Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photo By Meghan See

Some of the greatest games you ve never played

By Andrew page

ajpage@vwc.edu

When it comes to game regonition, everyone knows about the big releases. You see them every year with million dollar advertisements. You know the ones I m talking about:  Super Smash Bros. Brawl,  Rock Band 2,  Halo 3,  Grand Theft Auto IV, and others. However, every year, there are plenty of games that get swept under the tide of these massive titles or never see a release outside of Japan. It s a shame, too, because many of these obscure games are just as good as these massive releases. Here are some games you most likely missed that are definitely worth looking into.

 The World Ends With You

Made by Square Enix for Nintendo DC,  The World Ends With You is a new role-playing game property by the same team that created the Game Boy Advance spin-off of  Kingdom Hearts, this game rocked the worlds of critics and gamers alike. It tells the tale of Neku in modern day-Japan, stuck in the limbo between life and death, fighting for a second chance to live. The catchy soundtrack and excellent story, added to the fully customizable combat, and loads of bonus content, made this game one of the best RPGs made by Square.

 Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! 1 & 2

Guitar Hero and Rock Band may be rocking the world on the home consoles, but on the handhelds, the  Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! series reigns supreme. Produced by iNiS for Nintendo DS, these Japanese rhythm games feature super manly cheerleaders, ready to help citizens in times of crisis by cheering them on to victory. It features over-the-top scenarios including police fighting an invasion of robots, and even saving the world from meteors. Both of games work perfectly on United States DS systems. And check out  Elite Beat Agents, the American port of  Ouendan. It features entirely new characters, music and equally crazy scenarios with the same addicting rhythm- based game play.

 Trauma Center: Second Opinion

One of the best and most overlooked launch titles for the Wii,  Trauma Center: Second Opinion is both a remake and a sequel to the over looked DS title  Trauma Center: Under the Knife. You play rookie surgeon Derek Styles, who discovers he has the ability of Healing Touch. On the operating table, you tackle destructumors, lacerations and deadly weapons. Tying this together is standard medical drama, but the story is still compelling.

There are plenty of other games out there that are obscure and often ignored. But the next time you get bored with the next big release, look a little harder, and you may find some great gems.