Of the previous generation of game consoles, the Xbox earned the least of my attention. I'm not a fan of first-person shooters or of sports games, so its appeal was sorely limited. I enjoyed the few exclusives I tried, such as Shenmue 2 or Panzer Dragoon Orta, but in my book, two games generally do not warrant the purchase of an entire console.

It's been easy for me to exclude the Xbox's successor from my current entertainment setup, as my main criteria was that I would only purchase an Xbox 360 that came with a hard drive, and I would not spend over $300. But now, the current and limited availability of the discontinued 20 GB Xbox Premium 360 meets those minimums, which has me reassessing my purchasing decisions.

Considering that my library still has unopened or unfinished Wii and PS2 games, buying an Xbox 360 does not make a logistical sense, as it will not add hours to my day. But I'm becoming unable to deny that it has enough games to justify wishing my day had more hours — especially since many of them are RPGs, which we previously discussed the 360 is prime for. Here are the retail titles that I'd be first to try:

1. Lost Odyssey — an RPG from the creator of Final Fantasy and with old-school gameplay mechanics.
   
2. Blue Dragon — the last RPG to consume 80+ hours of my time was the eighth installment of Dragon Quest, a franchise I've supported for 20 years. Blue Dragon uses the same visual designer as Dragon Quest, and the same composer (Nobou Uematsu) as Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. Sounds like a winning combo to me.
   
3. Silent Hill 5 — another entry in a series I've always enjoyed letting me scare me crapless.
   
4. BioShock — as noted earlier, I'm not a fan of FPS, but the environment and mechanics of this game sound intriguing.
   
5. Fable II — I always wanted to play Peter Molyneux's first game in this series, but never got the chance.
   
6. Dead Or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2 — the first DOAXBV was just silly, and the sequel sells for only $10.
   

Even more so than the above big-budget titles, the downloadable content for the Xbox 360 draws me in. My time is limited, and the short, fun games offered by the Xbox Live Arcade are reminiscent of a simpler time in gaming history.

1. Bionic Commando Rearmed — I have fond memories of Capcom's NES original, and the Game Boy Color remake. As with Mega Man 9, I'm interested to see what they do when revisiting this classic.
   
2. Lode Runner — I grew up playing the original on my Apple II, which was one of the first games I bought for the Virtual Console.
   
3. Portal: Still Alive — I bought the "Still Alive" single and am eager to try the game to which it originally lent itself.
   
4. Braid — both the ChatterBox and Major Nelson podcasts have spoken highly of this game, saying it's a puzzle in a platformer as much as Portal is a puzzler in a first-person shooter. As much as I enjoy classic games, I'm also all for new experiences, and Braid sounds like it could be one.
   

Other arcade-style games I'm eager to try include Crystal Quest, Tron, Discs of Tron, Jetpac Refuelled, Marble Blast Ultra, Space Giraffe, and Pac-Man Championship Edition.

I've done my part to convince myself to buy an Xbox 360; now it's your turn. What games best represent this generation of gaming and can't be found anywhere but on the 360?

I watched Nintendo's press conference live online earlier this week and was generally underwhelmed. There were no new entries in their best-selling franchises (Mario, Zelda, Metroid … Kid Icarus), and the sequels they demonstrated, such as Star Wars and Call of Duty, hardly left anyone's jaws hanging.

I was especially disappointed by the lack of attention given to WiiWare. This two-month-old venture is Nintendo's answer to the Xbox Live Arcade, but we were given neither numbers of its nascent success or promises of future titles from big-name companies. When the stage dimmed for one last surprise, what I expected was not Wii Music, but a final opportunity for WiiWare to shine — in the form of Mega Man 9.

This WiiWare game, due from Capcom in 2008, is an original title that looks like it was created 20 years ago, ignoring even the graphical advances of Mega Man 7 and Mega Man 8. I'm fascinated not only that the reception to this game has been so popular — 15 years ago, the formulaic Mega Man games were almost a joke, yet now we're hungry for more — but that Capcom has dedicated their time and resources in creating an original product for such a niche audience. Will MM9 appeal to newer gamers who have been weaned on 128-bit graphics and never played the original Blue Bomber titles? Have enough older, hardcore gamers stuck with the Nintendo brand that they'll be available to buy this game on WiiWare and not XBLA? Will MM9 stir up interest in the years-old Mega Man Anniversary compilation? I'm not sure what Capcom's angle is, but between this and Bionic Commando, they're certainly being generous to us retrogamers.

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Last month, Microsoft had an RPG conference in Japan.  The biggest news out of the event was the announcement that Star Ocean 4, previously thought to be a PS3 exclusive, is in fact, an Xbox 360 game and might not show up on the PS3 at all.  Xbox owners can also cheer that The Last Remnant, a multiplatform Square-Enix RPG, is going to be released earlier on the 360 than on the PS3.  Other highlights from the conference include additional media and information on Tales of Vesperia (a 360 exclusive by Namco in the series made famous in the US by Tales of Symphonia for the GameCube) and Infinite Undiscovery (a 360 exclusive by Square-Enix that looks similar to Rogue Galaxy).

I'm reminded of this quote from Vic Ireland, the president of the now-defunct RPG localizing company, Working Designs:

For the future, there are still great opportunities. I have been in touch with a number of other publishers and manufacturers and I will be working with some of the WD staff to do games for other publishers for the time being, but not as Working Designs. One thing that holds a ton of promise is Xbox 360 RPGs, and I've contacted Microsoft about getting what's underway in Japan out in the US and helping to get more done worldwide. We'll see what happens on that front, but please let them know that you want more rpgs here. There's some amazing stuff coming for the '360 in Japan, and I know I want it — I think you will, too.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who read those words from Vic Ireland back in 2005 and laughed in disbelief.  The Xbox 360 being a great RPG machine?  Aside from a couple Bioware games (Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire), the Xbox's library of RPGs was practically non-existent.  Why would the 360 be any different?  And yet, here we are in 2008 and those words of Vic sound more prophetic than crazy.

How did we get to the point where the PS3, aside from Final Fantasy XIII, is sparse in the RPG department, despite the PSOne & PS2's utter dominance in the genre? How did the Xbox 360 come to look so impressive compared to the original Xbox's pathetic showing?  There are a number of factors: Microsoft's courting of Japanese developers and their own investment in Mistwalker Studios (Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey); the Xbox 360's one-year head start; and the cheaper price tag are all factors. But I believe the biggest contributor is that Microsoft published good RPGs significantly earlier than its competition.  RPGs tend to be games with low replay value; thus, fans of the genre tend to buy more RPGs than fans of other genres with greater longevity might.  The early availability of RPGs on the Xbox 360 combined with RPG fans' tendency to buy many RPGs created a snowball effect: a good RPG comes for the system encourages more fans of RPGs to buy the system, which in turns encourages more companies to make RPGs for the system.  The system has momentum now — Western RPGs like Too Human and the Mass Effect trilogy, Japanese RPGs from companies like Square-Enix & Namco, Strategy/RPGs from Atlus — and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Will the PS3 or the Wii be able to catch up and overtake the 360 in the RPG field?  I don't think so.  Final Fantasy XIII, though a big title, looks like it'll be too little, too late.  And with Square-Enix showing more and more support for the 360 and less support for the PS3, there's always the chance that FFXIII could end up as a multiplatform title.  The Wii has a fair chance of developing a good RPG library simply because the system is selling insanely well and the dominant system inevitably gets strong game developer support, but I don't know.  Whether it's true or not, the Wii is getting a reputation as being the console of choice for casual gamers and so developers may prove hesitant to develop RPGs for the system.  The Wii might end up with a strong lineup of RPGs, but as of now, that's merely a hope; there's nothing particular noteworthy in the genre on the system at the moment.

In the meantime, I plan on enjoying the 360's RPG library while marveling at the strange and bizarre world we live in.

Happy Independence Day to my USA readers; Happy Fourth of July to everyone else.

My previous post complained that there is no video footage of the upcoming game Reset Generation. Since then, its soundtrack designer, 8 Bit Weapon, emailed me with this recently-released montage:

I spent this past weekend at the Funspot Arcade, soaking in the experience and environment of Eighties digital entertainment. With so many classic games drowning each other out, it wasn't the best environment to appreciate the sounds of these retro games. But the soundtrack to an upcoming PC game captures all these experiences with a single song.

Read the rest of this entry at Computerworld.com »

Hello again, Gamebits readers! Last week, Hiphopguy23 presented to you five Atari 2600 games that stood the test of time. Here now is the flipside of that list: five Atari 2600 games that now stink.
 
5) Combat — Play this game only for nostalgia purposes.  The tanks move so slowly and are frustratingly difficult to maneuver. When you do finally hit your opponent, it will feel like an act of luck more than an act of skill.  Not to mention that you can often times kill you opponent "multiple" times by repeatedly hitting fire after hitting them once.  No fun.
 
4) Raiders of the Lost Ark — Hiphopguy23 is just as excited as the next child of the Eighties to see Indiana Jones in his latest movie!  However, this game did not bring the thrill back.  Atari was notoriously bad at creating puzzle games (remember the awful Swordquest series?).  This game is no exception.  Even with the manual, you end up stumbling around confused at what Indy is supposed to do.  You could look online for the solution, but then what's the point in playing?  Also of note, the ending is highly unsatisfying.
 
3) Pole Position — First of all, Atari made a poor decision to use the joystick for this when it would have played better with the paddle.  Second, two players can not race side by side which spoils the thrill.  Also, the graphics are terrible; the racecar looks like a blob of pixels.  The track is repetitive, there is hardly any replay value.  This game is just a complete mess.  Hiphopguy23 much prefers Night Driver, even though that game is not much fun either.
 
2) Pac-Man — Ugh.  Atari really dropped the ball with this abomination.  The game play is sluggish and the controls are weak.  There is only one screen to navigate, resulting in boredom after a few plays.  The four ghosts have no distinct personalities.  Hiphopguy23 has even gotten stuck in a looping bug while playing.  Atari only got a touch better with Ms. Pac-Man.  If you really want the Pac-Man experience, Hiphopguy23 highly recommends Jr. Pac-Man  Jr. Pac-Man is everything Pac-Man was supposed to be: slick controls, rapid play, multiple screens, and ghosts with different personalities.  Highest recommendation for Jr. Pac-Man

1) Donkey Kong — Hiphopguy23 was thrilled to pick up this title after seeing King of Kong.  Sadly, the Atari port was a total disaster.  There are only two levels.  On the first, which is the iconic girders and ladders with barrels coming at you, the pace is slow and the joystick controls are oftentimes unresponsive, resulting in many frustrating moments.  When you defeat this screen, which is more relief than exhilaration, you are presented with the second screen, which is hard to describe.  There are more girders and you must run until the floor drops out, while being chased by what look like ducks.  This screen is easy to beat by following a boring pattern.  Then you are back to the original frustrating screen again.  If the arcade version were based bad, Steve Wiebe would have given up on day one.
 
Well, that's all!  Quite the trip down memory lane.  Here's till the next time that Ken allows Hiphopguy23 to come back!  Happy gaming!

Hello, Gamebits readers!  Guest columnist Hiphopguy23 here.  Ever feel like dusting off that old Atari 2600 and getting some 2-bit action on?  Well, Hiphopguy23 did just that this past Memorial Day weekend, and he is here to tell you which Atari games still hold up 25-30 years later and which should be shelved indefinitely.

5) River Raid — This game is as simple to learn as they come.  Left and right move you side to side, forward will accelerate and back will brake.  The button fires your gun.  However, you can get caught playing this game for an hour.  There seems to be an endless amount of screens to conquer and they all get progressively tougher, with narrower passageways to navigate and less and less fuel tanks available.  River Raid is definitely a classic.
 
4) Centipede — Here is another "pick up and play" game.  Fire at all the annoying bugs in your garden, including the rapidly descending centipede.  The centipede and spider get faster and faster as the levels progress, making this game a challenge.  Even more challenging is this game's successor, Millipede.  In that game, you also have to deal with beetles, mosquitoes, ladybugs, and inchworms!  Hiphopguy23 recommends Millipede if you have great hand-eye coordination and nerves of steel.
 
3) Mario Bros. — This is the best two-player game in Atari 2600 (with Warlords being the best four-player game).  You can play Mario and Luigi cooperatively or competitively.  Either way, you will have to deal with turtles, crabs, fireflies, and even ice creatures.  In the competitive mode, a dirty trick is to wait under the POW switch until your opponent knocks a creature out, and then spring that creature back to life!  Unfortunately, Hiphopguy23 has accidentally done that in cooperative mode as well.
 
2) Frogger — Yet another "jump right in" game.  This game is brilliant in its simplicity…it doesn't even use the fire button!  Simply navigate your frog past traffic, snakes, and logs to rest at your home lily pad.  The traffic gets denser, the snakes get faster, and the logs you must jump on become shorter with each progressing screen.  Like River Raid, there appear to be an endless amount of screens.  You can easily find yourself playing for hours.
 
1) Adventure — Thirty years later, and this game is still brilliant!  Hiphopguy23 recommends playing only Level 3, where all the items are randomly placed.  Some random placements are impossible to beat, and you won't realize you are on one of them until you've been playing for 15 minutes.  Hiphopguy23 also recommends playing with the Difficulty-A switches on, as they make the dragons faster and run from the sword.  Hiphopguy23 still gets a nervous lump in his throat when the red dragon approaches!

Hiphopguy23 will be back next week with five games that didn't hold up so well. Until then, have a gamerrific weekend!

Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to star in Atari, a pitch that writers Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman sold to Paramount Pictures on Friday about the godfather of the video game industry, Nolan Bushnell. [Story continues]

We can always use more movies about the video game industry, but the concept for the above film catches me a bit by surprise. Of the various video game history books I've read and reviewed, the story of Atari's rise never captured my attention as much as its fall. Atari's story certainly has memorable elements and anecdotes, and Mr. Bushnell's role in the industry was interesting, but I wonder how accurate such a biopic would be when it comes to his recreational management style (ie, allowing employees to be stoned on the job).

Of even greater concern… Leonardo DiCaprio??

What's your reaction to this announcement? Good concept, bad casting? Too soon to tell?