March 22nd, 2010 by hylian1

As of Wednesday, March 17th, Perfect Dark for the Xbox LIVE Arcade was finally released for the masses to enjoy what is hailed as one of the greatest first person shooters of all-time. The game was first released back in the year 2000 for the Nintendo 64 and is now back in a completely revamped style that features hi-def visuals, new and improved textures, much better frame rate, and online multiplayer mayhem. Oh, and did I mention that a few Goldeneye levels and weapons are included in the game? Yeah, that’s right… ;)

Now that the brief introduction is out of the way, let’s get on to the purpose in the post…

First and foremost, I have never completed Perfect Dark on Perfect Agent. Back in the day, despite my hardest efforts, I could only manage to complete a select few levels and it was no easy task. One that, due to frustration, I eventually gave up on completely. So with Perfect Dark XBLA, I decided once and for all that it was time to do so, and thus I opted to play through the game in an entirely different manner.

After the download was complete and Perfect Dark was established in its rightful place on the harddrive, I immediately jumped into the game and started up the first mission. Agent difficulty… a breeze. Mission 2 of course appears next and after a few minutes of contemplation, I rather went back and, with a bit more difficulty, completed the first mission on Secret Agent. It was here that I came to the decision on how I should playthrough this XBLA version: one mission at a time on each difficulty.

Perfect Dark is generally a short game. One that can be completed in a few hours. Now, by opting to the play the game by completed each mission on each difficulty before continuing on to the next, it has not only increased the length of the title quite significantly, but also does an excellent job of showing just how difficult the game can be by being able to better compare and contrast the changes in each progressing difficulty. It really presents an interesting challenge to the game and in my opinion has made it more fun as well.

Before anyone asks, no, I have not yet completed the game in this manner. Perfect Agent is brutal and because of this, I have barely reached the Area 51: Escape mission, which I am currently playing through on Secret Agent.

In a few days or so, Part 2 of this feature will arrive in which I go into detail on my playthrough for the first few missions of the game. Keep playing, and let me hear how you’re enjoying the game!

February 11th, 2010 by hylian1

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December 30th, 2009 by hylian1

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December 29th, 2009 by hylian1

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December 25th, 2009 by hylian1

Rare has developed and released hundreds of titles since their incarnation back in the early 1980s. Throughout those years, they have created some of the most memorable characters the industry has to offer. Here you will find, in my opinion, seven of the evilest, most dubious villains that Rare has imagined to date.

7. Eyedol

Killer Instinct was tough. Fighting your way to the top was no easy task and when you finally do get there, you have to deal with a double-headed, club wielding beast from hell known as Eyedol. If by this time you still haven’t mastered the art of the combo, then eternal damnation in the fiery pits below will surely be your newfound residence.

6. Alec Trevlyan

Bungie jumping, train rides, imprisonment, espionage, betrayal. What is still donned by many as the greatest first person shooter of all-time, Goldeneye 007 had it all. While the multiplayer garnered the majority of the praise, the single player was just as brilliant and offered a unique challenge like no other when Bond is betrayed by fellow agent Alec Trevlyan, a.k.a 006. This results in a gun battle thousands of feet in the air with a rushed time to stop the Goldeneye satellite and ultimately Trevlyan himself.

5. Wizpig

“Sorry to break the party worms but I had to say goodbye”. Diddy Kong Racing wasn’t a ride through the park. The silver coin challenges were brutal and the boss battles rough and tough, particularly the main villain, Wizpig, who was a diabolical, giant porky that took over Timber Island and turned the island’s true champion racer, Drumstick, into a frog using his magical powers. One thing he didn’t expect, however, was the help from an unexpected chimp from a distant land and Taj the purple, magic carpet riding elephant genie (yes…I’m serious…). But don’t think that he took over for nothing! Wizpig is, undoubtably, a tough as nails racer himself, and both races against him will put all of your driving skills to the ultimate test…

4. Professor Pester

You’re relaxing in your Garden. Perhaps teaching your newly acquired Bunnycomb a new trick, having a house for your Fizzlybear constructed, maybe just simply planting some tall grass for your Syrupent…then WHAM! A horriic scream fills the Garden, as does some fresh candy, the tasty innards of one of your precious Pinatas. This is the work of none other than Professor Pester, ruler of the Ruffians and all things evil in the world of Viva Pinata. No Pinata is safe when this dastardly fiend intrudes upon your Garden with an iron stick, so you’d best be prepared to protect your Pinatas at all costs! I recommend a dummy Horstachio. Pester may be tough and mean, but he can’t tell the difference between a real Pinata and a fake one. Idiot.

3. Mizar

Jet Force Gemini is Rare’s most challenging game on the Nintendo 64. Rare was relentless in it’s design having the player do the most difficult of tasks in order to progress to the game’s final conclusion. With this being said, it should come as no surprise that the boss battles were the toughest to offer on the system as well…if not the toughest in any Rare developed game in the history of the company! None of the bosses, however, compare to Mizar. He took over nearly every planet in the Galaxy and held hostage the poor Tribal race, which led the Jet Force Gemini team on the excursion to put an end to his diabolical schemes. The forces of good were surely tested, however, as the final showdown with the tyrant was as intense as they come. Victory, though, only led to an unexpected twist, as Mizar’s true identity was revealed…

2. Gruntilda

“It really does seem quite absurd, adventure of a bear and bird”. Indeed, it is. The Banjo-Kazooie series is Rare’s longest running franchise full of magical worlds and creatures that the bear and bird duo must tackle on their way to defeat the ever scheming witch, Gruntilda Winkybunion. She’s kidnapped poor Banjo’s sister in the name of beauty, sucked the life force out of Bottles and King Jingaling for restoration of a skinless body, possessed the contraption of a mechanical robot, and most recently battled in a set of races to earn the deed to Spiral Mountain. Each time, however, Banjo and Kazooie put an end to her ill intentions, leaving her with nothing but future desires on her next attempt to outdo the duo. Perhaps next time she’ll succeed! Or perhaps not…

1. King K. Rool

He’s amphibious, fat, has really sharp teeth and a master of disguise…and loves bananas?! I’m still quite uncertain as to why an alligator would want bananas to begin with, but in the land of Donkey Kong Country, this indeed the case. King K. Rool enjoys nothing more than stealing Donkey Kong’s precious banana hoard and when this absurd act of evil gets him nowhere, he takes it to the next level by actually apenapping, chimpnapping, and monkeynapping (okay…I’ll stop) the Kongs. Each and every time he takes on a new disguies, from being himself, a Kaptain pirate, an estranged scientist and even a professional boxer. Of course, these disguises to do nothing to help his cause, as the Kongs are family and work together to ensure they prevail over the reptilian king.

Be sure and share with us below your opinions and feel free to tell us what your top seven Rare villains would consist of!