I am not your typical racing sim fan,
I enjoy racing sims like I enjoy sports games, when I just want to unwind I can toss it in and just enjoy the sweet sweet simplicity of the genre and play till its time to go out, or to bed, or something good is one TV, I call these my "Brainless" Games I don't get onboard these this game is better that that BS, For games of this sort I listen to reviews because honestly the "Best" sport game in each sport changes almost yearly

I will admit I like GT3, it was 19.99 and was a good time killer on PS2,
When the talk of Microsoft coming out with their own racing sim hit the fan, I simply thought to myself....

Ugh....

So when GT4 came out to pretty good reviews I jumped on it,
I was not as impressed out of the box as I was with GT3, simply because 2005 has been the year of the graphic,
but it was servicable, I gave the crown to GT4 without even giving a second thought to Forza,

Then the reviews started coming, and needless to say even then I felt at best it would be a similar game,

Then last night I am strolling through my favorite "Big box" store, and I see Forza, one copy on the shelf,
I know its not out for another 12 hours, but what the hey, I grab it walk to the counter behind a woman in line who doesn't understand why her 5.99 universal remote does not come with batteries, and then me,

I bought a few other things, to mask my evil plan, and it scanned, although it showed up as "Promo" on my Bill, the price seemed right at 49,99 CDN,

and off I went,

When I got it home, I was stunned the game I had no intention of buying was stellar,

I just don't understand how Sony would allow MS to walk in and spit on one of its most storied franchises.

I want to review Forza, but I think I need a few more hours first

-Z

I have been an RPG fan since pretty well the start of the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy series on NES, and for the most part I followed them with loyalty and anyways got enjoyment out of them,

Then of course Final Fantasy Seven came out,
The RPG gamers of the world who have been playing for the last eight years and seem to think they are veterans of the Genre always get bend out of shape and say I am "Trying" to be hardcore when I say that FFVII killed RPG's at their peak, and of course they till me this dispite the fact that I have been playing near 15 years now,

I would never take away the fact that Final Fantasy Seven was a servicable RPG, and one I played from end to end, it was good but it was nowhere on the level of being the "best" RPG of all time, It just happend to be the most media hyped RPG of all time,
From there on in, there was no more "Innovations" of RPG's, LIke the first two Breath of Fires, and Seventh Saga, All I got were more carbon copies of Final Fantasy VII,

Now fast forward to PS2, the "RPG" System if you will,

I bought a PS2 at launch and I did not really get anything that blew my mind till FFX came out, and even though FFX was a great game but not on the same level as Shining of the Holy Arc, Mysidria, or even Magic Knight Rayearth, although it still was excellent, and then Suikoden 3 came out which was a nice suprise after the stink fest that was part 2 and then what?

You will have Cows that will hold up Dark Cloud 2 as their shield to protect themselves from the reaity that, PS2 has been lacking in the RPG department in the last few years

Dark Cloud is an Adventure Game, I consider Devil May Cry more of an RPG.....

So realistically, since Suikoden 3, PS2's best true RPG has been Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Not a bad game,

But when I look at the Top Three RPG's for each console since 10/24/2002 I see this:

PS2:
1) Shadow Hearts: Covenant (8.6)
2) Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land (8.5)
3) Champions of Norrath (8.5)

Xbox
1) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (9.1)
2) Fable (8.6)
3) Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (8.5)

GC
1) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (9.2)
2) Tales of Symphonia (8.8)
3) Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (8.7)

And of course this listing always gets Cows in full force saying MOST OF THOSE ARE NOT TEH EXCLUSIVE,

To which I reply how was KOTOR on PS2?

But what has happend to PS2?
PS was LOADED with RPG's and quality RPG;s at that,

It seems that GC has really taken the lead, considering the fourth ranked game is Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (8.5) which would have placed it on both other lists,

I am also alarmed at the lack of RPG's,
They were coming out by the Dozens in past Gens now I get excited because Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity is coming out and I have something on tap after Jade Empire,

I also find that games like KOTOR, Jade Empire and Paper Mario were a nice change of pace, where PS2's RPG have been standard issue?

So I ask this?

Where have the RPG's Gone?

-Z

You can never please the unwashed masses

My Jade Empire Review is as follows:
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/rpg/jadeempire/reader_review.html?id=3615202

Did I like the game?
Yes I did,

Was I bias because it happend to be on Xbox?
Not in the least,

I have never been one to allow some sort of foolish loyalty to cloud my judgement, I don't care what console the game is on, if its good I will play it, its been that way since the start of video gaming for me and it always will be, I have always felt pity for those who blindly support one console, because more often then not its spands from the fact that they could only get one and it sucks to admit that your console may have flaws in it, which is why I have a hard time ever truly believing those who unload on any console and claim to own them all with all its best games, (Something that is commonplace in System Wars).

I was told in one of the messages on mass I seem to recieved "You are teh bias lemming fanboy GOW PWNS JE 9.3 > 8.4"

I can't help but sort of laugh when I get these messages, because without sharing the users name, he has one console (according to his GS profile) which is PS2 and about three games, none of which is GOW. Of course I asked him when he originally messaged after my GOW review if he owned the game, to which he replyed I played it at a friends house and it rox.

I hate to be the jerk here, but if you have not played it, barely played it, or you have just seen photo's how the heck are you going to formulate an opinion?

I bought GOW, perhaps 14 of the better hours in gaming, and then it ended and ended fast and I was let down, I know there are TONS of "Cows" who want to hype the game soley because its on PS2, and thats cool, but I will not hand a high rating to a game that can be polished off in a long weekend, My reviews are based on the enjoyment I get out of a game that I purchased, and as great as GOW was there are better games for those who don't buy three or four games a week.

As for Jade Empire,
I have a world of respect for Greg K, because he is tough and when a game he reviews gets a 9.0 + it really deserves it,
I think the 8.4 is Hellava harsh, and I question how he truly got a feel for the game if he finished it in 20 hours, when I am just past that point and am nowhere near completion, but to each his own.

I am just happy to have some originality in RPG's, KOTOR was something new. A fresh story a cool twist but still an RPG without tinkering with what makes and RPG an RPG,

Jade Empire has done something that alot of reviews have simply overlooked with games in general,

It ENTERTAINED ME, and it continues to do so,
IN the last 12 months if I didn't have online gaming (Live and PSOnlne) which most gamers do not, and I had to pick two games that kept me occupied and entertained the longest it would be Jade Empire and KOTOR 2, both games deemed as low 8's by GS.

Reviews in general are missing alot of the point of games, and that is entertainment,
Games like Mario Kart 64 getting in the 6's. I would bet most N64 owners who had it logged more hours on MK then Zelda OOT.

For those FEW of you that trust my opinion,
I assure you that Jade Empire is "up your alley" if you are an RPG fan I think you will be suprised in a great way/

-Z

With Jade Empire on its way,
and the rave reviews it has recieved from a series of sources, I have to admit this is the first time I have been "Stoked" for an RPG since the follow up to KOTOR late last year.

Which got me thinking,

PS2 has been deamed the "RPG" Console by the gamers at large, but now I ask myself this,
Final Fantasy X and Suikoden 3 have been PS's "flag ships" and as great as Final Fantasy X may have been it was almost at the start of this Gen, (Almost inline with Xboxs launch). Since then PS2 games have really been numerous but in all fairness short of Kingdom Hearts which was pretty good and Star Ocean and of course Suikoden 3 which was a nice step up from 2, PS2 has given me alot of games I have played through and then simply tossed aside,

The .hack series stole a good chunk of time and money and left me in a situation where I simply was playing to get it over with rather then out of enjoyment.

Gamecube on the other hand led the way in RPG's for 2004 with Paper Mario and TOS the two highest scoring console RPG's of 2004, Xbox followed suit with Fable which was the third highest scoring and KOTOR 2 which was excellent but suffered from graphical issues.

And as I look back over the last few years,
and the gameplay I got from KOTOR, KOTOR 2, and even Fable,
I try and compare it to anything that was given to me on other consoles?
GC fired back with a very solid Paper Mario, TOS and Skies of Arcadia, but with PS2 I just simply have not really sunk my teeth into an RPG since Suikoden 3, which I felt was excellent but Final Fantasy X2 left me wanting, Star Ocean was good because I had played it elsewhere and Kingdom Hearts was good but takes me WAY back to 2002 much like Final Fantasy X,

With Jade Empire coming and looking like it will score very well, and PS2 countering with a Final Fantasy Series that has faired poorly on its last two outings on PS2, Can I truly give the RPG crown to PS2?

Not unless I get something new and fast,

-Z

Picked up Doom 3 for Xbox yesterday, and I have to say I am impressed.
Its not this wonderfully deep storyline that keeps me on the edge of my seat but rather a quality game with a very entertaining Multiplayer aspect,

Mindless fun at its best,

As of late I have been re-visiting some of the more classic games that everyone seemed to overlook,
My Dreamcast kick is over, I have moved onto my Sega Saturn mode, and have been whipping through ebay like a hurricane getting my hands on the titles that I have always wanted to play.

And thus far I have been very pleased.
Except for one aspect of the Console,

What is it with Sega and Batteries?
The DC VMU's had them and so does the Saturn Hard Drive,

When the battery dies you lose everything that was on your HD,
now that is a HUGE HUGE HUGE piss off.

So I have been playing this game of saving on the cartridge and backing up on the Hard Drive,

But regardless,

What was Sega thinking?

-Z

And I always felt Monday Mornings were dull,

I sat down, flipped on the monitors waiting for market open, and then punched in gamespot to see what Doom 3 ended up getting, and man was my PM box packed.

Sort of mixed reviews really,
a few folks who were actually looking to buy the game were pleased that I was honest about it, because in all fairness if you are one of those games who buys one game every few months as opposed to me who seems to pick a few up weekly because of EB's Sweet Siren Song, Then perhaps you would want something a touch longer?

And then of course the Cows, in full force.
I was very suprised at the majority of the community reviews for GOW, because at the end of the day mine was the only one that was below a nine, and I will admit I was somewhat suprised,

I gave it:
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 10
Sounds: 10
Value: 6
Tilt: 9

In some cases I was more generous then GS was,

The fact that it added up to 8.8 was interesting, but in all fairness truly reflects my displeasure with the game,

I was asked in a PM why did I not give it a 10 in tilt if I thought it was the best PS2 action game of all time,

Tilt is pretty well the aspect of my opinion within the game, and as great as the game was the reality is that I made the correct choice by waiting till I finished the game before I reviewed it, because if I had not the game would have easily scored 9.6 - 9.8 but the reality is a game that I finished in 14hrs on Hard that has little to no replay value is no good to me,
a 10 in Tilt is a game I find perfect something I really enjoyed end to end that I was able to over look a lesser score in some of the other ends, but this was great but not perfect, and my Tilt score reflected that.

I never play games through again and again, I have too many other things kicking around to play through what I already have just for the sake of doing so, I play on the hardest level that is available to me and get the best ending first,

The games aspects are truly stunning, but in all fairness the biggest letdown I have had in gaming was the fact that GOW was over as fast as it was.

I recieved this message:

"urs such a fanboi, GOW is da best game eva changes ur review fakeboi"

I sort if smiled when I saw this one,
I have to question how many of the folks that are pushing GOW have actually bought it?

I mean its easy to hype something you don't own, or bash for that matter.

But once you throw 59.99 CDN out a window on a game that you could have beat in a weekend rental, I hardly think 8.8 was being unflattering,

Some gamers may be very different then I,
And honestly if Halo 2 had not had Online it would have suffered the same fate at my hands,

But as pretty and enjoyable as a game is, if its short to a point of suprise then I simply refuse to give it a score higher then 6 for Value,

The reality is that my scores were fair, Graphics and Sound where top shelf for a PS2 game,
Gameplay was good but had some area's I was unimpressed by, and it was short,

I really would like to see what some thought after they finished the game,
and gamers who are like me and don't replay the game again and again and again,
The gamers who have a few games on their coffee tables who go from next to next,

Anyway,

-Z

PlayStation Portable (PSP) Console and Gretzky NHL Bundle with Ape Escape and a Pro Gamer's Kit
$429.99 CDN

Metal Gear Acid
$59.99 CDN

Ridge Racer
$49.99 CDN

Lumines
$49.99 CDN

256 MB Duo Memory Stick
$74.99 CDN

USB Cable
$9.99 CDN

Total : $674.94 CDN
w/tax: $776.18 CDN

I now have more games for the PSP i just bought then the DS I have had for months,
and after all is said and done, I have to say this,

I can't imagine why anyone would want this right now,

I mean its pretty good Ridge Racer is a fantasic game,
but its a racing game, and one done time and time again on many consoles in a similar fashion,
That is one thing that stunned me how many racing games were out on PSP at launch, or car games in general.

Metal Gear Acid was perhaps my biggest regret quite simply because my PSP will be used when I am traveling or on a beach and I don't have the time or commitment to get into a drawn out story done poorly. I am sure it would have been a good console game but for me all I can say is meh,

Lumines, is one of those games that I enjoyed much like Tetris and Columns and is a great airport waiting lounge game, but the reality is the masses will not buy it and most of the PSP fanboy crowd will hype it and not play it because its just simply not a game that the mass gamers would enjoy.

Gretzky hockey: I got it for free, but it does not forgive this awful hockey game, even for a handheld its awful.

Ape Escape: Again another great killing some time title, and a freebie which makes it great but the reality is that I would have never paid 50 bucks for this, personally I am stunned I paid so much for Lumines.

Overall the experience was solid, but not worth the hype.
I don't know where these tales of line-ups game from? to be honest I had a harder time getting a DS, I walked into Best Buy, and they had about five of every package in stock, the only game they did not have that I wanted was Tiger Woods which they did not have because they only recieved two to start with.

Right now the PSP is hands down better then the DS, and you can quote me on that.
The DS has nothing I want, that I don't have and I have not played much since that Mario 64 remake.

But in the long run, I think from the list of potental games I will have to go with the DS,

I am not a typical handheld gamer, I don't play them at home, and I won't play them at home.
I travel alot and like having something in hand that I can play while I am waiting for my plane, or on the plane and the reality is that games like Mario Kart DS, and Mario (Insert Sport Here) DS have more of an appeal to me then games like Metal Gear Acid and GTA for a handheld.

If I want a quality action game I have consoles.

But all and all,
I have spend about 700 on a PSP and nearly 400 on a DS, and thus far they are both a LONG way to go before I consider it money well spent

-Z

First off,
I am finished Resident Evil Four, and I have to say it was a good ride but now that its over I find it much like chowing down on a big bowl of Christmas Pudding, its amazing while its on your plate you have waited all year for it the first taste is so amazing and as you eat ot and taste the butterscotch sauce makes the wait all worth it,

But when you are done, you feel like man that was good and the first few bites were amazing, but what was all the big deal about?

Thats how I see RE4, the game was awesome, but the ending left me wanting more much like Halo 2, but didn't give me the option to do anything else with it? I do not replay games, I play on the hardest difficulty right off the bat and beat the game once, and now that I am done with RE4 I can take a step back and say it was great, but I have no interest in ever picking it up again.

Onto God of War,
All I can say is WHY WHY WHY
This game was awesome, I loved it I played five hours the first day and that pretty well ended up being the halfway marker, it took me 14 hrs to finish, and less when we think about actual gameplay and not cut scene's.
Its Thursday, I bought it Tuesday and played about five or so hours then about the same yesterday and then today done.

To say I am let down is an understatement, it took me 18 hours to beat Fable the first time and at least there was something to do after the fact.

In Summary GOW, great game but rent it.

As for Retro,
The reality is GOW and RE4 and Merc's aside (BIA will begin next week)
I have really developed a love of my older systems,
For those who have not played Saturn there is a game called "D" it was amazing it was a solid 30hrs of gameplay and the storyline was just amazing.

Then we get onto Enemy Zero,
The fact that GS gave it a 5.8 Is simply mindboggling,

I cannot believe how awesome this game is,
And how much it must have lent to games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill,

Four Discs about 15 hrs and I am starting in disc three, and the way this game is set up is just truly amazing, the use of sound and lighting effects are top rate, and the storyline is just stellar.

I am done looking forward and waiting for games to come out for the new Gen consoles, I am going to look back till something worth while comes out

-Z

So right now I am sitting here waiting for my Plane from Ft. Lauderdale to Toronto, The Terminal has wireless internet so its is allowing me to kill some time, and I am telling you people waiting for planes midday are by far the scum of the earth,

You can tell those folks who just got a Cell Phone, like this woman to my right,
She is talking AS LOUD as she can and I could hear her clear as day coming down the terminal,
and of course she sat down a seat two from me,

And the worst part is she has a voice that is like cats nails scratching on a chalkboard being run over by a lawnmower,

All I am hearing coming from her is about she is so hot and always gets stopped by Airport security, and let me tell you that can't at all be the case, my goodness the typical example of a 40 year old trying to look 20 and failing to the extreem.

And now the guy to my left is trying to glace over to read what I am writing, yeah I am talking to you jerk,

Man, this womens laugh is just awful, I am half temped to pull out my notebook battery and lick the connectors to end the pain I am in.

Thats it, FINALLY my flight is boarding !

-Z

Is it just me? or maybe the drought that is Q1?
But I am playing alot more Dreamcast now then I was two months ago.

Resident Evil Four is finished, I enjoyed it while it lasted but its done,
I cannot keep playing a game OVER and OVER again till my eyes dry out.

I like to finish it, and be done with it.

In my bordom of Late January and Early February,
I tossed in Resident Evil Code Veronica to show a friend the intro, and then all of a sudden my DC started getting all sorts of play.

EBgames.com is running a promotion where you can buy 15 Dreamcast games for 50 bucks,

I couldn't pass that up,

and as much as alot of them were stinkers, alot of them were just awesome.

Evolution is a great RPG that must simply have been cast aside because it was on Dreamcast,
Unreal and Quake 3 are just great games and reason enough to get a few friends together,

In the last week I have been able to buy nearly 70 games for Dreamcast for less then 300.00

and I have to admit my new found love of Dreamcast may even eat into GT4 time which I figured most of March would be.

I like to place myself in the "collector" class of Gamers, and I think I can honestly suggest to any gamer that right now Dreamcast is the deal of the day, there are still a ton of games out there brand new, and they are easy to find.

And after playing some of the choice titles for Dreamcast I have to admit that graphically they are in some cases better then PS2.

This should fill the void for now,

Long live Sega!

-Z