Cult Classics: PlayStation 2
Part 3: Bungie, Rockstar, Capcom and co. - and you didn't buy their stuff!
Transformers
- Developer: Melbourne House
- Publisher: Atari
Years before Michael Bay reinvented the robots in disguise as explosion-porn blockbuster icons, bringing with it the rather wretched game of the movie, venerable and trustworthy developer Melbourne House transformed (oh I'm good) the Armada cartoon series into this surprisingly great free-roaming action epic. Like a more accessible Armored Core, you choose between Optimus Prime and two other Autobots that aren't famous and set about exploring Earth looking for MiniCons, tiny robots that can grant you additional abilities. Oh yeah, and there are some Decepticons. Smash those, would you? With a nicely judged balance between fun mechanical mayhem and intuitive driving, Transformers is one of the few games to disprove the cry that "licensed games are crap". Most of them are, of course, and that's probably why no bugger bought this one. If you love Optimus, or just dig robots crunching each other to bits, this is one game that certainly offers more than meets t[--snip - Ed]
What we said: "Anyone even remotely into Mech shooters should check it out"
Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 5
War of the Monsters
- Developer: Incognito
- Publisher: Sony
As a long-standing fan of the giant monster movie genre, it pains me no end that Atari keeps shovelling out awful Godzilla fighting games while this absolute gem of a game, from Warhawk developer Incognito, remains sequel-less. Back when he reviewed it, Tom described it as a combination of Power Stone and Rampage, and that'll do for me. You play one of ten giant monsters, and must smash the pudding out of the others in a series of large open-plan cities, towns and islands. You get the obligatory Kong-style ape, and a lizardy Gojira lookalike, but there are also enormous robots, insects and aliens. There's even a giant living statue in what may very well be a tribute to the utterly obscure Japanese movie series, Daimajin. With the ability to pick up and throw cars, buildings and vast lumps of debris, along with specialised attacks for each creature, War of the Monsters is a brawler's dream. It's a weighty, stomping hoot of a game, especially in multiplayer, and one of the PS2 discs I know I will never, ever get rid of. It inexplicably sold about three copies on release, because Sony forgot to tell anyone it was coming out, so I suggest - nay, demand - that they compensate by fast tracking a PS3 sequel. Come on. Get on with it.
What we said: "We want another War of the Monsters, and we want you all to seriously consider buying this one in the meantime."
Ebay price guide: Between GBP 15 and 20
Way of the Samurai
- Developer: Acquire
- Publisher: Fresh Games (Eidos)
Many games have attempted to craft malleable narratives that can be directly impacted by player actions but most end up collapsing in a soggy heap like yesterday's Weetabix. This little-seen ronin adventure actually managed to pull it off, and yet still remained mostly unnoticed. You play a wandering samurai arriving in a small town. There are several rival factions in the area, plus the local military, and sundry civilians in between. What happens next is entirely up to you. Make no mistake, Way of the Samurai is a very short game played across a relatively tiny map. Most playthroughs will last only a few hours, but within this compressed timeframe are an impressive number of different stories and perspectives to discover. Align yourself with any of the rival gangs and you get a completely different story. Play as a noble hero or amoral killer and the game adjusts to suit. Killing characters has consequences, just as helping hands can move certain people in your favour. In fact, the small size of the game is probably what helps it to juggle so many possible outcomes, turning a potential criticism into a compelling selling point. The only slight snag is the rather clumsy control system, but for anyone who ever dreamed of being Toshiro Mifune this is a genuinely unique experiment in videogame narrative.
What we said: "This one really is fresh, and really is worth owning in most respects."
Ebay price guide: Less than GBP 10
Look out for more PS2 Cult Classics in future, following a break for GDC. Will your favourites make it in? Probably not, obviously, since this is a feature about games that people didn't buy.