It was good, but I think they were trying a little too hard to make the show exciting, leading to some overly contrived moments (even by 24's standards).  Also, someone really needs to fire whoever it is that hires the CTU workers.  They only hire people who are mentally unbalanced or domineering tyrants

Circuit City has some good console game deals going on this week - GTA : San Andreas, Halo 2, and Prince of Persia : Warrior Within for $35 and Zelda : Minish Cap for $23.

Circuit City will have the game on sale this week for only $22.99.

"Ummm since we didn't have a General Gaming section I started this in PC Gaming."

I didn't read the first post in that thread, and assumed it was just for PC games, so I copied it and put in this section for console games.  Also, since the sticky thread has a section for finished games, I might as well delete this thread.

Blockbuster's website has a buy 2 preowned games, get 1 free special going.  Does anyone know if this is in-store too, and if so, when it will end?  I got a gift card for my birthday, but I'd rather not brave the snow tomorrow if I can wait until Monday

IGN has posted their review for Suikoden 4.  Although the game sounds somewhat disappointing, the review has actually increased my interest in the game.  After hearing nothing but vague "it sucks" comments, it's nice to have some concrete details about the game.  Also, the minigames sound like great fun, and I've always loved minigames in RPGs.  The $40 price tag is also nice.  Anyone else picking this up on Wednesday?

I'll start off the 2005 edition of the finished games list with a game that was released in 1989  I'm replaying all the Dragon Warrior games as I wait impatiently for DW8's released, and I just finished the GB Color remake of the original game last night, so

Dragon Warrior (Gameboy Color)
Dragonball Z : Legacy of Goku 2 (Gameboy Advance)
Star Wars Episode 3 (XBox)

"I never got the sense that Kate killed the three robbers, just shot them and wounded them. She seemed pretty good with a gun - I figure she knew where she was shooting and aimed for no-kill parts of the body."

That's what it looked like to me.  Kate killed a guy, and then wanted to retrieve whatever was in his safety deposit box.  She shot the other 3 robbers just to stop them from killing the bank manager.  She was awfully good with the gun, so she was presumably used to using one, either as a criminal or perhaps the military (the plane looked like a fighter jet to me).  I'm guessing Kate doesn't know the meaning of the plane, either, only that it was somehow important to the guy she killed.

Be glad you missed the last episode.  They got the old Scooby-Doo writers to write it.  There's no other explanation why they would have two "rubber-mask" plots in one show.  You know it's bad when you're actually rooting for the villain because you can't stand the heroes anymore.

BTW, I love the "Ima" commercial, even though I must have seen it a hundred times already.

"I'm forced to wonder if this game's going to make my 3.0ghz machine beg and cry for it's mommy."
As good as the graphics are, I'd be surprised if they didn't allow a large range of customization.  The Age series has mass market appeal and sales, so I'm sure they want to have a large enough market that is able to play it, while still wowing people with the graphics.

Worthplaying has the details.

Worthplaying has some new screenshots.  :shock:

Maybe she had just broken up with Jake Jarmel. -
""It was a damp and chilly afternoon, so I decided to put on my sweatshirt!"

"I pulled the lever on the machine, but the Clark bar didn't come out!"

 

IGN has a preview/interview about the game, including a few very nice-looking screenshots.  The third screenshot looks amazing.  With regard to the physics engine, this sounds interesting -
"We have cannon shots that can literally throw infantry off the ground, and perhaps off a cliff, and down into the water...Don't be surprised if a collapsing tower squashes the villager working in the nearby fields."

Am I the only one that actually liked that song?

I remember the old Myth games got some attention from their use of physics.

You can pause the game by bringing up any of the menus, but there's no issuing orders while paused.

The game is still in beta testing, and they occasionally have beta weekends where a limited number of people can play.  The full version isn't due out until this spring.

TheForce.net has the first details on the Star Wars RTS that was revealed a while ago.  It will be set between episodes 3 and 4, and include both land and space battles.

AllRPG has some details on the first Castlevania game for the DS, a sequel to the GBA's Aria of Sorrow.

"I guess all of the above adds up over time. I also go back to talk to characters again after a quest or some significant event to see if anything has changed and/or developed. This also results in alot of walking around."
I do the same, and surprisingly, most console RPGs designers actually write different text for return visits.  For instance, if you return to a town after doing some major event, the townspeople will comment on what you've done.  I've always enjoyed this, so I usually talk to everyone several times.

"BTW, I finished KOTOR 1 at 84 hrs."
I didn't know there was anyone who takes as long to complete RPGs as I do.  I think most people's KoTOR times were around 40 hours, but my final time was close to 90.

Planet AOM has some more details, including the fact that the game will use the Havok physics engine.

Retro Remakes is a great site for information on remakes of old games like these.

According to AOM Heaven, the new PC Gamer has a preview for the soon-to-be-announced Age of Empires 3.  As rumors suggested, it will be set in the "Age of Discovery".  Also, the blurb mentions that it will have a single-player campaign.  I know some people like the RoN "World Conquest" campaign style, but I much prefer the preset scenarios method, so this is good news for me

The Ensemble Studios website countdown is almost done, so we should have details there either tomorrow or Saturday.  I just hope the big reveal is not a black screen that says "Buy PC Gamer"

I haven't played it yet, but Eternal Darkness is also supposed to be excellent, and it's very cheap now.

I tried the demos for both games, and found both really difficult.  I had decided that they just weren't the type of game for me, but then I found MP2 at Target for $5, and a few days later, got MP1 at EB for $1.75.  I started playing MP1, and I'm really glad I changed my mind about playing it.  I'm still getting the hang of it, but it's so much fun, I don't really mind having to redo sections.

I want one!

"Actually...splitting halo 2= more money. More than 1 xbox 2 edition= more money. Microsoft= more money.

Meaning they are not mistakes."

While both would earn them money in the short term, I think both would end up costing them in the end.  For Halo, it depends on what is meant by Halo 2.5.  If it just means that it's a continuation of the story with all the new features and graphics expected in a next-gen game, then that would be fine.  If it's more Halo 2 with better graphics, I think it will cause some ill well toward the game and start the XBox 2 off on a sour note.

As for the different XBox 2 versions - In general, the mass market console buyers do not want choices; they want simplicity.  Different XBox 2 versions will only fracture the market, confuse less knowledgeable people, and leave developers unsure about what features they should be supporting.  IMO, if MS intends to make different versions of the XBox 2, they are making a colossal mistake.

Well, it looks like the wait is actually almost over now.  The latest message is "1995 - Ensemble Studios founded".  Presumably, they're leading up to 2004 (or 2005) - Age of Empires 3 is revealed".

If this were true, it would be two dumb mistakes by Microsoft (splitting Halo 2 in half and having multiple XBox 2s), and I don't see them making either mistake.

In Neverwinter Nights, does the multiclass EXP penalty apply to prestige classes?  I plan to level up to 10 or so as a druid, and then start levelling up as a Shifter.  Will I suffer the EXP penalty since my levels aren't within 1 of each other?  Also, I am an Elf, so the human/half-elf exemption won't apply.

As they did with Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar has made GTA2 available as a free download.

The additions to the sequel - more varied environments, differing level goals, and opponents, all sound like great additions.

The sales success of the DS was probably the last nail in the GBA's coffin.  There are still quite a few games on the IGN list, but not many major games.  There's the MegaMan collection, Zelda, Mario Party, Wario Ware Twisted, and Mario Tennis.  As for RPGs, there's Fire Emblem 2 for sure, and IGN has Tales of Phantasia listed, but I'd guess any future RPGs will be on the DS.

1Up has some new details on the sequel.  Sounds great!

Dreamfall
Dungeon Lords
Restricted Area
The Witcher
The Movies

and a ton of console games

Does anyone know how much space on the PS2 memory card an X-Men Legends save takes?  I'm trying to decide which version to get, and my PS2 memory cards are pretty full.

"i prefer real-time combat, loved morrowind, deus ex, pirates of the caribbean, plus i've liked stuff like Baldur's Gate"
From your list, it sounds like you play mostly PC games.  If you haven't played a console RPG, they are very different from their PC counterparts.  In traditional console RPGs (including Suikoden 4), you enter battles by walking around and running into enemies at random.  Your team (up to 4 in Suik. 4) take turns inputting their moves (attack, cast magic, defend, etc), and the enemy does the same.  If you've played them before, I'm sure you know all this, but if not, I'd suggest checking out some of the IGN battle videos to see what they are like.

Atlus made a slew of announcements today.  Stella Deus, a strategy-RPG with what appear to be high-res 2D character graphics, is coming to the US this summer.  Also, Digital Devil Saga, an off-shoot of the Shin Megami Tensei series, will be released in a limited edition box when it comes out this spring, and its sequel, Digital Devil Saga 2, will be released in the US this summer.  :shock:  That brings the total of RPGs from Atlus coming out this spring and summer to 4 - DDS and Atelier Iris in spring, and DDS2 and Stella Deus in summer.  It looks like 2005 might even end up surpassing 2004 in RPG releases, though they look to be (thankfully) spread out over the whole year this time.