Top 5 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Missions

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron has long been among my favorite video game tie-ins to George Lucas’ films. I loved how bold the original N64 entry was in exploring new worlds and crafting the narrative of Kasan Moor and Moff Seerdon through the eyes of the more well-known Wedge Antilles and Luke Skywalker. I also appreciated how fine-tuned its Gamecube sequels were, as their dogfights still rank among some of the smoothest-playing I’ve encountered in any sci-fi game that emphasizes ship-to-ship combat. The Rogue Squadron games were special, in that they devoted themselves to an aspect of the Star Wars universe that is far too often overshadowed by the mysticism of the Jedi vs. Sith conflict, and made a home-run with it. Even the third game’s insistence on shoe-horning on-foot missions was a minor setback when infiltrations into Imperial bases via a hijacked AT-AT or a preemptive strike on Imperial shipyards were account for. Below are my five very favorite missions across the three Rogue Squadron titles, and why they stood out so much.

#5 – Assault on Kile II: Some might consider my love of the Y-Wing to be odd, and that my insistence on using it in as many missions as possible over the course of the Rogue Squadron series’ run to border on having a death wish. I’m not sure when my obsession with the slow but heavily-armored Y-Wing began, but one of my earliest memories in piloting it come from the N64 mission Assault on Kile II, wherein Rogue Squadron must keep a low profile as they fly low to the ground, navigating a maze of increasingly narrow valleys. It’s a search for Imperial outposts that must be handled with the utmost care, lest the local patrols overwhelm Rogue Squadron. While the Y-Wing can take more of a beating than some of its brethren, its best to avoid combat while chugging through the tight passageways that link the few more open areas, as just one tailing TIE Fighter can shoot you down very quickly.

#4 – Death Star Attack: I will openly admit that I prefer when the Rogue Squadron games branch out into original scenarios as opposed to revisiting familiar battles from the films. However, as cliché a choice as it might be, there is no denying just how perfect a job the second game did in capturing the Rebel’s strike on the first Death Star. The opening cutscene that recreated the X-Wing and Y-Wing squadrons approach, the buildup to the iconic trench run, and then the tight quarters that the fighter pilots must account for as they race toward the exhaust port - all of this is handled in such a fine manner, and few other Star Wars games have since been able to match its quality in their own depictions of the Battle of Yavin. The chaotic laser crossfire depicted in the background, the huge jump from the first game in regards to super smooth textures of the various towers and turrets littering the Death Star’s surface, the multiple portions of the mission, and the sheer scope of its presentation were a magnificent showing for the first mission of this sequel, and hooked my eleven-year-old self in with wide-eyed wonder at what the rest of the game had in store.

#3 – The Search for the Nonnah: One of the earlier missions in the original Rogue Squadron has you searching for a downed transport known as the Nonnah on a wet and murky world. It’s a race against the sparse Imperial forces who are similarly scouring the area for the Nonnah’s crash site, and was among the first missions in the Rogue Squadron series to peel the focus away from combat. Instead, fighting the Imperial’s local deployed walkers and tanks is reserved for the end-mission climax, with everything beforehand a time-sensitive traversing of deep ravines and the occasional run-in with a small rival TIE Fighter squadron.

#2 – The Jade Moon: In what is one of the first major stepping stones in the narrative of the original Rogue Squadron, Kasan Moor accompanies the veteran pilots of the titular X-Wing squadron to the Jade Moon of the Loronar System. It was the first proper test of Moor’s loyalty to the Rebel cause, as she had only recently defected. At the start of the mission, Wedge Antilles voices his concerns about Moor’s trustworthiness, and though Luke wishes to focus on the task at hand, the eerie track that accompanies this assault on an Imperial Supply depot perpetuates an air of suspense and uncertainty - a tune made so apparently popular, that it saw reprises in both sequel games. It is a mission that pits Rogue Squadron against many different enemy types, from TIE Fighter variants, to AT-PT walkers, to rotating missile turrets, and does a great job at encompassing just how the members of Rogue Squadron behave during more high-risk scenarios.

#1 – Battle of Endor: This climactic battle from Return of the Jedi was exciting in the film, but the cuts back to Luke aboard the Death Star and Han, Leia, and Chewbacca on the forest moon sort of distracted from the true scope of the ship-to-ship combat. In Rogue Squadron II, it is fully realized, a nearly chaotic number of ships zipping in and out, this way and that. Your objectives change rather frequently, keeping you on your toes as you attempt to defend the Rebel fleet before pushing the fight back toward the Imperials. Facing down two Star Destroyers is one of the most immersive moments in this trilogy of games, and the slow approach toward them is the perfect buildup to one of the greatest tests of your piloting skills.

Gamecube review: Killer7

You may have gathered from my many reviews of Suda51’s games that I am a huge fan of his work. Much as I love No More Heroes and its sequel, I was acutely aware of the fact that most Suda51 fans held Killer7 to just as high a caliber. I recall seeing promo content for Killer7 before it ever released on the Gamecube via Nintendo Power and various websites, but never had the chance to play it in proper until recently. Whereas No More Heroes is an unapologetic satire on the action game genre as well as the video game industry at large, Killer7 combines horror and action elements in an on-rails shooter that involves clever puzzles, requires quick thinking and fast reflexes, and boasts a curious brand of dark psychedelic flair.

The Smith Syndicate, otherwise known as the Killer7, is made up of – you guessed it – seven core members. Garcian Smith is liason between the six assassins and their master, Harman Smith. In the event that one of the six assassins – Kevin, Dan, Kaede, Mask, Con, or Coyote – is killed during a mission, Garcian can retrieve their remains and bring them back to life. The catch, however is that Garcian must retread their steps into enemy-filled territory. Thus is the big gamble with retrieving a dead Smith – Garcian cannot be upgraded, and in the event that a mission does not require use of the Smith in question’s unique abilities, it may be wise to simply carry on with the remaining members of the syndicate.

Blood is the currency of Killer7, and is used to heal during a mission, required to utilize the unique abilities of each of the Smiths, and can be exchanged for upgrade points to boost the stats of the Smiths. Each Smith has a different skill set, ranging from Con’s speed in both mobility and firing rate, to Kaede’s long-distance scoped pistol, to Kevin’s throwing knives which negate any need to reload. However, each Smith has an offset to prevent any single one from becoming more powerful than the others. Con’s defensive capacities are practically nonexistent, and though Mask deSmith is built like a tank, the spread of his grenade launchers results in his gathering a lower-quality blood far more often than not. Kaede and Mask’s unique abilities often reveal hidden messages and passageways respectively, and are most helpful in solving puzzles. Coyote and Kevin’s abilities are most frequently used to access new areas of the map, while Con’s ability to hear specific sounds and determine the correct path off those sees the least use. Dan’s ability to charge up one Collateral Shot in order to take out enemy spawn points is used sparingly, but is practical nonetheless.

The enemies that the Killer7 face at every turn are monstrous humanoids known as Heaven’s Smiles – effectively walking time bombs with abilities that vary from one mission to the next. If a Heaven’s Smile gets too close to one of the Smiths, it will detonate and chisel away a decent portion of their health bar. Some varieties of Heaven’s Smiles are slow but capable of taking many hits, others are stationary but notably more lethal as ‘turret’ units. Some of the more dangerous Heaven’s Smiles, encountered later in the game, are designed to race toward players before they have much time to devise a countering strategy. While the game never feels cheap or frustratingly difficult, it certainly demands a unique learning curve given its style of gameplay, and a trial-and-error pattern is key to taking down some of the game’s most lethal enemies.

These Heaven’s Smiles are the binds that tie everything together, plot-wise. At the outset, Harman has an encounter with an old acquaintance named Kun Lan. Kun Lan has acquired the means to offer ordinary citizens the chance at becoming Heaven’s Smiles, and furthering his terrorist routine. Swept up in the rivalry of these two old men are political officials representing Japan and the U.S., as well as other radical idealists like one Ulmeyda. It’s a melting pot of cleverly-scripted characters with colorful attitudes that lean more toward the practical and realistic given the scenario at large, as opposed to No More Heroes’ more crazy and eccentric residents. Even with the M-rating slapped on the box, it should be noted that Killer7 is a thinking man’s game – not just because of the logic-based puzzles, but because of the story and setting’s emphasis on more adult themes like modern terror tactics, cultist followings, irregularities in space-time, geopolitics, and moral ambiguity.

Much like the more recent Killer is Dead, Killer7 utilizes a hyper cel-shaded art style, wherein whites are borderline-glaringly bright, and shadows are nearly pitch black. The animations and details of each character model are incredibly well-rendered, however, so it is thankfully not a case of the art style trumping the care put into bringing the Smith Syndicate to life. The soundtrack incorporates a number of industrial and techno tunes to flesh out its near-future setting, while also adding a dash of rock and classical string sounds to the mix. Some of the cutscenes opt for a modern anime approach, while the majority deliver story segments in small doses of grungy 2D digital animation.

Kiler7 will run players about fifteen hours or so on their first playthrough. Some levels are more time-consuming than others, as they may require the Smith Syndicate to retrace their steps in order to complete a puzzle that was impossible to overcome at an earlier point. Others host considerably more enemies, leading players to have their triggers ready to go at a moment’s notice. But even the first introductory level lacks a linear design. There is never a set order in which players must overcome the various challenges of each mission, rather the ultimate goal is to retrieve all the required Soul Shells rewarded from mastering puzzles and exploring the environment. The game does mark each puzzle, Soul Shell, and point of interest on the map screen, making retreading one’s steps a less tedious process, though the game will never state outright what needs to be done at each location.

However, clues can be purchased for an adequate amount of blood from the ghostly figure of Yoon-Hyoon and his luchador mask. Similarly, the bondage jumpsuit-bound individual known as Iwazaru offers tidbits on local enemy tactics in any given locale. Arguably the most interesting of these phantoms is Travis Bell, a young man who knows perhaps more about the picture at large than any of the Smiths. His knowledge of the Japan-U.S. political affairs and the associates Garcian occasionally meets with makes him a key part of unraveling the grander story.

While the seven Smiths are merely faces with separate weapon sets at the start of Killer7, they each have their time in the spotlight, and by the game’s final hours, each will have a distinct and rounded identity. Some of the Smiths are explored in greater detail through letters and key items found within missions, forcing some digging on the part of players. Others, like Dan and Mask, have fully-scripted cutscenes allotted to them. Upon completing the main game, the grueling challenge of Killer8 is unlocked, which grants players access to Harman Smith alongside the other six assassins.

Killer7 is a rare gem, unfortunately overlooked by many due to its limited exclusivity to the Gamecube and release late in the sixth console generation. Despite the fact that the game does see a couple of hiccups few and far between, there isn’t any one element that stands out as being significantly flawed. Killer7 is weird, no doubt, but that is standard of any Suda51 title. Killer7's unorthodox controls and general gameplay may seem a bit daunting at first, but by the time players complete the first mission, it should all feel very fluid and natural. Killer7 deals with some dark plot elements that are very relevant to this day and age, and the culmination of its mature storytelling, wild artistic vision, and crazy creative gameplay make it one of the best games I have experienced on Nintendo’s purple lunchbox console.

My rating: 10 (out of 10)

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness journal - entry one

My familiarity with the third generation Pokémon games is limited when compared to generations one, two, and five. I never owned a Gameboy Advance, though my brother did, and at the time that Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were releasing, I was more or less over my initial obsession with the franchise. However, recently I have noticed many fans of Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald reminiscing and claiming that the generation three releases were among the best in the entire series for various reasons. While I would like to pick up a copy of Emerald some day in the future, the closest I currently have available to me is Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, a game that is even more difficult to come by and is on loan to me from a friend.

As with other side games in the Pokémon franchise, your character is given Eevee as their starter Pokémon. One of the first locales you visit allows you to pick one of five evolution stones (two extras due to the game not having a day/night mechanic), and instantaneously evolve your Eevee into Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Umbreon, or Espeon. You can hold onto the evolution stone for use at a later time if you so choose, but knowing which evolution you are going to select early on will help in building a balanced team. My personal favorite Eevee evolution happens to be Espeon, and based on the incredibly small number of psychic-types or psychic secondary-types I have been granted the opportunity to catch thus far, it seems I made a wise choice.

Though Gale of Darkness is the closest thing to a fully-realized traditional Pokémon game on a home console, the gameplay differs slightly from the core mechanics of the handheld Pokémon releases. All the battles are double battles, adding a unique flavor to combat tactics. Only wild encounters are one-on-one battles, but these must be triggered at specific locations by leaving bait out. The main method of catching Pokémon comes from snagging shadow Pokémon - Pokémon who have been forcibly corrupted by Cipher, resident baddies of the Orre Region. Occasionally, the protagonist will recognize a shadow Pokémon via a Dragon Ball Z-esque eyepiece, and can then catch it. Catching all shadow Pokémon is not necessary and they can simply be k.o.'d for experience points, but catching shadow Pokémon does prove beneficial for building a basic team early in the game.

Due to all the battles being double battles, as well as the time it takes to display the surprisingly well-animated Pokémon in action, battles tend to last longer than the occasional sweeps that can easily occur on the handheld entries. However, battles in Gale of Darkness are not quite as frequent, and are - on the whole - easier, save for a few local "boss encounters" against trainers prominent to the plot. While there are Pokémon Centers present in every major locale, some of the buildings that players will spend a fair amount of time exploring contain Pokémon healing stations, reducing players' dependency on potions.

Though Gale of Darkness does seem to push the generation three Pokémon into the spotlight, overall the Pokémon are pretty well balanced between generations one, two, and three. I tend to try and keep a rather balanced team, and I am also quite fond of dual-type Pokémon. At present, my team consists of five main members: Espeon, Houndour, Shiftry, Spheal, and Flaaffy. I recently caught a Mawile, and will likely use it in place of the Teddiursa I've had along for the ride since the first couple of hours of the game. In the past, I used Pokémon whose secondary-type was steel or were primary steel-types with another secondary-type, but I've never had a pure steel-type until playing Gale of Darkness, so this will make for an interesting experience. At the same time, I am keeping my options open in the event that a ghost-type, ground-type, or fighting type that may prove more practical presents itself before me.

25 Days of Villains - #1: Ganondorf

“My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came the wind carried the same thing... death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose. It can only be called fate... That here, I would again gather the three with the crests... That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder... That when power, wisdom, and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down... The power of the gods… The Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted! Already the crest of wisdom is mine. All that remains… Do not fear. I will not kill you. I merely have need of the power that dwells within you. Now! Let us put an end to that which binds us together!”

Every one hundred years, the all-female Gerudo tribe gives birth to a male who is recognized as their king. As Demise promised Link and Zelda upon his defeat at the end of Skyward Sword, there would always be an incarnation of his hatred to walk upon the Earth. That revival comes in the form of Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo, usurper of Hyrule, and (as far as I'm concerned) the single greatest villain in video game history.

In A Link to the Past, Ganon is referred to as having once been a man, before he discovered a greater power that allowed him to transform into the powerful beast. As Ocarina of Time is the first game in the timeline confirmed to follow Skyward Sword, we can only assume that to be the first appearance of Ganondorf. As he makes clear to Link, Ganondorf intends to overthrow the king of Hyrule and command the power of the Triforce as his own. When Link removes the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time, he opens the Sacred Realm, which allows Ganondorf to steal the Triforce of Power. He then uses it to reshape the kingdom as he sees fit.

During the seven years that followed, Link spent his time asleep in the Sacred Realm, while Zelda evaded Ganondorf’s grasp by taking on the guise of Sheik. Link eventually helped all six of the sages awaken, and they in turn helped him to forge a path to Hyrule castle, but not before Zelda revealed her true identity and was captured by Ganondorf. The only one capable of stopping Ganondorf, Link proceeded to his castle and ascended to find Ganondorf waiting for him. With all three pieces of the Triforce in one place, Ganondorf intended to kill Link, his only remaining opponent, and claim the Triforce of Courage.

Reflecting his own dark magic back at him, Link was able to defeat Ganondorf, but the Gerudo King used the Triforce of Power to transform himself into the beast Ganon. While Link lost his advantage temporarily, he was able to retrieve the Master Sword and, with the help of the sages, sealed Ganondorf away.

There are a number of theories regarding how the Legend of Zelda timeline progresses. For the sake of avoiding debate, I will simply be covering Ganondorf’s actions in the other two titles he appeared. In Twilight Princess, Ganondorf was recognized as a threat to the kingdom and the sages attempted to execute him. They soon realized the extent of his power, however, as a blade to the chest did little harm. Ganondorf killed the sage of water, and – seeing the severity of the situation – the other sages sealed him away in the Twilight Realm.

Once there, Ganondorf took advantage of Zant, leading him to believe that he was some kind of a God. He granted Zant some of his powers – enough to travel to Hyrule and shroud portions of it in Twilight, but nothing comparable to the strength of the Gerudo King himself. After Zant’s defeat, Link and Midna stormed Hyrule Castle to find Ganondorf had assumed the throne. Eventually they were able to free Zelda from his control, and Link killed him, driving the Master Sword through his preexisting wound.

In The Wind Waker, the same Ganondorf Link sealed away in Ocarina of Time has found a way out of the Sacred Realm. When he planned a second conquest of Hyrule, there was no hero to stop him, and so the Goddesses flooded the realm, creating the Great Ocean. Hundreds of years later, there are but a few who remain that know even a little about Hyrule, one of them being the King of Red Lions, talking boat and travelling companion of this era's Link. While the two set out to face the challenges of the tower of the Gods and retrieve the pieces of the shattered Triforce of Courage, Ganondorf has already sent his minions forth to kill the last two remaining sages, Laruto and Fado. He's also gathered quite a collection of young girls with pointed ears, hoping that one of them might be the descendant of Princess Zelda.

Around the midway point of his journeys, Link finds the Master Sword beneath Hyrule Castle. But the blade of evil's bane has lost all its power, forcing Link to tackle two more dungeons to return it to its former glory. At the same time, most of Ganondorf's power was sealed beneath the pedestal of the Master Sword. With it removed, Ganondorf is once again able to assume his Ganon form, as well as his superhuman strength. When Link ventures to his tower to face him, Ganondorf already has Tetra/Zelda, and makes quick work of Link, beating him until he is nearly unconscious. The three pieces of the Triforce resonate, and Ganondorf relays his wishes to the Goddess.

Unfortunately for him, the King of Red Lions (aka the King of Hyrule) intervenes, touching the Triforce first and bringing his own wish to wash away Hyrule to fruition. Outraged, Ganondorf then faces Link and Tetra one final time, intent on taking them down with him as the ocean floods in all around. Link ultimately prevails, with help from Tetra's carefully-aimed light arrows, and drives the Master Sword into Ganondorf's skull.

In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is at his most malicious, sending forth every imaginable enemy to hinder Link's progress and attempting to kill the Deku Tree, Jabu Jabu, the Gorons, and the Zoras. His hatred and anger are displayed quite prominently as well, through his rage after his castle collapses. In Twilight Princess, he takes on the role of puppeteer, hoping it will be too late for the people of Hyrule by the time they realize Zant is not the true threat. And in The Wind Waker, Ganondorf shows maturation since his time in the Sacred Realm. His plan is much more carefully laid out, and he nearly succeeds. When it's all said and done, though, Ganondorf is still as vengeful as ever, throwing everything he has at Link and Zelda. Despite how many times Link defeats him, Ganondorf and Ganon will continue to return, just as Demise said he would, bringing pure hatred wherever he goes. There aren't many video game villains that can be both as iconic and as enduring as Ganondorf. And those are the reasons he ranks as the greatest villain of all time.

Boss Themes:

I have two favorite themes for Ganondorf. The first is from Ocarina of Time, when Link parries magic spheres back at him. The second is the sword duel with Ganondorf at the end of The Wind Waker, and both of these easily fall among the most atmospheric and epic final boss battles I have ever played through in any video game.

25 Days of Villains - #4: Ridley

Leader of the Space Pirates and one of Samus Aran's oldest foes, Ridley is as mean as they come. His appearance is still reptilian like the rest of the Space Pirates, but he is considerably larger, looking much like a dragon. He's faced Samus many times in battle, and each confrontation proves as lethal and unforgiving as the last.

During her Zero Mission, Samus encountered Ridley as one of two major obstacles to reaching Mother Brain. Though she was able to defeat Ridley, she discovered later on that the Space Pirates were attempting to save him by combining his organic body with mechanical elements. While Samus was able to destroy the prototype before she escaped Zebes, Meta-Ridley would be completed on board the Frigate Orpheon orbiting the planet of Tallon IV. After Samus killed the mutated Parasite Queen and started a chain reaction that led the ship to crash into the planet, Ridley began tracking her. He watched from a distance in the tundra of Phendrana Drifts, eventually facing her head-on at the Chozo Temple where the Phazon meteor crashed. Ridley went all-out, firing seeker missiles from a distance and lashing out with his tail at close range. Despite the intense fight, Samus emerged victorious, if only for a brief while.

On Norion, as the Space Pirates engaged Federation Forces, Ridley attempted to take the generators offline. At the same time, Samus was trying to keep them online to aid the Federation's defenses, and the two engaged in battle in the midst of a free-fall down the catacombs of the base. Some years after the eradication of Dark Samus and the Metroid populous of SR388, Ridley took it upon himself to steal the last living Metroid. His forces performed all manner of experimentation on the life forms of Tallon IV and Aether during Metroid Prime and Prime 2: Echoes, the Metroids included. Though Samus was able to defeat Ridley, his goal of mutating the last Metroid was already underway.

Ridley's remains were destroyed at the end of Super Metroid, confirming his final death. But in all the times Samus faced him, Ridley exhibited a balance of intellect and deadly force. On the one hand, he is well-versed in the aforementioned genetic experimentation as well as battle tactics, with the Space Pirate forces having proved themselves capable opponents to the Federation fleet. Facing Samus one-on-one, Ridley always has speed and brute force on his side, and his attacks are carefully planned.

Boss Theme:

Though Ridley's theme has been relatively consistent through the years, the version that plays in Metroid Prime is easily my favorite. The electronic sounds really help to embody both the sense of sci-fi exploration and the intensity of facing Ridley.

25 Days of Christmas - #3: Metroid Prime

Reinventing a game is never an easy task to accomplish. This can be especially difficult if a game series hasn’t had a release in nearly ten years. Despite the huge challenge that lay before them, Nintendo and Retro Studios took up the task to revive the Metroid series in 3D. The road was paved with many bumps, but ultimately led to the one of the greatest adventure games on the Gamecube, and for that matter, one of the greatest games of the last generation of consoles.

As vast as the ocean was in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and as creative and diverse as all of the levels in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles proved to be, neither of them quite measured up to the experience that Metroid Prime delivered. Samus Aran is back in action, dealing a whole lot of pain to the space pirates while exploring more of the history behind her adoptive mentors, the Chozo. The game is set between the original Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus. The space pirates have divided their forces since their defeat at Samus’ hands, sending three major forces out across the galaxy. One such group is performing experiments on the wildlife of Tallon IV, attempting to mutate them with a substance known as Phazon. Samus infiltrates their frigate, but shortly after all hell breaks loose as the subjects of experiment begin wreaking havoc on the frigate. As Samus fights her way back to her gunship, she runs across Ridley, whom she presumed dead on Zebes. As the frigate falls out of orbit and begins a collision course with Tallon IV, Samus follows in her gunship, determined to figure out what exactly is going on.

The first area on the surface of Tallon IV that players will find themselves in is the Tallon overworld. It is a lush jungle setting, with green plants growing out of the rock walls and a constant rainfall that will stream droplets down Samus’ visor. This first step onto the planet’s surface is so surreal and captivating, and gives players a taste of what is to come from later areas. The different areas of Metroid Prime are beautifully detailed and throw various environmental challenges at players, as well as unique wildlife. The narrow lava-filled Magmoor Caverns will be incredibly unforgiving to players who fall off the rocky platforms, and is infested with Triclops beetles and Magmoor Dragons. As serene as the snow-laden temples might be, Phendrana Drifts pits Samus up against packs of hungry baby Sheegoth, and is host to one of the games most challenging boss fights. The Phazon Mines, which are accessible much later in the game, delve deeper into the history of the space pirates and their exploitation of the planet.


The scan visor serves two purposes to the player. The first is to learn more about the different creatures in order to understand how to counterattack and defend oneself. The secondary focus is to unlock bonus material in the art gallery upon completion of the game. The more scans a player makes, the more bonus material is unlocked for them. Later visors include the thermal visor and x-ray visor, practical for detecting enemies in dark areas and locating cloaked platforms respectively.

As with any Metroid title, the weapon variety is impressive. The four major beam types – Energy, Wave, Ice, and Plasma - make good use of their individual uses for both combat and puzzle solving. These can be used in conjunction with missiles, though players will be required to seek out these upgrades of their own accord, as only one is central to the gameplay. The morph ball has small bombs that can be used to break through barriers, larger bombs to take down thicker material and debris, a boost ability for launching Samus up half-pipes to greater heights, and a spider-ball ability that magnetizes the morph ball to tracks in order to traverse difficult terrain.


The game is deep and fairly long, but players will be required to perform a significant amount of backtracking during the second half. This is nowhere near as tedious and annoying as in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes as most of the time spent revisiting areas in Metroid Prime opens new rooms and grants players weapon and suit upgrades. Such is the case with the Gravity suit, which once acquired allows Samus to move freely through the water without any constraints due to the weight of her suit.

While the space pirates are Samus’s main foes in the game, they do improve their skills as the game improves. While the beginning of the game has Samus up against mostly grunt soldiers with little armor or weapons, she will encounter airborne Jet troopers who send a barrage of missiles at her, as well as underwater forces that launch torpedoes and evade Samus’ beams. Much later in the game, Samus will encounter pirates who have reversed the Chozo technology and created energy-specific armors, as well as massive space pirates who were victims of Phazon experimentation.

The bosses in Metroid Prime never dish out the same fight. Battling Flagraah requires players to be swift as they attempt to cut off the plant’s energy source with the use of both Samus’ beam weaponry and morph ball attacks. Thardus’ battle forces players to constantly refer to their various visors, but never feels like it is moving along at a sluggish rate. Fighting Meta-Ridley challenges players to dodge his bombardment of the Chozo temple while firing everything they’ve got at the space pirate leader.

While Retro Studios and Nintendo didn't have to add any more to the game, they went ahead and did it anyways. Included on the disc is the complete game of the original Metroid, exactly as it was in its 1987 release, Justin Bailey codes and all. Players can also connect to Metroid Fusion via the GBA-Gamecube cable to unlock the Metroid Fusion suit for play in Metroid Prime.


The game has beautiful graphics that really push the limits of the Gamecube. Even when compared with many of the system’s later releases, Metroid Prime looks as great as ever. There are no load-ins for areas or textures. Everything flows seamlessly from one area to the next. However, as great as the art style and graphics are, the aspect of the game’s design that I found to be the most captivating was the soundtrack. The sounds of the original three Metroid titles are present, but improved on tenfold. From the drum-heavy sounds of Magmoor Caverns to the calming piano that plays over Samus’ exploration of Phendrana Drifts, the music conveys the mood of the game perfectly. Though many thought the series impossible to revive, Retro Studios executed Samus' return perfectly. The story is deep and sets up wonderfully for the other Prime titles. Metroid Prime is easily the best game available on the Gamecube, and one of Nintendo’s most impressive releases ever.

25 Days of Christmas - #7: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles

One of the most popular RPG series over the years has been Final Fantasy. From its humble beginnings as a last-ditch effort to revive a dying company, to its upcoming highly-anticipated and visually stunning thirteenth main game, the series has proved itself a force to be reckoned with. To accommodate to the changing times, the series had to go through many changes, and the more recent titles have shifted from turn-based to real-time battle. Final Fantasy has spawned numerous sub-series as well, including Final Fantasy: Tactics and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles takes place in a world rebuilt after the fall of the Lilty empire. Due to the miasma that has engulfed the land, each city must send out a caravan on an annual basis to retrieve myrrh from trees in order to maintain the power of the city’s crystal. The four tribes, though they work together to fight off the imposing monster threat, have a very uneasy relationship and none of them get along well with one another. This makes an interesting dynamic as players interact with the characters in-game, hearing different stories of days long gone by. Much later in the game, the focus shifts to solving the mystery of everyone’s dwindling memories, turning the game towards a much more melancholy mood.


The world of Crystal Chronicles is vast and colorful. Each level breathes a different life into the gameplay, throwing its own respective horde of enemies at the player(s). Grunt soldiers will prove to be easy to defeat, but larger enemies will force players to be more conservative in their tactics. Players will also find themselves cycling back and forth through magic and weapon attacks when faced with a group of enemies. The art style remains consistent, but throws a different flair with each level. The towering fortress of Rebena te Ra is imposing and haunting with its signs of former glory. Mt. Kilanda and Lynari Desert throw some of the harshest environmental factors at players, and are both physically and mechanically removed from the levels of the mainland. River Belle Path and Veo lu Sluice exemplify the visual beauty of the world, while offering more puzzle-based gameplay. Tida offers a look into the darker and more depressing parts of the world, giving a glimpse of what could potentially occur if the caravan fails to return myrrh to their home village. Even the cities to which players travel to fill up on supplies are diverse and carry their own code of honor.


In regards to the magic available to players, there are more generic attacks such as fire, blizzard, and thunder. Cure and clear with aid party members during their trek through each level, and ease up on their dependency on food items. Combining different magic will create stronger spells that can include blunt attacks from fira and blizzara, and more specifically concentrated magic such as gravity.

Each tribe has different strengths and weaknesses. The Clavats are the most well-rounded and are best suited for newcomers to the series. Lilties are focused around physical defense and blacksmithing, constantly upgrading weapons and armor. Selkies are fast and agile, their physical attacks their strongest attribute. Yukes are probably the most challenging to master, as their strength lies almost solely in their abilities in casting magic.


Players are able to play through the game solo or as a party of up to four via the GBA-Gamecube link cable. Treading the levels solo will take players much longer, but will be accompanied by a moogle who carries the crystal chalice. In multiplayer, the party is no longer accompanied by a moogle. Each player’s menu shifts to the GBA screen, keeping the television screen free of clutter. Because of the lack of a moogle, however, multiplayer is best suited for a party of three or four, as two players becomes a bit of a hassle.

The control scheme is incredibly simplistic, but works wonders for the title. Everything is fluid, from combat to the menu system, to the upgrades following the completion of each level. The originality of every single level is exemplified through the beautiful art style, as well as what I consider to be the greatest video game soundtrack of all time. Though it may be quite far drawn from the traditional RPG style of other Final Fantasy titles, Crystal Chronicles sets itself aside as a genius game in the RPG genre.

25 Days of Christmas - #10: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Let me begin by stating that I initially thought this title would be the worst Zelda game of all time. The cel-shaded style and younger looking Link looked silly, and the footage revealed early on seemed simplistic and uninspired. Shortly after The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was released, I kept hearing about how awesome of a game it was. Reluctantly, I rented the game to give it a try. I was engrossed in the world almost instantly and never looked back.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the odd duck of one of Nintendo’s most renowned series. It broke away from Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time – both of which tried to be more dark and violent titles in the Zelda series. A Link to the Past, though it is a great game in its own right, was more about pushing the graphical capabilities than revamping the control scheme. The Wind Waker, however, doesn’t ever feel like it’s trying to sell itself. In this regard, I feel like The Wind Waker soars above its predecessors. The story is wonderfully written and focuses heavily on the theme of growing up.

There is some truth to the skeptics’ claims of The Wind Waker being a kid’s game – it really is aimed at the kid-at-heart. Though there is plenty of swordplay to be had and gargantuan bosses to fight, the game’s strongest point comes from the sense of adventure you feel every time Link jumps into his boat. The ocean is absolutely massive, and many islands only become fully accessible upon acquiring specific items or weapons. Every single character in this game is unique and memorable in their own right, from Tetra and her band of pirates to Link’s talking ship the King of Red Lions. Even the minor characters have such unique personality traits that they will stick with you, such as apathetic Salvatore who runs a Battleship-style minigame, the quarrelling elderly brothers Orca and Sturgeon, and the class-cutting band of kids known as the Killer Bees.

The dungeons are huge in The Wind Waker, easily double the size of most dungeons in Ocarina of Time. The puzzles are incredibly clever, and players will receive aid from Medli and Makar later on in the earth and wind temples. There are plenty of familiar weapons and tools that return from previous installments, including the boomerang, bow, and golden gauntlets. But new inclusions, such as the Deku leaf and cannon still flow just as smoothly with the gameplay.

There are a ridiculous number of sidequests that players can complete at their own leisure. Mini-dungeons can be found underneath the island resort and across various islands as players try to solve the mystery of the fabled ghost ship. Minigames include (but are not limited to) boat racing, distance flight with the Deku leaf, Salvatore’s aforementioned battleship game, and mail sorting for the Rito post office. The inclusion of the picto-box allows players to save three images at a time. These can then be taken to the Forest Haven and sculpted into over 130 different clay figurines. Any time a pool of light is seen on the surface of the ocean, players can use their grappling hook to search for treasure.

The wind waker itself is never used for any combat purposes. Instead it is used to change the direction of the wind, allowing players to reach new islands. Later in the game, this process is made easier with the ability to warp to specific islands via cyclones. The wind waker will be used to activate key points in the story, as well as unlock a few dungeons. In three of the temples, Link must use the wind waker to solve some rather complex puzzles. In these situations, the player shifts control to a different character temporarily.

Nintendo made good use of the GBA-Gamecube connectivity with the ability for a second player to give Link aerial support as Tingle. Tingle can scour for treasure and drop bombs on unsuspecting enemies. Upon completing the game, a second playthrough is unlocked which starts Link off with a deluxe picto-box. Link now sports his blue and white lobster shirt for the entire second playthrough, and the sequences previously in Hylian are now deciphered. These inclusions don’t exactly merit a second round, but the gameplay and story certainly do.

There are a few select points in the game where things slow down for too long that it become annoying. The most notable time is when Link is sent on a quest to find the triforce shards. Each shard is spaced a large distance away from the next, and travelling to reach these will take some time. But the game requires you to first track down the triforce chart that will reveal the location of said shard. To retrieve these, Link has to make his way through one mini-dungeon per chart (with a few exceptions). Upon finding said charts, you find that each is written in ancient Hylian and must therefore be deciphered by Tingle, who charges Link 398 rupees per chart. Between these three components, players will spend at least a couple of hours to complete the triforce of courage – that is assuming that they have saved up all their funds to pay for Tingle’s ridiculous asking prices.

The few shortcomings aside, The Wind Waker is one of the best Zelda games and Gamecube titles available. The sheer amount of things to do in the game is incredible and players will find themselves busy with this title for quite some time. Ganondorf is just as cunning and devious as ever, but has matured as a villain. I honestly prefer the final boss fight in Wind Waker to that of Ocarina of Time of Time, as Ganondorf is much more challenging with his dual swords and acrobatics. There are a number of ingenious plot twists in the story and it all leads up to a climactic ending that both closes the story of The Wind Waker and sets up nicely for Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.

25 Days of Christmas - #22: Resident Evil 4

I admit that I am generally not a fan of shooter games (either first-person or third-person). The handful of shooters that I do truly enjoy are almost entirely hybrids with the adventure genre. But one anomaly that I found to be incredibly addictive is Resident Evil 4. While the game is a large stray away from the traditional cinematic-view survival horror of past titles, it still feels like it belongs in the series.

Resident Evil 4 has some of the most stunning graphics to ever hit Nintendo’s Gamecube, and even gives some current generation shooters a run for their money in the visuals department. There is a dark mood about the whole game, but it is more mysterious and melancholy than it is gross-out and scare-your-pants off. One of the game’s largest criticisms was that it isn’t as scary as previous Resident Evil titles. I honestly have to agree with that statement, but I don’t see that as being an entirely bad thing. Resident Evil 4 focuses on moving the story forward more so than past games in the series. And while some of the dialogue may sound like it came out of a cheap English-dubbed anime, the storytelling is superb. While the bulk of it is told through Leon’s experience, there are a few cutscenes that explain the dynamics of the others involved, including Ada, Wesker, and Krauser. Scattered around most levels are notes about the Los Illumiados and Louis’ research, and a story about Ada’s involvement is unlocked upon completing the main story. Interactive cutscenes make things much more tense, and players feel more involved.



The character models are intended to look realistic, but the art style of the game is hauntingly beautiful. For the first few chapters, things will look dirty, and run-down. But once the Los Illuminados become a staple of the story, the environments become far more diverse. The murky lake wherein resides Del Lago is covered in a light mist, and draws the player away from the rest of the world for a brief period, giving a feeling of pure isolation. In contrast, the tapestry and painting-adorned halls of Salazar’s castle and the indusrtial setting of Saddler’s science research facility are large open areas that are an ideal setting to send hordes of ganados at Leon.

The ganados increase in numbers as the game progresses and sport constantly improved offensive measures. Level-specific enemies, such as the Garrador and Regenerator, are scattered well enough that they never feel repetitive, but always provide a greater challenge than the generic ganados. The boss fights range from a decent challenge to incredibly difficult. Certain points in the game intentionally restrict the ammo found about a level to force you to manage your weaponry carefully. Because of this, I found that fighting Salazar was significantly more challenging than fighting Saddler or Mendez, simply because of how much ammo I went through just to reach said boss fight.



In regards to your weaponry, Resident Evil 4 introduces a merchant character who is set at particular points throughout the game. He will sell you more guns as the game progresses, and will also buy any ammo and treasure you find about the levels. The treasures can be combined with different jewels to increase their value. The treasure menu is also where you will store keys to solve many of the games puzzles. Speaking of puzzles, the game does a brilliant job of making the player use their head in solving these. Rotating the lights in the church and playing a puzzle mini-game in the castle take a nice break from the killing, but don’t take so long that it becomes a chore. And should players wish to take a break from things and hone their headshot skills, an arcade style shooting range can be found in select areas. Winning these games will award the player trophies of the game’s characters that play catch-prases or sound effects. Perhaps not the most jaw-dropping inclusion, but it does provide a little comic relief.

As mentioned before, the game offers a separate short story mode that chronicles Ada’s involvement in the Los Illuminados conspiracy. The main game itself is fairly lengthy for a shooter of this nature, but things never get repetitive. In addition to these two stories is mercenaries mode, which gives players a set time limit to kill as many ganados as possible before a rescue chopper arrives. Players will face increasingly difficult enemies as more time passes, and they are able to add more time if they so choose. However, the real challenge lies in your preset weaponry. Each character is granted at least two weapons to defend themselves with, but cannot access any more around the level.

Resident Evil 4 was an important release, as it proved that Nintendo did care about their older audience. While the game was released too late for the purple lunchbox’s redemption, it certainly boosted Wii games like No More Heroes and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Offering a huge amount of replay value and spawning off several incarnations on other systems, Resident Evil 4 helped bring the horror genre back to life, as well as showed what untapped potential the shooter genre had.