Seeing as how Harmonix is such a dandy company, and they're making good on their promise to keep updating Rock Band with new songs, I'm going to [make a futile] attempt to catch their eye with a list of songs I think would be ridiculously fun in Rock Band, either because I love them, or they would just be really fun to play.


The Sugarcubes - Birthday, Fucking in Rhythm and Sorrow (although this one would most likely be a no-go due to the name alone.)
Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country (the solos alone would be worth it)
White Stripes - the entire Elephant album for starters.
Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger
Morningwood - Easy
No Doubt - any or all tracks from the Return of Saturn album, also Sunday Morning
Shonen Knife - It's a New Find, Riding On a Rocket, Twist Barbie
Metric - Monster Hospital, Handshakes
The Slits - Typical Girls
Whale - Hobo-Humpin' Slobo Babe
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way, I Don't Want to Know, Dreams
Eagles - Take it Easy, Lyin' Eyes


There we go. That would keep me busy for just about forever, I think. I'm sure everybody hates this selection and I'll get called crazy for it, but those are some songs I think would be pretty awesome to play with a group of friends.

Since plunging into the "next" generation of gaming somewhere in the last two years or so, I've noticed some trends that developers and gamers alike are clinging to that have left me completely puzzled. Does nobody notice these things? Or am I just slowly becoming a gaming curmudgeon?

Now, I actually wouldn't say I've been "next gen" for two years... I really only got my 360 a few weeks ago, and my Wii, try as it might, has yet to convince me there's anything "next" about it. But my friends have had 360s and PS3s for a while now and I've played my fair share of games with them... and thus have been left wondering about the aforementioned developer trends.

Take, for instance, games completely lacking local multiplayer modes. While firing up Crackdown last winter on my friend's Xbox, lo and behold, we were not able to play on the same machine, yet co-op is available over the internet. Team Fortress 2, a game built for multiplayer only, does not have a mode that lets two people play on the same console. Lost Planet also apparently is too shy to support multiplayer gameplay while two people are in the room.

(Special mention goes to Big Brain Academy and Wii Play for the Wii. On a machine whose very core is based on having fun with many players, for such big opportunities as these two games, they only have two-player modes. No 3 or 4-player modes. Wii Play even shipped with an extra Wiimote ferchristssake.)

And yet, in any of the reviews I've read for of these games (and there are more than just these examples), nobody ever mentions this. Not everybody has Xbox Live Gold, or even a broadband connection in order to support the PSN or an Xbox Live Silver account. I believe the current numbers (for Xbox 360 at least) are 17 million units shipped worldwide to date, while Microsoft just announced that there are 10 million Xbox Live users (Gold & Silver combined).

Granted, that's more than half, but keep in mind Silver account users can't use these online multiplayer options. What I'm trying to say here is that I really don't believe it's a hard thing to do to include a local multiplayer option in your game if you're already including an online multiplayer mode. And I don't consider being forced to play with douchebags online rather than stupid AI an asset.

to educate this harsh n00b on what FNF is and is all about. I am curious and willing to drink from your fountains of knowledge. I said knowledge!!

Upon writing my previous retrospective, it got me to thinking about how many games I actually finished this year... as with every year, the result is not very many. Then again, not every game I bought is "finishable." I mean, how does one beat a kanji dictionary... So, out of all my "finishable" games here's the list:


FFXII
The first game I finished this year was Final Fantasy XII. While I actually really liked the ending and now can't wait to play Revenant Wings, I'm afraid that the last battle was just too easy. Coming from me, that says something since I love it when battles are easy, but I mean, even my designated healer was helping out with the attacking most of the time since there wasn't a whole lot of healing going on. I guess I was a bit overleveled for the end of the game but it was wholely enjoyable nonetheless and I'm looking forward to all the FFXIII games I'll be playing.

Okami
Another carry-over from last year, Okami took me a lot longer to finish than it should have since I'm a bitch for collectible shit in games. Case in point, the spirit beads. After spending all that time I ended up with only 99 of them since one last bead in one of those 10-round spirit gate battles underground was damn near impossible and on after the 9th round I didnt have any means of healing myself, so I had to exit the area. Anyhow, great ending, great song, love the game and wish it wasn't over.

Various Street Fighter Games that I bought
Well, you get the idea. Pick a character, play through arcade mode a bunch of times. Thrilling. I buy these for VS matches with friends so, woot, go me.

Lumines/Lumines PLUS
I don't know if it's possible to finish these games but for what it's worth, a bunch of times now I'll play the challenge mode so long that it eventually loops back to the first skin and goes through all the levels again, but harder.

Super Paper Mario
Took me about 15 hours and by the last third of the game, I just wanted things to wrap up real quickly. Enhh..

Rhythm Tengoku
Well, I got a medal in each and every minigame/song. That was pretty hard... and I'm still playing the game regularly.

Phantom Hourglass
This game flew by in the blink of an eye. Thankfully the multiplayer mode is actually really fun so I've been keeping the game around to make use of that. But I kind of wish the story mode were actually longer since it was such a joy to just tap and draw all over the touch screen.

Chocobo Tales
It took me a while only because I'm obsessive about getting all the cards I can (and some of the microgames are ridiculously difficult) but in the end, even though this looks like a painfully boring kids game, it's actually one of the best games I played this year and is by no means kids difficulty level.

So here we are very close to the edge of the rocky cliff that is the end of 2007. I think right about now is a good time to go through this past year and see if my game purchases were well-informed and worth it, or complete mistakes I'd rather not admit. I'll most likely forget something but you'll get the jist of my year, I'm sure. And please bear with me.. I have a feeling this won't be short.

JANUARY:

WarioWare: Smooth Moves
-------------------------------
Up until August, this was one of my Wii games that saw the most play. I thoroughly enjoyed unlocking everything via the single-player mode, as I do with all WarioWare installments, and the multiplayer on this was just as enjoyable as expected. My only gripe is the one remote multiplayer set up. It works fine, but more variety for a 1st-party party game would've been nice.
Time invested: Lots of hours? Lots of laughs though.
WORTH IT: Yep. They'd have to work hard at botching a WarioWare game to make it not worth picking up.


Contra III: Alien Wars VC
------------------------------
Picked this up for cheap on the Virtual Console and it was immediately just as enjoyable as when I played it endlessly with my brother and my cousin years ago. Granted I'm better at the game now, but that doesn't change its crazy difficulty!
Time invested: 5 or 6 hours?
WORTH IT: Totally!


MarioKart 64 VC
--------------------
This was one title I definitely picked up for nostalgia's sake than anything else. I have many fond memories of playing this game with friends however, now that I've been completely spoiled by the karting perfection that is MarioKart DS, taking a 10-year leap back just wasn't that enjoyable for me. I know some people still prefer this version and play it to this day, but I'm not one of them.
Time invested: 4 hours...ish?
WORTH IT: Ennh...nahh


FEBRUARY:

WTF
-----
After picking up a co-owned PSP that was not part of any game bundle, we decided we needed some games to play on this thing so a quick stop at BestBuy and I ended up with WTF. As saturated in them as the marketplace is now, I do still enjoy minigame collections when they're done well. I would consider this odd game to be done well. The minigames are either genuinely enjoyable, or so infuriating and insulting that you can't help but laugh after you get over the anger. I love this game's sense of humour.
Time invested: 10 hours
WORTH IT: It was like $20 so yeah.


Lumines
----------
And of course I had to pick this game up since I think legally, you're not considered a PSP owner unless you own this game. Thankfully, Mr.Mizuguchi did it again and this game is awesome. I file this in the same area as Tetris where I can pop it in and absolutely enjoy it for hours at a time, as well as start playing it in bed when I need some mesmerizing repetition to help me fall asleep.
Time invested: 25+ hours?
WORTH IT: At precisely $11 hells yes.


Lumines PLUS
-----------------
Upon falling in love with the original, I decided to pick up the PS2 iteration so I could enjoy it on the big(ger) screen and play multiplayer without requiring an additional PSP. While I've only played the multiplayer a few times, I've zoned out on the single-player more than enough times. The few extra skins/songs this one contains are appreciated, though it feels pretty much like just a port of the PSP game... which isn't a bad thing.
Time invested: 20+ hours
WORTH IT: This one was cheap too, so yes.


Chulip
--------
After reading about this game back in 2004, my appetite was whet with anticipation. After 3 long years of "We're bring this overseas!!" to "Chulip has been shelved indefinitely" and back again I had given up on this game. Thankfully on Valentine's Day I was surprised to see my long lost baby in the store and promptly snatched it up and began one of the most bizarre, enjoyable PS2 experiences I've had thus far. While I've not yet finished this thing, I don't believe it'll get any worse with age and I know I'll return to complete it some day.
Time invested: 10 hours
WORTH IT: Cheap games are almost always worth it. Notice how I said almost. Read on and you'll see what I mean...


MARCH:

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
----------------------------------------------
A few rants about this game from Mr. Tycho Brahe and an oddly-chosen PC demo convinced me to go out and get it. The problem was.. nobody had it. I finally was able to pick it up after a week or two of searching and at $20 brand new, I was all the more excited to dive in. It's been said before, but the idea of a Bejeweled RPG sounds ludicrous, but it works very well. Now that two friends recently picked this up I believe I'll be playing it again and hopefully get in some multiplayer action too.
Time invested: 20 hours
WORTH IT: Yes!


APRIL:

Pokemon Pearl
-----------------
Before this version, I hadn't played Pokemon since the Red/Blue/Pikachu Yellow days so I knew it was going to have a bunch of things I wasn't used to. But I also suspected it would be pretty similar to where I left off. Thankfully... and maybe unthankfully... I was right. The new things for me (genders, sheer number of little mongrels, online play/trades) were all welcome changes. The old things they decided to leave in however were enough to make me lose interest somewhere after the 7th badge. Everything from walking, to traversing menus, to the battle (which is the core of the game) is absolutely drenched in slow juice. While the game is definitely fun... I couldn't deal with the molasses battles, even when I turned the animations off.
Time invested: 20/25 hours?
WORTH IT: It was... then it wasn't... if I had friends with this then it might be. Wait.. I do.. and it's still not really an amazing experience.


Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX
--------------------------------
When I found out my favourite flavour of Street Fighter was remade, prettied up, portable-ized, and contained 4 new(to the game) characters, I was more than ready to pick it up without seeing the price tag. However, I had to wait until I had a PSP (which I did by this time) and thankfully brand new the game was just $25. The wireless play is the icing on the face-bashing cake!
Time invested: 20+ hours and continuing
WORTH IT: Even at $60 it would be for me


Vib-Ribbon
------------
Longing for this game for years certainly never helped it make the journey across the Pacific. Therefore, action-taker that I am, I decided to make a little trip to eBay and swoop in when I saw a good deal. $50 later, for a SEALED copy of the game, I was having fun making the little rabbit/princess/frog thing hop around to Björk!
Time invested: 5 hours so far
WORTH IT: Of course! Naaa nana naa nananaa na ON SHA!


Oshare Majo Love and Berry
----------------------------------
Now I love sparkly and flashy things. And the fact that this game came with sparkly, flashy cards that you got to SCAN into your very own DS Scanner Attachment was reason enough for me to buy the game. Who cares if the girls are too chatty for their own good, and my limited Japanese make me think they're speaking about spaghetti and turning off the light when they're most likely gushing about what Tommy thinks of their new lime-green high-tops! Oh and that actual game part aside from the scanning/dressing up is totally lame.
Time invested: 5 hours so far.... must...get... more...cards...
WORTH IT: Some small part of me is trying to type no, but at $24 from Play-Asia you bet it was worth it!

MAY:

MegaMan Powered Up
-------------------------
This one was actually pretty difficult to locate. But when I finally did, used, at $17 I was that much happier to hop around in the cutesy levels with super deformed MegaMan and his new, cuter enemies. The ability to play as the bosses was a plus as well!
Time Invested: 10 hours
WORTH IT: Yup!


Untold Legends: Warrior's Code
-------------------------------------
A friend picked this up for me so he, I, and our other friend could play this together... which we still haven't done. I haven't even played this yet. Frankly, I'm not really interested in it.
Time invested: 0 hours
WORTH IT: That remains to be seen though I'm leaning towards no... and it was $5. =/


Britney's Dance Beat
------------------------
Shut up ok? I'm a sucker for music games... get over it. I've always been slightly curious of this game and when I saw it used for $7 I had to get it just to see. Beyond the oddly-accurate polygonal representation of Britney, the game doesn't have a whole lot going for it. Even if you like the music, the buttons you press have no discernible bearing on what happens on screen. Not that I was really surprised or impressed by anything in this game but, now at least I can say I've played it. Is that something I'm glad I did... well, I'm not sure.
Time invested: 1 hour
WORTH IT: No? Yes? I don't care...


Odin Sphere
--------------
I have a pretty large soft spot in my heart for big, colourful 2D games so when I read about this game I was excited to learn that people were still considering 2D on consoles a valid design choice (thankfully it's still alive and well on the portables). I actually did enjoy the game but the clunky combat eventually pushed me to do other things... like not play the game anymore. Maybe I should have rented this one...
Time invested: 5 hours
WORTH IT: I really do want to say yes... really... but, well... no.


Chou Aniki: Sei Naru Protein Densetsu
--------------------------------------------
After learning they shoot white bullets out of holes in their heads and that they must protect a ball of protein, I felt like I was already living the Chou Aniki life. Wait... what? Anyway, picking this game up off of eBay was easy enough. Though I have to admit, as much as I like looking at this game, and as much as I love side-scrolling shooters, I suck too much at this game to have fallen in protein-drenched love with it just yet. I would still like to pick up the Sega Saturn game in the series.. but I'll need a Japanese Saturn first.
Time invested: 4 hours
WORTH IT: Well yes, I'm still very glad I own it... gameplay aside.


JUNE:

None. Wait... I actually went a whole month without buying a game? Shit...


JULY:

PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient
---------------------------------------
A ten-dollar bill and a bargain bin can sometimes be a wonderful thing. Case in point: PQ! Picked up this game and didn't put it down for the rest of the month. I almost got through every single stage but one killer in the 90's still has me stumped. Hopefully I'll have the brain power to get through it.. though a more likely outcome is me just buying the sequel.
Time invested: 15 or 20 hours
WORTH IT: Definitely.


Street Fighter Alpha Anthology
-----------------------------------
Another way for me to buy my favourite Street Fighter iteration? Of course I'm going to get it! Why would you ask such a stupid question? Oh, you didn't ask anything? Well, I still like this game so there you go. Plus, going back and listening to the erm... "talented" announcers in the first two Alpha games is a hoot. And the added bonus of Pocket Fighter makes for a completely wonderful Street Fighter collection (something that Street Fighter Anniversary should have achieved.)
Time invested: 10 hrs + all the time playing SFA3Max on PSP and the original PSone SFA3 = lots.
WORTH IT: You already know my answer.


Act Raiser VC
----------------
Thankfully with the VC you generally know what you're getting into when you buy a game since chances are, you've enjoyed the game years before. Such was the case with me and Act Raiser although, due to the game only being able to play/save one game at a time, I'm enjoying watching Koobert play through the thing. I'll start up my own file eventually.
Time invested: 2 or 3 hours
WORTH IT: Of course!


Kirby's Dream Course VC
------------------------------
I almost always enjoy the weird Nintendo versions of popular sports and not being able to find this game ever when I had my SNES always made me curious about this game. Not ever being able to find a non-corrupt ROM of it furthered my curiosity. Thankfully VC was there to save the day and I was finally able to enjoy this quirky little game.
Time invested: 5 hours
WORTH IT: Sure


AUGUST:


Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: The Genie and the Amp
----------------------------------------------------
This DS game was a gift for my birthday from a dear friend who I actually went to the Puffy AmiYumi concert with. While not the best platformer in the world, picking/playing guitar strings on the touch screen is pretty enjoyable.
Time invested: 2 hours
WORTH IT: I <3 Puffy so yes!


Super Paper Mario
---------------------
Again, a birthday gift. I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own... as evidenced by my not getting it when it came out in April. All in all it's an enjoyable game, but about halfway through, the slow pace really hits you and you kind of wish it would just either play itself so you could watch, or that it would just pick up.
Time invested: 15 hours
WORTH IT: Well.. yeah sure.


Brave Story: New Traveler
-------------------------------
Started this in August and then left if stagnant for a few months. I'm finally playing through it now and am almost done actually. How I found the time to play through an entire JRPG I'll never really know but this game with its pretty graphics, speedy and short load times, and well, its fun was definitely a great purchase.
Time invested: 23 hours so far
WORTH IT: Without a doubt.


Picross DS
------------
I'd heard about Picross for years but never really knew what it was. Upon playing a friend's import copy of the game I was hooked. Even though my brain isn't big enough (or old enough... or weighs enough according to some games) to finish the high level super puzzles, this is one of the most enjoying DS experiences I've had thus far. The tight controls only help the experience. It's puzzley, squarey joy!
Time invested: 15/20 hours
WORTH IT: Worth every penny.


Rhythm Tengoku
--------------------
Take the team that made WarioWare, tell them to make a rhythm game in the style of WarioWare, and tell them to not release it outside of Japan and you get exactly Rhythm Tengoku. If you enjoy having fun, or pushing buttons to music, you must buy this game.
Time invested: Hey baby, how's it going? I mean... many many hours, I don't even know.
WORTH IT: Figure out how to say "yes" in every language and there's your answer.


Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten
------------------------------------
Well, it's a Japanese/English Kanji dictionary... I mean, if you make games out of looking up words in the dictionary then I guess this classifies as a game but, well, it's a Japanese/English Kanji dictionary.
Time invested: I don't know.. just give me the kanji for "penis."
WORTH IT: For me, yes. But I'm learning Japanese. So for you, maybe not so worth picking up.


Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
------------------------------------------------
It's Darkstalkers on-the-go! Even though I have nobody to play it with, it's still fun to try and improve my dismal skill against the computer!
Time invested: 5 hours
WORTH IT: For $8 yes. For even $20 it would be for me though.


Brain Age 2: More Training In Minutes A Day
---------------------------------------------------
I didn't spend as much time with this one as I did with the original, although this one was quite a bit more fun... and a lot more difficult. As I was playing through the sudoku though I couldn't help feeling that I'd done this before and probably will be doing it in a year's time again. The free pack of 7 rainbow-coloured styli that Nintendo offered as a bonus for buying the game made it worth it for me though, because now I have a colour for every day of the week.... even if I only use the light blue one.
Time invested: 15/20 hours
WORTH IT: It was cheap and it helped pretty my DS so sure.


Yanya Caballista: City Skater
----------------------------------
In a moment of weakness while reminiscing about my undying love for Jet Grind Radio, I decided to pick up Yanya Caballista on the cheap to see if I could get a fix. With all my knowledge of programming and game development, which please note is NONE, I'm 100% sure I could have made a more entertaining game. This trash is not even worth picking up for laughs. Sadly, my used copy didn't include the fabled finger-board attachment and I think I'm ok with that.
Time invested: 1 hour
WORTH IT: I'd rather get punched in the face than play this again.


SEPTEMBER:

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales
-----------------------------------------
Upon hearing good things about this game from a friend who works at a now questionable, formerly credible videogame news/reviews site that shall remain nameless, I picked up this game used and was not able to put the game down. It wasn't until after completing the story mode, then picking up the DLC from the DS download station in the mall across the street that I finally put this game down. I have yet to play multiplayer though so I welcome any challenges!
Time invested: 20 hours or so?
WORTH IT: Definitely!


OCTOBER:

Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
------------------------------
To make a long story short, I've never actually finish a Zelda game, although I own and have played many of them. I was given this game by a friend and about two weeks later I finally put it down after beating the game. Friends, I have completed a Zelda game now, and quite possibly in my opinion, one of the best ones. I <3 the WindWaker style link the best, and although this game slides in juuuuuuust under Link's Awakening, it's definitely worth picking up.
Time invested: 15ish hours?
WORTH IT: For sure. It was free anyhow.


NOVEMBER:

Street Fighter EX 3
---------------------
The Street Fighter EX series has always been a bit of a joke for me. Giggling at the funny-looking blocky Ryu and Ken never made for compelling gameplay, but thankfully, the actual gameplay does mirror the 2D counterparts for the most part. It's nowhere near the tight 2D experience, but it has some memorable characters that I'd actually like to see make the transition to an official Street Fighter 2D game.
Time invested: 1 hour?
WORTH IT: Yep


DOA Xtreme 2
-----------------
The first DOA Xtreme game was pretty. The locations were all insanely gorgeous, and the girls were all pretty realistic-looking... except for the cutesy anime faces and the unrealisticly perfect bodies. DOA Xtreme 2 is more of an upgrade to the first game with pretty much exactly the same interface and gameplay, but with more minigames and well.. one odd misstep. Unfortunately for the girls, the physics on New Zack Island seem to have gone a bit haywire and now the mammaries flop around endlessly, often in two completely different directions. Kasumi could be laying flat on her back and the Boob 1 will be heading north while Boob 2 makes a beeline south. It's creepy!
Time invested: 1 hour
WORTH IT: ennh.... I dunno.


Ontamarama
---------------
I probably should have waited for a review on this game.. but I already knew what it was all about. It was just a matter of playing it. Now that I've played it I can safely say that the mechanic of trying to keep the rhythm with your left hand while trying to draw circles around ontama with your right is a process my brain does not like. I can do two things simultaneously with little problem, and I have a great sense of rhythm, but this game makes my hands work against each other and well, just isn't all that fun.
Time invested: 3 hours or more
WORTH IT: I wish, but nah.


Sin & Punishment VC
-------------------------
I'd heard that this was the best N64 game for years but of course, was never able to actually play it since it was never released here. Thankfully, once again the Virtual Console saved the day. And thankfully, it's another great shooter from Treasure - possibly the best-looking N64 game too.
Time invested: 2 hours
WORTH IT: Yup


Dotstream
------------
Another import GBA game. At $25 I decided the good things I'd heard about it were reason enough to pick this up. It's technically a racing game, although you're a coloured line... and there are no acceleration or brake buttons. It's all about drafting and dodging.. You really have to play it to see it.
Time invested: 8 hours or so? I suck at it.
WORTH IT: At any more than $25 I'd say no. Thankfully I got it for $25 so... yes!


Mario Galaxy
---------------
It's like playing Mario 64 all over again for the first time. While feeling like an 11-year-old game may not be a compliment, it works in this game's favour. Immediately I was 11 years old again and I was running and jumping through joyous, colourful levels again. Plus, the minimal waggle and motion controls they included only serve to augment the experience. My only gripe so far is that the water levels are just not much fun in comparison to the relentless joy of the rest of the game.
Time invested: I don't even know... gotta be around 10/15 hours so far... more to come
WORTH IT: This one was a gift as well, but even at $50 it's worth every penny and then some.



-------------------------------------------
So there you have it. 11 months and a habit I can't kick later and you have 2007 minus December, though I won't be buying any more games for myself since I'm now broke and asking for a select few games for Christmas. I never realized how much I actually spend on games until now and frankly... I'm even a bit surprised. Hopefully for next year, I'll be a bit better on keeping my wallet closed, or at least renting to try before I buy. That's never a bad thing. Jeez... I need to go outside.

After lurking for some time and some convincing from koobert, I've decided to set up shop here in Destructoidia after my recent move from Gamespotsburg. Not that I think I'll ever truly know what went down behind the GS doors, but the unsettling number of coincidences and laundry list of events with "bad timing" have proven reason enough to set out for different, possibly greener, possibly bluer pastures. Who knows.

Destructoid seems to be my style, and seems to have a surprisingly low number of ass-hats (is that what they're still called?) so hopefully I'll be able to unpack and enjoy my new digs.

I'll soon be getting my very own Xbox 360 which means I'd be more than happy to connect online with some other cool people to pew-pew some Guitar Hero or Rock Band songs. Currently however, I'm always up for Tetris DS online matches, and whatever else you can throw at me... if I have it, I'll be glad to play it online with you. (Chocobo Tales, anyone?)

Oh and... my banner isn't supposed to look like ass. I made it 970x200 but when I uploaded it, it looks kind of stretched and all jagged now. I promise I'll try to fix it later.. ok?

And with that... Hello!