Kotaku's Last Gen Buyer's Guide Dramabomb

[kenjisalk]

http://kotaku.com/5126059/a-buyers-guide-to-a-console-generation-past

ITT epic whinan

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I was on the same page with the author of this piece until he make the statement that MGS2 is the best MGS on the PS2. Oh Kotaku. :shrug:

[Desensitized]

Guitar Hero – The original. Developed by Harmonix. They’re all covers, they’re a mixed bag of songs, but playing Texas Flood and Helmet’s Unsung back-to-back is an experience not even Rock Band can match.... Except Texas Flood is coming to Rock Band and Helmet DLC is most likely come down the pipe. Oh yeah, and they're all masters. New rhythm games are simply far superior to last gen's games.


Paper Mario & the Thousand Year Door – Cute Role-playing game that takes classic Mario characters and turns them into 2D paper cut-outs. Is a lot tougher than it looks.Tough? Paper Mario? ... What?

They picked some good games, but I'm sure they could have picked better. I also haven't met a MGS fan that preferred 2 over 3. I know I didn't like 2 very much.

[Classic Speedy]

I also haven't met a MGS fan that preferred 2 over 3. (raises hand)

[Desensitized]

(raises hand)See, this is why I hate making sweeping generalities. :p

But still, if I were to recommend a game to start the MGS series with, I'd choose 3 over 2.

[Peter Paltridge]

(raises hand)
You must have written the article, then. Explain to me how sneaking around in the wilderness facing creative bosses and experiencing an easy-to-follow self-contained adventure is better than a drab, confusing trek through a series of dingy oil refineries (while playing as a whiny nerd with an annoying girlfriend who won't stop calling him).


You may also want to look into...Devil May Cry, God of War, Odin Sphere, Persona 4, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Gregory Horror Show.
Gregory Horror Show didn't even come out, did it?

[Daxdiv]

For the GameCube, I say replace Pikmin with it sequel.

[Juu-kuchi]

Apart from replacing MGS2 with 3 and Pikmin with 2. I'd say replace Ico with Shadow of the Colossus.

And FF12? Best FF game ever made? It's a pretender that's what it is. Six can beat it within an inch of its life.

[Classic Speedy]

You must have written the article, then. Explain to me how sneaking around in the wilderness facing creative bosses and experiencing an easy-to-follow self-contained adventure is better than a drab, confusing trek through a series of dingy oil refineries (while playing as a whiny nerd with an annoying girlfriend who won't stop calling him).
First of all, you have to remember that back in 2000, the anticipation for MGS2 was immense. It was a new MGS game on a new console, and happened to be one of the most-wanted consoles ever, at that. When the trailer on the Official Playstation Magazine came out, me and my friends watched it numerous times in giddy glee. MGS3, while certainly still anticipated, didn't have the benefit of "NEW MGS game on a NEW SYSTEM! Look at those graphics! Fangasm!" Or at least, not to me. (Now obviously, hype isn't a defining factor in if a game is good or not, but I just thought I'd give you my personal perspective on why I was excited for 2 and not so much 3)

Second, it's not like the original MGS didn't have a lot of cold metallic settings. These types of settings had more laser grids to deactivate and security cameras to avoid, which gave it more of a secret agent feel. And honestly, it's not like MGS3's forest setting was that much more free-roaming than MGS2's confined corridors. It looked nice, but you couldn't really explore because there was a set path and invisible boundaries keeping you from venturing past them.

The bosses in MGS3? Hated them. I actually quit playing the game when I couldn't pass The End, only to turn it on a couple weeks later and find he died of old age. The Fear was just a pain in the butt with how fast he was. The Fury, too easy. The Pain, don't remember much about him. The only boss battle in that game I really liked was the final one in the garden.

Now MGS2, holy crap. Vamp was fast like The Fear, but not nearly as much of an aggravation, and the arena in which you fought him was cool. Diffusing Fat Man's bombs while chasing him was challenging without being controller-throwing. Fighting Olga on top of the rain-soaked ship was memorable. Fighting an assortment of enemies in a corner box while the rest of the screen says "Game Over" was trippy but I loved the way it defied conventions. And facing the overwhelming amount of RAYs was just awesome.

I'll give you that Rosemary chiming in all the time was annoying. But I still stand by my assertion that Raiden was NOT. THAT. BAD. I think people were just resentful towards him because they couldn't play as Snake the whole time. Besides, Raiden's cartwheel trumps Snake's somersault any day.

MGS2 just had more memorable gameplay moments for me. Sniping enemies and diffusing land mines so Emma could crawl safely across the pipe. Dressing as an enemy soldier and quietly asking people in a room if they're Ames without being detected. Taking down a Harrier jet. Taking photos of RAY during a military briefing. And the aforementioned "computer goes nuts" stuff at the end is one of the most memorable and bizarre levels in video game history. Even the little "easter eggs", like slipping in bird crap and finding cheesecake posters, made it amusing to run around and explore what the game let you do.

To top it off, I just couldn't get into MGS3's story. Something about Russians... snooze. MGS2's plot was much more involving, especially towards the end when everything went nuts and philosophy was brought into it. Some found that annoying and tacked on, but I thought it gave some interesting food for thought and got me more involved in the choice Raiden had to make.

Oh, and the ending. Good gawd did that go on forever. And because I wasn't into the story, it felt longer than it actually was.

[kenjisalk]

I really wish FFXII had just been "Untitled Yazunori Matsuda Project" and just leave it at that.

I love his work, and it annoys me to have people bemoan it "because it isn't a true Final Fantasy". Quite frankly I've yet to enjoy a "true" Final Fantasy game (played them all), so I was glad to enjoy a high budget YazMat title with or without the stupid FF name attached.

[Captain Highwind]

Also Recommended
You may also want to look into...Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, Viewtiful Joe, Rigue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Monkey Ball 2.


And RESIDENT EVIL. Sheesh, if you're going to throw a bunch of Mario games on there.

Play it before Sunshine.

Or better yet, after. :evil:

[Invidente 7]

Gregory Horror Show didn't even come out, did it?

It did in Europe :confused:

[Mynd Hed]

... Except Texas Flood is coming to Rock Band and Helmet DLC is most likely come down the pipe. Oh yeah, and they're all masters. New rhythm games are simply far superior to last gen's games.

That and, unless you can find them for SERIOUSLY dirt cheap, there's just plain no reason to sink a bunch of money and living-room space into bulky plastic peripherals that will become obsolete when you inevitably do trade up to the current generation.

There are definitely one or two songs from GH1 that I'd KILL to have available on a current-gen rhythm game that still aren't yet, though.

[Novapocalypse]

http://kotaku.com/5126059/a-buyers-guide-to-a-console-generation-past

ITT epic whinan

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I was on the same page with the author of this piece until he make the statement that MGS2 is the best MGS on the PS2. Oh Kotaku. :shrug:

I stopped when they said that FFXII is the best FF game.

[Zeonic Freak]

They picked some good games, but I'm sure they could have picked better. I also haven't met a MGS fan that preferred 2 over 3. I know I didn't like 2 very much.

Uh, i liked 2 over 3.

I mean, 3 adds more, dont get me wrong, but i still hold a spot for MGS2, and there seems to be more story in 2, while 3 is just "dust off the history books and well play as your father". Speedy put that in better words than what i feel like typing right now.

For Xbox, id figure Panzer Dragoon Orta would have been mentioned. I freaking love that game, and it deserves whatever praise it gets.

And what happend to Shenmue 2, or Dreamfall: TLJ? Ive still need to finish Shenmue 2 though, and Dreamfall. And of course KOTOR made the list, but that game is gold, and i still need to beat it.

And Gamecube has no mention of MGS Twin Snakes, which thats the only reason i would play that game for gamecube, and its freaking rare to find too. Or why not Skies of Arcadia, the GC version is supposed to add more than the Dreamcast version did.

Its more of a baisic list to "draw" people in those systems, but there are better games to list than what Kotaku had...