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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 14:30:53 GMT -5
Countdown Update
125. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 124. Silent Scope Complete 123. SSX 3 122. Madden NFL 2005 121. Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis 120. Star Wars: The Clone Wars 119. Darkwatch 118. The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age 117. The Simpsons: Hit And Run 116. Rainbow Six 3 115. Madden NFL 08 114. Blitz: The League 113. Mafia: The City Of Lost Heaven 112. Dungeons And Dragons Heroes 111. WWE Wrestlemania 21 110. World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International 109. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 108. GUN 107. NHL Hitz Pro 106. Top Spin Tennis 105. Rocky 104. TransWorld Surf 103. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy 102. MechAssault 101. Legends Of Wrestling II 100. NCAA March Madness 2005 99. WWE Raw 2 98. Brute Force 97. Metal Slug 3 96. Fahrenheit aka Indigo Prophecy 95. NCAA Football 06 94. Stubbs The Zombie In "Rebel Without A Pulse" 93. Midnight Club II 92. Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling 91. The Punisher 90. Dead Or Alive Ultimate 89. MVP Baseball 2005 88. Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup 87. Shenmue II 86. Blinx: The Time Sweeper 85. GoldenEye: Rogue Agent 84. Fight Night Round 2 83. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition 82. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction 81. NASCAR 2005: Chase For The Cup 80. Evil Dead: A Fistful Of Broomstick 79. Timesplitters 2 78. Def Jam: Fight For NY 77. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy 76. Burnout 2: Point Of Impact 75. Evil Dead: Regeneration 74. MVP Baseball 2004 73. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 72. Fuzion Frenzy 71. Armed And Dangerous 70. Destroy All Humans 69. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance 68. Red Dead Revolver 67. Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding 66. Fight Night Round 3 65. Gladius 64. NCAA Football 2004 63. Indiana Jones And The Emperor's Tomb 62. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 61. Forza Motorsports 60. Thief: Deadly Shadows 59. Godzilla: Save The Earth 58. Unreal Championship 57. Lego Star Wars: The Video Game 56. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne 55. Tony Hawk's Underground 54. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 53. Freedom Fighters 52. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II 51. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 50. The House Of The Dead III 49. Max Payne 48. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 47. FlatOut 2 46. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy 45. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks 44. Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes 43. Timesplitters: Future Perfect 42. Tony Hawk's American Wasteland 41. X-Men Legends 40. Project Gotham Racing 2 39. Spider-man 38. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 37. Spider-man 2 36. The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
Next five clues are:
* Defeat The DomZ
* Mission Mode
* Spawn Is An Unlockable Character
* Taven & Daigon
* This Used To Be My Playground
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Johnny Danger (Godz)
Wade Wilson
loves him some cavity searches
Lord Xeen's going to kill you.
Posts: 27,736
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Post by Johnny Danger (Godz) on Mar 13, 2008 14:33:02 GMT -5
Soul Calibur 2 and MK Armageddon are the only ones I know.
Also, Seth, have you done a top 360 games yet? Did I already vote in it and forget it?
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 14:36:19 GMT -5
Soul Calibur 2 and MK Armageddon are the only ones I know. Also, Seth, have you done a top 360 games yet? Did I already vote in it and forget it? no...system still has new games coming out so until that system stops making games....I will do that list.
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Johnny Danger (Godz)
Wade Wilson
loves him some cavity searches
Lord Xeen's going to kill you.
Posts: 27,736
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Post by Johnny Danger (Godz) on Mar 13, 2008 14:40:31 GMT -5
Soul Calibur 2 and MK Armageddon are the only ones I know. Also, Seth, have you done a top 360 games yet? Did I already vote in it and forget it? no...system still has new games coming out so until that system stops making games....I will do that list. Damn, okay, well, I guess I'll see you in 2013 or so. ;D ......at least I hope its that long till I have to spend $900 for the Xbox 720 Moonflip Edition.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 17:06:57 GMT -5
35. Soul Calibur II Soulcalibur II is a fighting game developed and published by Namco and the third installment in the Soul series. Soul Calibur is the name of the holy sword, created to battle the evil sword Soul Edge, which the games' story-lines revolve around. Compared to Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II boasts improved graphics and introduces new characters, stages, and music.[citation needed] Key game engine improvements include: * More powerful "step" and "avoid" systems, which made evading vertical attacks noticeably easier. * Arena walls, rather than ring-out ability on all sides, and wall-specific moves. * A three-step Soul Charge system. * A clash system, one that is used when two attacks would hit each other resulting in a white flash and no damage to either opponent. * Guard break attacks, which put a blocking player into a post guard-impact state * Just Frame moves, which awarded additional hits to players who could time their command inputs well The game is set 4 years after the end of Soulcalibur, which based on calculations from a timeline released on the Soul Archive website, puts the game's story in the year 1591. The wave of slaughters that terrorized Europe reached a sudden end. The knight in azure armor, Nightmare, and his followers were successful in collecting enough souls and were about to start the restoring ceremony on the ruins of the once-proud Osthreinsburg Castle. But just as the ceremony was to start, three young warriors assaulted the castle. In a matter of time the clan was defeated and Nightmare stood in front of the young warriors wielding the Sacred Trinity. After an intense battle Nightmare fell, but then the evil soul inside Soul Edge sent the young warriors into a vortex of hellfire and stood to confront them. As a result of Soul Edge's evil aura, Krita-Yuga revealed its true form: that of the Holy Sword, Soul Calibur. The intense battle ended with the victory of the holy sword, but at the collapse of the vortex of Inferno, both swords along with the azure Nightmare were sucked in a void and expelled in another place. Siegfried Schtauffen, who was until a moment before the Azure Knight, restored his mind. Recognizing his sins, he set on a journey of atonement. Still the blade held a strong bond, and every night it took control of the body and took souls of those nearby. The efforts made by the young knight were fruitless, and four years later the Azure Nightmare returned. Around those times various warriors came into contact of the blade's remaining fragments, revealing Soul Edge's ultimate survival after its defeat. Driven either to possess or destroy it, they join a new journey, while Nightmare starts his rampage anew, seeking souls to restore Soul Edge once again... New Soul characters introduced in Soulcalibur II: * Cassandra – Sword and Shield * Charade – Imitative Power * Necrid (Only on Home Versions) – Transforming Energy called Enigma * Raphael - Sword-Rapier * Talim – Dual Elbow blades (Bladed Tonfas) * Yunsung – Chinese sword (correctly spelled Hong Yun-seong in Soulcalibur III) Raphael and Talim's playing styles are entirely unique, while Cassandra and Yun-seong's are derived from established characters Sophitia and Hwang, respectively. Charade, like his predecessors Edge Master and Inferno, switches his style to match existing characters' movelists with each individual round of fighting. Each of the home versions also included Necrid, who was not included in the arcade version of Soulcalibur II. Necrid, like Spawn, was personally designed by comic book artist Todd McFarlane. Rounding out the characters were returning fighters Seung Mina and Sophitia from both Soul Edge and Soulcalibur. Also, the North American, Australian and European versions of the game contained three limited-play characters loosely based on characters from Soulcalibur: * Assassin (generic thug, with a move list derived from Hwang) - Dao * Berserker (generic thug, with a move list derived from Rock) - Double-Edged Axe * Lizardman (generic lizardman from the army created by the cult order, Fygul Cestemus, in Soulcalibur) - Sword and Shield From the Soulcalibur character roster, the ones that did not return for Soulcalibur II as characters themselves were Hwang Seong-gyeong, Nathaniel "Rock" Adams, Lizardman (as the lizardman in the game is not the same one as in Soulcalibur), and Edge Master. Inferno is in the game, only this time, he is not a playable character, though Siegfried is Nightmare's 3rd Costume. Voice Cast: Paul Jennings - Raphael Sorel Julie Parker - Talim Jim Singer - Hong Yunsung Debbie Rogers - Cassandra Alexandra Scott Reyns - Kilik Wendee Lee - Chai Xianghua Doug Boyd - Maxi Scott Keck - Heishiro Mitsurugi Desirée Goyette - Taki Ted D'Agostino - Nightmare J.S. Gilbert - Astaroth (as Jay S. Gilbert) Renee Hewitt - Isabella Valentine (Ivy) Diane Holmby - Sophitia Alexandra Molly Lin - Seung Mina Victor Stone - Spawn Phil Sheridan - Yoshimitsu Warren Rodgerson - Cervantes de Leon Czamo Lukrich - Narrator Chris Patton - Assassin
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 17:09:19 GMT -5
34. Ninja Gaiden Black Ninja Gaiden Black is Ninja Gaiden integrated with the contents of the two Hurricane Packs, and a Mission Mode. Tomonobu Itagaki has tweaked it to be more difficult than the original release, especially on the higher difficulties. Several bosses including Spirit Doku and the Dark Disciple attack faster and more furiously, plus a variety of dangerous new foes have been added to make life even harder. Furthermore, players who have played Ninja Gaiden will find the Flying Swallow move, which could previously dominate almost any foe thrown against Ryu, has been heavily toned down. On Hard difficulty and above, foes block the Flying Swallow more frequently, forcing players to adapt to a new style of fighting. There are even a couple of new enemies having moves specifically to punish usage of the Flying Swallow against them. Hurricane Pack 1's design, along with several new in-game cutscenes were effectively integrated into Story Mode, and playable on all difficulty levels, including the new Ninja Dog and Master Ninja difficulties. Encounters were added on higher levels of difficulty to surprise players on their first play, and almost all foes were given grabbing, guard breaking or crushing attacks. This coupled with the increase in the enemies' aggressiveness made the player more wary on their toes, and less likely to 'turtle' in Ninja Gaiden Black. New elements are continually introduced as the player clears the higher difficulties with the aid of the Lunar and Smoke Bombs (a new projectile which aids in distracting enemies). As the player attempts the higher difficulties, he will encounter foes from the Hurricane Packs, as well as new ones, like explosive bats, flame ninjas (red-clad ninjas whose attacks inflict additional flame damage), and Ryu's evil shadows, the Doppelganger Fiends. New costumes for Ryu were also available for the player to unlock, as well as the Ninja Gaiden arcade game (which took the place of the three bonus unlockable NES games in Ninja Gaiden). Mission Mode introduced 46 missions concentrating on combat in small arenas. The majority of the missions are new scenarios, while several are modified versions of fights found in Story Mode. The game the finalists played in the World Wide Master Ninja Tournament 2004 finalists was implemented as one of the missions. The longest mission is Eternal Legend, which is Hurricane Pack 2 implemented on Ninja Gaiden Black's engine.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 17:25:57 GMT -5
33. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is the latest title in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The PlayStation 2 version was released in stores on October 11, 2006 while the Xbox version was released on the 16th, with a Wii version released on May 29, 2007 in North America. There are no plans to release an Xbox version in PAL territories. This game is the last Mortal Kombat for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and the first on the Wii. Throughout the Mortal Kombat universe, the warriors were growing too strong and numerous for the realms to handle. The warriors' powers threaten to utterly destroy the fabric of the MK universe. These warriors clashed in a single battle royale that would threaten to rip apart reality and bring about the apocalypse. Without warning, a pyramid rises from the ground, and the tip bursts into flames, attracting the warriors' curiosity to see what it was. The kombatants fought one another to get to the top, while Blaze revealed himself to them. The firespawn was created by the Elder Gods to destroy as many fighters as possible in order to save the realms from Armageddon. This would be the warriors' last battle, their last chance to prove that they are worthy of surviving, while many others will perish. This will be the final battle for Mortal Kombat, the battle that will determine the fate of the realms... The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of Armageddon contain 62 fighters (other than those that can be created by the player in Kreate a Fighter mode), a total of 63 fighters, the most of any Mortal Kombat game to date: * Ashrah * Baraka * Blaze * Bo' Rai Cho * Chameleon * Cyrax * Daegon * Dairou * Darrius * Drahmin * Ermac * Frost * Fujin * Goro * Havik * Hotaru * Hsu Hao * Jade * Jarek * Jax * Johnny Cage * Kabal * Kai * Kano * Kenshi * Kintaro * Kira * Kitana * Kobra * Kung Lao * Li Mei * Liu Kang * Mavado * Meat * Mileena * Mokap * Moloch * Motaro * Nightwolf * Nitara * Noob Saibot * Onaga * Quan Chi * Raiden * Rain * Reiko * Reptile * Sareena * Scorpion * Sektor * Shang Tsung * Shao Kahn * Sheeva * Shinnok * Shujinko * Sindel * Smoke * Sonya * Stryker * Sub-Zero * Tanya * Taven Originally, Armageddon was billed as featuring every single fighter from the six main installments of the franchise thus far. Later, developers went on to add characters that were exclusive to the renditions of such titles (for example, Chameleon from Mortal Kombat Trilogy) to the final roster. Still, however, Armageddon does not include every single fighter that has appeared in the franchise. Some characters that have appeared in the adventure titles - Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, and Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks - are not in Armageddon. Also absent was Khameleon, a secret character who appeared in the Nintendo 64 version of Mortal Kombat Trilogy; however, due to fan complaints, she is now a playable character in the Wii version of the game. Only two characters, Daegon and Taven, are new to the series, while Sareena makes her debut on non-portable consoles and Meat makes his debut as a legitimate character (he previously appeared as an alternate skin for any character in Mortal Kombat 4). It should also be noted that not all the characters have alternate costumes. Some of the boss characters, such as Onaga, Moloch, and Blaze do not have alternate costumes, while some of the special characters, such as Chameleon, Meat and Daegon, are limited to one costume as well. Note that when a fighter fights him/herself, the color of the second character's costume will change its shade or will turn into a completely different color. A returning element from the preceding titles, the Krypt appeared once again in Armageddon with a completely new look that's more like a catacomb than the traditional graveyard or tomb. This time around, all of the Koffins are clearly marked with what they contain, and are broken up into groups for Artwork, Gameplay, and Media, so the player knows precisely what they're going to unlock before they unlock it. Also unlike past Krypts, a player can unlock the items in Armageddon through different means, either by paying the requisite amount of koins like before, or by unlocking them via the game's Konquest mode. Gathering up all 60 Relics in Konquest mode will unlock nearly everything in the Krypt straight away, allowing the player to save their koins for unlocking items for the Kreate a Fighter mode (which also requires koins to unlock). One Koffin in the Krypt, a question mark box, allows codes to be inputted to unlock items at no cost. The Krypt in Armageddon includes four unlockable characters, almost two dozen arenas, alternate costumes for most of the characters, blooper and concept videos, and more, though it is worthy of note that none of the items available in the Krypt this time around are "joke" items (such as Cooking with Scorpion in Deadly Alliance) or technichal errors (such as the Cyrax fatality blooper), and are all meant to be directly related or used in the game. The Konquest mode in Armageddon is a combination of the same mode seen in Deception with elements borrowed from the spin-off adventure title Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. The storyline centers on Taven and Daegon, two brothers who were put in suspended animation because their mother known as Delia, (a sorceress) and their father, Argus, (the Edenian protector god) foresaw a cataclysmic event brought about by the Mortal Kombat fighters. Their awakening leads into the Konquest mode, which in turn leads into the game's standard play. Taven is the main hero that the player controls in Konquest, whilst Daegon is the primary antagonist, plotting with villains such as Shinnok and the Red Dragon Clan to destroy his brother. Certain weapons are available at times in Konquest mode, which appear to handle very much like those found in Shaolin Monks. Various artifacts can be collected, one for each Kombatant (except Taven and Chameleon), throughout this mode. Konquest unlocks characters and rewards in the rest of the game, while successfully completing the Konquest entirely will unlock Taven for arcade play. In addition to the choice of over sixty characters, Armageddon gives players the ability to design and use new fighters in the game. From the number of options, there are potentially thousands of different combinations available. During production, the game offered at least fourteen different character classes, which include humans, Tarkatans, Mercenaries, Black Dragon Members, Ninjas, Retro Ninjas, Geisha Assassins, etc. However, after the game's release, only one preset was available to the two genders, Sorcerer to Male, and Tarkatan to Female. Although the clothing of each class is still available, it must be individually unlocked, and cannot be preset. All these presets can be unlocked by unlocking each piece of clothing that makes up that class. The preset will then appear under the preset menu. Players can give their character a unique fighting style, by changing their stance and assigning different attacks to the buttons on their controller. There is a range of swords and axes and special moves to choose from. Most moves and costume items need to be purchased with koins earned in the game's other modes, though some moves and items are available for free from the beginning. The fighters can also be given their own storyline. If a player uses their creation to finish a single player game, they will see the ending that the player designed for them, although the ending will cut off after roughly twelve lines or if the last line consists of one word. They can also be used in multiplayer games and online, using the PlayStation 2's online capability or Xbox Live. The ending that the game shows is the same text that the player inputs as the fighters biography. Also new to the series is the ability to create a Fatality. These custom fatalities are a constant series of commands that players input until the Fatality ends. This method of performing Fatalities replaces the character-specific Fatalities of previous Mortal Kombat games, where gamers would simply enter one input and view the Fatality cinematically (as there are too many characters in the game to each have a pair of unique Fatalities). As the player adds each input, less time is allowed for further inputs and some moves cannot be repeated. There are eleven levels that can be achieved with Kreate a Fatality, lowest being a basic Fatality to the highest being a "Ultimate Fatality". It should be noted that custom-created fighters lack the ability to transition the opponent into another position during these Fatalities. The greater the number of inputs for the fatality, the more amount of money is gained. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's mini-game is named "Motor Kombat". True to the name, Ed Boon compares it to Mario Kart in the September 2006 issue of Official Xbox Magazine. Each of the characters has a customized go-kart, as well as their own special moves. The Motor Kombat characters keeps their cartoonish "super deformed" style that was introduced in Deception's Puzzle Kombat mode. It also includes style-based fatalities for characters, and deathtraps. Motor Kombat features online play, as well as off-line support for up to four players (two players in PS2 version) with a split-screen display. In the game, players can knock their opponents into various deathtraps on the courses. The character roster for Motor Kombat is Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Bo' Rai Cho, Jax, Baraka, Raiden, Kitana, Mileena, Cyrax, and Johnny Cage. The tracks available for Motor Kombat are Bo' Rai Cho's Brewery, Botan Jungle, Lin Kuei Raceway, Lost Pyramid and Outworld Refinery.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 17:29:54 GMT -5
32. Beyond Good & Evil Beyond Good & Evil is a video game for the GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox platforms. It was designed by Michel Ancel (creator of Rayman), developed by Ubisoft in-house (with Ancel on the team) and released in late 2003. It focuses around the exploits of Jade, a female reporter. Tyrone Miller, a public relations manager for Ubisoft, said the title comes from a "need to investigate beyond the superficial facts of what is good and what is evil." Beyond Good & Evil combines elements of an action-adventure game with those of a stealth-based game, among other genres. While Jade has the ability to attack enemies with her Daï-jo combat staff (an ability only available to the player when combat is necessary), she can also crawl and sneak around when necessary to avoid confrontation with enemies that outnumber her or are too powerful to engage in combat. At times, it is only possible to advance or defeat a certain enemy with the help of her friends Pey'J and Double H, creating an additional element of teamwork. Pey'J and Double H are mostly AI-controlled in that the player does not ever directly control them; however, the player can tell them to execute specific actions when those actions become available. For example, in combat, the player can order them to perform a "super attack," which is usually pounding the ground to bounce enemies into the air, which can then be hit as projectiles. Being a reporter, Jade has access to a camera. This camera is mostly used to take pictures of animals (often to exchange for currency) and to get evidence of certain actions or objects that may help to expose a military conspiracy. Traveling around the world of Hillys is accomplished via an upgradeable hovercraft and later a spaceship, which is also used for races and other mini-games. The main city in which the player begins serves as a hub allowing the player access to the various areas they must explore in order to expose the conspiracy. The game also has an on-line component called "The Darkroom" where registered players may enter scores.[2] The score depends on a number of variables, such as the number of pearls found, the number of pictures taken, the minigames won, and the time taken. The score works the same no matter what platform the game is played on. After entering the code, there is an online minigame that, upon winning, gives the player an in-game code unique to their save file. This code unlocks a customizable minigame. Beyond Good and Evil takes place on the futuristic planet of Hillys, where a mix of human, anthropomorphic animal, alien, and robotic species co-exist. The planet is under siege by alien DomZ forces. The DomZ abduct beings on Hillys, and either drain their life force for their own, or implant them with spores that convert them into creatures that work for the DomZ. A militant force called the "Alpha Sections" emerges to defend the populace. However, the Alpha Sections have a mysterious secret hiding beneath their helmets. An underground group of journalists, the IRIS Network, attempt to uncover the secrets of the DomZ and the Alpha Sections and expose the truth to the population of Hillys. The game centers around Jade, who along with her 'uncle' Pey'j, have been looking after children of Hillys that have lost their parents to DomZ. When she runs out of money to run the shield to protect them from DomZ attacks, she takes up photography of rare species on Hillys, but soon finds the job is a cover for the IRIS Network. The group sends her on missions to spy on Alpha Section activities with her photography skills and stealth along with the help of Pey'j and an IRIS reporter, Double H. The team slowly learns of the connection between the DomZ and the Alpha Section, as well as Jade's mysterious past that makes her key to the defeat of the DomZ. However, on one such mission, Pey'j is abducted by the DomZ, forcing Jade to travel to the Hillys moon to rescue him. She finally learns that her human form is merely the latest container to hide a power stolen from the DomZ centuries ago. Using that power, she is able to defeat the DomZ, reveal the truth of the DomZ and Alpha Section to the populace of Hillys, and rescue those that have been abducted, including Pey'j. However, as the game closes, Pey'j is revealed to have an active DomZ spore still imbedded within his hand, leading to question whether the DomZ have truly been defeated. The main protagonist of the game is Jade, a young woman who is seemingly human with good photography skills and aptitude with a "dai-jo" staff. She herself has been raised by her Uncle Pey'j, a boar-like creature who was friends with Jade's late father and is also an expert mechanic and assists Jade with tending to orphans of the DomZ attacks. They are later joined by Double H, a heavy-built human ex-army IRIS reporter who had learned the truth of Alpha Section and helps Jade with her exploits. It is discovered near the end of the game that Jade is actually the "Shauni", a being who, like the Alpha Sections, is half DomZ (ironically, "Shauni" is also the codename given to Jade by IRIS to avoid detection, the same way 'Jade' was given to her to mask her true identity). However, unlike the Alpha Sections or the DomZ, Jade is capable of manipulating and restoring life force, even able to resurrect the dead. The two main antagonists of the game are General Keck, leader of the Alpha Sections, and the High Priest of the DomZ; the two work together with their respective forces to abduct the beings of Hillys to the moon so that the DomZ can extract their life force.
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jzbadblood
Unicron
Christ, man. Can't you see what's happening? Can't you read between the lines?
Posts: 3,052
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Post by jzbadblood on Mar 13, 2008 17:36:41 GMT -5
Legends of Wrestling 2, Wrestlemania 21...but no Deathrow? This list is terrible. Sorry to say.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 17:39:36 GMT -5
31. Mercenaries: Playground Of Destruction Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is a third-person shooter which takes place in the near future. It was developed by Pandemic Studios and published on January 11, 2005 by LucasArts. It is available for the Sony Playstation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox. The Xbox version is currently compatible with the Xbox 360 as of the update dated 4/18/07, however many have experienced issues with its emulation. The sequel, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, has been announced for the PC, PS2, PS3 and Xbox360. The sequel is expected in August 25, 2008 as of February 21, 2008. The due date may change due to delays. In the near future, possibly between 2009-2012, the president of North Korea, Choi Kim, extends an olive branch to South Korea. The hopes he has of peaceful Korea reunification spread to South Korea and the South Koreans agree to send North Korea money on the condition that they disband their military. North Korea agrees. All is well until the night of the reunification. President Choi Kim's son, General Choi Song, is dissatisfied with the peace treaties and talks. On the eve of the reunification of North and South Korea, he stages a violent coup, storming the summit and killing his father, seizing control of the country. General Choi Song then expels all foreigners from North Korea into South Korea. North Korea goes "dark". No weapon inspectors or foreign press are allowed in and all communications with the outside world cease. Eventually, the world's eyes turn to other matters. Still rumors run rampant, all hinting the worst, but, as many hoped, they are just rumors. A North Korean freighter, floundering in a storm, is rescued by the Royal Australian Navy. The RAN finds the crew making a hasty attempt to scuttle the ship, and becomes suspicious. Upon searching the ship, the RAN finds nuclear weapons bound for an Indonesian company known to be a front for terrorists. The link between Song, terrorists, and nuclear weapons is made. Within hours of the discovery, Chinese intelligence reports that Song's missile capabilities are much higher than once assumed - he can hit any target on all seven continents. The Allied Nations (a fictional version of the United Nations) forms a combat force with troops from all over the globe, initiates a large-scale landing, and smashes through a division of NK regulars, taking the missile sites at Yongbyon. The NK troops, though well-trained and equipped, had never experienced real war - resulting in many of its commanders panicking and fleeing. The Allied Nations emerge victorious with minimal losses. But their euphoria over breaking Song's grip on the country is cut short - they find documents containing evidence that Song is building 30 more nuclear warheads and missiles at an unknown launch site. Worse yet, the documents indicate that the weapons will be ready in three weeks. The AN top priority becomes to find and capture or kill Song before he is able to launch the missiles. After two weeks of searching fruitlessly for Song, the AN issues a "Deck of 52," (most-wanted war criminals playing cards - much like the one used in the Iraq War). The Clubs are members of Division 39, a state-sponsored mafia consisting of ministers in the government. The Diamonds are high-ranking military officials. The Hearts are noted scientists credited with developing nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. The Spades are General Song's all-female special forces squad and their male commanders. Song, of course, is the Ace of Spades. A 100 million U.S. dollar bounty is placed on his head, with the bounties on the other members of the Deck of 52 beginning at $25,000. The player is a mercenary working for Executive Operations, or ExOps (a name which may be derived from the actual private military company Executive Outcomes), a private military company that provides military services to world governments and large corporations. The player has been tasked with finding and either capturing or killing members of the Deck of 52, and most specifically, General Song, before he can launch his nuclear warheads. There are multiple endings to the game depending on whether the player disabled the nuclear missiles or not and the faction with the most trust at the end of the game. All endings are with either the ICBMs exploding after receiving the self-destruct codes or the ICBMs hitting downtown Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow or Beijing and causing millions of casualties and the capture or death of General Song. Immediately after Song's coup, the Allied Nations invade North Korea in an attempt to stop the launch of several nuclear missiles intended for cities such as Tokyo and Seoul. Other factions soon arrive in the area all with their own goals and ambitions. This creates a five way tug-of-war resulting in numerous conflicts and battles between forces. The main enemy of the game. The North Korean army is always hostile towards the player during the course of the game, and will attack the player on sight. Led by the ruthless General Choi Song, he and his army want dominance over most of Asia, and will stop at nothing to ensure victory. When the Allied Nations invaded North Korea, Song's men split up and created various outposts and bases around the landscape. When exploring the map, the player will encounter North Koreans in numerous places. They are the most abundant army in the game. The North Koreans have access to some very powerful vehicles-APCs, heavy tanks, and helicopter gunships-but can be considered the least technologically-advanced faction. The North Korean army is divided into certain ranks. The common soldier wears a brown uniform and usually carries an AK-47 or an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). The player will fight them the most while playing the game. The next level of the NK army is the Elite Forces unit. They are seen with black outfits and use light machine guns and the occasional anti-tank or anti-air rocket launcher. These elite soldiers are more intelligent, but are only dealt with later on in the game (during the Northern Province stage). The highest rank is the Deck of 52. Although not recognized by that title in their own army, the AN explains it is a way of identifying High Value Targets. The "members" of the deck are in the form of commanders, majors and generals. View the Deck of 52 below for more detailed information on the Deck of 52. A replacement for the United Nations and Coalition of the Willing, this global army is lead by Col. Samuel Garrett. The Allied Nations are in North Korea for one reason only: to stop General Song at all costs. They have collected a number of the "most wanted", and have named this group the "Deck of 52". The list is comprised of 52 High Value Targets, and are important in some way to General Song. After the capture or death of Song and his men, the AN wishes to bring humanitarian aid to the people of North Korea. Col. Garret finds himself having to rely on the power of the mercenary to take out vital lifelines in Song's army. The AN have a formidable army, which include APCs, powerful tanks, helicopter gunships and Humvees. The soldiers, who wear camouflage uniforms and blue helmets, normally carry M4 carbines. In addition, GSRN (Global Satellite Reporting Network) field reporters have been embedded with the Allied Nations. Their presence has made the AN's job rather more difficult, as the increased media attention in the North Korean battle zones means that the more covert and underhanded measures applied by the Allied forces are no longer going unnoticed. While the regular South Korean Army is part of the Allied Nations forces, a separate detachment named South Korean Union (SKU) was a covert operation group funded, fostered and backed by the CIA, in the person of Special Agent Mitchell Buford. These SK soldiers take their orders from Langley, VA. The South Koreans are after the reunification of Korea, and have moved aggressively to establish a strategic foothold. Needless to say, they are not happy about China's designs on their northern neighbors. The South Koreans control technology much like the Allied Nations, and provide access to stealth fighter and bomber support (courtesy of the CIA). Agent Buford typically tasks the player with rescue/recovery missions or crippling infrastructure attacks that he does not want traced back to the South Koreans, though by the third "act" the SK and Chinese forces are engaged in open warfare. SK jobs can vary, but most pit the player against the North Koreans, the Chinese, and occasionally, the Russian Mafia. Most SKU soldiers are equipped with the same basic weaponry as their AN counterparts, such as M4A1 Carbines, grenades and AT/AA rockets. But their vehicle camouflage tends more towards a wintry white/grey/Blue pattern than the blue/green jungle/grassland color scheme of the AN machines, while their soldiers wear fatigues with entirely different color schemes (closely resembling the uniform worn by South Korean military police in the Joint Security Area of the DMZ). A few SKU Soldiers carry the MG36 Prototype Rifles, which is also used by some of the all-female commandos of the ROKA 707th Special Mission Battalion. SK snipers carry Dragunov sniper weapons, while some officers and 707th commandos carry silenced MP5 sub-machine guns. Some SKU troops have also employed RPGs and other anti-tank weapons. The SK motorized and mechanized forces feature TOW-armed variants of the Allied HMMWVs, APCs and powerful attack helicopters. However, since it is a covert unit, the SK forces lack heavy armored support. Speed and mobility are the South Korean forces' primary assets, as they do not have the heavy armor or manpower to engage in sustained combat with Chinese or North Korean forces. Collecting WMD blueprints (small blue-grey metal boxes with nuclear symbols on them) and/or destroying NK monuments (usually giant statues of General Song) will increase South Korean favor toward the player. Killing NK, Mafia, or Chinese troops in the presence of SK troops will raise favor for the player as well. It is worth noting that, while the South Korean forces are referred to as the SKU in the instruction manual, this title, or the notion that the SK operation is a covert one, is mentioned nowhere else in the game. Viewing a soldier through the binoculars brings up the acronym ROKA; Republic of Korea Army. The PLA, commanded by Col. Zhou Peng, would like to set up a pro-China regime in North Korea and make the country a province of the PRC. This naturally puts them at odds with both Korean nations--South and North. The Chinese have access to a massive array of firepower, much of which is placed at the player's disposal when on Chinese missions. Col. Peng repeatedly sends the player on missions that his forces are too slow or unable to complete with sufficient precision, such as assassinations and other covert operations. When working for the Chinese, jobs will often involve work against SK or NK forces. Although officially part of the Allied coalition, the Chinese forces operate independently and do not follow the standard AN equipment patterns - they wear winter/urban camouflage gear and use Type 56 assault rifles, RPGs, and RPD machine guns extensively. PLA Officers carry Type 85 SMGs and some PLA Soldiers carry heavier weapons, such as Anti-Tank and Anti-Air missiles. Being the largest single military force in the world, the PLA has access to some exceptionally powerful vehicles - these include a wide range of heavily-armed APC and tank variants and heavy-lift helicopters. The PLA also features vast artillery coverage and supplies the Fuel Air Bomb air strike. Destroying SK listening posts (poles with an antenna dish and blinking red light on top) and/or recovering Chinese national treasures (crates with a crest spraypainted on the side) will increase Chinese favor toward the player. Also, killing SK, NK, or Mafia soldiers in sight of Chinese troops will increase Chinese favor. Though undoubtedly powerful, the Russian Mafia is first and foremost a criminal organization and therefore has no major military presence in North Korea. However, its well-armed thugs and customized vehicles patrol the streets of many North Korean cities, including the capital, Pyongyang. Most Mafia Thugs carry Type 85 SMGs and most Capos (officers) carry shotguns. The Mafia enforcers are equipped with RPD light machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles, and RPGs. But the Mafia still have the lightest ground presence out of all the factions, with few men and no tanks or APCs. The Northern Province, however, has a vast presence of Mafia technicals and SUVs, presumably since at this point, there is no Allied or NK navy blockade to stop their import. Any land vehicle can be sold to the Mafia's chop shop. High-end vehicles (such as tanks) are naturally worth the most money. The less damaged the vehicle, the greater the pay for them. This is the only way outside of missions and killing NK, SK, or Chinese soldiers to raise the player's standing with the Mafia. The Russian Mafia also runs the Merchant of Menace shop, which can be accessed via your PDA. This shop allows you to purchase vehicles and supply drops, as well as air strikes unlocked throughout the game. Weapons are: * AK-47 / Type 56 Assault Rifle * M4 Carbine * Type 85 Submachine Gun * Shotgun * RPG-7 * SVD Sniper Rifle * Anti-materiel rifle * MP5SD * Anti-Armor SMAW * FIM-92 anti-air missile * RPD Light Machine Gun * G36 Prototype Rifle * Pocket Artillery (Cheats Only) * Portable Air Strike (Cheats Only) * Street Sweeper (Cheats Only) * C4 Charge * M67 Grenade * Flashbang Grenade The three initially playable characters in Mercenaries are sufficiently distinct to make the game somewhat re-playable. Each has a particular strength which will alter the player’s strategy somewhat, as well as a unique language proficiency which will render side conversations from a particular faction understandable. For instance Jacobs, who can understand Korean, is able to understand the South Koreans; Mattias knows Russian, which the Russian Mafia speak; and Jennifer, being born in Hong Kong, and thus fluent with Chinese, can understand the Chinese army. And since all of them know English, they have no problem understanding the AN (who speak English). Christopher Jacobs 35 years old American Speaks English and Korean Ex-Delta Force operator Strength: High Constitution - able to take more damage than other mercenaries Weakness: Slow Years with Exops: 5 voiced by: Phil LaMarr Takedown: knee to stomach, stomps back of knee, handcuffs kicks in back. Jennief Mui 33 years old Overseas Chinese/British (Born in Hong Kong) Speaks English and Chinese Ex-MI6 agent Strength: Stealthy - Less likely to be noticed by nearby enemies than other mercenaries; can throw grenades an exceptional distance Weakness: Weak - takes damage very easily Years with Exops: 7 voiced by: Jennifer Hale Takedown: When facing opponent-Grabs right arm and flips them to the ground, then handcuffs. When sneaking up from behind-hits them on the head 3 times which bring them to their knees, then hits them a final time, which knocks them out, then handcuffs. (Note: The latter one is the same for all three mercenaries.) Mattias Nilsson 31 years old Swedish Speaks English and Russian (also Swedish, but this does not apply in the game) Ex-Swedish Navy artillery officer, in Swedish Army with the Lappland Rangers Strength: Agile - Moves faster than other mercenaries Weakness: Noticeable- more easily seen by the North Koreans Years with Exops: 1 voiced by: Peter Stormare takedown: headbutts, kicks in groin, elbows in back, steps on, and handcuffs. Like many console games, Mercenaries contains unlockable perks as rewards for completing certain in-game tasks. Among these are secret characters/skins. For instance, picking up a certain number of National Treasures will allow access to playing with an NK Elite skin (However, this effect is only cosmetic and will have no effect on gameplay or the main character's attributes.). This being a LucasArts game, it is also possible to unlock both Indiana Jones and Han Solo as playable characters. The Indiana Jones Skin can be unlocked with a cheat code or by obtaining 100 WMD blueprints. Han Solo can be unlocked by collecting 20 Chinese national treasures, or likewise with a cheat code. It should be noted that each character has a campaign that varies slightly in difficulty from the others. Jacobs can be described as having the easy campaign, Jennifer having a normal difficulty, and Mattias having the hardest. The difference is shown in such few places though that most gamers hardly know the difference. Non-playable characters are: * General Choi Song A fictional North Korean general, and the Ace of Spades. It is said in the game that when his father, President Kim, agreed to disband his military in exchange for money from the South Koreans, he staged a violent coup and took over. After that, North Korea went dark. But when a freighter full of nuclear arms Song was sending to known terrorist elements was captured by the RAN (Royal Australian Navy), the Allied Nations (a fictionalized United Nations) invaded, and his army was forced back. According to the game, he is the most dangerous man in the world. * President Choi Kim A fictional North Korean politician. He is the legitimate president of North Korea and the father of General Choi Song. Kim is a peace-loving man who wants to peacefully reunite the Korean peninsula and establish a Western ideology. He is reportedly assassinated by his son during a coup d'etat. * Dung Hwangbo The Ace of Clubs, one of the trio of Aces working with General Song. He barricades himself in a hardened defense tower. * General Chin Chang The Ace of Diamonds, one of the trio of Aces working with General Song. He has a Type 07 Supergun artillery platform at his disposal. He is playable through a cheat. * General Chul Kang The Ace of Hearts, one of the trio of Aces working with General Song. He is holed up in a massive nuclear reactor complex. * Fiona Taylor The ExOps technical officer assigned to the Mercenary, and the point of contact for tactical, strategic, and geopolitical data. She uses her access to satellites, newsfeeds, and "secured" channels to advise the Mercenary during missions. She is voiced by Amy Lee. * Adrianna Livingston Head GSRN reporter of the North Korean conflict. She reports the news after every successful Ace mission. She is voiced by Moira Quirk. * Colonel Samuel Garrett The colonel in charge of the AN forces in the country. He is a bit grumpy with the Mercenary at first, but after the Mercenary saves the AN HQ and captures or kills the Two of Clubs, he begins to show a grudging respect. He is playable through a cheat code. He is voiced by Carl Weathers. * Major Steven Howard Garrett's personal assistant. He briefs the Mercenary on every AN contract mission via the PDA. He also hands out the Ace contracts after the Mercenary has gathered enough intel. He is very level-headed and loyal to Garrett, but respects the Mercenary's skills. * Agent Mitchell Buford CIA agent in charge of the Republic of South Korea (South Korean) forces. His enemies are the Russian Mafia, Chinese, and the North Koreans. His archenemy is Colonel Peng. He is very calm and cool-headed, and is glad to have the mercenaries work for him. He is playable through a cheat code. He is voiced by Bruce McGill. * Major Yung Park Buford's personal assistant. He briefs the Mercenary on every South Korean contract. Chris Jacob can understand Park and Buford's conversations. * Colonel Zhou Peng Head of the PLA (Chinese) forces and Buford's archrival. He opposes the North Koreans, South Koreans and Russian Mafia, and seems to have little interest in AN affairs. At first, he shows little interest in the skills of the mercenaries, but gradually begins to respect them. He is playable through a cheat code. He is voiced by James Hong. * Captain Kai Liu Peng's loyal captain. He briefs the Mercenary on every Chinese contract. Jennifer Mui can understand his Chinese conversations with Peng. He is voiced by George Cheung. * Sergei Voronov The head of the Russian Mafia. He opposes every other faction. As his right-hand man Josef says,"he may act like an idiot but he is a ruthless killer." His behavior is highly erratic and Fiona doesn't seem to trust him at all. He operates a black market website that the Mercenary can use to order supplies, vehicles, and air strikes. He is voiced by Chris Cox. * Josef Yurinov Josef is Sergei's assistant and interested in moving up. Josef is a cold-blooded Ex-KGB killer, but is much calmer than his paranoid boss. Mattias can translate what Josef and Sergei say in Russian. He is playable through a cheat code. He is voiced by Charles Dennis. * Harrison E. Harrison is the Capo (officer) outside the Russian Chop Shop. He is in charge of training Russian Helicopter pilots. * Misha After Josef takes over the mafia in the fourth "act" Misha will brief the merc about the missions. Each card in the Deck of 52 represents a person targeted by the AN. The suit of a card delineates their relationship with Song: * Clubs are financiers and businessmen (Division 39 members); * Diamonds are important figures in the DPRK army; * Hearts are biological, nuclear, and chemical scientists; and * Spades are tacticians and Song's personal bodyguards. Likewise, the value of each card represents the importance of a target to Song. The King of Hearts could represent a high ranking commander while the Three of Clubs is an unknown businessman. Song is denoted by the Ace of Spades.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 17:45:55 GMT -5
Countdown Update
125. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 124. Silent Scope Complete 123. SSX 3 122. Madden NFL 2005 121. Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis 120. Star Wars: The Clone Wars 119. Darkwatch 118. The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age 117. The Simpsons: Hit And Run 116. Rainbow Six 3 115. Madden NFL 08 114. Blitz: The League 113. Mafia: The City Of Lost Heaven 112. Dungeons And Dragons Heroes 111. WWE Wrestlemania 21 110. World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International 109. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 108. GUN 107. NHL Hitz Pro 106. Top Spin Tennis 105. Rocky 104. TransWorld Surf 103. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy 102. MechAssault 101. Legends Of Wrestling II 100. NCAA March Madness 2005 99. WWE Raw 2 98. Brute Force 97. Metal Slug 3 96. Fahrenheit aka Indigo Prophecy 95. NCAA Football 06 94. Stubbs The Zombie In "Rebel Without A Pulse" 93. Midnight Club II 92. Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling 91. The Punisher 90. Dead Or Alive Ultimate 89. MVP Baseball 2005 88. Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup 87. Shenmue II 86. Blinx: The Time Sweeper 85. GoldenEye: Rogue Agent 84. Fight Night Round 2 83. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition 82. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction 81. NASCAR 2005: Chase For The Cup 80. Evil Dead: A Fistful Of Broomstick 79. Timesplitters 2 78. Def Jam: Fight For NY 77. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy 76. Burnout 2: Point Of Impact 75. Evil Dead: Regeneration 74. MVP Baseball 2004 73. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 72. Fuzion Frenzy 71. Armed And Dangerous 70. Destroy All Humans 69. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance 68. Red Dead Revolver 67. Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding 66. Fight Night Round 3 65. Gladius 64. NCAA Football 2004 63. Indiana Jones And The Emperor's Tomb 62. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 61. Forza Motorsports 60. Thief: Deadly Shadows 59. Godzilla: Save The Earth 58. Unreal Championship 57. Lego Star Wars: The Video Game 56. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne 55. Tony Hawk's Underground 54. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 53. Freedom Fighters 52. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II 51. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 50. The House Of The Dead III 49. Max Payne 48. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 47. FlatOut 2 46. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy 45. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks 44. Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes 43. Timesplitters: Future Perfect 42. Tony Hawk's American Wasteland 41. X-Men Legends 40. Project Gotham Racing 2 39. Spider-man 38. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 37. Spider-man 2 36. The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay 35. Soul Calibur II 34. Ninja Gaiden Black 33. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon 32. Beyond Good & Evil 31. Mercenaries: Playground Of Destruction
Next five clues are:
* Anakin Joins The Dark Side
* Defeat Murai
* Liberty & Vice City
* Play As RC-1138
* Defeat The Dragon King Onaga
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Post by Big Daddy Bad Booking on Mar 13, 2008 18:22:57 GMT -5
To tell you the truth, I bought GTA 3 for XBOX for 6 bucks at Gamestop used, and just hated that camera thing. For me, it was unplayable.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 21:29:09 GMT -5
30. Ninja Gaiden Ninja Gaiden is a console action-adventure game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo. It was released in 2004 for the Xbox video game console, and starts off a whole new Ninja Gaiden story and universe, different from the older Nintendo Entertainment System Ninja Gaiden series. It has received much critical acclaim, with several publications proclaiming it one of the best as well as one of the most difficult video games ever made, inducting it into their Halls of Fame. Ninja Gaiden marks the first foray into the third-person, three-dimensional action-adventure market for the Ninja Gaiden series. Taking place in Japan and the fictional country of Vigoor, the game follows the ninja, Ryu Hayabusa as he fights hordes of enemies in a variety of environments to retrieve the stolen Dark Dragon Blade. An online tournament was held for it shortly after its release. The qualifiers played over Xbox Live established record-breaking participation, and culminated in the finalists having their showdown at the Tokyo Game Show 2004. The game mechanics of Ninja Gaiden have gradually evolved through downloadable contents and two re-releases, Ninja Gaiden Black for the Xbox in 2005, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PlayStation 3 in 2007. Its saga will be continued in Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword on the Nintendo DS, and later on in Ninja Gaiden II on the Xbox 360. The player controls Ryu Hayabusa, guiding him in a third person view, fighting foes and exploring the environment of the 3D world. Except for a few situations dictated by the story, Ryu is unrestrained in his exploration, running through the streets, jumping and running up and along walls, and swinging from pole to pole. Although the game world is loaded in stages, the load times are said to be negligible. Ninja Gaiden's standard game mode, Story Mode, follows the pacing of the typical action-adventure game, where the protagonist starts off weak at the beginning of the story and can be built up to have a larger life bar, more powerful weapons and magical ability through items or purchases, by the end of it. The player's performance in this mode is based purely on the karma score, with "Master Ninja" as the highest rank, and "Ninja Dog" as the lowest. Another gaming experience was introduced in Ninja Gaiden Black and Sigma, in the form of Mission Mode. The missions are short sessions of pure combat action, and each mission typically comes with its own equipment loadout for the player. The highest scores for each mission are accumulated for the player's Mission Mode score. Players can upload their scores to online ranking boards for both modes, and compete with other players to get the best scores. Besides this, the games also promote replayability with the large number of Mission Mode missions, and unlockable costumes and emulated games for completing Story Mode on different difficulties. Reviewers have praised Ninja Gaiden as having one of the deeper combat engines for an Xbox game, the smooth interaction and responsiveness of its controls. Using only the control stick and three buttons, the player is able to make Ryu block, dodge and attack with ease. Ryu's defence is unbreakable by most attacks, though he can still be grabbed. He can also dodge attacks with a 'reverse-wind' (tumble and roll). Ryu has a multitude of weapons to choose from. With the light swords (Dragon Sword, Kitetsu, etc), he is able to perform quick attacks, the Flying Swallow (high speed leaping slash) - cutting through foes, as well as his signature Izuna Drop (leaping spinning piledriver) smashing foes into the ground. Heavy weapons like the Dabilahro, are slow but powerful. Flails and staves let him string together long combos of attacks. Shurikens and arrows make up the rest of his arsenal, allowing him to hurt foes at a distance. By absorbing essences given off by slain enemies, Ryu can unleash super powerful attacks known as Ultimate Techniques. Each weapon has its own unique Ultimate Technique, and besides dealing out heavy damage to the unfortunate foes caught in them, it also grants Ryu invulnerability during the attack. In the later versions of Ninja Gaiden, these techniques award karma points, making them an integral part of high scoring play. Lastly, fueled by his ki, Ryu can cast ninpos (magic spells), harming his foes with fireballs, ice storms or bolts of lightning while avoiding damage from their attacks. Ninja Gaiden's world consists of fictional locations between two countries, Japan and the fictional Vigoor Empire. For the Japanese locations, the ninja fortress and the Hayabusa village are designed in the typical Japanese Heian period architecture, set amongst the mountains. The Vigoor Empire is an imaginative environment, consisting of a variety of real world cultural influences. The city of Tairon bears the marks of Islamic architecture with Arabic letterings found on various gates and structures. The monastery bears the looks of Byzantine architecture with the large spacious hall, multiple levels of windows and archways. The hidden underground evokes the influence of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, while the pyramid is that of a Sumerian ziggurat. Overall, Ninja Gaiden is a mixture of unrelated styles. Itagaki has admitted to this, saying "I just put everything in that I wanted to create!" The protagonist and the only playable character in Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black is the super ninja, Ryu Hayabusa. A man of few words, he works alone in his quest. He ends up rescuing the fiend hunter, Rachel (who is another playable character in Ninja Gaiden Sigma) quite a number of times over the course of the game. The bulk of enemies the protagonist faces in the game are Fiends, humans turned into supernatural creatures through cursing of their blood. Of the three Greater Fiends, only Doku plays a major role in the storyline, being the one who starts off Ryu's quest for vengeance, by killing his village, stealing the Dark Dragon Blade, and having turned Alma into a Fiend. Taking place two years before the first Dead or Alive game, the story starts off with Ryu invading the Shadow clan ninja fortress to pay a visit to his uncle, Murai who is the clan's leader. During the visit, Ryu receives news of the Hayabusa village being raided and rushes back to his village. He encounters Doku who is stealing away the Dark Dragon Blade. Their confrontration results in Ryu being mortally wounded by Doku. The scene ends with the Hayabusa's spiritual animal, a falcon watching over Ryu's fallen body, which revives Ryu offscreen. With information given by Murai, a fully recovered Ryu sets off to Vigoor, seeking vengeance and retrieval of the Blade. Guided by Ayane, Ryu fights through the streets of Tairon, cutting down those who stand in his way. In his adventures, he meets the Fiend Hunter, Rachel and the enigmatic swordsmith, Muramasa, both of whom provide him aid. Ryu kills a lot of fiends, even defeating the Greater Fiend, Alma, and has a final showdown with Doku in a labyrinth. Doku's spirit is defeated and banished, but he casts the blood curse on Ryu with his last breath. To overcome this curse and to recover the Dark Dragon Blade, Ryu enters the palace and overcomes the Holy Vigoor Emperor in the latter's own realm. With the Emperor's hold on his realm gone, it starts to collapse. Ryu loses his grip on the Dark Dragon Blade while escaping. It is picked up by the Dark Disciple who was shadowing Ryu throughout his adventure. Unmasking himself to be Murai, the whole ordeal is revealed to be a set up by him to infuse the Blade with the souls harnessed from Ryu's quest of vengeance, thereby restoring its evil power. In this final duel, Murai despite possessing the fully powered evil blade, is of no match to Ryu. The story ends with Ryu shattering the Dark Dragon Blade with the True Dragon Sword. Simply stating "It's over...", Ryu turns himself into a falcon and flies back to the Hayabusa village, returning the sacred jewel placed in the Dragon Sword's hilt to unlock its full power, to the grave of Kureha, the shrine maiden killed in the earlier raid.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 21:31:45 GMT -5
29. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is the official LucasArts 2005 video game based on the movie of the same name. It centers around Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as the Clone Wars come to an end. It was released on May 5, 2005, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Gamecube and Nintendo DS. Additionally, a version was made available for mobile phones on April 2. The player controls Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the single player mode, reliving various scenes from the film through the game's missions. There are 17 levels, interlaced with over 12 minutes of footage from the movie. Enemies include jedi, droids, clone soldiers and Neimodian forces. The game's combat system is heavily concentrated on lightsaber combat. Each of the playable characters (with the exception of the IG-100 Magnaguard and Yoda is not playable in multiplayer) is equipped with at least one lightsaber and all of the major duels in the game feature saber-on-saber combat. There are three basic attacks: Fast attacks which do the least amount of damage, Strong Attacks which do more damage but are slower to execute, and the slowest but strongest Critical Attacks. These attacks can be mixed to create combination attacks. Attacks can also be charged up for greater strength. One feature of the game is called a Saber Lock - a sequence in which the player's character clashes swords with an opponent. Other offensive maneuvers are also available, including grapples, jumps and flying kicks. All playable characters in the game, with the exception of General Grievous and his Magnaguards, have an additional status bar of Force Energy (General Grievous has this bar, but utilizes it for his special, non-Force maneuvers). Each ability, with the exception of the Force Dash, can be upgraded to more powerful levels. The game features an experience system, whereby the player's character can upgrade attacks and gain new ones as the player progresses through the game. In addition to offensive techniques, defensive techniques are also available. The player's character automatically deflects a percentage of blaster bolts, but other shots and attacks must be manually deflected. Aside from saber combat and force powers, each character has a number of physical attacks that can be incorporated into combos. Nearly all characters have a kick which can instantly floor opponents. A number of characters also have the ability to punch their opponents. The game environment is interactive, allowing, and in some cases requiring, the player to interact with the in-game environment, including moving and destroying objects with the lightsaber or force powers. With the successful completion of certain missions in the single player campaign, bonus scenarios can be unlocked. Each scenario features a different character. General Grievous' Bodyguard (IG-100 series), General Grievous, Yoda, Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader each have scenarios. In addition, there are four cooperative missions in which two players can work together to defeat enemies. The first few team up Anakin and Obi-Wan for a number of offensive encounters with the droid army, while the Jedi Master Cin Drallig and his favorite student, Serra Keto, come together to defeat the clone squadron bent on destroying the Jedi Temple. There is no bonus for completing these missions. The game also features a multiplayer duel mode, in which two players face off against each other. Players can choose Obi-Wan, Anakin, Count Dooku, General Grievous, Mace Windu, Cin Drallig, or Serra Keto. Darth Vader, and "Ben Kenobi", circa Episode IV can also be unlocked for this mode. Each battle can be won with either the best of one, three or five rounds, depending on the options chosen. In addition, all characters have equal health and energy, with all status upgrades acquired by Anakin and Obi-Wan eliminated to balance the fight against the other opponents. However, all of the upgraded techniques and Force Powers are available and each of the other characters has special abilities and maneuvers. In addition to the original costumes found throughout the Single Player campaign, each character has a different costume that is used when each player chooses the same character. Some of these costumes depict Sith versions of certain Jedi characters. The game's plot largely mirrors the film upon which it is based. However, there are some key differences between the game and the film. Some scenes and battles from the film are extended in the game. In the game, more of the Jedi are slaughtered during Order 66, because you play as Anakin, exterminating Knights and Padawan alike. The first Jedi to die at the Temple are the guards by the door, whom Anakin Force chokes so he can pass through. The following battles were expanded for the game: * The search for the Chancellor on the battleship. * The search for General Grievous on Utapau * Obi-wan's final confrontation with Grievous * Anakin's betrayal of Mace Windu * Vader's destruction of the Jedi Temple * Obi-Wan's escape from Utapau * Vader's pursuit and assassination of the Separatist Leadership on Mustafar * Obi-Wan's and Yoda's infiltration of the compromised Temple The game also differs from the film in other ways. The game shows Jocasta Nu's death sequence. Nu is killed when Vader orders her to provide access to the signal beacon, and she resists. She ignites her saber only to be lifted into the air by a Force Grip. Vader then ignites his lightsaber and pulls her towards it, impaling her and killing her instantly. In the film, Padmé Amidala is a main driving force of Anakin's turn to the dark side, yet the game almost completely omits her. She is mentioned only once, near the end, when during combat in the Control Room, Anakin shouts to Obi-wan: "You turned Padmé against me" (though, depending on how the final confrontation is played, the line may or may not be said). Also, in the climactic moment of the game, when Obi-Wan has the higher ground, Vader responds with "you underestimate the power of the Dark Side", which was actually from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. In the film, however, the line is "You underestimate my power.". The game also excludes some battles featured in the film. No space combat is present in most versions of the game. Mace Windu's duel with Chancellor Palpatine, Yoda's escape from Kashyyyk and Yoda's confrontation with Palpatine are also omitted. In another break from the film's plot, the video game also features an alternate ending. In the final level of the game, titled "The Revenge of the Sith," the player is given the opportunity to play as Anakin against Obi-Wan. In this level, Obi-Wan is killed, ran through from behind by Anakin's lightsaber. The ending has Anakin returning to Darth Sidious, receiving a new lightsaber of Sith design in the process. Acting quickly, Darth Vader slays his former master and declares himself ruler of the galaxy.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 21:35:12 GMT -5
28. Star Wars: Republic Commando Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person shooter Star Wars video game, released in the US on 1 March 2005. It was developed and published by LucasArts for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox platforms. The game uses Epic Games' Unreal Engine. As of April 19, 2007, this game is backwards compatible with the Xbox 360 with a downloadable patch. The game is set during the events of the Clone Wars that started at the climax of the movie Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. In the game, the player is expected to take command of a Clone commando team, made up of elite Clone troopers. These clone troopers have been specially bred at the clone factories on Kamino. The commando team will travel to various locations in the Star Wars universe, including Kashyyyk, Geonosis, and the derelict spacecraft, The RSS Prosecutor. At the beginning of the game, Delta Squad is deployed from the RAS Prosecutor individually into the front lines of the battle of Geonosis. There, Delta RC-1138 ("Boss", the player character) meets up with Deltas 1262, 1140, and 1207 ("Scorch", "Fixer", and "Sev" respectively). Delta-38 has been selected to lead this unit and guides them on their mission to assassinate the Geonosian leader Sun Fac. After accomplishing this objective, Delta Squad sabotage the droid factory underneath Sun Fac's headquarters, disable an anti-aircraft bunker that is wreaking havoc on the Republic Army's air forces, and then sneak onto a disabled Confederacy Core Ship, stealing important Launch Codes to prevent the Separatist fleet from retreating, escaping seconds before the ship is destroyed. A year into the war, the now veteran, Delta Squad is sent to investigate the derelict Republic Assault Ship (RAS) Prosecutor, their former home before being deployed to active duty. The team splits up to investigate, when they begin to lose contact with each other one by one aboard the ship. When he first enters the ship, Delta-38 ponders why the interior of the Prosecutor remains deserted and eerily quiet, when he is suddenly ambushed by droids known as Scavengers, which are responsible for the communications disruptions between the squad members. Delta-38 continues fighting off Scavenger Droids and comes across Trandoshan Slavers and Mercenaries. He single-handedly fights his way through the ship, collecting information from the ship and reviving fallen teammates. Once his team is together again, they destroy a jamming device in order to restore communication. Delta Squad then destroys the Trandoshan dropship in a hangar blowing up its shield regulator by accident. Immediately afterward, a Confederate Trade Federation Battleship drops out of hyperspace nearby, as the Trandoshans were about to sell the vessel, to the CIS, in exchange for droid support. As Republic reinforcements are en route, Delta Squad defends the vessel against hordes of battle droids, destroying the docking shield stabilizers, allowing nothing to pass through. They then proceed to code the auto turrets while under fire, saving the vessel and providing support to its recently arrived escort. As the war drags onward, Delta Squad participates in increasingly dangerous missions. A cry for help is heard by the Republic from the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. Delta Squad is sent to rescue General Tarfful from Trandoshan slavers and mercenaries. After spotting General Grievous himself in one of the compounds and fighting off his elite guards, they learn of the full ramifications of a Confederacy/Trandoshan alliance. Delta Squad sabotages a vital Trandoshan supply depot and proceeds to the key battle of Kachirho, the beginning of the battle of Kashyyyk. There, they move through the Wookiee tree city, securing important objectives and battling against hordes of advanced battledroids. They destroy the Bridge at Kachirho, cutting the droid army off from its reinforcements, and proceed to secure the Citadel. Soldiering through the most elite CIS forces and weaponry, Delta Squad once again splits up to man four Heavy AA turrets in order to assist in the destruction of a separatist battleship. Once the ship is destroyed, Advisor orders the Deltas to regroup at 38's position. However, Sev does not make the rendezvous and the squad manages to grab a last transmission from him, in which it's clear that he is under heavy attack and is possibly injured or killed. Delta Squad prepares to rescue Sev, but the commander orders them to pull back. As they head out on the gunship, devastated by the loss of their comrade, they are debriefed by Jedi Master Yoda. A huge Republic offensive is seen deploying outside the gunship, as Delta Squad prepares for another assignment in the battle. The game features systems that have been featured in other first-person shooters, including Metroid Prime, Halo, or Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The Heads-Up Display (HUD) in the game has a similar feel to that in Metroid Prime. The squad-based order system is similar to the Rainbow Six games, where certain positions are tied to an action. Pressing the order key will tell one of the squad to move to that position and do a predefined action, such as providing sniper or anti-armor fire. There are also orders that govern the entire squad, such as Search and Destroy, Hold Position, Form Up, and Recall. The player can only carry 2-3 guns during the game, excluding the main gun's attachments such as the Sniper attachment and the Anti-Armor attachment. The game features a multiplayer mode for Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Assault, and Capture the flag gameplay, with Xbox Live support for 16 players on the Xbox, and 32 for PC over the Internet. In single player mode, players do not die, they are merely incapacitated for the time being. While they are "downed", they can order squad members to revive them, maintain their orders, or reload to the last saved checkpoint. The same applies when one of the squad members gets downed. Therefore, the game is only truly over when both the player and the squad members are incapacitated. An aspect of this is that as squad leader, one can also order that one be attended to first, regardless of convenience. This gameplay decision was based on the fact that the elite commandos of Delta Squad have special bacta implants that sustain them during severe injuries. When health is deteriorated, bacta dispensers can be found scattered around maps, and will heal any and all injuries, restoring health to full. In addition to the single player campaign, there is also a multiplayer feature. The controls remain the same, however the HUD is not visible. The clone commandos featured in the game have distinct personalities, increasingly independent from regular clone troopers in the Republic's army. Although the player's squad members are said to specialize in certain areas, they all perform tasks with equal skill. The commandos of Delta Squad are: * RC-1138 (Delta 3-8 or "Boss") The player takes control of Delta 38 for the entire game. He is the commander of Delta Squad and issues orders to fellow teammates during missions. Boss's designation is a reference to the number 1138, as seen and referenced in many projects involving George Lucas. "1138" itself is a reference to his first major film, THX 1138. * RC-1140 (Delta 4-O or "Fixer") Delta 40 is the hacker and technological expert of the team. He portrays the stoic and serious side of the commandos and takes on a strict adherence to protocols; he is also the only one to use actual military terminology during missions. * RC-1207 (Delta 0-7 or "Sev") Delta 07 is a marksman who portrays a morbid sense of morality, desiring to annihilate every foe the squad encounters. One of his favorite activities is sniping ("With extreme pleasure, sir"). His voice is notable for having a deep, menacing tone when speaking. Delta 07 has red markings smeared across his armour. It is unclear if this is paint or blood. * RC-1262 (Delta 6-2 or "Scorch") Delta 62, the "heart and soul of your team," is the demolitions expert. Delta 62 enjoys demolition weapons. He maintains a sense of humor throughout the game, often attempting to crack jokes even in the midst of combat, much to the chagrin of Delta 40.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 21:43:05 GMT -5
27. Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack Pack included Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. GTA IIIGrand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III or GTA3) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North), and published by Rockstar Games. It is the first 3D title in the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series and the third original title overall. It was released in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based personal computers, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. The game was preceded by Grand Theft Auto 2 and succeeded by Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The game centres on a nameless criminal who was betrayed by his girlfriend in a bank heist, and is required to work his way up the crime ladder of the city before confronting her. Like its predecessors, GTA III implements sandbox-like gameplay, where the player is given the freedom to explore a large city, complete missions, commit criminal acts, or complete side missions. The game's concept and gameplay, coupled with the use of a three dimensional game engine for the first time in the series, contributed to GTA III's positive reception upon its release; it quickly became 2001's top selling video game and is cited as a landmark in video games for its far-reaching influence within the industry. GTA III's success was a significant factor in the series' subsequent popularity; as of 2008, five GTA prequels set before events in GTA III have been released. GTA III's violent and sexual content has also been the source of moral panic and controversy. Grand Theft Auto III takes place in Liberty City, a fictional city on the East Coast based on New York City. The timeline of the game was set at around the autumn of 2001, the present time around the first release of GTA III, October 22, 2001; this was indicated by the Liberty Tree website, which included plot points that connect to events in the beginning of the game, in its last existing monthly entry, dated October 18, 2001. Throughout the story, the protagonist and player character is never named, but is often referred to as "Kid" and sometimes "Fido". The player character is also a silent protagonist, never uttering a single word. The player character has robbed the Liberty City Bank with his girlfriend Catalina, along with a male accomplice. Whilst running from the scene, Catalina turns to him and utters "Sorry babe, I'm an ambitious girl, and you... you're just small time". She shoots him and he is left for dead in an alley; the accomplice is also seen lying nearby. It soon becomes apparent that the player character has survived, but has been arrested, and subsequently found guilty and sentenced to jail. While he is being transferred, an attack on the police convoy aimed at kidnapping an unrelated prisoner sets him free. With the help of a fellow escaped prisoner, the player character then takes on work as a local thug and rises in power as he works for multiple rival crime gangs, a corrupt police officer and a media mogul. In the process, Maria, the wife of a local Mafia boss, begins to show a liking to him. The Mafia leader Salvatore grows suspicious of this and lures the player to a death trap, although Maria saves him, remaining close to him throughout the storyline. He later goes to work for others including the Liberty City Yakuza and media mogul Donald Love. Eventually, his exploits attract the attention of Catalina, now affiliated with a Colombian drug cartel, resulting in the kidnapping of Maria. This gives him the opportunity to face Catalina once more, which results in a large firefight and Catalina's death. In addition to the exploits of the game's player character, the storyline, while not as integral to the game as its sequels, depicts the character development of several non-player individuals and bosses, through cut scenes before the start of each mission, as the player progresses though the game. Most of the characters encountered revolve around corruption, crime and a fictional drug called "SPANK," which is a growing menace in the city. With the success of Grand Theft Auto III and its sequels, several of these characters or their relatives reappear in future GTA titles with major or minor roles, and their personal background expanded, particularly Leone family Don Salvatore Leone, media mogul Donald Love, Phil, the One-Armed Bandit, 8-Ball and Catalina. The voice cast for the game's characters features several established celebrities. Notable voice actors include Frank Vincent, Michael Madsen, Michael Rapaport, Joe Pantoliano, Debi Mazar, Kyle MacLachlan, and rapper Guru. Grand Theft Auto III inherits and modifies much of the gameplay mechanics from its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, combining elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game in a new 3D game engine. The idea of using a 3D game engine in such a genre however is not new; the first game to combine elements of action, shooting, and multiple-vehicle driving in a 3D package was Body Harvest (1998), also developed by DMA Design, for the Nintendo 64. Publicly debuted in 1995 at Nintendo's SpaceWorld video game trade show, it was revolutionary for its time, but despite above average reviews,[9] the game sold poorly. GTA III takes the gameplay elements of Body Harvest and combines them with the GTA series' open-ended game design to create a level of freedom and detail that was unprecedented in 2001. On foot, the player's character has the additional ability to sprint (but is incapable of swimming), as well as use weapons and perform basic hand to hand combat; he is also capable of driving a variety of vehicles, (with the addition of watercraft and a fixed-wing aircraft). Criminal offences, such as carjacking, murder and theft will result in increasing levels of resistance from the authorities. If the player's "wanted" level reaches certain levels, the police, FBI, and army will respond accordingly. When the player character collapses from his injuries or is arrested, he will re-spawn at a local hospital or police station respectively, at the expense of losing all weapons and armor and an amount of money for medical expenses or bribes. While this is similar to previous Grand Theft Auto games, the player character is essentially offered unlimited "lives," as opposed to the limited number of lives in GTA1 and GTA2. This allows the player character to "die" as many times as he pleases, and render it impossible to indefinitely lose in the game. A major feature in GTA III's predecessors that allowed the player to obtain cash by committing petty crimes has been downplayed in GTA III, encompassing only car ramming, vehicle destruction and pedestrian killing. The amount of money in the player's possession is no longer a requirement to unlock new areas in GTA III. Instead, the completion of missions and unfolding of the game's storyline are now responsible for this role. Additionally, the player is allowed to return to all unlocked areas of the city. However, as new areas open up, access to other, previously available areas becomes more dangerous or less accessible, due to hostilities from enemy gangs. The interface of the game has been significantly overhauled. The player-centred compass is replaced with a separate mini-map that also displays a map of the city and key locations (safe houses and contact points) or targets. Armour and health levels are now indicated in numbers, and a 24-hour clock is added. Gang behaviour is no longer dictated by "respect" meters used in GTA2; instead, the player character's progress through the story affects his view in the "eyes" of gang members. As the player completes missions for different gangs, rival gang members will come to recognize the character and subsequently shoot on sight. Multiplayer modes from previous GTA titles were dropped, favouring single player gameplay only. However, third-party multiplayer modifications developed by members of the community are available. A common trait GTA III shares with the rest of the GTA series is the considerably non-linear gameplay. Missions that are offered to the player primarily fall into two categories: storyline-based and side missions. While the game's linear set of storyline-based missions (e.g. shaking down a local business for "protection money," clearing the streets of drug dealers, or assassinating leaders of rival gangs) are required to advance the plot and unlock certain areas of the map, the player can choose to complete them at his or her own leisure. Additionally, many of them are not mandatory. Alternately, it is possible to ignore the main missions and only play side missions. If the player acquires a taxicab, he can pick up designated non-player characters as fares and drop them off at different parts of the city for cash payments; obtaining an ambulance allows the player to pick up injured non-player characters and drive them to the hospital for a cash reward. Fire fighting and vigilante police missions are similarly available. However, if the player wishes, he or she may avoid all missions and instead choose to explore the city, stealing cars, running over pedestrians, and avoiding (or opposing) the police. A new inclusion into GTA III's storyline is the use of cut scenes, which are triggered after entering a contact point, or during certain missions. The cut scenes exist for multiple purposes: as a visual narration of the storyline, as formal directives of a mission, and as a visual assessment of a scene and objective. During gameplay, mission updates and messages are relayed through text-based instructions given in the form of on-screen subtitles, or on a few occasions, the player character's pager. GTA III also includes one-time tutorial directives to familiarize the player with the game's controls and features. The selection of weapons provided in the game consists of firearms and explosives, with the addition of two forms of mêlée attacks (hand to hand combat and baseball bat). The weapons themselves are largely similar to the selection of weapons from GTA1 and GTA2, such as the pistol (Colt M1911), the machine gun (which has been expanded to include an Uzi submachine gun (Micro Uzi), an AK-47 rifle and an M-16 rifle in Grand Theft Auto III), the rocket launcher and the flamethrower from GTA1, and the shotgun and thrown weapons (Molotov cocktails and grenades) from GTA2. The porting of GTA III into a three dimensional environment also allows access to first-person view, making the inclusion of the sniper rifle and first-person aiming using the M-16 rifle and rocket launcher possible. In addition, it becomes possible in the game to perform drive-by shooting using the Uzi, while the inclusion of magazine-based weapons introduces the need to reload weapons after a magazine of ammunition is depleted. Additionally, wielding certain weapons would now restrict movement of the player. Weapons may be purchased from local firearms dealers and businesses, retrieved for free from certain dead gang members, mission-specific characters and law enforcers, or picked up in certain spots in the city. All versions of GTA III allow the player to auto-aim using a gamepad with the push of a button, holding human targets at gun point using most firearms, with the exception of first-person aiming for the sniper rifle, M-16 and rocket launcher, which are aimed using the analog stick or mouse as the player presses the same auto aim button. The Microsoft Windows version includes the additional ability to look around and aim freely with a mouse while on foot; this control difference is seen in the console and Microsoft Windows ports of Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. GTA: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game designed by Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design) and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and fourth original title overall. It debuted in North America on October 27, 2002, for the PlayStation 2 and quickly became the best-selling video game for that year. As of July 2006, Vice City was, in the American market, the best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time. Vice City also appeared on Japanese magazine Famitsu's readers' list of all-time favorite 100 videogames in 2006.[2] Following this success, Vice City saw releases in Europe, Australia and Japan, and became available on the PC. Rockstar Vienna also packaged the game with its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto III, and sold it as Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack for the Xbox. Vice City was succeeded by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and preceded by Grand Theft Auto III. Vice City draws much of its inspiration from 1980s American culture. Set in 1986, the story revolves around Mafia member Tommy Vercetti, who was recently released from prison. After being involved in a drug deal gone wrong, Tommy is forced to seek out those responsible. Throughout the game, Tommy forges out a criminal empire in Vice City, gradually obtaining contacts, running businesses and seizing power from the other criminal organizations present in the city. The game uses a tweaked version of the game engine used in Grand Theft Auto III and similarly presents a huge cityscape, fully populated with buildings (from hotels to skyscrapers), vehicles (cars, motorcycles, boats, helicopters) and people to explore. Vice City's setting is also revisited in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, which serves as a prequel to events in Vice City. Vice City is a prequel to the preceding game in the series, GTA III (which takes place in 2001). The game is set in fictional Vice City, which is based on Miami, Florida. The game's look, particularly the clothing and vehicles, reflect (and sometimes gently parody) its 1986 setting (with the packaging and artwork in particular owing a great debt to 1980s artist Patrick Nagel). In contrast to the gritty urbanism of Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City, Vice City appears (mostly) clean and upscale, with golden beaches, waving palm trees, and vivid sunsets. The player takes on the role of Tommy Vercetti, a Mafia hitman who has recently been released from prison in Liberty City after serving a long prison sentence in connection with fifteen contract killings. The Mafia family for whom he used to work, the Forellis, fearful that Tommy's presence in the neighborhood will heighten tensions and bring unwanted attention upon their criminal activities, ostensibly "promote" Tommy and send him to the titular Vice City to act as their buyer for a series of cocaine deals. During Tommy's first meeting with the drug dealers, they are ambushed by a group of machine gun wielding Colombians, resulting in the death of Tommy's body guards and one of the cocaine dealers, Victor Vance. Tommy narrowly escapes with his life, though in the process of escaping, he loses both the Forelli's drug money and the cocaine. Tasked by Sonny Forelli with retrieving the money and cocaine and killing whoever was responsible for the ambush, Tommy sets up permanent residence in a beach front hotel. He makes contact with the Forellis only other connection in Vice City, a corrupt, coke-addict lawyer named Ken Rosenberg, who, upon hearing of the ambush, has holed himself up in his office and begun popping stimulants for fear of being killed in his sleep. Rosenberg nonetheless proves to be a vital connection, and through him, Tommy starts working with Colonel Cortez who in exchange for his services will find who organized the ambush. While working for Cortez, Tommy meets Lance Vance and forms a partnership with him and Ricardo Diaz, a Colombian crime lord and Vice City's most powerful mobster. After working with Diaz in certain assignments, Cortez informs Tommy that he has learned Diaz was the one who organized the ambush. Tommy and Lance plan to take Diaz out together. However, Lance tries to do the job himself. He is captured and tortured by Diaz, but rescued by Tommy. After helping Cortez escape from the French government, Lance and Tommy set off to kill Diaz. Tommy and Lance storm Diaz's mansion, take out his men, and kill him in his office. With Diaz dead, his empire quickly crumbles. Tommy and Lance personally take over all of Diaz's old businesses, not only becoming Vice City's cocaine kingpins, but also seizing the assets of several near-bankrupted companies. Among those businesses are the Interglobal Films Studio run by Steve Scott, Kent Paul's Malibu Club, Vice City Print Works, Kaufman Cabs Agency, Vice City Harbor, and Maude Hanson's Cherry Popper Ice Cream Factory. They also gain favor from heavy metal band Love Fist, the Cuban and Biker gangs, and Avery Carrington's real estate enterprise. All of these properties and businesses are acquired with no assistance from the Forelli family. Instead, Tommy becomes the head of his own organization, the Vercetti Gang. The more powerful and rich Tommy and Lance become, however, the more Lance begins to exhibit paranoid and sociopathic behaviors, to the point that he begins to physically abuse his own bodyguards and constantly calls Tommy in states of hysteria. Eventually, the Forellis find out that Tommy has taken over crime in Vice City, cutting them out completely. The Forelli's send collectors to force money out of Tommy's assets, but Tommy murders them. An angered Sonny Forelli arrives in Vice City with a small army of Mafioso and street thugs, intent on wiping out Tommy once and for all. Lance, having come to resent Tommy's substantial share of their profits, betrays Tommy and allies himself with the Forellis. In the game's climax -- a pastiche on the end of the Brian De Palma film Scarface -- Lance, Sonny, and Sonny's henchmen raid Tommy's mansion. Tommy kills Lance in a firefight on the mansion's roof, and kills Sonny in the mansion's entrance. His enemies vanquished, Tommy establishes himself as the undisputed crime kingpin of Vice City, with Ken Rosenberg as his right-hand-man. Vice City features dozens of characters, many appearing only in the cut scenes which describe each mission. The voice-talent includes Ray Liotta as protagonist Tommy Vercetti, Tom Sizemore as Sonny Forelli, Robert Davi as Colonel Juan García Cortez, William Fichtner as Ken Rosenberg, Danny Dyer as Kent Paul, Dennis Hopper as pornography Director Steve Scott, Burt Reynolds as Avery Carrington, Luis Guzmán as Ricardo Diaz, Miami Vice star Philip Michael Thomas as Lance Vance, Danny Trejo as Umberto Robina, Gary Busey as Phil Cassidy, Lee Majors as "Big" Mitch Baker, Fairuza Balk as Mercedes Cortez, and porn actress Jenna Jameson as Candy Suxxx. The voice of the taxi dispatcher is provided by Blondie singer Debbie Harry. Although the main character is not the same as the one in Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City contains a few characters from GTA III at an earlier point in their lives. Donald Love, a business tycoon in GTA III, makes an appearance as an apprentice to real estate mogul Avery Carrington. The one-armed Phil Cassidy from GTA III appears in Vice City as well, and one mission actually explains when and how he lost his arm. Several of GTA III’s radio hosts can also be heard in Vice City: Lazlow, who was the host of Chatterbox, the talk radio station in GTA III, is the DJ for the hard-rock station, V-Rock, in Vice City (he mentioned in passing in GTA III that he used to be a DJ on a rock station). Toni, the burned-out, female disc jockey of Flashback 95.6, the 1980s music radio station in GTA III, also appears as a young, club-hopping DJ in Vice City's pop music station, Flash FM. Finally, Fernando, a self-glorifying procurer of women ("not a pimp... a savior," he claims) who appeared on Lazlow's show in GTA III, runs Emotion 98.3. Because Vice City was built upon Grand Theft Auto III, the game follows a largely similar gameplay design and interface with GTA III with several tweaks and improvements over its predecessor. The gameplay is very open-ended, a characteristic of the Grand Theft Auto franchise; although missions must be completed to complete the storyline and unlock new areas of the city, the player is able to drive around and visit different parts of the city at his/her leisure and otherwise, do whatever they wish if not currently in the middle of a mission. Various items such as hidden weapons and packages are also scattered throughout the landscape, as it has been with previous GTA titles. Players can steal vehicles, (cars, boats, motorcycles, and even helicopters) partake in drive-by shootings, robberies, and generally create chaos. However, doing so generally attracts unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the police (or, in extreme cases, the FBI and even the National Guard). Police behavior is mostly similar to Grand Theft Auto III, although police units will now wield night sticks, deploy spike strips to puncture the tires of the player's car, as well as SWAT teams from flying police helicopters and the aforementioned undercover police units, à la-Miami Vice. A new addition in the game is the ability of the player to purchase a number of properties distributed across the city. Some of these are additional hideouts (essentially locations where weapons can be collected and the game saved). There are also a variety of businesses called "assets" which the player can buy. These include a film studio, a dance club, a strip club, a taxi company, an "ice-cream delivery business" (acting as a front company), a boatyard, a printing works, and a car showroom. Each commercial property has a number of missions attached to it, such as eliminating the competition or stealing equipment. Once all the missions for a given property are complete, the property will begin to generate an ongoing income, which the increasingly-prosperous Vercetti may periodically collect. Various gangs make frequent appearances in the game, some of whom are integral to story events. These gangs typically have a positive or negative opinion of the player and act accordingly by shooting at the player or following him. Shootouts between members of rival gangs can occur spontaneously and several missions involve organized fights between opposing gangs. Optional side-missions are once again included, giving the player the opportunity to make pizza deliveries, drive injured people to a hospital with an ambulance, extinguish fires with a fire truck, deliver passengers in a taxi, and be a vigilante, using a police vehicle to kill criminals. Monetary rewards and occasional gameplay advantages (e.g. increased health and armor capacity and infinite sprinting) are awarded for completing different difficulty levels of these activities. Different sums of money (depending on height, flips, etc.) are awarded for landing trick jumps in motorcycles and/or fast cars. The weapons system used in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is derivative of those from its predecessors, but has been significantly expanded. Compared to 12 forms of weapons from Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City features a total of 35 weapons divided into 10 classes (classified by portability, firepower or function), with the player allowed to carry only one weapon from each class. Each class presents a set of weapons which each presenting their own strengths and weaknesses, such as weight, damage and efficiency. For example, when a player has semi-automatic pistol in hand (which inflicts lower damage, but has a higher firing rate and larger magazine capacity) and encounters ammunition for a Colt Python (which inflicts a large amount of damage, but is weak in firing rate and more frequent reloading), he or she can only choose to replace the automatic with the revolver or choose not to replace the automatic. Because of this, the player is only allowed to carry up to 10 weapons at once while being allowed to pick specific weapons from each class. The weapons, which range from a variety of mêlée weapons and firearms become available to the player as he or she completes more and more missions. Guns (such as pistols, rifles, thrown weapons and heavy weapons) may be purchased at firearm store Ammu-Nation or obtained via a weapons dealer, and other types of weapons (such as baseball bats, hammers and chainsaws) can be bought at various hardware stores. There are also heavy-duty weapons such as flamethrowers and rocket launchers. Another quirk is the inclusion of a camera, which is used in only one mission to capture pictures. Various ports of Vice City also present modifications on the inventory of weapons. The PlayStation 2 version is the only version of the game to feature tear gas, while the Xbox version from Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack features modified names of weapons (i.e. the MP5 renamed as "MP" and the PSG-1 sniper rifle renamed as ".308 Sniper").
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 21:49:58 GMT -5
26. Mortal Kombat: Deception Mortal Kombat: Deception is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series. Deception was developed and published by Midway for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in October 2004. A GameCube version was published in February 2005. Mortal Kombat: Deception precedes Shaolin Monks (in release date only) and follows Deadly Alliance. Deception was released in two versions for the Playstation 2 and Xbox; the regular version for both systems, a "Premium Pack" for Playstation 2, and "Kollector's Edition" for Xbox; both of which added a metal trading card and a bonus disc containing a history of Mortal Kombat, several video biographies of characters, and an "arcade perfect" version of the original Mortal Kombat. The game is known as Mortal Kombat Mystification in France. In the final events of Deadly Alliance, Raiden's warriors (Kitana, Kung Lao, Jax Briggs, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade) lay dead during their battle against the Tarkatan warriors and ultimately, the Deadly Alliance itself (Shang Tsung and Quan Chi). The Elder Gods had advised Raiden not to interfere, but he defied their wishes; alone he challenged the alliance of Tsung and Quan Chi inside Shang Tsung's palace, in Mortal Kombat. Raiden fought spectacularly, dealing powerful blows to the sorcerers and almost killing Quan Chi at one point. Shang Tsung then cheats, and absorbs a soul from the soulnado. He uses this to strike down Raiden, and the Deadly Alliance then combine their magic and take the thunder God down. With Raiden defeated, the Deadly Alliance turned on each other, with Tsung wanting Quan Chi's amulet. The Deadly Alliance was no more and Tsung found himself facing his one time partner Quan Chi. Despite Tsung's efforts, Quan Chi proved too much for him. Quan Chi struck Tsung to the ground, snapped his arm, then strangled Tsung, gagging blood out of his mouth. When Quan Chi stood alone, a hulking form entered the tomb, and the mummies of the Dragon King's army turned to kneel. In disbelief, Quan Chi looked in shock and in great horror... Onaga, the Dragon King, had returned. Quan Chi knew what the Dragon King had come for: his amulet. Quan Chi unleashed his powers on Onaga, and as Tsung awoke, they combined their powers and used their projectile streams. Onaga began to run toward them, just as Raiden stalked forward and stood by the sorcerers. The three pooled their efforts together, and struck the Dragon King. Momentarily staggered, Onaga begins to sprint forward now. Realising that it was not working, Raiden starts an incantation, while thunder and light flies around him. Onaga comes closer and closer, as Quan Chi finally notices Raidens energy fluctuations. "What are you doing?!" he snapped desperately. Raiden's intentions then become clear, as he unleashes all his Godly essence in a colossal explosion. The blast snuffs out the soulnado, kills both members of the Deadly Alliance, and devastates the surrounding area. But it had little effect on Onaga, who has now recovered his amulet... Onaga now seeks to use six artifacts called Kamidogu, literally "Tool of God" from the Japanese words Kami (God) and Dogu (Tool), to fuse the realms into the One Being, resulting in the destruction of everything therein. Those fighters not killed in the battle against the Deadly Alliance (Li Mei, Raiden, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kenshi and Bo' Rai Cho) must now stand against him and his supporters. These include the Tarkatan horde (led by Baraka) and their former allies, who were resurrected by Onaga and are under his control. In the story explored in Konquest mode, a young man named Shujinko is deceived (hence the game's title) into spending his life collecting the Kamidogu for Onaga, who uses the guise of an emissary of the Elder Gods named Damashi. This is prior to Onaga's resurrection in the body of Reptile. Onaga only reveals his identity and intentions after Shujinko has gathered all the Kamidogu. Shujinko, led to believe he was working for the greater good, joins the others opposing Onaga. Returning characters are: * Baraka – The leader of the Tarkatan race. * Bo' Rai Cho – Hailing from Outworld, he trains Shunjinko in the arts of Kombat. * Ermac – A mysterious fighter made of fused souls who assists Liu Kang in his mission. * Jade – A loyalist to Queen Sindel who agrees to help her save her daughter Kitana, and also seeks to see Tanya dead. * Kabal – The leader of the new Black Dragon clan. * Kenshi – The blind swordsman who was saved by Sub-Zero. * Li Mei – A young warrior saved from the Deadly Alliance by Bo' Rai Cho. * Liu Kang – Earthrealm's protector, the undisputed Champion of Mortal Kombat, returns as a zombie. * Mileena – A grotesque clone of Kitana created by Shang Tsung who poses as Kitana to disrupt Edenia's defences. * Nightwolf – A Native American warrior who acts as the "Sin Eater" of his tribe, allowing him to enter the Netherealm due to the "sins" in his soul. * Noob-Smoke (The alliance of Noob Saibot and Smoke) – The joint team in which Noob Saibot looks to create an army of Cyber-Demons with Smoke as a template. * Raiden – The God of Thunder who has become enraged at how mortals have repeatedly endangered Earthrealm. * Scorpion – The Champion of the Elder Gods who has been sent to Outworld to destroy Onaga. * Sindel – The Queen of Edenia who looks to save Kitana and defend her realm from Shao Kahn. * Sub-Zero – The Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei clan who looks for a portal back to Earthrealm. * Tanya – The traitor of Edenia, who now serves Onaga. New characters are: * Ashrah – A demon searching for redemption by killing demons with a magic sword called a kriss; she seeks to destroy Ermac and Noob Saibot in order to gain full purification. * Dairou – Formerly Hotaru's subordinate, he is now a mercenary for hire. He was contracted by Darrius to assassinate Hotaru. * Darrius – The leader of the resistance in Seido, the realm of Order. * Havik – A cleric of Chaos who saved Kabal from death; he wishes to consume Onaga's heart and revive Shao Kahn (unaware that this was a clone) to ensure chaos reigns, instead of the forced order that would follow if Onaga fused the worlds into the One Being. * Hotaru – A warrior of Order, pledged to serve the Dragon King. * Kira – A cunning and brutal Black Dragon recruit recently hired by Kabal. Her fighting styles and special moves are taken from Sonya and Kano. * Kobra – A brutal and bloodthirsty Black Dragon recruit. * Onaga – The Dragon King and former emperor of Outworld, reincarnated by using Reptile as a vessel. * Shujinko – An old warrior who was deceived by Onaga when he was a young adolescent. Onaga (under the guise of Damashi) gave him the power to mimic the abilities of his opponents. New features are: * Deception adds Chess Kombat and Puzzle Kombat game modes. Chess Kombat is similar to classical chess, but uses player-selected characters as pieces, and pieces must engage in Kombat to take a piece (much like the 1980s computer game Archon). Puzzle Kombat is reminiscient of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, a puzzle game by Capcom. The character roster for Puzzle Kombat is Scorpion, Baraka, Nightwolf, Ermac, Sindel, Sub-Zero, Bo' Rai Cho, Kenshi, Mileena, Jade, Kabal and Raiden. Deception has highly interactive stages, with multiple levels, arena-specified weapons, breakable boundaries, and instant-death traps. Characters can no longer be slammed against walls, however. * Deception also has a "Combo Breaker" system which allows players to interrupt combos up to three times per match. * Weapon impalements are no longer in the game, due to the introduction of death traps. * Deception characters have two Fatalities and a hara-kiri suicide move. * Characters are more specialized as well, boasting unique (though sometimes held over from Deadly Alliance) throws, finishing poses, and rises after losing one round (e.g., Sub-Zero shoots ice to the floor to lift himself up, etc.). * Certain stages also contain unique stage weapons, often following the stage's theme, that any character can pick up and use. * Deception has a smaller Krypt than in Deadly Alliance (400 Koffins as opposed to 676). This reduces the number of "filler" Koffins that had either nothing or allusions to other koffins in them. * Deception is the first game in the series to assume that the "good guys" lost the battle of the previous game. * The character Noob-Smoke switches character models instead of fighting styles (Noob fights with Monkey style, Smoke with Mi Tzu), with no weapons style. They are playable after unlocking, and appear in Arcade Mode as sub-bosses. * Deception is the first Mortal Kombat to feature an extensive online mode. Returning from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, the Krypt in Deception was cut down significantly from 676 Koffins to 400 Koffins. The Koffins were still identified alphabetically, but the letter designation was altered to run from AA - TT. This was used in order to cut down both the content necessary to fill the Krypt as well as cut down the need for empty Koffins and hint Koffins that received a poor response from fans. The major new feature of the new Krypt was the inclusion of Krypts that could only be opened through the use of keys. These keys could be found in Konquest mode, where they could be obtained through opening treasure chests, collecting items, and defeating characters throughout the realms of the mode. These keys also came with a built-in "homing" feature that allowed a player to click a button in order to zoom to the Koffin for which he or she had the appropriate key for. Krypts in Mortal Kombat: Deception included 12 unlockable characters (however, this was cut down to 6 characters in the GameCube version, as to make room for extras concerning Shao Kahn and Goro), over a dozen arenas, alternate costumes for all 24 characters, 48 biographies, multiple moves for the customizeable character Shujinko, and much more, including an ending created for Onaga, the boss of the game who was never included as a playable character. Deception contains a RPG-style game called "Konquest". Konquest mode explores the history of Shujinko, starting prior to his training with Bo' Rai Cho and ending with the beginning of Deception. While mostly an adventure game, the combat elements take place in the normal Deception fighting mode. Players seeking to unlock much of the bonus content in Deception are required to play through the Konquest mode. In addition, side quests are available throughout the game that can be completed between missions or after all of them have been completed. Completion of these quests, which vary from delivering a letter to competing against a fellow Kombatant at a severe handicap, will result in the rewarding of a number of koins to the player. All of these quests are meaningless with regards to the completion of the Konquest mode, but several of them (including the retrieval of Shinnok's amulet and returning it to Shinnok) allude to important points in the storyline. Also, there are various chests, floating objects, and approachable characters in the various realms. Upon opening the chests, koins or a special key will be unlocked to be used at the Krypt. Collecting floating objects (such as movie cameras and musical notes) as well as defeating specific characters will result in special keys being unlocked, while defeating other characters will result in koin rewards. The keys retrieved in Konquest mode unlock special chests that include secret characters, alternative outfits, secret arenas, character biographies, arena soundtracks, and more. The only fightable/trainable characters in this game are characters who are fully installed for arcade mode and versus mode. All other characters, while present, have no significant bearing other than conversation or perhaps a side mission. The notable exceptions are Jax Briggs, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Quan Chi, Shang Tsung, and Sonya Blade, all of whom the player can compete against despite them not being accessible in the game.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 13, 2008 21:55:30 GMT -5
Countdown Update
125. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 124. Silent Scope Complete 123. SSX 3 122. Madden NFL 2005 121. Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis 120. Star Wars: The Clone Wars 119. Darkwatch 118. The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age 117. The Simpsons: Hit And Run 116. Rainbow Six 3 115. Madden NFL 08 114. Blitz: The League 113. Mafia: The City Of Lost Heaven 112. Dungeons And Dragons Heroes 111. WWE Wrestlemania 21 110. World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International 109. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 108. GUN 107. NHL Hitz Pro 106. Top Spin Tennis 105. Rocky 104. TransWorld Surf 103. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy 102. MechAssault 101. Legends Of Wrestling II 100. NCAA March Madness 2005 99. WWE Raw 2 98. Brute Force 97. Metal Slug 3 96. Fahrenheit aka Indigo Prophecy 95. NCAA Football 06 94. Stubbs The Zombie In "Rebel Without A Pulse" 93. Midnight Club II 92. Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling 91. The Punisher 90. Dead Or Alive Ultimate 89. MVP Baseball 2005 88. Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup 87. Shenmue II 86. Blinx: The Time Sweeper 85. GoldenEye: Rogue Agent 84. Fight Night Round 2 83. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition 82. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction 81. NASCAR 2005: Chase For The Cup 80. Evil Dead: A Fistful Of Broomstick 79. Timesplitters 2 78. Def Jam: Fight For NY 77. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy 76. Burnout 2: Point Of Impact 75. Evil Dead: Regeneration 74. MVP Baseball 2004 73. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 72. Fuzion Frenzy 71. Armed And Dangerous 70. Destroy All Humans 69. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance 68. Red Dead Revolver 67. Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding 66. Fight Night Round 3 65. Gladius 64. NCAA Football 2004 63. Indiana Jones And The Emperor's Tomb 62. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 61. Forza Motorsports 60. Thief: Deadly Shadows 59. Godzilla: Save The Earth 58. Unreal Championship 57. Lego Star Wars: The Video Game 56. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne 55. Tony Hawk's Underground 54. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 53. Freedom Fighters 52. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II 51. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 50. The House Of The Dead III 49. Max Payne 48. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 47. FlatOut 2 46. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy 45. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks 44. Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes 43. Timesplitters: Future Perfect 42. Tony Hawk's American Wasteland 41. X-Men Legends 40. Project Gotham Racing 2 39. Spider-man 38. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 37. Spider-man 2 36. The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay 35. Soul Calibur II 34. Ninja Gaiden Black 33. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon 32. Beyond Good & Evil 31. Mercenaries: Playground Of Destruction 30. Ninja Gaiden 29. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith 28. Star Wars: Republic Commando 27. Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack 26. Mortal Kombat: Deception
Join me tomorrow as we finish this list with our Top 25.
Next five clues are:
* Crimson Blood In The Sky
* The Invisibles At War
* Outcast Knight
* Style Moves
* Wanted Dead Or Alive
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 14, 2008 7:07:51 GMT -5
25. Amped 2 Amped 2 is a sequel to Microsoft's snowboarding game Amped, which was an Xbox launch title. The game was introduced as part of the XSN Sports lineup, which included such games as NFL Fever, Top Spin and Rallisport Challenge. The career mode in Amped 2 is much like other extreme sport games such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in which each level has goals for the player to complete. Each level or mountain has a high score and media score to break, which entails accumulating the most points in one run of the mountain and performing tricks for photographers or the media who are scattered throughout the mountain. The player must also find eight snowmen on each run as well as complete five tricks and gap locations that earn the player skill points. Skill points are used to upgrade stats such as "spin/flip", "big air", "ollie", "balance", and "switch". In addition to these challenges, as the player progress through their career, they will be invited to events in which they compete for a top three finish which yields both fame and skill points. As the player's fame rises they gain different titles which are (from lowest to highest): "Local Rider", "Shop Rider", "Pro", "Superstar", and "#1". Once the player reaches number one in the world they are able to become a legend by completing each legend challenge on each mountain. In addition to snowboarding, the player has the opportunity to snow skate. Snow skate adds different gameplay elements to the game which is more representative of skateboarding than snowboarding. A character's physical features, such as skin color, weight, height, clothing, goggles, and boots, can be edited. Amped 2 provides a wide variety of performable tricks. There are also point multipliers which increase points when performing a difficult or stylish move. General tricks include spins, flips, off-axises, butters, jibs, railslides, ollies, jumps, grabs, lip tricks, and tweaks . The player can also perform "combos". For example, a multiple flip + a 360 spin. Grabs can be achieved while airborne by moving the right thumbstick in any direction. Additionally, the player can perform "style moves", which adds extra points and point multipliers to increase the player's score. Amped 2 supports up to eight players on System Link or Xbox Live and allows split-screen on both. On Xbox Live there are five different game types such as, "Just Ride", "Trick Race", "High Score", "Best Trick", and "King of the Mountain". There are seven different courses which include, Breckenridge, Bear Mountain, Mount Hood, Laax, Mount Buller, Millicent, and New Zealand, and each course has three different drop points. Amped 2's multiplayer on Xbox Live brought a number of new features not seen in any other on-line game at the time. For instance, it was the first game on Xbox Live to integrate a player's career mode character to that of their Xbox Live character. During career mode, as the player completes tasks, they gain skill points which increase their character's abilities. This then translates to the player's Xbox Live character, therefore, giving individuals who have completed the career mode an advantage over those who have not. Many Xbox Live titles have a single host who controls the game options, but if that player were to quit their session, the entire game session would expire. However, in Amped 2, the host can choose to have either the winner, loser, or a random player of a session select the options for the following game. Also, if the host quits, the player with the next best connection gains hosting abilities rather than ending the game session.
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Post by Seth Drakin of Monster Crap on Mar 14, 2008 7:15:33 GMT -5
24. Crimson Skies: High Road To Revenge Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge is a first-party video game title developed by FASA Studio (part of Microsoft Game Studios) and released for the Xbox. The title is now available for download on the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Marketplace. The game, like the earlier Crimson Skies for the PC, is an action-oriented arcade flight game. Nonetheless, there are significant differences between the gameplay of High Road to Revenge and that of the original PC title. For example, while the Xbox game offers the player more flexibility during its missions, it offers less plane customization than the PC game. Set in an alternate 1930s in which the plane and zeppelin become the primary means of transportation, the game focuses on the adventures of Nathan Zachary, leader of the Fortune Hunters sky pirate gang. Players assume his role as he undertakes a crusade to avenge the death of his old friend, "Doc" Fassenbiender. The game was originally announced in March 2002 for a release that fall. However, developers postponed distribution to retailers in order to retool the game. As a result of this overhaul, which pushed back the game's release date to October 2003, several issues were addressed and new features added. Most noticeable among these was the addition of Xbox Live capability, which was identified by critics as one of the game's strongest points. High Road to Revenge is a flight-based combat game, with a majority of the gameplay centered on controlling various aircraft from a third-person perspective. It is an arcade flight game as opposed to a flight simulator—physics are relaxed, takeoffs and landings are completely automated, and the flight control scheme is fairly uncomplicated. Project lead Jim Deal explains that the arcade design of Crimson Skies serves to make the game easy to learn, as well as to place its focus on action instead of the physics of flight. There are over a dozen playable fighter aircraft in Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. Each of these aircraft has its own ratings for speed, maneuverability, and armor, as well as its own distinct weapons layout. Primary weapons have unlimited ammunition, but can temporarily stop firing if overused. Fighters are also equipped with finite-use secondary weapons, examples of which include magnetic rockets, specialty cannons, and a Tesla coil weapon. In agreement with the game's arcade style, the armor and secondary ordinance of the player's aircraft can be replenished by flying into health and ammo crates, which are dropped by destroyed enemies or scattered throughout the terrain. According to Deal, however, certain gameplay elements were added in order to make the game "hard to master." Among these is a rechargeable "special meter," which is consumed as the player flies at his/her plane's maximum speed, or as he/she performs aerial maneuvers programmed into the game such as the barrel roll and the Immelmann. In addition to piloting aircraft, players have the ability to take control of fixed weapon emplacements, during which time the game shifts to a first-person perspective. Turrets vary in weaponry from machine guns to rocket launchers. They are found in most of the game's missions and maps, situated within the terrain or mounted on vehicles such as zeppelins. Additionally, players have the option to switch back to their original aircraft, and also are given the ability to commandeer additional aircraft on the ground. The single player mode of Crimson Skies has the player take on the role of series protagonist Nathan Zachary. The campaign has four difficulty settings and spans twenty missions. Each mission requires the completion of certain objectives, which include destroying enemies, defending allies, and the retrieval of important items. Each of the game's missions is based in one of four regions. One or two missions set in each region act as a sort of "scouting mode" for that locale, allowing players to select which assignments to undertake and when. During these missions, players also have the option to plunder neutral airships or participate in air races in order to acquire extra cash, which is required to upgrade planes, utilize repair stations, and sometimes to advance the plot. The player has access to up to ten aircraft during the single player game; the player starts with the Devastator, and can acquire more aircraft by stealing them during certain stages of the campaign. On most missions, the player can select which plane he/she uses. Most playable craft can each be upgraded once using money and upgrade tokens found or awarded during missions. High Road to Revenge, however, lacks the aircraft customization features present in Crimson Skies for the PC. Multiplayer in Crimson Skies for the Xbox is available through split screen for up to four players, and for up to sixteen players via System Link and Xbox Live. The following multiplayer modes are available for the game: * Dogfight: Similar to Deathmatch, the objective of Dogfight is to defeat enemies and earn kills. * Flag Heist: Requires one team to seize a flag from another team's base and return it to their own (see CTF). * Keep Away: Requires a player or team to pick up an "artifact" and secure possession of it for a specified time. * Wild Chicken: Players earn points either for shooting down enemies or for returning a "wild chicken" to their base. A player's online ranking for High Road to Revenge is determined by his or her win/loss record according to Crimson Skies ' Xbox Live scoring system. The scoring system allows players to earn more points by shooting down higher-ranked enemies or by winning games against more powerful teams. In addition, Microsoft has released downloadable content for the game during 2003 and 2004 via Xbox Live. This additional content has included new planes, multiplayer game maps, and two new multiplayer game modes: * Chicken Pox: A variant of Dogfight in which chickens are used as power-ups. * Gunheist: Players must take and maintain control of the territory's AA guns. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge takes place in the Crimson Skies universe, set in an alternate history of the 1930s. In this fictional setting, increasing sectionalism within the United States of America has caused the country to splinter into numerous sovereignties. These nation-states are in a constant state of war with one another, and thus an interstate highway system never developed. This in turn caused the primary means of transportation to shift from the car and train to the plane and zeppelin; consequently came the formation of gangs of air pirates who plunder aerial commerce over North America. As a result of the events surrounding the world of Crimson Skies, advancements in technology in the game proceeded at a faster rate than actually occurred in the same era. Certain designs and technologies were created specifically for the game, while some are beyond the scope of the 1930s. Examples include remote-contolled rocket launchers, magnetic rockets, weather control devices, and a Tesla coil-like weapon. Project Art director Robert Olson has stated that his team faced challenges in developing content that "fit the time setting" and was also "both fantastical and believable," particularly in designing the game's bosses. The game takes place in four regions in North and South America. Sea Haven is an island in the Nation of Hollywood; it is a refuge for pirate gangs, but the Hollywood militia launches a campaign to uproot the raiders. Arixo is a desert nation-state, formed from the remnants of Arizona and New Mexico. Due to its vast desolate and lawless expanses, Arixo has become a haven for bandit activity; it is also home to the Navajo Native American tribes. Chicago, like its real world counterpart, is an industrial city; however the airspace between its skyscrapers has become airways for aerial transport. The Lost City is a complex of ancient ruins located deep in South America. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge uses stylized caricatures for the game's CGI characters. According to Robert Olson, this was done because photo-realistic CG characters typically end up looking "lifeless" and "odd." The player character is Nathan Zachary, leader of the Fortune Hunters air pirate gang. Although a notorious air pirate, Nathan only steals from those wealthy enough to afford it. Somewhat irresponsible near the beginning of the game, however, Zachary was not "born a hero," nor does he classify himself as a hero. Overall, Zachary is characterized as "a somewhat ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances." According to Olson, Zachary's character was defined by the darker tone of High Road to Revenge, in comparison to the "campy" and "pulpy" tone established in Crimson Skies for the PC. Other members of the Fortune Hunters include "Brooklyn" Betty Charles, his wingmate; and "Big John," who captains the Fortune Hunters' zeppelin base, Pandora. Later joining them is the mysterious adventurer, Maria "Bloody Mary" Sanchez. "Doc" Fassenbiender is a scientist who has developed new technologies for the Fortune Hunters. Dr. Fassenbeinder is a close friend of Zachary's; his murder is the main focus of High Road to Revenge. Opposing the Fortune Hunters are rival pirate gangs such as the Ragin' Cajuns, led by Louis “Wild Card” Thibodeaux; and the Red Skull Legion, led by Jonathan "Genghis" Kahn. The game's main antagonist is Dr. Von Essen, a German engineer who plans to use his Die Spinne (German, "The Spider") militia to conquer the world. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge begins the morning after Nathan Zachary has gambled away his signature fighter plane and his zeppelin to the Ragin' Cajuns. Thibodeaux, the Cajuns' leader, attempts to claim Zachary's fighter and the Pandora; Nathan, however, manages to recover them both. Afterwards, Nathan receives a distress call from Dr. Fassenbiender, who reports a break-in at his lab. He informs Nathan of what he believes had been the target: his plans to construct a wind turbine, a device capable of artificially generating storms. He warns Nathan about Von Essen, a scientist who had unsuccessfully tried to engineer a wind turbine for a German superweapon during the Great War. Suspecting that Von Essen had returned, Doc entrusts Nathan with the schematics for the turbine. When the Nathan and the Fortune Hunters later return to Fassenbiender's lab, they find it besieged by Die Spinne. Although they manage to repel the threat, they discover that the scientist had already been murdered. Nathan embarks on a campaign to find those responsible and have them "brought to justice." Nathan and the Fortune Hunters travel to Arixo, seeking out a titanium mine; there, they hope to gain clues as to the identity of Doc's murderer. During his search, Nathan comes across Maria, who agrees to lead him to the titanium mine on the condition that she is allowed to join the Fortune Hunters. They all continue to the mine, and discover that the mining operation is controlled by the Red Skull Legion. With this knowledge, the Fortune Hunters proceed to Chicago, from which the Red Skulls are based. After several clashes with the Skulls, Nathan confronts Kahn about his connection to Die Spinne. Kahn reveals that he had struck a deal with Von Essen, but that Von Essen had gone back on their agreement. Kahn also discloses that Die Spinne was poised to attack Chicago. Joining forces, the Fortune Hunters and Red Skulls successfully defeat the invasion force. During the ensuing victory celebration, however, Maria betrays Nathan and steals the blueprints for Doc's wind turbine. The Fortune Hunters track Maria's movements southward, to a "Lost City" which they identify as Von Essen's principal base of operations. Nathan infiltrates the base, and there witnesses Maria and Von Essen have a falling out, which results in Von Essen killing her. A firefight ensues between Nathan and Von Essen, during which Von Essen reveals his plan to use the Starker Sturm—his completed wind turbine weapon—to force Chicago and eventually all of North America under his fascist rule. After escaping from Von Essen's hideout, Nathan and the Fortune Hunters return to Chicago, and find it already besieged by Die Spinne. Von Essen then appears in the Starker Strum, attacking Chicago's vital commercial and governmental structures. Nathan, however, destroys the Sturm, also killing Von Essen.
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