David Theiss

Super Mario Galaxy probably should have been on the list of my top 10 video games of all-time.  Even though it got left off the list, the fact is that I love Super Mario Galaxy to death and much, much more than Super Mario 64, which many people consider to be the most groundbreaking video game of all time, if not the greatest ever.

So, it should be no surprise that I’m pumped beyond belief for Super Mario Galaxy 2  - release date just announced to be May 23rd.  The only problem is that Nintendo is pretty infamous for delaying games over and over again, claiming that they are supremely dedicated to delivering the highest quality product they possibly can.  The only problem is that people (like me) get impatient when a game announced to be released in January doesn’t see the light of day until August or worse.  We’ll see how this one goes.

With that being said, Nintendo is looking at a pretty active middle of the year.  Not only do they have a new Mario game coming out, but they also have Metroid: Other M on deck with a release date in June.  And to boot, top men at Nintendo have also said that they expect a new Zelda to be released in 2010, as well.  Hopefully all of these will be released on their set days.  Until then, just know that I’m super pumped for each and every one of those titles.

Here’s the brand new trailer for Super Mario Galaxy 2.

The popular refrain is that everybody on the planet basically has a Wii and nobody actually plays it.  That may not be all that far off, because I only really fire up my system to play five or ten minutes of the original Super Mario Bros.  When it comes down to it, I own a Wii only for games starring the big Nintendo flagship characters: Mario, Link (from The Legend of Zelda), and Samus (the Metroid series) – beyond that and the virtual console, my use for the Wii is pretty low.

With that being said, I played about 19 seconds of the New Super Mario Bros. Wii at Best Buy the other day when I was looking for a Blu-Ray to buy with a gift card I procured, and instead of buying the Blu-Ray disc, I opted for the video game.  I’m only a few worlds in, but I’m here to say that if you own a Wii and don’t play it or even really think about it like me, you should go out and buy this game.  It’s the essence of fun and it has a really cool multi-player element that is good for both really competitive players and for people who don’t really play video games at all.  And, at the cost I got it for ($39.99), it’s an absolute steal.

Sure, it’s basically Mario 3 with better graphics and a few new suits.  Sure it’s a game style that went out of style when you sold your Super Nintendo, but it’s fun and it’s awesome.  And in addition to all of that, it’s pretty hard.  So, if you’re worried that you’re too seasoned for a Mario game these days, you’re not.  They ramp up the difficulty pretty quickly – enough to keep veteran players interested.

So, go buy this game.  You spent $250 on a Wii  that’s doing nothing else except collecting dust.  It’s worth it – trust me.

I’ve been gone for a long time.  And it’s not because I’m lazy or because I forgot about the site, it’s just because I haven’t felt all that strongly about anything as of late that warranted a half an hour to sit and write.  There’s not a whole lot going on that I can see, but there are a few quick thoughts that should at least hold me (and presumably the seven people that read this) over until my next go-around at whatever hot button tickles my fancy.  Here are some quick thoughts:

• The Cleveland Browns: I went to the Brown and White Scrimmage on Sunday (August 9th) to check out the new look team.  Some things I took away from the practice: 1.) Both quarterbacks – Brady and DA – looked below average, but with the 51 yard TD pass on his first play, Brady has the early advantage, 2.) the WR Mohamed Massaquoi looks like a stud, and 3.) Braylon Edwards, it seems, has no desire to even try – he caught one ball and rode the bike.  It also looked like he was jawing at Derek Anderson after he neglected to throw him the ball on every play – stay tuned.
• Politics: The far right fringe is dominating and winning the health care debate.  They’ve successfully made the Obama Health Care Plan (even though there isn’t one yet) look like the devil incarnate.  Death Panels, “communal standards,” care rationing, the elimination of Medicare and Medicaid, and euthanasia – none of which are in any bill in any committee in either house of Congress.  The Republicans that Big Pharma and the insurance companies bought during the 90′s and the Bush Administration are going all in to destroy Health Care Reform – and right now, they’re succeeding.
• Music: Miley Cyrus’s new song “Party in the USA” rocks hard.  I don’t like her or the type of music she makes, but it’s one of those surprise songs that kind of hits you – kind of like everything Kelly Clarkson has ever released.  Love it.  Listen.
• Music: I saw The Low Anthem in concert last Wednesday (August 5th) and really liked it.  I was disappointed they didn’t play any of their more raucous songs (“The Horizon is a Beltway,” or “Home I’ll Never Be”) but it was still a really enjoyable time – even if the crowd was a tad on the rude side.  Plus, hearing “To Ohio” played in Ohio for the first time ever was pretty memorable, too.
• Music: Eminem is back at Mariah Carey with his new diss track “The Warning.”  It’s juvinile and stupid – and really, really awesome and hilarious.
• Movies: I haven’t seen any.  I used to love movies and going to see them, but the stuff that’s being put out recently hasn’t gotten me up and to the theaters.  Even movies I really looked forward to like “Bruno” and “Whatever Works” couldn’t get me to the theater.  Note to self: make a more concerted effort to get to the movies in the near future.  I do want to see “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” but I’d say the chances are pretty slim of that happening.
• Television: Big Brother, while it’s not an all time great season like Season 6, it’s still more than excellent.  For some strange reason I find myself really rooting for Jessie – and kind of Jeff – but Jessie mostly.  He’s been the most thoughtful player throughout, ironically.
• Video Games: All of my thoughts about video games will be dated by about two years since I’ve only had my Xbox for about 6 months and I’m catching up on all the must play titles I’ve missed.  But I just finished Half Life 2, which I liked a lot (much more than BioShock) even though it was super, super easy.  It’s now time to pivot toward Mass Effect and maybe Madden 10 – I love my Xbox to death.
• Food: Katie and I went to the restaurant Fahrenheit in Tremont for our anniversary (our 8th) and we both really liked it.  I got the Halibut and she got Cheese Ravioli.  It was a little bit pricier than our last Tremont restaurant experience ($62 in total with no drinks and an appetizer), but it was well worth it and very, very good even thouh there were literally 2 other people in the entire place with us – I guess Monday night isn’t a cool night to go out.

That’s all I can muster right now.  Hopefully, something will happen that will warrant a full post in the near future.

I just finished BioShock, which was my entire reasoning for writing a post about which games I believe to be the best of all-time.  To be frank, BioShock is not on that list.  I did enjoy the game for the most part, but found it maddeningly redundant and boring at times.  Since I heard from so many publications and friends of mine who had played the game that it was basically Jesus on a disc, maybe I was destined to be disappointed.  But I have played many games on high recommendation previously and been thoroughly impressed with many of them.  While it was a pretty good game, BioShock was not one of them.  Once I found that the game wasn’t as utterly transcendent as I anticipated, I looked to the Internets to find someone to validate my opinion so I didn’t feel so lonely.  And I found a few.  This review is essentially exactly (no joke, pretty much word-for-word) how I feel about the game (except for the whole System Shock parts – I’ve never played that game).  My explanation might have been articulated a tad slower, however:

With that demands the question: what are my favorite video games of all-time? Well, the following is the list I’ve compiled to answer that very question.  Mind you, I haven’t played every game most consider “great” in my life up to this point (I’m playing through Half-Life 2 now, so we’ll see about that one) but I’ve gotten through a lot.  I’ve also trended toward Nintendo systems my entire life up until recently, so to have the list skewed in the Big N’s favor is to be expected.  Here is my list:

10. Final Fantasy VIII (Playstation)

I put this as my 10th best game to begin with, then took it off, toyed with a few other entries, only to end up back where I started.  The reason I didn’t want to put this at number 10 boils down to a single, simple reason: I haven’t finished it.  In fact, I don’t think I made it past the 3rd disc.  But it still makes the cut because I love this game to death and all over again. It would probably be in the top 5 had I finished it, but the Playstation we had was my brothers and I’ve never had the opportunity to start it again.  But it’s an amazing game, and I may have loved all Final Fantasy games if I had ever owned a Playstation, a Playstation 2, or a Playstation 3.  The GF battles, the SeeD’s and the Balamb Garden, the assault on the train, and the ballroom dancing – I’m sure all adds up to an amazing game in the end.  And for me, it already does.

9. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo Entertainment System)

The Audrey Hepburn of video games.  Absolutely timeless.  A classic in every sense of the word.  This game raised me.

8. Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)

Like GoldenEye 007 before it (further on down the list), Halo: Combat Evolved marked a new era for first person shooters.  Never had a game continuously held up such high levels of concentrated action interspersed with the feeling of literally being dropped in the middle of a full-on war.  There are moments in the snow covered sections on the Halo ring where the Master Chief walks into some of the most daunting and amazing battles I’ve ever experienced.  And the best part about it is that there are literally 15 different ways you can attack any given situation, giving you a level of choice and strategic thinking never before accomplished in gaming.  Even though the two sequels never could quite match the pure fun of the first, the original Halo is an awe-inspiring experience.

7. Metroid Prime (GameCube)

Transitioning from 2-D to 3-D, in any franchise, has never done more gracefully than this.  Metroid Prime is astonishing in its attention to detail, its intricately planned worlds, and the atmospherics which make the game so immersive.  There was a lot of skepticism going in on the part of a great many people who thought a first-person Metroid game to be nothing short of blasphemous.  Many thought it would be dumbed down for a wider audience – focusing more on shooter aspects while straying away from the quiet exploration which made the franchise so popular.  Theywere so wrong.  Metroid Prime took everything we loved about every Metroid game that came before it and upped the ante ten fold.  Everything in this game is done with care.  The graphics are perfect down to Samus’s face reflection in her HUD, the story is told masterfully and is left up to the player to discover, and the replay value is virtually endless.  The entire Metroid series is getting re-released in the near future – if you have a Wii and haven’t played this, you have to.

6. Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars (Super Nintendo)

I’ve never been one for turn-based RPG’s, but when I was a young tot anything with Mario attached to it was instantly gobbled up the day it came out.  Little did I know that Super Mario RPG would be one of the most unique, hilarious, and expansive gaming experiences I would ever have.  Drawing from much of the Super Mario lore throughout the years, Square (in what I believe was their last game on a Nintendo console for some years) designed a game that, for many, is one of the very best SNES titles ever.  After Princess Peach is captured yet again, Mario goes on an incredible journey, meeting up with puffy marshmallow boys, star-beings embodying children’s toy figurines, the nefarious Bowser, an evil cake, and a giant talking sword to try and save the Mushroom Kingdom, yet again.  Coupled with some hysterically irreverent writing, dozens of side quests, fun combat and inventory systems, SMRPG is a game many are still playing today an eleventh time through on the virtual console.  We’re still waiting for a true sequel – but this one game should be plenty.

5. Shenmue (Dreamcast)

I’m not entirely sure anyone played this game.  I’m also not entirely sure if anyone with a Dreamcast played anything other than the first Sonic the Hedgehog.  But Shenmue was quite the incredible accomplishment.  Building on games like Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda, Shenmue’s watershed achievement was the environment.  Whether it be villages in Japan or bustling Hong Kong, each inch of the Shenmue universe was living, breathing, and usable.  You could interact with every pop machine, arcade game, roadside vendor, and passerby in the game.  You could go anywhere and do anything.  The seasons changed as the game went on and weather patterns moved in and out, bringing the prospect of rain, snow, or sunshine at the beginning of each new day.  The combat system is fun and deep and the conversation mechanic was revolutionary making games of today like Mass Effect and Fallout 3 possible.  If there is any way you can get your hands on this game, do no hesitate.

4. Myst/Riven (PC)

Since they’re basically the same game, I have chosen to combine Myst and its sequel Riven into one entry – albeit 6 years apart.  For me, there has been no more difficult gaming experience mentally than Myst and Riven.  These are truly “thinking” games and made for people who enjoy a good puzzle.  The games are both absolutely gorgeous, despite the fact that they are not fully rendered 3-D and are instead point-and-click endeavors, and have some of the most moody and creepy ambient music in gaming history.  They have also been wildly influential – even to the point that the creators of the television show “Lost” cite Myst as a major influence on the show and its mythos.  Also, of all the games on this list, Myst and Riven are probably the most replayable and timeless – they will never get old or dated.  These are two titles that everyone can enjoy regardless of age or game preference.  Turn down the lights, put on a pair of headphones, and get sucked in – and be prepared to think.

3. GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64)

Truly a revolutionary game.  There is a distinct line when it comes to first person shooters, console or otherwise: everything that came before GoldenEye and everything that came after.  GoldenEye raised the bar in every measurable way – graphically (the draw distance in the snow level is still impressive), level design, and variety of environments and gameplay.  Also, the extent to which it remains true to the movie is commendable – the Archives level designed is exactly the same as the movie set.  And then there’s the multiplayer.  For better or worse, the necessity of the FPS multiplayer can be traced to this title – Counter Strike doesn’t exist without GoldenEye.  And because of how incredible it was, few games have come close to the fun that the GoldenEye multiplayer was, and still is.  Best shooter ever, period.

2.  Metal Gear Solid (Playstation)

The first game that made stealth cool.  It was also the first video game to approach film in terms of story and production value – there are set pieces that are still amazing to this day: the Psycho Mantis fight, Snake vs. the Hind D, the hand-to-hand combat atop the smoldering Metal Gear.  MGS spawned a legion of imitators and still has yet to be matched.  Solid Snake is one of the most entertaining and badass heroes in gaming and the army of memorable baddies are – if a little ridiculous – incredibly memorable and full of character.  Even though the sequels never matched the greatness of the original (full disclosure: I haven’t played Guns of the Patriots), the original Metal Gear Solid still stands on its own as one of the great gaming experiences.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)

Hands down, bar none.  Best video game ever.  Perfect score, 10 out of a possible 10.  Nothing comes close.  The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time completely changed the rules for what a video game could do – and what was to be expected of them – in the Next-Gen world more than any other title.  Every game released today, in one way or another, owes itself to it. The world design is perfect in it’s sheer size and scope.  There are memorable characters in every town, forest, and dungeon in the game.  The dungeon puzzles are an ingenious mix of challenge and fun (for some reason that Forest and Water Temples still give me trouble), and there are no shortage of side quests to distract you from the enormously satisfying main quest.  It was the first time a fully living, breathing, functioning world was realized in a video game.  All and all, this game can be called nothing other than perfect.  There aren’t nearly enough adjectives available in the human language to allow me to praise it as much as it needs to be.  If you haven’t played it yet, there is really no excuse.  Borrow a Wii and download the virtual console version.  You’ll thank me.

On the continuum of things that make up the shared human experience, there are few pleasures (if any) that I would palce above one incredibly exciting and moving adventure: playing video games.  So, it would only stand to reason that there would be only a handful of events held around the world during the calendar year that could ever even hope to match the sheer coolness that is E3 – AKA The Electronic Entertainment Expo.  Every year, the three big console producers (Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony) and their third party developers present the blockbuster games and peripherals they plan to release in the near future.  This year, E3 will be held in Los Angeles on June 2nd through the 4th.   I’ll attempt to outline the really big releases that are expected to be showcased at this year’s conference – I’ll catagorize the releases by console.  Enjoy.

NINTENDO (Wii & DSi)

Wii Motion Plus

Nintendo will be presenting their much hyped controller peripheral that will supposedly allow for true 1:1 player to game movement – in other words, this will give gamers the control they thought the were getting when they first bought the Wii.  If your character is holding a sword, the movements you make with the controller in real time will be mirrored perfectly by the character on screen – or so they hope.  It will be bundled with a few different games this June and undoubtedly be gobbled up by millions of suburban families shortly thereafter.  But if third party developers can harness the power of this properly, it has the potential to be absolutely HUGE.

Wii Fit Plus

Publisher: Nintendo

Rumors are swirling that there’s another Wii Fit on deck that will be shown this year.  I never played the first Wii Fit, so I can’t offer much insight into the original experience or the upcoming release as Nintendo is keeping pretty tight lips (as usual) on what to expect.  Let’s hope the game has some real depth and is actually beneficial to your health and fitness to use – and not just a fun distraction like the first.

New Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kid Icarus?

There are also strong rumors that Nintendo, after a pretty lackluster showing last year, is planning to play more to their “core gamers” by introducing a new game featuring one of their flagship characters.  Everyone wants more Mario, or more Zelda (with at least some tiny innovations, please!), more Metroid (aside from the Prime compilation), or a new  Kid Icarus.  I can’t to wait to see what the give us.

NOTE: Nintendo’s keynote address will be held at 9:00 a.m. PDT, June 2.

MICROSOFT (Xbox 360 & Zune)

Mass Effect 2

Publisher: Bioware

The trailer for this debuted a few months back.  I was late to the 360 party – I got mine this past Christmas – but I have the original Mass Effect and I love it.  I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.  The game designers have advised those who played the original to keep their save files as the decisions they made in the first game will influence their experience in Mass Effect 2.  Awesome.

Assassins Creed 2

Publisher: Ubisoft

The barrage of sequels continue.  I’ve heard pretty mixed reaction from the original game, but having never played it myself, I can’t offer an opinion.  That being said, there is no reason the concept for this game alone can’t produce a great experience.  Open world, free-roaming games are all the rage these days, but the world design and originality displayed in the first game sets this apart.  Let’s hope the execution is there.

Zune HD

This isn’t gaming related, but it’s a pretty big release so it’s worth mentioning.  The anti-iPod is getting a face lift.  I have an iPod so this does nothing for me.  It really felt to me that Microsoft is fighting an uphill battle with this product.  I’m sure it’s great, but Apple has such stranglehold in brand recognition alone: Mp3 player = iPod.  The OLED display looks pretty amazing though.  I’m sure there are other features Bill Gates and Co. have up their sleeves.

NOTE: Microsoft’s keynote address will be held at 10:30 a.m. PDT, June 1

SONY (PlayStation 3 & PSP)

God of War III

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

This is a huge release.  The PS3 really struggled out of the box due to a lack of killer apps and the ridiculous price point, but has really come on strong over the last six months.  This may be the title that forces a good chunk of the gaming public to finally go out and buy the console.  The first two games were absolute blockbusters with fans and critics alike.  This is exactly what the doctor ordered for Sony.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

I’m not sure how big a release this game actually is, but I’m pumped for it.  I played the first one only sparingly, but I like the concept and there seems to be a lot of potential here.  This is the Indiana Jones game that people have been waiting for since the NES was all the rage.  The PS3 lineup is looking strong.

NOTE: Sony’s keynote address will be held at 11:00 a.m. PDT, June 2.

MULTI-PLATFORM RELEASES

I’m sure there will be a new Madden and Guitar Hero/Rock Band releases this year, but I don’t care about those.  Here are some big games being released on multiple consoles.

MODERN WAREFARE 2 (Xbox 360 & PS3)

Publisher: Activision

A new Call of Duty by Infinity Ward.  Nothing else needs to be said.  Turn down the lights, and turn up the 5.1 surround.  It’s a freaking movie.

Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360 & PS3)

Publisher: 2k Games

The most artistically significant (even if the game play was pretty standard) FPS gets a sequel.  If it’s anywhere near as beautiful to look at as the first, this is a must buy.  We NEED a playable demo.

There are CERTAINLY other games to be seen and spectacle to be had at E3, but hopefully this is starter.  Keep up with everything live as it happens over at Gamespot.

I love video games.