Author Topic: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.  (Read 1744 times)

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brawndolicious

  • Nylonhilist
  • Senior Member
Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« on: December 20, 2006, 05:27:47 PM »
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4419&Itemid=2

Quote
1.Dead Rising
Capcom
Xbox 360
What makes it so great? Structure. Design-wise, the game is as compelling as games get. It takes the sandbox formula and puts a leash on it. It evokes memories of old games where all you need to do is move to the right and jump over pits. Only now, you're free to jump over the pits however you want. That the environment is chock-full of zombies means there's always some thumb-exercise within reaching distance. In fact, the game never, precisely, rewards you (except with occasional experience points) for killing zombies. Avoiding them is key. Yet if you feel compelled, you can clear a whole room before moving on.
It's tough to find someone who doesn't at least admit the game is clever. Dead Rising is evidence of the Japanese game development community looking at Western games and thinking about ways to genuinely make them better. The playing is so violently fun. It's a joy to move, to swing weapons, to shoot guns. The magic of a whole sandbox game is, ideally, contained in every moment.

2.Mother 3
Nintendo
GBA
The game world in this RPG is small; the plot developments are easily digestible. The battles are simple. There is basically no challenge. But the dialogue reads like poetry. Rhymes and rhythm. It's fantastic and it’s beautiful and it’s compelling. It has a story to tell you. It tells you the story. Only 200,000 were willing to listen to the story. I'm certain that all of them, like me, listened all the way to the end, and then probably started listening all over again.

3.Blue Dragon
Xbox 360
Microsoft
A traditional RPG, a hacked-together second-generation game for the most flatly rejected piece of hardware on the Japanese market, the cheesiest story in an RPG since Final Fantasy V. Its battle system is basically Final Fantasy X, quasi-real-time, with a turn order bar scrolling at the top of the screen. You equip your characters' dragon-shadows with a ‘job’ system like in Final Fantasy V.
And you know what? The game moves forward. It's clean as a whistle. Characters cry, and laugh, and cry again, and laugh again. Battles are big and memorable; the boss music features live guitars and drums, and heavy metal vocals. The game rolls without stopping right to the end, forty hours later. And the player shouldn't feel like they wasted any time.
Though for all its reaching and flailing -- hell, because of the reaching and flailing that went into its making, it's perhaps Sakaguchi's best game since Final Fantasy IV, in the weirdest, subtlest way.

4.Final Fantasy XII
PS2
Square Enix
Players complained that the characters were boring; the main character was ineffectual, and the story was dry. They didn’t like the ‘Gambit System’. They wanted the "wet epic" style of Final Fantasy games, with swirling emotions and ending worlds and giant monsters. Sure, it grows thin at the end; the ingenuity promised by early dungeons vanishes, and the game becomes all about hacking forward. The final boss is poignant yet dull. There is no doubt, however, that the game is actually a masterpiece in disguise. RPG battle systems are, in the end, just a crude tool for representing combat. FFXII's battle system is an actual piece of originality and great design. The RPG genre has become horribly stale and unoriginal in Japan. FFXII is a way forward.

5.Toro: Mainichi Issho
SCEI
PS3
In ‘Together Everyday’ a cat called Toro sits in his room. He rolls around on the floor. You can't control the camera. Or Toro. You can only call up a menu or exit the game. Once (or sometimes twice) a day, the game's intrepid staff uploads a news program to the server. It appears in the menu. You can watch Toro and his pal talk about various topics. They talk about movies and sports, or the weather or videogames. Sometimes they ask trivia questions.
Obviously, this is marketing. It's marketing wrapped in a gorgeous package. The characters are fun. There are contests and prizes. This non-game is obviously designed to entertain people on a daily basis. I've personally not failed to check it every day.  Why does it work? Because the material is well-written and interesting.  It's a blog that’s actually worth visiting.
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4419&Itemid=2

Quote
1.Dead Rising
Capcom
Xbox 360
What makes it so great? Structure. Design-wise, the game is as compelling as games get. It takes the sandbox formula and puts a leash on it. It evokes memories of old games where all you need to do is move to the right and jump over pits. Only now, you're free to jump over the pits however you want. That the environment is chock-full of zombies means there's always some thumb-exercise within reaching distance. In fact, the game never, precisely, rewards you (except with occasional experience points) for killing zombies. Avoiding them is key. Yet if you feel compelled, you can clear a whole room before moving on.
It's tough to find someone who doesn't at least admit the game is clever. Dead Rising is evidence of the Japanese game development community looking at Western games and thinking about ways to genuinely make them better. The playing is so violently fun. It's a joy to move, to swing weapons, to shoot guns. The magic of a whole sandbox game is, ideally, contained in every moment.

2.Mother 3
Nintendo
GBA
The game world in this RPG is small; the plot developments are easily digestible. The battles are simple. There is basically no challenge. But the dialogue reads like poetry. Rhymes and rhythm. It's fantastic and it’s beautiful and it’s compelling. It has a story to tell you. It tells you the story. Only 200,000 were willing to listen to the story. I'm certain that all of them, like me, listened all the way to the end, and then probably started listening all over again.

3.Blue Dragon
Xbox 360
Microsoft
A traditional RPG, a hacked-together second-generation game for the most flatly rejected piece of hardware on the Japanese market, the cheesiest story in an RPG since Final Fantasy V. Its battle system is basically Final Fantasy X, quasi-real-time, with a turn order bar scrolling at the top of the screen. You equip your characters' dragon-shadows with a ‘job’ system like in Final Fantasy V.
And you know what? The game moves forward. It's clean as a whistle. Characters cry, and laugh, and cry again, and laugh again. Battles are big and memorable; the boss music features live guitars and drums, and heavy metal vocals. The game rolls without stopping right to the end, forty hours later. And the player shouldn't feel like they wasted any time.
Though for all its reaching and flailing -- hell, because of the reaching and flailing that went into its making, it's perhaps Sakaguchi's best game since Final Fantasy IV, in the weirdest, subtlest way.

4.Final Fantasy XII
PS2
Square Enix
Players complained that the characters were boring; the main character was ineffectual, and the story was dry. They didn’t like the ‘Gambit System’. They wanted the "wet epic" style of Final Fantasy games, with swirling emotions and ending worlds and giant monsters. Sure, it grows thin at the end; the ingenuity promised by early dungeons vanishes, and the game becomes all about hacking forward. The final boss is poignant yet dull. There is no doubt, however, that the game is actually a masterpiece in disguise. RPG battle systems are, in the end, just a crude tool for representing combat. FFXII's battle system is an actual piece of originality and great design. The RPG genre has become horribly stale and unoriginal in Japan. FFXII is a way forward.

5.Toro: Mainichi Issho
SCEI
PS3
In ‘Together Everyday’ a cat called Toro sits in his room. He rolls around on the floor. You can't control the camera. Or Toro. You can only call up a menu or exit the game. Once (or sometimes twice) a day, the game's intrepid staff uploads a news program to the server. It appears in the menu. You can watch Toro and his pal talk about various topics. They talk about movies and sports, or the weather or videogames. Sometimes they ask trivia questions.
Obviously, this is marketing. It's marketing wrapped in a gorgeous package. The characters are fun. There are contests and prizes. This non-game is obviously designed to entertain people on a daily basis. I've personally not failed to check it every day.  Why does it work? Because the material is well-written and interesting.  It's a blog that’s actually worth visiting.

Some things you've heard of and some things that are weird.

MrAngryFace

  • I have the most sensible car on The Bore
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2006, 05:29:29 PM »
I honestly found Dead Rising incredibly boring after 3 hours or so. I hate malls in real life tho so that probably has something to do with it.
o_0

Himu

  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2006, 05:29:32 PM »
I'm utterly shocked Japan likes Dead Rising so much.
IYKYK

MrAngryFace

  • I have the most sensible car on The Bore
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2006, 05:31:04 PM »
I cant predict them anymore. They'll make a game where you watch it play itself #5, thats just boggling.
o_0

brawndolicious

  • Nylonhilist
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2006, 05:34:24 PM »
This is a reviewers personal pick.  Not sales, not a poll, one guy.  And he's white.  Weird picks but I thought it was intersting to look at the Japan exclusive weird games (recipe book game, blog game, etc.).

MrAngryFace

  • I have the most sensible car on The Bore
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2006, 05:35:47 PM »
Im a quarter japanese and I cant stand japan lol.
o_0

brawndolicious

  • Nylonhilist
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2006, 05:36:31 PM »
Most full Japanese can't.

MrAngryFace

  • I have the most sensible car on The Bore
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2006, 05:41:23 PM »
They wouldnt respect anything but my money over there lol.
o_0

Howard Alan Treesong

  • キング・メタル・ドラゴン
  • Icon
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2006, 06:48:01 PM »
Well, if it isn't my nemesis TIMOTHY ROGERS.
乱学者

Vizzys

  • green hair connoisseur
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2006, 07:12:19 PM »
MOTHER FUCKING 3
萌え~

Cheebs

  • How's my posting? Call 1-866-MAF-BANS to report flame bait.
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2006, 07:17:55 PM »
MOTHER FUCKING 3
But the list is by Tim Rogers, the most hated person ever. His association makes Mother 3 WORSE.

Vizzys

  • green hair connoisseur
  • Senior Member
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2006, 08:08:36 PM »
He said many negative things I dont agree with about the game though. So I hate him as well.
萌え~

Diablos

  • Guest
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #12 on: December 20, 2006, 09:57:26 PM »
Quote
4.Final Fantasy XII
PS2
Square Enix
Players complained that the characters were boring; the main character was ineffectual, and the story was dry. They didn’t like the ‘Gambit System’. They wanted the "wet epic" style of Final Fantasy games, with swirling emotions and ending worlds and giant monsters. Sure, it grows thin at the end; the ingenuity promised by early dungeons vanishes, and the game becomes all about hacking forward. The final boss is poignant yet dull. There is no doubt, however, that the game is actually a masterpiece in disguise. RPG battle systems are, in the end, just a crude tool for representing combat. FFXII's battle system is an actual piece of originality and great design. The RPG genre has become horribly stale and unoriginal in Japan. FFXII is a way forward.

Oh, right. So they basically acknowledge that there is a seriously high amount of disdain for this poor excuse of a Final Fantasy, but still kiss ass anyway. It's a way forward into a pile of steaming shit. Fuck off next-gen.biz.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2006, 09:59:07 PM by Diablos »

bork

  • おっぱいは命、尻は故郷
  • Global Moderator
Re: Japans (20) Best Games of the Year.
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2006, 04:10:20 AM »
Bull and Shit.

Also Tim Rogers, please fucking realize there's more to life than just Japan.  And this is coming from someone living there now.  :P
ど助平