Video Game Countdown: #9 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Kudos to Justin for letting me borrow this game when he did (apparently he no longer trusts anybody...I'm looking in your direction, Ashton) or else I might never have gotten to play this gem of a game. I have never been a huge fan of side-scrollers, but this game changed my outlook on the genre entirely.

Symphony of the Night is just one of the many titles in the Castlevania saga, which was started back on the NES and has spawned multiple titles on a variety of systems. This is by far the best in the longwinded series and as far as I'm concerned is the pinnacle of the 2-D side-scroller genre. In Symphony of the Night you star as Alucard, who is a son of Dracula. Your task is to explore Dracula's castle (rumored to only appear once a century but considering how many games there are in the series it seems more like every 2 months) and find out why Richter Belmont, the hero of the first game (and descendant of the original Castlevania hero, Simon), has mysteriously vanished. The anime-gothic-horror combination works quite well from a graphical standpoint. The sprites are extremely detailed (especially the demons that scour Dracula's castle) and animation is fluid and fast.

With all that being said, the real star in Symphony of the Night is the gameplay. It successfully combines both action and RPG elements. Weapons and items are kept in an RPG inventory system and killing more enemies allows Alucard to become more powerful through the familiar RPG cliché of leveling up. The actual gameplay is all action, however, and no other game that I know of does it better. Every hell spawn that Symphony of the Night conjures up is gorgeous, unique and presents a new tactical challenge to Alucard in every encounter. The bosses are monstrous and the confrontations that take place between the local bestiary and Alucard within the halls of Dracula's fortress are absolutely epic. The musical score is one of the best ever provided for a videogame and fits the gothic-horror feel of the game perfectly. Every piece does a superlative job of capturing the essence of the territory it is played in.

Symphony of the Night is a gaming triumph. From style to presentation to gameplay, Symphony of the Night has covered everything with a remarkable amount of precision and tweaked it all to perfection, and in doing so has cemented itself as the champion of the 2-D side-scroller.

Video Game Countdown: #10 Doom II

We're at the halfway point on the countdown and its time to introduce Doom II. Upon booting up my state-of-the-art Micron during the winter months of 4th grade I was treated to some very hellacious gameplay. It was me vs. the worst that Hell could offer and without a little help from God (mode) I may never have beaten the Gatekeeper on level 32 (or with the code idclip, co-creator John Romero's face). I was quite the cheater back in the day.... Yes Justin, I used my 'Gamegenie' to haxz0r Doom 2.

Regardless, everything Doom 2 had to offer was extraordinary. Although rudimentary by today's standards, the graphics were the best of its time and were able to create an atmosphere of dread, and shall I say... doom? The demons looked downright superb and terrifying at the same time... my particular favorites being Pinky(demons.. and no, they're not that cute), Pain Elementals, Arachnotrons, and Cyberdemons. The sound... well the sound was downright creepy. Dark corridors were met by hoarse screams and the muffled breath of foul creatures somewhere around the next bend. The weapons were also something of legend: the newly introduced shotgun, missing from the original, packed a punch for close encounters (often too close), the rocket launcher helped to annhilate enemies from far away (used in close range and kiss your ass goodbye), and the infamous BFG turned scores of monsters into steaming piles of goo.

With all that being said, where Doom 2 really shined was in its multiplayer component. Although Doom introduced the deathmatch, I found the co-op play in Doom 2 to be (for lack of better description) the s**t. Weindling and I could play the co-op mode for hours, slaying hundreds of ugly fiends before our badass marines. The Rock would be proud...... God I hope that movie doesn't suck too much ass.

me vs samir(tar)??? vol1: The movies

What happened?! After coming off last week's unfortunate flu outbreak, which left me bed-ridden for the better part of five days, I was about to start posting vol. 1 of me vs ashtar when out of the blue, Samir, of all people decides to get into heated debate with me over the movies I watch. Here's what transpired (Editing is kept to a minimum. Stuff in parenthesis is my commentary upon reviewing the conversation, so feel free Samir, to post your own later):

Samir(tar): have u seen i, robot?
Ic3man: no. cant say i really want to either
Samir(tar): That's tony pane for ya. Claims he has a "open mind", but really doesn't. You have to admit, open mind means trying new things, which u don't do much. Anyways, i thought it was interesting but didn't like the end.

(ummmm.... does having an open mind mean I have watch to watch every average to below average summer action movie starring Will Smith??? Secondly ... trying new things......are you joking. How many more movies do I have to watch than all my roommates combined before I am trying new things?? I am pretty sure that bewteen Samir and I, I am the only one whos seen a movie made before 1975.)

Ic3man: Cant say i find i,robot to be all that appealing. 1.concept isnt original. 2. is an insult to the book its based off of 3. stars will smith.
Ic3man: I still have to have an interest in going to see a movie, regardless of having an open mind. I am not going to waste 2 and a half hours of my life with a movie that has no appeal to me.
Samir(tar): You need to get out of reading reviews and experience stuff for urself
Ic3man: Right....im just supposed to watch everything that comes out of hollywood... when i go to research a movie i usually take about 100 critics opinions together (rottentomatoes) and try to form some kind of conclusion as to whether a movie might be worth 2 hours of my life
Samir(tar): Yeah, wasting 2 hours reading about it rather than seeing it
Ic3man: 2 hours, ha. More like 10min on the database. I read the synopsis and maybe some opinions. Maybe watch the trailer.
Samir(tar): But i still think even though u do save time, by not "wasting it" ur missing out, on the good movies....which are worth seeing, and which u don't know anything about going in. I have 90% no idea going into a movie what to expect. Sure then the movie sucks, i'll admit i wasted my life, but when it's good, it's awesome. You on the other hand might not know 10% of the movie or what is to come. I agree in doing research for something I'm about to go spend my money on, like cars, shoes, games, and all that. but movies... not so much. If i like the trailer or idea i'll go see it.

(Knowing 90% going in is quite the exaggeration... that is, unless the movie has no plot to speak of... and then I am probably right in not going to see it. Secondly, Samir says that he would do research on a variety of things he spends money on.... with the exception of movies...this make sense to anybody?)

Ic3man: Usually if im not interested in a movie initially someone will have had to recommend a movie to me for me to watch it. If im not interested initally, it takes the good opinions and recommendations of people i trust for me to get up and watch it. I mean if im not interested and i havent heard peple give pos. feedback who've seen it (whom I trust) then i probabaly wont take a look. thats bascially the case with i, Robot.

(By the way, just because a movie gets positive feedback does not necessarily mean I want to see it or am going to see it OR think that it is good myself. For instance, I, Robot got a Fresh rating from rottentomatoes.com (61%), but that does not mean I care. Or in the case of the 'classic' Hitchcock movie, The Birds, which I personally found to be disappointing, most, if not all critics will tell you its a masterpiece. On a side note, I wonder how many Hitchcock movies Samir has seen? Maybe we should compare movie libraries or movie knowledge to see who's been trying new (and old) things?)

Samir(tar): Ex. war of the worlds, i didn't know what to expect, but aliens...hmm, like the idea, i'll go see it, but then it sucked for me...i made my own opinion. Yeah, for u i guess, u must know what happens and how it happens.
Ic3man: Well, thats cause i read the book.
Samir(tar): You probably knew how the aliens came down before seeing it -> because of the synopsis.
Ic3man: Right, that will want to make someone want to go too. The concept. t\The synopsis, which i look at, like i said before.
Samir(tar): Synopis for me (my opinion) if it's like a page...long, that's a little too much. I create my own concepts in my head from a trailer.

(I just hope he's not buying too much into the commercialism....)

Samir(tar): Details. In other movies, then, what a normal person from just seeing the trailer wouldn't know - you might know more which may ruin or lessen the effect of the movie overall
S Agent AP: I tend to disagree there. Yeh, so i try to inform myself a little before viewing a flick. I never had a good movie spoiled by a little investigation. I'm not talking about major plot points, just a good overview. A good movie will (and should) stand on its own, regardless of what I know going in or how many times I have seen it.
Samir(tar): haha...tony...have u tried seeing a good movie without knowing....then u'll have a BETTER experience.
S Agent AP: sure , lots of movies ive seen without previous knowledge going in(the rock, seven, and pulp fiction just to name a few good ones). But in the end, a good movie is a good movie regardless of what i do or dont know about it going in.

(He has a point here - obviously if I had known the ending to Seven I might not have loved the movie as much. But I'm not talking about knowing key plot points as I have already discussed. All I am saying is that its good to get an idea of what a movie is about and a few opinions before plopping down 10 bucks and reserving 2 hours of one's life for it.)
**Note: I was watching Memento while trying to carry out this conversation.

Please post your comments. Your opinions will help make this column better.....maybe.

Video Game Countdown: #11 Diablo II

Let me preface this review by first letting all those concerned understand that I have played both Diablo 2 and its predecessor. Therefore, some may ask why I have chosen the follow-up as opposed to the original especially since I've included Halo with Halo 2 in the 13th spot and Civ 1,2, and 3 in the 20th position. There are a few factors that lead me to this decision.

While Diablo may be one of the most influential games of all-time, Diablo 2 takes what's great about the original and improves upon it in every way imaginable. More classes, more spells, more enemies, more bosses, more areas, and more multiplayer mayhem. In addition, my first interaction with the original Diablo came 4 years after its release, and as with any inventive and genre-defining game, time does pay a price. Now, let me get away from this issue and back to why Diablo 2 deserves its place in my top 20 video games of all-time collection.

Diablo 2 continues the tale where the original left off, but not without a little irony. The hero of Diablo becomes the vessel of the mighty demon and a new champion must set forth to stop the Lord of Hell from freeing his brothers of eternal imprisonment and to destroy him once and for all. While the story isn't overly involving it does provide a nice backdrop and some superb cinematics worth watching again and again.

Diablo 2 is all about action, plain and simple. If it moves, kill it. Simple, yet more addictive than crack (no, I've never tried the drug, but I'd put my money on Diablo 2). The game's 2D, isometric graphics were quite good for its time. The art design for characters and monsters evoke an appropriate sense of dread and despair, and many of the game's bosses are large and imposing in size (and hard...o yes, very hard indeed). The environments are also quite varied, featuring lush and vibrant landscapes ranging from thick jungles and scorching deserts all of which eventually lead to the pits of Hell itself.

Where Diablo 2 truly excels is in its multiplayer component. Up to eight players can go to Hell and back on Blizzard's Battle.net service. Gamers can either play cooperatively and complete the many quests together in search of unique and rare items or engage in competitive PVP play and gamble all of their goodies in tense showdowns and gut wrenching duels to the death. For those of you currently addicted to Guild Wars you have the creators Diablo and Diablo 2 to thank for your sleepless nights.

After breaking 2 mice, downing can after can of soda during long, late-night sessions, and nearly reaching level 100 (stalled out at 97), I can safely say that Diablo 2 has earned its spot in my list of greatest games ever.

New Column

I would just like to report before posting the next game in the video game countdown that I will soon be adding a new column to the Ic3box entitled me vs ashtar. After reveiling the infamous #13 spot on the countdown, which includes both Halo 1 and 2, Ashton violently displayed his anger with the selection and has since been getting into more and more arguements concerning various topics with me. Although dealing with a superior intellect, Ashton nevertheless puts up a good fight, and therefore, I have decided to post these disagreements in hopes of recieving feedback from others on these issues. The first edition of me vs ashtar will be coming shortly....

Video Game Countdown: #12 Planescape: Torment

Before Black Isle Studios went the way of the Dodo, they were the creators of some of the most original and inventive RPGs around. One of these gems includes a little game few people have heard outside of critics' circle called Planescape: Torment. If this game was released today, it would still be as much a breath of fresh as air now to the gaming world as it was when released back in 1999.

For starters, Torment avoids the traditional trappings of most RPGs in that it doesn't take place in a classic fantasy or science fiction setting. Instead of elves, dragons, and furry-footed munchkins, players will encounter undead zombies, liches, and other things that go bump in the night.

It's difficult not to make the obvious jokes about waking up in the middle of a mortuary with a splitting headache and no memory of who or what you are. Granted, anyone who's ingested a bit too much of the sauce can identify with the feeling, but in this case, the occasion that results in the said circumstance isn't a long night of booze, but death. You see, that's what happens when you're an immortal. That's the opening of Torment - players take on the role of the Nameless One, a creature who wakes up one day with no memory or even any idea of who or what he is. After a floating, talking skull (otherwise known as comedy relief) initiates a conversation, the Nameless One discovers a cryptic message carved into his back. And thus begins one of the most involving and captivating tales ever to be told (RPG or otherwise). From the very beginning, the mystery surrounding the Nameless One is a gem. The story is mostly contained in dialogue, however, so players should expect to do a lot of reading (think KOTOR for those of you too lazy to pick up a classic PC RPG). However, the mere fact that the player has a huge amount of choice and involvement in the dialogue tree makes it so that things never become tiresome or boring.

When it comes right down to it, this game is a masterpiece of roleplaying - the dialogue is some of the most well-written of any RPG, the environments are varied and downright enthralling, the spell effects are mind-blowing, and the story contains some of the most inventive, unique characters players will ever have in a party. Whether or not you're a hard-core fan of RPGs, Torment is an unforgettable experience and a timeless classic.

Video Game Countdown: #13 Halo 1,2

I know that I'm going to get a lot of flak from certain people with my number 13 selection being comprised of both Halo 1 and 2, but the criticism will be coming from the same people who think Goldeneye is the greatest game ever made, and so therefore, their opinion doesn't really matter anyways. These people will say that Halo 1 is a superior game to Halo 2, which is also bogus in my opinion. They are equally great games and let me explain why starting with Halo 1.

Halo 1 was the best launch title for the Xbox and probably saved the system from early extinction. If you had an Xbox and didn't have Halo basically all you had was your Xbox. The game featured terrific graphics, fluid controls (best FPS control configuration ever for a console), and a killer multiplayer setup. Simply put, Halo 1 became a great game due to its frenetic and highly competitive multiplayer matches. With its legendary maps that include Hang'em High, Longest, and Chill Out and wide selection of game types, which comprise of capture the flag, oddball, and king of the hill, Halo 1 will never get old.

The atmosphere when playing a 16 player LAN match in Halo 1 is something else. Just the amount of preparation that goes into it can be astounding. Location, people, hardware, controllers, televisions, and food........ A lot can go into the undertaking of a Halo 1 LAN match, but I can safely say that its totally worth it. As soon as everybody arrives and the teams are fairly split Halo 1 takes over for the next 4-5 hours. Describing the events that take place during this time can be quite difficult; one has to experience the event that is a Halo 1 LAN match for themselves. All that I can say is that they sometimes involve miracle missle shots (Mike nailing Jeff with a seemilngly random rocket after a capture the flag stalemate lasting for more than 45 minutes) and suicidal teammates (Jeff tossing grenades at his fellow mates' in the Warthog while yelling "Watch out for the grenades!").

Now it is time to discuss Halo 2 and the inevitable controversy. Just as Halo 1 became famous due to its LAN matches, Halo 2 takes its place as one of the greatest games of all-time with the incredible gameplay it offers through the Xbox Live service. With some of the best graphics offered on the system, new and improved weaponry, duel-wielding, a new set of maps, and an extremely rewarding online mode, Halo 2 takes what was great about Halo 1 and expands upon it in every direction.

Back to the 'new and improved weapons' for a moment (here comes the controversy). Some say that Halo 1 is far and away the superior game because the weapons it has to offer are more balanced than those found in Halo 2. More specifically, this is because the pistol is the 'all-purpose' weapon in the game and is the starting weapon for every player. The arguement here is that this makes the game more fair. I agree with this to a certain extent. Starting with the pistol does give everybody a fighting chance in any situation. However, in this underlies Halo 1's greatest flaw when compared to Halo 2. In all honestly there are only 4 useful weapons in Halo 1: the pistol, shotgun, sniper, and rocket launcher. Every other gun in the game is basically useless in comparison to these weapons. These include the needler, plasma rifle, human rifle, and plasma pistol. In contrast, what I enjoy so much about Halo 2 is the variety. Yes, I KNOW and ACCEPT the fact that the sword is cheap and stupid and for that Halo 1 gets the nod for not having any weapon as despicable as the sword. However, every other weapon in the game stands a fighting chance and against overly powerful weapons like the shotgun from Halo 1, weaker weapons can be dual-wielded to level the playing field. So, in conclusion, both games have problems in their weapon balancing, but in the end what's important is that the truly experienced player will come on top every time, and that my friends is the truth no matter which game you like more.

Video Game Countdown: #14 Zombies Ate My Neighbors

A lot of people have been asking me where Zombies Ate My Neighbors was going to fall into my countdown due to that fact that I almost always mention the game whenever talking about the Genesis/SNES era. Well here it is, in all its glory at #14. Zombies was by far my most played game for the Genesis and hogged most of my 5th grade summer while the Cavanaugh brothers and I futility attempted to reach the 48th level (Curse of the Tongue) without using codes.

Zombies has a great sense of style and so much charm that it is hard to call it anything but superb. The game became an immediate classic for me once I hit level 8 and had to fight the greatest boss of all-time: The Titanic Toddler!! The game oozes humor and is infused with references to classic B-horror movie titles from the 50s-80s. Other unforgettable enemies in Zombies include the ultra-quick werewolves, giant sand worms, chainsaw madmen, and my personal favorite - (I'm not actually sure what the hell they are) the crazy, axe-wielding, Wahoo-wild-midgetmen! The weapons in Zombies are a blast to use with my favorite being the (highly volatile) soda can grenades. Other items in the protagonists' arsenal include squirt guns, bazookas, Popsicle sticks, bubble guns, inflatable clown decoys, and the all-important potion that transforms the two kid-heroes into indestructible purple-monster killing machines.

The intoxicating sense of charm and style that the game gives off is truly what makes it so great. Every aspect of the game screams originality whether it be the campy horror setting, frenetic cooperative gameplay, wildly fun enemies, or unconventional weapons. Zombies has become the cult classic of all-time for video games.