After actually being on time last year, we go back to putting it off until long past anyone cares like two years ago. It can only be the annual countdown of Polas' favorite games of the past year, which also qualify them as the best ones, even though Polas has yet to procure a 360 or PS3. But really, do you think Resistance or Gears of War would make it over the 157th Mega Man game? Of course you don't. Although this time, I'm doing things a little different. We'll start with...
 | HONORABLE MENTION - Guilty Gear Judgment (PSP) Poor old PSP. You're $200 (well, until this happened...), have an awkward face button setup, and an analog stick that requires a training bra. But looking past that, you do have some damn fine games. Case in point: Guilty Gear Judgment, a game that not only includes (a slightly stripped down) Guilty Gear X2, one of the best 2D fighters around, but the actual "Judgment" game. This game is a side-scrolling beat-em-up starring almost the entire Guilty Gear cast. And it's GOOD. I know, inconceivable; it took Mortal Kombat three tries to get it right. But it has the whole deal: food power-ups, extra lives, hordes of mutant lizard bug things to whale on, freaked out giant bosses, and best of all, signature special moves that were actually translated well across genres. Good times. |
 | HONORABLE MENTION - Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins (PSP) One of the toughest game series' of all time gets a new installment befitting it. This is very much an old school game in every sense, and longtime fans of everyone's favorite underpants knight will feel right at home. You'd think there'd be some rust after all this time (literal and figurative), but all of the old weapons and a few new ones combine with an effectively simple armor and magic system, not to mention the hair-pulling, awkward-jumping platforming you know and love. There are warps and an easy mode to make things slightly accessible to newer fans, but otherwise it's G&G through and through, with a beautiful updated look. |
Before we get to the top five, let's count us down the top MEGA MAN titles of the year! Yes, it's come to that. Besides, this is the last year I may be able to do something like this; things aren't exactly looking bright on the horizon. Not that it's terrible, but from what I've played, it's pretty "eh", and so far comprises half of this year's total Mega Man output. By the way, if you're one of those normal types who don't wait on bated breath for every Mega Man game ever, you probably should have skipped to the next section 2 sentences ago.
Pretty straightforward here, you get the first six non-portable Mega Man X games, which I would consider the premier Mega Man series when it's all said and done, as well as the semi-obscure racing game (original series), Battle & Chase. B&C isn't anywhere near Mario Kart, but it's close enough to be a fun distraction. The first four X games are spectacular, despite X3 trying to stuff too much in, though not close to the insufferable point we got to later in the series. X5 has some great highs and disappointing lows, and X6 ... well, it's there, and the boss music sure is funky. Certainly a great package if for some reason you've never played some of the games here, or are very lazy and want them all on one disc. Still, it could have been a lot more, which leads me to...
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GAH! Has the Retro Cafe succumbed to the awful PSP viral marketing fad? Let's hope not, but still, if there's any reason to buy one, you'll find most of them on this page. Even better than the previous game, Powered Up is the remake to end all remakes. Now, we all know that the original Mega Man wasn't exactly the shining point of the series, when it was all said and done, in the way that you could argue for the first X game. It just twists the knife further that we'll probably never see Mega Man 2 or 3 remade in this format. If we enjoy what we have, however, we get probably the most complete Mega Man package ever.
What is Powered Up? Simply put, an enhanced remake of Mega Man 1, just like MXX was an enhanced remake of X1. But oh so much more. That game may have had playable Vile, but this game has playable EVERYONE. That's right, you can take all 8 bosses (and more) through the entire game, each with their unique powers and weaknesses. Wait, 8? Yes, we got two bonus bosses to compensate for the fact that the legendary "8 bosses" format seen 100 times over wasn't invented until the next game. They all talk and are all adorable. Dr. Wily in particular is hilariously cheesy, and since Capcom wouldn't spring for two vocal groups, you get to hear him as Chill Penguin in the other game. What else? 100 missions of Challenge Mode, which are specialized missions for every character, and great fun. Consider that the Elec Beam can now charge and move giant magnetic blocks, and you see where I'm coming from. On top of that, a freaking Level Editor, that lets you create your own levels, share them online, and download other people's levels, as well as special "hard as hell" ones from Capcom. I can't recommend this game enough to fans of the original series, even if the first game wasn't close to the best. There's just so damn much to do, and all of it is a blast.
If you've been gone for awhile, all these years later, this is where the Mega Man universe has evolved to. It certainly is hard to follow, but if you're the type to try, this new series takes place awhile after the Zero (and Classic and X) series, and presumably a long while before the Legends series. Better than Zelda, at least. Why is it here? This is an all-new combination of the X and Zero series (more toward Zero; same developer), that allows you to play as the best of both worlds, as well as several other characters with varied skills. Gone are the annoying ranking and cyber elf systems that complicated matters for poor Zero, replaced by more manageable sidequests and the old reliable Heart and Sub Tanks. It's the stuff that made the two series' that came before it fun to play, while cutting out a lot of the excess. Throw in a superior soundtrack, collectable data discs, and a Hard Mode that's hard, and you have a winner.
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Basically, if Capcom wants to put out one of these every year, you'll hear no complaining from me. Well, let's not be silly, of course they'll put one out every year. Still, this is fun, old-school X action mixed in with the best parts and awesome control of the Zero series, and if they want to base the next game on the powers of everyone's least-favorite X series protagonist, just throw in some daffy new weapons and boss morphs, and we're good. 2D Mega Man has indeed always been where it's at - but it doesn't take the top spot this year...
"End"
Ever think you'd see that word in a Mega Man series, in regard to the entire series? If there's one thing that Mega Man is known for in mainstream gamedom these days, it's sequel after unending sequel (just look for the minimum of 3 snarky comments in every new review). While it turns out that last year's Zero 4 was indeed the end of that series, to actually see visual confirmation that this series was ending, didn't see that coming. And instead of making you play through the game 3 times with repeat mini-tournaments, or consolidating most boss battles into strategy games, Capcom went back to the basics of 2 and 3, wrapping things up with a swan song close to that high point of the series.
I know, the previous four games here have gotten you into the classic Mega Man spirit, and then I pull a fast one on you by extolling a series that doesn't always do so well with Mega Man purists. Hey, I learned my lesson the hard way when I put off playing Legends for years. The fact is, Battle Network has always featured an extremely fun battle system, and the final installment is no exception. The main addition was to the cross/unison system, giving you a wide variety of crosses and fusions by adding two ...er, mythical beasts buried in the Internet, along with the usual game-exclusive boss unisons. You can transform into the beasts (Gregar & Falzar), the bosses, or combine both of them into beast crosses of extreme cheapness. You can also finally play as the six bosses (almost) anytime you want. There are the little things as well, such as the return of the Request Board to give you some fun and profitable sidequests along the way. The main thing you want out of a sequel is to improve on its predecessors while cutting out the excess, and while this game doesn't quite reach the glory of the second and third games, it blows away the last two, wraps everything up, and was the most fun I had with a Mega Man game this year.
The first traditional MK in two years is this generation's Mortal Kombat Trilogy - an amalgamation of the three 3D Mortal Kombats (mainly the two most recent), just as Trilogy gave us the complete 2D package. So ends the second generation of Kombat, after many thought the series was dead and buried after the release of MK Special Forces allowed Shao Kahn to enter Earthrealm and kill John Tobias. What was I talking about? Right, the resurrection of MK. As I've said many times before, we all know that MK is nowhere near the pinnacle of fighting, but it's always good for a blast, often a much bigger blast than so-called "high-level" fighters. Armageddon is no exception.
Yep, that's all of 'em. Of course there's the Arcade mode, with all 64 ckharacters, as well as new and classic interactive stages, the newly-added air kombos, half-assed parry system, and Create-a-Fatality. Kind of a shame that there are no more "personal" Fatalities, but at least you get to participate in them now, and not have to memorize long button inputs. The fighting also seems faster than the previous two games. Each fighter has been cut down to one fighting style, but not only is it kind of a necessity with 64 fighters, but it ends up as a good thing, streamlining the process. In a nutshell, it's the frenzied MK you know and love - I'd say this game is closest to the 2D MKs in that regard.
Starting with Deception, the MK team started putting in side games in addition to the main arcade mode. Not stuff like Galaga by way of a code in MK3, but full-blown adventures, and distractions like puzzles and chess. Armageddon offers the best version of Konquest yet: a 3D brawler that blends melee fighting with traditional MK fighting, mixing in simple exploration elements and collectible items. It won't set the genre on fire, but it's above average. It's also how you get most of the story info, since Midway kind of left that out in their rush to get the game out. Any story that brings back Shinnok and his stupid hat AND makes him a badass has to be worth something. On top of that, KART RACING. Aren't they adorable? If you don't agree that MK Armageddon is a stellar package, then I've got someone who wants to talk to you.
We waited a long time for this one, and evidently, so did most of Japan, which bodes well for another installment. If you went in expecting the second coming of Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World, well, what could possibly live up to that? What you got was still a great new, real, Mario game.
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What holds it back? The power-ups leave a little to be desired; mushrooms that make Mario gigantic or microscopic aren't exactly the Cape Feather or Hammer Bros. suit, though tromping through levels as Godzilla Mario can be pretty cathartic. However, spinning through levels inside a blue koopa shell that bounces off of shit all over the place? Awesome, and quite the challenge in some places. Speaking of challenge, that's probably the main sticking point. I've said it 1,000 times and'll say it 1,000 more: they don't make 'em like they used to. On the plus side, they did add 3 star coins per level to shoot the difficulty up a little, as many are often in precarious places. This extends the game's length in a satisfying way, and gives you good cause to visit the two entire worlds you had to skip the first time. Long story.
Minor issues, really. You get your eight levels full of jumping and stomping goodness, castles, fortresses, bosses, lava, water, and all the Mario you've been missing for almost 15 years ... oh jeez, I just used "Mario" and "Missing" in the same sentence, didn't I? Moving on...
That's gotta hurt Mario, finishing right behind Castlevania two years in a row. But damned if Castlevania isn't becoming the new Mega Man, with sequel after sequel cashing in on the now classic Symphony of the Night gameplay. If you don't understand how satisfactory this is to me, I command you to read through the Mega Man section again. People have criticized the level setup, opting for a smaller castle setup with gateways to smaller, self-contained worlds. Me, I think that's fine. Now, they might consider doing away with mirror levels and going the whole hog next time, but the difficulty and enemy variety was satisfactorily ramped up, so I won't complain too much, considering the new locales do throw in a little variety. The game does come up short of Dawn of Sorrow; mainly, the dual-character attack/magic setup isn't quite the crunchy soul power of Mr. Soma Cruz, but it gets the job done.
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So Polas, first new Mario game in over a decade, finishes behind the "Castlevania of the year" that didn't live up to the first DS outing. Just how did that happen, anyway?
Bu- Th- Well that's insane! If you're insinuating that Konami bought me off with an awesome pre-release bonus that included an art book, 20th anniversary soundtrack, timeline, and extendo stylus, well ... didn't hurt, no. However, I put POR ahead simply because it kept me coming back longer. All the usual extras, modes with hidden and/or classic Castlevania characters, Boss Rush and so on are always and continue to be the icing on the haunted cake. There's even a (limited) online boss rush mode you can play cooperatively, although I find myself using the other online mode more. That is, going into random people's shops to see if they have the stupid New York Steak I need for Stupid Wind's stupid quest. "Wind"? Yes, I'm trying to stay spoiler-free for you. But here's a big one...
...Death is in the game. You fight him. Put your mind at ease!
What can you really say about the newest entry in the iconic Zelda franchise, other than "why isn't it #1, you stupid prat"? This series, even more than Mario or any other I can think of, is the only one that still feels hallowed to me, and I think a lot of gamers feel the same way. Even if it's not as groundbreaking as it once was, the Ocarina of Time formula that in itself was a 3D Link to the Past formula is of such a distinct quality, that it still stands alone. Probably also helps that Link isn't nearly as whored out as most of his contemporaries; maybe that's why I'm avoiding doing one of his CD-I games. That and laziness. Sweet, sweet laziness.
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Hey yeah, there's the (somewhat) groundbreaking part I was looking for. Originally planned to be a last hurrah for the GameCube, it was ported over to the Wii late in development for obvious reasons. But this is one early Wii game, likely due it being Nintendo's first major flagship title for the system, where the Wii controls don't feel tacked on. Indeed, I was skeptical after seeing all of the "one you go shoot arrows with the Wiimote, you can't go back" talk, but that clumsy turn of phrase turned out to be true. Wiggling the Wiimote for style points, using the Wiimote and Nunchuck as "feet" to run, those are somewhat iffy. Zelda on the other hand meshes very well with the aiming and the sword swinging. I wouldn't go as far to say that it greatly enhances the Zelda experience, but it is fun.
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Once again, this is a tale of two games, generally following the "beat three dungeons, cataclysmic event happens, beat some harder dungeons" procedure. It may be the first time that the first half trumps the second. You begin in Link's small village, get acquainted with the controls, and indeed move on to the three dungeons in the midst of all the little quests and interludes, again having the forest, fire and water themes of Ocarina of Time. You also first experience Wolf Link, which freshens things up a bit. Everything's going according to plan, but then, you soon realize that you've seen just about everything. Aside from the rest of the dungeons (which are mostly exceptional), there really isn't all that much to do. Especially on the rupee front; after buying the most expensive armor in the game, you'll find yourself with a full wallet almost always. There's the usual heart piece-gathering, hunting for bugs at the behest of the creepiest character since the mildly evil homosexual Poe Guy. Yeah, now you remember, don't you? Oh, and Poe hunting - the less the better. I will say that if you're going to include a hunting game that can only be done at night, DON'T take away the song that changes the time of day. DON'T. I don't know, it just feels kind of empty once you've seen it all by the halfway point or so. So, you ask, what makes it the second best game of the year?
Yeah, basically the Spinner (WARNING: That link will spoil a (very cool) boss fight). Wait, what? No, although riding a giant top is undoubtedly one of the best things to ever happen to the Zelda series, I put this game so high because the dungeons are incredible. There was only one real lackluster one toward the end of the game, but at least it was different. Aside from that, this group was without a doubt the overall strongest in the series.
Another related criticism of the game is that many of the dungeon items, including the beloved Spinner, aren't used very much outside of their respective dungeons. True enough, lending more credence to the "not much to do in the overworld the last half of the game" situation. But man, while you're using two hookshots to traverse the City in the Sky, using a rod to direct a giant stone thing to rampage across enemies, traps and shiny floors, and yes, pinballing Link's top from pillar to pillar across quicksand, it's extremely hard to beat that, and that's what Zelda does so well.
Sure, everyone's been swept up in Nintendo Fever once again. After all, the former king of gaming, during the period that most of this site is dedicated to, has done the seemingly impossible, slaying the Playstation and claiming the top spot in the industry. Part of me is happy about that - it was Sony who mainstreamed gaming in the mid-1990's, something many of us old-timers still haven't come to terms with. But now, Nintendo is reaping profit by casualizing gaming. The term "non-game" is being tossed around like Princess Peach in a Newgrounds video. To appeal to the mass market, will old school action and adventure games become extinct on consoles, giving way to Wii Sports and Brain Training?
Poor Clover Studios might agree with this harrowing prospect. They release Viewtiful Joe, a terrifically fun side-scrolling fighter with innovative gameplay elements. Then comes God Hand, a no-frills but fun and oddball 3D beat-em-up. Finally, their masterpiece, Okami. Finally? Yes, then they were shut down by Capcom because no one bought these games.
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It's with that sad lament that I present Okami as the Game of the Year. I believe the director himself outed himself as a huge Zelda fan, and it shows. This is an epic adventure very much along those lines - a large, semi-connected overworld with warps added later for convenience, sprawling dungeons, and special items and abilities. However, in contrast to Twlight Princess, most of these abilities are used consistently throughout the game, in all places. Some are found in dungeons, and are expectedly used to overcome the dungeon's puzzles and main boss. Some are just found. But the way you use them? :muah:
The Celestial Brush. Imagine if Link could pause the game, whip out a paintbrush, and paint a bomb anytime he wanted, rather than having to kill a Moblin or fork over rupees to a Goron. Indeed, once you stop the game, you can use the controller to draw the aforementioned bombs (in different sizes for bigger blasts), grappling vines, or a sun or moon in the sky (hear that, Zelda? Fucking Poes). There's still money to buy items, but your bread and butter is the brush. Later on, powerful elemental attacks can be learned and combined with your weaponry for ultimate wolf power. Yes, you're a wolf in this game too, but for the whole time. The sword kind of swings itself, and instead of a sarcastic dark imp girl, your sidekick is a microscopic pervert with a funny hat. That one's kind of a draw.
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The combat has been somewhat maligned for being too easy, but overall I found it (surprise, surprise) on par with the 3D Zeldas. If you've been there, it's unlikely you'll die more than a few times, or if you're me, at all. It's a bit different, as enemies are represented by large flying demon scrolls, and making contact with one throws you into the arena seen above to do battle. Weapons, divided into mirrors (main, average strength and range), beads (weak, rapid-fire and distance) and swords (strong, slow with short range, can be charged) are all only used in combat. All are upgradeable at a nice pace, and all can be used as sub-weapons, which give you a shield (mirror), projectile (beads) or dash attack (sword) to use with your main weapon. You can also use your brush techniques to aid you, as well as "finish" enemies for bonuses, and your rank (time and damage) determines how much cash you get. The enemies are a wacky bunch plucked from deep within Japanese mythology, my only (minor) complaint would be that they suffer from Final Fight syndrome, in that as you move on to later areas, you find a lot of upgraded versions of earlier foes. This is tempered by the fact that the bosses are great, even if you do have to fight one of them three freaking times.
As far as intangibles, Okami hits the mark that Twilight Princess missed. The graphics, music and environments are just that captivating. When you have the main overworld theme stuck in your head at work every day for two weeks, you know a game's presentation is doing something right, and your psychiatrist something wrong. The only part that takes some getting used to is the Banjo-Kazooie style of voice acting. The story and characters, again derived from various Japanese legends, is paced extremely well, making the game seem longer than it actually is, in a good way. Now, the endgame plot twist may leave a bit to be desired (SPOILER: highlight inviso-text: Alien invasion. Really.), but you probably won't see it coming. Best of all, no matter where you are, there's almost always something to do, something to find, or someone to talk to.
The cruel irony is that obviously, Okami would be a perfect fit on the Wii. As it seems that will never happen, you owe it to yourself to grab this game for PS2 (or spend $600 on a PS3 that may or may not play it, don't let me stop you) and enjoy an epic adventure game that at least for one year, took the reigns from Zelda. And with that, I finally conclude the third Goodtime Retro Cafe GOTY awards. Stay tuned for next October, when hopefully I'll have arsed myself to name Smash Bros. Brawl GOTY 2007. Adios!
1999-2000: Shadow Man (N64, DC)
2001: Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC)
2002: Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance (PS2)
2003: F-Zero GX (GC)
2004: Mega Man X8 (PS2)
2005: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)
