Top 100 Nintendo Gamecube Games Results Thread

[Dave the Dave]

I thought it was going to be the original mario tennis, i was about to call a fault...


OH MY GOD, what a pun. Great list by the way.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

38. Skies Of Arcadia Legends

On December 26, 2002 an enhanced remake, Skies of Arcadia Legends was released in Japan for the GameCube. It was subsequently released in North America on January 27, 2003 and in Europe on May 23, 2003. Legends features slightly enhanced graphics, shorter loading times and some additional content. The remake is unable to make use of the Dreamcast's external hardware, such as the rumble pack and VMU, to let players know when many treasures or events were near. For example, in the Dreamcast version the official Sega VMU would start to beep whenever there was a Cham in the area. Cupil would also appear on the VMU screen to guide players to the Cham's exact location. Since the GameCube version has no VMU, Cupil would instead start making a "Pyu!" sound and appear in the corner of the screen as an icon when the player was on top of a Cham. Finally, the rate of random encounters is slightly lower in the GameCube version but experience points earned are higher per battle to make up for this.

There are not many significant graphical differences between the two versions; even the texture LOD bias remains the same despite the GameCube's more powerful texturing abilities. However the GameCube does make use of its improved hardware to reduce saving and loading times. The majority of character models have gained some additional polygon counts. In addition, the GameCube version does not require the use of a second disc, whereas the Dreamcast version does. However, in order to fit on the smaller GameCube disc, the music in Skies of Arcadia Legends is of a lower recording quality than the Dreamcast version.

Skies of Arcadia Legends, as well as the original US Dreamcast version, has tighter censorship of mature content. All traces of cigarettes are removed, shops serve Loqua juice instead of alcohol, and several female characters have less revealing clothes.

Twenty-four new discoveries are to be made in Legends compared to the original. These are scattered throughout the game and reduce the difficulty somewhat as they act as a very large source of income for the player. In addition a potential lookout, Domingo, can be recruited earlier. Another alteration between the two versions is the inclusion of Moonfish and a ship flying near Sailor's Island flown by a doctor, Doc, and a young girl named Maria. Maria has a pet bird, which turns out to be a Hamachou. Moonfish, fish which are invisible to the naked eye, are placed throughout the game for the player to collect. When prompted by the distinctive sound Moonfish make, Vyse is able to see Moonfish with a special adjustment to his headgear. When returning these Moonfish to the Doc, Maria's bird begins to grow, and eventually it turns into a fully grown Moon Hamachou and is added to the journal as a Discovery.

The main addition to Legends is Piastol, a goth-dressed woman who hunts air pirates. Also known as "The Angel of Death." She is after Vyse because she mistakenly believes that he killed her father Admiral Mendoza of Valua 10 Years before the story began. One night, her father's ship the Aquila was on fire. Dyne's Blue Rogues saw the ship aflame and staged a rescue mission to find survivors. However, Piastol thought it was they who set the ship alight and attacked the first person she saw, which was Aika. Aika came unarmed thinking it was a rescue mission, so Vyse defended her from Piastol's throwing knife and received a scar on his cheek which remains to this day. When Mendoza's corpse was found and examined, it turns out it was a sword wound that killed him instead of the fire. From then on Piastol planned to avenge her father's death by hunting down any and all air pirates. It is later revealed that Piastol is Maria's older sister, who was traumatized by the same incident and believed her sister to be dead. Piastol is armed with a scythe and Eterni spells, along with a Deathhound at her side. She has an attack called Tempest Dance, which becomes longer and more deadly each time Vyse and company fight her.

Another major addition to the Legends version is the inclusion of a wanted list, with large bounties to be rewarded when the player defeats any of these foes. Whilst some of the NPC's on the wanted list are present in the original, most of them are entirely new to the GameCube version. As with the new discoveries, the wanted list provides another major source of income for the player. The wanted list boss battles are markedly more difficult than the rest of the game (including the other boss battles), partly because they level up when the player characters do, meaning that they will be consistently difficult regardless of the player's current level.

Most of gameplay in Skies of Arcadia takes place in standard role playing game dungeons. Controlling the male protagonist, Vyse, in a third-person view, players must traverse and defeat these dungeons in order to advance the storyline. Dungeons comprise of a network of pathways with treasure chests, puzzles, and ubiquitous monsters. Completing the dungeons is usually a matter of exploring each of the possible pathways presented to the player until the correct one is found. Treasure chests are commonplace during this style of gameplay and contain some of the most powerful items in the game. It is usually in the best interest of the player to explore all routes, as it is frequently impossible to return to dungeons the player has visited, and significant portions of the game are made inaccessible when certain events occur in the storyline. Throughout the dungeon gameplay the player meets compulsory random encounter. If the entire player party is defeated, progress is reset to the beginning of the dungeon. In the Dreamcast version, it was possible to slightly foresee these random encounters by noticing a loud spin-up of the console's GD-ROM drive. This gave the player time to open the start menu and prepare for the battle.

Travel between the numerous dungeons is accomplished by piloting an airship through the overworld, a three dimensional sky with massive floating rocks forming islands and continents. Some islands are completely uninhabited, while others are filled with sprawling towns and cities. All dungeons throughout the game are located on these islands and continents. There are two exceptions to this, where a dungeon is traversed whilst piloting the airship. This under-utilized form of dungeon contains floating spherical objects instead of treasure chests, and vortex-like tunnels in place of corridors and doors in one case, and a single series of tunnels in the other.

Throughout overworld travel, the same unavoidable random encounters occur as in the dungeons. These battles take place on the deck of the airship and are otherwise identical to their dungeon-based counterparts. Later in the game, however, an advanced mechanism is discovered for the player's ship which allows it to rise above the upper cloud layer and sink below the lower cloud layer of Arcadia, presenting two ways to avoid these encounters. In addition, ship-to-ship combat can occur whilst traveling through the overworld; however, the majority of these are unavoidable boss fights which advance the storyline. Random ship-to-ship battles can occur, but they are rare and avoidable.

The player can also find Discoveries hidden throughout the world while flying their airship. Information about discoveries can be sold at Sailor's Guilds located in cities throughout the game; the value of a discovery is determined by how well-hidden it is and how much time has elapsed since it was possible to find. When finding a new land, a discovery is recorded automatically, as these Discoveries are part of the storyline.

Combat occurs very frequently in Skies of Arcadia, especially during the overworld travel. This is widely accepted as one of the main weaknesses of the game, since due to the large amount of encounters, the player characters level up too quickly and make the rest of the game less of a challenge. It is not until late in the game that it becomes possible to avoid combat during overworld travel. Combat comprises two vastly different settings: those encountered in ship to ship combat, and character to monster combat. Ship to ship combat occurs relatively rarely compared to the common character-combat. This encounter rate was reduced for the GameCube re-release.

Character combat occurs between one to four player characters and one to eight monsters or NPCs. Combat comprises seven main options; 'Run', 'Items' (Which can be used to change the characters' equipment as well), 'Guard', 'Attack', 'S.Move' (Super Move), 'Magic' and 'Focus'. An eighth option, 'Crew Special', becomes available later in the game by meeting certain criteria (Which replaces the Run command). After an action has been chosen for each character, the round will commence. As with all RPGs, using these in an effective combination can make victory almost certain.

Ship combat is used when battling other ships and the extremely powerful gigas that are summoned throughout the game. Ship combat generally follows the same framework as character combat, however there are a few distinct differences. Each round in ship combat is divided into either three or four turns depending on how many characters are currently in the party. During each round, neither team has more than a single turn advantage over the opposition. Ship battles use a colour-coded grid system to show each turn in the following two rounds, and the amount of fire the ship will come under during each turn.

The same actions used in character combat are used here, albeit with small differences. The 'Attack' option now has the player pick between four different cannons that have been equipped to the ship. Cannons come in three different types - powerful main cannons, multi-firing secondary cannons, and delayed-effect torpedoes - and each one can only be used once per round. This same stipulation carries over to the 'S. Move' command, which now uses a large, front-mounted cannon. In addition to the standard actions, the ship's crew can be called upon by one of the characters in the party. Whilst each of these can only be used once in each ship battle, the diversity and power of the crew's abilities can be very useful.

The story begins with a young Silvite named Fina sailing through the skies in her tiny Silver ship. Not far behind her, Valuan Admiral Alfonso is in hot pursuit under orders from Lord Galcian. Alfonso opens fire on and disables Fina's ship sending it crashing into Deep Sky, but just as she is being brought onboard his warship, a Blue Rogue vessel arrives to save the day. Vyse and Aika of the Blue Rogues jump from the Albatross onto Alfonso's flagship and battle their way to the bridge, prompting Alfonso to flee on a lifeboat while leaving Fina behind. Vyse and Aika bring Fina back to their clan's ship, which Vyse pilots back to their secret hideout, 'Pirate Island' (disguised as 'Windmill Island').

While watching the sunset, Vyse and Aika see a Moonstone fall from the skies onto nearby Shrine Island. The next day they travel to Shrine Island to retrieve the Moonstone, a concentrated form of airship fuel, leaving Fina behind in the care of their clan. The Moonstone in hand, Vyse and Aika return to Pirate Island to find it obliterated by the Valuan Armada. Fina and many Blue Rogues have been captured by the Armada and taken to the capital city, and here the game proper begins. What starts as a simple rescue mission becomes a struggle for survival amid a looming world war.

Shortly after leaving Pirate Island, Vyse and Aika are shipwrecked by the legendary arcwhale Rhaknam. They are rescued by a callous but good-hearted fisherman named Drachma, who is hunting Rhaknam. They manage to convince Drachma to take them to Valua City and rescue their friends from death row, luring him with the prospect of a powerful whaling harpoon that is to be found in Valua. Upon rescuing their friends and making a miraculous escape from the Grand Fortress (a history-making feat), the Blue Rogues return to Pirate Island, where Fina admits the real reason that the Empire would go to such trouble to capture her.

Fina's mission is to travel Arcadia in search of the Six Moon Crystals, rare sources of power which can be used to summon organic weapons called the Gigas. The Armada also seeks these weapons with the plan of world domination, and Fina has to find them first. Fina recruits Vyse and Aika to her cause and joins the party, and together with Drachma, fellow pirate Gilder, and frustrated Valuan Prince Enrique, the trio find themselves fighting the Armada and the Gigas at every turn, all the while enduring shipwreaks, betrayal, enemy pirates, and a second capture and escape from the Valuan Grand Fortress. Upon the second escape from the Grand Fortress, Prince Enrique allows Vyse to command the Flagship built for him, the Delphinus, which lets Vyse captain his own airship. They ultimately gather five of the six Crystals and return to Vyse's home base on Crescent Isle, expecting to celebrate and throw a farewell party for Fina, as Fina admits that her elders are in possession of the last, Silver Crystal.

Instead, the party is ambushed by Ramirez, a corrupted Silvite warrior and childhood friend of Fina. Disgusted with the greed and conceit of the world (primarily Valua's Upper City), Ramirez now serves Galcian and the Armada. Vyse, Aika, and Fina engage Ramirez in battle but are defeated. Ramirez reveals that the Silvite Elders were the ones who ordered the Rains of Destruction, a hail of moonstones that ravaged the old world to quell the ancient wars, and both Ramirez and Fina were sent to recover the Crystals so that the Elders may once again call down the Rains. Ramirez also reveals that every Silvite is born with a Silver Crystal in them, and attempts to kill Fina to take hers, but is stopped by Gilder's cannonfire and retreats. In order to prevent Galcian from obtaining the Silver Crystal, Vyse and co. recover the ship Fina arrived in from Deep Sky, the surface of the world beneath the clouds where atmospheric pressure is extreme. They recover the ship and use it to travel far above the clouds to the Great Silver Shrine, where Fina warns her Elders of Ramirez's betrayal, and lectures the Elders on the trust of people, and the wrongful nature of judging and killing them. Ramirez arrives with Galcian and murders the head Elder and takes his crystal and quickly makes a getaway. Ramirez takes all six Crystals and uses them to activate the continent of Soltis, of which Shrine Island is a small part. Ramirez alone can use the true power of the Crystals: when brought together with the Silver Gigas, they can call the Rains of Destruction upon any or all of the world's six continents, leading to apocalypse. Wishing to be rid of the Valuan Emipire, Galcian orders the Yellow Moon to rain on Valua's capital, killing most of the citizens, including Empress Teodora and First Admiral Alfonso. Ramirez's initial plan is to give Galcian the power to rule the world, but Galcian dies in the massive Battle of Soltis at the hands of Fourth Admiral Belleza, who sacrifices her life and Flagship to kill him, after an Air Pirate army raised by Vyse defeats Galcian's fleet and Battle Station. Ramirez, angered by Galcian's death, decides to destroy the world. He is undermined by his own former Silvite Elders, who sacrifice their lives to break through Ramirez's defensive shield to atone for their judgmental behavior, allowing Vyse's crew entry into Soltis.

Vyse and friends fight Ramirez to a standstill, endangering his life. In desperation, Ramirez allows himself to be absorbed by the Silver Gigas, sacrificing his individuality for extra power and a chance at revenge. The Gigas loses to Vyse in a ship battle, and its core, an amalgamation of the Gigas and Ramirez, falls onto the Delphinus's deck for a final duel. The entity loses, and Ramirez and the means of summoning the Rains of Destruction are both destroyed forever. Vyse buries Ramirez's "remains," the Silver Crystal, at sea, and a lengthy celebration follows, after which Vyse, Aika and Fina (now a full-fledged Air Pirate) shed their combative past and return to being full-time Blue Rogues as the credits roll

Throughout the game the protagonist, Vyse, is the character that is actually controlled by the player. Vyse and Aika, the female lead, are permanent members of a four character party. At various stages, the player can pick up one, and only one, of the secondary characters. At some points the player has a choice which of these to use, but often it is compulsory for the party to contain a certain secondary character. A short way through the game, Fina changes from a storyline-only role to a playable character and a permanent member.

At one point in the game the four character party is split in two, with Vyse + Gilder and Aika + Fina being the pairs. This part of the game presents an unusual challenge as the various strengths and weaknesses of the characters are unable to complement each other. The two primary damage dealing characters (Vyse and Gilder) are paired together, with little magical ability, and the two primary magic characters (Aika and Fina) are paired, with little damage ability.

At various stages in the game Gilder, Drachma and Enrique are added and removed from the character pool. This is usually done forcibly, however near the end of the game the player can choose which of the three characters to choose from.

Main characters are:
* Vyse: 17 year old boy, Blue Rogue (Air Pirates that only attack armed vessels larger than their own ships, in particular those of the Valuan Armada). Vyse has a highly upbeat, eternally optimistic personality and refuses to give up, always believing that when you put your heart to something, nothing can stop you. Sometimes, he's the one who keeps the entire party's spirit up. He is also the character the player controls when not in battle. Vyse fights with twin cutlasses, one primarily used in offense and one for extra defense. Vyse's magic is relatively weak compared to that of Aika and Fina, but his physical attacks are the second strongest in the game (after Drachma's). His Super Moves often become a staple in boss battles.
* Aika: 17 year old girl, Vyse's close friend since childhood and fellow Blue Rogue. Aika has a strong personality and an easily inflamed temper, yet has weaknesses such as obsession with treasure and fear of swimming. She also was orphaned at an early age, and was cared for by Vyse's family. Aika fights using an oversized boomerang. Aika balances her high speed and respectable attack strength with fairly strong magic. Aika becomes mostly used for buffs and items rather than attacking enemies. Her Super Moves are best used to destroy large numbers of common enemies at once.
* Fina: 17 year old girl, "Silvite" (survivor of the ancient, defunct Silver Civilization). Fina is sweet-natured and demure, like many typical love interest characters in RPGs, but her sweet nature hides an iron will. Fina's pet, a silver ball-like creature named Cupil, fights for her. Cupil can morph into various shapes, and gains power by eating Chams, Moon Stone shards that are hidden throughout the game. His most powerful form is Final Cupil, although it required a download in the Dreamcast version in order to get the final cham. When not in battle, Cupil takes the form of a bracelet that Fina wears. Fina has very strong magic powers, and her super moves are very useful when fighting bosses, such as Galcian, Ramirez, and Piastol, for their healing and regeneration abilities.

Secondary player characters are:
* Drachma: A 55 year old maimed man, Drachma lost his right arm, eye, and son whilst fighting the giant archwale Rhaknam. He now has a mechanical right arm which he uses as a weapon during battle. His obsession with hunting Rhaknam (Mobys in the Japanese game in a homage to Moby-Dick) leads him to search the skies. Drachma is the captain of the small fishing airship, Little Jack. He travels with Vyse and the others for part of the game, and pretends not to care about them, but he shows up just in time to save them quite a few times.
* Gilder: A rakishly handsome 32 year old man, Gilder wears a pince-nez and uses a pistol as his weapon. Gilder is the captain of the light, swift pirate vessel Claudia. He has a parrot named Willy, who can be helpful when Gilder needs to break out of jail cells. He is a very laid-back individual, and loves good times and women. However, he seems to be constantly looking over his shoulder and running away from Clara, a Blue Rogue obsessed with Gilder.
* Enrique: At 25 years old, Enrique is the Crown Prince of the Valuan Empire, but disagrees strongly with the imperialist policies of his mother, Empress Teodora I. The name of his father is unknown. Enrique uses rapiers as his weapon in battle. He joins the party and gives Vyse his flagship, the Delphinus, when he escapes Valua with Vyse, Aika, Fina, and Gilder. His frank nobility and chivalry are in direct opposition to the attitudes of most of the higher Valuans, and it is his infectious goodness that ends up saving the entire party later on.

The Blue Rogues' sworn enemy, the Valuan Empire, continually hunts Vyse and Aika throughout the game. The Valuan Empire is ruled politically by the Empress Teodora I, but the real military power lies with the Lord Admiral Galcian. Galcian's five deputies - Alfonso (First Admiral), Gregorio, Vigoro, Belleza, and De Loco (Fifth Admiral) - each have a distinct personality, personified by their highly unique flagships. Amongst themselves they are each silently competing for promotion at the expense of the others, especially Alfonso, who thinks he should be Lord Admiral instead of Galcian. Galcian's Vice-Captain Ramirez later becomes the Sixth Admiral of the Valuan Armada and has a mysterious connection to Fina. All six of the Admirals die in the game, except for Vigoro (ironically, this is the only original admiral that the party fights in hand-to-hand combat).

In addition, a significant number of lesser adversaries confront the player throughout the game. These are mostly 'Black Pirates,' a faction of unscrupulous criminals who lack the Blue Rogues' self-restraint and hence have earned the Rogues' ire. Notable Black Pirates include Captain Baltor, a bandit from Nasr airspace who pursues a small vendetta against Vyse, and Gordo the Round, an obese pirate whose plundering is driven by his lust for unique food. In the Gamecube rerelease, several more of these Black Pirates appear and can be hunted for bounty rewards, including a trio of criminals who resemble Vyse, Aika and Fina in appearance and poison Vyse's reputation unless defeated during an optional sidequest.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

37. Pikmin 2

Pikmin 2 is a real-time strategy video game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan on April 29, 2004, in North America on August 30, 2004, and in Europe on October 8, 2004.

Pikmin 2 is the sequel to Pikmin, also for the Nintendo GameCube. This game was considered an improvement over the original Pikmin; CNET reported that it "addressed the bulk of the shortcomings of its predecessor by crafting a game that tops the original in nearly every way."

Gameplay in Pikmin 2 revolves around using different combinations of Pikmin to retrieve various treasures from the planet's surface. These treasures range from a Duracell battery to a Dannon Fruit at the bottom of a yogurt lid. Different obstacles and enemies make the retrieval of each treasure unique. Because of this, the player must carefully consider which colors of Pikmin and how many of those colors will be needed to complete a certain task. This is compounded in difficulty by the fact that no more than 100 Pikmin may be in play at any given time. Typical tasks involved in collecting treasures include defeating enemies, building bridges, destroying walls, or removing other obstacles.

In addition to above-ground areas, caves can be found throughout the landscape. Caves contain multiple treasures and enemies spread across multiple "sublevels." Each sublevel in a cave contains certain treasures and a fixed array of enemies, but the layout of the sublevel and the placement of the enemies and treasures within the sublevel is random, and changes each time the player enters the cave. A player can exploit this, as the game saves automatically after the completion of each sublevel. If the layout of a sublevel is unfavorable to the player, he or she can simply begin the sublevel again, and it will have a new, presumably more favorable, layout.

Special rules apply to exploring caves. When the player is exploring a cave, time does not pass above ground. The main restriction regarding cave exploration is that there is no access to the Pikmin Onions from underground. This means that once players enter a cave, they can only use the Pikmin that they brought with them (see Bulbmin for the exception).

There were several major differences between Pikmin and Pikmin 2. The first, and perhaps most important of these, was the elimination of the 30-day time limit which was imposed during the course of the first Pikmin game. In Pikmin 2, a player may continue to search for treasure for as many days as he or she wishes. The game contains 201 collectible treasure pieces, as opposed to the 30 ship parts of the original Pikmin game.

Another addition was the ability to use two captains at once, making multitasking easier. In the previous Pikmin game, multitasking was difficult as there was only one captain to direct multiple groups of Pikmin. In both Pikmin games, commands cannot be issued from a distance, meaning that a one captain system caused a lot of running between multiple working Pikmin groups. Another gameplay change was the addition of sprays, which have two effects on gameplay. The red spray energizes Pikmin to increase both speed and attack strength. The purple spray temporarily turns enemies caught in the blast radius to stone. Sprays are obtained by collecting 10 berries of the corresponding color, but can occasionally be found in egg-like vessels when smashed, instead of the usual yellow nectar.

The controls are also improved: holding A will cause Pikmin to line up behind the leader in color groups, and the color can be cycled with the d-pad. The player can even choose "leaf" or "flower" Pikmin to be thrown first with d-pad up/down. In Pikmin 1, selecting a specific Pikmin color was very fiddly and difficult. Finally, Pikmin can be thrown slightly faster in Pikmin 2.

Including the Main Game (Story Mode), there is also 2-Player Battle, and Challenge Mode. 2-Player Battle is unlocked from the beginning of the game, and two players (Olimar and Louie), are each controlled by a player. The object is to take 4 yellow marbles or the opponent's red or blue marble back to the player's ship. The player's own marble cannot be carried by that player's Pikmin, allowing the opponent to gradually steal it over several assaults. While Pikmin can fight each other, they will not actually kill each other. When defeated, the Pikmin reappear next to their Onion to be re-picked. Likewise, the purple spray functions differently against enemy Pikmin - it buries them in the ground rather than allowing them to be shattered.

Challenge mode is obtained after obtaining The Key, found in the single-player game. This mode is like exploring a cave in story mode, except 2 players can play. An arena or cave is selected and players attempt to reach its bottom within a time limit. Each time a key is found, the player advances to the next level. At the bottom floor, the key creates a closed geyser. Pikmin must dig at this to activate it. Players try to get as many points as they can by retrieving treasures on each sublevel, leaving with as many Pikmin as possible, and completing it as quickly as possible. After completing an arena without losing any Pikmin, a player achieves "perfect" status.

Pikmin 2 starts when Olimar returns home from his "vacation".

He finds that his company, Hocotate Freight, is in serious debt. They even had to sell Captain Olimar's ship, the Dolphin, which was the only remaining corporate asset worth anything. Shocked by this sudden turn of events, Captain Olimar drops the bottle cap he brought with him as a souvenir. It rolls in the vicinity of the company's only remaining ship (a rusty, dilapidated dual-cockpit ship which contains a smart aleck personality, and a treasure sensor) and is found to have a value of 100 Pokos, the unit of currency on Hocotate. After commenting that this is more than a year's salary, Olimar's boss sends him on a trip with Louie, a fellow employee, to the Pikmin Planet to scrounge up 10,000 Pokos worth of treasure to get the company back up and running. Olimar returns to the planet of the Pikmin (there are some telltale signs that Pikmin Planet is Earth, because of the two sections of the globe and the visible continents on the planet as seen from space). During their descent, Louie's cockpit bursts open, and the two are separated. The game then centers on finding Louie, exploring the planet, and collecting treasures. Once 10,000 Pokos have been acquired, the ship automatically blasts off, taking off towards Hocotate. Louie is then shown asleep on a tree. After the credits have rolled, Olimar and the President go back to the Pikmin homeworld to collect the remaining treasure. At Dream Den, in the Wistful Wild, the President and Olimar discover Louie lying around at the last sublevel. However, the final boss, the Titan Dweevil, drops down and uses the four treasures it has equipped. After destroying it, they take Louie back in the cargo bay, because there is not enough room in the cockpit.

After completing the thirty Challenge Mode levels, a cinematic is unlocked, showing that the company is in debt because Louie had secretly eaten all the Gold Pikpik Carrots that were supposedly stolen by a Space Bunny. This was hinted at in the game, with e-mails from Louie's relatives saying how he enjoyed Pikpik Carrots and other such clues.

There are a few similarities in both Pikmin and Pikmin 2 that are seen in other games previously created by Nintendo, notably Super Mario Bros. The protagonists, Olimar and Louie are similar in size to Mario and Luigi with the shorter character being slightly bulkier and the taller one possessing a slimmer figure. In addition, the name "Olimar" is "Mario" spelled backwards in Japanese kana. "Louie", while being already superficially similar to the name "Luigi" in English, is actually the first part of the same name in Japanese.

Several of the treasures found on the planet in Pikmin 2 are items from previous Nintendo ventures. One item, the Dream Architect, is a Game & Watch, one of a series of LCD games created by Nintendo in the early 1980s. Another, the Remembered Old Buddy, is the head of R.O.B., a peripheral device packaged with the original NES after the video game crash of 1983. Found in the same cave as the Remembered Old Buddy are five Gyro Blocks, the blocks used in one of R.O.B.'s games, Stack-up. Other Nintendo items are also included, such as a tube of paint and a crayon from Mario Paint, and the Key used in Super Mario World. The card is a reference to when Nintendo was a card company around 1889.

The red, yellow, and blue Pikmin from the previous game return, along with two new colors of Pikmin, purple and white. Unlike the originals, they are not believed to come from the Onions which generate and house the three primary Pikmin colors, as no purple or white have yet been discovered. Instead, they are created when an existing Pikmin is thrown into a purple or white "Candypop bud", a type of flower found underground in caves. White Pikmin are a bit smaller than other Pikmin, although not necessarily weaker, and are extremely fast and immune to poisonous gasses. They can also poison enemies who eat them. Purple Pikmin are bigger and a little taller than other Pikmin, and are very slow, but strong, and count for ten Pikmin when lifting things. When thrown, purple Pikmin land with a resounding boom that can stun enemies.

There are also Bulbmin, a type of parasitic Pikmin that infects Bulborbs. Being in the body of a Bulborb protects them from drowning, electrocution, burning, and poisoning (but then again bulborbs can be poisoned by white pikmin, suggesting that the white Pikmin have a diffrent type of poison). They are found only in a few caves throughout the game, and they will assist the player-controlled captain in the cave in which they are found once their larger captain Bulborbs is killed. However, they cannot be removed from the cave unless they are changed to one of the five other types of pikmin, via candypops.

The main action of the game takes place in four separate areas. The player chooses which area will be visited at the beginning of the day, and only one area may be visited each day. The areas contain treasures, enemies, and other gameplay elements. Also, caves can be found within each area. Each cave contains a set number of chambers called sublevels. Most sublevels are random in layout, but contain a set number of treasures and a set assortment of enemies and obstacles. Only a few sublevels overall are of a fixed layout. The final sublevel of each cave, except Emergence Cave, contains a "boss" creature. The above-ground areas have fixed layouts. It can be noted that all areas from Pikmin 2 are near replicas to the levels of the original game.

The Valley of Repose is the first area that is visited in the game. It is winter in this area, and most of it is covered in snow. Players learn most of the basics here, as well as find the red and purple Pikmin. There are three caves in this area, the second two of which aren't accessible until later in the game: the Emergence Cave, the Subterranean Complex, and the Frontier Cavern. There is a strong resemblance to Pikmin's The Forest Navel.

The Awakening Wood is the second area in the game, and is opened up when an item that appears to be the northern hemisphere of a globe is found. It is spring in this area, and flower petals gently float down as opposed to the snow in the Valley of Repose. It is also the area where Blue Pikmin (which are inaccessible without Yellow Pikmin) and White Pikmin are found. This area was formerly known as The Forest of Hope in the first game, though it has slightly changed, presumably due to the passage of time. There are four caves in this area: the Hole of Beasts, the White Flower Garden, the Bulblax Kingdom, and the Snagret Hole.

The Perplexing Pool is the third area in the game, and is opened up when the other hemisphere of the globe is found. It is summer in this area, and the Yellow Pikmin can be found here, as well as the Bulbmin in the Submerged Castle. This area was formerly known as The Distant Spring in the first game, and like the Awakening Wood has changed little since its appearance in the original Pikmin. There are four caves in this area: the Citadel of Spiders, the Glutton's Kitchen, the Shower Room, and the Submerged Castle. The Submerged Castle cave is unique in two ways: firstly, the entrance is underwater, forcing the use of blue pikmin to drain the water by attacking a certain area. Only then can other colors enter safely. Secondly, there is a hidden time limit on each sublevel after which the boss of the cave will appear, invincible until the final floor. He is known as the Water Wraith and can only be beaten by purple pikmin. This enemy is extremely dangerous, and puts more pressure on players than other caves.

The Wistful Wild is opened up when the player reaches the 10,000 Poko mark. It is autumn in this area. This area contains what was known in the first game as The Impact Site, as well as The Final Trial linked side by side. There are three caves in this area: the Cavern of Chaos, the Hole of Heroes, and the Dream Den. A unique treasure is located near the landing side, called the Doomsday Apparatus. This treasure requires 100 purple pikmin in order to carry it, but it is worth 3000 pokos. Alas, the 10,000 mark has already been reached and it will not help you out in that way.

It can be noted that the landing site of Wistful Wild has a yield sign under it. In the Japanese version, it's a stop sign, as stop signs in Japan are triangular, not octagon-shaped as in North America.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

36. Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike

Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike is a Star Wars video game developed by Factor 5 and published by LucasArts exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube. The game follows Rogue Squadron, which, under the command of Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, uses starfighters to engage and defeat the Galactic Empire. The game is set during the original Star Wars trilogy and recreates battles that take place during those films. Like its GameCube predecessor, it also includes a "making-of" documentary.

Rebel Strike was developed as a sequel to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader. It added the ability for the player to leave their starfighter to participate in land battle as well as to enter pilot vehicles during certain missions. The game also has a multiplayer mode that allows two players to play all but two of the missions from Rogue Leader co-operatively. Being a "second generation game" (as producer Julian Eggebrecht states in the aforementioned documentary), the production team felt the need to expand upon the game's predecessor Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader by adding enhanced atmospheric effects, (slightly) more impressive explosions and the capability of having many more enemy AI players on-screen at once-among other improvements; such as the co-op mode and various Vs. options.

The game play picks up moments after the destruction the of the Death Star above Yavin 4, with Darth Vader and The Empire looking for revenge. You assume the role of Luke Skywalker and help to hold of the incoming attacks, allowing your transports to escape.

The game follows the Star Wars films, allowing you to join in with famous battles and also fills in some of the blanks from the Original Trilogy as well.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

dave said:

I thought it was going to be the original mario tennis, i was about to call a fault...


OH MY GOD, what a pun. Great list by the way.

The original Mario Tennis is only on the N64

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

Countdown Update

100. Kirby's Air Ride
99. Baten Kaitos Origins
98. Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
97. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
96. James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire
95. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
94. FIFA 06
93. Super Mario Strikers
92. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
91. Lost Kingdoms
90. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
89. Fight Night: Round 2
88. Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat
87. NFL Street
86. Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
85. Geist
84. Wario World
83. Tony Hawk's Underground
82. Def Jam: Fight For New York
81. Ultimate Spider-man
80. The Simpsons: Hit & Run
79. NBA Street V3
78. Spider-man: The Movie
77. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
76. Alien Hominid
75. The Simpsons: Road Rage
74. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy
73. Dragonball Z: Budokai 2
72. X-Men Legends
71. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
70. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003
69. Mario Party 6
68. Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun
67. Burnout 2: Point Of Impact
66. Mortal Kombat: Deception
65. Mario Party 7
64. Sonic Mega Collection
63. The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
62. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
61. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
60. Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II
59. Viewtiful Joe 2
58. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
57. Beyond Good & Evil
56. Mario Superstar Baseball
55. Super Monkey Ball
54. Mega Man X Collection
53. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
52. Pokemon XD: Gale Of Darkness
51. Resident Evil 2
50. X-Men Legends II: Rise Of Apocalypse
49. Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance
48. WWE Wrestlemania XIX
47. Pokemon Colosseum
46. Mario Party 4
45. Killer7
44. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings And The Lost Ocean
43. Spider-man 2
42. Super Monkey Ball 2
41. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
40. Mario Power Tennis
39. Mario Party 5
38. Skies Of Arcadia Legends
37. Pikmin 2
36. Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike

Now for clues to the next five games.

* Contains Three Legend Of Zelda Games

* Dinosaur Planet

* Fore'a

* Perfect Chaos

* Slyvarant

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Mario Golf, Star Fox Adnvetures, and the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker/Ocarina of Time combo pack are all coming up.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

koda89 said:

Mario Golf, Star Fox Adnvetures, and the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker/Ocarina of Time combo pack are all coming up.

One of those games is not the answer.

[Deleted]

The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition has four games for the record

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

vyse said:

The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition has four games for the record

One of those is I believe a demo so I really didnt count that one game.

[forgottensinpwf]

zillawrath said:

52. Pokemon XD: Gate Of Darkness

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, released in Japan as Pokémon XD Yami no Kaze Dark Lugia, is the second console role-playing game from Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the successor of the GameCube game Pokémon Colosseum. The game takes place in Orre, the setting of Pokémon Colosseum’s adventure mode. All of the Game Boy Advance Pokémon games can connect to this game through trading and Battle Mode.

The story begins 5 years after the events of Pokémon Colosseum with the introduction of Michael (player may change the name), the main protagonist. Michael first meets Professor Krane, his mother's boss. He introduces the concept of Shadow Pokémon, which are Pokémon whose hearts have been artificially closed. The criminal syndicate Cipher is creating and distributing them for their evil purposes. Krane also introduces the Snag Machine, which is used to capture Shadow Pokémon to purify. Krane charges Michael with the Snag Machine to capture these Shadow Pokémon and is given the Aura Reader (the eye piece) to identify them from normal pokémon. Shortly after this, Krane is kidnapped by Cipher agents. Michael goes out to save Krane and to uncover and defeat the Cipher syndicate. Michael travels to one of Cipher's bases in the desert. There he battles a lot of Cipher supporters. Most of them have Shadow Pokemon. Michael saves Krane, but fights one of the Cipher administrators in the process. After defeating her, a Cipher researcher drops a Data ROM, which Krane and Michael take back to the Pokemon HQ Lab to investigate. At the lab, the Purify Chamber is completed, just as Michael and Krane get home. Michael tests it out as Jovi takes the Data ROM to Datan, the scientist on the computer. Datan is no where to be found. After talking to different people on the same floor, he finds out that he is outside. Michael goes to meet him and finds him near the east exit. Micheal figures out that Datan could not figure out the data but doesn't want the professor to find out. The professor overhears the conversation and says that Michael has to go to Pyrite Town to give the data to someone.

Pokémon XD contains many new features from its predecessor, Pokémon Colosseum.

Poké Spot is a new feature in Pokémon XD. It allows players to battle and capture wild Pokémon. There are three different PokéSpot areas: Cave, Rock, and Oasis, each with different Pokémon appear. The rarest of these Pokémon can be traded in-game. To lure Pokémon at Poké Spots, trainers use food called Poké Snacks.

Shadow Pokémon, introduced in Pokémon Colosseum, are Pokémon whose hearts have been "closed," making them more vicious and powerful in battle. The closed hearts of Shadow Pokémon enable them to use Shadow attacks in battle; while in Colosseum there was only one Shadow move, in XD there are 18. While these attacks are of limited use against other Shadow Pokémon, they are still highly dangerous, being super effective against any non-Shadow Pokemon. However, Shadow Pokemon are unable to grow in power from battle experience until they undergo purification, a process that eliminates their Shadow status.

While Colosseum only featured 48 Shadow Pokemon, XD features nearly double that amount, with many trainers using more than one Shadow Pokemon against the protagonist simultaneously. The game also features a Shadow Lugia, and is the one of the few legitimate methods of obtaining a Lugia in the third and fourth generations of Pokemon games.

In Pokémon Colosseum, Shadow Pokémon were purified one at a time at the Agate Village Relic Stone. This game features the Purification Chamber. In it, a Shadow Pokémon is placed in the center of a circle and up to four non-Shadow Pokémon are placed on the circle. The regular Pokémon lead and open up the Shadow Pokémon's heart. The process can be sped up. The Purification Chamber can purify up to nine Shadow Pokémon at once.

Unlike in Pokémon Colosseum, where the player had to visit a PC to save the game, Pokémon XD allows the player to save from the pause menu at any time, bringing the game more closely in line with the series' Game Boy entries.

not to nitpick, but it's GALE of Darkness, not gate

[Gopher Mod]

forgottensinpwf said:

zillawrath said:

52. Pokemon XD: Gate Of Darkness

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, released in Japan as Pokémon XD Yami no Kaze Dark Lugia, is the second console role-playing game from Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the successor of the GameCube game Pokémon Colosseum. The game takes place in Orre, the setting of Pokémon Colosseum’s adventure mode. All of the Game Boy Advance Pokémon games can connect to this game through trading and Battle Mode.

The story begins 5 years after the events of Pokémon Colosseum with the introduction of Michael (player may change the name), the main protagonist. Michael first meets Professor Krane, his mother's boss. He introduces the concept of Shadow Pokémon, which are Pokémon whose hearts have been artificially closed. The criminal syndicate Cipher is creating and distributing them for their evil purposes. Krane also introduces the Snag Machine, which is used to capture Shadow Pokémon to purify. Krane charges Michael with the Snag Machine to capture these Shadow Pokémon and is given the Aura Reader (the eye piece) to identify them from normal pokémon. Shortly after this, Krane is kidnapped by Cipher agents. Michael goes out to save Krane and to uncover and defeat the Cipher syndicate. Michael travels to one of Cipher's bases in the desert. There he battles a lot of Cipher supporters. Most of them have Shadow Pokemon. Michael saves Krane, but fights one of the Cipher administrators in the process. After defeating her, a Cipher researcher drops a Data ROM, which Krane and Michael take back to the Pokemon HQ Lab to investigate. At the lab, the Purify Chamber is completed, just as Michael and Krane get home. Michael tests it out as Jovi takes the Data ROM to Datan, the scientist on the computer. Datan is no where to be found. After talking to different people on the same floor, he finds out that he is outside. Michael goes to meet him and finds him near the east exit. Micheal figures out that Datan could not figure out the data but doesn't want the professor to find out. The professor overhears the conversation and says that Michael has to go to Pyrite Town to give the data to someone.

Pokémon XD contains many new features from its predecessor, Pokémon Colosseum.

Poké Spot is a new feature in Pokémon XD. It allows players to battle and capture wild Pokémon. There are three different PokéSpot areas: Cave, Rock, and Oasis, each with different Pokémon appear. The rarest of these Pokémon can be traded in-game. To lure Pokémon at Poké Spots, trainers use food called Poké Snacks.

Shadow Pokémon, introduced in Pokémon Colosseum, are Pokémon whose hearts have been "closed," making them more vicious and powerful in battle. The closed hearts of Shadow Pokémon enable them to use Shadow attacks in battle; while in Colosseum there was only one Shadow move, in XD there are 18. While these attacks are of limited use against other Shadow Pokémon, they are still highly dangerous, being super effective against any non-Shadow Pokemon. However, Shadow Pokemon are unable to grow in power from battle experience until they undergo purification, a process that eliminates their Shadow status.

While Colosseum only featured 48 Shadow Pokemon, XD features nearly double that amount, with many trainers using more than one Shadow Pokemon against the protagonist simultaneously. The game also features a Shadow Lugia, and is the one of the few legitimate methods of obtaining a Lugia in the third and fourth generations of Pokemon games.

In Pokémon Colosseum, Shadow Pokémon were purified one at a time at the Agate Village Relic Stone. This game features the Purification Chamber. In it, a Shadow Pokémon is placed in the center of a circle and up to four non-Shadow Pokémon are placed on the circle. The regular Pokémon lead and open up the Shadow Pokémon's heart. The process can be sped up. The Purification Chamber can purify up to nine Shadow Pokémon at once.

Unlike in Pokémon Colosseum, where the player had to visit a PC to save the game, Pokémon XD allows the player to save from the pause menu at any time, bringing the game more closely in line with the series' Game Boy entries.

not to nitpick, but it's GALE of Darkness, not gate

Thanks for doing what I didn't have the balls to do.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

35. Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut is a platform game for the GameCube and PC. It is the basic Sonic Adventure with more stages and minor improvements.

This game was released as an enhanced port of the original Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast, with several additional features. The PC version was released at first in only Japan and Europe, but was eventually released in North America later on in a limited amount. Sonic Adventure DX included a mission mode, which included 60 missions to complete throughout the adventure fields and action stages. It also includes a minigame collection, which is comprised of twelve Sega Game Gear games featuring Sonic and friends.

The reviews received were generally less positive than those of its Sega Dreamcast predecessor, scoring over 20% lower than the game's original release, even though it is just as successful.

This game features many unlockable games previously available on the Game Gear. If the start button of the second controller is pressed, then the game screen will split, and two one player games will go on at the same time. Additionally, Gear-to-Gear cable emulation is present, enabling the games that have two player modes to be played in these modes if both players access the proper options within the game. These games were to be included in the Dreamcast version, but scrapped due to time constraints, same for the feature to play as Metal Sonic. The Game Gear games are unlocked every 20 Emblems until 100, then every 10 after that, or by completing 20 more of the 60 missions.

Games unlockable in order:
1. Sonic the Hedgehog
2. Sonic Drift
3. Sonic Chaos
4. Sonic Spinball
5. Sonic Labyrinth
6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
7. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
8. Sonic Triple Trouble
9. Sonic Drift 2
10. Tails' Skypatrol
11. Sonic Blast
12. Tails Adventure

* Enhanced graphics: The main characters were re-created with higher polygon counts, resulting in smoother models. Shader technology was also implemented for effects like rippling water (Shader effects are not present in the PC version).
* The original 60fps frame rate was partially restored. Unfortunately, due to the unstable nature of the Sonic Adventure engine, the frame rate frequently fluctuates randomly between 60fps and 30fps, usually very rapidly, and even in places where few objects are displayed, and/or where the Dreamcast version did not slow down (however, some effects that caused slowdown before do not affect the framerate in the GameCube version). Cutscenes now run in a low frame rate, but this seems to have been intended, for cinematic purposes.
* A Camera option was added to the pause menu, allowing the user to select either the original Auto Camera or the newly added Free Camera; which was usually nearer to the character, and the player controlled where it was exactly with the C Stick.
Changes (mostly minor) were made within the levels themselves in an effort to help patch some of the game's problems concerning collision detection. However, many glitches were not fixed, and some were even actually added.
* The Internet connection feature was removed. Some of the downloadable content from the Dreamcast version was included in the GameCube port.
* Many changes to the Chao System were made, including removing the Chao Adventure VMU minigame (instead replaced with a Game Boy Advance connection feature).
* 60 Missions were added for an all-new Mission Mode, which task the player with completing certain goals within the Adventure Fields and Action Stages for Emblems, similar to the Mission Mode found in Sonic Jam's three-dimensional Sonic World.
* Metal Sonic is a playable character in Trial mode, as a reward for collecting all the Emblems.
* Cream the Rabbit makes several cameo appearances during the main game and Mission Mode.
* In the Dreamcast version, E-102 Gamma's Adventure Fields were playable at night after beating his story. This seems to randomly happen in the GameCube version. What actually causes it is unknown. Strangely, the PC version follows the Dreamcast version by having the Adventure Fields always playable at night.
* As mentioned above, a Mini Game Collection mode was added allowing access to 12 Sega Game Gear games. This is the first time Sonic Drift and Tails' Skypatrol were released in the US and Europe.
* The ability to skip cutscenes by pushing Start was added in.
* A Map option, found on the pause menu while in Adventure Fields, was added.
* In the Dreamcast version, the letters spelling the name for E-101 MKII right before E-102 Gamma faced him would not make the typewriter clicking sound effect unlike the other bosses where the sound was audible. This problem was fixed in Sonic Adventure DX.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

coolrunner87 said:

forgottensinpwf said:

not to nitpick, but it's GALE of Darkness, not gate

Thanks for doing what I didn't have the balls to do.

Fixed

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

34. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour is a sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo released for the Nintendo GameCube on July 28, 2003. It is the sequel to the 1999 Nintendo 64 title Mario Golf. The game has sold enough copies to earn a Player's Choice rating.

As a typical golf game, the objective is to hit the ball into the hole using as few strokes as possible. Players may choose from a variety of characters and play in a variety of courses in the Mario universe. The six available courses range from the basic to exotic, including various Mario series enemies as hazards. Prior to the swing, the player chooses a club, general direction and power for the ball to travel. During the swing the player determines power by a timed meter, and optionally influences the direction and spin of the ball. The ball's actual path may be affected by the wind, as well as the ground it both lands in and is hit from.

Including the traditional stroke play (both tournament and single-player mode), match play, doubles, speed golf, and training mode, a number of more comical modes are available. Ring Attack and Coin Attack require the player to collect rings and coins respectively scattered throughout the course. Club Slots restricts the number of available clubs, and may give a bonus to the player. Other modes track the number of consecutive birdies, or let the player practice a particular kind of shot.

This is a list of the characters available for play:
* Mario
* Luigi
* Princess Peach
* Princess Daisy
* Yoshi
* Koopa Troopa
* Birdo
* Donkey Kong
* Diddy Kong
* Wario
* Waluigi
* Bowser

Unlockable characters are:
* Bowser Jr.
* Boo
* Shadow Mario
* Petey Piranha

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

33. Star Fox Adventures

Star Fox Adventures is an action-adventure game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube and part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on September 23, 2002, in Japan on September 27, 2002 and in Europe on September 30, 2002. It is the final game developed by Rare for a Nintendo console, before the company was acquired as a first-party developer for Microsoft's Xbox. It is the third game in the series, succeeding Star Fox 64.

The storyline centers on the remote Dinosaur Planet (later known as Sauria) of the Lylat system, where Fox McCloud is dispatched by General Pepper to restore the planet after pieces of it have broken off and pose a risk to the system. After arriving, Fox discovers a mystical staff from Krystal and sets off to rescue her and save the planet.

The response to the game was quite positive, with review scores ranging between 7.0 and 9.0. The groundbreaking visuals garnered much praise, especially Fox's new furry look. The Zelda-like gameplay was also considered one of the title's strengths, but some argued that it was too much of a departure from previous Star Fox games.

Star Fox Adventures uses a similar gameplay engine as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Its graphics were very sophisticated for its time, receiving particular attention for its real-time fur rendering. Like Ocarina of Time, Star Fox Adventures has a day-and-night phase, but a more accurate and gradual one. Also, a language called Dino (later known as Saurian) is used in concept similar to that of the Al Bhed language in Square Co.'s Final Fantasy X, except that the letter Y is used only in proper nouns. The game also has a widescreen mode, designed for widescreen television monitors.

The gameplay mechanics themselves closely mirror those of Ocarina of Time, as Fox is on foot for most of the game and pilots his Arwing only to reach another piece of the planet. Similar to Link wielding his Master Sword, General Pepper forbids Fox from using any sort of blaster, quoting "This mission is about saving the planet, not blowing it up" despite the dangers around him and instead relies on Krystal's staff which he discovers on the planet, in order to attack and defeat enemies as well as interact with the surrounding environment. While Fox uses the staff primarily for attacking enemies physically, he can later gain power-ups for the staff which allow it to fire projectiles, freeze enemies, or help him reach high up areas that are normally inaccessible. Fox cannot jump unless he runs off the edge of an object or a cliff, and can roll after landing on the ground, in the same fashion as Link leaps off edges in Ocarina of Time. One key difference between the two games, however, is that Fox acquires his targets automatically when he approaches them, while the player has to manually trigger a lock-on when controlling Link. IGN called this new system "a beneficial addition," and GameSpot stated it "makes targeting a cinch."

Adventures features the core Star Fox team, with Falco Lombardi appearing only at the game's end, as well as adding new characters, such as Krystal, Prince Tricky, the tyrannical General Scales, and other dinosaurs. Krystal goes on to become a full-fledged member of the Star Fox team, while Tricky was briefly shown in Star Fox: Assault.

Along with the series regulars, Adventures features a numerous amount of dinosaur and prehistoric characters, all of them based on once living creatures. For example, the ruling EarthWalker tribe, featured prominently in the game, resemble Triceratops, while the rival CloudRunner tribe approximate to Pteranodons. The SharpClaw tribe, which are the major antagonists in Adventures, resemble humanoid Allosaurus. One year later, during the events of Star Fox: Assault, these various dinosaur tribes are decimated by the Aparoid attack on Dinosaur Planet, and in-game dialogue suggests that the SharpClaw may have been driven to extinction. The in-game level shows various ThornTail and HighTop dinosaurs infected by the Aparoids. It is said that only the Sharpclaw tribe was driven to extintion.

The entire game takes place on the world of Dinosaur Planet (in later games called "Sauria") and the pieces of the planet itself suspended in orbit. In order to transit to the pieces, Fox must use his Arwing and avoid enemies. These areas include various terrain and climates, such as the grassy hub of ThornTail Hollow, alien-like Moon Mountain Pass, the icy-terrain SnowHorn Wastes. and seaside Cape Claw.

Star Fox Adventures takes place eight years after Star Fox 64 on an ancient world of Dinosaur Planet, located on the side of the Lylat system opposite of the planet Corneria. Krystal, a vixen looking for answers to the destruction of her home planet, Cerinia, and the murder of her parents, lands on Krazoa Palace after receiving a distress call from the planet. She discovers that the planet had been attacked by General Scales and his SharpClaw army, and decides to help by collecting all of the Krazoa Spirits and returning them to the palace, which would supposedly tilt the war in the dinosaurs' favor and stop Scales. However, after releasing the first one, General Scales (who was following her) pushes Krystal into the spirit's path, thus she is trapped in a floating crystal atop the Krazoa Palace and thus trapped until all the spirits can be returned.

Meanwhile, Fox McCloud, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare receive a mission briefing from General Pepper to go to Dinosaur Planet and reattach pieces of the planet that had broken off, as the current state of the planet posed a threat to the welfare of the Lylat System. The team, realizing that they are low on cash and that the Great Fox and Arwings are in dire need of repair, not to mention the departure of Falco Lombardi due to boredom, decide to accept the mission. Fox flies to ThornTail Hollow and recovers Krystal's staff, which she had dropped earlier due to being attacked by General Scales' floating galleon. Fox learns from the Queen EarthWalker that he must find the GateKeeper for each of the four areas that had broken off from the planet in order to gain access to them, and travel to those areas to retrieve the SpellStones, which must be placed in Force Point Temples to keep the planet together, and which had been previously removed by Scales, causing the planet to be torn apart.

After being warped to Ice Mountain by the Warpstone, Fox meets the Queen EarthWalker's son and his new partner, Prince Tricky, in SnowHorn Wastes. Together, they free the GateKeeper to DarkIce Mines and travel there to retrieve the first SpellStone. After defeating Boss Galdon and getting the SpellStone back, Fox travels to the Volcano Force Point Temple, where he places the SpellStone. Upon leaving the temple, the Krazoa Spirit who was released by Krystal informs him that he must also collect the other spirits and release them at Krazoa palace in order to save Krystal's life.

Now finding himself having to not only save the planet but the mysterious blue vixen as well, Fox collects the second Krazoa Spirit in Moon Mountain Pass and releases it. A scene is shown of him seeing Krystal for the first time, he is speechless at her beauty. He then locates the next gatekeeper, the queen of the CloudRunner tribe, at Cape Claw. He gains access to CloudRunner Fortress, encounters General Scales there for the first time, and loses to him in a brief struggle, allowing the general to escape. He collects the second SpellStone and releases it at the Ocean Force Point Temple back on Dinosaur Planet.

Fox has a brief run-in with the LightFoot tribe, who accuse him of stealing an artifact from them. They attempt to execute him, but a CloudRunner fends them off, eventually forcing the tribe to let Fox free. Subsequently, Chief LightFoot orders Fox to break MuscleFoot's records in speed and strength. After that Chief LightFoot dubs Fox "an honorary member of tribe." Fox locates and collects the third Krazoa spirit in the LightFoot Village, and releases it at the palace. He then travels to the third broken piece of Dinosaur Planet, Walled City, after locating the powers of that area's GateKeeper, Tricky's father. Fox defeats the RedEye tribe there, including the King RedEye, in order to claim the third SpellStone. He travels back to the Volcano Force Point Temple once again to place the SpellStone where it belongs. He later ends up traveling to SnowHorn Wastes again, where he finds another Krazoa Shrine and collects the fourth Spirit there.

After finding the final SpellStone at Dragon Rock and placing it at Ocean Force Point Temple, the planet does not come back together. Fox realizes that he must release all the Krazoa spirits to bring the planet back together. He travels back to the Walled City, where he finds another Krazoa Shrine at the top of the large temple, and obtains the spirit there. He heads back to Krazoa Palace, where he releases the spirit and discovers that there had been another shrine right on the roof of the palace. He collects the final Spirit after confronting Scales (who, instead of facing off against Fox, is mystically killed by a strange being with a voice Fox deems familiar) there and releases it, however, instead of freeing Krystal, the Spirits enter her body and exit again. The crystal shatters, and Fox narrowly saves Krystal from falling to her death. She takes her staff back, and the two discover that the real enemy was not General Scales, but Andross, who reveals himself to them in the form of a giant head (the same way he was portrayed in Star Fox 64) and flies out into space, supposedly to conquer the Lylat System. Fox chases after him in his Arwing, and defeats him with the help of Falco, who suddenly flies in to assist him, after being absent from the Star Fox team for years. After Andross is finally defeated for good, Falco rejoins the Star Fox team. Krystal flies over to the Great Fox in order to thank Fox for saving her. Fox is too shy for her and everyone laughs at him. ROB senses that his temperature is rising and asks if he is OK, and Fox replies that he will be fine. Fox and Krystal smile to each other, showing they've fallen in love, marking the end of Star Fox Adventures.

Star Fox Adventures features many dinosaurs resembling real-life dinosaurs. Here is a list of the dinosaurs and what they resemble:

* SharpClaw — humanoid Carnosaur
* ThornTail — Nodosaurus
* HighTop — Apatosaurus
* CloudRunner — Pteranodon
* RedEye — Tyrannosaurus
* EarthWalker — Triceratops
* LightFoot — Gallimimus
* SnowHorn — Mammoth

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

32. Tales Of Symphonia

Tales of Symphonia is a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2. It debuted in Japan on August 29, 2003, in Canada and the United States on July 13, 2004, and in Europe on November 19, 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2 release on September 22, 2004. The game sold 118,000 copies during its first two weeks of sales in the U.S. and went on to sell over 1.2 million copies worldwide.

The game was produced by Akira Yoshizumi, a producer from Namco. It is the fifth main installment in the Tales RPG series, taking place long before Tales of Phantasia (hence a distant prequel) and was the third in the series to be officially released in the U.S. in as many years, and the first to be released in Europe. One notable characteristic of the game is its art direction by Kosuke Fujishima, a renowned Japanese mangaka (comic-book artist).

In June 2007, Ufotable released an OVA in Japan based on the events of Symphonia.

Like previous games in the Tales series, Tales of Symphonia uses a version of the Linear Motion Battle System — a real-time battle system, as opposed to the turn-based systems used in traditional role-playing games. During battle, up to four characters can be controlled by players. Characters not under the control of a player operate according to strategies that are pre-selected by the player. Characters can be set to operate according to specific tactics and players can determine which techniques or magic spells the character may use during battle. AI-controlled choices can be overridden by the player by pausing and selecting orders from a menu; the player may also map certain techniques, spells, or strategies to controller buttons, allowing quick use of them without pausing.

Battle movement is relative to enemy characters. Players target enemies through a Zelda-style system; the controlled character and targeted enemy define a plane perpendicular to the ground to which movement is restricted. Characters can attack, defend, or use magic and special techniques. Guarding is of much greater importance than in previous Tales games, as Symphonia characters take more damage when un-Guarded than do their series counterparts, and guarding prevents attacks from stunning the character. The proper use of guarding allows attacks to be dodged through a backstep and allows character to land on their feet after be thrown in the air. However, being hit from behind while guarding triggers a "Guard Break", leaving the character briefly vulnerable. Characters gain an additional defense to aid them in guarding. Although these have different names based on the characters that can use them, all are essentially the same in that, when activated, the technique creates a green sphere around the character that defends against any attacks (including magical) for a few seconds.

Dealing combos on an enemy fills the Unison Gauge; when filled completely, a Unison Attack can be triggered. During a Unison Attack, each character uses a special attack chosen by the player consecutively; certain attacks, when used, result in a combined attack to cause additional damage.

Another feature of the Linear Motion Battle System is "overlimit.", which is very similar to the "Spirit Blaster" mode from Tales of Destiny 2. Characters enter overlimit after having obtained a certain number of tension points (the required amount varies from character to character). Several things contribute to tension, though the most obvious factor is getting hit. However, a character's tension points reset upon dying (though a death increases the tension of the other three party members). Overlimit removes "staggering", allowing the character to perform actions without interruption; reduces the amount of damage the character takes; and allows spells to be cast more quickly. Some attacks may only be used while in overlimit mode; for example, Genis must be in overlimit to use "Indignation Judgment", and Sheena cannot summon (with one exception, Corrine) unless she is in overlimit. Certain enemies can go into overlimit as well. A character who cooks a meal featuring a liked ingredient will have points added to his tension; using something disliked may remove points.

Additionally, when the party is on the overworld map, they can enter battles by running into monsters on the field. There are two different groups of enemies they can fight: the smaller, weaker groups are displayed as small, blob-like monsters, whereas the larger, stronger groups are displayed as bipedal creatures. This feature is very similar to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which features the same concept.

Lloyd, Genis, and Colette possess special moves, or hi-ougis, that can be activated under specific conditions; Falcon's Crest, Indignation Judgment, and Holy Judgment respectively. The PS2 version contains hi-ougis for additional characters, including some bosses and every member of the party.

Although Tales of Symphonia uses the typical experience point system, in which characters gain strength and abilities with the accumulation of EXP, several player-controlled factors determine which strengths and abilities the characters gain.

Each character can equip up to four EX Gems of varying strengths; each Gem can be set to a specific ability, from strengthening stats to providing out-of-battle bonuses (for instance, Zelos's level 2 Personal EX-skill lets him charm items out of women). For the most part, EX-skills are different for each character. Available EX-skills also determine the character's type, be it Technical (T) or Strike (S). EX-skills and the Technical-Strike balance can be altered at any time, though it will take a fair number of battles before the balance shifts. This balance determines what battle techniques a character gains access to, opening certain abilities while closing off others (including replacing ones that have already been learned); characters are not supposed to be able to 'mix and match,' but an uncorrected glitch allows it. Finally, certain combinations of EX-skills will result in 'compound EX-skills', which provide added bonuses in addition to the effects of the standard EX-skills that comprise it.

Each character has up to 25 titles, which are earned at certain levels, by completing certain events, or by completing certain challenges, and reflect aspects of the characters' personalities or their achievements. Titles may be gained at certain points in the main plot, by participating in side events, by leveling up, by triggering special circumstances in battle, and by meeting unique preconditions. Most titles determine which stats the character will increase in when they level up, but a few have other side effects instead, such as enabling mini-games or changing the character's costume.

Tales of Symphonia takes a varied approach to character recovery. The RPG standbys of inns and recovery items exist, but characters can also learn recipes from an eccentric character known as the Wonder Chef, who is usually disguised as an out-of-place item, like a magazine rack (as he was in Tales of Eternia). If the character possesses the required food items, they can prepare a dish that will have beneficial effects upon the party, such as recovery of hit points and technical points, curing of ailments such as poison, or temporary boosting of character status. However, sometimes a recipe may be cooked unsuccessfully, resulting in wasted ingredients and greatly reduced benefits to the party. Though each recipe requires a specific set of raw ingredients (for instance, a Sandwich always requires Bread), characters may add a variety of secondary ingredients (lettuce, cheese, meat and so forth). Furthermore, not all characters are equally talented at cooking; the character's talent at any given dish is indicated by a row of empty star icons, which may vary in length and are gradually filled in as the character gains proficiency. The running gag concerning Raine's notorious lack of cooking skill is represented by the fact that many of her recipes max out at two stars of a possible seven; in contrast her brother Genis is the best overall cook in the game (described frequently as a necessary survival trait).

Symphonia also features a "Customization" system, in which certain NPCs will upgrade equipment if given the proper ingredients (often a weapon of the same type, along with at least one piece of "loot" gathered via gameplay). The ingredients required and equipment resulting depend on the NPC. Certain weapons and armors are only available via customization.

In addition to cut scenes, various skits between the characters can be viewed while on the overworld, in towns, and in dungeons. They involve animated character portraits, subtitles, and, in the Japanese version, full voice acting. There are two varieties: those that are accessed by pressing the Z button, and those which are tied to physical locations on the overworld map. A few are mandatory, and are called up automatically by game triggers. Overworld-map skits have the added bonus of affecting Lloyd's relationships with other party members. Skits concern anything from character development (Colette keeping a stiff upper lip in the face of her troubles) to side details (Sheena raging at Zelos for his womanizing ways) to sheer tomfoolery (Lloyd asking Regal if he cooks the way he fights: with his feet). In the original Japanese version of the game, the Skits, known as Z-Skits, were voice-acted, but this feature was dropped for the North American and European version.

GRADE is awarded after each battle. It is awarded or subtracted based on specific criteria that are fulfilled in battle. For example, scoring multi-hit combos increases GRADE, but having a character die will subtract it; the length of the battle (in seconds) also has an effect. In normal and hard modes, the max amount of grade to gain/lose is twenty, but in Mania Mode the number is tripled. Grade can be used to purchase items for customization and EX gems, or to buy bonuses when starting a New Game Plus. When the game is completed, the player receives a bonus of 1,000 GRADE. Any GRADE spent in the Grade Shop will be refunded at the end of the New Game Plus. Bonuses from the New Game Plus include carrying over learned recipes, multiplying the EXP earned in battle by 10, and carrying over all accumulated techniques.

The player will be able to make certain decisions that imperceptibly affect how the other characters think of Lloyd. Some of these choices will have major ramifications which may alter the game's plot. Other ways in which the player can influence affection include selecting certain decisions in skits triggered by certain points on the world map and by choosing characters to travel with or assist Lloyd at certain points in the game.

In addition, the affection system will dramatically influence the story as the party member who cares for Lloyd the most will be "paired off" with him after an important story point late in the game. Depending on which character this is, the effects of their friendship on the plot can vary from slight to major. For example, if Lloyd is paired off with Sheena, she will become Lloyd's new love interest (whereas it normally would be Colette). Becoming pairs with a character like Regal, however, minimally impacts the game's plot. It is important to note that the overall plot will remain the same with one exception, in that case one character betrays the party and another joins the party in their place.

The game begins in the world of Sylvarant, a land that is dying due to a steady loss of mana, the energy source that is needed both for magic and to support life itself. As the crops begin to wither and hardship sets in, the people turn their hopes to the Chosen One, a servant and messiah of the Goddess Martel, who can reverse the ills of the world by completing the Journey of World Regeneration. The current Chosen is a girl named Colette Brunel, who is protected by her childhood friends Lloyd Irving and Genis Sage, her teacher and Genis' older sister Raine Sage, and Kratos Aurion, a mercenary with a mysterious past. Later on in the game, the party is joined by four other people: Presea Combatir, a strong but strange girl; Zelos Wilder, an arrogant playboy that is the Chosen One for Tethe'alla, the other world; Sheena Fujibayashi, a female ninja; and Regal Bryant, an ex-convict.

Such a quest is undertaken when the world is in an extreme state of decline. In order to regenerate the world, the Chosen must travel from continent to continent, awakening the Summon Spirits that sleep at ancient shrines known as "seals". With every seal released, the Chosen comes closer and closer to becoming an angel. Once the Chosen fully transforms into an angel, the world will be regenerated.

As the game progresses, many revelations are made about the subject of World Regeneration and the hidden plots that complicate the scenario. One of the earliest revelations is that becoming an angel forces the Chosen to give up the aspects of himself or herself that make him or her human. With the first seal, the Chosen loses the need to eat; with the second, he or she can no longer sleep. The release of the third seal causes the Chosen to lose the ability to feel physical sensations altogether. After releasing the fourth seal, the Chosen can no longer speak. The fifth and final seal requires the Chosen to give up his or her heart and memory and, with them, his or her life. When this process has been completed, the Chosen's body will become one with the goddess Martel.

The party also learns of a second world, known as Tethe'alla, which lies parallel to Sylvarant. It is then revealed that replenishing the Sylvarant's supply of mana changes the flow of mana, thereby draining it away from Tethe'alla - much like the sand in an hourglass. The reverse also holds true. As the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla must compete for a limited amount of mana to survive, whenever one of these two worlds is regenerated, the other falls into a state of mana deprivation.

The party does indeed succeed in releasing all the seals, and the Chosen becomes Martel's vessel. However, they learn that the angels that they are trying to serve have been using them. The party is betrayed by one of its own members, who is then revealed to be an angel. The remaining party then goes to Tethe'alla to find answers, where their goal ultimately changes to saving the two worlds. In order to do this, they decide that they must sever the ties between Sylvarant and Tethe'alla to separate the worlds, thus ending the competition for mana. In the end, the party revives an ancient tree of ever-flowing mana, which, with the aid of the Eternal Sword, merges the two worlds once more.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

31. Legend Of Zelda: Collector's Edition

The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition is a compilation of four video games from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, a twenty-minute demo of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and two featurettes. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube on November 7, 2003 in Japan, November 14, 2003 in Europe, November 17, 2003 in North America, and March 19, 2004 in Oceania. Not available for purchase, it was distributed through various promotions and bundles.

Collector's Edition contains complete emulated versions of The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask. Because the games are emulated rather than adapted for the GameCube, there are some technical errors and glitches in Majora's Mask. Many have complained that Majora's Mask unexpectedly crashes or freezes occasionally because of emulation mistakes, though this can be reduced by disabling the rumble feature.[citation needed] The game can also suffer from lag in certain areas, most notably in Clock Town, and inconsistencies in the audio.

Despite these problems, the GameCube versions of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask possess an overall cleaner look, since they run at a resolution of 640×480p as opposed to the original resolution of 320×240i on the Nintendo 64.

Collector's Edition also contains a twenty-minute demo and a highlight reel of The Wind Waker, and a brief retrospective featurette of the Zelda games from the original The Legend of Zelda to The Wind Waker.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

Countdown Update

100. Kirby's Air Ride
99. Baten Kaitos Origins
98. Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
97. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
96. James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire
95. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
94. FIFA 06
93. Super Mario Strikers
92. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
91. Lost Kingdoms
90. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
89. Fight Night: Round 2
88. Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat
87. NFL Street
86. Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
85. Geist
84. Wario World
83. Tony Hawk's Underground
82. Def Jam: Fight For New York
81. Ultimate Spider-man
80. The Simpsons: Hit & Run
79. NBA Street V3
78. Spider-man: The Movie
77. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
76. Alien Hominid
75. The Simpsons: Road Rage
74. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy
73. Dragonball Z: Budokai 2
72. X-Men Legends
71. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
70. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003
69. Mario Party 6
68. Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun
67. Burnout 2: Point Of Impact
66. Mortal Kombat: Deception
65. Mario Party 7
64. Sonic Mega Collection
63. The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
62. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
61. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
60. Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II
59. Viewtiful Joe 2
58. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
57. Beyond Good & Evil
56. Mario Superstar Baseball
55. Super Monkey Ball
54. Mega Man X Collection
53. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
52. Pokemon XD: Gale Of Darkness
51. Resident Evil 2
50. X-Men Legends II: Rise Of Apocalypse
49. Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance
48. WWE Wrestlemania XIX
47. Pokemon Colosseum
46. Mario Party 4
45. Killer7
44. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings And The Lost Ocean
43. Spider-man 2
42. Super Monkey Ball 2
41. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
40. Mario Power Tennis
39. Mario Party 5
38. Skies Of Arcadia Legends
37. Pikmin 2
36. Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
35. Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut
34. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
33. Star Fox Adventures
32. Tales Of Symphonia
31. Legend Of Zelda: Collector's Edition

Now for clues to the next five games.

* And Twins......

* Bang On The Drum All Day

* Master The Quest

* Retrieve Time Crystals

* Someone Stole The World Title

[Koda, Master Crunchyroller]

Day or Reckoning(Or DoR2) and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes up next?