Gaming Recommendations?

[RPCrazy]

My assistant manager just recently converted to The Way of The Cube. ^_^ He bought his Game Cube yesterday and is looking for some good games to rent and buy to get his collection started.

Now, while I've suggested a few my scope is very limited to the adventure games of Sonic Adventure 2, Spyro, Mario (Golf and Party), Zelda, and SSBM. For the Other Consoles (that damned Box and the Station) he gets a kick out of playing lots of sports games, some FPS's...you get the idea. He does like the more, well...fluffy games? Do I dare use that word? lol I've already got him renting M. Golf and...another game. Possibly Windwaker, I can't rightly remember. >_<

Any recommendations? Or...warnings? How about it? Like, your Top 3 or 5 list for First Time Cubers.

[Shinmaru]

Well, I'd definitely suggest Smash Bros. Melee, especially if he loves multiplayer games. I've had Smash Bros. for almost two years now and it's still as fun as when I first bought it, heh. You definitely get your money's worth with Smash Bros.

If you want a good "cutesy" game, I'd look into Super Monkey Ball 2. It's easy enough to get into but very hard to master. The puzzles get really addicting to solve and SMB2 is another fun multiplayer game.

For RPG's, you can't go wrong with Skies of Arcadia Legends. Some tedious leveling up on occasion but the game has a good story that's well worth going through the game for. Plus, you play as pirates. Who doesn't love pirates?

Eternal Darkness is another game well worth getting if he's into great storylines. ED has a very good story that kept me playing the game. Plus, the insanity system is well worth experiencing. Definitely the best survival-horror game I've ever played (though, it's probably more of an adventure game than a survival-horror).

For FPS's, Metroid Prime is the game to go to. The sci-fi experience is top-notch and the game does so much more than the average FPS. Plus, it's absolutely beautiful.

I'd go on longer but I'm sleepy lol.

EDIT: PoisonTongue, you flatter me. I always appreciate compliments :p

[James]

[color=#707875]If he's looking for multiplayer, I'd also recommend Mario Kart. It's very cool; I've been playing all day today. ^_^[/color]

[Brasil]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Shinmaru[/i]
[b]Plus, you play as pirates. Who doesn't love pirates?[/b][/quote]

Shin, you goof. :p Pirates are indeed fun, though.

When we mention FPS on Cube, TimeSplitters2 must be mentioned. I know Scott loves GE, and hates EA's recent stuff, so I'm positive he'd love TS2. It's goofy enough for comedy, the engine is rock-solid, and it's smoooooth. Inanely fun...but you already knew that from the deathmatches ;)

I'm surprised that I'm mentioning this, but for vehicular combat, Star Wars Clone Wars is exceptional--for Cube that is. Xbox's version blows monkey chunks. On Cube, the framerate is nice, sound is great, controls rock (except for the on-foot levels...they're kinda bulky), and the deathmatch mode is surprisingly fun. If Scott enjoys Twisted Metal, Clone Wars is the wholesome Star Wars equivalent.

Speaking of vehicular homicide, I've heard very good things about Roadkill. Picture a game of The Road Warrior. Violent, post-apocalyptic, Twisted Metal but with more character options, RPG elements, customization, lightning fast levels (last I read)...shaping up to be a great car combat title.

Shin has already mentioned Melee, but I'm sure you already encouraged Scott about that.

For the horror genre, REmake is excellent. The atmosphere is terrific...uber-creepy. The graphics are gorgeous and are totally effective in relaying the mood of the series and the framework of RE1: isolated in a mansion.

[Dragonballzman]

If he prefers a more serious multiplayer than Mario Kart, F-Zero GX is a good choice, and Viewtiful Joe is a must-have if he likes side scrollers...I've been playing them both non-stop lately.

[Semjaza]

Zelda is fun, but Eternal Darkness might be worth picking up as well. It's a bit more gritty, and best of all, a lot of places have it really cheap now. I saw it the other day for $7 at Target.

[OtakuSennen]

[color=midnightblue]I'm a little more RPG-oriented, but I'll list off games from other genres as well, considering most people are more wide-ranged in their selection of video games.

[b]RPGs and Strategy--[/b] Well, there really aren't too many of these games for Gamecube (Darn PlayStation gets them all), I must say that Skies of Arcadia Legends has tickled my fancy. I really have not gotten very far in the game, but my friend has showed me the sheer depth in this one.. All of the characters you can get, tons of things to discover, and you still have about sixty hours of gameplay without all the non-essential things. I guess Evolution Worlds is a good choice too, considering it's one of the, oh, about three classic turn-based RPGs out there on Gamecube. It lacks plot, though..

[b]Fighters--[/b] Soul Calibur II is my personal favorite Arcade-style fighting game not only on Gamecube, but in the entire spectrum of video game consoles. The wide array of characters, attacks and weapons is what mostly draws me to this game, but the graphics and detail in the characters also is a great part to the game.

(And yet I don't own the game.. I rented it once a couple weeks ago..)

[b]Action--[/b] Metroid Prime is definitely the way to go here (Oh, and when I say action, that includes First Person Shooters, platformers, and the like). All of the Metroid games have always had depth and replay value (Heh heh.. Samus without the suit on), and the graphics have always been top-notch. The visor effects alone made me gape in awe at the visual effects.. I highly suggest this.

And that's my two cents. ~_^[/color]

[Guest Crimson Spider]

If he wants multi-player, strategy, or an online game, Phantasy Star Online Eppisode 1 and 2 is my reco. Got it months ago, can't put it down.

It's a real-time RPG with different difficulties. Online compatability if he wants that.

The best thing about it is the range of choices you have. You can be an elf-like man, a normal human, or an andriod, AND pick your gender. You can be a hack-em up man, a gun-man, or a chaos mage, even though it is softly dubbed with technological terms. You can chose your weapon, from a different style of guns, swords, knives, bazooka's, claws, scepters, darth-maul style sabres, or hold 2 swords at once. You get to name your char, aswell as build him or her. Different hair, with very lenient RGB scale for coloring, different face, cloths. You even design preportions! You can have a tall-dark and handsome brotha', or a short fat andriod, or a busty blonde cheer-leader. Thing is, there isn't a pick of styles. There's a graph that lets you chose height, width, and basic all-around person things.

For a calmed down innocent game that anyone from your youngest brother to oldest great grandfather can play. Animal Crossing. Played that baby for a month strait. Lets you customize your house, find things, and generally play the game how YOU want to. With a second memo card, you can have a second town.

[Brasil]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Crimson Spider [/i]
[B]For a calmed down innocent game that anyone from your youngest brother to oldest great grandfather can play. Animal Crossing. Played that baby for a month strait. Lets you customize your house, find things, and generally play the game how YOU want to. With a second memo card, you can have a second town. [/B][/QUOTE]

CS, granted AX is soothing and calm, but I seriously doubt an "oldest great grandfather" can play it. When you consider just how old that person would be, and the probability that they don't have much interaction with technology, getting them on a highly advanced video game console and teaching them the intracacies of the controller, menus and such seems very unlikely.

Sure, sometimes you can "teach an old dog new tricks," but does that really seem likely with the "oldest great grandfather?"

And technically, you don't play AX the way you want to, because if you play it the way you want to...that is, not playing all the time, because who wants to play games all the time...the game will penalize you.

There is a real-time clock in there that ticks by no matter what, so in order to keep your town running smoothly, you are [i]required[/i] to play, therefore playing not on your own schedule, therefore not playing the way you want to play.

The game does control what you do to a very large extent. Randomly generated towns or not, you still have very specific obligations...paying off your house, keeping the town in good condition, keeping your neighbors happy, being sure to save every time you're finished playing. Otherwise, the game [i]does[/i] chastise you for disobeying a rule...a rule that the game instates.

You're not free to play AX the way you want to. The creators of the game want you to believe that you can do whatever you want.

Still a great game, of course, I love it, but...yeah. The game controls you.

[Semjaza]

I suppose if you want to think about it that way, then you can. However, you're not required to actually do any of that stuff. You're not required to play on Thanksgiving to get some rare item. You're not required to talk to all your neighbors or pick the weeds or whatever else. If you don't do these things, you simply don't get what you would if you did. That's not really a "penalty", in my opinion.

You can still play and enjoy it without actually doing a lot of things. Of course, if you actually want to be able to do more things of course you'll have to accomplish various goals.

In any case, if you like this type of game I'd suggest Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life which is coming out for GameCube in January. Can't wait for that.