Konami

For many, Ark of Napishtim will be their first experience with a Ys game. However, the series has been around for ages (it's always just been overshadowed by the Zeldas of the gaming universe). Recurring character Adol Christin could have easily been as big an icon as Link, but the poor guy's just never been given the chance.

After reading Matt's analysis of Neo Contra, I think he nailed it when he said that it lacks the staying power of its predecessors. It's clearly a good game at its core, and technically, things are smooth and feel good in my hands. In fact, I'm always glad to see this kind of fast-action shooter come down the pike, especially with the name Contra attached to it.

The game's most obvious failing is in its very design. While previous Suikoden games have been relatively short by RPG standards, they've always managed to tell epic tales. In a lot of ways, this was a plus—the older games always told grand stories without the narrative fat that's become so common in the genre. Suikoden IV attempts to continue this tradition; it doesn't have any narrative fat, but that's generally because it doesn't have much of a narrative at all. Earlier titles in the series gradually ramped up in terms of action, but Suikoden IV is content to spend the entirety of the game languishing in second gear. It presents moments where it seems like things are going to rev up and finally go somewhere, but they never do. Because of this, the game never really achieves a sense of urgency.

In the main review, Matt makes the statement that Hideo Kojima is one of the best game designers working today. Without question, I agree completely. In my mind, Kojima is a visionary; possibly even a genius when it comes to making games.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

It doesn't seem possible, but it's been 20 years since Gradius first showed up on the arcade scene, becoming an instant classic and one of the defining shoot-em-ups (aka, shmups) of all time. Over the years, the Vic Viper has turned up in a plethora of ports, sequels, and side stories, and while some of them have been better than others (Gradius IV has always seemed like the series lowpoint for me, personally), Gradius V may well be the best of them all.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Fantasy, Violence

As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with being a horndog (to use Chi's term), and there's nothing wrong with games that appeal to the libido. Granted, there has to be some kind of gameplay there for such games to be justified, otherwise they become interactive pornography.

Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) , the rhythm-action game that involves stomping feet on a special dance mat controller, has a devoted fan base that will eagerly pay to play the same songs over and over again. After countless remixes, appends and spin-offs, the latest DDR game to hit home consoles is Dance Dance Revolution Extreme for PlayStation 2.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Lyrics, Suggestive Themes