So this is it folks, this is the last installment of Gamer Hero’s list of must-have games on the last generation of gaming consoles. For those of you not paying attention, I’ve already covered the system-exclusive titles for each machine and the multi platform release list is almost complete. Today I’m going to list Sports, Racing and Role Playing games that you simply MUST play. So let’s do this huh? Right. Remember the games on this list are in no particular order and not every title is available on every system (sorry ‘Cube owners).
-Sports-
Madden - I’m not a huge pro football fan but I do recognize a good game when I see it. The Madden football franchise from EA is hands-down the best in it’s genre, every gamer that loves the gridiron loves this game. With new installments in the series annually, this is one you can get on board with at any time. Newer versions now support online play and who wouldn’t like to kick their friend’s ass at football without leaving your couch? Sweet. Xbox/Ps2/GCN
NCAA - This one’s a bit more my flavor as I AM a huge college football fan (go Bucks!). The only complaint I have about this one is that since the players are all students, EA can’t put their names on the jerseys without mucking up the real player’s eligibility to play. But the graphics and sound are gonna be proportional to the year on the box of the game you buy. The controls are another matter. Once you learn how to control this game you’ll pretty much have a fair grip on the rest of the games in the series (and Madden for that mater), so going from year to year isn’t a jarring experience. Learn on an old version, then step up to the current ones and see what I mean. Xbox/PS2/GCN.
-Racing-
Need For Speed Underground 1 & 2 - Super fast driving combined with sweet graphics and sound drew me to this game and the crazy addictive gameplay and nearly infinite car customization choices kept the disc in my machine for weeks. Pick from dozens of cars ranging from Import tuners to all American muscle, customize the engine, body, and paint job and go tear it up! I loved both of these games for all of those reasons but the real reason to play these two gems is the sheer sense of speed the designers were able to convey. You start with a pretty typical beater but before long you’ll be haulin’ ass through dense city traffic at a breakneck pace. You’ll wreck a lot and it will take some getting used to but you’ll be hooked after your first hour just you wait and see. Dig it. Xbox/PS2/GCN
Burnout 1-3 and Revenge - Criterion Games wanted to create a fun arcade style racer with a great sense of speed and tight controls. They succeeded in that endeavor but they also included a crash mode with the game that rewarded players for aggressive and destructive driving. It may seem like a gimmick but take it from me, after playing Burnout you’ll wish every driving game had a crash mode. This mode was expanded and improved as the sequels rolled out and the quality of each game went up and up. The latest release was Burnout: Revenge and let me tell you, it rocks really effing hard; just don’t start with that one or the rest won’t be as good. Xbox/PS2/GCN
-Role Playing (RPG)-
X-Men Legends & X-Men Legends II: Rise Of The Apocalypse - A role playing game featuring all your favorite characters from the comics in an exciting all new tale that takes you around the globe battling iconic bad guys? It sounded too good to be true to me too but this pair of games really delivered. The controls, visuals and gameplay were all solid and the sweet roster of playable characters (which got much larger in the sequel) only served to make a great game better. The only downside to these games is the lack of online multiplayer, but the offline multi mode for up to four players more than make up for it’s absence. So grab a friend (or three if you have XML2) and start kicking some Evil Mutant ass! Xbox/PS2/GCN
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - The same guys who made the awesome X-Men legends games got together again to create another hit. This time however the game wasn’t limited to the X-Men but included the entire Marvel Comics universe and most of the characters that inhabit it. With a whopping 23 playable heroes to pick from and an epic story that will have you battling everywhere from the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier to the Halls of Asgard and even the Skrull homeworld, you’ll be thrilled and amazed to see how much Marvel goodness they crammed into this game. The tight controls and pick-up-and-go gameplay will be instantly familiar to veterans of the XML games and the voice acting is top quality. A serious must have for both RPG and Comic book fans alike. Xbox/PS2
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 1 & 2 - Cut from the same cloth as the two previous entries the big difference here is that instead of four superheroes at your fingertips you control a Dungeons & Dragons based adventurer. Both of these games offer solid graphics and sound as well as tight controls and gameplay you’ll dig if you liked XML or MUA. The selling price for both games is around 15 bucks for BOTH games so you really can’t go wrong if you’re in the mood for a good RPG but don’t feel like being a superhero. Xbox/PS2/GCN
Gladius - This one is a bit of a departure from the typical RPG. It has all the leveling and story aspects you’d expect from the genre but the gameplay mechanics are more akin to the grid-based strategy RPG’s from the last generation of consoles (Final Fantasy Tactics anyone?). The battles are large arena-style affairs that require a good bit of strategy and good reflexes since each attack has a corresponding timed button sequence to match in order to determine damage dealt to the bad guys. It sounds weird but it’s actually a lot of fun. So if you are looking for a gladiatorial combat RPG, buy this game. I loved it. You will too. Xbox/PS2/GCN
So that’s it, the list is done. Those are my picks for the previous console generation and if you follow my recommendations you will be in store for many many hours of gaming goodness. So what are you waiting for? Stop reading this and get gaming!
The Gamer Hero