#140: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)

Ahh, Castlevania. So sweet. Well, Portrait of Ruin walksa fine line. Dawn of Sorrow was an amazing game that ended the Soma's appearance in the Castlevania series (for...now?), so new characters and a new story was in order. PoR may not be one of the series high-points, but it is still Castlevania done well. It brings subweapons back to the Metroidvania formula, and though the souls will be sorely missed, it manages to amaze with the large number of varied subweapons and main weapons available for use. It also has a beautiful design, and some great music as well. Sure, it's incredibly easy, and sure, there isn't much good new stuff in the game, but it is a fun game, with a fun premise, and great gameplay. What more do you want? Huh?!

GS review:8,3

#139: Mega Man Battle Network 6: Gregar/Faltzer (GBA)

Believe it or not, the Battle Network series was the firstMega Man games I played. I know, I suck, right? Not necessarily (I hope not!). It is a more cerebral experience than theoriginal Mega Man games, and offers a lot for those who love micro-management. Are the good, oldMega Man games better? Yes, but the Battle Network games prove that not all spin-offs are bad. Quite the contrary, MMBN6(long)does nothing new, but it is incredibly fun to play, and the battle system is polished to a pretty sheen. You move Mega Man around a 3X3 grid,attacking theenemy while dodging the relentless onslaught they send your way. Thissounds boring, butthat it ain't. It's fun, fast-paced anddeeper than you'dthink at first glance. The difficulty is perfect, offering challenge in good doses, and the story features some interesting cameos. Maybe it's only grievous fault is it's lack of novelty, butthat doesn't matter when the gameis so fun.

GS review: 6,9

#138: Shufflepuck Café (MAC)

Haha, obscure again! Not only does this rare game have no reviews anywhere on Gamespot (for the MAC), but this version only gives four results on Google. Four! ON GOOGLE! One of them is one of my forum posts, believe it or not. Check it out. Anyway, the game came out 1988 for the Apple Vectronics computer, and boy, is it fun. It's a air hockey simulator that has the quirkiest cast ever. Your opponents are: a nerd, a robot, a drunken lizard, a beefed-up powerman, a dog...thing, a psychic, a dwarf, a hooded figure that is actually two creatures standing on each other's shoulders anda pig that is trying to act tough, but really isn't. The mechanic is simple. You hit the puck, your opponent hits the puck, continue until either player gets 15 points. Simple, yet insanely addictive. Every opponent is unique. For instance, the drunken lizard is almost impossible at first, but wait until he sips his martini a few times, and he gets sluggish anda lot easier. Pure genious! This game is officially abandonware, which means it is completely legal to download the game for free via the internet. What are you waiting for? Get it now!

No GS review available

#137: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare(PS3)

So the controversy begins. Let me get this straight: I value story very highly, and Modern Warfare's skimp story isn't the stuff of legends. However, the fact that the game still manages to impact me,anot-so extreme shooter fan, so deeply is a feat, and thus it more than deserves a spot on the list. Once more, I remind that being low on the list isn't a bad thing. Not at all. MW is one of the most polished, technically brilliant and exciting games this generation. I'm a pacifist to the extreme, so glorification of war isn't something I like. However, MW also tries to focus on the more disturbing aspects of war in good measure. This narrative standpoint is an important factor in separating Modern Warfare from most other war shooters that have appeared in recent years. The story might be short, but it is impressive while it lasts, and that is what's important, at least in the war shooter genre...I guess. The much praised multiplayer is, controversially, not the reason the game is so high on the list. I personally don't like it. I've tried it a few times, and it is just too agressive, too serious, and not much fun personally. I'll stick to Uncharted 2 for multiplayer, thanks. But regardless of the game's brevity, it sets the bar for most shooters that focus on a solid narrative, and that is something to commend.

GS review: 9,0

#136: Space Invaders (ARC)

What? This game is over Modern Warfare? Well...yes. Has anyone really researched the impact of Space Invaders? It is one of those games EVERYONE knows, and its impact can be found in various media and literature. The simple gameplay belies the true beauty of the game's mechanic. It is governed by skill, there is little to no readable shoot pattern, you've just got to learn how to play the game, and play it well. Sure, not everyone has played the game in a real arcade cabinet, but any gaming connoisseur will have played some version of the game. You have, haven't you? Haven't you? For transcending the border of the gaming world, it deserves to be on this list, and here it is, in the respectable 136th place.

No GS review available (for the arcade version, that is)

#135: Jak 2 (PS2)

Naughty Dog seriously took a bold move in making the sequel to the hit Jak and Daxter intoa darker, moodier, more adult game. It was met with some skepticism, for instance from me. However, they seem to have succeede in making a game that is both fun to play and tells a story that sets a mood that is completely unique. Instead of punching and spinning your way through worlds, you use a variety of powerful guns and mean vehicles to save the world once again. However, the police is now a threat, and you must be careful to not cause too much trouble, or the law will beat you to a pulp. You can also turn into a sinister Dark Jak, which grants you a beastly power that is difficult to wield, but destructive in use. Blend these cool additions with the standard Naughty Dog humor and a cast of incredibly varied characters, you won't be bored for the entirety of the game's long storyline. Naughty Dog, you did it again.

GS review: 9,1

#134: The Simpsons: Hit & Run (PS2)

A good Simpsons game is almost impossible to find, and for a Simpsons fan like me, that is a very sad thing. That is why Hit & Run is sucha blessing. It uses much of Grand Theft Auto's gameplay mechanics, but puts it into a much more entertaining and family friendly form, which is something that really expands the overall genre. The fact that this is a Simpsons game adds so much to an already fun game, that it is almost staggering how many laughs this game will inspire. If you like Simpsons, you'll feel right at home. The missions are ridiculous, the locales odd and detailed, the voices terrific and the characters are all stables in the legendary TV series. Hit & Run is not only a testament that good Simpsons games can exist, but also that the "steal cars, hit people" mechanic can actually appeal to a younger generation, and doesn't have to be nearly as violent.

GS review: 8,3

#133: Call of Duty: World at War (PS3)

Oh boy, here we go again. World at War had the impossible challenge of topping the previous installment in the series. As said before, it is virtually impossible...so it doesn't even try. The game isn't as polished or as impressive. It is more about "heroism" in war, and it is full of cheesy moments. However, it feels more like an arcade shooter than anything else. It has a number of different scenarios with different missions and different mechanics. Sure, the WWII scene has been used to death, but I hadn't played a WWII shooter before, so yay for me. The game just focused more on fun than polish, and I value that quite highly. It's all like a cliche blockbuster you'd see in the cinema. There probably is one thing that teeters the scale over to WaW side more than anything else. That is the amalgam of two of the oldest, most used enemies ever: zombies and Nazis; together: Nazi Zombies. Whoever thought of that is a mad genius.

GS review: 8,5

#132: Bleach: Dark Souls (DS)

OK, tell me if this sounds good: a DS Bleach fighting game. It doesn't sound good, does it? However, not only is DS (Dark Souls) good, it's actually brilliant. The first game, Blades of Fate, managed to faithfully transfer the Bleach manga series intoa great fighter on the beloved handhold. DS does the same, except bigger and better. With a huge roster of characters from the manga, even being able to play as the villains, with addictive fighting and an intriguing premise, Bleach: Dark Souls really knows how to keep you entranced in thelovely graphics, great sound and easy-to-learn mechanics. For both Bleach and fighter fans, Bleach: Dark Souls is a game that not only is a must-buy, but should already be tucked into the shelf, finished and ready to play again.

GS review: 8,0

#131: Mario Party 4 (GC)

Remember when Mario Party was cool? OK, maybe you don't, but I sure do. I remember spending hours with friends playing the Mario Party games, getting every minigame, getting all levels, and even going through the single-player. The board mechanic was partly based on luck, but I still ended up winning most matches because of my minigame awesomeness. Heated debates sprouted every time we played, betrayals were in order and the verdict of every match was so filled with tension that the air could be cut with a kitchen knife. Mario Party 4, the series first outing on the Gamecube, is some of the best the series has to offer. A large number of minigames, varied boards and an addictive gameplay mechanic, Mario Party4 was a complete success, and offers some of the most pure fun of any game out there. Play on!

GS review: 7,2

Silly 20000 character limit...

Were you expecting so many games? I'm trying to get as many games out of the way before midterms start next Monday. Anyway, if you had the patience to read it all, PLEASE COMMENT! I'd love to get your feedback on my list. Happy reading! Maybe there will be some more tomorrow...