Okay, I know a lot of people think that Pokemon Platinum is in fact going to be a remake of Pokemon Gold and Silver. This fact is not true. Pokemon Platinum is the 'Extended Edition' of Diamond and Pearl, much like Emerald and Crystal. And so, the hopes of us Johto fans seem to have been dashed yet again.

No one knows when the long speculated remake of G/S/C will be released. Yet it appears that we might get to revisit Johto in full 3D after all.

It is being rumoured that Pokemon Platinum will have Johto as an accesible area after you finish the Sinnoh quest, much like Kanto in G/S/C. Though at first, this may sound a bit ludicrous and absurd, this actually starts making sense, especially when you consider the following:

a) Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are more like Gold and Silver than any other game. Even their 'spiritual feel' is similar to the Johto games.

b) They have day and night like G/S//C had. This ideally sets up the stage for a visit to Johto, as unlike Kanto and Hoenn, day and night exist there.

And the real reasons are:

c) Sinnoh is placed just a little after Pokemon Gold and Silver on the Pokemon Timeline (if you want, I'll provide you with that too... just PM me). As the game begins when the Red Gyarados has just appeared in the Lake of Rage, we can assume that the completion of the total quests in both games happens at roughly about the same time i.e. when the protagonist of Gold and Silver defeats Red/Ash, the protagonist of Diamond and Pearl conquers the Sinnoh Elite 4. This means that it is an ideal time to visitr Johto now, and see how things are immediately after we finish G/S/C.

d) Finally, Diamond and Pearl are filled with innumerable references to Gold and Silver's storyline. Like we saw with Ruby Sapphire and then Emerald, Nintendo usually elaborates upon these casually thrown references drastically... an ideal interpretation of this statement would be that with these references, Nintendo has, in fact, set the stage for a revisit to Johto in Platinum, thus making it more different from its 'companions' than any other 'companion' in the series so far.

So there you have it. I admit, the possibility of this happening seems extremely likely to me. However, considering how the hopes of us 'Johto lovers' have been dashed in the past, I would not encourage anybody to get their hopes up. All we can do is wait... because surely, one day, Nintendo too will feel the urge to revisit Johto... may that day come with the start of the development cycle of Platinum.

Call me a moron, or call me whatever, but I haven't played shooters much. As such, I don't like the genre much, though one off games like Return to Castle Wolfenstien or Medal of Honor have been games that I have enjoyed at one time or the other. I have, however, otherwise maintained an aversion to shooters. As such, there has so far been no shooter that I have truly loved, and have been addicted to, save id's beloved Wolf3D.

But apart from shoters, I think all other gaming genres get a fair representation in my list of 10 most beloved games of all times. Okay, don't go looking for sub genres... there will be an action adventure, but don't look for a horror action adventre. Similarly, you will find racing, but no Arcade Racers, or Racing Sims. Racing, to me, is one genre, all others are sub genres, and I do not usually care for those.

Below follows my list. I do not expect many people to agree with me, or necessarily see my reasons for including any game on the list. However, my reasons for including any game will be purely personal: if any game is there on the list, it is there because it signifies to me a special landmark for me as a gamer. Therefore, if you are able to understand those landmarks, well and good. If not, well then, I look forward to a lot of bashing. Anyway, without further ado, let the list begin.

10. SUPER MARIO BROS. (NES) (PLATFORMER)

Ah. How can I not include this game? I remember being midly interested when I saw my cousin playing this game all the time, whenever I went over to his place. Games at that time did not interest me. But that would soon change. One day, out of curiousity (and I admit, out of a desire to see what it was that had so completely addicted my cousin), I asked him to let me play. And voila! Super Mario Bros., the first game that I ever played, became my favourite time pass over the next two months. Well do I remember moaning as I reached the eight world, and looked for a way to reach the Dragon, or the way I mastered each level, and learned to complete the game without ever using the warp zones (much). Super Mario Bros today does not appeal to me as much as it did then- I have experienced too many other games for it to do that- yet still, this game even today holds a special meaning in my heart.

Super Mario Bros, the first game I ever played, holds a special place in my heart

9. WOLF 3D (PC) (FIRST PERSON SHOOTER)

Wolf 3D was one of the first games I played- still in my nascent stages as a gamer. The game's incredible (at the time) graphics blew me away (although I admit that the swift movements often caused sickness). The first person shooter mechanics of the game, and the thrill of stealthily making your way out of the mazelike levels of the game to get to the game's boss- a huge monster, who looked positively funny, and sounded funnier- was something that for me, no modern shooter can match. Wolf 3D remains one of the best games I played, and unlike Mario, it is a game that I can still play today, despite much more technically advanced games like Call of Duty 4 having been released.

Die Nazi, die!

8. NEED FOR SPEED II (PC) (RACING)

Need for Speed II SE g is a game that I have great memories of. NFS II was introduced to me by my cousin, and I instantly delved deeper into it than I had ever before done for any game. Gameplay so addictive and graphics so real... this was one game I loved, one game I simply could not stop playing. Well do I remember how I used to race all day long, looking for that elusive tournament win, and the relatively easier Knockout win. Add to that the arcade like controls, mixed with great unlockables, and this game became one of my best of all times.

Spectacular (for that time) graphics and amazing gameplay addicted me like no other game had till that date.

7. ROAD RASH (PC) (RACING)

Road Rash. This was one game that I always wanted, and possibly the first that I got without any previous recommendations. Road Rash as a game has not been very popular critically, though the sales figures beg to differ. But for me, Road Rash at that time was the King of all racers. Making my way through the five levels of racing with my beloved Diablo at my side, racing way- and I mean waaay- ahead of my competition, Road Rash has found itself a natural place in my list.

Stunning graphics, the likes of which had never before been seen in any game, and harmlessly violent races make this one of the most influential racers ever.

6. AGE OF EMPIRES II: THE AGE OF KINGS (PC) (REAL TIME STRATEGY)

Age of Empires II was a game upon which I stumbled accidentally. I had recieved a demo disc, which contained demos of seven strategy games, and as I had heard of Age of Empires, installing the demo on my PC was but natural. The rest, as they say, is history. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings represents to me the most ultimate form of PC gaming addiction, and no modern game has dethroned it from that position.

Ride to war! Ride to victory!

5. PRINCE OF PERSIA: WARRIOR WITHIN (PC) (ACTION ADVENTURE)

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within was the first game in the Sands of Time trilogy that I played, and, not counting the original 2D Prince of Persia games, also the first action adventure game I ever played. You cannot begin to comprehend the effect that the game, with its amazing story that seemed to be too good for a game, responsive controls and free flowing combat and fluid animations had on me. It made such an impact that I immediately regretted having neglected older gaming franchises like Zelda for so long. I resolved to get into action adventure gaming. I haven't got out of it since.

You should feel honoured to die by my blade!

4. FINAL FANTASY IV ADVANCE (GBA) (ROLE PLAYING GAME)

As I said above, in my self imposed aversion to Action Adventures games, and any other game that seemed even remotely fantasy type to me, I missed out on many great franchises. Final Fantasy was one of them, and Final Fantasy IV Advance the first game in the series I ever played, though I have by now played almost every other game in the series.

The game was too good to be on a Gameboy. The sound was spectacular (though it still was nothing more than a MIDI tone), the story was very epic, the characters were all deep, and instantly likeable, and the graphics, though nothing special, did their job well: that of presenting a spectacular story in an equally spectacular way. Final Fantasy IV Advance deifinitely is one of the best RPG's for me, and is the best FF game in the series, apart from maybe Final Fantasy VI.

Welcome aboard, Sir Cecil of the Red Wings!

3. POKEMON GOLD/SILVER/CRYSTAL (GBC) (ROLE PLAYING GAME)

Pokemon Gold/Silver and Crystal are to me the ultimate handheld gaming experience. And since much of my gaming life has been spent in handheld gaming, Pokemon G/S/C automatically qualify as some of my most favourite and beloved games of all times.

I cannot possibly express my love for these games. The feeling that I have every time I start a new game. The sheer addictiveness that these games posses, that no other game, handheld, console, or PC, does. The games, without having any story to speak of, having graphics that can barely pass off as primitive at the most, and tinny sound that kept on droning in the background, are not about technical prowess at all... this game to me represents my philosophy in gaming: graphics do not matter, it is the gameplay, and how the game pulls you into its world and makes you believe that it is true, however unbelievable the game otherwise might be. When a game has me plotting strategies on paper as to how to get past a certain boss, and actually treating all my friends simply because I won the game, it becomes to me the ultimate gaming experience.

What will Croconaw do? What WILL Croconaw do? What? Tell me! Tell me now...!

2. GOD OF WAR (PLAYSTATION 2) (ACTION ADVENTURE)

God of War. To me, it was a non descreipt game, that I bought for lack of better options at the time (when I went to buy a game, this was the only game available in the shop that I didn't already have)... and how I thank my stars that I ever got my hands on this game. God of War is, quite simply, the game, that along with Pokemon G/S/C and the game that features Number One on my list, is one that I can play over and over, and each time, positively go teary eyed wondering how the developers managed such a feat. Kratos, with his twin blades of chaos, and his quest of achieving that which no mortal ever had- that of killing a god- coupled with the greatest graphics ever seen in an action adventure game, period, and the best soundscore and voice acting in a long, long time, means that God of War will feature in not only my Top 10 list, but in the Top 10 list of many others.

Hey, snaky!

1. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST (GBA/SNES) (ACTION ADVENTURE)

I remember how disgusted I was the first time I played Zelda on my GBA. This game, I thought, is not an action adventure. Prince of Persia is. How wrong I was.

I have kicked myself many a time after that. For Zelda: Link to the Past is today the best game I have ever played. No 3D Zelda, not even Ocarina of Time can come close to matching the thrills that I got as I climbed Death Mountain one final time on my way to Ganon's Tower, the Death Mountain theme playing grimly in the background.

Zelda is to me the epitome of gaming. No other game have I played that comes close to Link to the Past. entire 3D franchises like Prince of Persia and Final Fantasy tremble and crumble before it. The addictiveness of this game has been unmatched. The story is very epic, and despite not having all the frills that God of War possesses, it still manages to be an epic adventure staged on magnificent proportions. Link to the Past is the god of gaming. To me, it is better than all the rest of the Zelda franchise, minus Ocarina of Time, put together.

Hi, my name is Link. I'm the pointy eared n00b you see on the screen... not the witch in the background...

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Well, there you have it, then. Here's my list. I expect a lot of questioning, and even many doubting my credentials as a gamer. This is because the omission of many modern franchises, such as Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto, Halo and Killzone is glaring. Yet to me, modern games, save for a few which I have included in my list, cannot match the old world charm of the games of the Nintendo era...

I love playing Pokemon games, and unlike so many others, I have no qualms admitting it. Usually, I do manage to redeem myself in the eyes of those psuedo-macho gamers, when they learn that I also play games like God of War and Final Fantasy. And yet, nobody, including myself, understands what a franchise like Pokemon is doing out there on my list of all time favourite games, which includes some universally revered games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Final Fantasy IV.

Actually, though to those who have not at any point played any true Pokemon game (an endangered species, by all means), my love for Pokemon might remain a mystery. You have to play the games to understand what my reasons for liking the games so much are. It's just the sheer addictiveness and the level of involvement that the Pokemon games involve, that one who starts playing the games possibly never stops again.

Recently though, the high quality of the gaming franchise has been diluted by some not so great spin offs. Pokemon Ranger, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Pokemon Battle Revolution instantly spring to mind. It is a fact, however, that the franchise was anyway going downhill before last year's release of the much anticipated Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, that have succesfully restored the franchise to its days of glory. However, the last major Pokemon games, Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald were possibly the worst thing to have happened to the franchise.

The games, though featuring relatively robust technical prowess and a stronger storyline overall than past Pokemon games, were lacking in that one crucial factor that remains the sole USP of any Pokemon game: the addictiveness. I, at least, found that I could stop playing Pokemon Ru/Sa/Em at any point that I wanted to, and not get my usual withdrawal symptoms, that occur whenever I leave a Pokemon game midway (the exception to this was the climax of the games, when Team Magma and Aqua aqaken the mythological Groudon and Kyogre, thereby resuming the thousand year old war between the Pokemon of the LAnd and the Pokemon of the Sea. This, I believe, was the only part of the game that I truly liked). Also, Ruby and Sapphire, while featuring so much more, simply seemed to lack what made their predecessors arguably what can be called the ultimate handheld gaming experience: Ruby and Sapphire were but poor cousins of Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal.

Which brings me to the main point of this post: Pokemon G/S/C were not only the best Pokemon games, they were also the best games ever to have hit any handheld platform. And though, recent games like God of War: Chains of Olympus or even the Final Fantasy ports might appear to some to be better games, the fact remains that as portable experiences, they fall flat when we compare them to the experience that Pokemon games, especially Gold and Silver provide.

The sad thing is, that Nintendo, after the release of the third Advanced generation, went out on an all out promotion spree, promoting the Advanced generation games heavily, simultaneously neglecting the much better and oft ignored previous generation games. Also, the fact that the games were withdrawn from the market later on, and that today, almost all Pokemon G/S/C carts, however meticulously preserved, have stopped saving, means that almost nobody can experience these fantastic games today.

My own Pokemon Silver cartridge stopped saving last year. I went into a detached state of mourning, doing everything within my power to replace the game, or at least have the game start saving as soon as possible, but all my efforts were in vain. It appeared that from now on, I would have to confine myself to playing (*groan*) the Advanced Generation Pokemon games. And Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal would slowly fade in my memory, until I would gradually forget why I liked them so much in the first place. True, I had their PC ROM's with me, and I could have played them on the PC. But that was not how these games were meant to be played, and I would not commit this (to me) blasphemous act.

And yet, finally, I found a way round. It seemed that I was destined to play my favourite game one last time. A brainwave of sorts occured to me the day before yesterday, and I suddenly realised that I could play the game still, and on a Gameboy. All I had to do was plug in the game on my Gameboy Advance SP, start the game, and whenever I wanted to take a break, I could turn the light off, turn down the sound, put the GBA on charging so that it wouldn't discharge and when I wanted to play the game again, I could just resume from where I left it. I did that, and it worked wonders... ah, when I revisited the magical rural land of Johto, I realised why I loved it so much in the first place, all over again.

Today, after the games have been refreshed in my memory, I can safely say that Pokemon Gold and Silver are the best Pokemon games, and the ultimate handheld experience, at least until the thrid generation of Pokemon. Beyond that, I will not comment. I still need to play Pokemon Pearl and/or Diamond on the DS, having previously only played it on an emulator. I'll be getting the game soon. Very soon, I'll be experiencing the latest Pokemon, which so many people have said is better than my beloved games (in my review of Diamond and Pearl, based on my experience of playing it on an emulator, I said that it definitely is the best Pokemon game, second only to Gold and Silver). I know, having played it before on a PC, that if any game can best Pokemon G/S/C, Diamond and Pearl ca. Whether they truly are up to the task remains to be seen. Let's wait, and after I catch 'em all over again on, I'll tell you if they are.

GRAND THEFT AUTO

• A Gaming Revolution???

There has been a lot of hype recently, surrounding the latest iteration in the famed Grand Theft Auto series. Critics, one and all alike, have bestowed upon the game perfect scores of 10, and it appears that this game may well be on its way to topple Ocarina of Time from the throne that it has held for so long: GTA IV might go on to become the best game ever.

Yet how did the series reach this stage? Back when the first GTA was launched in the late 1990's, it was a good, but unremarkable game. The second instalment did to the series what sequels are wont to do: it appeared that a great concept had gone wrong. Would the series ever recover?

Yes it would, and what a remarkable comeback it would pose. Grand Theft Auto III would not only revive the flagging fortunes of its developer, but it would also set a precedent for all other great games to follow. Simply put, the free roaming sandbox type gameplay of GTA III was revolutionary, and a great step forward from the limited, scaled down, top down gameplay of the previous two instalments of the series. GTA III would go on to spawn not only numerous sequels and spin offs, but an entire genre, on consoles and PC alike. GTA III was indeed a gaming revolution, perhaps the first that we have had since the NES days, when Mario and Zelda ruled the roost (they still do... but today, they face stiff competition).

• Sequels Galore

The success of GTA III would of course, ensure sequels. And so, immediately, we were handed GTA Vice City, which had a lot to live up to. And though, at the time, people loved the game, and declared it to be the greatest ever, wondering how the series could ever top this new pinnacle of success, in retrospection, Vice City has emerged as the game most often faulted. It appears that today, Vice City is the black sheep of the GTA family.

Yet the series reached another peak, higher than anything ever before: GTA San Andreas. Today, it is, undoubtedly, the best GTA of the GTA III generation. It might even emerge to become the best GTA ever. Apart from all this, GTA San Andreas is also, without a doubt, the greatest free roamer ever.

Of course, the success of GTA would be emulated (read: copied). And so, EA with The Godfather, THQ with Saints Row, and many, many others, all got out theiur own games, and each faced varying amounts of success.

In the meanwhile, GTA had its own problems to tackle. The series was now definitely going downhill, which became glaringly apparent once Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories hit the stores. The quality was not what it once used to be, and the old GTA formula was definitely ageing. Would the series recover???

• Grand Theft Auto IV

Yes, it appears, and again, what a remarkable comeback. GTA IV seems to be set upon breaking all records, crititcally and commercially. A score of 10 from both, Gamespot and IGN is no mean feat indeed. And yet, today, we must ask ourselves: Why is the series so revered???

From what I've seen, and what I've heard, GTA IV has subtle improvements over its predecessors, yet it is in no way as big a leap forward as GTA III was. The same formula is being recycled and the story, though a bit more mature this time, is still, in the very basics, the same. The graphics and the sounds are undoubtedly better this time around, but the game seems to be full of technical glitches and issues. In no way does this game deserve a 10. Many others have had their scores chopped off, because of much more minor glitches. And GTA, in many cases, won't even start up. Yet Gamespot prefers to say that "there are some minor technical issues, but they do not hinder the experience." Folks, wake up. If game does not start up because of a glitch, then it appears that the gitches, howevere "minor", have affected the gameplay experience.

And the forumula is still the same.

Enough said. Play the game, love it. 20 years later, in hindsight, people will realise how all GTA's were, ultimately, alike.