Awesome Games A-Z, pt. 2

Hello again, friends! I think this is some kind of recent record. I've posted consistently for like 3 days. Hoo-hah! So let's see what awesome games there are today!

F! This one is an easy one. Everyone knows (or should know) that F-Zero is one of the best franchises on any console, so naturally F-Zero X is my choice for F. Even though I give it an A+. For those who don't know, F-Zero is a futuristic racing game. Not only can you race, you can destroy other cars (somewhat like Excite Truck). Speeds of some levels can reach insanely high levels, which can make even staying on the track difficult. But it's loads of fun. And F-Zero X (N64) has tons to offer. One of the best parts is the X Cup. It's a Grand Prix, but every track is random each time. Sometimes they're easy, sometimes they're hard, sometimes they're freaking impossible. Either way, it's amazing fun. Now we just need an F-Zero for Wii and for DS. Come on, already!

Runner-Up: F-Zero GX

G! Today must be an easy day, because G is a super-easy choice. You've probably all guessed that naturally, Goldeneye 007 (N64) is the best G game ever. It's not the first FPS ever, but it was one of the most groundbreaking. Not only that, it was just plain fun. Because the N64 had 4 controller ports, it was easy to do local split-screen multiplayer. And it was amazing. I must say, the people I played with normally had no problem kicking the crap out of me in this game. But it's one of those games where you can consitently lose and it's still a load of fun. In fact, my longest video game spree to date was playing this game. I played it with a friend and my brother from 4pm one afternoon until 10 am the next morning. Without stopping. 18 hours. Beat that. In short, it's one of the best games ever made. Unfortunately, it will likely never be released on the Virtual Console because of licensing issues. So, naturally the best thing would be to run out and buy a used N64 and a copy of the game. It's worth it. Trust me.

Runner-Up: Galactic Pinball (VB)

H! This choice is also easy, not just because it's a great game, but because I only own 3 games that start with H. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a point-and-click style adventure game for the DS. It's made by the same people who made the awesome Trace Memory way back when. You play as Kyle Hyde, a washed-up detective who's searching for his traitor partner. You wind up in a dumpy hotel called Hotel Dusk, which has a history of strange happenings and such. The game design is ingenious, really. You use the stylus to pick up objects, rub dirt off of something, flip switches, etc, etc. Plus it a has a pretty good story to go with it. Plus, the game is only $20, so you all should really go buy it right now. There's no reason not to.

Runner-Up: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

I! Today is obviously not Monday, because these game are super easy to pick. The best I game ever is clearly Ice Climbers. Ok, so most of you have probably only heard of or played them in Smash Bros. But long before that, they were clubbing sheep and smashing through mountains on the NES. It's a brilliant concept, really. One or two players can simultaneously play. You use your hammers to jump through the floor above you. Some floors are moving clouds, which means you have to time your jumps correctly. Plus, even when you break through a floor, the sheep will sometimes come and cover the hole up again. So speed is essential at times. Once you clear the bottom half of mountain, you get to scale a series of non-breakable platforms. If you can get to the top and hitch a ride on the pterodactyl, you win! Sounds extremely weird, but remember this game was invented in Japan in the 1980s. So yeah. Makes perfect sense.

Runner-Up: International Superstar Soccer (N64)

J! Oi vey! Again with the easy choices! But this game is pretty good. It's Jazz Jackrabbit! For the GBA! It's loosely based on the Jazz Jackrabbit for DOS from oh-so-long ago. You run, jump, and blow the crap outta stuff. What else do you need for a great game? Nothing, I tell you! While it doesn't have all the charm of the original, it is still an amusing game. Plus, it's not too easy, not too hard. And the story is quite amusing, to boot. So yeah. That's about all I have to say on the matter.

Runner-Up: Jordan vs. Bird One on One

Well, there you are. We're about 40% done with the best games A-Z. We'll continue this journey later! (maybe)

-benjamines

Currently Playing: ArtStyle - PictoBits, Animal Crossing City Folk, Okami

Only 91 days left!

Guess what everybody!! It's only 3 MONTHS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!! How awesome is that?! In commemoration of this grand occasion, let's talk about some games out there that include some Christmas or winter-type levels or themes!

Playing Christmas games goes way back for me. Way back to when my uncle gave me an old computer and I installed classic DOS games, like Jetpack and Jazz Jackrabbit. Both of these has excellent Christmas editions that were there to spread a little holiday cheer and make the countdown to Christmas a little faster.

Jetpack in and of itself is a fantastic game. And any fantastic game that adds the ability to play as Santa and put presents under the tree becomes a legendary game. Even better there is a level editor! Such beauty has scarcely been seen by human eyeballs. Back in the day, I had a great level that was simply meant for messing around. Teleports, random enemies, no goals or anything. Great fun!

Jazz Jackrabbit was also a fantastic DOS franchise. One part Sonic, one part Rambo, the rampaging rabbit always had plenty of adventure. Plus, there was a Christmas version. And, if anything was awesome about Jazz Jackrabbit, it was the music. The holiday music remixed as a sort of techno-rock mashup is simply a joy to listen to. And the gameplay was fun, too.

But these aren't the only games that can let you have a little Christmas fun. Sometimes, you need to look for Christmas inside a regular game. For example, Mariokart has some great snowy levels. The original SNES version had Vanilla Lake, a great level where you race around a frozen lake. The best part was getting mushrooms and trying to see how far across the water you could go before you sank. The N64 version has Frappe Snowland, the snowman-bomb ridden landscape with an excellent soundtrack.

Diddy Kong Racing also has some fantastically festive levels. Frosty Village is my favorite. Weave your car, hovercraft, or airplane through falling snow, giant candy canes, and Christmas spirit so thick you can cut it with a fruitcake knife. And don't forget Walrus Cove. While not as obviously Christmasy, it still provides some winter racing excitement.

But there are even more holiday gaming options outside of racing. Mario Party 3 (the best of the series, in my opinion [and I'm right]), has the best board Mario has ever partied on. The first board is called Chilly Waters, and it has the coolest music and environment around. Watch out for giant snowmen!

Even some 1-player games have some worlds that can help bring a little more Joyeux Noel into your life. Animal Crossing has an entire season of snow and fun! There are even special events during Christmastime. Super Princess Peach, the sadly undersold save-the-plumber adventure includes an entire world of Christmasy fun, complete with jingle bells and candy canes. Most Kirby games include some sort of snowy, cream-cheese world, too.

But don't limit your options to consoles. There are plenty of PC games (and many of them free!) that bleed Christmas. There are tons of Mario-type Christmas adventures, Christmas pinball, Christmas slot machines... you name it!

Basically, there are tons of games out there with plenty of Christmas spirit. It just needs to be found! So get out there, and find some great holiday games! As for me, I think I'm gonna fire up Twinkle Bulbs and play a little Christmas Jetpack.

Have a great Christmas game that I didn't mention? Let us know!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Kirby Super Star Ultra, TMNT 2 Battle Nexus, Super Smash Bros. Brawl

All That Jazz

Anyone who grew up with DOS games (like myself), will likely remember the fantastic series of games known as Jazz Jackrabbit. And, just like I did, most people probably played the shareware version a hundred times, rather than fork over $20 for the whole shebang. Either way, Jazz Jackrabbit was one of my personal favorite computer games when I was younger.

At first glance, the game looks like a Sonic the Hedgehog rip-off. And while it is likely that Sonic was part of the inspiration, Jazz stands on its own with a different gameplay altogether. Plus, it had some of the best music known to DOS.

The story behind Jazz Jackrabbit is similar to that of a familiar plumber and his princess in distress. The goal is to fight your way to the end and win the heart of the lady hare. In your way stands the evil turtle regime, bent on destroying the universe. You'd think the animal that won the fabled race would be the good guy.

In any case, I recently purchased a little known copy of Jazz Jackrabbit for the GBA. It was the last Jazz game ever made, and hopefully someone will pick it up again. At first I had my doubts, since many DOS game ports for modern systems often turn out crappy (take for example, the horrendous piece of garbage that was Commander Keen for GBC). But thankfully, the folks at Game Titan pulled out a solid platformer.

The story and gameplay stays fairly true to the original. You play as Jazz Jackrabbit, defender of the universe. As you play, you pick up new and better weapons, like rocket launchers or carrot grenades. To be honest, this new version controls better than the original, for the most part.

Interestingly, in this version, Jazz seems like a younger, less seasoned space wabbit. And that's not a put-down. The game plays almost as if it's a prequel, with younger, more jubilant characters. Plus, the humor is pretty darn good, if you consider that most games that try to be funny, simply aren't.

The style of play is a little different, too. Instead of picking up gun power-ups as you go, you can buy new ones after each world, and then find ammo refills on each level. This may seem strange to Jazz veterans, but it's also nice because it lets you stockpile your good weapons for the bosses.

All in all, I found it to be a very fun, if short, adventure. Here's hoping that more Jazz Jackrabbit games are somewhere in the pipeline.

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased: