Namco Bandai

Game Description: Klonoa is the long-eared hero of the world Lunatea, an enchanted realm divided into separate kingdoms. When a forgotten fourth kingdom of darkness threatens to upset the balance of power in Lunatea, Klonoa and his friends go on a magical journey to set things right again. This family-friendly action game uses a new illustration technique to create dynamic camera angles in a seemingly 2D world.

I'm very glad that Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil was released. Heck, forget released how about the fact that it was even developed? Its a good game, but my reasons for being so glad to see it run deeper than that. Its all about platforms, really.

Game Description: Forget the fancy full-motion video intros of the past. The cutting-edge gameplay that is promised in the extended intros of fighting games is finally realized in Tekken Tag Tournament. This visually stunning action game contains fully rendered 3D characters that can execute smoothly animated martial arts moves. With polygonal characters and texture maps this real, you'll end up looking for the coin slot on your PS2. With more than 30 characters to fight against or beside, this game allows you to pull off the ultimate human combo: tag-team fighting.

So there's a bit of irony that with Tekken Tag Tournament, the series that was once a trendsetter is now reduced to one of the also-rans. Why does the game take a fall from grace? There's nothing inherently wrong with Tekken Tag. Simply chalk it up to the lack of notable evolutionary advances in the face of high-quality competitors.

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence

About six months before the release of the original PlayStation, I was fortunate enough to attend a small CES (Consumer Electronics Show) near my home. After waiting in line for nearly an hour, I rushed inside in hopes of getting my hands on a demo unit for this crazy, unknown new game system put out by Sony of all companies. My first experience on the PlayStation was Battle Arena Toshinden, and regardless of what people may say about it now, at the time it was stunning. Still reeling from the mind-blowing experience at the show about a month afterwards, I ran into an arcade machine for the original Tekken.

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence

Game Description: Dragon Valor provides the narrative structure of role-playing games and combines it with the fighting action of adventure games. You'll take on the role of Clovis, the patriarch in a succession of Dragonslayer warriors. In the first chapter of the game, you'll battle in real-time combat through a fantastic world of powerful dragons and evil bosses. Power-ups along the way will make you an even more formidable hero, and you'll also benefit from spells you'll receive from defeated foes.

Namco is a name that means a lot to me as a gamer. It touches me spiritually, almost. Not only is it the company that invented Pac-Man, Galaga and a monstrous slew of other hits during the golden days of the arcade, but it continues to be a vital, successful and influential force in the gaming scene today.