25 Days of Christmas - #14: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Over the past few years, BioWare has had an explosion of successful titles released. While Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins may be the two most talked about titles from the company at present, a large part of the company's success can be traced back to their first big licensed game: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It was one of the more successful games on the Xbox, a system that, aside from Halo, struggled to find big games that would leave their mark. The game’s impressive sales on the Xbox were surprising due to the fact that the title was primarily marketed towards the PC audience. Regardless of which port gamers played, they were in store for a Star Wars game that would change not only the LucasArts franchise, but the RPG genre as a whole.

The thing about Star Wars that separates it from every other licensed series is that most of the games are actually good. Certainly there will be the occasional piece of rubbish that is released, but for the most part LucasArts has a great track record with their published games. Knights of the Old Republic broke away from the traditional Star Wars story, focusing on neither the Galactic Civil War, nor the Clone Wars. Instead, the game took players back thousands of years to the great war between the sith and jedi for control of the old republic systems. Players assume command of a character with no past, and can name him or her whatever they so choose. They can focus attributes and skills into three classes, which can be customized at the player’s discretion as they level up. And although the story mode forces players to complete the jedi trials at one point, players can choose to refrain from using the force and/or their lightsaber if they so choose.

The characters in Knights of the Old Republic are ingeniously designed, and play off one another perfectly. The fact of the matter is that – no matter how hard you might try to be a peacemaker – not every character is going to get along with one another. Canderous will always view himself as one of the greatest warriors the galaxy has ever known, and isn’t afraid to boast about it. Carth has his own inner demons to deal with and is never completely trusting of anyone. Mission lives for adventure, but is more concerned with the well-being of the party than herself. Every one of the characters that joins your party has been scrutinized by the developers down to the tiniest of details. Even assassin droid HK-47 has a personality all his own, offering the player with sadistic humor and advice that is somewhat insulting to their intellect.


The planets are so vastly different from one another that things rarely feel repetitive. The only exception to this would probably be on Taris. It serves as the central hub before the quest for the Star Map begins, and players carry out a large number of tasks there. This requires a fair amount of backtracking which can be monotonous at times, but the payoff for most missions on Taris grants the player with large boosts to their combat skill and overall experience points.

Combat plays out beautifully in Knights of the Old Republic, and is in large part why BioWare’s later games were so successful. When encountering an enemy, the game pauses temporarily, allowing players to assign targets and attacks to each party member. Once everything has been determined, players can un-pause the game and watch their party fight it out. But players can also choose to pause the game again in the midst of battle if they wish for characters to switch targets or attacks.


The variety of weapons available in the game is impressive. Melee weapons range from the milder vibro blades and stun batons to the more powerful lightsabers. Firearms are divided into two groups: dual-wieldable and the larger two-handed guns. Blaster pistols are provided in plentiful amounts early on in the game, but scouring sith weapons caches may occasionally reveal an assassin pistol or two. Rifles are the heaviest weapons one can find on Taris, but Dantooine and Kashyyyk hold plenty of disruptor rifles and crossbows, which are far more accurate and deadly. Most party members have trademark weapons that can be customized with additions such as the hair trigger and energy cell. Lightsabers can be altered in attack focus and blade color by swapping out crystals. Even armor can be upgraded with mesh underlay and reinforcement.


Depending on whether the character chooses the light or dark path, different force powers will be unlocked. Light-side powers tend to focus more on healing and stunning enemies, whereas dark-side powers are centered more around injuring enemies and crippling droids. Every character you interact with, every decision you make in the game determines the outcome of the story. This coupled with a truly creative story makes the experience all the more engaging. Knights of the Old Republic also deserves a round of applause for its inclusion of one of the greatest plot twists ever included in a video game.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a title that every Star Wars fan should experience. There are some traditional RPG fans who criticize the game for using a real-time combat system. But to me, it wouldn’t make sense to do it any other way. The soundtrack feels new and creative, but the overall vibe is still classic Star Wars. The buildings and spaceships foreshadow those in the films and other Star Wars media. While Knights of the Old Republic definitely deserves recognition as one of the best Star Wars experiences, it also deserves recognition for redefining RPG titles and PC gaming.

25 Days of Christmas - #15: WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgame$

WarioWare Inc.: Mega Micro Game$ is a fast-paced, crazy game that asks players to play out each minigame with spur-of-the-moment reflexes. I like to think of the basic design as if someone took Mario Party, removed the board game aspect, took whatever was left and introduced it to crack cocaine. A zany experimental game that surprisingly works, WarioWare was Nintendo’s way to reinvent Mario’s rival.

Almost every character in the game is new, and each hosts a different kind of minigame collection. 9-Volt, a hardcore Nintendo fanboy, pays homage to old NES titles with minigames based on Mario, Metroid, and Punch-Out. Afro-sporting Jimmy challenges players to various sports games, including curling, hammer toss, and swimming. Each game increases speed three times per round with each character in the main story mode and includes a time limit-free ‘boss’ minigame. There are nine main story levels in total, with various side levels that offer greater challenge by restraining the player to a single life or playing through each boss fight in sequence.


The characters in the game help Wario in his dream to create his own video game company. The story is told through the various cutscenes played before and after each level. As each character has a different theme for their minigames, the levels tend to follow a similar pattern. Kat and Ana’s dojo parodies old Japanese action movies and anime. Orbulon’s story focuses on his rescue by alien rabbit-people, and is set onboard a spaceship. Each segment of the game is quirky, creative, and a little random. The game isn’t meant to be taken seriously, but I still commend it for being one of the most creative titles released for the GBA.

Going back and playing through each level a second time can unlock games that are free of time constraints. Pyoro puts players in control of a bird, catching bugs with their tongue to gain points. There is even a mock-up of Dr. Mario titled Dr. Wario. Cutscenes are also viewable after completing each level – not the most exciting inclusion, but good for a few laughs.

Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Microgame$ has spawned various sequels across each of Nintendo’s recent systems since its initial release on the GBA. While the Gamecube Wario Ware was simply a multiplayer port of the original, Wario Ware: Touched and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves offered some intriguing gameplay concepts for their respective systems. Still, the original was arguably the best of the series. Its cartoon art style, catchy soundtrack, and colorful host of characters rounded out the incredibly addictive handheld title, and gave Wario a successful game of his own.

25 Days of Christmas - #16: Roller Coaster Tycoon

When it comes to simulation games, most are just a flash-in-the-pan. Sure, SimCity did great, as did The Sims. But Railroad Tycoon, Mall Tycoon, and SimTown were all names that got swept under the rug and were forgotten. It came as somewhat of a surprise to me when Chris Sawyer’s big take on the simulation genre was released, titled Roller Coaster Tycoon. How in the world could the prospect of managing a theme park be a legitimately enjoyable experience?

Roller Coaster Tycoon both limits you as a player and allows you to do almost whatever you desire. There is a cap on how much money you can take out as a loan, but the way the park is setup, the number and types of rides and their intensities, the landscaping, the food and drink available – all of this is up to the player’s discretion. The profits made off the rides will largely depend on the guests attending the park. Most guests have a tolerance for a medium-intensity coaster and carry enough money to pay for a few rides on said coasters, as while as the various thrill rides and any food purchases they might make. Occasionally, a guest with tolerance for high-intensity rides will enter the park and find that the thrill rides and wooden coasters are not exciting enough for his or her tastes. It is for guests like these that you build steel and inverted coasters – the rides that will perform loops, corkscrews, barrel rolls, helixes, and the like. On the other end of the spectrum, there will sometimes be guests who look for more tame attractions, such as go-karts, haunted houses, and log flumes. The dynamics of all three guest types forces the player to accommodate to each of their preferences if he or she wishes to make their park a success and meet the criteria to complete a level.


The sheer number of rides available is an impressive feat in and of itself. While wooden and steel coasters are the foundation of the game, the various water rides and fun houses will flesh out the park. Players can choose to decorate the park with various trees and flower beds to up the positive rating their park receives, though this is not necessary to complete most rounds. Keeping mechanics, security guards, and handymen on staff is necessary, however, as they will keep the park running smoothly. While the mechanics are there for obvious reasons, the other two employee positions affect the park rating, overall guest happiness, and monetary earnings. In short, the better you park looks, the happier guests are, the more money they spend at your park, and the better reputation your park gains.

Weather and terrain will affect your earnings and guest happiness as well. More flat environments are both ideal for building rides, as well as keep guests from needing to travel long distances to reach them. The early levels provide players with land that is easy to work with, letting them get their feet wet. Later levels, however, will prove to be incredibly challenging, placing many parks on semi-ridiculous inclines or areas with significant water coverage. While the weather only changes to rain every so often, it will cause many guests to shy away from rides temporarily and has a noticeable impact on sales.

Roller Coaster Tycoon uses a simple yet effective building tool. The parks are diverse and give players a greater challenge with each new park that is unlocked. There is no specific way that players have to go about meeting these challenges, and a great amount of freedom is granted to the player without making things too easy for them. An addictive and cleverly designed title, Roller Coaster Tycoon deserves a spot at the top of the mountain of simulation titles.

25 Days of Christmas - #17: Bioshock

“I am Andrew Ryan and I am here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? ‘No,’ says the man in Washington, ‘it belongs to the poor.’ ‘No,’ says the man in the Vatican, ‘it belongs to God.’ ‘No,’ says the man in Moscow, ‘it belongs to everyone.’ I rejected those answers. Instead I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose… Rapture.” As Andrew Ryan’s speech unfolds, the bathysphere peers over a cliff and gives one of the most powerful and memorable introductions in video game history. And while Jack’s initial view of Rapture is stunning and beautiful, things suddenly take a turn for the worse as the bathysphere surfaces into a war-torn dystopia.

Bioshock puts players in control of Jack as he explores the underwater city created by Andrew Ryan. Jack begins his journey of survival as a normal human being, but is quickly introduced to the genetic-altering plasmids, which allow users to shoot elemental energy from their hands. Jack is also able to manipulate turrets, security bots, and cameras by hacking tem and turning them on the plasmid-crazed splicers. As Jack delves deeper into Rapture, he discovers more and more about the city’s past and the dark events that led to its current state of decay.



A nice variety of weapons are included in the game, as should be expected with any first-person shooter. Players begin with a simple wrench, which they can use to beat up splicers and break through small obstacles. While the revolver is the first gun acquired, other firearms like the shotgun, grenade launcher, and machine gun round out the gameplay. Each gun has three different ammunition types. For example, the machine gun carries traditional bullets, anti-personnel rounds, and armor-piercing bullets. The crossbow fires basic steel bolts, fire-tipped bolts, and trap bolts that string electrical wires between two walls. These various combinations leave combat completely up to the player’s discretion.

However, the guns are not the main focus of the gameplay, as the plasmids act as both weapons and tools in-game. Incinerate can be used to light enemies on fire or melt ice blocking Jack’s path. Electro-shock can stun splicers and Big Daddies, can temporarily disable turrets and security bots, or can be used on a malfunctioning door to access a new room. Some plasmid abilities are certainly aimed more towards the combat aspect of Bioshock, especially those like Enrage, Insect Swarm, and Cyclone Trap.



Rapture’s past is primarily told through audio diaries scattered about the city, as most of the key players in the city's civil war are deceased by the time Jack arrives. While many of the audio diaries are key to the story, some are thrown in just to make things more believable. Most of Ryan’s diaries talk about his past troubles with the Russian and American governments, and his ideologies that were born out of those issues. Bridgette Tennenbaum and Yi Suchong’s diaries focus on the disturbing Big Daddy-Little Sister program, which led to the regulation of the basis of the plasmids known as ADAM. Sander Cohen and Diane McClintock both express frustration with Andrew Ryan, showing that not everyone in Rapture was completely content with the way things were.

Everything about Rapture seems alive and believable. The major characters will provide constant narration. Atlas will inform Jack when he is about to enter a splicer-heavy area, and keeps him up-to-speed on who’s who in Rapture. Tennenbaum will thank Jack every time he rescues a Little Sister, and inform him of rewards after a certain number of rescues. Even Andrew Ryan, though he is always trying to hinder your progress, will attempt to provoke information from you and remind you of his ‘man vs. parasite’ ideology. When not engaged in combat with Jack, the splicers will often be talking to each other, and even singing eerily on occasion. Though the Big Daddies only emit groans, the Little Sisters that accompany them are constantly atwitter about their search for ‘angels’ and how ‘good girls gather ADAM.’ Even the smallest of inclusions, such as propaganda ads broadcast over Rapture’s radio, and phonographs emitting songs like Perry Como’s “Papa Loves Mambo” and Bobby Darin’s “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” add to the realism of the experience. And while the liscensed music is nothing shy of fantastic, Garry Schyman composed a hauntingly beautiful original score for the game. Schyman's compositions are few and far between in the game, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it allows players to immerse themselves in everything else that is occurring around them.


The setting of the game is a large part of the experience. The world is still recovering from World War II, though Rapture has cut itself off from the world. While the city has advanced technologically since its founding, its inhabitants have moved forward very little. While the game is rated ‘M’, I feel that some of those who are of age to play the game may not fully grasp the ideas expressed within. Bioshock is an incredibly deep and multi-layered experience that is unlike any other game on the current generation of consoles. It is far from being just another first-person shooter, and yet somehow it doesn’t quite fall completely into the adventure category either. Bioshock is a breed of its own, and challenges gamers to think beyond themselves, to understand things in a much deeper sense, even if it is a darker sense. The amount of material and ideas conveyed in Bioshock could only be carried out in this game. In the words of Andrew Ryan, “It was not impossible to build Rapture at the bottom of the sea. It was impossible to build it anywhere else.”

25 Days of Christmas - #18: Metroid: Zero Mission

The original Metroid was released in Japan in 1986, and hit the United States one year later. The planet of Zebes was full of life, with creatures large and small sprawling over the planet’s interior. Each area was distinctly different, and housed a tough boss character. Heroine Samus Aran’s gender was kept a secret until the conclusion of the game, shocking many gamers. After the success of the first game, the original girl of gaming headed for the Metroid home planet in Metroid II: Return of Samus. It was the first game in the series to be released on a handheld, and proved to be quite popular. And in 1994, Super Metroid was released, boasting better graphics, a darker mood, and some of the most challenging boss battles in the entire series.

Twelve years passed. Samus made a brief appearance in Super Smash Bros., and there were rumors of a Metroid title for the N64, but no such game was released. Then in 2002 Nintendo released Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion, two Metroid titles that drastically changed the way the series was played. Using the same basic engine as Metroid Fusion, Metroid: Zero Mission followed two years later. Zero Mission was both a remake and a re-imagining of the original Metroid game. The graphics were significantly updated and the soundtrack given a cleaner sound due to the capabilities of the Gameboy Advance.



Zero Mission brought back the three most famous villains in all of Metroid history: Kraid, Ridley, and Mother Brain. Their boss fights were changed slightly, as their attacks were now more varied. These villains even received their own cutscenes from time to time, which expanded on their story – something that confused some gamers in the original Metroid. An extended ending was also included, which showed Samus destroying the space pirate mothership after defeating Mother Brain. Players controlled Samus in her zero suit for the first time, and while the controls remained the same, Samus' defensive and offensive capabilities were altered greatly. Because of this, players were required to be more stealthy in the presence of space pirate patrols. The new ending focused heavily on the space pirates, helping to bridge the gap to their story in the Metroid Prime titles.

The game flowed more smoothly, even in the smallest of ways. No longer were load-ins for each individual area present. Granted, they were very short in the original game, but in Zero Mission they were nonexistent. Three separate save files were included, as well as two difficulty settings. Two image galleries could be unlocked, one upon completing the game multiple times with different criteria, and the other by linking Zero Mission to Metroid Fusion. As if Nintendo hadn’t managed to pack enough material into a single cartridge already, the original Metroid was included, completely unaltered from its initial NES release.

Some critics of the series complain about the cast being so small (with the exception of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption). But the story of Metroid is about Samus' growth. Her initial intent is to seek revenge upon the space pirates for destroying her home, killing her parents, and taking away any chance she may have had at a childhood. In Zero Mission, Samus is no-holds barred against the space pirates, as they have now defaced her adopted home planet of Zebes and turned everything the Chozo people worked for towards their own sinister purposes. Samus matures over the course of the game, and the desolation she experiences is both physically and metaphorically appropriate.



Zero Mission is one of few gaming remakes that is arguably better than the original. While it can never replace the first Metroid, Zero Mission took the mechanics of its predecessors and fine-tuned them. Its cutscenes were rendered beautifully and its graphics finely polished. It may not have been as difficult as the original, but then again it was nowhere near as frustrating either. Zero Mission provided some of the best handheld gaming in years, and showed just how well a series can age.

25 Days of Christmas - #19: Katamari Damacy

The intro to Katamari Damacy makes one question what sort of substances the creators may or may not have been using when designing the game. Somewhere between the peppy music, dancing panda bears, and choir of ducks, you realize that this is going to be an odd experience. Quirky and creative are the two words I feel best describe Katamari Damacy. The game has the Prince, son of the King of all Cosmos, cleaning up his father’s mess of knocking every star out of the sky. To fix this problem, the prince must roll up various items from Earth on his Katamari ball, which will in turn become a new star.

The controls are fairly simple: both analog sticks determine the speed and direction of the Katamari ball. The ball can receive a short boost of speed by spinning the ball. The player is challenged to make the ball reach a certain diameter before time runs out. While the game takes place in one single overworld the entire game, it is divided up into different sections that correspond with the size Katamari you are trying to create and the time allotted. The first few missions have the Prince scouring a house for paper clips, batteries, dominoes, and fruit. The early missions are generally set with shorter time constraints, but the objectives are more easily achieved in that time frame. Later missions will have the player picking up people, cars, airplanes, buildings, and even entire landmasses, all with tight time limits.


While the main story makes up the bulk of the game, there are other modes of play available. Players can revisit levels to try and make their star bigger than before, as well as scour levels for hidden presents from the King and Queen. These include a guitar, a camera, a chef’s hat, and even a mask of the King of all Cosmos himself. Players can also attempt to recreate the constellations by collecting more specific items. For Cancer, players must roll up as many crabs as possible. For Taurus, players must roll up the largest cow they can find into their Katamari ball. Some of these constellation challenges are much more difficult than others, and require the player to be more thorough and cautious. A multiplayer mode is also available, wherein the Prince can challenge any one of his many cousins to see who can make a larger Katamari. Though this multiplayer mode certainly could have used some polishing, it was a decent start for multiplayer modes in later Katamari games.

The art style of Katamari Damacy is full of color and meant to be appealing to a broad audience. While the character models are not very complex, their comical antics around each level and their reactions upon being picked up by the Katamari ball are very entertaining. The soundtrack is upbeat and varied, with funk, technopop, ska, and jazz all part of the ambience.

While Katamari Damacy may not be the most difficult game to master, it is a gaming experience unlike any other. The odd cast of characters coupled with catchy music and appealing visuals draw the player in. The simple yet ingenious controls allow gamers of all ages and skills to jump in and play. The culmination of all of this is where the game truly shines: being just plain fun.

25 Days of Christmas - #20: Super Mario 64

3-D gaming was a major leap for the industry, and led many games to change their design altogether. The fact that the world was no longer limited to side-scrolling or a top-down view opened a door of almost limitless possibility. Even so, some were skeptical at first, fearing that some of their favorite titles would undergo too drastic of changes to the point of being ruined. Super Mario 64, while vastly different than any previous Mario title, made huge waves with its design.

The story is pretty much the same as any previous (and future) Mario games: Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser (or King Koopa, as some old school gamers know him) and Mario must pass through various levels to rescue her. Super Mario 64 was host a huge number of levels, each radically different in its design. Some, such as Lethal Lava Land and Dry Dry Desert held separate sublevels within the main level. Wet-Dry World forced players to use different locks to raise the water level, allowing them to access certain areas. Tiny-Huge Island made players shrink to enter certain areas and grow to access others. Hidden around the castle were mini-levels that allowed the player to acquire new power-up hats and hidden stars. Each boss fight against Bowser even had a level preceding it, which were often some of the more challenging levels in the game.



The star system not only upped the replay value, but also forced the player to look at the core gameplay from several perspectives. At its most basic form, Super Mario 64 is about beating the respective boss of each world in order to advance towards the final fight against Bowser. Players collect stars from various challenges as they go. But collecting eight red coins, racing Koopa the Quick, and keeping trekking through a poisonous gas-filled maze to retrieve other stars made each play through a level feel unique.

The graphical capabilities were really pushed to the limit for the time of the game's release. While the soundtrack is comprised largely of variations on songs from previous games, new inclusions like the Metal Mario theme were catchy and memorable, even if they weren’t very musically complex.

Super Mario 64 is both one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful games of the late 1990s, and played a pivotal role in the push for 3-D gaming. Allowing players to choose which way to meet the star requirements made the game accessible to a larger audience, while its free-roam style set the bar high for the competition.