Pumped for Jet Set Radio

I know the re-release of Jet Set Radio on PSN and XBLA isn't really new news at this point. But I did want to make a point of giving you all a heads-up that I will be downloading this upon its release (and will follow this up with a review). I never played Jet Set Radio when it was out on the Dreamcast, but I'm really intrigued with the whole concept of the game. I love games that dare to be bold and artistically-driven, and I can't wait to see what it's all about come Summer time.

Top 5 Racing Games

#5 - Mario Kart DS: Let's face it, it's kind of hard to make a list like this without bringing up at least one of the Mario Kart games. However, I am only including one of the games from this series on this list due to how critical I tend to be in my approach to each entry in the series. Mario Kart games are great fun all around, but there are some that I don't care for as much as others. I got my start on Mario Kart 64 which, great game as it is, hasn't aged quite as well as some of the more recent releases. Mario Kart Double Dash should be recognized for exploring interesting new territory but, as a whole, I felt the Gamecube one was the weakest of the bunch.

The reason that Mario Kart DS ranks as my favorite in the series is because of the tracks available. Since none of the Mario Kart games have any real story to speak of, the tracks often serve as a make-or-break deal for me. There are some really creative aesthetics coupled with nice variation in the layout of the tracks, with Luigi's Mansion, Delfino Square, Waluigi Pinball, and Tick-Tock Clock being among the most noteworthy mentions. The retro tracks are a solid bunch too, with the likes of Frappe Snowland, Banshee Boardwalk, and Yoshi Circuit rounding out the package. Not to mention that the controls are very smooth - props to Nintendo for sticking to what we already know works and not messing up the controls by trying to implement much from the touch screen.

#4 - F-Zero X: Back in the day, I used to rent as many N64 games as I could from Blockbuster, and F-Zero X was among those. I didn't rent this one as frequently as Pokémon Snap, Ocarina of Time, or even Snowboard Kids, but it stood out to me, even at a young age, for a few key reasons. First off was the over-the-top futuristic racing scenario. As a kid, I simply thought it was a cool concept. Today, I realize how much of a different racing experience it provides, with the potential for sliding around turns, knocking other racers out of your path, or even the unfortunate plummet off the track into the abyss below. Second were the track designs and racer stats. Anyone's who's played this game knows how you have to be ready for whatever the next course is about to throw at you, and this can lead to a lot of trial-and-error approaches early on. The racers proved a solid progression system. You won't have access to anything spectacular to start with, but the default racers are well-balanced and give you a chance to get a good feel for the game before you take that next step up in difficulty.

F-Zero X is a very nontraditional Nintendo game in a lot of respects. It's not gushing with mature content, by any means, but the heavy metal and techno tunes coupled with the ripped t-shirt-clad menu girls implies this is a racing game for the teens on up (both were kind of edgy back in the day). It's a challenging game - there are times when the slightest of screw-ups can send you hurtling to your death, forcing you to restart the race (as I experienced more than a few times on the pipes of Big Blue) - but that's just the way I like it.

#3 - Diddy Kong Racing: This was an easy pick for me, and not just because it was the first video game I ever owned. Diddy Kong Racing is a kart racer, and a darn good one at that. It's not the same as Mario Kart, despite the fact that both games are host to a cast of characters from across various games. Diddy Kong Racing has something of a story to it. It's by no means the greatest storytelling you can find in a video game, but the way Wizpig and adventure mode acted as the core of the experience gave me a reason to want to complete the main game.

The major worlds are host to four tracks and one mini-game each. Each world has a different theme, and the tracks explore different styles in which said themes could be approached. For example, the Renaissance-themed Dragon Forest dishes out a haunted forest, plains riddled with windmills, a castle, and a medieval village. Some tracks proved vehicle-specific, or at least more friendly toward one vehicle over another. They are not frequent, but courses that force players to use the hovercraft or the jet end up as some of the best-designed of the bunch, and can certainly help in learning to master these alternative vehicles.

The items are another highlight. As opposed to Mario Kart's greater variety, Diddy Kong racing takes to a stacking method. By collecting a single red balloon, players can fire a missile. Or, they can choose to wait and grab another red balloon to upgrade to a homing missile. It presents an element of careful strategy not always explored in kart racers. And man, do those items come in mighty handy when you're taking on any of the game's five bosses (because they're all pretty challenging).

#2 - Midnight Club II: This is a game that breathes atmosphere through every nook and cranny of its three overworld cities. From Los Angeles to Paris to Tokyo, the game presents you with a superb variety of race variants. There's the tried-and-true races against multiple AI opponents, there's the series of scattered checkpoints, and there are instances where you have to outrun the police (you are street racing illegally, after all). There's even one mission where you are the unwitting accomplice in a plot to spread bombs through the Parisian catacombs.

What makes this game so memorable is not its selection of excellently rendered automobiles, which range from the classy and sporty to the suped-up and decked out. It's not the controls which are so fluid and perfect for the PS2. All of these certainly help the overall package to reach greater heights, but the soundtrack is the definitive reason to play this game. Whether you are punching the turbo to beat your opponent to the finish line at the last minute or simply free-roaming in cruise mode, the experimental techno and hip-hop tracks from Thomas Bangalter, Felix Da Housecat, patientzero, 8-Off Agallah (to name just a few) act as the soul of the experience.

#1 - Hydro Thunder: "Three!...Two!...One! GO, GO, GO!" If F-Zero was the hyper-futuristic equvialent to a car racing game, then Hydro Thunder is essentially the same to boat racing. I can't say that I've played many boat racing games - I don't think that there are that many around, and I don't imagine there are many noteworthy mentions among the bunch. But Hydro Thunder stands out to me for a lot of reasons. On the more simplistic side of things, the game is gorgeous to look at, regardless of whether you are playing it on the N64, Dreamcast, or Arcade. It's not that the graphics look incredible by today's standards - far from it. But the whole aesthetic appeal of surreal environments of each track combined with space-age boats immediately immerses you in the experience.

Breaking down the particulars, though, Hydro Thunder requires time and patience to master. While each course has its boost locations, figuring out the best time to use them can draw a fine line between first and last place. There's also the matter of shortcuts and jumps to improve your ranking. Despite its age, the game's controls are still surprisingly fluid, and offer an experience that does well to balance the realistic elements of boat racing with the ridiculous angle of strapping rockets to the back of your machine. The different layouts of each track keep you on your toes at all times while also providing enough space for you to maneuver in the water. All in all, the game has a very arcade-style feel about it, whether you're actually playing the arcade version or one of the console releases.

25 Days of Villains - #6: Dr. Robotnik

"I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the greatest scientific genius in the world!"

Hear me out - I realize Dr. Robotnik (or Eggman, as he is referred to nowadays) is not among the most successful of villains. Sonic has foiled every single one of his plans, from his earliest robotic creations to his most recent time-travelling beast. But there's no denying how iconic the goofy main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is.

Robotnik has never been known for subtlety. His classic hover chair accommodated a number of attachments, from spiked wrecking balls, to drills, to hydro cannons. His floating Death Egg fortress was one of his earliest creations that reached mammoth proportions. In Sonic Adventure 2, he reactivated the lost colony ARK, which was revealed to have a giant cannon capable of shattering half of the moon, and that just so happened to bear a striking resemblance to his own visage. Even the Egg Dragoon, though considerably smaller than the other two, is an ostentatious mecha unit loaded with every imaginable form of ammunition to serve as overkill in taking down one hedgehog.

Some of his more successful endeavors include the creation of Metal Sonic, and the occasions where he turned to Knuckles, Chaos, and Shadow as his ever-powerful number one fighters. Through Chaos, Robotnik managed to acquire each and every one of the Chaos Emeralds, though things went south once Chaos morphed into his uncontrollable perfect form. Shadow, on the other hand, proved much more loyal to Robotnik for the majority of Sonic Adventure 2, even continuing his search for the Master Emeralds as he questioned his purpose late in the game.

Probably the two instances Robotnik came closest to victory over Sonic were during the events of Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Generations. His plans in Sonic Adventure 2 would have succeeded, had he not misunderstood his grandfather's legacy. In Sonic Generations, Robotnik (both his past and present selves) used the Time Eater to erase history and every instance of Sonic's victory over him. As a side effect, all of Sonic's friends were locked away in various places from his past journeys. The thing Robotnik had not counted on was the fact that, without any measure of time present, the two versions of Sonic were able to move back and forth freely, and this allowed them to quickly gather the Chaos Emeralds to go Super Sonic on the Time Eater.

Robotnik's victories may be small and limited - often they are through the actions of his creations and subordinates. But he certainly is persistent, and is determined to someday defeat the famous blue hedgehog. His methods can be a bit ridiculous, but you have to give the man credit for his style.

Theme:

Yes, it's cheesy music from the early 2000s. But I love how catchy Eggman's theme from Sonic Adventure 2 is - very befitting of someone who enjoys tooting his own horn so frequently.

25 Days of Villains - #17: Chaos

Chaos is a prime example of something peaceful and pure going horribly awry. When Chief Pachacamac leads his tribe forth to conquer the land, he turns to the awesome power of the Chaos Emeralds, against the warnings of his daughter Tikal. In so doing, he angers Chaos, protector of the Chao, who then uses the Chaos Emeralds to transform into his Perfect Chaos form and effectively wipe out the tribe.

Hundreds of years later, Dr. Eggman seeks out the same power of the Chaos Emeralds, but decides to harness the power of the now-corrupt Chaos for his own ends. Stealing the Chaos Emeralds one by one from Sonic and his pals, Eggman provides Chaos with boosts of energy, making him stronger with each battle. The emeralds also warp Chaos’ appearance from the semi-humanoid Chaos Zero stage to the gargantuan water lizard Perfect Chaos form. Near the end of the game, Chaos breaks from Eggman’s influence, going rampant, flooding streets, collapsing buildings, and destroying most of Station Square.

The boss fight against Perfect Chaos was one of the most memorable in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that he was rendered in high-definition, with lots more detail in Sonic Generations. A mute force of destruction, Chaos certainly lives up to his namesake.

Boss theme:

Aside from the main theme of “Open Your Heart” being used during the final fight against Perfect Chaos, the theme that plays when battling his sixth form is probably my favorite.

Dreamcast review: Sonic Adventure

The more recent releases in the Sonic the Hedgehog series have received more than a little negative reception from critics and gamers alike. Not only do they seem to be churned out quickly without receiving adequate time to develop an enjoyable (or in some cases, logical) story, but the gameplay is usually hit-or-miss. Some games manage to throw too many curveballs at gamers by trying to fix what isn't broken, while others work backwards on familiar formulas. And while some old-school fans of the Genesis-era Sonic games might blame this unfortunate turn of events on the series having shifted to the realm of 3D, the first few 3D titles actually showed a great deal of promise for the series. Sonic Adventure was arguably the most revolutionary title in the franchise since the original Sonic the Hedgehog, and succeeded in many areas as the series' first big 3D outing.

The story of Sonic Adventure builds off the relatively simple premise of Eggman relying on the water-shifting entity known as Chaos to gather all the Chaos Emeralds in order to destroy Station Square. Things become more complex via the intertwining stories of each of the playable characters, as well as the story of Tikal and her people, the latter of which is revealed in small cutscenes for players to piece together. It's disappointing that the shaky voice acting bogs this storytelling down some, as Sonic Adventure has one of the stronger plots in the entire series.

From the start of the game, players are granted control of Sonic, whose high-speed levels make up the bulk of the game. During the course of Sonic's narrative, he will encounter other familiar faces, including Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose, as well as two newcomers - E-102 Gamma, and Big the Cat. All five of these characters can then be selected from the main menu, and completing their stories ultimately unlocks Super Sonic as a playable character for the game's final chapter. Each character has their own unique abilities, with Tails being able to fly (to both immediate areas via his tails and higher altitudes in his plane, the Tornado), Amy carrying an oversized hammer to fight back enemies, and Knuckles having powered-up punches and the ability to glide through the air.

While Tails and Amy's levels stick to the same basic formula as Sonic's levels, Knuckles is tasked with restoring the missing pieces of the Master Emerald in free-roam treasure hunt levels. E-102 adds gunplay to the race-to-the-finish routine, and follows up each with a boss fight against his robotic brethren. Big the Cat is perhaps the most obnoxious character in the game, with regards to both his 'bumbling idiot' personality and his control scheme. Every one of his levels is the same concept - catch his friend Froggy with a fishing pole. Thankfully there are only four levels to Big's story, though each is equally frustrating, as Froggy only goes for the bait half the time, and Big can lose his edge reeling Froggy in at any moment. The rest of the cast controls quite smoothly, save for the occasional awkward camera angle that leads Amy to run into a wall.

Players can also access three different Chao gardens after exploring the nooks and crannies of each separate area of the overworld. The Chao gardens act like a minigame of sorts, where players can raise the Chao and have them compete in races. Animals that are collected by destroying Eggman's robots in the various action stages can be brought back to the Chao gardens, and giving these to a Chao will alter both his/her appearance and attributes. It is a bit of a time-consuming process, but players who want to earn every emblem or simply wish to extend their experience with Sonic Adventure will probably find it an enjoyable, though casual, minigame.

The soundtrack to Sonic Adventure presents a wide variety of musical stylings, from hip-hop to heavy rock to techno. Each track meshes quite well with its respective stage or character, though a few cheesy lyrics drag down some of the tunes. The voice acting is pretty terrible across the board. The game's sound mixing, on the other hand, is quite impressive for its time. This is due in part to how much of a head-start the Dreamcast had with tech that would eventually find its way to the PS2 and Gamecube. Similarly, the graphics are a standout element for Sonic Adventure. They might seem primitive by today's standards, but the fact that this 1999 release had such detailed textures and rounded edges instead of the angular character models of other big titles such as Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy VII were big steps toward the current-day standards of modern 3D gaming.

Some elements of Sonic Adventure seem like a test bed for what would come in later titles - primarily the consistent format of each character's missions, and the Chao gardens. Its visuals certainly look dated and the gameplay is not as polished as in the sequel. That said, Sonic Adventure is still a great adventure platformer in its own right and is a lot of fun to play twelve years after its debut.

My rating: 8.5 (out of 10)