Game of the Year: The Minus Zone Picks!

Raul’s Pick:

Mega Man 9 without a doubt is one of 2008’s best releases. It reminds you of what games are supposed to be; fun and diverse. No need to worry about an overdeveloped, dramatic and pointless story in this one. This is a game that knows what it is.

Mega Man 9 holds the best designed levels out of all previous installments from the franchise easily, really. The soundtrack is one of the best as well, with tunes you’ll be humming and loving all day long for years to come; it’s going to be remembered as one of the best games ever among the people who know what video games are supposed to be and do.

This game, though just released a couple of months ago was really very easy to put in my list. It has everything you’re looking for. It doesn’t matter if you want to play for a few minutes or go long all night; the replay value is through the roof and I really don’t know what else to say about this. Amazing amazing, incredible game.

Here’s to you Capcom for a risky business decision that really payed off.

Read the Review here!

Patrick’s Pick:

Okami, in short, is a masterpiece. It is video gaming at it’s very finest, honing all of the core elements to elegant perfection. Gameplay? Check, seeing as Okami borrows most of it’s core gameplay elements from the Zelda franchise, and does it extremely successfully while adding wonderful tweaks of its own. Substance? Check, and as some have stated before, this game is simply epic, spanning an entire country and even multiple time periods. Just when you think your adventure is over, it ends up only being a small peice of this expansive puzzle. And I’m only too happy to continue on. Story? Check, and seeing how Okami’s world is so expansive, the story takes many twists and turns, and is never too far away from either putting a smile on your face or tugging at your heart. Simply wonderful.

Graphics? One big ol’ giant check here, seeing as this is where masterpiece takes on a more literal meaning. Okami is simply a sight to behold, as it resembles a living canvas in your television screen. It’s a perfect fit for it’s style of play, and it helps to immerse the player into the wonderful feudal Japanese world that Okami Amaterasu inhabits. The imagination and wonder found in this game is second to none, and I kid you not when i say that I spent hours just running around Nippon, just because it was so amazing to see the Sun goddess run and jump. Everything, from winter wastelands to demonic mechanical owl twins, is simply beautiful. I just can’t get enough of this game’s visual magnificence, as it is the most visually stunning game I have ever played, hands down.

So, from the tried and true gameplay to it’s living canvas, Okami refreshed and revitalized my gaming tastes. It was just what I needed at the time, and it continues to inspire me to this day. Because of this game’s impact on me, it is my 2008 Game of the Year. No other game impacted me in such a positive way this year, this game truly is the stuff of legends. So here’s to you Okami Amaterasu (and Issun too!), thank you for such a wonderful experience.

Read the Review here!

The Minus Zone: Game of the Year 2008 Nominees

The year is over already? Well not really, though it is ending soon and we still have a couple of weeks left of this two thousand and eighth year.

Last year was an amazing year for gaming, not just on Nintendo consoles but all around. We had a bunch of great releases, and one or two titles that may be considered one of the best ever. Though 2008 isn’t quite like the previous year, we still saw tons of releases on every system and the Wii and DS are no exceptions to the rule. We finally saw the much awaited Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii on store shelves, a new main series Mega Man title, and new entries in the still popular Rhythm genre, like Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

As with personal lists, choosing the best game the year had to offer is one immensely complicated thing to do. One must consider so many things in the nominations, then slim down an already thin list to make picking a clear winner easier.

This Game Of The Year 2008 award will be the first in what, we hope be a lot more to come from The Minus Zone. We’ll be doing in a rather different way; both of us will be each creating our own separate lists and move on from there. As this will not interfere with our tastes… at least for now.

So without further ado, here we have The Minus Zone’s Game Of The Year Nominees, brought to you by us!

Super Mario Galaxy 1 Year Anniversary

One year ago, on November 12, 2007, Super Mario Galaxy (aka Game of the Evar) was released on the Wii. It was the mustached plumbers next big adventure, and he was heading into the final frontier: space. With gravity on your side, Mario soared higher than ever. Super Mario Galaxy didn’t just revitalize Mario’s adventures, but the platformer as well. So here’s to Super Mario Galaxy, a game that reinvented not only the genre, but reinvented fun in the process.

Reviews: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Don’t let the sun rise just yet, this night is just too much fun.
by Patrick McNamara

When it comes to the Castlevania series, it has been tested and proven time and time again. Well, at least when it comes to the 2D stage, Castlevania is a series worth noting for its overall polish and quality. We’ve already seen two titles come to the DS without a problem, both quality additions that continue the great legacy. Still, one could argue that while they were fantastic games, they offered little when it came to straying off the Metroid-vania path. With Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, we have a title that not only continues the great tradition of the series, but innovates in ways that make hunting those ghoulies and ghosties a refreshing and wonderful experience.

What We’re Looking Forward To: Holiday Season 2008

The first part of this series, Patrick will be making a list (and checking it twice) of five titles he’s looking forward to for this upcoming holiday season. Hopefully the other contributors will get their acts together and post theirs as well. One could only hope… (Just kidding guys, take your time. Seriously though, hurry up. )

MegaMan 9: Journey to the Retroverse

This is an editorial written by my good friend Shvitzel. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I did. Seriously though, I have a feeling that many of you will be sympathetic to his… uh… trial and error adventure through the Blue Bomber’s newest quest.

-Patrick McNamara

MegaMan 9: Journey to the Retroverse

When I learned that Megaman 9 was indeed coming to the Wii, I was ecstatic. Now, I could have my first experience with the original series. However, I decided that I would document my experiences to perhaps… enlighten others with the thoughts of a Megaman noob on his journey through what some predicted would be one hell of a difficult game. I fully accept that setting out on this journey may result in my immediate admittance to a mental institution (for the Megaman series, like no other, drives men to madness). What you now see before you is what was found of my initial delving into this game (or as some would call it, way of life).

So, with my Wiimote batteries full and my bladder empty, I begin my journey into the anachronistic Megaman 9.

Reviews: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

*Insert “The Force is _____ with this one.” Saying Here*

by Patrick McNamara

First off and foremost, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an enjoyable action title. I want to get that out of the way because that’s one of the few generic positive comments I can afford to give it. Underneath the hood is something much less desirable, and in the end there’s not much to warrant something greater than it is. The Force Unleashed has carried the pedigree of greatness and high expectations with it along the development cycle. After all, you have the pleasure of connecting the post “Revenge of the Sith” dots as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. What’s not to love about that? Well… once we delve into the nuts and bolts of this title, we’ll find that there’s too much going against this to ensure a great game.

Reviews – Mega Man 9

The Blue Bomber Is Back.
Is his return to roots one to celebrate, or should you skip his newest mission?
By Raul Navarro

When Capcom revealed that their newest Mega Man title would skip retail and go directly into consumer’s consoles via Digital Distribution, fans were ecstatic about the idea, but a bigger surprise was yet to come. The title would be an actual return to form for the ‘Blue Bomber’ … and quite literally too. The game was being developed as an 8bit piece of software. That meant that everything in presentation and gameplay values were going to be almost identical to that of an NES game. Of course, gamers were split about the decision and it was to be decided if it was the right way to go for Capcom.

Short and Sweet #2: Brawl Shenanigans – The True Underdog Story

Hey there you lucky readers. By now most of you have had the chance to play the newest Nintendo Brawler known as Super Smash Bros. Brawl (And if you haven’t, there’s a copy at the nearest electronic section with your name on it). Well, I’ve been playing it for a while now, and I’ve come across a Nintendo Brawler I can call my own. This “Short and Sweet” is just a little something to get to know me by. Who knows, maybe I’ll come across you guys on the (somewhat laggy) WiFi connection.

Reviews: Okami

Stunning, Epic, and Awe Inspiring — Okami is the stuff of legends.
by Patrick McNamara