[Revan/anakinjmt]

Top 5 Protagonists that could give Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer a run for their money.


We've all heard of Chuck Norris jokes. And most of us, especially me, know of Jack Bauer jokes. It seems like the debate is, who is the better kicker of you-know-what? We all have our preferences (I think people know mine), and there are other characters that could possibly give those guys some competition, such as James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Neo, but what about video game characters? The main characters we play as in games that just seem so freakin' sweet and appear as though they can, and have, done everything? I'm certain that there's easily several dozen characters, but who are your top 5?

5. Prince -- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy -- The first game in this trilogy introduced us to this Prince. Having beaten this game twice and started playing Warrior Within, the Prince seems like a guy who is incredibly athletic and a strong fighter. Warrior Within gives us a lot more fighting options. This is a guy who can handle multiple, and large, numbers of Sand Monsters. Add in his ability to control time itself and his scaling walls and ability to do moves that only Captain America, Batman, or Spider-Man can do, and the Prince is an impressive fighter that in hand to hand combat could easily take on Chuck Norris.

4. Samus Aran -- Keep in mind the only time I've ever really played as Samus is part of Metroid Prime and in Smash Bros. Even so, this chick is a hardcore, butt-whuppin' chick. Her armor is as sweet as Master Chief's (causing the two of them to frequently be paired against each other) but it's her moves and arsenal that truly define her. She can literally roll up into a ball and roll around. She can charge her gun and fire laser blasts or missiles. She can drop bombs, corkscrew her opponents, and grab onto them and throw them (at least in Smash). And, her armor is really sweet. She is easily a match for fellow bounty hunter Boba Fett and his father Jango, and she's destroyed Metroids and Mother Brain more times than she can remember (and probably care to remember).

3. Master Chief -- I think that honestly, this guy needs to be on this list. Even if you're not really a fan of Halo, which is fine, there are 3 scenes specifically that just those three would warrent him on this list. The first is the ending Warthog drive of the first game.  The second is the scene near the beginning of the second game where he returns the Covenant's bomb, and the third scene is from the third game, again the last Warthog drive of the game. Just those scenes. That's not considering his taking down of multiple Scarabs, Truth, Regret, Guilty Spark, and countless Brutes and Hunters.

2. Sam Fisher -- He's a spy who's just as deadly as James Bond, just as conflicted and dedicated to the mission as Jack Bauer, and has the voice of the talented Michael Ironside. He can sneak in anywhere and do his mission and sneak out, all without being detected (if you're good, that is). He's got the gear to get the job done, but as shown in Double Agent, doesn't necessarily need it.

1. Solid Snake -- I've read the story of what happens to Snake in all 4 games, and it seems to me like he deserves this top spot. Only partially through the first game I can't comment too much, but really, how many other guys could pull off having a box so well? He's sort of a mix of Sam Fisher, James Bond, and Jack Bauer. Even when he's old, he's still better than all the other soldiers out there.


Honorable Mention: Gordon Freeman -- I've barely played Half-Life, but having beaten Half-Life 2, Episode 1, and Episode 2, I think I can safely say that Gordon Freeman deserves a nod here, though to be honest, I think that perhaps his stoic silence and, well, glasses sort of take away from his awesomeness. And yet, that final battle in Episode 2, which is a freakin' dang-near-impossible beast does give him some good cred.

Honorable Mention: Revan -- I debated putting him here for two reasons. One, while he is a video game character, he is first and foremost a Star Wars character, mentioned in books (such as the Darth Bane series) and comics. The second reason is, it's really only if you're dark side. He's powerful as light side, don't get me wrong, but when you go completely dark side and you get Darth Revan's robe on the Star Forge, look out. You can take out a whole host of Sith with a single Force Storm and barely take away your Force Points, and defeating Malak is seriously a piece of cake.

Honorable Mention: Auron -- He's not the protagonist in FFX or in KH2, the two games he appears in, and in fact I think he's slightly weaker in KH2. But, that huge katana, his brute strength, and his general attitude, it's no wonder FF fans love Auron and why he's one of the most popular FF characters ever.

[Depressio]

I like your list Anakin. I'm not sure how to respond since I would have come up with a very similar list.

I'm putting up another Top 5, but everyone should feel free to focus on anakin's if they feel like it. I'm not trying to steal any thunder here. :/


Your Top 5 Favourite Video Game Quotes

A lot of people have their favourite quotes from games, but a lot of these tend to directly ruin a game's major twist. If you want to quote something that's a flagrant, flagrant spoiler, please use caution as to not ruin things.


5. "Prepare for unforeseen consequences." (The G-Man, Half-Life 2: Episode Two)

Creepy, ominous, and keeps you suspicious for hours after you hear it.

4. "I serve...a higher authority." (Geno, Super Mario RPG)

Geno knows how to make an entrance alright. So cool, man.

3. "So...there I am. King. King of all the land. And who'd have thought that? Not me. I guess you know who these guys are now. I don't want to know them. And yup. I may be king. And have all the money in the world. And all the land. And all that stuff. But you know...I don't...really think I want it. I just want to go home. With Berri. And, I don't know? Have a bottle of beer? Hmm...it's not gonna happen. It's true what they say: the grass is always greener. And you don't really know what you have...until it's gone. Gone. Gone." (Conker, Conker's Bad Fur Day)

I've spoken about my appreciation for this game's surprisingly dramatic moments, and this is one of my favourites. Moody, and oddly thoughtful for a profane-ridden platformer, but effective nonetheless.

2. "You're not a snake, and I'm not an ocelot. We're men, with names." (Ocelot, Metal Gear Solid 3)

It's hard for me to choose one line from a highly-quotable series like this. MGS3 achieves the rare balance of not taking itself immensely seriously while still managing to tell an interesting and dramatic story. I feel like this quote sums up a lot of the recurring issues found in the series, making it one of my favourite game quotes.

1. The quote from Bioshock

I'm not going to violate my own rules. You either know what this quote is or you haven't played the game/had it spoiled for you. If you are in the second group, you are missing out on one of the most powerful reveals in gaming history.

[Mr. Teatime]

5. "Wake up and...smell the ashes."
Pretty much anything G-Man says is quotable. Mostly because Half-Life and it's successors are not exactly dialogue-saturated games. But still, I find myself filled with anticipation for who G-Man is and what his deal is.

4. "I like shorts! They're delightfully comfy and easy to wear!"
I've spent many a night playing the original Pokemon Red and Blue, and more recently with the re-makes, Fire Red and Leaf Green, and that combination of insomnia and bizarre Japanese video game has led to many a deep, philosophical pondering on things that probably just shouldn't be focused on. At first I thought it odd that people charged into battle with such ridiculous cries as this. Then I thought about it a bit more...what if they don't want to battle? What if they just want to come over and chat about simple little things like this? Then you, the main character, the "Pokemon Champion," demand a battle, rip through their Pokemon, take their money, and leave them standing there, sad and confused. These games focus around playing the biggest jerk to ever hit Kanto region.

3. "I am the milkman. My milk is delicious."
Would you believe such a simple quote might very well hold the key to unraveling the biggest government conspiracy ever devised? Neither would I. Until I played Psychonauts. My mind was blown.

2. "I have returned from the depths of Hell...to do battle with you, Mr. Trite."
Godot was such a fantastic character, a great addition to the final chapter in the Phoenix Wright trilogy. Just about everything he says has just the right amount of dramatic under toning/foreshadowing, but this one really sticks out in my mind, mostly due to it's connection with the big, final reveal at the end of the game. The fact that he never bothers to learn Phoenix's real name is also pretty amusing, too.

1. Take your pick.

[Inf]

5. "Wake up and...smell the ashes."
Pretty much anything G-Man says is quotable. Mostly because Half-Life and it's successors are not exactly dialogue-saturated games. But still, I find myself filled with anticipation for who G-Man is and what his deal is.

4. "I like shorts! They're delightfully comfy and easy to wear!"
I've spent many a night playing the original Pokemon Red and Blue, and more recently with the re-makes, Fire Red and Leaf Green, and that combination of insomnia and bizarre Japanese video game has led to many a deep, philosophical pondering on things that probably just shouldn't be focused on. At first I thought it odd that people charged into battle with such ridiculous cries as this. Then I thought about it a bit more...what if they don't want to battle? What if they just want to come over and chat about simple little things like this? Then you, the main character, the "Pokemon Champion," demand a battle, rip through their Pokemon, take their money, and leave them standing there, sad and confused. These games focus around playing the biggest jerk to ever hit Kanto region.

3. "I am the milkman. My milk is delicious."
Would you believe such a simple quote might very well hold the key to unraveling the biggest government conspiracy ever devised? Neither would I. Until I played Psychonauts. My mind was blown.

2. "I have returned from the depths of Hell...to do battle with you, Mr. Trite."
Godot was such a fantastic character, a great addition to the final chapter in the Phoenix Wright trilogy. Just about everything he says has just the right amount of dramatic under toning/foreshadowing, but this one really sticks out in my mind, mostly due to it's connection with the big, final reveal at the end of the game. The fact that he never bothers to learn Phoenix's real name is also pretty amusing, too.

1. Take your pick.

I agree with that list entirely. +1

[Snakewater]

4. "I like shorts! They're delightfully comfy and easy to wear!"
I've spent many a night playing the original Pokemon Red and Blue, and more recently with the re-makes, Fire Red and Leaf Green, and that combination of insomnia and bizarre Japanese video game has led to many a deep, philosophical pondering on things that probably just shouldn't be focused on. At first I thought it odd that people charged into battle with such ridiculous cries as this. Then I thought about it a bit more...what if they don't want to battle? What if they just want to come over and chat about simple little things like this? Then you, the main character, the "Pokemon Champion," demand a battle, rip through their Pokemon, take their money, and leave them standing there, sad and confused. These games focus around playing the biggest jerk to ever hit Kanto region.

I think I love you.

[Alexisonfire]

I'll do Anakin's list later. Takes a little longer to do.
But this, well, I know that I have a lot of great quotes. But there are two types of quotes: The ones that you say all the time for comedic value and the ones that have significances to the story that will always personify that game. Thus, two top 5's

Humorous Top 5 Quotes that I say quite often:
5. OLAF should avoid mines.... - Rock N' Roll Racing
You do not know how many times I've had this said to me during my many years of playing Rock N' Roll Racing. I now use this as a sort of "Crap I messed up" quote, with usually only my sister and brother getting the reference.
4. Fresh Brewed Ale... - Warcraft III
Spawned from my obsession with the unit, I made it my mission to get a Pandaren Brewmaster every WCIII game I played. And, if I was playing with my cousin, this would be written, in all caps, in both MSN and in the WCIII text as soon as the unit spawned. Not very smart on my part, as she knew most of the maps way better than me.
3. My name is Gato, I have metal joints. Beat me up and earn 15 silver points! - Chrono Trigger
Self explanatory.
2. Chef Torte! The Cake's MOVING! - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
POKE. POKE. OUCH! OUCH! The classic opening to the living cake fight has me chuckling every time, reminding me at what a great cast and script Squaresoft made for the game.
1. Psychonauts in general.
What is probably the funniest game in existance, the list goes on and on of great quotes. It is the Anchorman of video games, where every line of the game can be wormed into every day conversations and goofballery.

Top 5 Serious Quotes
5. It keeps jamming... See?
This is one of those scenes that just make you jump, swear a few times, and sit there in a bit of shock.
4. Succeeding you, father...
A magnificent cutscene all around, exactly what one would expect from Blizzard. It cemented him as one of the biggest evils in the Warcraft universe.
3. See you later...
I tend to cry during sad movies (so? What of it?), but for some reason or another, this is one of the only memorable times that I shed tears due to a video game.
2. Prepare for unforeseen consequences.
This was a recent quote, as I just finished Episode 2 recently. But still, it flipped one of the happier moments in the game into a scene that filled you with paranoia for the next few hours, when the consequences (maybe the first of many) were felt.
1. The black wind howls... one of you will shortly parish.
Not only is it foreshadowing one of the most shocking moments in the game, it is made all the more eerie by whom it is coming from. I still get shivers down the spine when I see this.

[Mr. Teatime]

What games are those from? I recognized some, but others piqued my curiosity.