This decade some decade old series have made there mark once again, some even providing some of the best titles in the series. Others fell flat on there face.
The Legend is strong, and when the Legend of the Zelda started its long path this decade after releasing some amazing titles in the previous decade, many thought it might fall flat on its face from the bat go. But the series has kept its wings, and provided some amazing titles and experiences this decade.
Link has had so many different personalities this decade, some contraversal and others instant classics. What is known is this decade saw many titles across many generations as well as paving the way the series will be next decade.
The legend started right off the bat this decade with Majora’s Mask, the direct sequel to Ocarina of Time. It introduced a new “3 day” system which gave the game a scene of urgency, as well as giving players one of the darkest child link games. The game also featured many sidequests and detailed NPC’s for the time, and for the series.
After the mask collecting, we found ourselves looking at a Space World demo like no other, a mature link running on next generation graphics, the hype train started saying this was to be the next Zelda.
The next console Zelda was to be forgotten for awhile, with the Game Boy Color getting the Oracle series, Ages and Seasons. With Oracle of Ages been the best of the two, the Game boy Advance had just arrived as well only just after.
What appeared on the Game Boy Advance was a port of Link to the Past, a classic game from the previous decade. Along with it inside the same cart, was a sign of things to come- a look at a mulitplayer Zelda- Four Swords was born.
Falling into place around the same time, was the shock and aww at the new console Zelda, Wind Waker was revealed and released in 2002, to keep players who where disappointed at the graphic style as fans, Nintendo played a card like no other, Ocarina of Time was ported to the Game Cube and bundled with Wind Waker as a preorder item, to make things better the disk also contained Master Quest (a much more harder bolder OoT).
Wind Waker featured sailing as the form of transport and some crazy story about a great flood, what was known is after it was released it was lapped up by everyone and enjoyed.
Four Swords saw a rebirth a few years later on the Game Cube, one of the best Zelda adventures was 2D, multiplayer and used a new feature which connected the GC to the GBA, allowing more players to come in and play with the GBA. Which sadly was the only way to play multiplayer.
Around the same time was another gem, The Minish Cap, the last Flag Ship Zelda title and one of the most impressive handheld games to date.
Near the end of the decade and on current generation consoles, Zelda was released as a lunch title for the Nintendo Wii, Twilight Princess while good fans complained and moaned that it wasn’t “Ocarina of Time”, leaving the consoles for awhile the Nintendo DS gave birth to two Zelda titles, sequels to Wind Waker, Phantom Hour Glass and Spirit Tracks.
This decade also saw a few other spin off titles in the series (besides “Four Swords”), Link’s Crossbow training taught Wii gamers world wide that plastic attachments are fun, and Tringle got his own series.
Shooting has never been this fun, okay it probably hasn’t. Late last decade the Unreal series spun off a baby of its own, Unreal Tournament became a series and a game which molded multiplayer FPS for the rest of the decade.
The series contained itself to the original for awhile, but in 2003 came the rebirth of the series into the decade. The 2003 installment was pretty basic, and as well as the 2004 installment was pretty much an upgraded version of the original.
A few years later came Unreal Tournament 3, which keeps the FPS flavor going with more detailed graphics and explosions. While other games have taken over the crown of multiplayer FPS action, Unreal Tournament continues to be a viable enjoyable option even in this decade.
This decade brought the 3rd and 4th “seasons” of Grand Theft Auto. From the aclamined Grand Theft Auto III to Grand Theft Auto IV and Chinatown Wars. With in the middle PSP versions of the Third season, with new stories.
It’s a funny series, but at the same time its a boring series. What happens to be one of the game highest points is something fowend upon by society, but in the end its all good! Or is it?
The series has taken a relistic turn in its 4th season, GTA:IV and its download content has to be the most evil game ever when it comes to pain. As for the cops, they are tightened up but you can still drive down the block, hide in an ally and wait for everything to be A’ Ok.
Chinatown Wars has appeared on the DS (a limited exclusive) and then the PSP, and then the iPhone. While the ports where needed, no one knows, as the DS version was solid, unique and desirable (and still the highest seller).
This is a series your going to be seeing more of next decade and where they can lead it to, its anyones guess.
This decade spored some new video game series as well as ditching some others, what are the top 3 which are welcome to stay?
While considered part of the Rayman series, Rabbids in there own right had become more then just a spin-off series to the popular platformer.
They became the most weirdest creatures in the world, and almost everyone fell in love with them. What Ubisoft had created as something new and interesting.
They appeared in their first game under “Rayman Raving Rabbids”, featuring Rayman- in not a platformer but a mini game compilation. This caused some issues, as many Rayman fans saw the Rabbids as an issue- and wanted a new Rayman game not more Rabbids.
For three titles which appeared on almost every console available at the time, Rayman Raving Rabbids 1, 2 and TV party featured out of this world mini games which bordered on the obsurbed. Most of the mini games had the goal of messing things up. The original game had more of a set story line (and a quite interesting use of Rayman), but Rayman disappeared even from 2 and TV party.
All was not lost, when Ubisoft finally decided the series had earned its wings they announced a new game. Rabbids Go Home was a fresh new approach with the Rabbids. Gone where pointless mini games, replaced with an adventure game. The amazing thing is, Go Home kept the charm and stupidity that the Rabbids where known for in the original titles.
Appearing on other games as camos and even toys, shirts and other goodies. Rabbids are now an acceptable franchise and series. In the short time which it evolved late in the decade, it has successfully shead its original series from itself and become a spin-off series to be proud off.
Another Code is going to be on this list, and most likely more lists. The series started as a single title on the Nintendo DS system. Developed by Cing, it lead to future titles in the series (Another Code R in 2009) and other novel games by Cing (Hotel Dusk series and Again).
Another player from mid in the decade, the original was considered something amazing and special for the Nintendo DS. The shame lines within the series, considered only a sleeper hit compared to its younger brother series which started with Hotel Dusk.
An interesting story and mythology was formed within the text based adventure game, the latest title in the series Another Code R won Game of the Year from us for 2009.
The Sims takes home our final spot in new series of the decade. Spinning off from the original Sims series which consisted of various activities slapped with “Sims” then “X” and as well was the earlier Sim City series- fans where amazed and shocked when you could finally go away from the city and into the home.
It started when the game was released in 2000, the beginning of the decade started this casual revolution and you could say that this one of the pioneers.
The goal was simple, entertain your dumb founded Sim and then build and manage your life and house. Over the years the game grew with expansion packs which opened up new areas and new things to do, keeping the game fresh and innovative.
Four years later however the time had come for EA to release a new Sims game, not a boring expansion pack (or the future “Stuff Packs which started on The Sims 2) no Sims 2 was now revealed and released.
At the end of the day what Sims 2 did when it first came out was give the original a nice coat of paint then looked at all the expansion packs and decided what ones where worth putting in the base game, before releasing more expansion packs on its own.
Nothing major changed until Sims 3, a much more casual approach, but at the end of the day a more solid structure when it comes to building your home, a few things which the Sims 2 pioneered on where thrown out the window, giving the game an unfinished feel.
It’s the end of 2009 and crazy redneck video game site owner law dictates I must do some form of Game of the Year. Interesting enough I can’t remember anything which came out this year that well enough so I have to do some research before I go crazy announcing Game of the Year oh well.
Runners Up
This year wasn’t forgotten GTA wise, and was the first time in years since Grand Theft Auto hit a Nintendo console. Like the previous installments on Nintendo devices it stuck to Nintendo’s latest handheld the Nintendo DS.
The success of the GTA installment on the Nintendo DS, China Town Wars brought new fans and old to the console for an enjoyable outing. It contained almost everything we expect from 3D Grand Theft Auto games, and brought the series back to a top down view. Even more is the PSP version which sporned from its ashes.
With the same game play, but a few flaws- on the same token on a Nintendo console, its a no brainier that GTA would see itself on this list.
It should be more of a surprise that this game didn’t make it to the final place then it been on our Titles of the Year list. Cing is back with another masterpiece this time accompanied by Town Factory and Marvelous Entertainment, a dream team as they say. And this is certainty a dream game.
The direction of the team created an unique and interesting experience for the Nintendo Wii console which was long overdue.
Reviewed by me in late April the game was awarded a Thumbs Up from us, the highest review rating we have on Trinest.Com, you can check it out here.
The Sims is back, not in a boring expansion pack or “stuff pack” (object packs they introduced since Sims 2). Oh no, its back in a whole new game.
The casual game deserves a mention on our list, it suprised us with new features (which disapointinly taking away a few) and dispite theses if the expansions fix everything would be the best Sims game to date.
The only difference and, disappointing factor here is as a stand alone game- the original and the sequel beat the living shit out of this game. New features aside, it was a disappointment in the long run, but over all a solid and impressive game.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii hasn’t been reviewed by me- in fact I probably never will review it. It’s one of those games which standing next to the DS original in the “new” series disapoints. Mario feels like a drunken sailor when walking and above all the levels range from boring to average and only a few become “wow!”.
But it does deserve a mention, the title is solid dispute its flaws and my unrealistic epectations.
Spirit Tracks is a game reviewers love to love, and for me it was no exception, the game however has flaws- and they seem to come through nicely. It seems with some more polish and love the game wouldn’t be an average game when it comes to the Zelda series- but above and all its a high ranking game regardless- but a low ranking Zelda game.
The series has more crazy then, well- its possibly one of the most craziest series ever. Rabbids Go Home for the Nintendo Wii spins off the series into a nice little package, ending 2009 with a bang.
The music is one of the games highest points, as well as animation- level design, and well its a near perfect package. The only flaws are it is a tad to easy and shortish.
We often give Game of The Year to sleeper hits. Last year we gave Disaster: Day of Crisis the game of the year award. This year we have decided to go with a game most people will know, and some wont. A game by a developer who we have mentioned before- yes its a Cing game, and yes its Another Code. (either that or you just saw the big banner and assumed it was Another Code- if so good for you!)
Another Code R (most likely means Revolution- aka Wii code name?) was a game which no doubt would of saw itself on this list regardless of what was going to be the winner. It’s going to have a rough life because of its younger brother series Hotel Dusk sucking in all the fans and having a more smoother design style. But what it looses out on Another Code as a series makes up on, and this time around Cing have fixed things in the design style which the original had.
Another Code R is a sequel to the original Another Code, Ashley is now 3 years older (16 instead of 13) and her attitude and desires totally reflect the age difference. Cing has proven once again they can come up with some solid character designs, the game is full of new characters and old- with the old now seen in a new and deeper light.
Among another things this new entry is a much solid inturpration on the mythology which surrounds the series. Cing has just finished developing Again: Eye of Providence (a new IP with Tecmo) and Last Window (Hotel Dusk 2) which both have unique new story lines and both also for the Nintendo DS, due out in 2010 worldwide. Until then if you havn’t already pick up Another Code:R for the Nintendo Wii- you can find it very cheap and pretty much in the bargain bins (sadly) also its only out in the UK/Europe/Japan so yeah…
So in 2009 I probably changed the design for Trinest.Com almost about, well maybe every dam week almost. Wait I wouldn’t call it that bad, maybe twice a month, maybe- its hard to say. But what is easy to say is that there has been lots of designs on this site, its time to look back at some of the designs and the current one which now greases the site.
December 2009- a nice little crash!
Wow, its like a short lived approach which just didn’t happen. In fact for those who are regulars will know this is exactly it. For a period of about a week, this was the design (shown above the image), it seems I always go over board near the end, and well this happened right now again. The design wasn’t that bad, in fact it looks quite snazy, but in the world of the design its pretty much “epic fail” as the kids would say.
The design was quite simple, featured maybe the least amount of coding for awhile, and the only real current generation break through in the design was the shadow text on the “network” bar.
The site also sporned the idea of doing something on 5xxt.com again, and for that short week once again the domain was used. Time around it was a retro blog, covering all the fantastic little games which came out then. The only real failure is this was before Chirstmas, (20th to be exact) and all the content which was written was about 3 articles.
The idea to start a photography blog also came around from this design, heck I even had the site set up (was going to be called “p” also known as “p on trinest.com”), but you see that really wasn’t a good idea so that in the end I decided to merge these blogs I was going to start back to trinest.com, so now all the content is right here again- and under sub categories.
Most people will see the above image and be reunited with one of the only good designs trinest.com really has had. But then most people don’t come to my site so thats probably a bad example. What you see now in the above image is the first replacement of the December 2009 “crash” as I say, its an old design, and looks outdated almost. The goal is of course to polish it up in the end and make it look more charming and still keep its original charm. Which no doubt I will ruin :/
Hey! What are these?
GenX as its known in Beta form pretty much is a mash up of half a dozen different webdesigns and put into one. It was used for about a bit before December and well, what was I thinking is quite a good response to it.
Once again it contains a few nice things, and then the rest of it is puke. Color wise, its alright- but it still looks horrible. The footer was done quite well, and probably the only thing on the design worth attaching my name to.
It was made around the idea that soon I will make another podcast or Vlog of some sort- as you can see in the “red navigation” (which is for blog archives) something along the lines of “trinest-cast” or “trin-show” is mentioned.
Going back a few months and we enter territory of the download center (where you can acquire various designs through out this year). I’m not going to mention much unless I got something worth while to say about them.
This one is a good idea mixed with a bad one, the header was fully customizable to a point, you see it was built on the premise of been good for ASCII art banners and stuff like that. The rest of the design had some sort of “retro-ized” look to keep in the theme of the ASCII art banner, and well it quite sucked. It is downloadable in the download section of this site though! (under the name “newspaper green”)
This is known as the “draw theme”, and well its not really drawn now is it? Something more close to been drawn is the old style designs I made where the header was drawn on paper- in fact I might do something like that again, cause that was kind of cool. But time consuming.
Anyway onto this design, it was full of hyperlink highted backgrounds, and well, looked quite shit if you hightlighted them all lol!
The icons made where kind of cool (seen slightly) and where considered the “header”, a mouse over effect made them have color (I really could of done it more efficiently- what this was was a image switcher, I should of just dulled the colours or something).
This design uses the remnants of a theme set called “Core” (not released to the public I don’t think?) anyway “Core” tried to highlight the similar ideas I had about new blogs then as well a few months ago. Each site was a different color- and by that I mean each sites design was all “x” color, the design really didn’t use any multi colors or anything, and everything was just different shades.
Over all
Yes there are a few other designs in my archives which haven’t been released to the public yet as downloads- or maybe they have and I’m just going crazy.
What I do know is all the designs avaliable for download have been made and used on trinest.com this year, and there are others as well!
Some I should show soon, maybe make another article like this revealing more of the secrets and ideas which flopped, instead of this bastardized summery- but oh well!
Last generation if you mentioned this game, you would be greeted with people not knowing what it was, in fact now still it continues having that fate. Konami has continued the series this time around under a name for westerners which removes the original name and plasters a new casual friendly one onto it- Lost in Blue is the new name which the series takes itself as and it seems Konami has shattered the series once again with horrible design flaws.
But most people don’t know to this day that the series Lost in Blue started on the Game Boy Color under the name Survival Kids (Standard Kids in the UK) and was released worldwide (though the sequel on the GBC was limited to Japan). So for those who joined in when it was too late, here’s a look back onto the game which made it all possible.
The game was something fresh and unique which at the time was hidden in the shelves and forgotten by many, a simulation title which centred itself around been lost on an island. Unlike other simulation games of the time, Harvest Moon for example, it didn’t gain a strong enough following to see the sequel appear in English countries. It was a simple game compared to the generation of its future cousins, and contained more survival action then survival caring.
The game contained various items and “Easter eggs” of sorts which you could create just to humour yourself, some had survival functions while others just lightened up the atmosphere. One such item was the baseball set which you could make, or even the left which you used as an umbrella.
It wasn’t all fun and games, for those new to the series the ionic monkey followed you around even on the Game Boy Color original, annoying you with its tricks and devious desires. In the end you could keep him as your evil monkey slave and even try to finish the game and rescuing him. Of course you didn’t have to even worry about him.
The land was a different world then what we are used to now with the titles DS and Wii cousins. It contained land types of all possible encounters, there weren’t just fields and forests, there were also swamps and mountains of impossible heights. It was something fun and funky for the Game Boy Color which didn’t look half bad either, the graphics a style which will forever be one of the best on the Color.
Music on the other hand was a hit and miss, and the title wasn’t exactly acclaimed for that. But what was seen when you removed away from the core game was quite good animation scenes which depicted various events though out the game. They could seem dark and evil for the untrained eye, but at the end of the day it seemed to appear to give more heart to the game which seemed to be more about the adventure and less about the survival- something which Konami has forgotten in the newer titles.
Survival wasn’t a must on most days, and you were looking after yourself instead of some random you just met who doesn’t do anything but sit and complain when you don’t do everything she wants you to- a complaint which the newer games where often targeted for, but in this title non-existent in an island with just you.
The game even had some wacky mini games, that just proves that survival wasn’t the main objective here.
The island was undoubtedly more interesting than the islands which where to come, while Survival Kids 2 became the penicil of island creativity, the newer titles just picked and swapped bits of what was once great. The objectives to advance where not ground breaking, but the fitted in the game and created a flow which was easy, but regardless if you did get stuck- would want to continue to survive in the areas you have already unlocked, they were full of animals and objects which would be replenished almost every day.
The game was more of a piece of art and a complete package to what was to become of the series. You could still pick to be boy or girl, and while another character wondering around you would of spiced up the game, it seems so far Konami still hasn’t gotten it right, so in retrospect what we have experienced was for the best.
I spoke earlier about how survival was less important, it’s much easier to keep your health at a maximum. The system isn’t based around staiuma, hunger and thirst it’s a full health bar as well, so that cuts the troubles down heaps. You also still have things like hunger pains as well, so they are still included in the original title, but once you learn how the game works, it’s quite easy to be always with it to advance into more complicated areas.
The only major problem on some degrees would be how long a day lasts, it seems to feel much shorter than the titles sequels, but on the same token it fits right in with how big the world map is.
Overall what you have here and should try and look for an old cart of is a title which depicts the coming titles in the series quite well and is possibly still one of the leaders in the series.
