Tales of Vesperia - released in 2008 The Tales series are similar to the Final Fantasy legacy, as in each installment do not connect to one another (with the exception of a few titles.) Tales of Vesperia first appeared on the Xbox 360, and then was ported over to the PlayStation 3, however, only in Japan. The PlayStation 3 received much more content than Vesperia’s previous version, such as more costumes, more scenes and even an extra character. The game features a robust and dynamic battle system, a compelling story and rich characters. If you like RPG’s, you shouldn’t miss out on this one.

Tales of Vesperia - released in 2008

The Tales series are similar to the Final Fantasy legacy, as in each installment do not connect to one another (with the exception of a few titles.) Tales of Vesperia first appeared on the Xbox 360, and then was ported over to the PlayStation 3, however, only in Japan. The PlayStation 3 received much more content than Vesperia’s previous version, such as more costumes, more scenes and even an extra character. The game features a robust and dynamic battle system, a compelling story and rich characters. If you like RPG’s, you shouldn’t miss out on this one.

Eternal Sonata I’m guilty here, I just started playing this for the first time tonight. I will say I am thoroughly impressed. If you like RPG’s, do yourself a favor and pick up this beautiful game. It’s as if Final Fantasy and Tales of the Abyss or Tales of Vesperia had a kid together. It mixes turn-based and free roam styles of game play to create an exciting experience. Also, the game features classical music and stars the legendary Frederic Chopin as the main character. Eternal Sonata was released on the Xbox 360 first, but was then ported over to the PlayStation 3 shortly thereafter with extra content. Go, immerse yourself now!

Eternal Sonata

I’m guilty here, I just started playing this for the first time tonight. I will say I am thoroughly impressed. If you like RPG’s, do yourself a favor and pick up this beautiful game. It’s as if Final Fantasy and Tales of the Abyss or Tales of Vesperia had a kid together. It mixes turn-based and free roam styles of game play to create an exciting experience. Also, the game features classical music and stars the legendary Frederic Chopin as the main character. Eternal Sonata was released on the Xbox 360 first, but was then ported over to the PlayStation 3 shortly thereafter with extra content. Go, immerse yourself now!

Viva Piñata - released in 2006 I thorougly enjoy sandbox games, something that you play forever because essentially, the game never ends. In Viva Piñata, you start out with a junkyard and you must transform it into a thriving garden. You are given many tools to accomplish this: grass packets, shovels, water tools, and decorations. All of this would be pointless if it weren’t for what you’re trying to attract to your garden: piñata. Piñatas are essentially animals with quirky names. A worm is called a whirlm, a fox is called a pretztail, and a cat is called a kittyfloss. The game is filled with bright colors and pastels, and in order to have a thriving garden, you must attract many piñata, breed them, and upkeep your garden. This is truly a time sapper. A sequel entitled Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise was also released, as well as as DS version of Viva Piñata. A less popular Viva Piñata: Party Animals was released but was poorly received.

Viva Piñata - released in 2006

I thorougly enjoy sandbox games, something that you play forever because essentially, the game never ends. In Viva Piñata, you start out with a junkyard and you must transform it into a thriving garden. You are given many tools to accomplish this: grass packets, shovels, water tools, and decorations. All of this would be pointless if it weren’t for what you’re trying to attract to your garden: piñata. Piñatas are essentially animals with quirky names. A worm is called a whirlm, a fox is called a pretztail, and a cat is called a kittyfloss. The game is filled with bright colors and pastels, and in order to have a thriving garden, you must attract many piñata, breed them, and upkeep your garden. This is truly a time sapper. A sequel entitled Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise was also released, as well as as DS version of Viva Piñata. A less popular Viva Piñata: Party Animals was released but was poorly received.

Every Extend Extra - released in 2006 There’s nothing like a rhythm game for good entertainment, and if you lack rhythm or the basic understanding of it, you might want to stay away from this one. The basic premise of Every Extend Extra is to follow the beat of the music and set off explosions. You control a cursor that draws in enemies (they look like shapes) and once you feel you’ve drawn in enough, you can detonate, which creates a domino effect on enemies, and any caught in the crossfire will explode as well. This can continue to go on until there are no more enemies near the chaos. The game continues until you die (or if you lose enough lives.) You accomplish that by getting your cursor grabbed by an enemy. I never actually played this particular iteration, but played a port on Xbox Live with an added word in the title, “Extreme.” Look on Xbox Live if you don’t have a PSP for Every Extend Extra Extreme for added content. If you have a history of epilepsy, I strongly advise you to NOT play this game. I’m serious. The game flashes constantly with extremely bright colors. Overall, it’s a neat title with a fantastic use of color, cosmic ambiance, and addicting game play.

Every Extend Extra - released in 2006

There’s nothing like a rhythm game for good entertainment, and if you lack rhythm or the basic understanding of it, you might want to stay away from this one. The basic premise of Every Extend Extra is to follow the beat of the music and set off explosions. You control a cursor that draws in enemies (they look like shapes) and once you feel you’ve drawn in enough, you can detonate, which creates a domino effect on enemies, and any caught in the crossfire will explode as well. This can continue to go on until there are no more enemies near the chaos. The game continues until you die (or if you lose enough lives.) You accomplish that by getting your cursor grabbed by an enemy. I never actually played this particular iteration, but played a port on Xbox Live with an added word in the title, “Extreme.” Look on Xbox Live if you don’t have a PSP for Every Extend Extra Extreme for added content. If you have a history of epilepsy, I strongly advise you to NOT play this game. I’m serious. The game flashes constantly with extremely bright colors. Overall, it’s a neat title with a fantastic use of color, cosmic ambiance, and addicting game play.

Limbo - released in 2010 Limbo, also known as “the edge of hell”, isn’t a place for children. This doesn’t stop a boy from going there to look for his little sister. Limbo is a game done without any narrative, you just awaken in a forest without any knowledge of how you got there. The entire game is in black and white, and no music plays throughout the entire game. You are left with ambient sounds, but something about that is very eerie, you have to experience it for yourself. The game is fairly short, but makes up for it in style. Limbo grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go, which makes it worth every penny. 

Limbo - released in 2010

Limbo, also known as “the edge of hell”, isn’t a place for children. This doesn’t stop a boy from going there to look for his little sister. Limbo is a game done without any narrative, you just awaken in a forest without any knowledge of how you got there. The entire game is in black and white, and no music plays throughout the entire game. You are left with ambient sounds, but something about that is very eerie, you have to experience it for yourself. The game is fairly short, but makes up for it in style. Limbo grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go, which makes it worth every penny. 


Blue Dragon - released in 2007 I am picky about what kind of RPG’s I like, and Blue Dragon did not fail to impress me. Gorgeous graphics, fantastic cut-scenes, and a riveting battle system sapped a lot of hours out of my time (dang you, Blue Dragon!) The storyline is nothing new, a general good versus evil, save the world, blah blah blah type of setup. It’s not boring, in other words, it’s not a chore to sit through, it’s just okay. However, the battle system keeps you coming back for more (finally, a game that I don’t run away because I am bored with fighting.) Each character has their own “shadow being” that attacks your enemies, you just set the commands. You can choose what type of class they specialize in, and you earn abilities (similar to Final Fantasy V) for your shadow. If you like RPG’s, Blue Dragon is definitely something you should try out.

Blue Dragon - released in 2007

I am picky about what kind of RPG’s I like, and Blue Dragon did not fail to impress me. Gorgeous graphics, fantastic cut-scenes, and a riveting battle system sapped a lot of hours out of my time (dang you, Blue Dragon!) The storyline is nothing new, a general good versus evil, save the world, blah blah blah type of setup. It’s not boring, in other words, it’s not a chore to sit through, it’s just okay. However, the battle system keeps you coming back for more (finally, a game that I don’t run away because I am bored with fighting.) Each character has their own “shadow being” that attacks your enemies, you just set the commands. You can choose what type of class they specialize in, and you earn abilities (similar to Final Fantasy V) for your shadow. If you like RPG’s, Blue Dragon is definitely something you should try out.

Left 4 Dead - released in 2008 I am not a fan of first person shooters, typically, they bore me. However, I am a survival horror junkie, and when I first heard about Left 4 Dead, I got excited (for good reason, too!) Most zombie games are mindless fun, but when you have four player co-op and eight player versus at your disposable, the amount of fun to be had is endless. Left 4 Dead spawned a sequel, Left 4 Dead 2 and it did not disappoint. It took what made the first one a success and built upon the original formula making a better (in my opinion) experience. Either way, both games are excellent and should be owned by anyone who has an Xbox 360 or a PC.

Left 4 Dead - released in 2008

I am not a fan of first person shooters, typically, they bore me. However, I am a survival horror junkie, and when I first heard about Left 4 Dead, I got excited (for good reason, too!) Most zombie games are mindless fun, but when you have four player co-op and eight player versus at your disposable, the amount of fun to be had is endless. Left 4 Dead spawned a sequel, Left 4 Dead 2 and it did not disappoint. It took what made the first one a success and built upon the original formula making a better (in my opinion) experience. Either way, both games are excellent and should be owned by anyone who has an Xbox 360 or a PC.

Gauntlet Dark Legacy - released in 2002 An arcade favorite among many, Gauntlet Dark Legacy offered an exhilarating four player experience. With the ability to choose from many classes such as sorcerer, jester and even a dwarf, the game never got dull or boring. Once you chose a specific class, you were given the option to power them up or switch jobs if you were tired of a certain class. Personally, I loved the jester. Gauntlet Dark Legacy was also available on the PlayStation 2, as well as the original Xbox.

Gauntlet Dark Legacy - released in 2002

An arcade favorite among many, Gauntlet Dark Legacy offered an exhilarating four player experience. With the ability to choose from many classes such as sorcerer, jester and even a dwarf, the game never got dull or boring. Once you chose a specific class, you were given the option to power them up or switch jobs if you were tired of a certain class. Personally, I loved the jester. Gauntlet Dark Legacy was also available on the PlayStation 2, as well as the original Xbox.

Sega Superstars Tennis - released in 2008 Released on all platforms, this particular tennis title didn’t cover any new ground or break boundaries, but it featured precious Sega characters in several different branded universes. Tennis happens to be the only type of sports game that I actually enjoy playing in real life or in video game form, so I tend to play many different types. The game does not play as well as most tennis games available today (such as Mario Tennis or Virtua Tennis), but it’s bright and fun to play. Plus, it features Ulala, one of my favorite video game characters of all time.

Sega Superstars Tennis - released in 2008

Released on all platforms, this particular tennis title didn’t cover any new ground or break boundaries, but it featured precious Sega characters in several different branded universes. Tennis happens to be the only type of sports game that I actually enjoy playing in real life or in video game form, so I tend to play many different types. The game does not play as well as most tennis games available today (such as Mario Tennis or Virtua Tennis), but it’s bright and fun to play. Plus, it features Ulala, one of my favorite video game characters of all time.

Costume Quest - released in 2010 Though entirely out of season since Halloween has come and gone, I am just now getting around to playing Costume Quest, and I absolutely love it. Part RPG, part adventure, the night is Halloween and collecting candy isn’t even half the fun, it’s up to you to stop Grubbins from stealing candy from you (and to save your sibling), and with the power of your costume, you’ll have the ability to do so. Each costume in the game is equipped with a special ability that can be used in and out of battle, and the game also offers plenty of side-quests to keep you busy. The game was released on both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Costume Quest - released in 2010

Though entirely out of season since Halloween has come and gone, I am just now getting around to playing Costume Quest, and I absolutely love it. Part RPG, part adventure, the night is Halloween and collecting candy isn’t even half the fun, it’s up to you to stop Grubbins from stealing candy from you (and to save your sibling), and with the power of your costume, you’ll have the ability to do so. Each costume in the game is equipped with a special ability that can be used in and out of battle, and the game also offers plenty of side-quests to keep you busy. The game was released on both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.