I knew that I'd like Skies Of Arcadia right from the start. It showed signs early on that it would be a wonderfully light-hearted adventure story. In a genre loaded with dark, melodramatic RPGs, having a game with such a fun spirit is refreshing. I must admit that the flying ship premise took a while to really grab me. I kept looking at these flying ships and wondering how a civilization could even exist hovering in the air—for crying out loud, fish fly through the air!—but as the game went on I suppressed my doubt and enjoyed the game for what it is.

Among the many NES classics we've all played and forgotten about, Blaster Master is one that still manages to amaze today. I remember marveling at the game's remarkable special effects when it came out 12 years ago, and even as I play it now, I'm astonished at how cool the shots and explosions look.

When playing Vampire Hunter D, there are two things that drew positive reactions. One, is D's unbelievably quirky "partner," Left Hand. Any game that tries to pass off a talking hand character so dryly named Left Hand deserves credit for having the balls to do so if nothing else.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood, Animated Violence

At its surface, Vampire Hunter D is many things. First and foremost, it is a gothic drama about a vampire hunter named "D" (in case you couldn't tell from the title). It is a vampire game done up in grand, operatic fashion. It is a game based on a popular animated film from Japan. It is yet another slow-moving, heavily stylized horror game in the stale Resident Evil tradition (what hath Capcom wrought?). It's a game filled with many monsters, bats and other assorted winged and four-legged beasties. It's a game played from too many off-kilter camera angles. It's a game strewn with mind-numbing puzzles, ordinary and familiar gameplay and poor controls. At is surface, Vampire Hunter D is many things. Below its surface, Vampire Hunter D isn't much.

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I was a little surprised to see the turn Parasite Eve II takes in regard to the original, which was more of a traditional role-playing game. This sequel is just what Brad says it is—a Resident Evil clone that tries to keep its feet in both genres.

The difference between Parasite Eve II and any of the games in the Resident Evil series can be summed up like an unhip microbiology major's bad joke: "What's the difference between a neo-mitochondrial mutagenic airborne virus and a fluid-transmitted virus which reanimates and increases aggressive tendencies in mutated expired organisms?"

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood & Gore, Animated Violence

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood & Gore, Animated Violence