We’re pleased to be back this month with Destructoid’s picks for January 2008.
Many of you might have noticed, we skipped on the picks for December 2007, so allow me to explain. Many of you had noticed, but nothing really was released in December of last year. So retroactively, let’s just go ahead and say that Unreal Tournament III for the PlayStation 3 was the game of the month. But more importantly, we picked our damned games of the year … what do you want from us!?
2008 didn’t start off very strong, but there were a number of games we feel you should have been playing last month. Hit the jump to find out which titles we think are worth your time and money, and surprise — one of them is completely free!
NINTENDO DS
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Advance Wars returns to the DS with a slightly darker tone, and online multiplayer, making for a winning combination. Destructoid’s amaaaaazing Chad Concelmo agrees, even going so far as to profess his love for the game in an email using an all red font.
Not your thing? Try … didn’t some game where you’re an animal doctor come out last month, too?
PC
Off-Road Velociraptor Safari
Hamza has covered this a few times on Destructoid, and we’re pleased to name it PC game of the month for January 2008. Even if the only other game that had come out on the PC wasn’t a train simulator, we’d still choose Off-Road Velociraptor Safari. It’s free, and you can play it in your Web browswer right now … so go!
Not your thing? Try … seeing a shrink. You smash a jeep into dinosaurs, dude.
PLAYSTATION 2
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law
Capcom brings Adult Swim’s ex-super hero criminal defense attorney to consoles with some hilariously satisfying results. If you’re fans of the show, you’re sure to get a kick out of the writing, and with cameos from classic Street Fighter characters, it’s definitely worth a look.
Not your thing? Try … pulling yourself away from your Zac Efron calendar, and playing Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel
PLAYSTATION 3
Burnout Paradise
“It’s refreshing to see a dev wander outside the norm,” says Destructoid news contributor Joe Burling. We all agreed, and in our (slightly late) review of Burnout Paradise, we gave the game a solid 8.5.
Not your thing? Try … NFL Tour, because no other PS3 games came out last month!
PLAYSTATION NETWORK
PixelJunk Monsters
Q-Games’ take on tower defense games works perfectly on the PlayStation 3 as a PlayStation Network download. The game also features an excellent cooperative mode, making it a great title to kick back and play with someone you love … for hours.
Not your thing? Try … downloading the demo for PixelJunk Monsters. It’s your thing. Trust us.
PLAYSTATION PORTABLE
Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice
You’re a cop, and you chase criminals. It doesn’t matter how you get to them, be it hop from car to car, or from a car to a helicopter. With dedication like that, criminals are toast.
Not your thing? Try … FlatOut: Head On
XBOX 360
Burnout Paradise
Qais “Quail Futon” Fulton says of the game, “To me, Burnout: Paradise is the game the Burnout series has slowly been working toward. The open world, while not a new mechanic in racing games, is perfect for the Burnout series, and forces you to explore the world and play around with it in ways you wouldn’t do otherwise.”
Sounds naughty.
Not your thing? Try … Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
XBOX LIVE ARCADE
Rez HD
“If you missed it on PS2, now’s your chance to play the game that often serves as the big gun in the games-as-art debate,” says RetroforceGo!’s voice of Xbox LIVE Arcade judgment, Topher Cantler. “Even if you’ve already taken the original for a spin, it’s certainly worth the 800 points to play Mizuguchi’s masterpiece in HD. The game looks beautiful in its updated state, and if you liked it at all on PS2, you’d be a fool not to have it on your 360 hard drive.”
Not your thing? Try … Metal Slug 3.
Not your thing? Try … Furu Furu Park
WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE
Star Tropics
On RetroforceGO!, Chad Concelmo has been a bit disappointed with what he calls Nintendo’s “stingy” Virtual Console releases. One a week? Pffft. Luckily, he was able to find solace in one classic this month — Star Tropics.
“The Zelda/RPG hybrid gameplay, combined with the refreshing tropical setting and memorable story make this an instant classic, and one of my favorite games of all time,” he says. “If you haven’t played it, please stop reading this, shell out the more than fair $5, and download the game immediately.”
He adds: “Oh yeah, you can also rescue a dolphin in the game from a giant evil octopus. Enough said.”
Not your thing? Try … Adventures of Lolo 2 (NES)
