ctober 24, 2007: a day that will live in infamy as that on which countless gamers went broke. To say that a lot of great games are hitting retail today is a little bit of an understatement – due to a few reschedules, this has quickly become one of the biggest dates of the season. What follows is an edited list of some of the day's more anticipated titles. Enjoy, and start counting your pennies now.
Ace Combat 6 is actually the seventh game in this acclaimed arcade-style air combat franchise. It's the first, however, to appear on a non-Sony platform. If you didn't check out the demo when it appeared on Xbox Live a few months ago, shame on you. The control scheme's still great, and the graphics are even better – this game is a sight to behold in high-definition. Here's hoping the story is at least palatable, but if not, who cares? This is Ace Combat, after all.
Although it's late to the party, Tomb Raider Legends is finally landing on Xbox 360. Released on the PS2 and countless other platforms back in the spring, this title is a remake of the game that started it all. I'm almost ashamed to admit it: I've never actually played a Tomb Raider game. Well, I can't think of a better way to hop into the franchise than this.
It's probably no secret to those that have met me. I absolutely love giant robots. If you go and put giant robots in a video game, I'm happier than a pig in... well, I'm happy. Today, Front Mission arrives on the original DS. This remake of the Japan-only SNES classic is a turn-based strategy gamer's delight, featuring countless customization options and a ridiculously complex storyline of the Square-Enix variety. It doesn't look as though there will be multiplayer, but the tens of hours it should take to beat the campaign makes this money well spent.
The Ace Attorney returns to the DS in Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations. I don't think any other platform has done more to advance the text-based adventure genre than the Nintendo DS has in recent years, and few franchises have been as prolific as this one. Once a cult hit, Phoenix Wright is now an A-list property for Capcom. This third game might end up feeling like more of the same, but fans of the series should definitely check it out.
The PS3 may get another shot in the arm as Ratchet and Clank Future hits the platform a week earlier than anticipated. Although the writing in the series has always been a strong point, its evolution from 3D platformer to shooter could have gone more smoothly. Rumor has it this new installment returns the series to its platforming roots. If this is the case, we might have a classic on our hands.
Did we need another 2D Castlevania game? Perhaps we did, considering Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is a revamped port of one of the series' most revered titles – one that's taken fourteen years to make it to our shores. I don't know too much about this one, except that it features some of the most breathtaking 2D visuals I've ever seen in the series. If your PSP's been itching for a new game, you might want to give this one a look.
Of course, there are a few new games you could pick up without even leaving your living room – both Battlestar Galactica and Exit debut today on the Xbox Live Arcade, giving fans of both shooters and puzzle games a little something to get excited about. No matter what your genre of choice, something tells me you may be making a trek to your local boutique before the week's end. Whenever you do, happy shopping.
