The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Platform: GameCube
Genre: Action-Adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 24 March 2003
Rating: Everyone
Price: $20

While most people name Ocarina of Time as their favorite in the The Legend of Zelda series, I personally name The Wind Waker. It took the excellent gameplay of Ocarina and brought it into a new setting with a very different feel to it. While many people complained about the supposedly "kiddy" cel-shaded graphics of the game at the time, they have aged very well, and it remains rather beautiful to this day.
As for the gameplay, it's a Zelda game, so if you've played any of the other 3D games in the series, Wind Waker is pretty much the same. The twist this time is that you need to use the eponymous Wind Waker, a baton that lets you control the weather, so that you can sail from island to island. While many people complained that the sailing was boring and monotonous, I found it rather relaxing, and the simple challenge of navigation provides a nice break from the standard dungeon-crawling. As for the dungeons, enemies are a bit weaker than usual in this game, but the dungeons themselves are larger and more complex, so it evens out. There are also a lot of side-quests (almost every one of the numerous islands has at least one), so there's a lot of game in this game. It plays very well, and that's really the most important piece.
The story is simple as video games go: hero wants to rescue his kidnapped sister, and ends up wrapped up in the traditional save-the-world quest. The setting is a series of islands within the "Great Sea," which is refreshing, as this is only the second time the Zelda series has left the traditional setting of Hyrule.
There's one other thing I need to bring up: don't be fooled by the cartoony visuals and lighthearted feel. When you think about it, this is one of the darkest installments in the series. (WARNING: If you don't want spoilers, even minor ones, then please skip this next paragraph.) About halfway through the game, it is revealed that the series recurring villain, Ganondorf, actually won the last time he attacked the kingdom of Hyrule, and in a last-ditch effort to stop him, the gods flooded it all. That's right: the ocean that you've been sailing? It's the post-apocalyptic kingdom of the previous games. Now that is pretty dark.
The Wind Waker is an exemplary installment in the really damned good The Legend of Zelda series, and $20 at GameStop is a pretty good deal for anyone who hasn't played it already.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger

Genre: Platformer
Developer: Krome Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release: 10 September 2002
Rating: Everyone
Price: $3-5

Usually when I go back and play a game from my childhood, I turn it off in just a few minutes and say "I used to like this?" That's never really happened with Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. I have always been fond of a good 3D platformer, and Ty delivers. It's flawed, yes, but still a good time. The plot is cliche, and the characters shallow, but the setting is really nice; it actually feels like Australia, despite being highly fictionalized. Your main weapon is even a pair of boomerangs.
There's a rather cheesy humor throughout, which, while juvenile, manages to keep the game lighthearted and amusing. And sometimes all you want is a lighthearted romp in between other, darker games.
The gameplay is not without its flaws. Some of the puzzles leave you wondering how exactly a kid was supposed to figure them out, while others are no challenge at all. Combat can be frustrating, since a missed throw leaves you without your boomerang until it comes back (you can still bite, but it's somewhat unreliable). And there is a certain enemy which can only be hurt by a certain kind of boomerang, but is thrown at you right up until the end of the game, long after you have obtained more powerful boomerangs, leaving you mashing the button to change 'rangs until you get the one you need.
Despite its flaws, though, Ty is a decent game that speaks to the child in all of us. Besides, it will only cost you $3 on the GameCube or PlayStation2, and $5 on the Xbox.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Platform: Gamecube
Genre: Survival Horror
Developer: Silicon Knights
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 23 June 2002
Rating: Mature
Price: $15

Eternal Darkness is a horror game done well. It's not exactly scary, but it's creepy and unsettling. Not the kind of game you want to play at night, at least. It's rather original as horror games go, in the way it tells its story.
The plot revolves around one Alexandra Roivas, whose grandfather has just been murdered. The police being left without any clues, Alex decides to investigate herself. In her grandfather's mansion, she finds a mysterious book: the Tome of Eternal Darkness. As she reads the Tome, she learns of those who have owned it before, and of the ancient evil they have combated. I will not reveal any more, but this serves as the basis for the gameplay. The mansion functions as a hub, and Alex as your gate to the other characters. As you begin each new chapter, you take control of a different character, and see what they lived through. Each character has their own stats and weapons, as well as one of several different locations to explore.
There is one other feature that makes Eternal Darkness unique: sanity. As you encounter monsters, your character's sanity meter will drain, and it can be restored by finishing off those monsters decisively. But if your sanity gets too low, you will start to experience hallucinations. These can range from the music changing, to hearing voices, to the game pretending to glitch (one particularly memorable one has your memory card pretend to erase itself). These break the Fourth Wall brilliantly, and leave you questioning your own sanity as well.
As a whole, Eternal Darkness is a very creepy and memorable experience. If you have $15, pick it up.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.

--Kotaro