Saturday morning cartoons are a staple of every child’s life. Nearly every good (and even some not-so-good) Saturday morning animated feature had a video game tie-in to go along with it. Along with kid-favorites such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers, there were also shows such as Exo-Squad and Gargoyles which, while they were still intended for children, contained themes which were more complex than what one would find on shows like Pokemon. Phantom 2040, which debuted in the mid 90s, was one of the shows in the latter category. It told the story of Kit Walker, who was the 24th Phantom. In the distant future, he was charged with saving the city of Metropia from collapse. It was bought to an end after only 2 seasons, mostly due to it’s themes of environmentalism, corporate greed, and social structure going over viewer’s heads. This was especially unfortunate considering that the show had a lot going for it. It had a stylish art style (thanks to Aeon Flux creator Peter Chung), solid writing, and a vocal cast featuring the likes of Mark Hamil, Margot Kider, and Deborah Harry to name a few. Most impressive of all, it featured a 16-bit era video game tie-in that didn’t suck. This was indeed impressive, especially given the dismal track record of 16-bit games based on existing intellectual properties back then.

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A While after Age of Empires II, Ensemble game studios went to work on another RTS. Although it has similar gameplay mechanics to Age of Empires, it’s a different experience. For one, there are are only three civilizations as compared to the many civilizations from Age of Empires. Players can choose between the Greeks, the Norse, and the Egyptians. However, each civilization has it’s own set of powers, units, and structures. Each civilization has three gods, one of which you select before a match. Also, there is only one single-player campaign, although it’s huge and expansive. You follow the adventures of Atlantean general Arkantos as he attempts to regain the favor of the god Poseidon. You’ll travel through each of the three lands and meet each of the three civilizations.
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Thanks to his inclusion in the cast of Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Pit, the hero of Kid Icarus has finally broken out of obscurity and back into the gaming icon spotlight. No word yet on a new Kid Icarus game, but in the meantime, here is one of his earlier adventures. This little known Game Boy cart, released in 1991 is the only sequel to the Nintendo Entertainment System 8-bit classic. The goddess Palutena has summoned Pit back into action to help defend Angel Land from the demon Orcos. However, Pit must first travel through four worlds and gather the three sacred treasures. Along the way, you must also prove your worth to Zeus. Towards the end of the fourth stage, Zeus will judge your performance and determine how many of the sacred treasures you will be able to use in the final battle. The game uses the same engine as Metroid II, and the graphics have been slightly improved from the game’s console predecessor. Unlike the original NES game, the game scrolls in all directions, allowing players to backtrack. The password system from the NES has been nixed in favor of a save system. They may be small improvements, but they are nice to have. If you’re a fan of Kid Icarus, or a recent Smash Brothers player who wants to know more about Pit, then you should definitely seek out this cart. It will tide you over until Nintendo creates a sequel.

Every hardcore Final Fantasy fan (including me) goes on about the first six games in the series and how cool they were. However, there is a lot to be said about the later half of the series, even though there are many who didn’t take to them as well. Regardless of however some people may feel about them, few can deny thier impact on the RPG genre, and perhaps gaming itself. FFVII was a turning point for the series in terms of graphics and presentation. It’s story was so epic that it spawned several sequels and prequels. FFVIII not only managed to reach the bar set by VII, but it managed to exceed it tenfold, even outselling even several Dreamcast games when it was released. FFIX, while it contained the same graphical quality as VII and VIII, it’s story, characters, and simplistic battle system served as a clever throwback to the 8 and 16-bit Final Fantasy games. X, the first Final Fantasy game to receive a sequel, bought the series into the next generation with an emotionally gripping plotline and voice acting. FF XI took the series online for the first time. While it was a bit problematic, it retains a following that is exceeded only by World of Warcraft. FF XII is once again an offline single player experience, and it introduces several huge changes to the gameplay, but it’s an epic game all on its own, and it upholds the high standards that the Final Fantasy series is known for.
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This is pretty much a companion piece to my Final Fantasy I – VI special from two weeks ago. What makes this funny is that the Final Fantasy Legend series is actually the English translation of what is known in Japan as the Saga series. When Square released it over here, it changed the name to Final Fantasy Legend to capitalize off the growing popularity of the series. It has nothing to do with Final Fantasy, but then again it’s just as well, as none of the Final Fantasy games have anything to do with each other. Besides, these three games have managed to become excellent role-playing games in their own right.

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I can’t review the second entry in Mad Doc/Sierra’s RTS series without bring up comparisons to Microsoft/Big Huge Game’s Rise of Nations. Both games merge Civilization-style world building with Warcraft-style RTS gameplay, let you choose from several different civilizations, and require epoch advances and research to give you an edge. However Empire Earth II has a much steeper learning curve than Rise of Nations. In addition to managing armies and conducting diplomacy, you also map out war plans for your allies, deal with the weather, and research tech trees. Going through each of the tutorial scenarios is a must when starting a new game. Empire Earth II features a new picture-in-picture interface which allows you to set bookmarks and view the action from afar. You can even direct units and production. The citizen manager allows you to manage idle citizens and assign them to various tasks, such as gathering a certain resource. These new features are complicated to use, but mastering them will make it easier to coordinate the action. The game includes three campaigns: the Koreans, the Americans, and the Germans. There are also several campaigns known as ‘turning points’ which recreate key points in history such as China’s Three Kingdoms era and the World War 2 Normandy Invasion. Also part of the package is the Art of Supremacy expansion pack. It features new civilizations, campaigns, and a campaign maker. It wasn’t well received as the main game when it was released on its own, but as part of the package, it’s a pretty good value. For fans of Age of Empires who want something even deeper, Empire Earth II will reward patient players with a solid RTS experience.

My birthday was this past week, so in lieu of my usual $20 Game of the week and Lost Classics segments this week, I decided to give you a look at the the first half of one of the greatest console role playing game franchise of all time. That’s right, it’s my birthday, but I’m giving you the gift. See how cool I am? Well, onto our special feature.

After Dragon Quest (or Dragon Warrior as we knew it over here at the time), Final Fantasy was and still remains one of RPG gaming’s most prolific franchises. It introduced and refined several conventions that are seen in RPGs such as the turn-based battle system, character customization, ability progression, and story writing. Even so, it wasn’t until FFVII bought the series into 3-d that the series gained mainstream popularity. However, the first six games of the series still hold a special place in the hearts of many longtime FF fans.

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Although this game was one of the first role playing games to be released on the original Playstation in Japan, it would end up being the one of the last RPGs on the original PS1 in America. Arc the lad spawned several sequels and an anime series. Ironically, even though it was Sony Computer Entertainment themselves who owned the franchise, the ‘anti-2-d’ stance of its American branch was the main factor that prevented this game’s release. Working Designs (best known for its U.S.releases of Lunar) even attempted to score the U.S. publishing rights to the three games, but they were denied by Sony. However, things turned around thanks to new management at Sony and the success of other RPGs, most notable Final Fantasy VII and VIII. After several months of delays, Working Designs finally gave us the chance to play this classic. Not only that, we got all three PS1 games to boot. Arc the Lad Collection carried a $75 price tag, but being able to play this classic RPG series made the hefty price worth it.

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