Have you been naughty or nice?

4 Nov 05

Nintendo sends word that their feudal Japanese warfare/Pinball RTS, Odama, has been delayed until march. I know all three of you waiting for it are crushed. I guess that leaves Mario Party, Mario Strikers and Kirby to headline the Christmas games for the cube.

Let's go over Christmas lists quickly. The PC has a good looking lineup. It's got The Movies, Civilization 4 (already out), Age of Empires III (out), Earth 2160, Hammer and Sickle, and expansions for Warhammer 40k (out), Zoo Tycoon 2 and Rollercoaster Tycoon 3. On the tactical front, we have Star Wars: Battlefront II, an expansion for Battlefield 2, Brothers in Arms 2, Vietcong 2 and Bet on Soldier (ok, I'll add F.E.A.R. because some people like it). I suppose I should point out that our friends at Kerberos have stuck to their Q4 date on Sword of the Stars. Pretty impressive and sure to put a dent into the wallet of people who don't have enough friends to ensure that all they want will be under their tree (apologies to anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas or have friends).

The other consoles look better. The PS2 has just seen the release of Shadow of the Colossus, Ratchet: Deadlocked, Sly Cooper 3, and Soul Calibur 3. They're looking forward to Suikoden Tactics, Dragon Warrior 8 and America's Army. The Xbox has just seen Battlefield 2, Stubbs the Zombie, Call of Cthulhu, and Shattered Union. They're looking forward to Operation Flashpoint Elite, Gun, Half Life 2, True Crime: New York, King Kong, and new Prince of Persia, Castlevania and Gauntlet games. I admit, I threw some of the multiplatform games to the Xbox, but since it usually has the best version, it's pretty safe. Let me know if I missed anything important.

I previously went over some of the big Xbox 360 titles. It is important to remember to take the launch title hype into account. As I recall from previous launches, most titles end up below average with a few bright, shiny gems. Speaking of the 360, it looks like Bill Harris is going to be giving one away. Have a great weekend.

Jason