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Features Editor, GameSpot VG
Choosing the games for the rest of the year that I'm looking forward to most would have been a much easier task if it were certain that a few games were going to ship this year. But with the new Zelda for the GameCube looking like it will probably slip to next year and Panzer Dragoon for the Xbox looking less and less likely for this year by the day, the choices were narrowed down a bit. Even so, there are plenty of exciting choices for this year, and I've decided to touch on a couple of different games that really have my motor revving.
 |  Please not another Luigi's Mansion! |
If someone were to come up to me tomorrow and tell me that I would only be able to play one game this year, I would choose Super Mario Sunshine without hesitation. Granted, Luigi's Mansion fell short of the achievements of past Mario Bros. games, but if Nintendo allows Super Mario Sunshine to be anything but stellar the company might as well pack it in. Nintendo's exclusive games are what make the company tick, and if it can't deliver on the high standards it set previously with its software, it will have lost its competitive edge. But in the video game business, the only thing you have to go on is track record. And Nintendo's track record with Mario's games has been flawless. Based upon this alone, it's almost impossible for me to look forward to any other game more than Super Mario Sunshine. It doesn't hurt that I'm a platforming junkie, either.
|  An old nemesis returns. |
And thankfully, Super Mario Sunshine is a platforming game and not a derivative and overblown minigame like Luigi's GameCube excursion. Some people have expressed concern that the water apparatus on Mario's back could be the equivalent of Luigi's vacuum, but Miyamoto has already gone on record stating that the water tank will be one of many different devices Mario will operate throughout the game. Then again, Nintendo representatives said there would be a lot more to Luigi's Mansion than sucking up ghosts with vacuums when in fact there wasn't. Hopefully Nintendo will realize that people want a traditional Mario platforming game with a splash of innovation instead of the other way around. But this article is about anticipation, and I'd be lying if I said I was anticipating any other game more eagerly than Super Mario Sunshine.
|  Don't stay inside too long or you'll turn into a vampirelike being. |
But to shut myself off to the rest of the world would be stupid, and I'd also be missing out on a lot of other great games. Another upcoming release that has really piqued my interest is Project Ego for the Xbox. From all initial indications, Project Ego will play very similarly to Nintendo's Zelda games in that your main character can build his attributes like an RPG, but all the battles will take place in real time. But the proposed small details included in Project Ego are what will set the game apart from other action RPGs. When your character begins the game he is a young man. His body will change as time passes according to the type of life you lead. If you work in the sun all day your character's skin will get tan, his face will become more wrinkled, and his muscles will bulge. If you tend to stay inside more his skin will be pasty and he will be feeble looking. The same holds true for the environment as well. If you plant a tree and come back years later you'll find that it has grown. The people who inhabit the various villages you visit will remember you when you return and will share stories with you of your last visit. All these small details add up to create a living, breathing world that very closely mimics reality while maintaining a fantasy feel.
|  The sun can have harsh effects on the skin. |
Because of the game's ambitious nature, I'm still a bit apprehensive that it won't end up being what its developers have advertised so far. Peter Molyneux, Project Ego's caretaker, was the mind behind Black & White for the PC. While I thought the ideas behind Black & White were interesting, I felt the game fell short of being entertaining after a day or so. Hopefully this fate will not befall Project Ego as well. Considering few have had a chance to even see the game in motion, this is a distinct possibility. But like I stated with Super Mario Sunshine, this article is all about anticipation. And right now, I'm really looking forward to Project Ego.
Some might call it a cop-out, but I couldn't end this piece without mentioning a few games that came close to making the list--and there are quite a few. We may not get Zelda this year, but Rare's Star Fox Adventures is looking like the next best thing. It's already one of the most visually impressive games of this generation thus far, and with Zelda's gameplay in tow, this should be one to watch. Hopefully all the delays the game has suffered will pay off in the end. Another game I'll be keeping a close eye on is Metroid Prime. It used to fashionable to bash this game, but after some strong showings at recent press events, that has suddenly changed. It will be interesting to see if the series' patented adventure gameplay translates well into a first-person perspective. Just when the PlayStation 2's software lineup for this year was starting to look completely absent of anything compelling, I was allowed to get a sneak peek at a game scheduled for the end of the year that will impress. But aside from said game, there just isn't anything on the console's horizon that has me all worked up. Grand Theft Auto IV is definitely on my radar, but if it's released this year I'm wondering just how different it will be from the last game in the franchise. I'm also excited to see how online console gaming pans out later this year, but I'll withhold from making any judgments for now. As you can see, 2002 is looking like a great year for video games. No matter what console you decided to purchase, the end of the year will be full of enticing choices.
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