With Halo, GTA: Vice City and Metal Gear 2 being released the year before, 2002 would be a hard act to follow but 2003 was the year that Nintendo brought out the big guns with new Zelda, Metroid and Mario Kart all being released.
Ubisoft also enjoyed a good year with Prince Of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil hitting the shelves whilst a little known franchise called Call Of Duty was also just starting out.
The Runners Up The Call Of Duty series is one of the best in gaming history and it got off to a good start with its debut on PC but it has since been trumped by the mighty Modern Warfare games so it just misses out.
The brilliant Beyond Good & Evil was a great game that failed to capture the public's imagination but many gamers recognise it as something of a lost classic. Metroid Prime saw Samus return in style in a glorious 3D adventure while Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time also gave new life to an old series. Finally, Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic is a wonderful RPG that let you play on the dark side and was arguably the last great Star Wars game.
The Winner: Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
Metroid ran it close but Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker is our winner. It's incredible now to think that so many gamers had doubts about Link's new direction when Wind Waker was unveiled to an angry press at SpaceWorld 2002. After the unrivalled majesty of Ocarina Of Time and the twisted genius that was Majora's Mask, many gamers were expecting a continuation of the series on Nintendo's new console and their appetites were whetted when Nintendo teased fans with a new realistic Zelda at SpaceWorld in 2000. Instead they got a cartoon.
But what a cartoon! When Wind Waker was released in 2003, the sceptics soon realised that they should have known better than to doubt Link. This incredible adventure got 10/10 in CVG and while the reviewer got a bit carried away by claiming it was the best Zelda yet, we can't argue with his closing comments. "As magical as you'd hope, this really has that epic feel. Pulse-racing battles, soul-warming humour and always a great sense of mystery."
It certainly was an epic and although some complained that they would have liked more dungeons and less sailing, Nintendo left gamers wanting more. And they got more in 2006 when Phantom Hourglass was released for DS.
That's a good shout! I remember how disappointing it was when we found out that it was going to be a cartoon, but for no good reason, this was an excellent game!
oh god, another zelda game... Sorry but its the same as the last with different graphics, played it and got bored. Beyond Good and Evil for me with maybe Kotor just behind. *own personal opinion disclaimer*
"KoTOR" was a cracker of a game back then! I heartily agree with the article writer's comment that it was arguably the last great "Star Wars" game to date (please change that LucasArts). As for Zelda...Meh. Never really played much of any of the Zelda games so I'm not qualified to make a hands-on assessment; that said, the Zelda appeal wore off for me when the NES bit the dust.
zelda needs to not be reviewed with rose coloured lenses. the story is crap, and always the same, the gameplay is exactly the same as previous zelda games. the best 2 zelda games (the only really good ones) are A Link to the Past and Phantom Hourglass (for bringing something else to the tired formula).
Mario Kart: Double Dash! also came out in this year but I'm pleased that it wasn't selected as a choice because Crash Team Racing on the PS1 easily beats it.
There was also XIII but it missed that extra something to put it at the very top.
And Viewtiful Joe - however the game is so uncompromisingly difficult in places that it is not to everyone's tastes.
Soul Calibur II also came out on consoles in 2003 although I am not a big fighting game fan and haven't played it.
I would personally have put Max Payne 2 on there. It may have been more of the same to some extent but it looked great and the fun house level was clever and scary. However, as 2003 had a relatively high number of either original concepts or new spins on old franchises I can't complain- however many did not sell all that well.
Despite its flaws (including some only averagely designed dungeons and huge amounts of inconsequential sailing) The Wind Waker still looks nice and has some special moments. I'd have probably picked Metroid Prime over it though because that game has superb level design and music but it is really close.
2004, in comparison, had the largest number of sequels in any one year that there has ever been, many of which were good AND sold well.
"The Call Of Duty series is one of the best in gaming history and it got off to a good start with its debut on PC but it has since been trumped by the mighty Modern Warfare games so it just misses out."
I don't get CVG. Going by their logic halo should have missed out last years award since halo 3 was better. HL was not tht great of a revelation as HL2 was better...
Beyond good and evil was great and so was kotor (still holds up) but sand of time really was amazing for me, that rewind mechanic was so sweet and the platforming in general was awesome (not so awesome combat though). I never got zelda games tbh. Maybe its to do with how link looks like a complete fag or how tired the story and combat got after each iteration.
When I saw those 5 pictures on the CVG home-page, I KNEW it was going to be either Zelda or Metroid. Journalists just eat that s**t up.
While they are undeniably good games, did they really add anything to the industry? weren't they kinda just sequels with a bit more added on?
Knights of the Old took the biggest franchise around, made it into one of the best games ever, told a very good story in the process that didn't involve a princess being stolen for the 17th time, and was generally just blood brilliant.
Beyond good and evil was a little bit over-rated to be honest. The mechanics of it and the Pokemon Snap camera felt like it had been designed in the N64 era and had just been in production, getting slowly polished, ever since. The conspiracy plot is a bit of a cliche. The final level seemed liked a rush job. It was at its best when there was considerable action e.g. hovercraft races and, although I don't want to see the sequel be totally action oriented, the previews of Beyond Good and Evil 2 look more exciting. There's been Half Life 2, Bioshock, Uncharted and Mirror's Edge since the first game was released and the sequel looks like it's moving with the times, getting away from the Zelda/Starfox Adventures feel of the first game.
Zelda : the most overrated series in history. I know a lot of gamers, with a diverse range of tastes when it comes to genres, but I don't know a single person who plays Zelda games. "A Link to the Past" was great, but since then, meh.
I for one enjoyed Wind Waker, despite the tired story and the slight lack of diversity in terms of the landscape (one wave looks much like another...); but whilst I also enjoyed Beyond Good and Evil I don't think it compares. It started off really well and I thought it was going to turn into an epic (and great) game... and then suddenly it was over all too soon
Metroid Prime gets my vote - it's rare for an 'FPS' to manage exploration and platform jumping so well and it looked (and still does) look great.
Which idiot said that every Zelda is the same, you obviously havent played them all. Yes the basis of the story is the same but thats the point of the Zelda franchise. Perhaps I should explain for the morons out there. There are usually 3 chosen characters one who bears the power of light the others of power and courage, thats where Zelda, Ganon and Link come in respectively. Now not all the stories are the same for example Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks all have very different stories. Then when compared to Ocarina of Time which Wind Waker follows up from and Majoras Mask again different stories. Minish Cap, Oracle of ages and seasons all completely different. Should I continue or do you get the message and maybe think before you write stupid comments????
Out of that lot I can personally vouch for KotOR and Sands of Time.
KotOR was absolutely brilliant and Sands of Times is an underrated little gem.
I dunno what made me buy that game that Xmas but I did and was pleasantly suprised. The platforming was sublime and the lonely exploration was unique at the time save for old Tomb Raider's.
Also, that love story with Faria and your interaction with her was worthy of Nathan Drake and Uncharted.
"The Call Of Duty series is one of the best in gaming history and it got off to a good start with its debut on PC but it has since been trumped by the mighty Modern Warfare games so it just misses out."
I was going to call attention to this stupid comment too, as next year's awards includes Call of Duty 2 - which is definitely inferior to the first game.
Nevertheless, I agree with The Wind Waker. My favourite console game of all time, no joking. I liked Ocarina of Time, but never felt like trumpeting how great it was from the rooftops, and I never played the 2D games (they still don't impress me).
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