Brad’s Ten Years of Games: 2002

Well I finally got around to writing up my 2002 list.  So here are my favorite  games of 2002.  And in case you missed the previous lists:  2000 and 2001

Here are a few of the games that just missed my list:

Metroid Fusion
JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Gitaroo Man
Splinter Cell
Rez
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Brad's Top 10 of 2002:

10. Mega Man Battle Network 2 -- This was the first and only Battle Network game I played, and I was quite surprised. The game is sort of a strategy-action-RPG with a heavy emphasis on deck building. Sadly, I heard Capcom pretty much drove this series right into the ground with a lack of innovation amongst its many sequels. But the one entry I played was fresh, addictive, and a very well polished game. This is one of my favorite games for the Game Boy Advance.

9. TimeSplitters 2 -- This series perfectly captures the fun and spirit of the Rare developed N64 shooters, Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. It helps that this game's developer, Free Radical, was formed by some of the key designers behind the beloved N64 classics. While Halo redefined the genre for consoles, Timesplitters refined the old formula. Multiplayer is the true highlight of this series, and TimeSplitters 2 is simply the best entry.

8. Robot Alchemic Drive -- On the surface R.A.D. is a batshit insane action game about giant robots punching giant extraterrestrial monsters into the very breakable buildings of the cities in which they fight. And while this game is certainly everyone’s Megazord fantasy come to life; don't get this confused with the developer's later mess, Earth Defense Force 2017. R.A.D. contains all the things that make that game hilarious, but also has deep and innovative mechanics to back it up. R.A.D. takes the mech genre and adds a pretty simple twist. Your giant robot must be controlled remotely and only from the perspective of your very fragile player character -- the player character that must fight without actually being inside his robot. The game combines unique robot controls (think Fight Night, but with each stick controlling each arm, all four shoulder buttons controlling your legs, and the d-pad controlling your torso), with the interesting dilemma of having to be close enough to control your robot without getting stepped on or falling off the building that your robot just punched an alien through. R.A.D is all about the strategy surrounding point-of-view, and honestly, I haven't seen many games more original than this in the past 10 years.

7. Resident Evil Remake -- Not only is this game one of the finest remakes I've ever played; it is a remake that surpasses the original in more ways than just graphics and controls. Capcom took the original Resident Evil, polished the hell out of it, added loads of new content, and most importantly, they managed to make the game a hell of a lot scarier. While I could not even complete a demo of Silent Hill 1 in broad daylight when I was younger, I never had a problem playing the Resident Evil games. Well, the Crimson Head Zombies changed everything. The genius of this inclusion in REmake is without words, as one has to experience the paralyzing sense of dread first hand to truly understand. Backtracking has never been so terrifying.

6. Kingdom Hearts -- I won't lie. I don't often speak favorably about this series. And while I still believe anything in this franchise other than the original is garbage, my inner child dragged me through this game not once, but twice. There was something so fresh about Kingdom Hearts in 2002. Was in the mix of Disney and my favorite Final Fantasy characters? Was it the surprisingly competent combat system? Was it the absurdity of how it sounds when Donald screamed "Peter Pan!" as he healed him in battle? Perhaps it was the amazing fight with Sephiroth? Sadly, I fear I no longer have the answers to these questions. Dear god, I was in college when I played this. Oh, and fuck that whale level.

5. Animal Crossing -- You don't get it. I don't get it. No one gets it. But for some reason, we all have no problem spending countless days of our lives running errands for the iron-fisted Tom Nook in our desperate attempt to have matching furniture in our tiny virtual houses. The only way to quell this embarrassing realization was, of course, listening to the soothing sounds of our favorite KK Slider songs. And there is a special place in Hell for all the time travelers out there -- and Rossetti shall be your demon king.

4. Fatal Frame -- Ah yes. I do find it interesting that Fatal Frame is one of my favorite games of the decade for many of the same reasons that The Ring is one of my favorite films of the decade. This is the scariest game I have ever played, and to the game's credit, it was for reasons much more than it being infested by "Ring ghosts". From the terrifying perspectives the fixed camera dickishly thrusts you into, to the constant sense of dread of knowing that you're are never safe while exploring, to the fiendish concept of forcing the player to slowly pan around in first person, it’s clear that Fatal Frame specializes in making the player always feel uncomfortable. I often found myself too scared to move forward, but too frightened to linger for long. After all, Broken Neck Ghost was always watching. Then there is the comfort of understanding a game. Fatal Frame sets up rules early on. It communicates well to the player when ghosts are hostile, and if not, how long that ghost will linger and what makes it disappear. Over time, the player begins to understand the world of the game and becomes comfortable because of that understanding. But it's when the game starts to break its own rules that Fatal Frame truly becomes a horrifying experience.

3. Suikoden III -- I've thought long and hard about what makes Suikoden a great series (1, 2, and 3 at least). For one, the story in this(these) game is not a messy over-the-top melodramatic tale about kids with surprisingly hazy memories facing off against an ultimate evil. Suikoden is a series about friends, family, politics, racism, war, and all the drama that is related to these things; and it delivers this drama in a somewhat restrained story. Okay, I might be overselling it a little bit, but the other hook to this series is something not seen in many RPGs. In most other RPGs, progress is often displayed in game with higher stats, shinier armor, and longer swords -- a reward usually communicated to the player with slightly higher numbers appearing over the heads of enemies upon being thwacked with said longer swords. But Suikoden rewards players with something much different, something much more meaningful. In every Suikoden game, the player receives ownership and command of a castle or home base. As the player travels across the land meeting and recruiting new characters, this castle fills up with life. Whether these people are strong warriors willing aid in you battle, or simply join to sharpen the weapons; every one of the 108 potential recruits has a place in your castle. As I worked my way through this game (and the others) recruiting characters, my rewards became apparent. I was not just building levels and experience, or even easy access to my own shops and services -- I was building a home. I have no clue why other JRPG developers have not tried to replicate this feature, but it is the big reason I love these games so much. Suikoden 3 was specifically noteworthy in the way one experiences the story from the perspective of three different main characters; all with very different positions in the social hierarchy of the world and with very different opinions on the events that unfold in the story.

2. Metroid Prime -- No 2d to 3d transition has every been as deftly handled as it was with Metroid Prime. The game is in every way a 2d Metroid game in structure. But more importantly, Metroid Prime is a Metroid game in spirit. The qualities that made other Metroid games great are the same qualities that make Metroid Prime great. Atmosphere, isolation, and the indelible allure of the world's hidden secrets and power-ups are what make this a Metroid game down to its core.

1. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind -- This is my favorite Elder Scrolls game, and one of my favorite RPGs of all time. My first experience with Morrowind was that of confusion. This is the first game I can recall playing with an overwhelming sense of freedom -- freedom to go where I wanted, do what I wanted, and become whatever I wanted. It took a few tries before this game got its hooks in me, but once it did, Morrowind quickly became one of the most addicting and immersive single player experiences I have ever had the pleasure of playing. While other games force objectives and story down your throat, Morrowind lets the player choose his or her adventure. I possessed no motivation or desire to complete the main story quest in this game. My character lived in this world; and my goal was to explore and discover, to build wealth and power, and to rise through the ranks of various guilds and factions around the world. While spending over a hundred hours in this world, I have never actually "beaten" this game. And it hardly bothers me.

And there you have it.  Hopefully I will write up 2003 a lot sooner than I got this one up.  Want a sneak peak?  The best game of that year was not Vice City, Windwaker, or KotOR.  And sure as hell wasn't Prince of Persia.  What was it?  A game so few of you have actually played...

Brad Simons