Destructoid’s games of the week for 12/31/06: 2006 is dying edition!

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2006.

As a year, it was one of the finest in recent memory. It certainly trumped 2005, and who can even remember 2004? That was like YEARS ago! Since everyone seems to be drinking away the sorrow of losing yet another year already, it seems left to me to memorialize 2006. What better way to remember our dear old friend, 2006, than to remember the events of the last year through the blurry eye of half-truths?

  • February 22: The Securitas Cash Management Depot in Tonbridge, Kent, UK is robbed by at least six men for more than £53 million. Roughly translated, that’s enough cash to buy ten doppelgangers of Mexico’s fattest man made entirely out of gold!
  • July 30: The longest running musical television show in the history of the world aired it’s final broadcast. The BBC’s Top of the Pops had previously been on the air for forty-two years. The BBC is on record as saying that they would have liked to continue the series, but, unfortunately, Dick Clark ate everyone involved in the production.
  • November 24: Michael Stone, a loyalist paramilitary, is arrested while breaking into the parliament buildings at Stormont. He was armed with an imitation handgun, and eight amateur pipe bombs. One could assume that he was intent on murder and mayhem, but who’s to say that he wasn’t breaking in to return somebody’s keys? Or maybe he had heard that they had some nice chips there? Who are you to judge him??! Also, he was sentenced to 638 years in jail … probably because of all those people he killed.

Strangely, during the entire year, absolutely nothing happened outside of the UK.

2006 was also a big year for game releases. Here are the games that the editors of Destructoid have been playing this week:

Gregor:
With the arrival of Christmas, I’ve been doing a lot of gaming this week. Apart from Ragnarok with some other Destructoid buddies, which is great, I’ve really been getting into  couple rhythm games, particularly Guitar Hero 2 and Elite Beat Agents. I’ve gotten to the final difficulty in Elite Beat Agents but Cher’s Material Girl is giving me a bit of trouble. Damn you Cher. I breezed through Medium mode on Guitar Hero 2, but I’ve yet to beat any song other than Mother on Hard mode. To give some love to Nintendo, I must admit that I’ve been playing Trauma Center: Second Opinion for the Wii. I didn’t get a chance to check out the DS version, so all of it is new. The holiday season has been good to this robot. 

(Editor’s Note: People, I just cut and paste this stuff, I don’t correct miscellaneous mistakes due to lack of knowledge about mid 80s Pop sensations. — Nex)

Rob Summa: 
Rainbow Six Vegas. Nuff said. 

Nagiko: 
Both Castlevanias for the DS. Simultaneously. I can’t get enough soul absorbing action. It actually also made me bust out the old copy of Castlevania 2 for NES, which is still totally awesome. I’m also playing Tokobot Plus: Mysteries of the Karakuri  for PS2 which is surprisingly fun.

Nex:
This week I’ve been playing a ton of Phantasy Star II. For those not in the know, the Phantasy Star series is the Morrissey to Final Fantasy‘s George Michael. It’s more obscure, hipper, and it doesn’t blow cops in public restrooms.

Grim: 
I recently got a Dreamcast and that has been a barrel full of fun. I just picked up Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin which is a great addition to the series. Other than that, I’m still trying to get an S rank on every song in Elite Beat Agents.  

Fronz:
Finally got a DS Lite and I’ve been messing around with Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing: Wild World. Too early in them to cast judgements but I have a feeling i’m not going to like it as much as I’d hoped. I’ve finally gotten into Twilight Princess and Call of Duty 3 too, and still refuse to open my PS3. Someone buy it! 

Cybernetic Tiger Z: 
I played some Vegas. I got pissed you didn’t start right away in Vegas so I quit. Then I played some Gears. I didn’t really get into it, but what’s the big deal about it?

I picked up Geist for the Game Cube. It could have been such an awesome game. It’s a shame it failed so badly. I’m still playing through it so I’ll give a full analysis of it next week.  

Faith:
Mario vs. Donkey 2: March of the Minis (something to burn the boredom
at work with) and still at the Final Fantasy XII whichs rocks cocks.  

Nick Brutal: 
I thought it would be a good idea to buy Soul Calibur II, since it’s finally gone backwards compatible on the 360. Years after its release, this is still a good (even great) game. For some reason, I’m also tempted to buy SSX 3 (also backwards compatible).

Viva Pinata, Smackdown vs. Raw, Castlevania IV, Earthbound Zero, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and Gears of War. All at once. Which means I’m not really playing anything. 

Aaron Linde: 
Motherfucking God Hand. Everyone must own this game. Also Guitar Hero 1 and Guitar Hero 2 (Christmas gift from zee girlfriend), something for next week’s BBL, and the copy of Elite Beat Agents I bought just last night. I swear I’m going to play Final Fantasy III DS, I swear to Christ I am, just– just not right now.

But I will.

backflip10019:
What am I playing this week? Now that I’ve brought in the motherload (from Christmas, that is), I’ll be devoting most of my life to Elebits, Twilight Princess and other assorted Wii games that I received for Christmas. Sure, the component cable-less look of Twilight Princess might make my eyes bleed, but it sure will be worth it.

Dick McVengeance:
I finally beat Jump Super Stars! Now, I finally have my team assembled of Ichigo and Kakashi, and I’d love to take on some other players. Besides that, Borrie got me Metal Slug Anthology, and so that game will now consume my life, but not before I finally beat God Hand. I am determined as all hell to beat that game.

Ron “Small Wonder” Workman:
Novadrone = Garbage. One of the few games that I downloaded on XBL that I feel like I should have been paid to play. I just got Rally X and since Im an old crotchety bastard as a lot of you think, I actually remember this game. 5 bucks isn’t that bad. I’ll buy it. 10 bucks for Novasuck? No way. Maybe if they mailed me 20 bucks to do it. I have also been stuck on 99 nights for the 360. I can not unlock achievements! This game has been driving me nuts. C&C Generals on the PC has been right up my alley. I can’t believe that I went as long as I did without playing it. Thanks to the people in Vent for talking me into it. Anastasia (She’s Hot!) got me to try out 2nd life on the PC. All I have to say is that I don’t get it. I walked around for an hour looking for clothes and I got a free box of multi-racial penises. I really do not understand the point of the game. Actually, calling it a game is even tough. I’m not sure what to classify it as.


Happy New Year to all of you. I am very happy to be a part of Dtoid and I can only promise you that I will help make it more of “Da Bomb” in 07′. Be ready readers… this is going to be big.

One last thing…. Justin Murray at Joystink is a fucking idiot. 

orcist:
I didn’t snag Final Fantasy XII when it was released because I knew my mom had pre-ordered it, for Christmas (I didn’t even realize reserving games was on my mom’s radar). Now that I’ve got my grimy little paws on it, it’s been consuming my life. Disregard the naysayers — this is one of the better FF’s, if only because it brings such new gameplay to the table.

Niero:
I have serious mental and sleeping problems this week:

1) Xbox 360 — I’m primarily playing Gears, Geometry Wars, and Viva Piñata right now. I’ve had a 360 for two weeks and am making up for a lot of lost time with some casual time on demos — Need for Speed Carbon, Superman, and Lost Planet. Look me up – gamertag is Destructoid! Viva Piñata is disturbing. I feel like Pee Wee.

2) PS3 — I’ve yet to buy a single game… because I suspect everything on the shelf sucks… but I’ve logged at least 2 hours on the Motorstorm demo over and over. Can’t wait to get my hands on the full version. I also played Gran Turismo HD for 5 minutes and regretted it. I have Genji and Resistance demos calling me from across the room. My PS3 tag is also Destructoid, where is everyone? By the way, the PS3 is a dust magnet. You will be amazed at how fast it gets filthy. Must have something to do with the air flow coupled with it’s glossy exterior, which is now powder gray. Asthmatics beware!

3) Wii — one of my best friend kidnapped it, it’s been at his house for 2 weeks now. He’s trying to beat Zelda. I seriously have a copy of Happy Feet at the house from Gamefly. My girlfriend is growing restless. We get it back on Monday. I plan to rock a video review of this game. Seriously.

4) DS — Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is one of the best games I’ve ever played. Seriously, I think I’m enjoying this game more than any of this next-gen nonsense. The co-op mode is absolutely brilliant, the music is incredible, and the in-game guides for the enemy drops makes me want to waste an entire weekend figuring out what weird things all monsters drop. They had fun it this go around. Where else will Dracula’s karate maid stun you with a skull vaccum cleaner and drop a seafood paella?

5) PS2 — FFXII FTW. I love my Nyko Zero PS2 wireless controller. (hugs) On Aaron’s Bargain Bin Laden recommendation I also ordered Mobile Light Force 2 for $4. Can’t wait to try it. Funny — I can’t play it on my damn PS3 because I forgot to buy a PS2 memory card converter. It’s in the mail, cost me $18. Penny pinching bitching aside, I am happy to back this baby up to a hard drive. Its got years of my labors on it!

6) PC — Jets N’ Guns demo. I’m Lovin’ it.

 

Ok, so that’s it. I’m off to the bar to try to forget about this shitty year. While I’m gone, leave some comments as to what you guys have been playing. 


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Author
Earnest Cavalli
I'm Nex. I used to work here but my love of cash led me to take a gig with Wired. I still keep an eye on the 'toid, but to see what I'm really up to, you should either hit up my Vox or go have a look at the Wired media empire.