On paper, I'm sure Black Ops and Electronic Arts thought they had a winner. Their new game would only have Ready 2 Rumble: Round 2 to contend with, and it would be featured on the powerful, and (relatively) new PlayStation 2. But as other PlayStation 2 developers have done, Black Ops rushed the game to get it onto store shelves, and the results are disappointing.

While I haven't been starving for RPGs, I agree with all of Brad's major points. Paper Mario is a very good RPG that plays towards Nintendo's primary strength—creating charming game experiences with its evergreen characters. Intelligent Systems succeeds in designing and implementing a witty game that is nearly impossible to dislike. The game is filled with charming characters, bumbling enemies, and the sort of odd-ball situations that only Mario would get himself into.

Now, in the twilight years of the Nintendo 64, we can only hope that the upcoming GameCube will not travel down the same racing-and-platformer-heavy path its predecessor has. However, in a strange turn of events, the Nintendo 64 has been graced with a supremely excellent RPG only a few mere months before it receives its last rites.

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Comic Mischief

A prequel to Galactic Attack in the overall storyline, RayCrisis combines blazing-fast gameplay and great graphics to mark a fitting end to Taito's best shooter franchise. Unlike the generic Darius series, the "Ray" games are inventive in their approach to action.

I know that neither my playing experience nor playing acumen with side-scrolling shooters can compare with Ben's, but I know a below average shooter when I see one, and RayCrisis: Series Termination is such a game. It does have a few things going for it. I found Taito's gimmick to give players a say in determining the length of each level to be an interesting one and the graphics were quite nice.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence, Mild Language

After playing a game like Bangai-O, it really puts a spotlight on the fact that there are some very different types of gamers out there. Extremely rare is the disc that can please all (or even most) gamers, and Bangai-O is a perfect example of the type of title which clearly tells you which type of player you are since it strikes me as a "love it or hate it" type of affair.

Originally released two years ago in Japan for the Nintendo 64 under the title, Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh, the U.S. Dreamcast release of Bangai-O continues a long and excellent Treasure tradition of fast and furious arcade thrills that began with the Sega Genesis game Gunstar Heroes and culminated with Treasures magnum opus, the Sega Saturn import Radiant Silvergun. Bangai-O reunites Treasure with Silvergun collaborator ESP, and not surprisingly, it marks a triumphant return to hardcore shooting madness.