A while ago I featured Taito Legends 2, this game’s console counterpart. For those of you looking for classic action on the go, you can’t go wrong here. It features a smaller selection of games than Taito Legends 2, mostly covering the late 70s to the late 80s. You’ll find classics such as Space Invaders and Rastan along with more obscure games such as Cameltry and Legend of Kage. Similar to Namco Museum for PSP, this disc contains remixed versions of 5 of the games, complete with remade sound and graphics. If you’ve got Taito Legends 2, then you’ve seen most of these games before, but the 5 remixed games, as well as the ability to have these games in your pocket make up for it.

Before God of War, Jak and Daxter, Resistance, Ratchet and Clank, or Sly Cooper, Twisted Metal was the big Playstation franchise. The second game in the series was regarded as one of the best games on the original Playstation. TM3 and 4 weren’t nearly as well received. Twisted Metal Black on the PS2 abandoned the series’s light hearted tone in favor of a darker atmosphere, with the weirdos of previous installments replaced with crazed lunatic serial killers. Fans loved it, and there would even be an online version released a short while later. When the Playstation Portable was released, Twisted Metal Head On was a launch title for the system. Rather than expanding upon TMB’s dark theme, it instead decided to revive the light-hearted atmosphere of Twisted Metal 2, focusing on its best features. In fact, its storyline removed Twisted Metal 3 and 4 from the series canon and regulated Black as being a dream inside Sweet Tooth’s head. Now for the benefit for those who refuse to buy a PSP, Twisted Metal Head On cones to Playstation 2 with a few new features.
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Alright all you aspiring game designers, wanna make your own game? Want to make an RPG? Not quite ready to learn Microsoft XNA? Got a PS2 and a memory card with lots of space? Here ya go. The RPG Maker series, or RPG Tsukuru as it’s known in Japan, is hugely popular amongst game hobbyists. However, its steep learning curve and low-end graphics have kept it from mainstream success. RPG Maker 2 is no different. It may not be a graphical powerhouse, but those who are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the system will find themselves well rewarded. I can’t sing this game’s praises enough. There is more advanced game creator software available (including scenario and map editors for your favorite PC RTS, FPS, and RPGs), but for beginning developers, you can’t go wrong with this.
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Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of real-time strategy games. Mainly I’ve been sticking with the Command and Conquer series, Starcraft, and Warcraft. You can never go wrong with their simple-but-addictive play mechanics, but there are also options available for people who seek something deeper. Total War, Age of Empires, and Empire Earth are a lot more complicated than beginning RTS players are used to, but the historical settings they utilize as their backdrop reward those who have the patience to learn the play mechanics. Microsoft Game Studios/Big Huge Game’s Rise of Nations however, achieves a happy medium between the fast paced and simple mechanics of Starcraft and the world building aspects of Empire Earth.
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Welcome back to Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters. This is part 2 of our special edition X-men $20 GOTW and lost classics. In the first part we looked at some of the lows of the X-men franchise. In this second part, we’ll take a look at the Marvel Vs Capcom series, as well as Activision’s X-men games. You can find pretty much all of these games in stores, and most of them retail for $20 or less.
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Today, we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a man who has dedicated his life to equality between people of all races. In the 1960s, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the X-men, a comic book about a team of superheroes dedicated to equality between human and mutant. Even though the cast was all Caucasian at the time, the book explored race relations in a profoundly brilliant manner without the material being heavy handed. Over time, the team’s roster would expand to include heroes from many different backgrounds, from the Jewish Kitty Pryde and the African Storm to the Native American Mirage. Throughout their 40+ year history, the X-men have seen many ups and downs, both in and out of comics, and video gaming is no different. What better way is there to celebrate Dr King’s dream than to have a look back at the interactive adventures of Xavier’s finest? In the first part of this two part special, we’ll take a look at some of the earliest games starring the children of the atom. The second part, coming later this week, will feature the Marvel vs Capcom games as well as Activision’s X-men titles.
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In 2004, developer Raven created the smash hit X-Men Legends. This game took Marvel’s merry mutants and sent them throughout the X-men universe in 4-player action rpg goodness. The game featured customizable stats, upgradable powers, and a huge load of fan service. Raven followed up the following year with X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse which addressed the small amount gameplay issues found in the original XML and featured a story which included even more of the X-Men universe, including elements from the Age of Apocalypse storyline. In 2006, Raven decided to let the whole Marvel universe get in on the act with Marvel Ultimate Alliance. This game allowed fans to experience their favorite (and not so favorite) Marvel super heroes in a way they never imagined possible.
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In the realm of 2-D fighting games, SNK is second only to Capcom in terms of sheer longevity and quality. Even though Sammy’s Guilty Gear is the current reigning champion, the series owes its existence to SNK, Capcom, and the gameplay mechanics that they established. Throughout the years, SNK has produced a number of hit franchises, both fighting and otherwise. Any gamer worth their salt has been exposed to at least one SNK game, weather it’s Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Athena, or Samurai Showdown. This new fighting game is a celebration of SNK’s 20 plus year history. Even though many gamers will find this game a bit lacking (especially graphics wise), this game is a dream come true for hardcore SNK and fighting game fans.
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