The worst final bosses

Think of this as "The greatest final boss battles of all time"'s evil little brother.

Generally a game's story leads up to a huge, amazing battle at the end. Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are all fine examples of this. After so much adventuring and fighting, players finally reach the final boss. Really, at this point, we gamers deserve to be treated to an amazing spectacle of game design and storytelling. We want the last part of this game to be the best. Sadly, some games just can't pull it off, leaving us with a disappointing final battle hardly fit for the adventure we just completed.

Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon

Of course, there are some cases where the battle's mediocrity is rivaled only by the rest of the game it's in. Thus is the story of Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. The resulting bastardization of an ill-fated Nintendo/Phillips partnership, these two games are widely regarded as some of the worst ever made. The final boss battles did nothing to make up for the terrible quality and design of the games themselves. After all this time, all this suffering, you want to really have it out with Ganon. You want to rip his Face of Evil off of him for forcing you to experience this crap pile of a game. And how does the battle go?

"...or else you will DIE!"

One hit, he's down. No, really. In Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon, Ganon is defeated either by throwing some book at him, or tossing the Wand of Gamelon into his piggy face. I suppose it's only fitting, though. A crappy end to a crappy game. Alright, enough dwelling on this pustule on the ass of game design.

Super Mario Sunshine

Ah, Sunshine. It's amazing how many people have sad so many bad things about your gameplay, but hardly a peep about your terribly disappointing final boss battle. I'd hardly even consider it to be a battle, come to think of it. What does it entail? Breaking Bowser's hot tub to send him plummeting into some sort of abyss. Yup. Mario basically pushed aside all formalities and caught the man while his pants were down. A classy guy, that Mario.

"Dammit, Mario! This is my 'Me Time'!"

Anyways, throughout the entire "battle", Bowser toasts you with his flame breath as Bullet Bills constantly rain down on you. Is there anyway to hit Bowser? Nope. You don't even get to touch the bugger once in the whole darned battle. A boss battle where you don't even make contact with the enemy can be an interesting design choice if done right, but the thing is, this wasn't done right. Instead of an amazing final battle, we get to see Bowser taking a bath while Mario tears up his floating hot tub. Doesn't this go against some sort of Plumber's Code?

Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl

The final battle against Cynthia, the Elite Four Champion, is a bad boss fight for a somewhat different reason than the others on this list. The real reason this is here is because of the fact that players have to fight Cynthia. Cynthia, the person we know next to nothing about. Cynthia, the person who appeared about three times previously in the game. Cynthia, who doesn't even seem to matter at all until the time we fight her. Seriously, why her? Couldn't something else have been worked out? I mean, it was a good fight, sure, but I hardly would consider Cynthia a proper final battle. Someone we know a little better would have been nice. Perhaps even a person we thought wasn't even that strong a trainer. Imagine if it turned out to be the starter player we didn't choose. Players who chose to play as Lucas would face Dawn, and vice versa. I would have liked almost anything more than to fight this woman we knew almost nothing about.

Cynthia...? Seriously?

But, maybe I'm just nitpicking here. After all, if Pokémon were to adhere to real-world logic and probability, the chances of the Elite Four Champion being someone you know personally would be insanely low. But after facing Gary, Lance and Steven, I had expected someone more important to the story to be my opponent. Heck, facing off against Professor Oak would have been better. Actually, that's not a bad idea... Game Freak, get working on it!

Final Fantasy

That's right, I'm calling out one of the all-time classics. Well, technically I'm calling out it's Game Boy Advance remake, but close enough. Anyways, Chaos was way too easy. I was in no way overly leveled up or loaded with the best weapons available. I took him on thinking I'd be thoroughly wiped out, but emerged victorious without even breaking a sweat.

Small picture, small threat.

I've heard that the Dawn of Souls remake is far easier than the original title, but still, it's no excuse for a 100% underwhelming and not-at-all-challenging final boss battle. I want it to feel like I'm practically dead as I deliver the final blow, not standing there yawning while swiping my sword at him. Chaos was no challenge at all. He was more intimidating as Garland. "I, Garland, will knock you all down!" Seriously, this is far more cool than anything Chaos ever said or did. Garland should have quit when he was ahead. Or behind. However time travel works.

Discuss this article on the forums

The Duck Has Spoken.

The best sidekicks in the business

Main characters get all the breaks. From Batman to Sherlock Holmes, all of the little guys are lesser known and far less popular. Robin and Watson deserve to be in the limelight, don't you think? Just as there are sidekicks in television shows and books, there are too sidekicks in video games. And now is their time to shine.

Ezlo

Game: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

Ezlo is one bizarre little creature. He takes the form of a green hat with a duck-like head, and he can't get around all that well. Thusly, he rides along on Link's head. Unfortunately for the green-wearing hero, Ezlo often leaves crumbs in Link's hair, pecks at Link's head (As seen above) and routinely berates the lad for not walking fast enough or being too short.

If Ezlo's such a bother, why keep him around? Mainly for the fact that he holds the power to shrink Link down to an incredibly small scale. By standing on certain rocks, jars, tree stumps or panels, Link can shrink and enter the world of the Minish. The Minish (Also called Picori by humans) are a very diminutive race of mouse-like people. They are the stuff of legends, and are rarely seen. In fact, many people believe the Minish are nothing but folklore, and simply tell the story to their children as a fairy tale.

Link can also take advantage of his new-found shrinking abilities to enter tunnels and holes far too small for him to fit through at his normal size. Sometimes entire dungeons take place in an area no larger than Link's full size!

Ezlo is certainly important to completing the adventure, and his story unfolds nicely throughout the game. Although he may start out looking like nothing but a silly, duck-billed hat, he later becomes a core part of the game's story. Don't dismiss Ezlo as a throwaway sidekick.

Daxter

Games: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2), Jak II (PS2), Jak III (PS2), Jak X: Combat Racing (PS2), Daxter (PSP)

Out of all the sidekicks on this list, Daxter has appeared in the most games by far. From Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, all the way to his own, self-titled spin-off on the PSP, Daxter gets a surprising amount of credit for being a sidekick. Nonetheless, I don't feel he gets all he deserves.

Daxter is an Ottsel: A bizarre mix of an otter and a weasel. He is turned into an Ottsel at the beginning of the first game, and changing him back into a human becomes the main focus of the adventure. Sadly, Daxter never does get turned back into a human, as he's still an Ottsel in all the other games. Eventually he comes to grips with the fact that he'll probably never turn back to normal, and eventually accepts his new, smaller, fuzzier form. Although he does miss wearing pants.

Why is Daxter such an amazing sidekick? First and foremost, he's downright hilarious! Even as an Ottsel he's as funny and quick-witted as ever. Good thing, too, as Jak doesn't really like to talk much until Jak II.

Players will often control Daxter instead of Jak throughout the series, and these sequences are really quite fun. Running around as an Ottsel in a human's world is really something, especially since he's all but defenseless against the super-sized foes that are all-too common.

Daxter's a great character for so many reasons, and I don't think I can say much more without spoiling the entire trilogy for you. Let's just say that Daxter's new form isn't all that bad after all.

Midna

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii, Gamecube)

And of course, how could I forget Midna? The mysterious, cat-like creature that hides in Link's shadow throughout most of Twilight Princess is an incredibly well-written and designed character.

Link and Midna first meet when the young Hylian is turned into a wolf, captured and thrown into a prison in the dark and foreboding Twilight Realm. She laughs at the pitiful canine that sits before her, taunting him through the iron bars of his cell. She tells him that if he can escape his cell, she'll help him get out of the prison. So Link breaks off his chains and squeezes through a break in the bars. Midna lives up to her word, and kindly escorts the boy-turned-wolf back outside.

From then on, Midna lives in Link's shadow (Literally), popping up to give him hints and command him around. See, in return for setting Link free, Midna expects the young man to run some errands for her. She needs Link to get her a mysterious power that somehow relates to the Twilight Realm that's slowly engulfing Hyrule.

Although she seems to treat Link like a slave at first, Midna slowly grows to respect the warrior and even thanks him for doing these things for her. It's one unlikely friendship, that's for sure.

What makes Midna awesome has to be her amazing powers. She can teleport through solid walls, disappear into shadows and (Later on in the game) turn Link into a wolf at will.

Also, Midna just has a great attitude. She's the kind of person who can only be described as a lovable jerk. She makes fun of Link all the time, but you can always tell that, deep down, she really cares.

Finally, Midna has some incredible strength hidden within, but if I went into detail here, well, that just wouldn't be fair, now would it? She can do some serious damage, and that's all I'm going to say.

Okay then! A group of sidekicks finally get their due! It's only fair, really. Often sidekicks contribute just as much to the game as the main character, if not more. Ezlo, Daxter and Midna are just a handful of the many amazing sidekicks out there, and I'll be sure to give them their due in future installments. Until then, keep on gaming, folks!

The Duck Has Spoken.

Game characters MIA: Missing in action

Every game brings with it new characters for us to become familiar with. We often grow to love these characters, and it really sucks when they just don't come back in another game. I've selected a few characters that I really miss, and hope to see again in an upcoming game.

Professor Elvin Gadd

First game: Luigi's Mansion (2001)
Most recent appearance: Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time (2005)

I really enjoyed meeting Professor Elvin Gadd (Or E. Gadd, as he's more commonly known). He was such a lovable little fellow, with a unique little way of talking and an amazing affinity for inventions.

Alas, once leaving Luigi's Mansion, I began to see the little guy less and less. He made a cameo in Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, but it wasn't enough. All he did was pop in during a sidequest, yammer on a bit and leave. A huge disappointment for me.

He made a somewhat larger appearance in the sequel, Partners in Time. He made common entrances in the Mushroom Kingdom, showing off some new doodad to Mario and company. Later on in the game, when Mario and Luigi travel back in time, they come across a younger E. Gadd at his former occupation as a geologist studying a volcano. When the volcano erupted, both young and old Gadd worked together to halt the lava before it caused too much damage.

Sadly, Elvin's laboratory was destroyed in the eruption. Never letting himself to be deterred by downfalls, Gadd moved on to become a paranormal scientist, which leads to the events of Luigi's Mansion.

Elvin was a great character, but it really sucks that he hasn't shown up on a home console since 2001. He had absolutely no presence in Super Mario Sunshine or Super Mario Galaxy, beyond a few abstract graphical references. He may have showed up in a Mario Party or two, but I haven't had a chance to check it out.

So then, Gadd, I hope to see you again soon! And don't forget: Sind zoo! Sooko sooko!

Dampé

First appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Most recent appearance: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Dampé was a lovable, oafish giant of a man, much like Hagrid and Shrek. He was the kind of guy who really wasn't outstanding in any way, but still had an inexplicable charm to him. It's sad to see his character so underused.

Dampé first appeared in Ocarina of Time as the cranky yet kind grave keeper in Kakariko Village. Ever the financially-minded man, Dampé would gladly dig anywhere within the graveyard for a few rupees. Whatever he found was yours to keep.

When Link awoke from his seven-year slumber, Dampé had sadly passed on. He could still be found in his grave as a fun-loving ghost. He'd challenge Link to a race, and reward him with his treasured Hookshot if he could keep up. Even in the afterlife, Dampé was still a great guy.

Dampé really doesn't have much presence in any other game. He plays minor roles in Majora's Mask, The Minish Cap and Four Swords Adventures, but nothing really notable like E. Gadd's role in Partners in Time. Dampé seems to have been abandoned by Nintendo, and that's a real shame. He's the kind of guy I'd really want to hang out with.

What are some great characters you'd love to see make a comeback? I'm sure we can all think of a person or two we'd like to see in a game again.

The Duck Has Spoken.

Remakes: How much change is too much?

Remakes can be wonderful things. Enhanced re-releases of classic titles allow new generations of gamers to enjoy the classic games of the past. They also allow veteran gamers to see their old favorites in a new light. Of course, in order to be called a remake, a game must be different from it's original version. Otherwise, it's merely a port. But how much can be changed while still preserving the original product? Here are a few remakes I've played over the years. Let's see which ones served as loyal recreations and which ones went over the line.

First, let's take a look at the game pictured above: Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. As is evident from the title, this is a remake of Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES. Was it a faithful remake, or an insult to a classic?

First, let's look at the content. Every single world, level and power-up from the original game has been preserved. From World 1 to World 8, everything is exactly the way it was back in 1990. Purists need not worry here!

In addition to all the original content, several new aspects were added into the mix. First of all, the original Mario Bros. was added. Not Super Mario Bros., but the original Mario Bros. arcade game, where players could compete to defeat each other, or work together to annihilate the Spinies, crabs and Buzzy Beetles running throughout the level. In Super Mario Advance 4, link cable support was added so two players on two separate Game Boy Advances could play together.

The original Mario Bros. returns in Super Mario Advance 4

Also added to the mix was support for the new e-Reader peripheral. Players could now unlock new levels within the game by swiping cards through the scanner. Although use of the e-Reader was clunky and the peripheral short-lived, it was still a great addition to the series.

So in the end, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 was a faithful recreation of the classic NES title. Everything was retained from the original version, and the added features made the overall package even better. And to top it all off, the entire game was reproduced in glorious 32-bit graphics. This is a great example of how to properly pull off a remake.



Few game series are more popular or well known than Pokemon. The massive RPG franchise has been draining wallets and stealing time ever since 1995, and in 2004 it received it's first remakes in the form of Pokemon Firered and Pokemon Leafgreen (Pictured). These two games are remakes of the original two Pokemon games, Red and Blue (Pocket Monsters Aka and Pocket Monsters Midori in Japan).

As was the case with Super Mario Advance 4, Pokemon Leafgreen and Firered retain all original aspects of the source material. Every trainer, city, character and gym are presented exactly as they were over a decade ago. There is a slight change from the American version of the original trilogy, as the Unknown Dungeon replicates the layout from Aka and Midori. The cave had been altered for Pokemon Ao, a game similar to Aka and Midori, except for updated graphics, relocated Pokemon, and the aforementioned change to the Unknown Dungeon. The Ao version of the cave was used in Red, Blue and Yellow.

In addition to all the original content, several features such as new islands and areas were added. After defeating Blaine at the Cinnabar gym, players are able to venture to the new Sevii Islands. These islands feature mini-games, additional Team Rocket hide-outs, a Battle Tower and several new Pokemon from the later versions of the series.

A map of the Sevii Islands

Something that really bugged me about Pokemon Firered and Leafgreen was how incredibly newbie-friendly it was. All throughout the game it holds you hand, giving you far more tips and pointers than before. Every time the game is started up, it shows you the last few things you did, just in case you forgot. This would be nice, except it shows you mundane things such as "Left Rock Tunnel", "Bought Pokeballs" and "Healed Pokemon". Also, your hand is held somewhat further into the game than before. The game had been compromised to appeal to a wider audience, which sadly repelled me.

As expected, the entire game has been revamped to take advantage of the Game Boy Advance's significant increase in horsepower over the original Game Boy. Better graphics and sound are welcome additions.

When it comes to remakes, Firered and Leafgreen are somewhat decent. The dumbed-down nature of it really gets on my nerves, though. Personally, it's my least favorite game of the main series. Still, it's pretty fun. Just don't hold it to as high a standard as the original games.



Resident Evil is really the big name when it comes to horror videogames. It all started back on the Playstation in 1996. Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a remake of that ground-breaking title.

Released in 2005, Deadly Silence includes every single aspect of the original Resident Evil in a near-untouched state. A few minor changes include slightly updated graphics, the addition of a knife button (L trigger), the 180 degree quick-turn, a constant map (On the top screen) and real-time reloading. A few of the more intense scenes had been cut, such as footage of half-eaten corpses and Joseph being mauled by a dog. However, this was true of all later releases of Resident Evil, so it's no big deal.

In addition to "Classic" mode, Deadly Silence also included a "Rebirth" mode. Rebirth followed the same general storyline as the original game, but also added in slight narrative variations and, most notably, additional gameplay sequences using the DS' unique abilities. For example, at one point you'll have to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by blowing into the microphone. Also added was a random first-person knife-wielding sequence. Occasionally when opening doors, the camera will switch to a first-person view, and enemies will begin walking straight towards you. Your only means of defense is to tap and slash with the stylus to attack the monsters with your knife.

The first-person knife-fighting sequences are sure
to keep players on their toes.

Rebirth mode was far more combat-oriented than Classic mode, but still stuck to the same basic strategies and storyline. I felt it incredibly welcome to be able to play an old game in a new way.

Instead of being a purely single-player affair, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence also adds multiplayer to the mix. There's a co-operative mode, in which all players must work together in order to escape the mansion alive. There's also a competitive mode, in which the players fight to get the most points by killing the most monsters. The big downside? No single-card download play...

Also left intact is the game's infamous B-movie grade voice acting. "You were almost a Jill Sandwich!" "Just a moment!" "It's not just a poisonous snake, it's a MONSTER!" Every last terrible bit of it is back!

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is an incredibly faithful remake of an amazing horror title. From the cheesy dialog to the head-scratching puzzles, it's all there, as well as several additions to help spice things up. Deadly Silence, like Super Mario Advance 4, is a great example of how to do a remake right.



Super Mario 64 was the flagship title for the Nintendo 64 back in 1996. It was a major departure for the series, as it was the first to ever take Mario into the realm of 3D. It pulled off this feat amazingly, and has gone on to be considered one of the greatest videogames ever created. In 2004, Super Mario 64 DS was released alongside the brand-new Nintendo DS.

Unlike any other game in this article, 64 DS drastically deviates from the source material. Instead of being able to play as Mario throughout the entire game, players first start off playing as Yoshi. Even once Mario is unlocked, he cannot access all the abilities he had in the original game. He cannot become Metal Mario or Invisible Mario. He can, however, become Flying Mario. Added to 64 DS was the ability for Mario to inflate himself and float, similar to his aerial abilities in Super Mario World.

All other abilities were instead available only to the other characters. Luigi gained the ability to become invisible, and Wario can now turn into metal. Yoshi gains an all-new ability: Breathing fire. Yoshi also has one other unique skill, and that's the ability to turn into any one of the other three characters. By picking up hats scattered throughout the levels, Yoshi can take on the abilities and appearance of Mario, Luigi or Wario. Beyond this, Yoshi can then gain the ability to fly, float, become metal or become invisible. However, getting hurt while taking on the form of another character will knock the hat off of him and return him to his regular state.

All the added characters only seemed to complicate the experience.

In addition to the added characters and changes to abilities, several levels have been altered to a degree. In some cases enemies have been added or removed, and sometimes there may be an additional platform here and there.

Beyond the core game, mini-games have been added. At first only eight mini-games are available, but players can unlock more by locating and capturing bunnies scattered throughout the main game.

Also added is a multiplayer mode. Up to four players can compete to gather the most stars by the time runs out. Players can attack their foes to knock the stars out of their grasp. Everybody starts off as a Yoshi, but finding hats scattered about can turn them into the other three characters, just like in the main game.

The original audio is all retained from the original game, as well as new sound effects and voice acting for new characters. The graphics are slightly enhanced from the Nintendo 64 version.

In the end, I feel that Super Mario 64 DS is a pretty crappy remake. Far too much was changed in my opinion. Characters were added, stages were changed, entire levels were added and some boss battles were altered. As a standalone title, it's pretty good. As a remake, however, it's atrocious.

Remakes are great. They help keep the classics alive. However, just because it's a classic doesn't mean it'll be great as a remake. If too much is changed, added, or taken away, the game becomes too far separated from it's source material. Super Mario 64 is a great example of what not to do when creating a remake. I hope more developers take a Super Mario Advance 4 approach to remakes in the future.

The Duck Has Spoken.

Drill Dozer review

On Saturday, while perusing the discount games shelf at a Real Canadian Superstore (Sorta like a Wal-Mart), I stumbled across Drill Dozer and MechAssault: Phantom War, both for $20 CDN. So, I bought them! Here is a review of the former.


Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: February 6, 2006 (North America)
ESRB Rating: E for "Everyone" (Notes: Cartoon Violence)

As I said in Games that deserve a sequel: Part 2, Drill Dozer had the sad misfortune of being released in the late days of the Game Boy Advance, a time when the Nintendo DS was beginning to conquer the market. The game went largely unnoticed, despite being made by Game Freak, the people behind Pokemon. Did Drill Dozer deserve more than this? Here's what I think of Game Freak's last Game Boy Advance adventure.

Undoubtedly the most unique aspect of Drill Dozer is it's incredibly bizarre gameplay. Instead of the usual jumping and running fare present in most platformers, Drill Dozer's gameplay relies heavily on the main characters aptly-named vehicle, the Drill Dozer (Sometimes called the Red Dozer). This odd little machine is outfitted with two drills, one on either side of the vehicle's body. One drill spins clockwise, the other spin counter-clockwise. Utilizing both drills is key to making your way through the many enemies, puzzles and obstacles scattered throughout the game's eleven levels (Plus several secret stages). These puzzles can be as simple as finding a way around an immovable barrier, or as complex as timing a jump just right, so as not to fall to your doom. Those without quick reflexes need not apply for this job!

But what is the story behind these adventures? As is explained in the mini-comic packed-in with the game, the leader of The Red Dozers, Doug, was badly injured when the Skulkers gang infiltrated their headquarters and swiped their precious Red Diamond. This leaves his pink-haired daughter, Jill, in charge of the family business. And what better way to kick off her newfound leadership then stealing back their lost Red Diamond? And so Jill, along with Gearmo and Grutch (Other members of The Red Dozers) head off to take back what's rightfully theirs from the Skulkers.

(Counter-clockwise from top) Jill, Gearmo and Grutch

Game Freak has always been known for their unique art styles, and the graphics in Drill Dozer do not fail to please in this respect. The character designs are well stylized (As seen above), and the environments are some of the best ever on the Game Boy Advance. And the bosses are larger than life, with an astonishing number of parts and always looking great in motion (Here's an example). The amount of detail and the sheer size of the levels in this game is truly amazing, especially considering this is on a last-generation handheld. Game Freak really flexed their creative muscles with Drill Dozer, and it payed off big time.

The audio is perhaps the lowest point of Drill Dozer. It's not that it's poor quality, it's that almost every sound effect is recycled from the Game Boy Advance Pokemon games. The music is always fast-paced and well suited to the situation, but I've heard most of the sound bytes many times before while playing Pokemon Ruby.

If the audio isn't this game's low-point, then the lastability surely is. I've been playing this game for a couple of hours or so every day since Saturday evening, and I finished it this morning. Sure, there's another ending to be unlocked, but that entails finding every single one of the game's 31 hidden treasures. I, so far, have three. There's also the secret levels, but not only do you have to do something to unlock them, you also have to pay out quite of bit of currency to access them. It's not a long game, but it is extremely fun while it lasts. And there's always time to go replay those awesome boss fights!

SUMMARY

Gameplay: 9.9/10

Every second of this game is full of puzzles and boss battles, never leaving a dull moment. The game's built-in rumble also adds to the experience greatly.

Story: 8.0/10

Drill Dozer's storyline is fun and light-hearted, always avoiding ever getting too serious. The open ending really hurts, especially considering a sequel is most likely never going to happen.

Graphics: 9.5/10

This is, without a doubt, one of the best looking Game Boy Advance games ever published! The animation is smooth, the colors are vibrant, and above all, I'm just a sucker for anything with character art by Ken Sugimori!

Audio: 7.0/10

While the game sounds great, almost every sound effect is taken directly from Pokemon. Besides that, though, the music is very well done, and the few new sound effects are of good quality.

Lastability: 6.5/10

The game won't last you much longer than 10 to 15 hours. There are a few things there attempting to squeeze a few more hours out of the game, but nothing very rewarding, save for a slightly different ending.

Overall: 8.5/10

Drill Dozer is one of Game Freak's finest pieces of work, and it's a real shame that so few copies were sold. With only a few rough patches holding it back, this game is more than worth the $20 USD MSRP it carries today. If you see it, pick it up! It's pretty hard to go wrong at $20.

Have any of you guys had a chance to play this game? If so, what do you think of this little-known gem?

The Duck Has Spoken.

Games that deserve a sequel: Part 2

Part two of last month's "Games that deserve a sequel".

Drill Dozer
First game's platform: Game Boy Advance
Preferred platform of sequel: Nintendo DS


When the DS began to take hold, and the Game Boy Advance began to move slowly towards the shelf permanently, releases for the 32-bit handheld slowed to a crawl, comprising mainly of licensed properties and sloppy ports. In February 2006, Nintendo released one of their last games for the handheld in the form of Drill Dozer. From the minds of Game Freak (Makers of Pokemon), Drill Dozer was an extremely odd title. The main gimmick of the game, as suggested by the title, was a drill-headed bulldozer driven by a pink-haired girl named Jill. Not long before the game starts, Jill has a precious gem stolen from her (A in-box comic expands on this). This red jewel was taken by the odd crime syndicate the Skulkers, who's workers are, for the most part, rodeo clowns. With the help of her crew, Jill goes off to search for her family heirloom, drilling through blocks, air ducts and countless enemies on the way.

Possibly the worst part of this game is the open ending. Game Freak had expected the game to sell well enough to warrant a sequel, but sadly, this did not happen. I, for one, really hope that Nintendo sees the potential this title holds, and green-lights a sequel. For those of you who have yet to enjoy this quirky platformer, it can be bought for a mere $20 USD nowadays. If you see it, buy it!

Age of Empires: The Age of Kings
First game's platform: Nintendo DS
Preferred platform of sequel: Nintendo DS


Age of Empires has long been a staple of PC gaming, and was exclusive to PCs for nearly a decade. But, in 2006, Age of Empires: The Age of Kings was released for the Nintendo DS. Unlike the other games in the series, The Age of Kings was turn-based (Like Advance Wars) instead of an real-time strategy game, or RTS (Like Warcraft). The levels in the game were revised versions of the stages in Age of Empires II: Age of Kings for the PC, making the DS game, in a way, a remake (The box art of the DS game also bears a striking resemblance to the box for the PC game).

I am personally greatly enjoying this game (I got it on Friday). I really hope that Backbone Entertainment and Majesco make another Age of Empires for the DS! With a few tweaks to the controls, this game could be perfect.

Well then, those are another two games I feel deserving of a comeback! I may review one or both of these this week, so keep an eye out for them!

The Duck Has Spoken.