Katamari Damacy

"My, Earth really is full of things."

I'm no stranger to strange games. That's not to say I always play weird titles, no. Probably the opposite. It's just that I am aware of, and have played a fair few games that are bonkers, so when Katamari Damacy rolls into view, I'm prepared for it.

This game is about as Japanese as they come. If we're to believe Wikipedia without fact-checking, the title translates to 'clump of souls'. How's that for absurd? Wait until you hear about the gameplay...

Far Cry

"It's more fun to let you wonder."

Sunny blue skies, white sand beaches, crystal clear water... Paradise comes in many guises, and the islands of Far Cry would, for many, be a place to relax - were it not for the inhabitants to all be mercenaries out to kill you.

You are Jack Carver, and you're not liked around these parts. As one man armies go, you don't look the gruff military type, but I'm sure you'll pick things up quickly. You'll have to if you want to survive.

I've not played the original Far Cry, and am looking forward to it. How much of what I know from other entries in the series can be found here too? I've no idea. Grab your suntan and your body armour. We're going to need 'em.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

"Thank you, Carl. You saved me from having to kill them all myself."

Where do we start with this one? Coming just a couple of years after the excellent GTA: Vice City is the even more remarkable Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, set in a grittier, more realistic parody portrayal of the west coast of America in the 1990s.

The game follows Carl 'CJ' Johnson's return to Los Santos and will take you through all kinds of missions, introducing you to many a ridiculous character as you pick your former gang up and put them back on their feet.

Like Vice City before it, I last played a spot of San Andreas a few years ago and took some screenshots for this very post. Do I remember why I chose them? Nope. Let's just reminisce once more, eh?

Gradius V

I see you...

Another shoot 'em up, but this one - this one - is the one you've got to play. You've got to play all the others on this 1001 must-play list, of course, but it's actually Gradius V that you've got to play before all the others.

Said to be playable and enjoyable for both fans of the genre and newcomers alike, Gradius V is another solid 2D shoot 'em up to test your reactions out with. What else does it offer? I've no idea. I suppose I should just play it already.

EverQuest II

Neverending quest, perhaps?

There must be something to be said for MMORPGs that still have a presence more than fifteen years on after the initial release. To maintain a fanbase with a constant flow of patches and updates and content to keep players engaged year after year requires quite a lot of effort, I'm sure.

But for all the Free to Play incentives to draw new players in, can you even get into MMORPGs that are this old? Does the gameplay still hold up? Is it even the same gameplay as it was a decade and a half ago? What does an old title offer that a newer title doesn't?

As usual, I've no idea how to answer any of that, but we'll be asking it of the next must-play according to the 1001 list, EverQuest II.

Halo 2

"Your energy shields are down, take cover!"

Since writing about Halo however long ago it was, I've still not decided on how to play Halo. I'm probably leaning towards The Master Chief Collection, where everything will be in one place, but I know that given that I've waited this long to get around to playing them, waiting a little longer won't hurt.

And now here comes Halo 2, putting more pressure on me to play them sequentially. There will be more Halo titles on the 1001 list, by the way (spoilers), but I get the impression I'll have a smattering of understanding about each of them based only on their first levels for a while to come...

So, let's drop into the smash hit sequel and see what captured everyone's attention back in 2005, before trying to forget it all until I'm ready for it.

Ah. I bet that's a spoiler for the first game then. Try to forget that.

Doom 3

"I can't believe its come to this."

How do you release a sequel to Doom in an age of Half-Life and Halo? It can't look anything like Doom if you're going to compete - only nowadays do retro-graphics have as much of a punch as the flashier titles. In the mid-2000s, you had to show off, and Doom 3 showed off.

Deployed to Mars City, a grimy, industrial, military laboratory kinda place, we're about to see the horrors of the universe up close and personal. Doom games are shooters with a splash of the supernatural. Demons and flaming skulls and untold horrors that ought not to exist, and definitely shouldn't be angered into attacking you.

Only this time, the lights are off...

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Your quest has begun!

Source // Moby Games

Monty Python meets The Princess Bride, says the 1001 list's write up for Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, a cel-shaded 3D JPRG that finally made its way into Europe in with this game.

I know of Monty Python. I don't know of The Princess Bride. That's the one with André the Giant, right? If yes, I've still not seen it. Monty Python, though. Does that mean Dragon Quest VIII is full of surreal humour? Does it mean it won't make much sense? Who or what will it offend?
I suppose I better find out, eh?

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

Deserves some kind of applause, surely.

When I slapped those bongos for Donkey Konga, I thought that while a clever bit of kit, they were somewhat gimmicky. Hitting bongos to the beat of the music, yeah, sure, it makes sense. Is it a system seller? Not really. Can you do much else with them? No. No, you can't.

Unless you're the mad developers of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, a platformer - yes, a platformer - that works best with the bongos.

What a world we lived in back in 2004...