Erm, I can get into a Quick Battle on Tekken DR in 50 seconds, so that's a little more than the 2-3 second error margin. :| Not that I think 50 seconds is really acceptable for a portable game.
5) The Matrix Online - As a game, it's complete and utter pants. I've paid 5 times the price of an ordinary game for 1/10th the content. Nonetheless, because of it I met all you wonderful folk and thusly will forever remember it as "that crap game with the Germans and Brits". 4) Silent Hill 2, 3 & 4 - Not so much a 3 way tie, I see all 3 games as part of a bigger puzzle that need to be experienced together to be fully understood. Graphics, storylines, soundtrack, gameplay, atmosphere all combine to create one of the greatest experiences to ever be bestowed upon gaming. 3) Shadow of the Colossus - Ringing in at just under 8 hours to complete doesn't smack of a GOTG award, but unlike most games out there nowadays, it's the journey rather than the destination. The term "jaw dropping vistas" is pathetically over used, but I can say with conviction that this game is deserving of such a term. Pushed the PS2 to its apex in graphical capabilities, had a magical classical soundtrack and gave me an emotional link with a horse. What more can you ask for? Oh, the most giant enemies ever seen in a videogame, those too. 2) Killer7 - The definition of "niche" gaming, Killer7 received tepid reviews and sales, but those of us who actually delved into the twisted psyche of Mr. Smith were wholeheartedly rewarded. Utterly, utterly bizarre and brilliant in equal measures. Storyline was one of the most multilayered, strange, disturbing and thought-provoking I've ever seen in a videogame. Gameplay was beauty in its simplicity, and yet it never got old. Graphics were a trippy mix of cel shading and semi CGI, and collided synaesthetically with the similarly schizophrenic soundtrack. If you take a moment out from playing the game to actually think about what you're doing, it's a liberating experience. It's a love it or hate it game, you can guess which camp I'm in. 1) Resident Evil 4 - This was it. This was the game I had waited 5 long years for, to finally granting the justification of actually referring to this gaming generation as a generation. I had been sorely disappointed with all the broken promises the Big Three made, and then this game comes along. Graphics had overwhelming tones in each phase of the game, and in each case were used to brilliant effect, building atmosphere rather than blatantly used just for the sake of it. Character models, animations, effects were all quite simply perfect. The sound had deathly silence mixed with deafening noise to perfection, not one scream or musical score sounded out of place or forced. The gameplay was where it was really at. So easy to get into, and yet never gets boring. The seemingly impossible transition from slow paced survival horror into split second action horror was made impeccably, and the atmosphere from the previous Resi games somehow remained in tact. It's not play-complete-forget either. It's worth playing through again and again, just for the experience. Oh and a bounty of unlockables too. Capcom are too kind. Honourable mention to Guilty Gear X2#Reload of course :D Holy crap I didn't mean to write that much :shock:
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