Yesterday became a very early birthday as my wife let my open my presents. We now have a GameCube. And four controllers. And money to spend on games. Apparently we couldn’t wait to take advantage of the video action — that and friends are moving this weekend and we can take advantage of sales at Best Buy. But I’m not complaining.
So I need to decide what games to buy. Mario Kart seems like an obvious choice, though I’ve played it a lot recently and have beaten 98% of the races. Then again it’s a racing game and always has a life of its own (proven last night by the awesome three and four player gaming). Super Smash Bros. Melee also looks good. I remember playing it on the N-64 and it’s a great multiplayer game. We rented Simpsons Hit & Run tonight, which is basically a Simpsons version of Grand Theft Auto without all the senseless violence. It’s a fun game, but I don’t know if it’s a must own. Only a small portion of the game is multiplayer, so that’s disappointing.
I’m also going to have to get my share of racing games. Burn Out 2 looks good (I’ve played the original), and I’d also love to get a realistic racer like NASCAR Heat 2: Dirty to Daytona, which covers NASCAR from dirt tracks to modifies to the truck series to the full blown pros. Of course NASCAR 2005: Chase For the Cup sounds pretty sweet.
There’s a few other games I have my eye on, like F-Zero (great racing game on the SNES), Medal of Honor (I’ve played on the computer, though I’m curious if a console version would be any good), and the various James Bond and Lord of the Rings games. I also just checked out the web site for Custom Robo — that looks way cool: build a robot and then fight with it. Looks like lots of multiplayer action.
Thankfully GameCube games get pretty cheap when they’ve been out for a while. Several of these games are available for under $20. Bonus. Does anybody have any recommendations for good games?
Oh man… This is such a weighty question. I have to take this seriously.
The games that I am about to recommend are some of the most amazing that I have ever played in my Life, but there is a chance that you will not enjoy them for stylistic reasons, or because they don’t fit the genre of game you enjoy. So in that spirit I would encourage you to rent them and see if you do or don’t enjoy them before you buy.
Zelda: The Wind Waker [Reviews]
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time [Review]
Animal Crossing [Review]
I could go on for hours about all three of those games. Zelda is one of the most well-done games I’ve ever seen. It’s not a game, it’s an interactive work of fricking art. You absolutely have to play this game. It is not not NOT a “kids game” simply because the graphics look playful and colorful.
Prince of Persia is captivating, addicting, and totally insanely puzzle-wonderful. You’ll be running up walls, swinging on ropes, and backflipping off your enemies to your heart’s content.
Animal Crossing? Man… Animal Crossing is the most inventive, unique, groundbreaking game that I have ever come across. It is completely unlike every other game I’ve ever played. The objectives and the way that the game asks the player to approach it completely defy conventional gaming. It does things that you just wouldn’t think are possible or sensible, and then you try it, and it’s fun. And you love it, and you can’t stop playing, and you look forward to playing later that evening but you’ve got to get there before Nook’s store closes or you’re going to miss out on the special sale!, etc. Totally nuts.
I would love to know what you think of those.
Oh, checkout Pikmin too. Kinda cute and fun. Mario Party 5 is fun with a lot of people.
Your Dad recommends any Nascar or racing games. Are there any flight simulators, F16, etc???
By the way, Happy Birthday more than two weeks early!!!!
Well, Hi Kevin. I found your blog. Happy Birthday soon.
I really don’t know your video game preferences, but I felt the need to comment. Burnout2 is by far one of the best racing games out there. I have invested way too much of my life in it. It is SO much better than the first one. The tracks are better, the cars are better, the sense of speed is better, you can actually chain burnouts together (my record is 19 in a row). Multiplayer is fun too. There is a crash mode that even our non-video playing friends enjoy and can get high scores on. Umm.. I guess I’m saying you should get that for sure.
Other good games are Soul Calibur II, Tony Hawk (my favorite is 4), and Godzilla: Destroy all Monsters Melee.
And my husband got Medal of Honor for the GC for Christmas.. he played it once and said it’s BAD. Stick to the PC version.
Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda. Zelda.
Did you get a Wavebird Controller? It’s a must. The best wireless controller on the market hands down.
Yes, as a matter of fact I did get the Wavebird, and I’m loving it. It got it accidentally after returning a broken used controller and having to spend store credit. But it’s great. No rumble pack is a bummer, but not having tangled cords more than makes up for it.