Dessert Island

No, I'm not talking about the tropical baked equivalent of Candyland (did you read the title right?) I'm talking about the classic question posed to fanatics of anything. If you were stranded on a desert island, what 5 (whatever the crap) would you want to have with you? Today, I shall share with you you my top 5 games I would have if I was stranded on a desert island.

But this is no ordinary desert island list. I shall share with you my top 5 games with female main characters. Games with a female character as a choice don't count, such as Smash Bros and Mario Bros 2. So let's have a look. Should be interesting...

5 - Trace Memory(DS): This classic DS game stars Ashley Robbins, a thirteen year old girl who recieves a package from her thought-to-be-dead father on her birthday. She is instructed to go to Blood Edward Island off the coast of Washington. Her father is not there to greet her, so she goes lookoing for him.

The game is similar to your standard point-and-click adventure. You explore various rooms and areas and pick up items and hit switches, etc. The story is extremely compelling and the gameplay is very fun. As with many point-and-click adventures, sometimes you can get stuck looking for a hidden item or switch, but aside from that, the game is highly entertaining. After I complete my 108 in 2008 goal, perhaps I shall play through it again. It's that good.

4 - Drill Dozer (GBA): Another Nintendo portable sleeper hit. You play as Jill, a member of a crew of drillers. She controls a walking drilling machine as you try and find all the treasures you can. When you start a level, you can only drill through a certain thickness of walls. As you go, you can find second and third gears, the latter of which allows you to drill through most anything.

Sounds like an 'interesting' title, to be sure. But it's way more fun than it sounds. The levels are nicely designed, and the boss battles are hard, but beatable. Plus, the cartridge has a built-in rumble pak, so when you drill, the thing shakes. That rules. Plus, it's one of those great games where after you beat the main adventure, you just HAVE to go and find all the extra treasures. Definitely worth a second play-through.

3 - Metroid Zero Mission (GBA): Many people are not aware that Samus, the star of Metroid games, is a woman. This is a little more commonly known now that Smash Bros. has Zero Suit Samus, but many are still unaware. In any case, Zero Mission takes place before all the other Metroid games. It's very interesting in that you find out a lot about Samus' past, much of which was previously unknown.

Zero Mission is my personal favorite of all Metroid titles. Mostly because it's fun and exciting, but not thumb-chaffingly hard. Plus the storyline is amazing. The design is simply flawless. All the characters and backgrounds are well-drawn and pleasant to look at. The sound and music fit the mood perfectly. And of course, the controls are perfect. In short, it's an awesome game. Out of all the Metroids, this one deserves the most play-throughs.

2 - Super Princess Peach (DS): What? A game starring the often annoying and far-too-girly Princess Peach? How could that possibly be any good? If you agree with the previous statements, you have obviously never played the game. In my opinion, it's nearly as good as any Mario game. Yeah, it's easy. But who cares? Kirby games are easy, and they're amazing. Easy doesn't mean lame.

Super Princess Peach is similar to many Mario games. You run around, stomp goombas, and collect power-ups. Peach has her umbrella which lets her float, attack enemies, and pick up items. Using the touch-screen, you can control her emotions to help you along your way. For example, you can make her angry, which lets her catch things on fire. It really is an awesome game. Plus, there are some mini-games where you control Toad. Can't get any better than that.

1 - Perfect Dark (N64): One of the few FPS games I own is also one of the best games I own. Perfect Dark is the spiritual sequel to Goldeneye. It controls the same way, but with awesome new weapons and characters. The game is really, really hard at times, but it's also really, really fun. There's a co-op mode, extemely large multiplayer mode, and tons of unlockables. It is easily one of the greatest N64 games, and that's saying something.

In the story mode, you control Joanna Dark, a super-skilled secret agent. You try to foil the DataDyne Corporation and their plans for world domination. Like Goldeneye, you can unlock awesome cheats and options, such as DK mode, which makes everyone's heads and arms huge. Plus, the incredible invincibility mode is fun to use. Just kill people with no chance of dying. In short, the game has nearly unlimited replay value. Awesome.

So, there you go. If any of you get stuck on this island with me, be prepared to play some serious Perfect Dark. Until that time, I shall enjoy the other near billions of games I own.

Honorable Mentions:
Metroid Prime (fun, but too dang hard)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (haven't played it yet. Looks fun, tho)

-benjamines

Getting Ready to Start: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Come and Upping Games!

I just finished my run-through of the newest Nintendo Power magazine and boy, are there some good games coming out soon. Behold! A preview!

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS, October) - The excellent Castlevania franchise returns to the DS for it's bi-yearly outing. The controls should remain the same as the previous games, and of course, expect some crazy bosses and insane monsters. One change is that the main character collects Glyphs, which can combine to create more powerful moves using combinations of weapons and magic. Looks to be a great continuation of the DS Castlevanias. I myself preferred Dawn of Sorrow over Portrait of Ruin, but they were both fantastic games. Let's hope this one continues that tradition.

Metal Slug 7 (DS, November) - Metal Slug is, in my humble, yet undeniably correct opinion, the greatest run-and-gun franchise ever made. Not that there are that many of those type of games. Metal Slug just has a gory, testosterone fueled charm that many violent games simply lack. In any case, this November will see the release of Metal Slug 7 for the DS. Built from the ground up, it's an all-new Metal Slug with more bad guys, more weapons (like the new Electricity Cannon), and more giant vehicles to squish people with. When I have a bad day or need to take out some frustration, nothing lets me get the anger out of my system like a good Metal Slug. Let's hope the new one doesn't disappoint.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS, Q1 2009) - This is not a game I would normally blog about, but it's the first GTA for DS and who knows how it will compare with the others. I may decide to get it, but it depends on how much it is like the other GTA games. I like the driving parts. Some of the other stuff is just silly. In any case, Rockstar games is building this one from the ground up just for the DS, complete with touch screen minigames, such as hotwiring a car and tattooing a member of the Triads. It looks like it's done well. Now we'll just have to see how it rates content-style.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (DS, October) - Sonic is soon going to be starring in his own RPG! While I am usually not a big RPG fan, this one has captured my interest. Especially when I learned that some of the battles involve Elite Beat Agents-style stylus movements. Plus, they say it's not an extremely long RPG, which gets bonus points in my book. Characters include, Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, the adorable Chao, and many others from the semi-vast Sonic universe. It seems counter-intuitive for the faster hedgehog on the planet to be confined to a turn-based battle system, but hey, ya gotta slow down sometime, right? Or something? Anyone...

Sonic Unleashed (Wii, November) - If there's one thing Sonic needed, it was a return to the 2-D style of gameplay he was famous for back in the early 90's. Believe it or not, for a while there, Sonic was a more recognizable character than Mario. He has since falling very far from the tree. Hopefully this one will return him to his former glory. Obviously, the game stars Sonic the Hedgehog. In this game, he turns into a werewolfy type hedgehog and beats people up. That sounds like a recipe for success to me. The blue blur will control differently depending on which character you are. While regular Sonic focuses on more puzzle solving and quick maneuvering, werewolf Sonic simply wants to beat the crap out of people. Sounds like it could be good. We'll just have to wait and see.

Sam and Max Season 1 (Wii, October) - I think I talked about this one once already, but the release date got pushed back, so I'll mention it again. Made by the same awesome people who are making Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Sam and Max is the point-and-click story of a Detective Duo of a Dog and Rabbit-esque thing. Expect plenty of laughs and fun. The entire 5-episode season drops October 7th-ish. At least, that's what I'm hoping. Last time I mentioned a release date for this game, it never showed up. I had dinner ready and everything. Wait, what?

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (Wii, October - December) - SBCG4AP will be gracing us about once a month through December. Simply put, the games are awesome, they contain plenty of hilarious Strong Badian style put-downs, and best of all, they're only $10 apiece. Such greatness has seldom been achieved. I've had a great time with the 1st episode so far, and I hope to get the second one soon. Long live SBCG4AP!!

Samba de Amigo (Wii, Now) - Apparently, this one has already been released without my knowledge, and without my permission. Those jerks. Just kidding! The game is based on the 2000 Dreamcast title of the same name. You shake your maracas (which can be a wiimote and nunchuk, or two wiimotes) to the beat, and try to score big points. I hadn't thought much of it, but now that I've seen some video, it looks like a lot of fun. Go buy it! Now!

de Blob (Wii, Now) - Sheesh, I guess this one's out already, too. You play as a colorful blob, trying to add color and eye candy to an inky world. But watch out for the inky police! The goal is to make things colorful. I hear it's kind of a sandbox type game, where you can just kinda do your thing. But I haven't played it yet. While it does look interesting, my guess is that it will hit the baragin bin before too long. Then I'll snatch it up!

Well, there are more games than that coming out this year, but these are the ones that interest me most. Therefore, they are the most interesting games! But, if there's another game coming out soon that I failed to mention, lemme know! Also, new poll!

-benjamines

Currently 90% Finished With: Kirby Super Star Ultra