3. Shenmu: Odds are that if you’re reading this, you probably know about Shenmue and the sequel that followed it – leaving a cliffhanger for a third game that will probably never exist. An adventure game created in 1999 by the ever incredulous Yu Zuzuki, Shenmue took freedom in video games to a whole different level well before Grand Theft Auto III presented gamers with the sandbox experience that is so prevalent in games today. By simulating relatively small details such as day and night, a characters need for sleep and even weather – the hope was to create a true real-world experience. The problem is that simulation and fun traditionally have problems remaining hand in hand for long before someone starts bitching. But the story created around Ryo Hazuki, the game’s protagonist, remains compelling throughout the entirety of the experience, despite numerous opportunities to come off as contrived. With a sheer amount of activities to accomplish and a chance for younger gamers to get a glimpse at one of the more memorable games of the console, it would be a crime for Shenmue to not appear as a downloadable title.
2. Space Channel 5: Before Rock Band, Guitar Hero or any other Harmonix musical opus, there was Space Channel 5 and it was freaking amazing! Rather or not you felt comfortable filling the lovely space boots of Ulala, there was no denying that the rhythm mechanic offered a ridiculous amount of entertainment that games like Elite Beat Agents have only merely captured in the slightest ways in the years since. But then again, with Michael Jackson having made it into the game, I’m not sure how well received it would be nowadays. But then again, he is portrayed as a bit extraterrestrial, which conveniently enough captures him in his later years quite magnificently.
1. Seaman: Leonard Nimoy narrates the vegetative adventure of raising a rather obscure little pet with a face of person. Taking responsibility for a Seaman is no small task and the player is usually left to fend for themselves in figuring out the right and wrong of nurturing the aquarium-borne creatures. But the whimsicality and ability to completely raise what is basically an advanced version of a tamagotchi should never be lost on players. Where other games would have you jumping through hoops or collecting rings, Seaman allows you to shape and mold something that eventually becomes a fully-grown persistent creature that ages and dies, unless you make it to the stage of releasing it into the wild, in which case, bravo. Overall a weird yet surprisingly fun experience that would make excellent use of the headset on any of the systems currently being churned out by either Sony or Microsoft – why this game hasn’t come back sooner is still a mystery to me.
Are you excited as a gamer for Dreamcast classics to be returning to the gaming community in some incarnation or another? Or do you simply feel that the games lack any overall viability to today’s gamers? Hit us up in the forums so we know what you think, because we’re just dying to know (click here). Otherwise, be sure to bookmark us or just stay firmly rooted in your seat with your eyes fixed on PlanetXbox360 for more kick ass news, reviews and features about Microsoft’s latest slim and slick gaming console.
