So we decided to change things up a bit here. While the term "haul" on the TNL Forums referred to the games (or other notables) that someone may have purchased recently, it seems that most of the staff can appreciate the classics too. Well, let's face facts here: most of us are just piss-poor to buy any new games on a regular basis for this feature. Hence the name change to The Weekly Gaming Report. However, with a bunch of new games coming out in the next month (most notably GTA: Vice City, Metroid and Splinter Cell), we're sure that everyone's wallets will be hurting after the year is done.

Bahn - Contra: Shattered Soldier

I previously was going to discuss a number of other games, but they've all been superceded by the newest addition to my library that's literally blown me away. There's no doubt in my mind that this past week marked a countrywide celebration to the newest (and perhaps more enjoyable and addictive) installment in the Contra franchise. The feedback from our forum community members alone serves as a good indicator as to the sheer awesomeness that Contra: Shattered Soldier delivers.

I've yet to complete the game or even appreciate some of the finer elements which the game offers throughout (mainly because I am juggling the play time of several games at once). In fact, I don't even want to beat the game right away. But guess what? You won't do it in one setting, especially on the normal setting. Shattered Soldier faithfully recreates the old-school, non-stop adrenaline action and kicks it into overdrive. Players can begin from 1 of 4 missions in any order that they choose (thank goodness for non-linear gameplay). You'll actually want to begin the first mission, so that you can get a glimpse as to the source behind the new generation of Black Falcon (hint: it's an old friend). Bill Rizer and his new cybernetic partner Lucia are thrust into 30 intense levels - featuring some familiar enemies and a whole new slew of bad asses. Of course, both of our heroes are packing firepower, which after some time and adjustment will feel like an old hat. There's a total of 6 weapons all together shared upon the two characters: standard rifle shot, flame whip, and roaming mines. In order to get an entirely new weapon effect, press and hold the button. Depending on the selected weapon, your charge shot can consist of a rotating spread shot, energy burst, or a homing missile attack respectively. In addition, pressing the R2 button allows you to shoot in a fixed direction - perfect when targeting any on-screen enemy with ease. Visually, the game screams wow! Over and over again. Particle effects, sharp 3D characters (they're not 2D sprites mmkay?) and a diverse range of dark tone colors to drive home the theme of a post-apocalyptic era. Yum. I am really digging the graphic engine which I haven't seen done this well since I played the Saturn edition of Shinobi.

I realize this segment is coming off very much like a mini-review, and well - so what? It's impressed me thus far, but Shattered Soldier to some seems far from perfect. For starters, what's up with this hard rock music? Aside from the classic completion theme, there are no familiar soundtracks to speak of. I am all for reinventing the wheel, but I am sure Konami could have graced the game with a few of the original songs for nostalgic value (come on guys, we're your fans who've anxiously been awaiting a game like this for years, and years). Although the action throughout is consistent, the in-game cinematic sequences feel pretty flat, especially since there's no voice acting - only text to drive the story along. After the experiences from Silent Hill 2 and the Metal Gear Solid franchise, I see no reason why this particular element was awarded the short end of the stick. I mean, it seriously would've enhanced the atmosphere so much more - don't you think? In any event, this game is challenging, and awards players with hidden levels and endings by completing the game with a pre-designated hit rate value (a performance meter which rates your performance in each level against enemy characters.) It's great to see some solid shooter action grace the PS2. Lock and load soldiers, if this is the game to get if you own a PS2! Fall out.

Reno - Multiple Titles

As always, I've been playing some Soul Calibur 2 at the arcade. Because of work and school I get about 2 hours in each week, which is just long enough for me to familiarize myself with the game and still try out some new tricks on everyone. I've been playing a little more this week because the Soul Calibur 2 National Tournament is next weekend, but I haven't decided on whether I want to participate or not. Paying $200 just to get to the tournament is more than a barrier for me at the moment, but I'm hoping a last minute miracle will let me go down to Chicago or New York to compete.

Besides Soul Calibur 2, the Virtua Fighter bug has hit me again, in the form of VF4: Evolution. Toronto got the game 2 weeks ago, and it's extremely fun to play VF again in the arcades, something I haven't done since it was released on the PS2. Wolf is becoming a real tempting character to try out, since a lot of his animation has been redone, not to mention he has a bunch of new throws that look awesome. He's got a tiger driver that he performs as a ground throw, the Rock Bottom, the People's Elbow, and a pickup German Suplex. Other characters have new moves as well, although I haven't seen too many people choose anyone except their main characters. Akira has a crazy elbow, backdash, palm move that can really mess with you, and Pai has some really fancy throws now. What's even better is that Toronto will now be home to its very own VF.net-esque system. The arcade operator agreed (or was that gave in?) to our demands and is purchasing a card system for Evolution so that we can all buy cards and possess win/loss records. It should be interesting to see how this turns out.

Finally, SOCOM: US Navy SEALs has been kicking my ass lately. I was fortunate enough to get a PS2 Network Adaptor with the game, so it's been damn fun playing against dozens of other people in one game again. I'm not too big on the PC gaming scene, so playing SOCOM was a refreshing change of pace from playing all of those quirky single player games that occupied my time a while back, such as Animal Crossing and Kingdom Hearts.

Haohmaru - Multiple Titles

Dynasty Tactics (PS2)

This thing feels like a mix between Kessen , Romance of the Seven Kingdoms , and Dynasty Warriors . Throw ‘em all in a blender and some of the best parts work and few don’t. Still, the AI is very challenging and the combos, though in serious need of refinement, are a nice supplement to the game. The usual cast of characters (Lui Bei, Cao Cao, etc...) populate the piece and, if you’ve played through either Kessen, some of the cinematic sequences will seem awfully familiar.

Terminator: Dawn of Fate

Movie licenses are usually a bad thing and, despite this title being looked forward to by many souls who own a PS2, this one is no exception. The execution is absolutely flawed and it’s a tiring affair to try and sit through for the sake of the story. Yes, it’s cool because it’s Terminator and the entire concept of that is appealing. The graphics are excellent and the story isn’t half bad either. The actual game (you know, the reason you bought the thing) is woefully thrown together and is an exercise in frustration. Stay away unless you want to blast through it in a weekend for the sake of the story.

Hero - Multiple Titles

Robotech: Battlecry (XBox)

My brother bought it over the weekend and...well...I can say it's the best Macross/Robotech game yet. That's not a large compliment though: the levels are pretty redundant. The controls are quite cumbersome and don't seem up to par with the performance that the game requires out of you. The music is forgettable. The cel shading is nice, but all the textures are more washed out than a N64 game. Hmmmm....I know there was supposed to be something good about this...bah...

Wild Arms (PSX)

Yes. Wild Arms. Since Wild Arms 3 is out (and I'm broke), I borrowed this from a friend to see what the series is all about. A bit RPG, a bit Trigun (in a sense), and a pretty base battle system. You know, there's nothing that makes this game stand out or seem phenominal, but it's pretty enjoyable...maybe I'm a sucker for the 'wild west' themed music.

Capcom vs. SNK 2 (DC)

Because I'm too afraid to play at the arcade. Yep, I'm that bad. ph33r.

Kaneda - Soukyugurentai (Sega Saturn)

Defeating Giga Wing 2 on a credit has given me a renewed hope in trouncing other shmups that have given me difficulty in the past. Souky isn't my fave, mainly because locking on with a cone isn't as fun as devasting with giant lasers, but it's still a very artistic and well-done game. It's also a bastard. I've made it to the last level so many times only to be annihilated over and over again. The level isn't even that hard, I just need to suck it up and lay down the law. I'm putting my foot down, Souky. Prepare to face 105 pounds of fury. I'm one-crediting in this piece.

MechDeus - Multiple Titles

Here we are, ripping through the beginning of our fall/winter madness. How about a highlight reel?

Unreal Tournament 2003 caused a lot of destruction and lost time recently; sucking in our top player from doing various other things he should've been concentrating on. A bit of practice is still needed for him to get on top like he should be, and he's still having some problems getting a hold of the ball in Bombing Run. Lag is playing a major issue here, but it isn't stopping him from tearing ass across the field, even if it is stopping him from aiming properly. Damn good fun, though he's still debating on that whole "Is it better then QIII?" thing. Silly fanboys.

This popped into a bit of yet more killing as memorization is now the word of the day in Contra: Shattered Soldier. The first real return of the series since the Genesis, it's worth every penny ripping up stuff old-school style. Our man that we sent into the field isn't terribly happy with the ways weapons powerup, but he says that's almost nothing compared to the warmth and goodness he feels wrapped in a blanket of death.

However, clear skies are apparently not on the horizon, as we're having reports of mediocre games in Bloodrayne and Grandia Xtreme. We're having trouble getting a full report from down there, but neither seems to be terribly great, serving best only as distractions when a break from something better is needed. Not that this is necessarily a good way to do that.

It's been some good times for gaming, which looks only to improve as time goes on this winter. We'll be handing in our reports as we get them, provided we don't lose any men out there. Back to you.

Ren - Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

I recently finished Kingdom Hearts with only minimal frustration, and I have a few general observations to make. First off, there were plenty of end bosses. I think it adds up to about eleven of them, total. Now that's a LOT of fighting. This isn't a complaint, mind you. The bosses weren't insanely difficult, but they were enough of a challenge to make me feel rather proud after I managed to defeat every last one of them.

The music in the ending was also particularily enjoyable. I've always liked Hikari and the other song that plays during the credits (March Caprice for Piano and Orchestra). The ending was cute, and the bonus movie was quite intriguing. I'll say no more than that out of courtesy for those who haven't finished it yet.

I've read some rather negative reviews of KH on the Internet lately. I can see why many people wouldn't like it, whether their issue is with the camera, the childish look of the game, the slightly frustrating control, or any combination of the above. Although KH managed to get me fairly angry at times, I can say now that I truly enjoyed the experience of playing it. This is probably due to the fact that Kingdom Hearts combines the obsessions of my childhood (Disney) with the obsessions of my teenage years (Final Fantasy). At any rate, some people loved it while others despised it. I personally didn't think that KH was a complete failure like many others said it was. I suppose it all depends on everyone's personal tastes, so I'd suggest that gamers everywhere should at least give KH a chance and see what they think.

Sqoon - Animal Crossing (GameCube)

Man, I'm really enjoying this game. I bought a Game Cube mostly on a whim and only bought this game under the pretenses that I'll get a free memory card out of it. To be truthful, I was thinking more along the lines of "Free game with memory card purchase!" so it's safe to claim that I wasn't particularly looking forward to this one. But it has been a hugely pleasant surprise, and will probably be my favorite game released this year. Even if it's just for playing it ten or twenty minutes a day, talking to the town residents and seeing what they have to say, the game is still entirely satisfying and huge fun. Add in the fact that digging big holes and writing annoying letters are some of my favorite pastimes, and that I get to play old NES games, this will probably be a game I'll be playing for months or even a year or two to come. Nintendo should pat themselves on the back for this one.

Yoshi - Multiple Titles Animal Crossing (GCN)

I have formed a specific obsession within Animal Crossing - collecting fossils. To date I have 18 of a possible 25 donated to the museum. I have completed the Stegasaurus and the collection of individual items, such as the Trilobyte, amber, and dinosaur track. I have at least one piece of every other display. Through an exhaustove search each day, I typically have at least 2 fossils to send to the main museum for identification. The search continues... Contra: Shattered Soldier (PS2)

Old school gameplay lives. While I share the view of many at TNL that Contra should always be hand-drawn, I suppose we will have to take what we can get. Even if this doesn't look exactly like the way we remember Contra, it does play like it. Anyone who dares call themselves a gamer has to buy this game so that Konami will receive a positive message and get to work on a PS2 Castlevania or another Contra. I did my part, have you?

· · · TNL Staff