During the last 12 years, the Atlantic Division has been the best in the East. 5 of the 13 division champions in the seasons since the lockout have gone on the NBA Finals, not to mention the Knicks, who weren't a member of the Atlantic in 1999.
It stands to reason that the best place to start with such a consistently good division would be the most consistent team in said division, the four time defending Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics.
Boston Celtics
The 2008-2009 NBA Champion Boston Celtics will undoubtedly have a strong roster. Unfortunately, it won't be as strong as you might think. Neither Kevin Garnett nor Ray Allen will be making an appearance, despite their presence on said championship team. Their roster is as follows.
# Player Ht/Wt Position Tenure w/Team # of Games PPG Other Stat
0 Leon Powe 6-8/240 PF 2006-2009 189 Games 6.6 4.2 Rebounds
7 Kenny Anderson 6-0/170 PG 1998-2002 241 Games 11.3 5.2 Assists
8 Antoine Walker 6-8/225 F 1996-2003, 05 552 Games 20.6 4.1 Assists
9 Rajon Rondo 6-1/170 PG 2006-Present 384 Games 10.7 7.6 Assists
11 Glen Davis 6-9/290 F/C 2007-Present 277 Games 7.6 4.1 Rebounds
13 Delonte West 6-4/180 G 2004-2007, 11 203 Games 9.8 1.5 Steals
30 Mark Blount 7-0/230 C 2000-2002, 03-05 338 Games 7.6 4.7 Rebounds
34 Paul Pierce 6-6/230 G/F 1998-Present 964 Games 22.2 6.1 Rebounds
42 Tony Allen 6-4/215 G/F 2004-2010 336 Games 7.2 1.0 Steals
55 Eric Williams 6-8/220 F 1995-1997, 99-04 462 Games 9.2 5.5 Rebounds
This team's hypothetical success against the others' would undoubtedly rest upon the seemingly un-jumpable shoulders of Paul Pierce, a model of consistency and toughness for the Celtics in the 21st Century. Along with him are Antoine Walker and Rajon Rondo, two Celtics known for their interesting attitudes on when it is or isn't good to shoot. Also making the squad are noted defensive presences Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West. Also, Eric Williams is here! Hooray!
Prospective Starting Lineup/Depth Chart
C- Kendrick Perkins Mark Blount
PF- Antoine Walker Glen Davis Leon Powe
SF- Paul Pierce Eric Williams
SG- Tony Allen Delonte West Jiri Welsch
PG- Rajon Rondo Kenny Anderson
So, for the last month or so, I've been staving off boredom in my down time by scouring the depths of Basketball Reference in an attempt to discern the 12 best players on every current NBA team since the NBA/ABA Merger.
Then, earlier this week, negotiations broke down and we all were treated to the horrible reality that is the 2011 NBA Lockout. Suddenly, the parameters of my search seemed...less topical.
So, instead of scrapping the whole thing and being depressed, I decided to refine my terms to be the 12 best players on every NBA team from lockout to lockout. There are but two rules I used to compile these teams.
Each player can only be on one roster. Which team each player ends up with is determined by my own discretion. That discretion is namely which team I feel like the player's best years happened on.
Each player's career with their team has to have at least as many years after the 98-99 Lockout as they had before.
Every week I'll be profiling each current NBA division, team by team. Surely, doing this will save the future of the NBA and possibly save the entire known universe. We can only hope.
2004 is a year that to a lot of "hardcore" gamers has reached an almost mythical status. The year gaming took its first real step from niche market to mainstream market. The year the biggest generation in the history of the medium reached its apex. The perfect year.
These are good thoughts to have, and certainly aren't without merit. But as good as 2004 was, it wasn't that much better than the year before or the year after. A deconstruction may be in order.
Fable
Release Date: September 14, 2004.
Platform: XBOX/PC
ESRB Rating: M
Developer/Publisher: Lionhead Studios/Microsoft Game Studios
GameRankings: 85%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.2/10 (Good)
Peter Molyneux, famous (or infamous) head of Lionhead Studios, has a penchant for being...possibly over-enthusiastic about his own games. This isn't something he does purposefully. He truly tries his hardest to make his games as good as he can. He just promises a little much, maybe. For instance, he once said that Fable would be "the greatest game ever made." While I'm sure there are some who hold that idea, I think most people would have to disagree. Twice now, Molyneux has apologized for not fulfilling promises made before the release of his games, and twice he has made the same promises for the next one. It's a level of enthusiasm that is generally a refreshment from the status quo as far as marketing goes.
As for the game itself, Fable was a clever little fantasy game filled to the brim with a sort of weary charm and a ridiculously in-depth social system. It was a common occurrence, at least for me, to lose a few hours to the game without actually advancing the plot. Not quite the "revolution" Molyneux promised, but still quite good.
Star Wars: Battlefront
Release Date: September 21, 2004.
Platform: XBOX/PS2/PC
ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: Pandemic Studios/LucasArts
GameRankings: 82.7%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.5/10 (Above Average)
First things first: the Battlefront series is an unabashed copy of the Battlefield series with a Star Wars sheen. There is no mystery about this. The game itself is no more complicated. Simple, unit based combat over a variety of Star Wars themed maps, some of which are generic shooter fare, some of which are legitimately unique (Cloud City comes to mind), complete with every movie vehicle anyone could reasonably ask for. A single-player mode is there, but it's not anything to write home about (or in this case, blog about, I guess). What makes Battlefront a worthwhile experience is sitting down with a friend (or two or three) and engaging into some pure, straight, Star Wars chaos.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Release Date: October 26, 2004.
Platform: PlayStation 2
ESRB Rating: M (or AO)
Developer/Publisher: Rockstar
GameRankings: 95% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.9/10 (Very Good)
Who's in the mood for some Hot Coffee? Yeah, alright, me neither. Don't worry, I won't mention that stupid shit again. Worst. Scandal. Ever.
Let's talk about San Andreas, shall we? This game was the culmination of everything the other two PS2 games in the series had built to. It was, for lack of a better term, completely insane. Every batshit crazy situation you could possibly imagine can be re-created in San Andreas (and I mean EVERY). The sheer size, scope and selection of the game's mayhem filled world is still nearly unparalleled in the Sandbox genre. This size lent itself to a myriad of Rockstar's famous (or infamous) Easter Eggs (Bigfoot, anyone?).
Despite all of this, San Andreas has just as large and complex a storyline as it's predecessors, and also functions as a bit of a time capsule, capturing early 90s California in the same way GTA III captured late 90s New York and Vice City 80s Miami. It was the biggest and the best of the PS2-era Grand Theft Auto games.
Let's just say San Andreas was a good time. And a good game.
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
Release Date: November 2, 2004.
Platform: All Consoles
ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: EA Redwood Shores/EA
GameRankings: 77% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.3/10 (Solid)
In most respects, The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, is not a particularly good game. It's storyline flies in almost direct contradiction to the film series from which it is, canonically, supposed to be a part of it. It's characters are generally one note and uninteresting copies of characters from the Fellowship (an Elf and a Ranger and a Dwarf), and it's gameplay is almost directly lifted from various Final Fantasy games. I almost didn't put in on this list.
But why did I? It's simple, really. The Third Age steals from great things. It copies great characters. The sum of it's parts makes into something actually memorable. Plus I went through a rather large period where I considered literally any LOTR game to be a good experience. This game was easily the best of that crop. So here it stands.
Halo 2
Release Date: November 9, 2004.
Platform: XBOX (later PC)
ESRB Rating: M
Developer/Publisher: Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios
GameRankings: 95% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.3/10 (Great)
I assume you're aware of this game. It might not have delivered upon it's initial promise (I only know one person who prefers Halo 2 to any of the other Halo games), but what it DID do was propel gaming to that next step beyond being a niche. Halo 2's release wasn't singularly responsible for this, but the fact remains that it's release date was the first gaming release seen as a major entertainment event. The game's online multiplayer mode set the groundwork for pretty much every console shooter to this date, and it, more than anything else, set up the "Halo-Killer" cliche that a great many games fell into, most notably the Killzone series.
As for the game itself, it was still a damned good game, maybe great, despite not really having a conclusion (for anyone who thinks otherwise, know that dialogue was recorded for a final level that Bungie never got enough time to finish). Much like another game on this list, Halo 2 could have used another 3-6 months to become the game it should have become.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Release Date: November 15, 2004.
Platform: Gamecube
ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: Retro Studios/Nintendo
GameRankings: 92% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.7/10 (Very Good)
Another game that, for whatever reason, isn't quite as good as it's direct predecessor is Metroid Prime 2. It's a natural progression from the plotline of the original, it's fun, challenging and legitimately interesting. It just isn't as good as the first one. Perhaps that's because the initial surprise of Metroid Prime was what gave it it's charm, perhaps because MP2 happened to come out in between two of the biggest game in history. Whatever it is, MP2 isn't at the same level of quality of MP. Also, the multiplayer, while seemingly a good idea, becomes pretty stale pretty quickly, and might have been better left on the cutting room floor.
Despite all that, it's still pretty damned good. Someday I need to play the third one.
Half-Life 2
Release Date: November 16, 2004.
Platform: PC (later XBOX and Xbox 360 through The Orange Box)
ESRB Rating: M
Developer/Publisher: Valve Corporation
GameRankings: 95.3% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.8/10 (Legendary)
Half-Life 2 a game that amounts to more than the sum of its parts. And those parts are substantial. One part Orwellian superstructure, one part Logan's Run, Half-Life 2 takes the general sense of dread that permeates the original and elevates to a tangible tension that runs throughout the entire game, from the psychedelic beginning to the abrupt and disheartening ending. The gameplay itself draws inspiration from a myriad of genres and styles. Each individual chapter is almost it's own game (especially Ravenholm), and the physics engine is as sturdy and believable as any before or since.
Lastly, the sound. The music, by Kelly Bailey (who, sadly, left Valve last year) is subtle and disquieting, and the voice acting is top notch. The writing itself is rich and full of interesting language (see Dr. Breen's "Breencasts," the greatest example of Orwellian doublespeak outside 1984 itself. The wind whistles through ruinous bridges and abandoned homes, while City 17 itself seems to groan with the alien presence of the Citadel. It's an oppressive feel, on a large scale that never really leaves. Even the revolt in the game's final third feels nearly hopeless.
Really, at a certain point, there's nothing I can say that really describes my feelings and opinions about HL2. It's so far and away my favorite game that it's not even worth discussing. If you haven't played Half-Life 2, stop reading this and play it immediately. Seriously, it's cheap. The Orange Box is still sold in stores.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Release Date: November 17, 2004.
Platform: PlayStation 2
ESRB Rating: M
Developer/Publisher: Kojima Productions/Konami
GameRankings: 91.9% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.3/10 (Great)
Metal Gear Solid 3, despite being a prequel, is the most forward looking and forward thinking installment of what is considered to be a particularly political series. Set during the height of the Cold War, a lot of the game's charm comes from 60s versions of Snake's iconic gear. Whimsy aside, Snake Eater is a serious game with a serious difficulty curve. The camouflage system, while extremely intuitive, is hardly unforgiving, and open combat is rarely an option outside boss fights.
The differences between Snake Eater and the first two MGS games are what makes Snake Eater the pinnacle of the series, in my opinion. The corridors and walkways of the first two games are replaced by a living forest environment, full of indigenous creatures (and foreign troops. With very deadly machine guns). Metal Gear Solid at it's best just happens to be Metal Gear Solid at it's least stereotypical.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II- The Sith Lords
GameRankings: 85% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.8/10 (Very Good)
The second (and most tragic) file in the "Games From 2004 That Needed 6 More Months to be Completed" category is the sequel to the previous year's undisputed pinnacle. The Sith Lords (or TSL), was developed not by BioWare, but by Obsidian Entertainment, who at this point have a track record for producing worthy successors to someone else's masterpiece (2010's Fallout: New Vegas being the other entrant). TSL is, on the whole, a darker game than KOTOR, both in narrative and in setting. The dialogue takes a more moralistic, philosophical approach than Star Wars usually is known for, and it serves the game best when characters get to discuss the events of the first game and question the decisions made. Set five years after the original, the Jedi Order is on the brink of destruction, having been hunted there by a shadowy force whose motivations are still not entirely apparent at the game's conclusion.
Speaking of the conclusion, TSL's final act was largely cut from the game, at the behest of LucasArts, who demanded a late 2004 release. A few noble groups have endeavored to restore what they can from the game's files to the PC version (Team Gizka being the most popular), but the fact remains that TSL might always been remembered more for what it should have been over what it is, which is a shame.
2003, much like 2002, was a transitory year. Aside from the PS2's continued dominance, not a whole lot happened. I finally got a system of my own in 2003, so I became more familiar with a lot of the games on this list from previous years, specifically the epic first player games (Final Fantasies and whatnot). The industry continued to grow incrementally, commercial interest began to rise in anticipation of the unholy shitstorm of awesome that was to be the Fall of 2004. Still, we're not talking about 2004 right now, we're talking about 03. Let's get started.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Release Date: March 24, 2003. Platform: Gamecube ESRB Rating: E Developer/Publisher: Nintendo EAD/Nintendo GameRankings: 95%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.1/10 (Great)
For some reason, the letter 'Z' (the one after X and Y) is not appearing on the published posts. Because of this, I'll be trying my hardest NOT to use the title of this game series as much as I usually would.
The Wind Waker is another game unfairly labeled as being "childish." The only real basis for this is the cel-shaded graphics, which might have seemed gimmicky in 2003, but still stand up in 2011. This is a legitimately good looking game. But where the "childish" labels truly fall flat is in the setting, which is as dark and hopeless as any in this series' history.
Set in the aftermath of Ocarina of Time's "Adult Timeline," the setting of Wind Waker operates under the assumption that Ganondorf, as he is foretold to do, eventually breaks free of his imprisonment, and without a Link present, the gods are forced to flood Hyrule to keep him from attaining the ultimate power he seeks. Because of this, many of Wind Waker's locales are thought to be post-flood versions of the locales in Ocarina of Time, a somber game mechanic for such a seemingly bright game.
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic Release Date: July 17, 2003. Platform: XBOX/PC ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: BioWare/LucasArts GameRankings: 94.25%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.6/10 (Legendary)
It's taken awhile, but finally we have a BioWare game on this little countdown (countup?). BioWare is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, game developers in the world. Based in Canada, they rose to fame primarily though the Baldur's Gate series, a group of fantasy games heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons. Generally, they're known for their intelligent writing, deep characterizations and choice-based storylines.
This game, Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR for short), was the first of theirs I can remember playing, and it still remains both my favorite XBOX game and my favorite Star Wars game (both relatively important distinctions for someone who is as into Star Wars as I am). Set approximately 4,000 years before the original films, KotOR manages to be an original, unique Star Wars tale while still being easily identifiable as Star Wars, which is not an easy feat (see, every other SW game ever made). KotOR is a singularly unique game, and signals the start of what seems to be a lifelong affair between myself and BioWare's games, which I'll probably get into the next time we have a BW game on the countdown (2005!)
Soul Calibur II
Release Date: August 27, 2003.
Platform: All Non-PC
ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: Namco
GameRankings: 92.3%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.5/10 (Above Average)
I used the cover for the Gamecube version here.
I didn't play enough of either Soul Edge or the original Soul Calibur to warrant a spot on this merry countdown, but I liked them enough to interest me in SCII, which was, for a time, my "main" game. Anyone who knows me (in a gaming sense) knows that I'm not particularly keen on fighting games, at least not by myself. SCII was a different beast. One of the most balanced fighting games in recent memory, SCII was blessed with a particularly robust single-player mode, one that elevated it from simple fighting game fare into something special. I still retain fond memories of it to this day.
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Release Date: September 17, 2003.
Platform: All Non-PC
ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: Raven Software/LucasArts
GameRankings: 81%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.0/10 (Solid)
The third and final part of the so-called "Jedi Knight" trilogy (hopefully there will be a fourth at some point), JA differs from the previous entries in that it does not star Kyle Katarn, at least not primarily. The player takes the role of Jaden Korr, a new recruit to Luke Skywalker's new Jedi Academy. Another significant difference between this game and the others is the non-linearity of JA. Instead of the usual mission-to-mission structure, JA breaks itself into sections, each one with multiple missions that can be completed in any order. These missions take the player to a plethora of Star Wars locations, both famous and obscure. All in all, Jedi Acadmy is a worthy, if slightly underrated addition to the trilogy and the Star Wars games as a whole.
2002, despite it's lack of huge, Triple A titles, was an interesting year. It was a transitional year, a year in which the three new consoles tried to find themselves and began to carve out new identities. This will also mark the point in my countdown where we'll start to see a lot of sequels. After 2001, Gaming was starting to become a legitimate industry, and like most major industries, sequels are the name of the game.
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Release Date: March 26, 2002. Platform: PC/All Consoles ESRB Rating: T Developer/Publisher: Raven Software/LucasArts GameRankings: 89%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.7/10 (Above Average)
Jedi Knight II is much like the first (we'll just pretend Dark Forces doesn't exist). It's a first person shooter with extensive puzzle elements (not all of which are welcome) and the occasional third person lightsaber sequence. And, much like the first one, it was the pinnacle of Star Wars in it's time. Even if the plot this time around isn't quite as...momentous as JKI, it defeats its predecessor in the characterization of it's protagonist. Kyle Katarn is more sarcastic and world-weary than he was before, and it gives the game a sense of humor often missing from Star Wars (here's looking at you, Prequel Trilogy).
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Release Date: June 6, 2002. Platform: XBOX/PC ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: Bethesda Game Studios GameRankings: 89% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.5/10 (Very Good)
Let's get this out of the way right now: I didn't play Morrowind nearly as much as a lot of you non-existent readers probably did. I didn't love it. Maybe it was just too big for 13 year old Brian to "get." I wasn't into it as much as I would be into Oblivion four years later. Or as I will be with Skyrim this November.
All that aside, it was still fantastic. One of the least linear games of it's time, one could conceivably play Morrowind for upwards of ten hours without advancing the plot in the slightest. I know more people who haven't beaten the game than those who have.
Not only is the game huge, but it is detailed. You get the feeling that everything in the game world has a purpose, has a history. Most games give you a sense of history. The difference is that Morrowind (and the by extension, the other Elder Scrolls games) let's you find an abandoned building and come to your own conclusions as to what it was for. It's a true mark of craftsmanship, and a trademark of Bethesda, one of the best and most respected developers in the gaming industry.
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos/The Frozen Throne Release Date: July 3, 2002. Platform: PC ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment GameRankings: 93.1% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.0/10 (Very Good)
The Warcrafn Blizzard's flagship. While Starcraft is more sci-fi and Diablo more horror, Warcraft is, first and foremost, a fantasy series, and has always seemed to be Blizzard's priority, even before World of Warcraft came about. There is no finer example of this than Warcraft IIII, an RTS so expansive that it requires a full length expansion just to contain it's own plot. Every plausible side character and faction in the back annals or Warcraft lore figures into the plot, a plot which ends as climatically as any RTS in history. Pretty much every major antagonist featured in WoW was introduced in WC3
As for the gameplay itself, there's a reason something like Defense of the Ancients 2 exists. WC3 was, and still is, one of the most balanced strategy games ever made. Truly a classic int he genre.
Super Mario Sunshine Release Date: August 25, 2002. Platform: Gamecube ESRB Rating: E Developer/Publisher: Nintendo GameRankings: 92% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.4/10 (Solid)
The release of Super Mario Sunshine, for me, represents the beginning of the downfall of Mario. Don't misunderstand me, this is a very good game, but it starts to represent, for me, a rise of the gimmicky side of the Mario franchise. Not long after this, we get Mario baseball and Mario soccer and Mario tennis, each one more gimmicky than the last. This escalated to the point where a game like Mario Galaxy, which seemed very ingenious and enjoyable, was marred by the previous transgressions of everyone's favorite plumber.
That being said, I can't exactly blame SMS for what would happen in the years to come, and like I said, it was very good. The FLUDD mechanics are generally interesting and involve some thought to decipher, while the locale itself certainly lives up to the "Sunshine" title. This is a brighter, happier Mario game than it's predecessor, though perhaps something is missing without the castle itself there to anchor everything. Still, if you still have the ability to play Gamecube games, and haven't played SMS, it's certainly worth the effort.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Release Date: October 27, 2002. Platform: PlayStation 2 ESRB Rating: M Developer/Publisher: Rockstar North/Rockstar GameRankings: 94.4% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.5/10 (Very Good)
GTA Vice City takes the Mafioso tone that so influenced its predecessor and turned it into Miami Vice. For some people, this is an improvement. Not for me. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Vice City is overrated, I will declare it my least favorite "modern" GTA. Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist, was the first fully voiced protagonist in the series' history, and he was, more or less, a murderous psychopath (in a series full of murderous psychopaths, it takes quite a psychopathic murder to distinguish ones self). In fact, the entire game felt like one bad 80s joke at times.
Then again, this game made my lists for a reason, and that reasons is that it's still a Grand Theft Auto game. Unbridled freedom, caustic satire and gleeful carnage are the names of the game, and the game is a good one.
Metroid Prime Release Date: November 17, 2002. Platform: Gamecube ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publsiher: Retro Studios/Nintendo GameRankings: 96% Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.2/10 (Great)
When Metroid Prime was first announced, hardcore Metroid fans (of which I am not one) were up in arms. What appeared at the time to be a modernized First Person Shooter was taken as an insult to one of the most respected and challenging series in gaming's history.
Thankfully, Metroid Prime was no such aberration. The same focus on exploration that is so prevalent in the older Metroid games was there, along with an added level of immersion. Truly, MP is a beautiful game, even now. One anecdote I always like to use is this: when I first played MP, I took notice at all the superfluous details in the design of the varied zones. What appeared on the mini-map to be a straight hallway would in actuality be a caved in tunnel. What appeared to be a small room would really be a flooded rotunda. Art design is more important than graphical integrity. Metroid Prime was, and still is, one of the finest examples of this.
2001 was, for all intents and purposes, the most important gaming year of the entire decade. Two new systems inserted themselves into the market, and what was simply the PlayStation2 running rampant was transformed into an all-out console war (at least for a couple years, until the PS2 did exactly the same thing). The future of the entire industry was shaped and cultivated in these 12 months.
And of these 12 months, two were particularly important. November and December. In these two months, four massively influential games were released, three of which remain my personal favorites on their respective systems.
Max Payne Release Date: July 23, 2001. Platform: PC ESRB Rating: M Developer/Publisher: Remedy Entertainment/Rockstar GameRankings: 89.24%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 7.9/10 (Above Average)
Max Payne is a game that amounts only to the sum of it's parts. What makes that a compliment is how varied and rich those parts are. The titular character's running monologue is every Film Noir stereotype rolled into one with a jaded, ultraviolent sheen. The setting (New York City during a torrential blizzard) draws multiple parallels with Norse mythology, particularly Ragnarok, a comparison the game calls attention to with names like Valkyr, the Aesir Corporation, and Alex Balder. The gameplay itself steals everything it can from John Woo's films. This is in no way an insult. Very few things come together as surprisingly well as Film Noir and Norse Mythology, and Max Payne takes advantage of it in a way that is still, to this day, uniquely dark and harrowing. Max Payne had himself one hell of a night.
Grand Theft Auto III Release Date: October 22, 2001. Platform: Play Station 2 ESRB Rating: M Developer/Publisher: Rockstar North/Rockstar GameRankings: 95%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.8/10 (Very Good)
Grand Theft Auto existed before GTA III (as the name would suggest). The first few GTAs were top down sandbox games that in retrospect, have little to do with the series' glorious reinvention. This isn't to say they aren't fun. Rockstar's trademark humor is very much alive, as is their trademark satire. GTA III lacks a lot of the inherent silliness of the series' later PS2 efforts, and it has more in common, thematically, with 2008's GTA IV than San Andreas or Vice City. Again, this is not a bad thing.
The difference between those games and GTA III is the same difference between Mario 64 and all the Mario's before it. This isn't to say that those games aren't as good, they're just different. GTA III was a mark of change for the genre (and for gaming as a whole), and it stands as the start of Rockstar's current run of greatness.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Release Date: October 28, 2001. Platform: PS2/Gamecube/XBOX ESRB Rating: T Developer/Publisher: Neversoft/Activision GameRankings: 91.39%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 6.8/10 (Decent)
There have been more enjoyable sports games than this. There have even been better Tony Hawk games than this. This game didn't make this list because it was better than similar games. It made this list because it was bigger. More important. Greater. THPS3 was the first game I can remember that was released simultaneously on every major console. It was one of the first major gaming events of it's generation, a generation that saw gaming rise from a niche to the major entertainment force it is now. This wasn't necessarily a good thing, but it was an important one. And for that reason alone, THPS3 makes this list. Plus, it had a bitchin' soundtrack.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Release Date: November 14, 2001 Platform: PlayStation 2 ESRB Rating: M Developer/Publisher: KCEJ/Konami GameRankings: 95.04%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.7/10 (Very Good)
And finally, we make it to the big guns (I'm partially joking, GTA III is an unquestionably great game). Metal Gear Solid 2 rides a huge wave of momentum from the first MGS into an equally impressive first segment. It's unfortunate that momentum isn't carried through the rest of the story, which presents itself as a bit of a rehash of the original MGS. The plotline itself suffers from the typical doldrums present in most middle acts, combined with perhaps too much of that old Kojima insanity. This is a game that is often clever only for the sake of being clever. MGS2 is the weakest of the Metal Gear Solid trilogy.
Nitpicking aside, MGS2 is still REALLY good.
Halo: Combat Evolved Release Date: November 15, 2001 Platform: XBOX (Later PC) ESRB Rating: M Developer/Publisher: Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios GameRankings: 95.58%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.5/10 (Great)
The original Halo was, and still is, a deeply atmospheric game. That, above everything else, is what I love about it. Fundamentally, it isn't much different from other shooters of it's time. Even the lauded two-weapon system wasn't a revolutionary idea (though it was executed flawlessly). The storyline is tightly woven and satisfying.
It's the atmosphere. It's the dull roaring in the background of the second level that made you feel like something great and terrible was happening beneath you. It's the lens flare every time you look at the sun. It's the grind of the tires on the Warthog as you flew around corners. It's the dread you feel right before your first encounter with the Flood. It's the atmosphere, the feeling, that made me feel, cliche as it is, that I was experiencing this journey for myself, a cavalier feeling of exploration that very few games have ever been able to equal, let alone surpass.
Without these things, it's still an extremely enjoyable game, more than deserving of a place on this list. With these things, it's my second favorite original XBOX game ever.
Super Smash Brothers: Melee Release Date: December 3, 2001. Platform: Nintendo Gamecube ESRB Rating: T Developer/Publisher: HAL Laboratory/Nintendo GameRankings: 90.3%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.1/10 (Great)
At their core, the Super Smash Brothers games are nothing more than a self-tribute to Nintendo. But I'll be damned if they aren't enjoyable. I mentioned that 1999s original was, in retrospect, only a setup game fro what was to come. This is what was to come. Dozens of characters, from the expected (Mario) to the obscure (Mr. Game and Watch), each of whom plays differently from the others. Dozens of maps, from straightforward duel stages (Final Destination) to gimmicky survival maps (the F-Zero tracks), all of which offer something different to the gameplay experience. Add in an acceptably decent single-player mode (complete with inventive challenge modes), wonderfully remixed songs from Nintendo's past and present,and the literally hundreds of unlockable trophies, and you have one of the biggest, most rewarding games on the Gamecube.
Oh, and it's pretty damn fun to play with other people, too.
Final Fantasy X Release Date: December 20, 2001. Platform: PlayStation 2 ESRB Rating: T Developer/Publisher: Square/Square EA GameRankings: 91.84%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.4/10 (Great)
Final Fantasy X is, on the surface, an uncommonly bright and sunny installment in the world's biggest game series. This is a false assumption. FFX has possibly the most mature and sobering plotline in the series' history, especially because it doesn't need it's protagonist to be a broody anti-hero to do it. Tidus, while initially insanely annoying, eventually matures into an extremely sympathetic and believable character, a young man who comes to grips with the...odd circumstances of his existence and possibly saves the world doing so, despite his ridiculous outfit.
What I enjoy most about this game, however, is the promise it represents. It was the first Final Fantasy of the new millennium, and also the first the feature full voice acting. It's unfortunate that it was also the last truly great Final Fantasy. Here's hoping Square eventually returns to the turn based gameplay that made it the juggernaut it was in the first place.
An alternate title for last night’s Breaking Bad could have been “The Musings of a Chicken Cooking Man,” because it was all about the Chicken Man. The other characters (even Walt) are reduced to, at best, supporting roles in an episode that helped fill in the back story of the most dangerous Restauranteur in the ABQ.
Photo by Ursula Coyote/AMC
Before we get into the little slice of TV heaven that was Gus’ flashback narrative, let’s check in with the other denizens of the Walter White Death Express. The leader of the aforementioned express spends his first scene dealing with his cancer, which is (supposedly) still in remission. As an aside, it’s nice to see the show mention Walt’s cancer again. While it probably won’t be what kills him (my money’s on Jesse), the fact still remains that he’s definitely not cancer-free. Aside from this opening scene, where Walt rails against the deterministic view his fellow cancer patient seems to take, Walt doesn’t have a single scene on his own. Everything else he’s involved in is not of his own desire (save possibly his overly-excited chattering on the way to what he assumes is a mineral convention...
…A mineral convention that is actually a sting operation of sorts, headed by superagent Hank Schrader, hot on the trail of Gustavo Fring (“is that your real name?) The scene that takes place in and around Los Pollos Hermanos is on the short list of most awkwardly funny scenes in the show’s history. Beyond that, it really serves to show us that Walt truly has lost all control of his life.
The rest of the Breaking Bad crew takes a backseat to Gus Fring tonight while we were finally treated to a back story we never even knew we wanted. The history of Gus and the Cartel. Instead going into a full synopsis here, I’ll just post the various observations I made during my re-watch.
Is it just me, or does Don Eladio seem like he’s supposed to be Tuco’s father?
I love the subtle detail of Hector struggling to move his right arm. Almost as if he’s recently suffered a stroke. I sure hope that didn’t affect his character as time went on…
Better writers than I have commented on the possibility that Gus and Max were more than just business partners. While it’s definitely interesting, I don’t think it’s especially important. I highly doubt Gus’ sexuality will be a plot point of any significance as the season comes to a close.
Speaking of Max, he shares a name with Max Arciniega, the actor who played Krazy 8 back in season one. Combine that reference with the Krazy 8 lookalike who stole Jesse’s money in this season’s “Bullet Points,” and I’m starting to feel like the production crew really misses him.
Skyler’s final hiding spot, the crawl space, is played as a one-off joke, but given that one of the season’s later episodes (number 11) is titled “Crawl Space,” I doubt it’s the last we’ll see of it.
Nice shirt, Jesse. I didn’t know Ed Hardy was into bedazzling.
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