| Video Game News |
| Best of 2005 Part 2: Holiday Gift Guide |
| by Sean Rhodes |
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Avoid the following!!
This wouldn’t be a proper Holiday Guide if I didn’t tell you what not to get would it? These are things that no matter how much someone begs and pleads to have it, know you’ve done them a favor by not picking it up for them. These are games that you’re apt to hear because of fan base, and I’m here to tell you that no matter how popular the game series might be, these games are not worth it!
True Crime: New York City: If anyone asks for this… do them a favor and don’t get it. They’ll only spend time complaining afterwards. Even if they tell you Streets of LA was good, don’t pick this up. Substitute: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
Lunar Dragon Song: This is a slap in the face to all the Lunar fans. It is NOT what you think it is. If you’ve got a Lunar fan in the house, don’t grab it. Substitute: Mario and Luigi: Parnters in Time, Lunar Legend
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness: Anytime a Castlevania game goes 3D it’s bad. So you might as well do the favor of not getting this. If someone really wants it THAT bad, they can wait for a price drop. It isn’t as bad as the two listed above, but still something you might want to reconsider as a gift. Substitute: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Pokemon Dash: Please oh please avoid this title at all cost. This is almost as bad as True Crime: New York City, but it isn’t quite as bad on account of, there are no bugs in this game. At least not glaring bugs that’ll stop you from completing the game. But it’s terribly boring. Substitute: Mario Kart DS
50 Cent Bulletproof: This is perfect proof why music artists should never make a game. Substitute: There is none.
Shadow the Hedgehog: It’s so easy to want to get a Sonic fan this game, but I assure you it’s a terrible game, one that you’ll wish you hadn’t invested in the moment it gets popped in the system. Bad controls and Camera. It’s bad.
Zathura: With the exception of King Kong and a few others, games based off movies are downright terrible. Zathura is no exception. Substitute: Can’t believe I’m saying this… Harry Potter
Batman Games: As a rule of thumb, you never get a batman game. It is always a waste of the license. This includes the game Batman Begins. The movie is terrific, the game is not. Substitute: Spider Man 2
Shrek SuperSlam: It may be the best Shrek game out there, but it’s got nothing on other melee games. Substitute: Super Smash Brothers Melee
Lord of the Rings Tactics: There really could’ve been so much more done with this game. A perfect idea, but it just isn’t… you know… boss! Substitute: Advance Wars: Duel Strike
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of Imperfects: This game is just that, imperfect. A lot of bugs, and is by far (for the DS at least) the worst game of the entire year. Substitute: Anything but what’s on the avoid list
Dynasty Warriors Advance: Oh dear God, avoid this! Dynasty Warriors simply doesn’t work on the GBA. Substitute: Dynasty Warriors on the PSP, or Dynasty Warriors 4
Dynasty Warriors 5: I like Dynasty Warriors, don’t get me wrong, but the fifth installment is the same as number four. Not much improvement. Substitute: Dynasty Warriors 4 or even Dynasty Warriors 3
Donkey Kong Country 3: Look, I’m sorry, even for what it’s worth, the GBA version just isn’t that worthwhile. Well, let me rephrase that. If you have a Super Nintendo it isn’t worthwhile. Buy the SNES version if you really want it, it comes really cheap. Substitute: The SNES version, Castlevania: Dawn of Souls
Mario Party 7: Do you have Mario Party 6? How about 5? Yeah, if you’ve got either of those two, they suffice. Mario Party 7 is just a rehash.
Dragon Quest VIII Official Strategy Guide: It’ll be very tempting to get a strategy guide for this game. I urge you not to invest in BradyGAMES strategy guide to Dragon Quest VIII. It won’t help you get through the game at all. All the extra goodies are neat, but if you actually want to go through the main quest, the guide is about as helpful rock being thrown at your television. And with the list price being $17.99 you’ll be basically throwing money into a paper shredder. Substitute: GameFAQs
Gameboy Advance Micro: I seem to be getting a little harsh, I assure you I’m not. If someone you know wants a Gameboy Advance, I urge you not to go with the Micro. Go with the Gameboy Advance SP. It’s cheaper, plays old Gameboy games (and Gameboy Color games) and is easier to take care of. The Gameboy Advance SP is the better investment.
I hope this holiday guide has helped you in some way. Remember, these are just suggestions (except the avoidance list, if you don’t follow that you’ll be sorry). There are plenty of games here that I haven’t mentioned |
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