Marshmallow Fluff! Presents: The Top Games of 2011

...Despite the name, this is not an 'award' post.

2011 is almost over, and while there are still a few games yet to be released it's probably safe to say that we can judge this past years gaming crop at this point. The year kicked off with the release of the 3DS and LittleBigPlanet 2. However, from where we now sit, it seems like that was...well...a year ago. We just got through one of the biggest autumns in gaming history, seeing big releases from several of the major franchises in gaming. So lets take a look back at the best games of the past year.

Each of these four links will take you to a different section of the list, just so it's easier to navigate. Enjoy!
Also, I apologize for the gargantuan size of all this, there's a reason it's in three separate posts.

The Best Genre Games
The Best Console Games
The Best Sound, Story, and Art
The Top Game of 2011

The Top Games of 2011: Story, Sound, and Art

Best music, best story? You find those here. These are the parts of the game that can really make a game aesthetically awesome. And that's the best kind of awesome. 

Best Story: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Again, I feel like this is something a real diehard Zelda fan could get at better than I could, so once again Bryan will be picking up the slack here. 

Legend of Zelda has always been known for great storylines. For the most part the three main characters of this series have been Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganondorf. Surprisingly The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword’s main villain is not Ganondorf but the Demon King who fought with the goddess long ago. This wasn't the only change-up Nintendo made, also changing the relationship between Link and Zelda. Zelda is not a princess in Skyward Sword, merely a childhood friend of Link's. The games storyline has a few suprises as well. With its surprising plot twists and links to the past games it also finds a way to bring together a major chunk of the past 25 years of Zelda gaming history, and it puts this storyline is a league of its own. Skyward Sword goes far and beyond what most games do storywise, and after playing this game to the end your left with a feeling that the series is just complete.

Image Source: Destructoid

Best Original Soundtrack: Bastion

I debated this category for a long time, but in the end I decided I could not, in good consciousnesses, give this to any other game. Bastion's soundtrack is just head and shoulders above everything else. Even Skyrim. Every song just sets the tone of the game, and the style of the music is unique. I would never mistake any song from Bastion's soundtrack for another games. It helps to build the world of Bastion, I'd even argue it's the major part of what makes Bastion's style so appealing. Darren Korb, the composer, really outdid himself with this one. Even if you haven't played the game, you need to listen to the ending song. It might be the best song of the year period, game or otherwise. 

Song: Setting Sail, Coming Home - by Darren Korb from Bastion.

Best Graphics: LA Noire

LA Noire was the first game we have ever played where the characters moved like an actual human being. The motion scan technology used to create the character animations makes facial expressions incredibly life like. 40's LA is recreated wonderfully, which helps pull you into the game world even further. Again though, the real star is the character animations. Now an actor's performances can be really taken straight into the game, and that opens up whole new avenues of character art direction and motion capture decisions. While the game itself didn't quite live up to the hype, the motion scan technology changed things up a bit for future games.

Image Source: Gamingunion.net

Best Art Direction: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Larger picture to show off the beautiful art style. Your Welcome. 

Skyward Sword sports one of the most impressive visual styles I have ever seen in a game. The Zelda series has never been afraid to try different artistic styles to use in their games (just look at Windwaker). Skyward Sword takes it to a whole other level though. The watercolor style makes the game just look amazing and refreshingly different. Many games are striving for more realistic graphics and styles, but Skyward Sword has gone the opposite way almost, the game looks like a painting, but it just fits the game so well. It really makes a case that we can still make games that can be visually impressive without having them look like realistic. The character designs are also very impressive and wonderfully created. This is the kind of art direction I wish we could see more often. Then again, that might diminish how different it is from everything else.

Image Source: Wiiugo.com 

Best Voice Acting In a Game: Dragon Age II

A lot of games upped the bar this year in a number of departments. Dragon Age II severely underwhelmed (even I have talked about my love/hate relationship with the game) but the one place that did not disappoint was the voice acting. Varric is a fan favourite character, as beloved as Garrus and Minsc. However, Isabella, Merrill, Anders, and many minor characters have performances that are just as good. The background chatter your companions have really shows how each of them feels or interacts with the others, and their conversations can sometimes be even better than the ones you have with them. Each and every one of them is different too, and their emotions can be felt in when the situation calls for it. A lot of games could learn something from the voiceovers that Dragon Age II has. 

Image Source: Powet.TV

Best Male Voice Actor: Mark Hamil

Mark Hamil is one of the better voice actors out there, and there is one role for which he has become famous: The Joker. In Arkham City, he really outdoes himself. The performance he gives is nothing short of incredible, and his take on the Joker always feels believable and more in line with how a lot of people actually see him acting. It may have been the last time Hamil takes up the role of Batman's arch nemesis but he put on a performance that draws from his years of playing the role. I will miss that laugh...

Image Source: images.wikia.com

Best Female Voice Actor: Ellen McLain

Should this be a shock to anyone? Ellen McLain has created one of the most recognizable voices in gaming history. She reprises her role as GlaDOS in Portal 2, and she's just as good, if not better, than the original. It has more to do with the story than anything but GlaDOS has much more going on in this game and McLain gives an excellent performance at every turn, even if the lines aren't quite as memorable. All in all, it's the kind of performance that I hoped she'd give, given the scope of the second game, and she did not disappoint. 

Image Source: Half-Life Wikia

Best Genre Specific Games

Best Console Specific Games

Top Game of 2011

Marshmallow Fluff! Presents: The Top Games of 2011

The Top Games of 2011: Best Game of 2011

And finally we reach the end. Hmm....what did I not cover yet. I know I missed something.

Oh right....

Best Game of 2011

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 

This is the kind of game we have always wanted. the three previous Elder Scrolls games all laid the foundation that Skyrim is built upon. But for the first time ever in the series, it actually feel 100% as if your in a whole other world than the one your sitting in when you play the game. The visuals of the are gorgeous, and they display a landscape that is land cold and often inhospitable, but it's so much more than just a great looking game. Butterfly's can be found around flowers, dragonflies coast along the surface of rivers and streams, elk and deer roam the countryside waiting to be hunted, and salmon swim upstream near small waterfalls. Meanwhile the townsfolk go about their day, some of them run their stalls, others head to the nearest inn for some music, and children can be found running playfully around, you can even join in their game of tag if you want. Meanwhile as you adventure you'll run into guards from different towns on patrol, you might run into some soldiers from the Imperial Legion transporting a Stormcloak prisoner. You can free him if you want to try, you can even give him some of your gear to improve his odds of successfully escaping. This game world truly feels as if it is alive. It's very easy to get sucked into the game world and not want to leave.

But there is so much more to the game than it's world though. The leveling system has been improved, removing some of the more questionable skills, and adding in a progressive perk tree for every single skill in the game. A lot of these perks help you in nay number of ways and it can sometimes be difficult deciding exactly what perks you want sometimes. The combat is also a lot of fun, now allowing you to dual wield weapons and spells in any number of ways. Archery is also a decent combat skill for the first time in the series, and you'll find plenty of arrows lying around that you won't have an empty quiver too often. The voices and characters are better than they were in Oblivion but still aren't quite at the level of some other RPG's, and the dialogue gets recycled quickly among guards and commoners. The story is also not especially a knockout, but it's an interesting ride and is worth your time no matter what your doing. There's also several guilds and factions you can go work for, although the College of Winterhold is much too short of a quest series. You'll find plenty of random quests to go on though, some very simple, others long.

In the end though Skyrim is an Elder Scrolls game and that means that you can go wherever you want, do whatever you want, whenever you want. I have never played a game where I felt more compelled to just go and explore the world. The game does feel a bit simpler than it's predecessors, especially in the magic department. There's much fewer spells, and you can no longer create your own, in part due to the fact that your spells get more powerful as you level each spell schools respective school. However, overall this is the ultimate game to just go march around in. There is plenty of fun to be had, there are some amazing stories you can find, and there is more than enough to see and do that you could be playing this game well into next year before your ready to put it down. This is the kind of game we've wanted for awhile now. A game that takes you away to another world and makes you feel like your actually there.

Image Sources: #1. Mixdl.com/ #2. Totalvideogames.com /#3. Amazon

Best Genre Specific Games
Best Console Specific Games
Best Sound and Art
Marshmallow Fluff! Present: The Top Games of 2011

The Top Games of 2011: The Best Genre Specific Games

This year was a banner year for games but RPG's had it especially well seeing the release of several premier titles that have been both critically and publicly acclaimed. Several big shooter franchises also released new games, and have raked in the dough. There were was also some cake and some big, tough, manly men getting emotional. So what were the best games of each genre? 

Best Shooter: Gears of War 3

Gears of War 3 is the kind of shooter I wish I had growing up. The campaign solidly wraps up the Gears trilogy, along with plenty of emotional moments and chainsawing fun. The multiplayer is solid and has plenty of modes and features to keep you playing. Horde mode is back and better than ever, and coupled with the new Beast mode there is more than enough to keep you playing for hours upon hours. The gameplay is just as good as it's always been in the Gears series, and the visuals are stunning. Apart from a few bugs here and there this is the kind of shooter you can find yourself playing for a long time. 

Image Source: G4TV

Best Action Game: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

I felt that I should let a real big Zelda fan cover this one, so my good friend Bryan will be covering this one. Take it away!

Legend of Zelda, is one of the most respected game franchises around. Many of the games titles are beloved classics. So when I say that Skyward Sword is the greatest Legend of Zelda game ever, you know it is one incredible experience. The storyline is intense and refreshingly different, giving players a new take on the relationships between key characters. The really impressive part of the story though, is how it links the past games together and how it sets some of the really interesting parts of the franchise up. The gameplay is extremely solid as well, utilizing the Wii’s motion controls in a way that hasn't really been seen before and provides a whole new spin on the combat. The games graphics are also gorgeous and different, using a watercolor style that sets Skyward Sword apart from most other games in the graphics department. All of the new ideas and features that Nintendo created for Skyward Sword were implemented with incredible execution, and the end result is perhaps the greatest Legend of Zelda experience ever.

Image Source: Digital Trends

Best Puzzle Game: Portal 2

Portal 2 is a prime example of a sequel that rises above the original. Every last part of this game improves one the already incredible foundation that Portal built. The voice acting is absolutely incredible and the visuals are awesome. The levels are much more impressive this time around. Part of that has to do with the game no longer being set only in a sterile lab environment now that plant life has invaded the Enrichment Center. But it's the puzzles that, once again. really make this game a lot of fun. The new elements are added in wonderfully, and don't feel forced and the scale of some of the levels is just insane. The co-op mode is brilliant as well, and really utilizes having an extra person around for puzzle solving. If you liked the first one at all, there is no reason to avoid Portal 2.

Image Source: Squidoo.com

Best RPG: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls Series has always been about huge, detailed worlds, where you can do pretty much whatever you want. With the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim though, Bethesda may have created one of the finest open world RPG's ever. From the second you step foot out of the games tutorial section the land of Skyrim is your playground. If you want to go do the main story, go so it. If you want to join the Mages College, you can make your way the frozen town of Winterhold, or maybe the Dark Brotherhood is more your speed. And if none of that really appeals to you, you could just go roam the wilderness, looting every last tomb, cave, and residence you find.You can essentially play the game how you want too, with no real restrictions on styles of combat. You want to go into a battle wearing heavy armor but blasting spells left and right, you can. Want to dual wield an axe and a sword? You can do that too. The game is downright gorgeous as well, and the soundtrack always sets the mood just right when trekking through the mountains. And of course...you know....dragons. Really, apart from a somewhat disappointing main quest line, the only big flaw Skyrim has is being a bit too big. 

Image Source: Videogamer.com

Best Fighting Game: Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat returned this year, and it's just as ridiculously fun and bloody as always. The game is largely the dame it has always been but tweaks the combat mechanics and controls and you have a pretty solid fighting game. Add in all of the unlockable features, costumes, fatalities and you have a game that you can get sucked into for quite a bit of time. The number of modes is fairly impressive as well including the Challenge mode, a tower of 300 objective oriented levels, as well as the classic tournament mode. Online play is fun too, including with it a new King of the Hill mode where groups of players wait turns to take on each other, while those not fighting take in the show. The story mode is a bit cheesy and unimpressive, and the sounds aren't particularly impressive but every single fighter has different movesets and fatalities. This is the best version of Mortal Kombat so far, and is defiantly the best fighter of this year. 

Image Source: Mortal Kombat Wiki

Best Sports Game: FIFA 12

FIFA 12 doesn't do anything particularly new and interesting, but it further refines the gameplay, modes, and presentation. The real big change in this years version is the new tactical defense system. No longer is it just a button press or two for you to essentially shut down defense. Now you have to actually time your tackles and sometimes the decision to simply hold back an opposing player is a smarter decision. The animations are also much smoother and more realistic now, making the game not just play realistically, but look the part as well. The online modes are compelling and football fans will love the way that matches are arranged when playing on versus one matches. You now pick your team before you start matchmaking, the servers then take into account your team, division, your personal ranking, did not finish percentage, and location which makes matches much, much fairer and fun. Ultimate Team is now included right out of the box, instead of being offered up as DLC which is really nice as well. All in all, this is the kind of football game you can not miss if you enjoy the sport. There is plenty to do, both online and off, and the presentation is slick and intuitive, even if the game doesn't take many chances. 

Image Source: Soccergaming.com

Best Racing Game: Forza 4

If you like cars, racing, or racing cars, Forza 4 has everything you can ask for. Over 450 cars, including everything from a Suzuki SX4 to a 1993 Mclaren F1. And with 25 tracks, many with multiple stages and layouts, there are plenty of different places to enjoy your vehicles on. There's a bevy of tuning and customizing options for every car, meaning that gearheads who link fine tuning every aspect of their ride can get lost for hours. Then you've also got the paint shop Then there's the online racing that now allows 16 players to race at once, not to mention Rival mode where you and your friends can try to outdo each other on various challenges and trials. There are also Car Clubs, where you and some friends can put cars that become available for everyone in the club to drive. The visuals are very impressive, especially the landscapes, and the sounds (except the music) are exceptional. The only real problem with Forza 4 is it offers virtually no tutorials or guides, so beginners can become somewhat overwhelmed, but there are enough driving aids that novice racers can get comfortable before too long. The Kinect features aren't really worth the trouble, headtracking was a particularly large let down, but it never takes anything away from the experience to be found here. 

Image Source: Gamereactor.eu

The Best Console Specific Games
The Best Game of 2011
The Best Sound and Art
Marshmallow Fluff! Presents: The Top Games of 2011

The Top Games of 2011: Console Specific Games

Some games don't get released on every platform. It's a real shame, but such is the way the games industry works. But what were the best games for each console?

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive Game: Forza 4 

This category was hard to decide upon for two reasons. The first being that none of the core consoles have a deep catalog of exclusives. The second being that there were two very good Xbox 360 exclusives that were vying for peoples attention. And both are deep and have a lot to keep you busy. Both were solidly the best of the year in their respective categories. But when it comes down to it, Forza 4 is a highly polished, very deep racing sim. There is no reason any racing fan would not want this game, with over 450 cars, over 20 tracks, and a deep community that offers custom paint jobs, car setups, and pictures. The driving mechanics are incredible, and every last car in the game is painstakingly recreated. The game is a bit unfriendly to beginners but there are enough driving aids that, given some patience, you could ease yourself in without too much trouble. Really the only thing missing are Porsches (curse you EA!) 

Image source: Videogamewriters.com

Best Downloadable Game: Bastion

This is the only category I honestly had no trouble deciding. The story is excellent, the art style is unique and vibrant, and the soundtrack is one of the best in any game. The combat, while not inventive, is incredibly fun, and the huge variety of weapons and special abilities offers lots of possibilities. And it's not just the things that are clear in front of you that make this game incredible. There's all sorts of amazing things waiting to be discovered that add to the story and to the experience. The omnipresent narrator is also a really cool touch, and helps flavor the game even further. This is one of those games you need to play. 

Image source: Supergiant Games

Best PC Exclusive Game: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Perhaps it was because of Skyrim, perhaps it was because the game was released in May. Whatever the reason, a lot of people seem to have forgotten just how good The Witcher 2 is. It is one of the best examples of storytelling in a game. Nearly every decision you make drives the game forward or alters how the game will end. The plot  moves along at a fast pace, sometimes so much so that several big revelations and shocking moments coincide. These moments are made even better by a wide array of characters who feel like real people. The environments are gorgeous, and the music and sound just add to the experience. The fast paced combat always keeps things entertaining, and the deep customization and crafting encourage exploration. The Witcher 2 also doesn't shy away from being gritty or offensive, often going places few games have tread before in terms of content. It is without a doubt one of the finest RPG experiences ever created. 

Image Source: Airbornegamer.com

Best Playstation 3 Exclusive: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Uncharted 3 offers more awesome exploits from Drake, Sully and co. and it might just be the best game in the series. It further refines the experiences of the past two, opening at a breakneck pace and continuing that way for much of the game. The story is solid, even if it is starting to become a bit formulaic, and the characters and voice acting continue to be highlights. The soundtrack is impressive, as are the environmental audio effects. The graphics are beautiful as well. The gameplay is better than it's ever been, but the shooting mechanics still feel a bit jumpy at times, and some segments of the game are extremely frustrating to play through. But this game still shines through as one of the best experiences to be had, PS3 or otherwise. 

Image Source: Playstationlifestyle.net

Best Wii Exclusive Game: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Legend of Zelda turned 25 years old this year. Fitting then, that the best game in the series revolutionizes it as well as marks the anniversery of the series. Skyward Sword changes the control style, the design, and even the relationship between Link and Zelda. Yet, the story that Skyward Sword tells is powerful, and is easily one of the most memorable in gaming history. The watercolor art style is stunning, and will standout for years to come, and the musical score, while not quite the best in the series, does an incredible job of providing emotion. The controls are intuitive, they just feel right. You will never want to play Zelda any other way again. Ocarina of Time has long been the standard by which all other games in the Legend of Zelda series are judged. Skyward Sword may finally be the game that tops Ocarina of Time, a feat few thought possible. And it goes to show just how incredible an experience Skyward Sword really is. 

Image source: Wikipedia

Best Handheld: Radiant Historia 

Radiant Historia may not be the choice people were expecting, but the game itself is not what people were expecting. Raidiant Historia walks a fine line between a traditional RPG, and something entirely different, and the game takes a lot of chances. The result is a game that is refreshingly different and fun. The story is solid, and though it can get a bit text ridden sometimes, it always makes you feel engaged and your decisions will make you feel responsible for what happens because of your choices. It does take a bit to get going, maybe longer than it should, but once your into the heart of the game you will be on the edge of your seat until the end. The combat is incredibly fun, offering a very interesting shakeup to the usual turn based style seen in most RPGs and it allows some very different strategies for combat while remaining somewhat familiar to longtime RPG players. The retro sprite graphics are also stunning and detailed, the soundtrack is absolutely incredible and a large game world offers plenty of exploration. It might not be what you were expecting, but that isn't always a bad thing. 

Image Source: Moby Games

The Best Game of 2011
The Best Genre Specific Games
The Best Sound and Art
Marshmallow Fluff! Presents: The Top Games of 2011 

Weekly Wrap Up: Gordon Freeman In The House?

...I swear if this is some kind of sick joke.

A Valve employee has been spotted wearing a Half-Life 3 t-shirt. Yes, apparently Chandana Ekanayak, an executive producer at Uber Entertainment (the guys behind Monday Night Combat), spotted a random valve employee wearing the shirt pictured above. Now, hold on a second here (prepare for your dreams to be deleted here, along with mine), before we get too carried away I'd like to point out that Random Valve Employee Man had absoluetly no problem having a a picture of the shirt taken by Ekanayak, who proceeded to stick it up on Twitter. If Valve were really close to a Half-Life 3 reveal they most certainly would be doing their gosh darnedest to keep it under wraps until the big reveal. Not to mention stuff like this can get someone fired. So unless Random Valve Employee Guy really disliked his job with one of the premier game developers, I think it unlikely he'd just let a picture be taken unless it meant very little for the time being.

That said we'll have to wait and see what Valve's inevitable response to this will be.

In the meantime, here's some more gaming news from the past week.

Sony Clarifies One Account Policy For PS Vita

NeoGaf discovered this weekend that the Playstation Vita will allow only one Playstation Network account per portable.

So what in blazes does that mean exactly?

At a recent hands-on event, Sony tried to clarify. "Only one account. If you want to use a different account you need to format the system to factory settings." Sony's Brad Douglas, Sony Japans Third-Party Relations guy clarified further by mentioning that the Playstation Portable also only allows one account. The only difference is that the Portable doesn't force you to do a factory reset to log in. The main reason players have two accounts is so they can play digital titles available in Japan, as well as their own country. The factory reset throws a wrench into that by forcing you to stay region locked essentially, unless you like jumping through very small hoops on fire draped over piranha tanks. 


EA Online Passes Can Expire 
A now, and understandably so, disgruntled NeoGaf member has learned that the online passes that EA requires for access to it's games online content expire after a certain amount of time after purchasing a brand new copy of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit only to find the games online pass activation key had expired. Some other members looked through the EULA and did find a clause that states the codes can in fact expire. Joystiq followed up on the story and as it turns out some games passes are set to expire, according to a customer service advisor with EA. So essentially for these games even if you buy the game new you will still have to pay to access online features, a move initially made to combat used game sales.

Again, people are understandably upset with EA. I think it's absolutely unbelievable that they never really came out and notified anyone about this. Yes it's in their EULA agreement but this is the kind of thing people really need to know ahead of time.

XCOM Loses A Developing Team

2K games has announced that it's Canberra, Australia development team, which was helping to work on the upcoming XCOM reboot, would be shifted to help with development of Bioshock: Infinite instead.

Initially, this lead to speculation that XCOM might be on hold, or might have even been canceled. However, 2K Games told Kotaku that 2K Marin was still developing the game with the hope that the game would still be a strong title. However, when pressed for more information about the size of the development team, 2K declined to get more specific. "As a rule we do not comment on the size of our development team."

I don't view this as a setback for XCOM necessarily. Bioshock: Infinite is shaping up to be one of the premier titles for next year, and 2K probably recognizes that in order to get it out in time for it's tenative holiday 2012 release, they're going to need as many people working on it as possible.

GamePro Sails Away Into The Sunset

This news is not a good sign for the state of the printed gaming press.

One of the longest running magazines about video games, starting way back in 1988, GamePro announced that it will be ceasing it's publication as a standalone company as of today, December 5th. Both the site, and the magazine will be shutting down. In a statement on their site (which probably no longer exists) was this:

Thank you for your loyalty, support, and participation in the GamePro.com community. At noon on December 5, 2011, the U.S. version of GamePro online will shut down as an independent site. GamePro will become part of PCWorld.com (http://www.pcworld.com/gamepro) offering gaming news, reviews, and how-tos from the PCWorld team. Thank you to the entire GamePro staff for their hard work and dedication.

 GamePro was one helped to give the games industry a voice, especially as it began it's rise into the pop culture stratosphere. Handfuls of talented writers and journalists have written for the magazine. It's death is a significant blow to gaming journalism and really give us a sign of the times.

Dragon Age Getting Multiplayer

An insider has claimed that Dragon Age will be getting a multiplayer mode that has an arena-like style to it. The mode will cover Player versus Environment, Player versus Player, and Player versus Dragon play modes. Details on the PvE section are slim, but according to the source the mode is fairly far along in development. IT is apparently being developed using DICE's Frostbite 2.0 engine. What was not made clear is if this rumored multiplayer mode is going to be DLC of some kind for Dragon Age II, or if it will be in an upcoming game. Or perhaps a game on it's own entirely. 


Sadly, this news seems to confirm somewhat the rumors that EA is requiring all of it's games to have some kind of online multiplayer. And unlike the Mass Effect co-op mode, so far this mode sounds somewhat unrelated to anything in Dragon Age as of now. Then again we didn't know exactly what Mass Effect's multiplayer was exactly until it was announced/leaked. Still given the success of recent RPG's like Skyrim and Skyward Sword, one has to wonder if requiring games that have previously been single player to have multiplayer is a good idea or not. 


Okay so maybe this past week wasn't all happy news. Hopefully this coming week will be a bit happier. And, with a bit of luck, maybe some Gordon Freeman too.  

Flufflist: The Top Five Western RPG's Of All Time

...No there is no Zelda here.

With the release of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, western RPG's made a bold statement. Despite having no multiplayer whatsoever, it has been one of the best selling games this year. It is also one of the best reviewed, with over 50 perfect scores from critics, and the player reception has been just as good. It actually has me thinking about where it might end up in the all time RPG's list a few years from now. It also made me think about all the other western RPG's I've played, and their legacies too. So here, from me to you, is a list of the top five western RPG's of All Time (from my point of view)

Oh and spoilers and stuff....you've been warned.

Honorable Mention: Neverwinter Nights

Neverwinter Nights is a rare game in my mind, and it holds a special place with me personally because this was the game that really got me into RPGs. I had always been a somewhat casual gamer kid before I found my dad's copy of Neverwinter Nights, but I was hooked forever afterwards. At the time of it's release, Neverwinter Nights had some pretty decent graphics, but it was the turn-based gameplay based on Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition rules that had people interested. The solid gameplay is every D&D fans dream when it comes to taking the pen and paper experience to the digital world. The story was solid, though it did slow at times. However, these all took a backseat to the multiplayer and mod community. The robust multiplayer allowed players to pick from a multitude of severs to play consistent campaign's, as well as the campaign that shipped with the game. But for me, the thing that sets this game apart is the mod community. Neverwinter Nights shipped with the Aurora Toolset, which allowed players to create their own campaigns to play in the game. Couple that with the people who made new items, hakpacks to use with the toolset, and custom audio, and some of these campaigns actually beat out the one that came with the game. There is practically YEARS worth of excellent gaming to be found on the internet thanks to the community that loves the game so much. And that's really what sets this game apart from the others on this list (except Morrowind perhaps) is that the community actively made improvements to the game. While the game shows some serious age now, it is still worth picking up, because there is still so much to discover through the community.

#5. Planescape: Torment

If you like to be evil, and you don't want any morality conflicting your decisions, then Planescape: Torment are right up your alley. The dark and emotional story are unlike anything else I've played in an RPG. The story isn't about happy endings or saving the world from evil. It's about a man simply named...uhh...The Nameless One, who he is unable to remember who he is when he wakes up in a morgue at the start of the game. As you play you learn that The Nameless One is immortal but every time he "dies" he forgets his past. Your free to discover the truth how you see fit, and the games dark setting and premise feel refreshingly different from usual RPG's. Really this is one of the stronger stories in a game, because it's more personal. Your choices in the game often times have unpredictable consequences and makes playing the game fun and engaging, You also have the ability to learn new abilities by "remembering" one of The Nameless One's past lives, which is a genius idea. The game had some incredible music and voice acting as well, and a lot of it still holds up today. The interface is also intuitive, even today, keeping menus and screens limited so you can focus on playing the game. The gameplay is also very solid, if a bit easy. While Planescape: Torment earned a great critical reception at release, people avoided it for some odd reason. Perhaps the dark story and setting were a little too different at the time. Whatever the case, Planescape: Torment is a cult classic that has never earned the attention it deserves, but that doesn't diminish how incredibly brilliant it really was and still is.

#4. Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Morrowind is the ultimate game for exploration. The story starts with you on a prison ship, as you are transported to a small port. The guards call you up from below the decks. They check you out in a ever so brief tutorial of how the game works, which doubles as your character creation process. They politely suggest you visit a man named Caius Cosades and then send you on your merry way. From that point on the island of Vvardenfell is your oyster. You can go anywhere, do anything, be anything. Join a guild, help one of the three big houses that run the province, go side questing, or just go run around the island until your bored. For me, I never was even able to finish the story until about two years after I got the game. I got so involved with the world and the various quests and people and places that I never felt a serious desire to wrap the main story up. This game is unlike the others on this list because the story and characters take a backseat in this one entirely. Storytelling has never been Bethesda's strong suit, and they wouldn't argue that. That's because The Elder Scrolls games have always been about doing whatever you feel like doing. But Morrowind made you just feel like doing something, even if you didn't know what. The world is incredibly detailed as far as aesthetics and content are concerned. And all you have to do is see the sheer number of readable books to know that there is a pretty detailed history to go through if you feel like it as well. Morrowind also has a fairly dedicated mod community that has made numerous improvements to the game that have kept the game fresh even after Elder Scrolls IV came out. Morrowind doesn't need a super detailed story to make it enjoyable. Sometimes, just firing up the game and knowing you can do whatever comes to mind on a given day makes it incredibly addictive.

#3. Mass Effect

Mass Effect is a prime example of excellent storytelling and world building in an RPG. While the gameplay is solid, and the graphics are certainly breathtaking, Mass Effect took a leap forward for games with it's story and characters. The story's premise is as follows: The Reapers, a sentient race of machine-like beings who sweep through the galaxy every 50,000 years or so and wipe all sentient life out of the galaxy. They've repeated this process for millions of years. Now it;s up to Commander Shepard and his crew to stop them once and for all. I have never played anything even close to what I get with Mass Effect when it comes to story. It's like playing a Sci-Fi movie, except your in the drivers seat. The world itself is spectacularly well put together. All the alien races have their own histories, the technology has interesting concepts, and the codex that builds as you explore the game world shows just how much effort Bioware took in building the galaxy you wander through. Really some of the history of the galaxy is so interesting it almost demands some games of their own. The characters are extremely memorable, and they all have different personalities, motives, and views on the universe and how things work. Wrex, a Krogan Battlemaster, enjoys fighting like most of his species, but is also one of the few who cares about his dying races future. Meanwhile you have Garrus, a Turian who hates to let the bad guys win. So much so that he is an "ends justify the means" type. He's also an extremely talented soldier, he's like Dirty Harry and Batman mixed into one package. Mass Effect's universe is so deeply detailed, it seems almost certain that we'll be playing in it long after Commander Shepard's story is finished this March. Just so long as we stay away from the elevators...

#2. Knights of the Old Republic

Back in 2003 Star Wars had already had a rich history when it came to games. Rouge Squadron, Dark Forces, the Jedi Knight games. But when Bioware were given the opportunity to create an original story in the Star Wars universe, they were given a golden opportunity to put their company on the map. It was also a big risk, taking on what became the biggest Star Wars game ever, which included a huge risk by setting the game thousands years before Darth Vader was even a whiny little brat named Anakin. But Bioware not only delivered a solid game, and they also didn't just delivere the most memorable Star Wars game ever. Bioware delivered on of the greatest RPGs of all time. The game wasn't just an RPG with Star Wars sprinkled in. Every second of the game feels like Star Wars.The gameplay was solid, if a little easy at times. The soundtrack was also incredible. They didn't rip tracks out of the movies, they created an original score that gave the game it;s own feeling, while also still sounding like something straight out of A New Hope or Return of the Jedi. But it was the characters and the story that really make this game memorable. Characters like HK-47 and Carth Onasi are just as beloved by Star Wars fans as Darth Vader or Obi Wan. They also develop very well, and have interesting back stories of their own. The story though, was what really made Knights of the Old Republic memorable. In my opinion, it's not just good, it's better than even the original trilogy of Star Wars movies. It's paced so perfectly, you never feel like things are rushing along or are moving too slowly. The side quests and companion quests are just as fun and detailed as the ones in the main story. And the big twist, that you are (or at least used to be) one of the most evil forces in the entire galaxy came so far out of left field you never saw it coming. It was like "Luke I am your father" all over again. My jaw had to be screwed back into place after it happened. Perhaps the biggest compliment one can give Knights of the Old Republic, is that it holds up so well. It does show it's age when compared against today's newer RPGs, but the characters, the story, even some of the gameplay, near the top of the pack. The only question left to answer now is will The Old Republic MMO live up to the legacy of the original?

#1. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

The oldest game on this list also happens to be the best. Simply put, western RPG developers have been trying to top this one for more than ten years, and while many have gotten somewhat close, no one has been able to fully top what this game did. It's main story alone is almost 70 hours short. Add in the side quests, class specific quests, an companion quests and this game is nearly 200 hours in length. The story is incredible in and of itself, taking a few twists and turns en route to a hell of a final showdown. The game, for it's time, was absolutely drop dead gorgeous, and even today, while clearly dated, they aren't half bad. The characers in Baldur's Gate II are by far some of the best in gaming period. Minsc (and Boo!) alone has earned a place in gaming lore forever, but add in characters like Imonen, the childhood friend of the protagonist, Yoshimo, the mysterious swordsman, and Edwin, a rouge wizard who enjoys insulting you (and gets transformed into a girl if you play through his side quests)  and you have a great party to adventure around with. In fact, even with room for five people to take with you, I found it difficult to choose from the extensive list many times. Add to all that the gameplay and leveling systems which were nearly flawless, and you have a game that just stands at the top of the mountain. The story is thrilling, the characters interesting and detailed, and the world is vast and deep. Nothing has quite reached the level of fun, depth and storytelling that Baldur's Gate II reached.

So there it is. I imagine more than a few of you are wondering are a few different games are here. So post up what you think in the comments. Did I get it really wrong? Do you agree? Let me know!

Until next time space cowboy...

Weekly Wrap Up: A New Format

Before we get started...

Okay, so you know how this blog has been updated here and there with some in depth stories and pieces? Yeah that's changing today. I'm making some changes to make this place somewhere where you can keep coming back all the time to find new stuff to read and listen to. A lot of this will be a work in progress as I go along, and more changes will more than likely to occur. As per the usual, your guys job is to spread the word as much as you can, and mine will be to keep them (and you) coming back for more.

Don't fear though, if you enjoyed what I used to do, those kinds of things will still be here, and I will still be writing new ones. But I felt like I could make this blog somewhere people flock to for the most interesting reading material about video games period. So, let's see how this goes.

- Nolan


...Let it begin.

The reason I almost missed Thanksgiving dinner.

This past week was, for us here in America (ummm....hell yeah?) was Thanksgiving. The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally Black Friday, the single biggest shopping day in the world. Ridiculous sales are on in every shop and everyone knows it's the best chance they have to haul in huge savings while doing Christmas shopping. Nonetheless the world continued to spin, so here are some of the highlights in news and interesting accomplishments from the past seven days.

South Korea's "Cinderella Law" Goes Into Effect

Fearing the problem that game addiction in a technologically focused country could have on the next generation of Koreans, South Korea has put into effect a law that bans players under the age of 16 from playing online between midnight and six in the morning. The law was drafted in April, and while it initially only covered MMORPGS, the law was extended to cover all kinds of gaming.

The law has met (obviously so) some harsh criticism from various gaming groups. The Korean Association of Game Industry, a massing of fourteen publishers and developers, has called it "excessive prohibition" of a specific group, and reportedly has plans to file a lawsuit.

The obvious reason behind this law is that teenagers should be spending the evening hours sleeping rather then gaming, but the law calls into question the civil liberties of children. And while the Korean government have made their views crystal clear, one has to wonder if this kind of law could spark similar reactions elsewhere in the world. The law also calls into question whose job it is to see that children get a decent amount of sleep, but for now this law is here to stay.

Curious Elder Scrolls Player Finds Entire Continent Beyond Skyrims Borders

One person playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim decided he just had to know what lay beyond the invisible boundaries of Skyrim's game world. I'm not entirely sure what he was expecting when he turned no-clip mode on to see what lay beyond Skyrims invisible borders, but I can guarantee he did not expect to find the entire continent of Tamrieal. The player took numerous screenshots as he flew around, seeing such sights as the Vvardenfell volcano and the Imperial City (well, the land area it sits upon anyhow.)

The question now is what exactly are they doing there? The most likely answer is so that when players look out over the horizon, they can see familiar landscape landmarks from past games, to help them feel like they are in the same world as the past Elder Scrolls games, but who knows? Maybe there is some sort of secret Bethesda hasn't let us in on yet.

New Xbox 360 Dashboard Launches December 6th

The title is somewhat self explanatory. Microsoft will roll out it's newest version of the Xbox Dashboard on the 6th. Aside from a sleeker look, the new dashboard will have greater integration for Kinect Voice Recognition. This is also the same day that the Microsoft will be launching some new TV and movie apps, so Xbox users should be paying special attention to this date.

All in all a quiet week overall, but the "Cinderella Law" (as it is apparently being called) that went into effect in South Korea this past week is an obviously important event. South Korea has earned a notorious reputation for how seriously they take their games, and for how long some people play them. But, as stated above, this law causes many questions to appear, and some have no clear answers. I personally find this law a bit of drastic step, and for parents it's somewhat of a slap in the face that the government has decided that they can't keep their children offline. We'll see what kind of an uproar we get from this law in the coming weeks.

Are The Golden Years of FPS Gone? Can We Fix It?

...Master Chief is rolling in his power armor.

The marquee match-up in the shooter world these days is Battlefield and Call of Duty. Both had games out this year, and both spent quite a bit of time saying that theirs was going to be better than the other. They sank millions upon millions into their respective games. Modern Warfare 3 shattered sales ratings and Battlefield 3 has been among the top sales as well. Plenty of people are playing, and the critical reception has been seemingly positive.

So why are these games both so bad?

Metacritic's user rating for Modern Warfare 3 is a 28. Let that sink in for a moment. And before you go saying, "Oh but that's just all the haters reviewing it poorly because they think it's trash." If you compare it to the previous three entry's there is a disturbing trend that one can see. Black Ops has at least garnered an average score from users of about a 58. But Modern Warfare 2 is almost as disdained with a score of 31. Then we look at Modern Warfare and see an 84. This series has been around long enough that those figures are not just people hating on the franchise. The critics always seem to give these games high scores, but in the court of public opinion, Call of Duty has never been worse. And you know what they say...the people are always right.

So why is it so bad then? Well if we again go to Metacritic, a lot of people are upset by the poor quality of the multiplayer, and the single player campaigns  Michael Bay explosionfest. Most people are seeing this game as a $60 map pack, and the maps are average or worse. The only feature that hasn't been lambasted by players is the Spec Ops mode, but even that mode isn't having it's praises sung. People have accused Call of Duty of failing to change or do anything new or interesting, and given the way the player reaction to the newest installment, it's getting really hard to argue the point. In order to write this I sat down and play it myself for some firsthand perspective. The honest answer is: I found myself very upset and frustrated by this game. The multiplayer frequently had me in fits of rage has higher leveled players with ridiculous weapons and perk packages slaughtered me. I am no slouch at shooters, but I was almost always hovering at around an even K/D ration or worse and a score in about the lower end of the board. Some of the weapons are just ridiculously overpowered, and some even came back from Modern Warfare 2. The maps might be the worst they've been in a Call of Duty title. It really felt like they were assembled to the point of 'just good enough'. The campaign really is just a Michael Bay explosion experience. Whatever the critics are seeing, I, and many others, can't see it.

How Not To Make A FPS

But don't think Battlefield 3 is escaping my attention here.

This game has almost singlehandedly made a case for why shooters should just not bother with a story mode sometimes. Not only does it rip elements of other games (especially Call of Duty: Black Ops) to compromise it's story, it is the most emotionless shooter story I think I have ever played. I felt like a mindless drone playing it. And then, halfway through, they try to make you care about soldiers, whose names you've heard have maybe twice and have the emotion and characterization of a rock, by throwing in a 'tragic event'. Even as the game tries to insist that I should care about whats going on, I find myself with no reaction to anything that happens, aside from my appreciation of the production values. At least Call of Duty has the immortal Captain Price as a memorable character, not one character from Battlefield 3 will be remembered past the end of this year. I actually had to replay it briefly just to remind myself who the main character was. The multiplayer is decent but it has yet to blow me away. There are some issues with balance during some games, especially between players of high and low rank, and snipers can sometimes get to be too much of a problem on the more open maps. There is also a clear favor for most players to play the engineer class, sometimes entire teams ignore the other three classes. Again, I don't see how this game has been so well received by critics.

And these two are not the only games in the first person shooter genre that have caused some people to question where this genre is headed. Resistance 3 has been called average at best, Medal of Honor's reboot was but a shadow of it's former self, and Call of Juarez: The Cartel is one of the most insulting games to ever be released. Go watch this video if you want an explanation: Extra Credits: Call of Juarez

So all this negativity has to have at least one or two of you re-examining the FPS genre. Believe me, a few weeks ago I hadn't felt this bad about the genre but recent events have demanded we sit down and look at these games and ask some questions about what is going on here.

So, there are problems, we can see that now. The real question now is: Can we fix it?

Honestly, I don't know.

There's a few reasons I think that way, and first and foremost is sales. I can sit here and point out flaws all day, and the public opinion can dip into the negative numbers on Metacritic, but the big companies have made it pretty clear that if we keep buying these games they will keep making them, and they will stay the course unless the backlash is big enough. Medal of Honor's reboot is getting a new game, desptie some harsh words against it from critics and payers alike, all because the game sold millions of units. Video Games are a business after all. I get that. Developers and publishers want to rake in as much as they can.

But you reach this point (reason number two inbound) where you start sacrificing quality for quantity. I think we are defiantly seeing that with Call of Duty, which Activision insists must be released yearly. Battlefield's main series does not have a game every year, but the Battlefield franchise also seem to be on the boat of yearly releases. These games have started getting progressively worse, that is almost undeniable, and part of it is the publishers insistence on having a new iteration of a franchise every single year. When you put that kind of development window on the table, even if you have two studios taking turns the way Infinity Ward and Treyarch have been, two years or so is not enough time to craft a masterpiece. Corners have to be cut, and deadlines must be met.

Pictured: The Boat of Yearly Releases

Which brings me to reason three. The apparent lack of progression. For some reason, these games don't seem to take steps forward in the areas that really matter. Example: Modern Warfare 2 was a real step backwards from Modern Warfare in a lot of peoples eyes, and Treyarch was due to release the next Call of Duty title. They had to come up with some ideas to try and get people back into the franchise. So they came up with COD points, a system where you earn spendable credits while playing the game to buy equipment and weapons as you progress. While it was a somewhat skeletal system overall, there was a clear framework in place for a big step forward in how a player progressed in the Call of duty series. With some more tweaks and support it could have become a staple feature. Instead, after Black Ops came out, and Infinity Ward was up to bat yet again, they insisted that the two development teams were separate and would not use each others work. Guess what they did not even consider bringing back in Modern Warfare 3? That decision made no sense whatsoever from any standpoint. It hurts the franchise's progress, and it subtracts an interesting feature from your game.

And now we come to point four of this increasingly depressing list. The lack of will to try and be different. Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, and Medal of Honor may all be different franchises with different backgrounds but they all have two things absolutely in common. They are setting their games in the 'modern war' time, and they do not show any signs of trying anything different anytime soon. The lack of creativity is starting to spread it seems, and it is really making the genre a stale place to be. Yes Halo is out there still, and sure Resistance and Killzone are trying, but the sales (yet again) don't lie. For whatever reason we are not yet sick of going to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia to fight terrorists. And now there's the disturbing trend of blowing up, or threatening to blow up, New York City (see: Modern Warfare 3/2, Battlefield 3, Rainbow Six: Patriots). This happend with the World War II setting as well, we got game after game in the setting, the sales kept growing and growing and then they just, stopped. Players started to get bored and started accusing developers of a lack of originality. So why is that not happening now? It's been nearly five years since Modern Warfare really kicked off this trend, and it is still running strong. Does no one else want to shoot something other than a terrorist or Russian for once in a game?

"Are they Terrorists or Russians?!" "Whats the difference?"

I have a list that goes further than this but I'll stop because my point has been made. All of these things are contributing to a genre that just is not what it used to be. It used to be hard just to pick which FPS you were going to go with, now it's getting hard to decide if your even going to get one, if any. Fixing this problem will not be easy, and it is going to require some of us who aren't voicing our concerns to step up and start letting these developers know we need some changes. We can make this genre interesting again, it's not so far gone that it will always be a world of explosions and dull grey and brown, but we have to be a part of making the change, or else developers and publishers will keep giving us the same things over and over again.


Well that was...long. I was going to start getting into how to fix it, but I think it's easier to just go through my points about what is wrong and just add to the end of it 'so fix it'. I hope you guys liked this one. As usual, please, spread the word, go like the facebook page (link to it on the page coming soon) and give me some feedback. Comment, email me, give me some ideas. I'd really appreciate it.

We Need A Proper Award Show

...No Spikes VGA's do NOT count.

This is about the time of year when we, the gaming masses, begin debating about what game deserves the honor of Game of the Year. It's also a good time for us to reflect on the many other great games we've seen over the year (or in some cases the not so great ones.) But the gaming industry has several places that give away awards to the top games of the year.

But we are missing one that really shows up somewhere everyone can watch and enjoy AND really rewards the industry as a whole for it's work, not just the games themselves.

Do not tell me that Spike's VGA's are an equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are not. They had about a dozen or so award categories last year, want to guess how many awards I actually saw get awarded? Three. Maybe four if you count the farce that was best voice acting, which they gave to the host of the show over several, much more deserving efforts (sorry Neil Patrick Harris, but it's the truth...) Everything about this award show is a joke. It's all about trailers of new projects and the really cool people who decided to show up at our award show from elsewhere. Green Day doesn't go up on stage during the Grammys to announce a new album and M. Night Shyamalan doesn't announce his next big movie in the middle of the Academy Awards. Even if some of these other award banquets and shows have become shadows of what they used to be, it's still about celebrating the work of the industry. Spikes VGA's are about next years work, while finding time to kind of recognize the work of the past year. Also (get ready because I'm about to do some large font and caps...): MOST ANTICIPATED GAME IS THE BIGGEST JOKE OF AN AWARD EVER. PERIOD. 


I'm okay now...

And while we have award shows, they almost always seem to avoid one very important part of any industry: the people behind it. Movies, TV, Music, and Theater all have awards shows that honor, not just the work, but the people. They give out awards to individuals who were important factors behind some of the best works of the year. We do not currently have an award show that really does that. The one award banquet that gets close is the one that is held at the Game Developers Conference every year. However those are only given out to longtime members of the industry like Peter Molyneux or Sid Meier. I never see any real award given to anyone in the industry for their current work. While the games are the real stars of these shows, there are people behind them who deserve some of the recognition.

Really, the GDC awards are the closest we get to a real celebration of the industry. Almost everyone in the industry, aside from a few eastern developers (which is a shame, because they should be there too), is at this show and attends the awards banquet. The awards are decided upon by the industry, for the industry. The fans and players do not get a say in the awards here. This is all about the gaming industry. While yes, we the gamers should get a say somewhere in there, it's nice to have an award show where the industry takes a good look at itself and decides who's doing the best work.

We need a true award banquet where we can see the past year in retrospect, and really remember all the great things we got to see, and all the hard work that the people behind these games put in. Every other entertainment medium has one, and they are always doing their best to respect their industry and look at all the amazing things that they have accomplished. Why should we not do the same?

I'd like to start pushing the people reading this regularly to go out and share this with all the gaming people you know. Seriously, just mention it, show it to them if they are around while you read. It'd be really cool if that followers bar on the side grows or the likes on the facebook page shoot up.


Until next time.

Pokemon: Five Ideas For The Future

...Gotta catch em'all....when I find the time.

Pokemon is pretty much the most successful RPG around. Fifteen years after we first meet Pikachu, Charizard and company the game is still selling millions upon millions of copies around the world. The most recent entries in the main series, Black and White, have breathed new life into the franchise with a better story, more interesting characters, and a new land modeled after a major metropolitan city outside of Japan (New York City.) Some are even saying that they might be the best pair of games since the originals.

But even though Pokemon has stayed relevant and maintained a rabid fan base, there are also plenty of people calling for even more change. And really, it;s hard to argue with them. Despite the fact that the main series of games spans five 'generations', each with two or three titles in it, the game has largely been the same since Red and Blue. Thats not a bad thing because Pokemon has a formula that just works, but in order to avoid alienating even more people, and to really bring the franchise to the next decade, some more changes are necessary. Here are a few good places to start.



Honorable Mention - Enough Legendary's

This is one that put here simply because I think it needs to be said. There are too many legendary pokemon. The term used to apply to pokemon that were extremely hard to obtain, or were the best of the best. Now there are some that are about as easy to obtain as normal ones, and some are even given away. In my eyes, that diminishes their importance, and just clogs the games up with too many superpowerful monsters. Refocus the importance of these pokemon, or make them harder to get, that way getting them means much more than it currently does.



#5. Some Character Creation

I'm not necessarily a fan of this idea, but I recognize that it's an idea that would certainly make quite a few people happy. Pokemon has always forced you to play as a child. While initially you could only play as a boy, Game Freak did bring the option to play as a girl in Gold and Silver. Since then nothing has really changed character wise. In fact, that was one of the reasons I really enjoyed Black and White. The finally introduced playable characters who were teenagers. Now maybe it's because I am no longer ten, but playing as kid every single Pokemon game just gets a little old. It'd be nice to let you truly step into the world of Pokemon as yourself. Everyone likes to see themselves in their favourite games, and might even make your adventure a little more memorable.



#4. Let Us Visit Every Region 

I'll admit, this is one I personally want to see quite a bit. There are now five regions in the Pokemon world, and other than Gold, Silver, And Crystal (and their remakes) we've never been able to visit other regions of the Pokemon world in the same game. It's not like it's impossible to do so either, characters from other regions frequently show up in different games. It'd make for one monstrous game, certainly something that would require a long term commitment. Sadly, that is one of the many pitfalls of trying to pull this off however. There's lots of other problems and questions, some with easy answers, many where outside the box thinking is probably necessary. Still, it would be nice to be in Goldenrod, and then go visit Castelia City without changing which game I'm playing.

#3. Even More Online Options

This is one we all can benefit from. The online options have gotten much better with Black and White than the previous versions, now with the ability to simply challenge anyone online instead of needing to be in the same general area, or have a friend code. Previous games have also had some kind of fun diversions, and have even started allowing players to team up in the game in certain areas. Yet, as nice as it's gotten, it could be even better. Ash pals around with two people in the anime. Always does. So why not let us roam around the Pokeworld with our own friends? It'd make for even more fun for everyone when you can pal around with your buddies, and could even open up new options for gameplay options and challenges. It'd also be nice to have some more options when facing another person online. The way it is now, your getting luck of the draw, and sometimes you'll be facing people with some pretty tough pokemon. There should be more of a system in place for who you get matched up with. Also, item trading. Get on it Game Freak. Like, now.

#2. Even More Story Improvements 

Black and White made some big steps in the right direction with this, but it still needs to go even further. Every game is set up much the same story wise. X bad guy group wants to achieve Y objective while you face eight gyms spread through a region and then challenge the elite four to become the Pokemon Champion. Even Black and White stick somewhat to that formula, and it's starting to get a little stale. Change the gyms, give us a true Pokemon League Tournament. Make it be one bad guy instead of a group, make the objectives of said bad person more interesting, have more characters in the game play into the whole story. There are so many ways the story could get better. I know some people are seeing this and saying "How could he think such thoughts! This is part of what makes Pokemon Pokemon!" While that is true to a certain point, I think Game Freak could make a game that doesn't stick to those rules and still have it feel like a pokemon game. After all, the Pokemon Ranger games have done a good job of telling different stories, and while Ash is usually chasing gym badge, he still finds time for some pretty lengthy side stories. Let us experience some of that too.

#1. Graphics Upgrade

This is the one just about everyone is calling for at this point. The graphics style is one of the most recognizable parts of the Pokemon games. It is also showing it's also showing it's age and despite the attempts to slap new coats of paint over the framework, it is just about time to ditch the 2D sprites all together. There might be some people who won't be happy about it but with the power of the 3DS' graphics, there is no longer any excuse to keep the game stuck in even partial 2D. We have seen plenty of Pokemon games outside the main series that have featured 3D and some have looked pretty good at their launch. It seems like such a trivial thing, and yet it could really bring a fresh feeling to the next game. They don't have to change perspectives, and they do not need to change the battle style. They just need to break free from the sprites.


That's all I got for now. Given this list is just a few of the things they could do, this is certainly a good place to start. Future Pokemainiacs will appreciate this changes as much as current ones do, and most of these can come about without sacrificing the feel of the game at all, which is an important key to any change to a long running franchise.


To wrap this up, I just want to say Extra Life 2011 went very well. If you didn't donate, but still want to and think it's too late, there is a small window of time to get late donations in, but do it ASAP please. I appreciate it all the same.

And with that, I bid thee farewell for now.