Games of 2007
€1 = $1.4822
I bought more games in 2007, compared to the already gamepacked 2006.
Just like last year, I bought three consoles, but only one of them was new.
A total of 35 games with an average price of €5.08/€7.52/48.26SEK. That '35' includes 11 new games,
7 games that were bundled with my Dreamcast, 8 games I bought as presents for other kids,
4 second hand games from various sources, 5 second hand games that are too mint to be called second hand
and 3 games that were ultimately sold again on eBay. That leaves 32 games, of which 24 are mine. Or 2 games/month.
Shame on me!
New
Snakes by Nokia [N-Gage]
The classic cell phone game for Nokia's immensly succesfull N-Gage. Wink wink, nudge nudge. Great game, free download! (€0)
Baten Kaitos by Namco [NGC]
Beautiful but hard RPG. Worth buying for the gorgeous intro movie alone. (€10)
Pikmin2 by Nintendo [NGC]
Sequel to the most original and refreshing Gamecube game. Cost the full whack for three years straight, but then ... (€10)
Asphalt by Gameloft [N-Gage]
Fast racer for the N-Gage. Also available on NintendoDS. (€5)
Finding Nemo by Traveller's Tales [Mac]
Game aimed at small children (a.k.a. perfectly suited for me) based on the smash Disney movie. (€4.99)
The Land Before Time - The Great Valley Adventure by Brighter Child Interactive [PC]
More kindergarten PC fun! (€4.99)
Tron 2.0 Killer App by Buena Vista Games [GBA]
Based on the hit Disney movie, oh, wait no. Based on the cult Disney movie! Great! (€4.98)
Donkey Konga by Namco [NGC]
Powerful pounding + pretty penchant perseverance = pure pleasure! If a little shallow ... (€14.99)
The Land Before Time - Into The Mysterious Beyond by Game Factory [GBA]
Second GameBoy Advance Littlefoot adventure. Much better than the first one, with harder-to-get bonus points and gorgeous, super crisp graphics! (€15 instead of €39.99)
The Godfather Blackhand Edition by EA [Wii]
My first EA game ever & the only 'expensive' game of the year (but with a 50% reduction!). The game has its defenders and bashers (including Coppola), believers and non-believers.
I loved it! Large (very large!), engrossing, engaging ... fully powered by the Wii's remote! Molto bene! (€29.95 instead of €59.95)
Pocket Kingdom 0wn The W0rld by SEGA [N-Gage]
The only N-Gage game, together with Pathway To Glory, worth having according to the dedicated sites. I don't like RPGs, though. (€5)
Second-hand
DuckTales 2 by Capcom [GB]
The sequel to one of the best classic Game Boy titles! I've hunted high and low for this gem and eBay helped me out! Manual included, still boxed and a low low price. (€4.49)
Star Wars Rogue Squadron by Factor5 [N64]
I already owned the sequel, but my collection lacked the original. Haven't had the chance to play it, for my Nintendo64-controller is broken! Manual included & boxed at a great price. (€2.5)
Batman Returns by Sega [GG]
Great movie-based game. My first game for my new (though second hand) Game Gear system. (€15, plus Game Gear)
Animal Crossing by Nintendo [DS]
My nephew found this fantastic game on a bus, while travelling home from school. Great! The game itself is more of the same, compared to the Gamecube-version, but that's not a bad thing in this case. (€0)
Second-hand in such a good state that calling it second-hand is an insult
Walt Disney Quest Magic Kingdom Tour by Crystal Dynamics [DC]
Fun racing adventure set in Disney's Magic Kingdom (€1)
South Park Rally by Tantalus Interactive [DC]
Crappy racing adventure set in Trey Parker's/Matt Stone's Magic cartoonworld (€1)
Marvel vs. Capcom by Capcom [DC]
Superfast, uberfrentic fighting game. Capcom characters pummeling Marvel heroes or vice versa? Great concept! (€1)
Warioland 2 by Nintendo (Jap GB)
My first import classic Game Boy game. Great sequel to a great game. Very easy in Japanese, due to the similarities with the predecessor. Recommended! (€13)
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (GB)
Panned game turns out to be very playable [yet short]. Helen, one of my "Germanic Languages" friends, received it several years ago. She tried it once, got stuck in the first level
and left it in her cupboard since then. She gave the game, in a flawless box with the manual, to me as a birthday present. (€0)
Bundled with my Dreamcast
(€50 for the console + 7 games)
Sega Worldwide Soccer by Silicon Dreams
I don't like football games, so I'm trying to get rid of this one.
Crazy Taxi by Hitmaker
Now that's more like it! Great fun!
Resident Evil 3 Nemesis by Capcom Prod. Studio 4
As stated last year : I just can't get used to the strange control system used by Resident Evil games. Resident Evil 4 is perfect, but the other ones?
Monaco Grand Prix 2 by Ubisoft
Stinker ahoy! Man, this is bad. I kept crashing into walls due to awful controls, there was no sense of speed etc. Could be a masterpiece and a case of me "not knowing how to play this game".
Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver by Crystal Dynamics
Acclaimed game, but my copy was only in French. I'm not superfluent in the language of Voltaire, but I'm able to speak some French. But why did they dub the game, without providing subtitles? Or offer an optional English voice-over?
ChuChu Rocket by SonicTeam
Frantic and cute, but I have yet to fully understand the gameplay.
Sega GT by Wow Entertainment
Wow, still looks stunning - almost a decade after its release. Peter TheLiquid called it 'a Gran Turismo rip-off', but I've never played Sony's flagship title. Hence, I like this game!
Bought for other kids
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater [GBC] (€1.98)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 [GBC] (€1.98)
Tron 2.0 Killer App [GBA] (€4.98)
Donkey Konga [NGC] (€7)
Resident Evil Code: Veronica [DC] (€1)
Giga Wing [DC] (€1)
GTA2 [DC] (€1)
Time Stalkers [DC] (€1)
Sold on eBay
Resident Evil 3 Nemesis [DC]
Monaco Grand Prix 2 [DC]
Legacy Of Kain : Soul Reaver [DC]
Strangest game-related phenomena of 2007
- Wii taking over the world by storm. I never lost my faith, so I did the right thing by supporting Nintendo.
- A friend of mine bought a Nintendo DS. His last handheld, the monochrome Game Boy, is 15 years old. I thought he was all 'handhelded out', but apparently the DS could convince him to splash cash once more. And it doesn't end there : his girlfriend has a DS too! She wanted one for her birthday.
- The father of said friend of mine also bought a Nintendo DS. Persuading a 50 year old into buying a portable console? Impressive, Nintendo!
Julian, 23 February 2007